When Karenin told Seryosha that they were going to his uncle's house in Moscow, the latter was very happy, but a little worried.

"I can go along, can I?" Seryosha asked Karenin, blue eyes were big, he did not want to be left alone at home.

"Yes, you can go together this time, but you can't fall behind in your homework, I'll talk to your tutors and check your progress."

"Yes, father." Seryosha said with crooked eyebrows, as long as he doesn't leave him alone at home, he doesn't care about anything else.

As the hostess of the house, Anna naturally wanted to take care of something.

She asked Karenin and Seryosha to bring what they felt they needed, and then looked again to see if anything was missing.

Karenin didn't have many things, a simple change of clothes, two books, and some official documents. Seryosha had a bit of a lot of stuff, he prepared gifts for his cousins, and when he tried to pack his little train into a suitcase, Anna stopped him.

"We're not moving, Seryosha."

"But I want to share my little train with Grisha and them." Seryosha looked at his little train reluctantly.

"I'm sure Grisha will have a little train, after all, this is also a gift from Skiva, and he will keep a copy for his own children."

Seryosha was convinced.

A telegram from Oblonsky's side was soon sent, and he desperately needed them to pass.

Karenin knew that he was incidental.

His brother-in-law, though he was a good old man, and they got along very well on weekdays, knew exactly what he thought about it, but since he didn't mention it at all, or didn't welcome Karenin in a stumbling tone, it was a good indication of his inner panic and helplessness.

Karenin instructed Kearney a few things as usual, and this time Karenin took a little longer than he had left St. Petersburg before, after all, this trip was not scheduled a month or more in advance, and his obsessive-compulsive disorder made him a little too worried.

"I'm sure that just for a week, the house won't be attacked by anything."

Karenin glanced at his wife and knew that she was joking to relax him, apparently with little effect, but he said he would keep his emotions in check.

"Sir, do you want to let the horses go out for a walk this week?" Kondraki asked.

"As usual, don't run around the streets."

"I know." Kondraki said to send the Karenins to the station in Petersburg.

Seryosha didn't take a lot of trains, so everything seemed novel.

Anna gave him a hat made of fox fur and the same scarf, which was also given by his Schihua uncle, and it is said that Scyward himself caught a red-haired fox, which was very valuable.

It hadn't snowed when they set off, and when they got on the train, the snow was falling in a torrent.

Vlamykiel booked them a separate box.

Seryosha was admonished by Karenin to maintain proper manners before driving, and until the train started, he could no longer behave like that.

"It's amazing!"

Seryosha patted the mat under his buttocks, as if everything was as tempting as candy.

"Mom! Do you hear the jet sound of the train? Seryosha asked excitedly.

Karenin closed the door when he noticed that Seryosha's feet were starting to shake, but fortunately the latter did not make a rude act of stepping on the mat, and it was tolerable for the time being.

"Yes, I heard that." Anna said.

Seryosha leaned against the window, and it took a long time to move his face down in satisfaction.

"I love everything about trains."

"Do you want to be a conductor then?" Anna asked.

Seryosha lowered his head and thought about it, but did not say anything, just glanced at Karenin with his eyes.

Anna also looked at Karenin.

"You're not going to object, are you, Alexey?"

Karenin, feeling as if he had been attacked with the eyes of some shining little animal, frowned and said, "Seryosha, I don't approve of you being one," he paused and then said, "Conductor." ”

After saying this, Karenin felt that his son drooped his ears like a kind of hairy rabbit, and only the curly hair on the top of his head could be seen.

"It's not discrimination, it's not that I don't recognize your abilities."

"Of course, honestly, you're too young to have the qualities of a conductor right now, and if you mean a love of trains, and a little unseemly excitement like the one you just had, I think you're totally unqualified." Karenin said solemnly at the end.

Seryosha blushed a little, and he snorted, "I'm sorry, father. ”

"Apologizing isn't the best thing to do, but at least it shows that you're introspecting." Karenin bowed slightly.

"We now continue with the previous paragraph. I don't approve of you becoming a conductor, and apparently the amount of effort I put into training you should make you a government official like me, or a soldier. However, if you continue to become a conductor when you become an adult, it will be up to you to consider and measure it. ”

"I can only give you what I think is the most reasonable and best idea when you are not yet mature to think, and I will not force you if you do not agree. But as your father, I always want you to agree with what I think for you. ”

Seryosha listened to Karenin's words and did not say anything for a while, and Anna, looking at the little boy who was thinking with his head down, looked at Karenin, who was drinking water, and thought: It turns out that this is the daily conversation of Karenin father and son.

"I'm going to get some water." Karenin said.

Generally, an official of Karenin's status always needs to bring one or two servants with him, and in addition to the need for servants to serve, the issue of decency is also a very important factor.

But considering what they were going to do at Anna's brother's house this time, and for the sake of her brother-in-law's decency, Karenin asked Anna if she insisted on bringing a servant or two, but the latter agreed not to do so.

"I can take care of Seryosha, and as for you, I'm sure you can take care of yourself, Alexei." Anna said with a smile.

She has never liked to be around people.

Although it's easy not to have to do things by yourself, there is always someone around you who is staring tremblingly, and she is still not used to that kind of appearance.

"I can take care of myself, Mom."

Seryosha said that at the time, but after a few hours he did not say so.

"Let Seryosha sleep in it, Anna." Karenin said.

"I want to, too." Anna said, and then reluctantly showed Karenin her clothes, which were clenched tightly by some writhing monster.

"I'll do it." Karenin said and was about to get up, but Anna stopped him.

"Just let him fall asleep." Anna said, her fingers still touching Seryosha's curls lightly, feeling like she was touching a fluffy little Pomeran.

"I didn't feel like you were as close to Seryosha as you used to." Karenin said.

"Really careful." Anna thought, and smiled.

"You always think I'm too fond of him, don't you?"

"It's getting better now." Karenin said, "I think it's reasonable. Seryosha was a boy after all, and too much pampering was not very good for him. ”

Anna saw Karenin go to get his book, hot tea on her right hand, and even a small snack, and then look at what she had? A slimy little Bambi.

A childish emotion rose in her chest.

"Alexey."

"What?" Karenin looked at his wife, whose mouth curled up slightly, and asked innocently, "Don't you think I'm a little bored right now?" ”

Karenin handed the book in his hand, though he wasn't sure if Anna would like it, after all, she liked balls more than reading.

"Look at my hands, they're busy, maybe you can read them to me." Anna said.

Karenin was a little surprised.

Some sophisticated families would hire French people to read aloud to them, but Karenin did not continue this habit, he was more accustomed to reading silently.

"Read me something." Anna said again.

Karenin wrinkled his eyebrows: "You insist that I read it for you?" ”

"Yes."

Anna smiled, "If you don't mind, I'm still feeling a little thirsty." ”

Karenin poured a cup of tea for Anna, then picked up the book and read it aloud to Anna with a random excerpt.

To be honest, listening to Karenin was not a pleasure.

Despite the fact that his voice was extremely charismatic, Karenin was accustomed to the lack of tone and the rigor and flatness of government documents, so that by the end Anna was almost drowsy.

"Obviously your insistence is not right." Karenin said calmly, closed the book, and took a sip of tea.

"Maybe you should try telling Seryosha a story and exercising." Anna yawned.

"You'd better not suggest that, Anna." Karenin reproached, "You can't blame me for the fact that you spoiled Seryosha too much and caused him to become overly dependent on you." ”

"I want to say that on the question of whether or not to favor Seryosha, you, the father, are no less than me." Anna said that she hummed a song softly before Karenin retorted.

The tune is very melodious, and the contrast against the winter snowflakes is particularly charming.

"I haven't heard you sing this tune." Karenin asked in a low voice.

"I'm not singing it, and I don't know what it is, but anyway, it's pretty good."

"Indeed."

The lights and snowflakes in the carriage drifted away, hazy, and white, only through a window pane, Anna knew that it was cold outside, but in the carriage, there didn't seem to be such a feeling.

"I love it." Karenin said.

Anna looked into each other's eyes, very soft, and she bent her eyes from the bottom of her heart, as if she had found recognition.

Following another point of divergence, the first point of similarity.

The melodious tune sounded again, like snowflakes, chic and lingering.

At around six o'clock in the evening, the family went to the restaurant for dinner.

There are not many people who dine, after all, people who can eat in the dining area of the carriage always have a certain status.

Karenin had his eye on a third row, where the view was the most open and the closest to the escape car.

Anna glanced at Karenin and thought: this man has an instinctive desire for control and a sense of crisis.

Behind Karenin was an old woman, thinner and more stylishly dressed, with meticulously combed hair, but perhaps not very good in her eyes judging by her approach to the menu.

"Can I just order what I like? Father. Seryosha asked Karenin that the things he didn't like were carrots, and he always avoided them.

"It's not good to be picky eaters, Seryosha." Karenin said lightly.

Seryosha sighed softly, for at this time he had always liked Uncle Schihua as his father, because the former did not like carrots either.

"Could it be that it was a bunch of rabbits that decided to eat carrots?" Seryosha muttered quietly. Then he looked at Anna again, "Don't they sell pudding?" ”

"Since it doesn't have it, it means, yes, they don't sell pudding." Karenin said.

"I think maybe it's because there aren't any cute kids like you on the train." Anna teased Seryosha.

"They should have added the patch." Seryosha said, and then added seriously, "Mom, you should praise me for being handsome." ”

"In another ten years, I'll do that."

Seryosha nodded, then relentlessly chose cookies for dessert.

Karenin took the menu to the waiter in the dining car, and he was about to tell them to put less frosting, but as he passed by the old woman, he heard the other man ask for no tarragon.

On his return, Karenin caught a glimpse of the food in front of the lady and said, "Madame, I suggest you change the plate." ”

The old lady looked at Karenin with some bewilderment.

"If you're allergic to tarragon."

"I'm asking them not to put tarragon." The old woman looked at the food in front of her with some fear, and she rang the bell with some anger.

When the food truck came, the old woman blamed them, but the food truck didn't take it all to heart.

"I'll complain to you!" The old woman said.

The dining driver didn't care: "I'll replace it for you, but I advise you not to do it." ”

"Why can't I? Do you know who my son is? The old woman raised her voice.

"I don't know who your son is, but maybe you want to know who my uncle is!" The dining driver knocked on the table.

"If I could know who your uncle is, I would like to see him, is he in service in Petersburg?" A calm and cold voice sounded.

Anna looked up at Karenin.

The man looked at the dining driver fixedly, a sarcastic smile on his lips.

"Is it Dmitry Anatoly, or Sergei Lavrov, or Alexei Volobev......"

When Karenin gave out a long list of the names of the high-ranking officials of Petersburg, Anna saw that the dining driver bowed his head timidly.

This kind of villain is afraid to understand that Karenin is not easy to provoke.

"I suggest you apologize to this esteemed lady, sir." Karenin said lightly.

The diner didn't say anything, but apologized to the old lady and promised to give her the best food without tarragon.

"It is most shameful to bully the soft and fear the hard." Anna thought.

Seryosha looked at his father with reverence, "Father, you were very powerful just now. ”

Karenin glanced at Seryosha and said, "If you were just an ordinary conductor at the moment, maybe you wouldn't be able to do it." ”

Seryosha thought about it seriously.

Anna glanced at Karenin, who took a sip of her own hot tea.

No wonder, she snorted softly in her heart. No wonder this club is so kind, sure enough, the most cunning people in the world are engaged in politics.

"Thank you so much."

The lady in front of me came over and thanked her.

"You don't need to be too polite, please be seated, ma'am." Karenin invited the lady to sit down, and the latter excused herself.

"Then I'll bother you."

"If you're out of sight, we're not thinking about it." Karenin said.

The lady did not refuse.

Seryosha and Anna sat on Karenin's side, and the lady sat in Anna's place.

"I have not yet introduced you, I am Alexei Aleksandrovich Karenin, this is my wife Anna Arkadievna, and this is my son, Sergei Alexeich."

"What a good one!" The lady sighed for a moment, and then said: "I am Countess Catherine Vronsky. ”

"Mr. Karenin, what are you doing with your family in Moscow?"

"To visit my wife's brother, Moscow is always a distance from Petersburg." Karenin replied, "What about you, ma'am?" ”

"Yes, as people grow up, the distance between them gets farther and farther apart." Countess Vronsky said.

"I went to Moscow to visit my son, who works there, but how happy I am that he has recently decided to transfer to Petersburg!"

Son, Vronsky. Karle quietly chewed and analyzed these few keywords.

"Is your son a soldier?"

"You see how closely you look, yes, he served in the army, and his commanders were especially fond of him, but I always tell people that he is actually a wayward young man!"

Countess Vronsky's affection for her son was completely apparent before.

"The weather in Petersburg is not very good, I hope Moscow will be better, what do you think?" Karenin changed the subject, and when he started talking about the weather, it was a sign that he didn't think the conversation was of much value, or that he wanted it to end quickly.

As Karenin thought, the conversation ended in ten minutes.

After saying goodbye to each other over dinner, Karenin and the others returned to the box, where he picked up his official document and began to read it.

Anna looked at the man opposite after Seryosha fell asleep and asked, "You have long seen that the lady is not an ordinary person?" ”

Karenin looked up from his official document and replied: "It is clear that it will not be ordinary people who will be able to eat in the dining car. Although the Countess Vronsky would not have been dressed in a flamboyant manner, in terms of design, it was relatively trendy compared to her age, and only the upper class of St. Petersburg would be so fashionable. ”

Karenin paused, then said: "Of course, what made me sure was her ring, the family ring. ”

Anna felt that if it weren't for Karenin's words, but someone else's, she would have felt that this explanation would be as ironic as explaining why you don't see lice on a bald man's head.

"How can she help you?"

Karenin put down the official document and said lightly in a half-loud voice: "Maybe it won't be seen right away." After saying that, he buried his head in reading his official documents again.

Anna realized something was weird.

"Alexei, I seem to think you're mad at me."

"It's just a delusion, nothing can make me feel this irrational emotion." Karenin said calmly, and flipped a page of the document.

"If you can, please let me read them all."

That means "I'm doing something, please be quiet" in ordinary words, and the simpler translation is "shut up".

Anna pursed her lips, then took a book and read it to herself for a while.

Nothing was said all night.

At about ten o'clock the next morning, the train arrived at the Moscow station.

In the morning, Anna observed that Karenin did not seem to be any different, and he read the book for a while as usual, and then corrected some of Seryosha's etiquette problems, and talked to Anna about the ideas in the book, as if it were a dream last night.

Anna shook her head and decided not to think about that inexplicable thing anymore.

"Who's going to pick up your happy family later?" Countess Vronsky asked.

"Anna's brother will come over, how about you, ma'am?" Karenin asked, humble and polite.

"My Alexei will come." Countess Vronsky smiled and said, "How wonderful it is that my son is also called Alexei, and you, Alexei, helped me yesterday. If you're not in a hurry, I'd like to introduce you. You are so upright and kind, and my son is so filial, he will be amazed, and maybe you will become good friends. ”

Karenin's lips moved, then he pulled the corners of his mouth into a somewhat hypocritical smirk: "I think so, about the part of surprise. 166 Reading Network