"Do you understand what I mean by doing this?" Mr. Morsan said, standing at the window of the study on the second floor, looking at the still busy stalls downstairs. Now it was his mother who was watching the stalls selling things.
After lunch, Mr. Morsant motioned to Claude to follow him to the study on the second floor. It seemed that he wanted to talk to Claude, maybe he wanted to know what Claude was thinking.
As Claude expected, the study was also empty. All the things that could be sold were moved downstairs, leaving only the thick old desk, a very worn armchair, and an old
Animal skin sofa. Claude suspected that if the armchair and sofa were not too old and the fur was too worn, his father would probably move them and sell them. As for the desk, it is too heavy, Morsan
The gentleman can't move it.
Claude nodded, shrugged again, and spread his hands: "You understand what you are doing, but I think you are too exaggerated."
Mr. Morsant turned around, walked to the desk, took out the silver cigarette case with cut tobacco from the drawer, and took out the black mulberry ivory pipe from his pocket, and picked up a handful from the silver cigarette case.
The cut tobacco was slowly stuffed into the pipe. These two items were his favorites, and he was reluctant to sell them.
"I'm very happy that you can understand. This shows that your mind is much smarter than your brother's, and your vision can also see further." Mr. Molsang lit the tobacco in his pipe, took a deep breath, and then slowly
Slowly blowing out the cigarette from his mouth: "Abel has never understood the fact that although I was exonerated and was only fired from my official position, it does not mean that everything is over. The bad luck has not been far away from our home...
An accident in the merchant fleet means that all our investments are in vain. It’s just that we think too well of everything. We only see the golden returns in our eyes, but forget about the risks, so that we lose everything. We even lose everything.
Even Thomas and I's futures have been ruined. We could have taken a step further. It's not impossible to obtain a knighthood just by opening up new routes."
Mr. Morsant was smoking his pipe bitterly. It could be seen that he was a little excited and more regretful.
Claude didn't know what to say, and couldn't think of how to comfort his father. However, Mr. Morsant quickly controlled his mood and said with a wry smile: "It's too late to say anything now.
There is no medicine for regret in the world. But you have to remember my lesson, too much is never enough, and you can’t be too greedy!"
Claude nodded, meaning that he understood.
Mr. Molsang sat on the worn-out armchair: "It's not that our family has no money, it's just that I used all the money to invest in the merchant fleet. An ocean-going merchant ship with people and cargo costs five hundred gold crowns. I
At that time, I invested all my family's savings of 350 gold crowns and borrowed another 150 gold crowns from the National Bank. I thought that this ocean-going merchant ship could bring ten times the income to our family. Unexpectedly,
They were all robbed by those damn pirates."
Claude couldn't help but was speechless. He really didn't expect that his father, who had been the town administrator for more than ten years, could accumulate such a huge sum of money. It seemed that holding a public office really brought a lot of advantages.
Mr. Morsant obviously knew what Claude was thinking. He shook his head and said: "Claude, your father has been an administrator for more than ten years and has never embezzled a penny in official business. These savings are actually those
Dividends from the shares are accumulated every year. I do not deny that I can own those shares because of my position, but this does not mean that I forcefully buy shares. Many people invite me to buy shares just to avoid trouble.
Got real money."
"Father, I don't think so..." Claude sweated profusely.
Mr. Morsant continued to smoke, and then sighed: "Albert always thought that these shares were one of the properties he would inherit in the future, but he didn't want to think that now that I have lost my official position, I will be punished if I continue to own these shares.
Someone is coveting it. So in order to avoid trouble, I cashed out all these shares a few days ago and exchanged them for more than 400 gold crowns. On the one hand, it was to repay the bank loan, and on the other hand, it was to cope with the upcoming trouble."
Claude suddenly felt strange. His father should discuss these matters with Albert. After all, the Kingdom of Ovelas implements the primogeniture inheritance law. As the second son, he usually separates from the family and opens a new account when he becomes an adult. After the eldest son
There are still situations where he rarely participates in the decision-making of major family affairs. So what does his father mean by saying this to himself?
Mr. Molsang stood up again and walked to the window with his pipe in his mouth: "It is mid-February now. In another week or two, the news of the merchant fleet's accident will really reach Bailu Town.
By then, our family will be involved in a big whirlpool again. Two to three hundred families have lost their loved ones. For Bailu Town, this is sad news that has a great impact.
Baroness Maria also mentioned this in her reply, which you have read. She said in the letter that once His Majesty the King has made a choice, there is no need to hide the secret of the new route. If we are not prepared enough at that time
, maybe our family can no longer stay in Bailu Town. No one can live peacefully amidst the hatred and resentment of two to three hundred families. Although their relatives accepted our employment, in the eyes of those family members
, we are the main culprits who caused them to lose their loved ones..."
Claude said in his heart that his father really cares about his family's reputation in the town. It is understandable if you think about it. The Field family has lived in White Deer Town for nearly a hundred years. From the grandfather's generation to the present, most of them rely on
It is only through his father's efforts that he has such a high reputation in the town. People in this world rarely leave their hometowns, not to mention that the laws of the kingdom do not allow their subjects to move at will, which will cause great trouble in tax collection and service.
Sometimes when I think about it, I really admire the bosses and capitalists in my previous life. Not to mention the hatred and resentment of two to three hundred families, thousands of people scolded and hated by thousands of people, but they pretended that they didn't see or hear anything, and they continued to live their luxurious lives. It's like
Just like those big Vs on the Internet, tens of millions of netizens took the insults as a breeze and laughed it off. Instead of thinking that their views were wrong, they thought that the quality of this generation of netizens was not good and they were extremely thick-skinned.
.
From this point of view, Claude believes that his current father has a moral bottom line and has the courage to shoulder his responsibilities. Even if he has selfish motives, it is only human nature.
"Alas, your brother doesn't know that our family is sitting on the crater of a volcano. He actually thinks that even if the news of the merchant fleet's accident is confirmed, it only means that our investment failed this time and the fate of those sailors and crew members
It has nothing to do with us, because we have already paid the remuneration. Therefore, we do not need to provide pensions and compensation to the families of those sailors and crew members. If they come to make trouble, we can call the police and arrest those family members for hard labor..."
Mr. Morsant took off the pipe from his mouth with a wry smile: "Abel thought too simply. He firmly opposed my cashing out those shares for pensions and compensation. But he didn't want to think about it, I lost my official position and was no longer a
Town administrator, can I still keep these shares? Now White Deer Town is owned by Baron Robert, and he has always regarded us as a thorn in his side. If those family members come to make trouble, he will easily find an excuse to intervene.
As a person like Baron Robert, I know very well that if it falls into his hands, it is impossible not to be skinned. Not only will the shares not be saved, we will even be saddled with huge compensation as those sailors and crew members.
Pensions and compensation expenses. Since the result is like this, why can't I cash out my shares first, then sell my property, and take the initiative to provide pensions and compensation to those sailors and crew members. This not only won me a reputation, but more importantly, left Mayor Robert with nowhere to go.
If you start, you won't be able to catch us."
Claude raised his chin at his mother who was bargaining with a customer at the stall downstairs: "Then selling the property is also a means of self-protection?"
"Self-protection..." Mr. Molsang pondered the word, and finally nodded bitterly: "Yes, self-protection. You don't know, without public office, what I say will have little weight. Although those people still
They respectfully called me Mr. Morsan, but they were actually laughing at me in their hearts. If I were still the administrative director, I would be able to cash out these shares at least more than 700 gold crowns, instead of the more than 400 gold crowns I have now.
It was for the sake of the past that they didn't make things difficult for me, and it was also not in vain that I said so many good things in front of them these days.
Next, our family will have to live a hard life. This is not to show others, but to let others think that our family has done everything in its power to help the families of sailors and crew members who have lost their loved ones. As a result, our family is in such a state of poverty.
The situation. In this way, the only property our family has on the surface is this big red brick house, and we rely on the rent of this inheritance left to us by your grandfather to live.
Baron Robert would be wary of leaving a good name in the town, and since our family has reached such a state, there is no need for him to cause trouble to me anymore. We can only make a comeback after waiting for the Merchant Marine to turn the page.
.
If His Majesty the King is ready to develop a new route, then we will raise funds again, purchase a merchant ship, and return to the Nubisian continent for trade. Maybe I will also set off with the ship, and I may become two continents in the future.
The largest ocean trader..."
Claude laughed, as long as his father has not lost his fighting spirit. In fact, what he is most worried about is that his father will feel disappointed because he was removed from public office, and then become a drunkard like his grandfather and drink to his death. Now it seems that he does not have to worry about anything at all, father
He is very clear-headed, knows what he should and shouldn't do, has plans for the future, and is very confident.
"By the way, Claude, the main reason I asked you to come up is to talk about your future." Mr. Morsant finally remembered the topic he wanted to talk to Claude.
"I'm sorry, son, it seems that your plan to join the army under the direct jurisdiction of Tilsim is going to come to nothing." Mr. Morsang was silent for a long time before he could say this.
Claude breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he was wondering what was causing his father's hesitation. Claude had already forgotten about whether to go to the continent of Nubicia to find his godfather, the Governor, whom he had never met before, to join the army.
That's it. Ever since the incident happened to the merchant fleet, Claude knew that he would not be able to go. The new route had been occupied by pirates. Before the Kingdom's Navy Department dispatched warships to clear out the pirate gangs, Claude would not be able to take the ocean-going merchant ships there.
"It's okay, father, I don't care about this. I'm very happy at the forest farm now, and I didn't think about joining the army." Claude said it sincerely.
Mr. Morsan shook his head: "That's not what I mean. You are an adult and have a civilian status in your household registration. Although as the director of the Norman Forestry Farm, you can avoid forced conscription, but don't forget
, you are still number one in physical education at Bailu Town National High School, and the military recruitment order will eventually be sent to you, and you have no way to avoid enlisting in the army."
This is true. Physical education students like Claude are originally the best source of soldiers, not to mention his first place in physical education. In an era when muskets are lined up to kill, physical education students like Claude are in demand.
The best candidate for the largest junior non-commissioned officer, and also the officer class that suffered the most losses after a war. Even Lady Maria could not protect Claude from refusing to perform military service.
"Let's talk about it then. No one knows when the conscription order will be sent. I believe there will always be a way. Besides, even if I serve in the military, it does not mean that I will go to the battlefield. Even if I go to the battlefield, it does not mean that I will be unlucky..." Ke
Lord could only comfort himself and his father in this way.
Mr. Morsan glared at Claude sternly, looking a little angry: "You must not have read Madam Maria's reply carefully. Didn't you notice that she mentioned in the letter that His Majesty the King has not yet decided which plan to adopt? What if?
If you maintain the original plan, you will receive a conscription order in the first half of the year. I hope that His Majesty the King will prepare to develop a new route, because in that case the conscription will be delayed by one year, and you will have one year to prepare yourself to apply for the pharmacist exam.
That way you can avoid going straight to the front lines and becoming cannon fodder!”
It will be Claude's turn to smile bitterly. Is one year enough for him to become a low-level pharmacist? He himself does not have the confidence. Unless he no longer practices magic, does not do alchemical magic experiments, and devotes all his energy to
When learning pharmacy knowledge, you also need someone to teach you carefully and show the college entrance examination spirit of hanging your head on the beam and stabbing your buttocks, and you may have half the chance of success.
"I understand, father, I will study hard when I go back." Claude said.