It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

"Although I was considering sending something directly, I thought I should ask for their opinion first, just in case they don't like it and it's a waste."

Since you're asking for my opinion, then you'd better prepare to bleed a lot of money! I'm going to come up with a gift that will put you in a difficult position!

For every word Li Cheng said, Agnes would mentally repeat to herself—she, who dared not openly argue, had become enthusiastic about this sport, a classic case of Ah Q's self-deception.

"Um......"

Seeing that he was getting no response for a long time, and seeing the kid's silly, self-satisfied grin, Li Cheng narrowed his eyes and said, "You have ten numbers to decide, otherwise it will be considered that you have given up."

Agnes: ?!

Ignoring the shock, Li Cheng continued counting: "Ten..."

No, they won't even let me take my time to choose a gift?

"seven......"

Even someone terrible at math knows that ten is followed by nine. What do you mean by saying seven? Are you planning to call out four next?

"Four......"

You actually shouted "four"? Are you a dog?

"one......!"

"I like hunting dogs!"

Seeing that time was running out, Agnes didn't have time to think and hurriedly shouted, "I want a hound with long, soft, red fur, big and obedient, that I can tell to go east and it will never go west!"

Chapter 250 Don't Misjudge Hawthorn from Fruit

Outside the window, Agnes was hunched over the table, meticulously weaving patterns on a plain white handkerchief.

Around the Middle Ages, embroidery techniques were introduced from the distant East to the European continent. They were learned by various European countries and integrated with their own clothing culture, forming a unique embroidery culture.

In Latin, there is a word "opusanglicanum," which originated in the 13th century and literally means "English work." It refers to a type of English embroidery that was very popular in Europe during the 13th and 14th centuries.

Although "opusanglicanum" was less popular in the 16th century, for young ladies who needed to get married, exquisite embroidery skills were a significant advantage, as they were both beautiful and could increase the family income.

Just as men demonstrate their bravery through hunting and horseback riding, women can showcase their dexterity through embroidery—and some clumsy girls even pass off other people's embroidery as their own and give it to their crushes, successfully cheating and deceiving them into marriage.

Incidentally, even in modern Britain, there is the Royal Academy of Embroidery, a mecca for European embroidery artisans.

Okay, I've digressed... Embroidery is delicate work, it's hard on the eyes and fingers, and it's common for inexperienced kids to prick themselves. After half an hour, Agnes was exhausted and dizzy.

After taking a sip of water, Agnes closed her eyes to rest for a while before continuing with her afternoon task.

It must be said that humans are highly adaptable creatures. In the past, she would sew for a short while and then get bored and put the embroidery aside, and then think about how to outwit the servants and tutors.

But now, even though Li Cheng and Lavoisier are not at the hotel, she is still working hard, stitch by stitch, and she has already completed a small part of the afternoon's tasks.

Punishment alone would not be enough to motivate Agnes to be so proactive and serious, but just as there are punishments for not completing tasks, there are corresponding rewards for completing them.

What kind of rewards does Agnes like?

Like all children her age, she loves to play, loves new and interesting ways to play, and loves having someone to play new and interesting things with her. This is something Smith overlooked, or rather, something most people would subconsciously overlook or not value.

Yesterday, the three of us played a game called "Stacking Towers," which is a tower made up of multiple strip blocks. The rules are simple: roll a die to determine the order in which the blocks are pulled out, and whoever knocks down the tower first loses.

With her nimble hands and the two players' subtle manipulation, Agnes didn't lose a single game and had an excellent gaming experience.

The positive gaming experience was etched into her memory; the joy was comparable to escaping the servants' pursuit. It quickly became imprinted in her mind, and she began to look forward to the next time she played.

Rewards and punishments are excellent educational elements; a combination of rewards and punishments can create a positive feedback loop. Of course, the specific rewards and punishments must be carefully designed; simply giving money can easily lead people astray.

About half an hour later...

Putting down the handkerchief, rubbing her slightly sore eyes, Agnes stood up, preparing to rest for a while.

Knock knock knock—

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, followed by a strange man's voice: "Hello, is anyone home?"

Agnes stopped abruptly as she was about to open the door. A hint of wariness crossed her face as she called out towards the door, "Who are you looking for?"

“I am one of Chairman Hill’s men. I’m looking for Mr. Banana. The hound he asked me to find has arrived.”

A male voice called from outside the door.

Agnes was relieved and excitedly opened the door, calling out, "Wait a minute."

It was a red hunting dog, just as Agnes had requested, with well-defined muscles from years of hunting and long, glossy red fur. When it stood up, it was half her height.

Even though it was their first meeting, the hound showed no fear. Instead, it stuck out its wet, long tongue and affectionately licked Agnes's calf.

"Wow!"

Agnes let out a surprised exclamation.

Although the request was initially made with a hint of malice, using Li Cheng's appearance as a reference for a hunting dog, the adorable animal immediately won her heart upon seeing it.

She crouched down and hugged the big dog's neck.

"What is its—no, what is its name?"

"It doesn't have a name yet, you can give it a new one."

"No name?"

After a brief moment of thought, Agnes quickly made her decision: "Alright, from today onwards you'll be called... Hawthorn! Do you hear me, Hawthorn?!"

"Wang!"

"Very good, then from now on you will be my dog. Remember, your name is Hawthorn."

Looking at the large dog in front of her that had a striking resemblance to someone's hair color, Agnes was both delighted and smug—Hawthorn was so much better than that kind of name that sounded like a banana at first glance!

The combination of the girl and the big dog was quite heartwarming. The man smiled faintly and asked, "Are you Mr. Banana's daughter?"

No way! Who would be the daughter of such a jerk?

After shaking her head, Agnes, whose long braid was crudely made, wanted to immediately look up and bare her teeth at the man, but suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, she didn't refute him. Instead, she asked, "Why do you think that?"

(President Steve: ?)

"At least I wouldn't go to such lengths for a stranger."

The man pointed to the large dog on the ground: "A pure red long-haired hound is hard to find. This little darling is from North America, and its job is to catch birds."

After all, red is an extremely conspicuous color in nature, often used by insects and other small animals to warn their enemies that they are not to be trifled with. However, for animals that need to hunt, red only makes them more easily detected by their prey, thus allowing them to escape in advance.

"Is it really that hard to find?"

Agnes looked at her hawthorns from left to right, but didn't think there was anything special about them.

“Mixed red is common, but pure red is really hard to find.” The man nodded affirmatively. “Besides, red-haired hounds are usually bad-tempered. If it weren’t for the fact that someone recently brought back a docile and well-trained one from America, it would probably have taken several months to find it. If it were a red-haired jackal, it would be easier to find, but those beasts are just too ferocious.”

Agnes looked down at the hawthorn that was sniffing her body. On one hand, she was a little skeptical that the bastard would be so kind as to go to such lengths to find the gift she needed. On the other hand, she also had doubts about Li Cheng.

In her memory over the past few days, Li Cheng should be a small businessman who often idles around and wanders around with his girlfriend. How could he have such great ability to get such a troublesome big dog in just a few days?

Unable to figure it out, Agnes decided to ask directly, "Do you know Banana? What kind of person do you think he is?"

Chapter 251 Assuming the child belongs to someone else...

It was approaching evening.

The newly arrived hunting dog, Hawthorn, stood quietly in the corridor. Because its fur was so similar in color to the sunset, Agnes couldn't quite tell where it was hiding for a moment.

"Wang Wang Wang!"

The sudden bark revealed Hawthorn's location, but the dog seemed unconcerned. Instead, it stood up to further expose its position, barking loudly in one direction.

Looking in the direction of the hawthorn, Agnes saw that hateful red-haired figure—he was walking with inexplicably heavy steps, his eyebrows pressed together like glue, and he wasn't accompanied by that stupid woman who only knew how to help the wicked.

"Wang Wang Wang!"

Hawthorn continued to bark fiercely. Facing this strange man, it seemed that as long as its master gave the order, it would pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

"Stop yelling."

Agnes was so frightened that she quickly covered Hawthorn's mouth: "That's a big devil. If you make him unhappy, you might end up on the dinner table tomorrow."

Whether Hawthorn understood or not, under the threat of the dog meat hotpot, it decisively stopped barking, instead wagging its tail, sticking out its tongue, and fawningly going up to greet the stranger it had never seen before.

"Ok?"

Faced with this sudden, overly eager sycophant, Li Cheng was stunned for a couple of seconds. Then, noticing Agnes standing at the hotel room door, he nodded in realization.

"The hounds have arrived? They're pretty quick."

"Ah."

After responding, Agnes hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly raised her head and said, "Thank you, I really like hawthorn."

"Hawthorn? Oh, I'm glad you like it."

Li Cheng's tone was very calm, but beneath the calm was a complete absent-mindedness, as if he had been thinking about some question: "Besides, you're welcome, you deserve it."

After saying that, he went back to his room without stopping.

Hey? Are you kidding me?! I'm thanking you! What kind of attitude is this?!

After mentally rebuking herself, Agnes vaguely sensed something was amiss. She peeked out and scanned the back of the corridor, but still couldn't see the woman she initially thought was all brawn and no brains, who had later solved her math problem in a second.

What about people?

Filled with deep doubt, Agnes followed them into the house.

“What about Lavoisier?” she asked.

“I told her to go back first,” Li Cheng replied.

"why?"

There's no reason why.

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No."

"Were you caught secretly seeing other women outside?"

"No, and could you please stop making strange guesses?"

Li Cheng paused, then turned and glared at her as if annoyed by her question: "Aren't you afraid I'll beat you up?!"

"Don't be afraid, because you won't hit me."