The matter of the child originally made Anna feel a little hesitant. She is a woman after all. Compared with the rough and careless men, she always has a little more sensitivity inside, but Karenin's reassurance made them cancelled, and replaced by A heavy sense of satisfaction and comfort, in the hot season, like melons and fruits to cool off, makes people feel happy.
The ladies of Petersburg's high society can't wait to stir up a commotion in May, not to mention the grand ball that is about to kick off.
Face powder, lace ribbons, and various accessories gradually flew from the window into the ladies' collection catalog in the hot summer wind.
Karenin cannot say that he did not pay attention to these phenomena, but in the past, these phenomena were just more substantive references to him, a consumption habit of a class, rather than being classified as a woman alone.
However, after all, this government official found himself a secretary who didn't like to obey the rules and liked to be silent. So this morning, when he was about to leave work, the well-dressed secretary asked, "Tomorrow is It's the ball, did you send your wife something?"
The words "prom" and "gift" swirled in Karenin's busy mind, and then slowly condensed into a question mark.
What a smart man Sludin is. As a secretary, he has all the keen observation skills a secretary needs, except that he is sometimes a little bad-tempered and stubborn. In a way, like Sludin Only a secretary like Ding can just make up for the little imperfection that this official gentleman lacks.
"Generally speaking, as newlyweds, especially for such an important prom, wives dress up for their husbands and fight for their husbands' right to speak in this kind of social occasion. I think husbands should not just bury their heads in dealing with it." documents, and then leave it to my wife to think about it,” Srudin said with a smile.
In this office, or in the entire department, this gentleman is the only one who dares to talk to Karenin so presumptuously.
"Do you need me to prepare it for you?" He made a suggestion when he saw his eyes drooping in thought last time, but the smile on the corner of his mouth couldn't be stopped.
"I think it's better for you to prepare yourself." He couldn't help but said.
"Um."
Karenin did not argue much, although he understood the joke, but he also deeply understood the consequences of arguing with Sludin. A large part of it is just unnecessary waste of time, and he must set aside more time to think about what gift would be more suitable for his wife.
"I have been to a store, and there is a person who looks very similar to your wife." Sludin said casually, and gave the name of the place.
Karenin frowned when he heard this, he knew where it was.
"Maybe you can go and have a look, the jewelry there is very good." Sludin still provided suggestions for his superiors to choose.
Flowers, dresses, incense powder...
Karenin was thinking in the carriage, and finally he came to the shop he had been to before—the jewelry seller.
He once went here to buy "Flowers of the Ocean" for Anna, but he didn't have the impression of the woman who looked very similar to Anna in his mind.
He got out of the carriage and sent Peter back first.
For the sake of convenience, Karenin changed out of his civilian uniform in the dressing room of his office. At this moment, he was just like those ordinary middle-class people, wearing a decent well-tailored suit and not carrying a civilized walking stick. In general, Karenin is a person who advocates simplicity and puts more emphasis on comfort. The view on clothes is not in the fancy, but in the comfort of the fabric and the overall stable and decent effect.
In the era of peace, most nobles, whether men or women, put more hobbies and energy on pleasure. Although Karenin was not an ascetic, he still followed a certain concept of restraint and frugality in life.
Therefore, this gentleman official is not like the wealthy women who usually enter here surrounded by each other, nor is he like the arrogant and indifferent ladies with only one or two maids, he just stopped at the entrance of the jewelry store, Then he walked into the store at the same pace as usual.
There are not many people in the shop, and the decoration is a little bit out of order, but the accessories sold are a bit ingenious.
A clear voice made Karenin look over.
"Need to buy something?"
The girl was tall and slender, with slender eyebrows and light pupils, and the way she smiled was inexplicably contagious, youthful and sweet. At first glance, it looks a lot like Anna.
"Sir?" The young girl asked tentatively, because Karenin's face always looked a little stern when he didn't speak and looked carefully, and the pair of bright blue pupils were inexplicably intimidating. Even those very experienced politicians probably shivered a little when they saw it, let alone a girl from an ordinary family.
And it was precisely this subconscious reaction that made Karenin sober.
He said something casually, with a low voice and a calm tone, as if he had a mild temper and could be classified as being able to get along, but in fact it was a sign that he didn't intend to delay too much.
This faint contrast made the girl look at Karenin's back for a while when he left, but the arrival of the next wave of guests soon attracted all of her attention.
The sky gradually dimmed.
Anna raised her head from the table to look at the time, then rubbed her sore arms.
She got up and asked Anushka Karenin if she was back.
"Not yet, ma'am," replied Anushka.
"Should I send someone to the Ministry to inquire?"
"No. It's a big deal to bother him for such a trivial matter, and he said he will be late today." Anna said with a smile.
She is used to this kind of life now.
In the past, both men and women were used to living in a hurry in a rapidly developing society, and the so-called waiting rarely happened. Even if there are such days occasionally, there are more things to fill that mood.
And here, without all kinds of electronic equipment, it seems boring, but Anna can always find something to make herself happy.
In the morning she continued to finish her grammar, and in the afternoon she would go to the shop, or ask Tom to look after her, and then she would draw pictures in the room, and now she would go to the kitchen.
The cook Sasha has long been used to being his hostess, and other ladies and ladies don't like to come to this place.
"It smells like raspberry pie." Anna sniffed the smell in the air, and smiled like those juicy berries. The sweet and bright color made people happy just looking at it.
"Yes, ma'am, it's very fresh, and I've made quite a lot of jam." Sasha showed Anna the jam she had cooked, and Anna endured the desire to taste it.
"You can try it." The cook said with a smile.
Anna felt a little embarrassed, but still tasted a little, and gave Sasha high praise.
"Of course, this is a craft passed down from my mother's mother." Sasha said with some pride, "Mr. Happy."
"Looks like I'm a lucky guy!" Anna chatted with Sasha for a while before leaving.
She took a look in the hall, and the butler was instructing several servants to put the previously repainted furnishings in a good position. She went to learn some painting knowledge from Kearney, and the latter was very happy to talk to her about it. with these things.
None of the servants found this strange. Their mistress was always very kind, and the arrangement of the house had hardly changed, but everyone was happier and more relaxed.
Nobody bothers to ask why, but everyone is more than happy to see their mistress.
After disturbing everyone who could be disturbed, and finishing all the words that could be said, Anna stopped at the window sill and stared.
She rested her chin on her right hand and smiled at the corner of her lips. It was clear that she was caught in some kind of memory, and the person in the memory entered her sight so sooner or later, just like Anna saw him for the second time a long time ago. .
The same well-dressed, the same pace, and even the way he raised his hand didn't seem to have changed.
The not-so-long courtyard was covered with green grass, but it was not as shiny as his dark golden hair.
"Look at me, look at me..." Anna said cheerfully in her heart, she didn't expect it to really work, even, after saying so enthusiastically, she originally planned to go straight down by the hem of her skirt, but maybe this Does the world really have gods or gods
When those blue eyes looked at her, it seemed that there was a ray of light piercing the clouds, like a destined encounter in a story. If the person the princess loves looks at him, then, no matter whether he is a prince or a knight, He will all get a sweet kiss.
Anna was running unseemly while holding the hem of her skirt, as if the wind was chasing her hair. When she walked down the spiral escalator, Karenin just happened to come in.
The familiar eyebrows, the habitual folds between the eyebrows, before the lips that always express reason opened, Anna had already run over, put her foot on her feet, and kissed the other party's mouth lightly.
"I love you, Alexei," she whispered, with a look of joy on her face that couldn't be concealed.
Some stunned officials almost forgot to look around to see if anyone was watching, but fortunately, they had a capable housekeeper.
Anna smiled and let go of the other party. A thin layer of sweat broke out on her forehead, and her cheeks seemed to soften the colors of roses and sunlight. She didn't say a word, just held out her hand, like a child begging for a gift.
To give or not to give
If the sex between husband and wife is done by another husband, it will be accompanied by a bit of teasing, but this rigid official just handed the bouquet to his wife naturally, with cheeks that are usually expressionless and known for their natural skin , and inevitably a slight blush. However, between words, Mr. Official still retained his decency and style.
"Slutdin said," Karenin paused, unlike those smooth-talking husbands who say they did two hands if they did one nail for their wives, which in some The man who seems to be very clumsy in things chooses to tell each other the truth honestly, "When the wife goes to the ball, the husband must always support her."
"Why did you give me marigolds?" Anna didn't mind, she still asked with a smile, and even lowered her head to sniff the flowers.
Mentioning this flower, even Karenin smiled a little.
"I have to say, Anna, this flower is not the best in the store, it is not gorgeous enough, but it always strictly abides by its flowering period, in fact, I think, this is my favorite."
"So, did you give me your favorite flowers?" Anna finished for Karenin.
The man nodded, with a slight smile on his lips: "Yes."
Anna took a deep breath, hugged the flowers tightly again, and then rolled her eyes.
"I love so much."
"I love it when you share with me what you like."
Anna took Karenin's arm with one free hand and said as she walked, "I want to put them in your study."
"What do you think of that rusty-looking clay pot?"
"It was made by a famous master, it's..."
"I know, I said that on purpose."
The young woman cleared her throat: "I like to hear your serious explanation."
After a long time, it was a gentle reply.
"I know, Anna."
Later, when Sludin asked his boss if he thought the young lady looked alike to his wife, the high-ranking Petersburg official simply said, "No."
There are so many people in this world, and they even have the same facial features, but the soul can only be unique, and the memory can only be unique. Between eyes and smiles, in the passage of time, Karenin always only had that woman in his eyes.
Only her slender eyebrows are so stretched, only her gray eyes are sprinkled with stars, and only the corner of her mouth is the kiss that Karenin is looking forward to.