When Karenin returned to his house, he unexpectedly did not see his wife.
He walked through the long courtyard, handed Kearney his coat, and asked a word he hadn't spoken for a long time: "Where is Madam?"
"In the living room with Master Andre and the others."
"Need me to tell Madam you are back?" Kearney asked.
Karenin waved his hand, he glanced at the direction of the second floor, and then walked up slowly. He shook his hand, hesitated for a while on the route between the study and the living room, and then walked towards the living room.
The house is very well soundproofed.
On weekdays, it always looks secluded and quiet, but at this moment, there are no thick oak wood doors that are closed everywhere, and the slightly opened door makes the voices of people in the house flow to the corridor.
Karenin knocked on the door.
His uniform and leather shoes were so out of tune with the congenial atmosphere, but apparently there was always one of them who was completely unaffected by it.
"You're back." Anna said, got up and brushed her hair and walked towards him, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were shining.
"I didn't even notice it was this time." Anna said again, she unconsciously moved closer to her husband.
Andre and the others greeted each other, and now the son and the others became more reserved.
Karenin realized this, and his eyes fell on his wife. Seeing that she was just smiling at him, he unconsciously felt a little relieved.
"I have to go to the study to deal with some official documents." Karenin said, this is true, and it also leaves a more comfortable space for them.
"Ah, you go, I'll call you at dinner." Anna said, her voice fell, but her hands loosely hugged Karenin's right arm again, and then let go.
The movement was so natural that Karenin felt that perhaps she hadn't even noticed it.
He glanced at the three children again, a mixture of awe and restraint.
He didn't say anything, but, as always, more was already recognized in the heart of the Russian dignitary.
At around nine o'clock in the morning the next day, they put their packed bags in the carriage.
This was not the first time Karenin went to a house in the suburbs, but it was the first time that the house received so many people. There are even three carriages, which are quite majestic.
"Go and stay in the carriage, Alexei, I have to see if I have brought everything." Anna said to her husband, and then hurried to the back of the carriage.
She had to check with the cook whether everything had been taken, after all, this wasn't a one-day picnic.
After Anna left these words and walked away, Karenin did not follow what his wife said, and stayed in the carriage.
Just now, he seemed to have the illusion of being treated as a potato, which made him frowned slightly.
Well, Karenin had to admit, he didn't like this feeling.
Successful men like Karenin never act childishly. When they have a decision in their minds and quickly consider the gains and losses, they will act.
So Karenin didn't get into the carriage, but walked towards the back of the carriage in the direction of Anna.
Today is not a good day for spring.
Leaden gray clouds weighed on the air, and Anna had to discuss the importance of tarps with the cook.
The cook gave her a lot of advice, and she listened carefully, brushing her hair from time to time. Anna let even her hair loose, because it was rare to relax at the thought of their vacation at a country house.
What she didn't know was that her casual actions had already fallen into the eyes of her husband.
Karenin stopped when he was still a little away from Anna.
It wasn't that there was something blocking him in front of him, but he found that he seemed to have never seen his wife get along with the servants.
In fact, more of his memories are of Anna in front of him.
It seemed more of an appearance of seeking advice from him, of relying on him.
And now, his wife is completely out of that dependent look. She is like a young and qualified hostess, taking care of her husband's life in an orderly manner.
Her manner with the servants was not inappropriate, but rather gentle.
She didn't have the pretentiousness of many aristocratic ladies, nor the rudeness and timidity of country women. She just seemed content with her life, and even with everything he brought her.
Karenin had never seen such an Anna, but to be honest, how many times had he seen her? Karenin thought.
He didn't get lost in his thoughts for long, because his wife spotted her when she turned away from talking to the cook.
She smiled so brightly, with fine hair on her forehead, she looked a little cute.
"Didn't I tell you to go to the carriage?" Anna walked over and took his arm and asked with a smile.
"You brought a tarpaulin," Karenin pointed out.
"Because it's going to rain." Anna said naturally, and then she looked at her husband.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Karenin said: "It's nothing, it's just that I originally wanted to remind you of this, but obviously you have thought it through very carefully."
"Does this upset you?" Anna asked, almost holding her breath. She sensitively felt that Karenin's mood was a bit wrong, but she couldn't tell why.
"Of course not."
Anna was relieved by Karenin's answer.
"Then... why?" She questioned, not wanting any emotions she didn't understand to appear between them.
"You," Karenin continued after a pause, "you can handle things well by yourself. But I think I underestimated your ability, Anna."
After listening to Karenin's explanation, Anna smiled slightly: "It sounds like you are evaluating me as if you were a member of your department."
"Are you unhappy about it, Anna."
Anna shook her head: "No." She showed a happy expression, "On the contrary, I feel very happy."
"Look, Alexei, now there is a new identity between us. This shows that as your wife, I am also worthy of your trust, and you can always trust me with certain things."
After a long time, Karenin came to a conclusion for this conversation.
"You have always been worthy of my trust, Anna."
The sound of the carriage sounded, and after nearly two and a half hours, Anna and the others arrived at their destination.
Unlike the residences in the center of Petersburg, villas in the countryside are more elegant.
A country house always feels the change of seasons more quickly than a city. Blue roofs, well-built green vegetation, and lush forests on both sides.
The servants moved things in, and Anna directed from the side, looking at her husband and smiling from time to time.
After everything was settled, it was almost time for lunch. The group had a simple lunch, and everyone went back to their bedrooms to rest.
"Aren't you resting, Anna?" Karenin asked.
"Sasha and I have to make some blueberry pie for the neighbors."
They say they are neighbors, but they are not actually close. But for the future, Anna felt that it was necessary to establish a good relationship with these distant neighbors first.
"We saw a lot of wild blueberries not far away. I'm going to pick some." Anna wrapped her hair with a green scarf. After she finished speaking, she turned to look at her husband, and tilted her head. him for a while.
"What's the matter?" Karenin asked, still holding a book in his hand, which was his original pastime, and he had to complete one-tenth of the progress today.
"Would you like to go with me?" Anna asked, hooking a lock of her curly hair with her fingers, her crow-wing eyelashes flickering.
"Can."
After getting an affirmative answer, Anna walked over and took her husband's arm. She hooked up a basket.
"Let me do it."
Karenin said, taking the basket from his wife's wrist.
"I've got to say, though, I've never done anything like that," he said, already running through his mind with any information about blueberries.
"It's not difficult." Anna comforted him, and then she laughed, "It's a good feeling that I finally have one thing to guide you."
"You have to call me Teacher Anna." She joked.
"Guide on how to pick blueberries?"
"Yes." Anna answered, and seeing Karenin also smiled slightly.
That was nice, she liked Karenin's smile, it was kind of cute.
When they came near the lake, there were indeed many blueberries on the bushes. All of them are round and rumbling, because it is going to rain, they are full of water vapor and become bulging, as if they are about to hiccup at any time.
"Just like this." Anna demonstrated, and gently picked the blueberries with her fingers and put them in the basket.
Karenin glanced at her, then followed suit.
Karenin didn't have much contact with fresh blueberries, and because he didn't like sweets, he didn't even eat much blueberry pie. So like this, picking them by hand is the first time in life.
"They are not so fragile, and even if they are broken, the taste will not change." Anna said.
"I know."
Even though he said he understood, the man's movements were still careful and meticulous, as if those small, dark blue things were alive.
"I don't think you are picking blueberries, Alexei." Anna said with a smile after watching for a while.
Seeing her husband's questioning eyes, she explained, "It's like welcoming life."
"It's just blueberries, Anna," said Karenin, not paying attention, but putting the blueberries carefully in the basket. He continued his movements. Such a simple thing, but in his doing, it seems to be as meticulous as work.
Anna has no doubts that even if Karenin had not chosen to enter politics, he would have become an outstanding person in that field.
Vaguely, Anna thought: In the future, I will give birth to a child to this man, because I know he will be a good father.