Chapter 24 Frugal Housekeeping

The afterglow outside the window was golden and dark. Klein looked into Melissa's eyes and couldn't find words for a moment, because none of the prepared lines could be used.

He coughed twice and turned his head:

"Melissa, this is not a waste of salary. In the future, Benson and my colleagues will be guests. Is it the right place to entertain them? When I marry Benson and I have a wife, do I have to raise and lower the bed?"

"Don't you have a fiancee yet? You can wait and save more money." Melissa said logically.

"No, Melissa, this is the rule of society." Klein felt a headache and could only make a big point. "Since you take a 3-pound weekly salary, you should have the decency to match the 3-pound weekly salary."

To be honest, he who once crowded into the shared room is not unfamiliar with the current living conditions and fully adapted to it. But it is because of this experience that he understands the inconvenience of a similar environment to girls more and more. Moreover, his goal is to become an extraordinary person, study mysticism, and find the "way" to go home. In the future, he will have to do some magic rituals at home. There are many people in the apartment, which is easy to cause problems.

When Melissa wanted to say more, Klein quickly added:

"Don't worry, I don't think about a single house. I'm going to see a row. In short, I have to have my own bathroom. Besides, I also like Mrs. Sling's bread, tinker-cake, and lemon cake. We can first consider the place close to Iron Cross Street and Narcissus Street."

Melissa's lips closed slightly, and she nodded slowly.

"Besides, I'm not in a hurry to move. I have to wait for Benson to come back." Klein smiled. "Otherwise, when he opened the door, he would be shocked and surprised to say, where are the things in my house? Where are my brothers and sisters? Where is my home? Is this my home? Am I in the wrong place? Goddess, please tell me whether this is a dream. How can I go out for a few days and come back? There is no home!"

He imitated the tone of Benson's voice and heard Melissa bend her eyes and reveal the shallow dimples on her cheek.

"No, Mr. Frank will always wait at the door and ask Benson to hand over the apartment key. Benson can't go upstairs at all." The girl said to the miserly landlord.

In Moretti's family, everyone likes to take the landlord Mr. Frankie as the protagonist of jokes when they have nothing to do. This is the trend brought on by the eldest brother Benson.

"Yes, he won't change locks for the tenants in the back." Klein smiled and pointed to the door. "Ms. Melissa, do you want to go to the Silver Crown Restaurant to celebrate?"

Melissa sighed slightly

"Klein, do you know Selena? My classmate, my good friend."

Selena? A girl with long wine-red hair and dark brown eyes suddenly appeared in Klein's mind. Her parents were believers of the Night Goddess and gave her blessings in the name of Saint Selena. She was not yet 16 years old, half a year younger than her sister Melissa, and was a happy, cheerful, and outgoing aunt.

"Hmm." Klein nodded to remember Selena Wood.

"Her brother Chris is a lawyer, and currently has a weekly salary of nearly 3 pounds. His fiancee works part-time as a typist." Melissa first described the situation, then said, "They have been engaged for more than four years. In order to have a stable and good life after marriage, they are still saving money and haven't entered the church. They plan to wait for at least another year. According to Selena, people who are similar to her brother are all like this. Generally, they can't get married until they are 28 years old. You have to prepare in advance, save money well, and don't waste it."

Just go to the restaurant for a meal. Is there any need for such a big reason... Klein didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He thought for a few seconds and said, "Melissa, I have 3 pounds a week now, and I will increase every year in the future. Don't worry."

"But we need to save money to prevent accidents. For example, the security company suddenly closed down. One of my classmates had to go to the dock to find some temporary work because of the bankruptcy of his company. The conditions at home suddenly deteriorated, and they had to drop out of school." Melissa earnestly persuaded her brother.

... Klein put his hand over his face:

"That security company has something to do with the government. It won't close down at will."

"But the government is also unstable. If the parties change after each election, the vast majority of positions will change and become a mess." Melissa retorted persistently.

... Sister, you know so much... Klein shook his head angrily and funny:

"Well..."

"Then I'll stew the leftovers of yesterday together. Go to the street and buy a fried fish, a piece of beef with black pepper sauce, a small can of cream, and bring me a glass of ginger beer. In short, it's better to celebrate a little."

These are the food that the peddlers of Iron Cross Street often sell. A fried meat fish is 6 to 8 pence, a piece of beef with black pepper sauce is 5 pence, a glass of ginger beer is 1 pence, a small can of butter is about a quarter of a pound, and it costs 4 pence - it only takes 1 Sul 3 pence to buy a pound of butter directly.

The original owner would be responsible for the purchase of food at home every holiday. He was not unfamiliar with the price. Klein calculated for a few seconds and found that he needed about 1 Sul and 6 pence, so he directly drew the two 1 Sul notes.

"Hmm." Melissa no longer objected to this. She put down the bag containing stationery and took the money.

Seeing her sister take out the small jar of cream and the basin of other food and walk briskly to the door, Klein thought for a while and shouted to her:

"Melissa, buy some fruit with the rest of the money."

Many peddlers in Iron Cross Street will buy fruit of poor quality or stored for too long from other places, but people here are not angry about it, because the price is very cheap. As long as the rotten place is cut off after going home, you can taste delicious food, which is a cheap enjoyment.

After saying this, Klein quickly approached, took out the remaining copper penny from his pants pocket, and put it in his sister's palm.

"Ah?" Melissa's brown eyes looked at her brother puzzled and confused.

Klein stepped back and smiled:

"Remember to go to Mrs. Sling and reward yourself with a small lemon cake."

"..." Melissa opened her mouth, blinked her eyes, and finally spit out only one word, "OK."

She turned quickly, pulled the door, and ran to the stairs.

...

A river passes through, cypress and maple trees stand on both banks, and the air is so fresh that people feel drunk.

Klein, who came to solve the interview, took a left wheel and a walking stick, stepped off the public carriage that paid 6 pence, and walked along the cement road towards the three-storey brick house in the green, which is the office building of the University of Tyngen.

"It is one of the two most famous universities in the Kingdom of Wayne..." Klein, who came here for the first time, sighed as he walked.

Compared with here, Hoy University across the river is simply shabby.

"Ha ha!" "Ha ha!"

As the shouting approached, two racing boats rushed from the upper reaches of the Hoy River, and a wooden oar rolled neatly and orderly.

This is a popular rowing sport in all universities in the Kingdom of Roon. Since Klein has to rely on the scholarship to finish college, he and Welch have participated in the rowing club of Hoy University and rowed well.

"It's so young..." Klein stopped and looked over and sighed.

In another week, this situation will no longer exist, because the school will have a summer vacation.

Along the tree-lined road, he walked to the gray three-storey masonry house, passed the registration, entered it smoothly, and found the office where he received him last time.

Dong! Dong! Dong! He bent his fingers and tapped on the half-closed door.

"Come in." A male voice came out of the door.

Seeing Klein push the door and enter, the middle-aged teacher in a white shirt and black tuxedo frowned slightly and said:

"The interview is one hour away."

"Mr. Stone, do you remember me? Klein Moretti, a senior associate professor of Cohen, you have read my recommendation letter." Klein smiled and took off his hat.

Haven Stone touched his big black beard and wondered:

"What do you want? I'm not in charge of the interview."

"Well, I have found a job and will not attend the interview today," Klein told the truth about his intention.

"Well..." Harven Stone understood, stood up, stretched out his right hand, and said, "Congratulations, you are a polite young man. I will tell the professor and senior associate professors."

Klein shook hands with the other party and planned to leave after a few words of greeting, but suddenly a familiar voice came from behind:

"Moretti, have you found another job?"

Klein turned around and saw an old man with silver hair, a deep outline, but not many wrinkles. His eyes were sunken, dark blue, and his black tuxedo was straight.

"Good morning, mentor, Mr. Azik." He saluted hurriedly. "Why are you here?"

This old man is a senior associate professor in the Department of History at Hoy University. His mentor, Mr. Quentin Cohen, is next to Cohen. There is a middle-aged man with medium stature and bronze-colored skin. He holds a newspaper in his hand, has no beard, wears a top hat, and has black hair, brown pupils, and soft facial features. His eyes show unspeakable vicissitudes, and there is a mole under his right ear that can be found by looking closely.

Klein recognized him and often helped Mr. Azik, a history faculty member of Hoy University who was the original owner. He likes to argue with his mentor, Senior Associate Professor Cohen, and his views are often conflicting. However, in fact, they have a good personal relationship, otherwise, they would not like to chat together.

Cohen nodded and said softly:

"Azik and I came to attend an academic conference. What job did you find?"

"A security company that does the search, collection, and protection of antiquities needs professional consultants, 3 pounds a week." Klein repeated what he said to his sister yesterday, and then explained, "You know, I like to explore history rather than summarize it."

Cohen nodded his head:

"Everyone has their own choice. I am very satisfied that you can remember to inform them at the University of Tyngen instead of being absent directly."

At this time, Azek interrupted and asked:

"Klein, do you know what happened to Welch and Naya? I read in the newspaper that they were killed by burglars."

Did the case turn into a burglary? And it's in the newspaper so soon? Klein paused for a moment, considered his words, and said:

"I'm not very clear about the specific situation. Welch got a note from the Antigonius family of the Quaternary Solomon Empire and asked me to interpret it. I went there for a few days, and then I was busy looking for a job. The police came to me the other day."

He deliberately revealed the "Solomon Empire" and "Antigonius Family" to see if the two history teachers would know anything.

"Quaternary..." Cohen frowned and whispered.

Azek, who had bronze skin and eyes, was stunned at first, then took a breath and rubbed his temples with his left hand holding the newspaper:

"Antigonius... feels very familiar... but I can't remember where I heard of it..."