"You don’t have to do anything special. Lana and I both have retirement pensions, so we’ll be fine financially. Just coming over to chat with us is enough." Frederick Thorne didn’t seem to mind, smiling cheerfully, but Lana Steiner looked dejected, gazing guiltily at her husband.

It was all her fault, she felt, that he was this old and still had no children. She sighed.

"I’ll take care of Second Uncle and Second Auntie too! When I grow up, I’ll earn lots and lots of money for you to spend!" Tang Xiaonan declared loudly. Her childish words made Lana Steiner laugh out loud. She looked at Tang Xiaonan with affection; she truly adored her little niece. ’If only I had such an adorable daughter of my own,’ she thought.

Tang Xiaonan felt a chill run down her spine and shivered violently. She quickly turned her head to look appeasingly at Phoebe Huxley and said sweetly, "I’ll earn money for Mommy and Daddy too, and Grandpa and Grandma, and Little Uncle, and Auntie, and my cousin!"

She rattled off the whole family in one breath, making sure not to offend anyone. Tang Xiaonan was panting, but everyone else burst into laughter. The little girl was so clever, knowing not to take sides. She was truly endearing.

"Your Second Uncle will be waiting for you to take care of him, haha."

Frederick Thorne picked up Tang Xiaonan and sat her on his lap, doting on her. Like Lana Steiner, he was fond of daughters, and the couple treated Tang Xiaonan as if she were their own. In fact, they bought most of her food and clothes.

In reality, Frederick Thorne didn’t expect his nieces and nephews to spend money on him. He had his retirement pension, and so did Lana Steiner. They wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink in their old age. What they feared was loneliness, and the possibility of being bedridden with no one to care for them. In the future, they could only rely on their nieces and nephews. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Tang Xiaonan snuggled in her second uncle’s arms, her mind racing. When Frederick Thorne had mentioned his retirement pension just now, she remembered something else.

’The town’s bustling brewery would suffer heavy losses in a few years, unable to continue operating, and eventually go bankrupt. In fact, the brewery is already in a huge financial hole. It’s just that it receives a government subsidy every year, and since it’s state-owned, they’re just robbing Peter to pay Paul. For the time being, no one will notice, but by the time the problem is discovered, the brewery will be beyond saving.’

’In the book, Frederick Thorne went mad after Lana Steiner died. He was on sick leave at home, and the brewery gave him a living stipend every month. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for him to get by. But after the brewery went bankrupt, the stipend was gone. This made life for the Thorne family even more difficult. Frederick Thorne became malnourished, and with his excessive grief, his madness grew worse. He ran off on his own and got into an accident just a few days later.’

’After the brewery went bankrupt, it was acquired by Jacqueline Spann. At that time, Frederick Thorne hadn’t had his accident yet. His condition was unstable—good on some days and bad on others. Jacqueline Spann came looking for the secret recipe for Beauty Drunk several times, but Frederick Thorne never gave it to her. A few months later, he had his accident.’

’And yet, Jacqueline Spann’s brewery managed to produce a Beauty Drunk that tasted exactly the same as before. Everyone who drank it said it was the original flavor. As a result, the brewery’s business boomed. Jacqueline Spann was also skilled at sales, and Beauty Drunk was sold overseas. She even registered it as a nationally famous trademark, and it became a renowned brand in Celestia.’

The more Tang Xiaonan thought about it, the heavier her heart grew. ’Where did Jacqueline Spann get the recipe?’

’The Beauty Drunk recipe was originally a sorghum liquor passed down through the Swann family. But the Swann family had few descendants. By the time it reached Frederick Thorne’s master’s generation, there was only one left. Moreover, Frederick Thorne’s master had no children, so he passed the recipe on to Frederick Thorne.’

’But that was just the prototype for Beauty Drunk. Frederick Thorne improved upon it, creating the richer, more mellow Beauty Drunk of today. Therefore, only Frederick Thorne knew the formula. At that time, he was not of sound mind and sometimes couldn’t even recognize his own family. How could he possibly have remembered the recipe?’