Charlie’s arrival delighted Mrs. Lewis, putting her in a joyful mood.
She told Stephanie to close the store early. Then, she took Charlie, Stephanie, and Claudia to the market with her to buy ingredients for dinner.
Mrs. Lewis bought ingredients for all the dishes she was proficient at making, claiming that she would make a most sumptuous dinner to welcome Charlie.
Charlie helped carry the ingredients into the car after their shopping trip ended. Then, they went to Mrs. Lewis' home in Vancouver. Stephanie was the one who drove.
After she started living in Canada, she got her driver’s license and bought a secondhand Chevrolet sedan to drive Mrs. Lewis and Claudia back and forth home and Oskiatown daily.
Charlie didn't expect Stephanie to buy such a low-end secondhand car. Curious, he asked, "Stephanie, why don't you buy a better car?"
Stephanie replied with a smile, "A car's just a means of transportation. There's no need to buy something so expensive. Used cars and their insurance are cheap. I can save a lot of money, and I won't feel bad about getting the car scratched. Anyway, the car doesn't take up a lot of space and has low fuel consumption. It's small and practical!”
Charlie was doubtful. "You should've at least bought a new car. Never mind, I'll give you one later.”
But Stephanie was quick to reject the offer. "Brother Charlie, please don't do that. Even i f you give me a new car, I won't use it. Don’t you know how I am? I grew up in the orphanage with you, and I'm used to being thrifty. I don't want anything. Right now, m y life's much, much better than how it was back in the orphanage. I'm content with what I have."
She flashed him a bright smile. "I'm just not suited to the high life, I guess."
Charlie nodded in understanding.
In fact, he was similar to Stephanie. Like her, he didn't have any particular material cravings in life.
If he lived alone, he wouldn't require much except for simple clothing, food, accommodation and transportation. The bare minimum would be enough.
Cars were of no importance to him. Strictly speaking, he didn’t have a car of his own even until now. In fact, he usually drove either Claire or Jacob's car...
Oskian immigrants who had weak English proficiency and faced difficulty adapting to Western life would find this place friendly and welcoming. It was perfect for Mrs.
Lewis.
Stephanie parked the car. She couldn't wait to give Charlie a tour of the house.
The houses here couldn't be sold to the public if they weren't completely furnished and equipped with home appliances. Thus, Mrs. Lewis’s house was well-decorated and properly furnished. The furniture and electrical appliances were all of internationally recognized brands, and the entire house was in excellent condition.
After Charlie went through the house, he was satisfied. It seemed Stephen didn't mistreat Mrs. Lewis and gave her a luxury house in Vancouver.
Mrs. Lewis hurried to the kitchen to prepare dinner as soon as she entered. Claudia followed her to help.
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