When they got home, Jacob saw that the whole house was cleaned up. The floors were sparkling
clean. The furniture had been dusted. Most importantly, the air felt fresh. This made Jacob smile
slightly. As they stood there and admired the whole place, Winnie walked through the front door with
Dora.
"Winnie, you two went out for a walk again?" Jacob squinted his eyes and asked with a smile. He could
see that Winnie had tiny beads of sweat on her forehead.
Winnie looked at Jacob and Sara with wide eyes. "Oh! Mr. Jacob and Mrs. Sara, you are back! That's
great. Welcome back home. Yes, you are right, sir. We went for a walk."
Hearing this, Jacob put down Sara's bag. He walked over and put his hand on Winnie's shoulder. Then,
he took her to the sofa in the living room.
"Winnie, please sit down." Jacob flashed a smile at her. His eyes were filled with sincerity.
"Huh?" Winnie looked up at him in confusion. She didn't understand why Jacob was telling her to sit.
But she obeyed. 'Why is he telling me to sit down? Besides, he just came back. He should be the one
resting, ' she thought to herself.
"Winnie, I have something to tell you." Jacob took a glance at Sara as he spoke. She was watching him
closely with a confused expression.
Although he had never discussed this with Sara, Jacob knew that she would understand. Oftentimes
she saw things the same way he did. Moreover, everyone in the world was bound to grow old. No
matter the impressive lives they lived, they would become grey.
And no one could escape from loneliness in their old age. They wouldn't have enough strength to even
do the things they loved. It was because of this that Jacob made this decision. Now, he had to tell
Winnie about it.
"Winnie, I'm relieving you of your duty. You don't need to cook for the household anymore," Jacob said
with a smile.
Winnie's whole body trembled. It seemed like the news hit her like a thunderbolt. Although she saw that
Jacob was smiling, her lips quivered.
'My God! What is Mr. Jacob saying? I have spent my whole life working for this family. Where would I
go now? This is a dream!' Winnie's heart ached.
She felt a little sad about Jacob's words. But Winnie knew that he didn't mean to hurt her. Surely, he
wouldn't just kick her out. Thinking of this, Winnie waited patiently for him to finish his statement.
"I mean you need to retire now. You have worked for so many years. It is high time you enjoyed
yourself. Don't worry. I will find another cook. From now on, I will be responsible for your upkeep. I will
pay you a pension every month."
Jacob's smile became wider after he said this. Sara grinned at him too. She had also thought about this
a long time ago.
However, Sara never had the opportunity to say it. She and Jacob were quite busy with a lot of things
lately. She didn't expect that Jacob had the same thoughts. At that moment, her eyes beamed with
admiration for him.
Indeed, Winnie was very old. She had been working tediously all her life. But now, her bones were
weak. And house chores like cooking and cleaning would be too exhausting. Most importantly, Jacob
didn't want Winnie to suffer. She had been like a mother to him since he was little.
"Mr. Jacob, I'm fine. I'm grateful for your kindness. But you don't need to worry about me. Although I am
now old, I still have enough strength. These bones are stronger than you think. So, I will continue to do
my best."
Winnie's eyes became watery. As she stared deeply into Jacob's eyes, memories of the previous years
flashed through her mind. Jacob was just like a son to her. For Winnie, he was the closest person to
her. Jacob was like the only relative she had in the world.
She loved him just like a mother loved her son. After all, Winnie was the one who cared for Jacob since
he was a child. So, it could be said that she raised him. As the years went by, Winnie watched him
grow up into a fine young man.
Studies have shown that every woman has motherly instincts. Even though a woman doesn't bear a
child, she would give her love to other people's children. Winnie was also wired that way.
"Winnie, I have pondered on this for a long time. I'm serious about this. There's no need for you to
disagree. I mean, you shouldn't stress yourself anymore. Now, you just need to give out orders. And
the other workers will obey."
Jacob knew that every human being must have something they loved to do. If they didn't, then that
person would be bored someday.
For this reason, Jacob didn't want Winnie to continue working tediously. He wanted her to take up
something she loved doing that wasn't difficult.
Standing aside, Sara watched as Jacob persuaded Winnie. Her eyes were filled with respect for the old
woman.
"Winnie, please listen to Jacob. I have been thinking about the same thing recently. I understand that
you love your job. But you need to rest. This would also serve as an opportunity for you to do the things
you have an interest in."
Sara spoke in a calm tone as she persuaded Winnie. She knew that the old woman was quite
stubborn. In fact, she understood this more than Jacob.
During the time Sara had spent in Jacob's household, she had studied her. And she knew that Winnie
was a reasonable woman. Therefore, Winnie must understand the angle Jacob was coming from. She
knew that his intentions were out of pure concern for her.
Taking a deep breath, Winnie finally said, "Well, you are right. I'm old. I guess it's time for me to retire.
But I am worried about something. What if you don't like the food that other cooks will make? Oh!
Jacob. They might not know how you like your meals."
Winnie smiled with ease. Wrinkles appeared on the corners of her eyes. The old woman didn't want to
refuse their kindness.
"If we are not satisfied with the food they cook, I will ask you to cook a delicious meal for me. I
absolutely enjoy your cooking!" Sara said as she clung to Jacob's arm. She also did a puppy dog look.
At that moment, she looked like a spoiled child!
Seeing this, Winnie couldn't hold her laughter. She nodded her head repeatedly in agreement to Sara's
words.
"Okay, okay. I agree. Let's do it. Now, I can have more time to meet my new friends. And also take
Dora out for a walk. That's superb!"
Winnie immediately revealed the plans she had. This was because she wanted to make Jacob and
Sara happy. She knew that both of them loved her.
Her greatest wish was that she wouldn't be a source of worry for them. They were already going
through a lot.
Therefore, Winnie accepted their suggestion almost immediately. Besides, it was for her own good.
Actually, Winnie was just like many other people. She didn't want to retire.
These kinds of people existed in the world. They loved their jobs so much that they never wanted to
leave. Even though they were old and weary, they still wanted to continue working.
Such people might be great or ordinary personalities. Winnie saw herself as an ordinary person. After
all, she didn't have a business empire like the other folks.
However, Winnie felt happy that she could do what she liked. For so many years, this job gave her the
amount of satisfaction that was incomparable to that of money and power. Taking care of the family
made her feel accomplished.
This was why Winnie felt so sad when Alice had wanted to fire her. At that time, she thought her whole
world was crumbling down. To Winnie, this wasn't just a job. It was her whole life. She had invested so
much in it. So, she didn't want to lose out in the end.
"Winnie, please don't get me wrong. This doesn't mean that I dislike you because you are too old for
this job. That's not it. I just think you need to rest now. After all, you have been working here for so
many years. This is your home too. For the past few days, I've been thinking about what to do for you.
And then it struck me, how about giving you more time for yourself? That is the perfect thing you need
now."
Jacob placed his hand on Winnie's shoulder again. Then, he squeezed it affectionately. He knew that
Winnie loved him like her son. So, he was going to behave like one. Aside from his relatives, Winnie
was the only one who had stayed with him for a long time. She had been there for his whole life.
Jacob was convinced about Winnie's love. She always put him first in everything. Growing up, she had
made sure that he didn't lack motherly love. In the same vein, Jacob adored and respected her like she
was his real mother.
Since the love was reciprocal, this decision was for the good of both of them. Winnie would be relaxed.
And Jacob would be happy that he had paid his dues.
"Thank you, Mr. Jacob." Winnie nodded in agreement for the second time.
After the discussion, Jacob and Sara went to their room to take a shower. As they lay on the bed,
Jacob stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Before, I was worried about how I was going to tell Winnie about my decision. But today I did it! The
conversation went a little smoother than I expected. Sara, why do you think people become so helpless
when they are old?"
As he spoke, Jacob tried to lean on Sara. She didn't dodge. Instead, she allowed him to bury his head
on her bosom.
Sara patted his back like she was consoling a sobbing child. Then, she said in a soothing voice,
"Honey, now that you have told her about it, there's no need to be sad. Winnie already agreed with you.
So, everything will be fine."
"As far as I can remember, Winnie has always been working for the Shi clan. And she did her work
studiously. So, I'm going to take care of her now that she's old. If you don't agree with this, just leave it
to me."
Jacob raised his head to look at Sara's face. Actually, he wasn't asking for her permission. He was just
stating his opinion. No one could stop him from taking care of Winnie. Not even the love of his life.
Hearing this, Sara gave him a gentle punch. Then, she scolded him, "What are you talking about? Why
would I disagree? Aunt Winnie has done a lot for this family. I cannot tell you to abandon her now. It is
our duty to take care of her,"
She stared at the ceiling with firm eyes. Although it had only been a few years since she came to that
home, she knew that Winnie was a good woman.
During the first four years of their marriage, no one had cared about Sara. They had all treated her like
she didn't exist. It was only Winnie that treated her as the lady of the house. Sara had received respect
from the old woman.
At that time when Jacob always misunderstood her, Winnie was by her side. The caring woman always
wiped away Sara's tears whenever she felt down. As she reminisced, Sara became emotional.
She would never forget anyone who was good to her. Sara's philosophy was to always repay those
who showed her kindness with good.
On the flip side, she always forgot the people that treated her badly.
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