Chapter 694: Golden Boy and Jade Maiden

Adrian Hawthorne tried feeding Dollar some meat broth, but he threw it right back up. You could tell Dollar was desperate to eat, but he just couldn’t keep anything down. It was as if something was stuck in his throat, making him throw up everything he tried to eat.

"Could his throat be inflamed?" Jim Thorne guessed. "The last time my throat was swollen, I was the same way—threw up everything I ate."

Adrian pried open Dollar’s mouth and shone a flashlight inside. He couldn’t see any swelling or growths—the dog simply couldn’t eat.

"He won’t even drink broth. Is Dollar going to die?" Amanda Chapman asked, her eyes red.

A pang of pain shot through Tang Xiaonan’s heart, and fresh tears streamed down her face. She hugged Dollar and cried.

"Don’t panic. We’ll feed him little by little. He needs to eat something."

Adrian patiently used a small spoon to feed Dollar, giving him just a tiny bit each time. He was even more careful than someone tending to a patient. When Phoebe Huxley came out and saw her daughter and Adrian carrying on like this, the corner of her mouth twitched. ’They’re waiting on that dog like he’s royalty.’

Still, as long as her daughter wasn’t crying, that’s what counted. That Hawthorne boy really had a way with things. A thought then struck her. Looking at them now, her daughter and that boy looked so right together. Just like one of those perfectly matched children from a New Year’s painting—a real feast for the eyes.

It took nearly an hour, but they finally managed to feed him half a bowl of bone broth. Dollar seemed a bit more energetic, but he was still in discomfort. He couldn’t speak, but Tang Xiaonan could sense his pain. So could Adrian.

"We’ll heat up the broth and give him more later," Adrian said. "He might be better by tomorrow."

Tang Xiaonan nodded. All she could do was wait. Dollar seemed exhausted and quickly fell asleep in his little den. Tang Xiaonan’s heart eased a little. ’When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll see my bouncy, energetic Dollar again, won’t I?’

’Of course I will.’

Felix Thorne returned empty-handed. "He’s not home," he said, annoyed. "Went to another village to deliver a calf. No idea when he’ll be back."

"That kid from the Hawthorne family came over," Phoebe Huxley said, her worry easing. "He fed Dollar half a bowl of bone broth, and he seems a bit better. We’ll see how he is tomorrow." She wasn’t overly concerned anymore. ’Dogs are resilient. If he can eat, he’ll be fine.’

She suddenly grinned and whispered conspiratorially in Felix Thorne’s ear, "So... what do you think about that Hawthorne boy and our daughter?"

Felix Thorne froze, not understanding. "What about them?"

"Well, when our daughter grows up, she’ll need to find a husband, right? Rather than some stranger, it’s better to find someone we know through and through. I think Adrian is a great catch. What do you think?"

Phoebe Huxley had always been anxious about her daughter’s future marriage. Though she was only six, time flew. In the blink of an eye, she’d be all grown up. She wasn’t worried about her three sons—they’d be the ones bringing wives home. Her daughter, however, would have to marry out. What if she ran into a bastard like Brian Chapman? The thought alone was enough to break Phoebe’s heart.

The more she thought about it, the more Adrian Hawthorne seemed to perfectly fit her criteria for a son-in-law.

First, Adrian Hawthorne was handsome, smart, capable, and already knew how to make money. He was good to her daughter, too. The two of them were childhood sweethearts, so they already had an emotional connection.

Second, Rosalind Green wasn’t a difficult person. She would definitely not be a vicious mother-in-law, so Phoebe wouldn’t have to worry about her daughter being bullied.

The more Phoebe Huxley thought about it, the more perfect Adrian Hawthorne seemed as a son-in-law. If the kids weren’t so young, she’d want to settle the engagement right then and there.

Felix Thorne shot her an exasperated look. "Are you nuts? Our daughter is only six! We’ll talk about this in the future."

Just the thought of his precious daughter eventually marrying some other man felt like a knife twisting in his heart. If he could, he’d take care of his daughter for her whole life.

But that wasn’t realistic.

That’s why Felix Thorne thought the government’s push for marrying late was a pretty good idea. He would definitely answer the nation’s call and raise his daughter until she was well into her twenties before she got married. And if his daughter didn’t want to get married at all? He certainly wouldn’t object. She could just stay at home!