Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 144: A Dragon Stranded in the Shallows

"Go ahead and use your fists. You’ll feel better for a moment, but can you watch that old hag around the clock? The second you leave, the Chapmans will take it out on Phoebe. Unless you have Phoebe divorce him and leave the Chapman family for good," Shane Thorne said irritably.

’His third sister-in-law has a rather fiery temper. His third brother is a good-natured man, but he just had to marry a tigress. As a result, his eldest nephew, Felix Thorne, has an even more explosive temper. Then Felix went and married a tigress even fiercer than Raina. Now look at them—the three sons they had are each more hot-headed than the last. All they do is fight. It looks like they won’t amount to much.’

’His little grandniece, on the other hand, is quite clever and pretty. She should have a promising future.’

"That sounds so familiar. Who was it that said that?" Phoebe Huxley asked, carrying over a large bowl of braised pork. She had happened to overhear Shane Thorne and found his words strangely familiar.

"That disas— that kid with the surname Hawthorne said it." Goldie Thorne almost called him a jinx again but quickly corrected himself. He was afraid of upsetting his little niece, who was now thick as thieves with the Hawthorne boy and couldn’t stand to hear a single bad word about Adrian Hawthorne.

Shane Thorne was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected someone as young as Adrian Hawthorne to have such insight.

"It was also the Hawthorne kid who told me to go get you, Third Uncle. He said not to use force and to persuade them with reason, and that only you had that kind of skill," Felix Thorne said with a smile.

Shane Thorne gave a reserved smile, but inwardly he was quite pleased. ’Persuading people with reason is my specialty; I can argue a point even when I’m in the wrong. That Hawthorne kid really has some sense!’

"That kid is pretty smart, a cut above the rest of you. I see Jim is getting close to him. You should all get along well from now on."

"But that kid has a bad class background. Won’t that cause trouble?" Byron Thorne was still worried. ’Better safe than sorry. It’s better to miss an opportunity than to make a misstep, especially these days. You can’t speak carelessly, and you certainly can’t make friends recklessly.’

Shane Thorne smiled mysteriously. "Don’t worry, there definitely won’t be any trouble. Right now, that boy is a dragon stranded in shallow water, a tiger trapped in the mountains. If you help him now, he will naturally be grateful when he becomes successful in the future."

’Ruthless, resilient, and possessing great wisdom—a boy like that won’t be held back by Millstone Peak. Besides, a child like Adrian Hawthorne, who has endured so much hardship and humiliation, is bound to be vengeful when he grows up, but he’ll also be clear about his debts of gratitude and grievances. Now is the best time to show him kindness.’

Byron Thorne’s expression shifted; he was moved. He had wanted to help the Hawthorne family all along but had been hesitant. Now that he had Shane Thorne’s assurance, he no longer wavered.

"I’ve been mulling something over. I want to ask Germain Tate to teach Howard and the other kids. Jim had one lesson with Germain Tate and already knows the Song of the Solar Terms. He’s better than the teachers at school."

Byron Thorne explained his plan. Helping directly was out of the question; after all, Germain Tate was a "capitalist roader," so he still had to be careful. But if Germain Tate became his grandsons’ tutor, he could help him openly.

Shane Thorne’s interest was immediately piqued. He had Jim Thorne recite the Song of the Solar Terms.

"Spring Rain, Awakening, Equinox, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain; Summer Full, Grain in Ear, Solstice, and the two Heats..."

Miraculously, Jim Thorne recited it without a single mistake. He could hardly believe it himself; a few days had passed, and he still remembered it, as if it had been imprinted on his mind.

"I can recite it too."

Not to be outdone, Tang Xiaonan decided not to hide her true abilities this time. She fluently recited the Song of the Solar Terms without a single stutter. ’I have to let Shane Thorne know how talented I am so he’ll praise me more when he’s out and about.’

"Excellent. What else do you know, Xiaonan?" Shane Thorne asked with a broad smile, his eyes growing even more kindly.

No one in the Thorne family was particularly scholarly. Finally seeing such a promising sprout, the old man was deeply gratified.