The Master of the Strange Realm

Chapter 497 Chapter 490 Acquaintance

The two continued to walk forward. The girl lowered her head and kicked the stones in front of her feet far away. Jenkins let out a sigh of relief:

"That's great. I heard from the newspaper that there were only two families in that alley who happened to not be at home at that time..."

He suddenly realized something, because this was only a 1/2 chance:

"Your aunt's house isn't the Strais house mentioned in the newspaper, is it?"

"Yes, sir, your guess is correct!"

This is the same family that Dad wants to buy antiques from. I didn’t expect such a coincidence to exist in the world.

Since the two have the same destination, they will naturally walk together. Jenkins would not say that he went there just to join in the fun, so after thinking about it, he made an excuse to go to the optical shop on the corner over there.

“Yes, there’s an optical shop there!”

Jenkins recalled the shops he saw at that time and chose the most trustworthy one:

"Yes, my vision has been blurry lately, yes, that's true!"

"Is that so sir?"

The girl asked with concern: "I heard in the church that glasses are very expensive..."

The two of them walked to the entrance of the alley together before they separated. The police were still blocking the place and the girl was immediately questioned, but as long as what she said was true, there should be no problem.

"So what exactly am I doing here?"

Now that he can't go to the alley to look around, Jenkins is naturally in a state of doing nothing.

He walked forward along the street with his hands folded, thinking in his mind whether he should go to the abandoned cemetery to try to find the [Shrouded Sister Clothes] while he had time.

When I looked up, I saw a familiar figure walking across the street. I met an acquaintance again. It was my father.

"Hey, Jenkins, why are you here?"

Dad took off his hat and asked. Judging from his travel-worn appearance, he must have come over.

"that is because......"

He also didn’t know how to explain it in order to clarify the various causal relationships. “It’s very difficult to explain.”

Honest answer.

"and you?"

"Needless to say, of course it's for that antique vase! Something like that happened on Saturday, and that family didn't come back until today. You happen to be here too, come along, and help me move the vase back, young man Just put in more effort!”

With that said, he asked Jenkins to walk down the alley.

"Wait, Dad!"

He must not go to Strese's house now. If he meets the girl again, how will he explain his motive for coming here? He seemed to make a simple thing very complicated.

Do you want to say:

"Oh, I just happened to come here to buy glasses, and I happened to meet dad. I happened to be dad's apprentice, and dad just happened to come here to buy vases."

He himself felt that this explanation was too laborious, and the inexplicable shame would make the little girl Fei Sifu think that he had ulterior motives in following her.

"I have something else to do."

He scratched his hair and said, "I'll be working nearby. After you buy it, move it to the entrance of the alley. I'll come over when I see it!"

"Okay then~"

Dad also felt that Jenkins' attitude was a bit strange, but young people are always like this, so he didn't think there was a problem: "Okay, we will talk for about half an hour. If you finish your things in advance, you can walk around nearby. , there is a bookstore over there.”

"Okay, Dad!"

In short, for a series of reasons that are complex to explain, Jenkins is currently in the predicament of having to stay here but literally having nowhere to go.

Watching his father turn into the alley, he walked forward and unbuttoned the chest of his coat, letting the chocolate leak out in the cold winter wind.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Meow~"

Chocolate looked sleepy and screamed like he was dreaming.

Since the cat has no place he wants to go, Jenkins can only go to the bookstore his father mentioned. It is located at the corner intersection of this street. The extended part of the store's floor tiles is also paved with uneven stone tiles, and several tables with umbrellas are set up for people to rest.

In weather like this, naturally no pedestrians would sit here.

"If I had seen this store last time, I would have definitely wondered why there were two bookstores so close together."

He said it as an afterthought in his mind, but in fact it was normal for a new bookstore and a used bookstore to be on the same street.

This time I didn't encounter any weird things again. After all, although I was unlucky, at least I didn't encounter misfortune twice in a row on the same street.

But just when I was thinking about whether to actually pick a book and linger in the bookshelves with a heavy smell of ink, I heard a familiar voice:

"Can it be cheaper?"

"Sorry, sir, I was only hired to collect payments. The price change can only be decided by the boss."

He put down the book in his hand and poked his head out from the side of the bookshelf. Holding his wallet was a young man with many freckles on his face and a red nose. Rather, it was Mr. George Liverpool who attempted to break into the ladies' club.

He was still dressed as he was when we met that day, except that he wore a gray vest that didn't fit very well. His aesthetics seemed even stranger than that of Jenkins.

"There is a shadow, not a vampire."

Out of instinct, he judged this.

"Why do you keep meeting acquaintances today?"

Thinking in doubt, but in fact, the two were not very familiar with each other, so they did not say hello.

Jenkins's home also has a special study room, but he usually reads books in the living room or at the dining table. Only two layers of the bookshelf in the study are filled, and most of them are books related to literature and mathematics. He wants to use this to maintain his image as a well-known writer and mathematics enthusiast.

"Maybe I should buy another batch, at least to fill the bookshelf."

His finger stayed on the black cover of "Rebecca's Prophecy", and he thought it was too embarrassing to say loudly "Please send this row of books to St. George Street", like those nouveau riche factory owners who don't have much culture.

"Maybe I can ask my father to help me get some old books, he should have some connections."

He made up his mind, and seeing that the time agreed with his father was almost up, he picked up a book "Stories of Strangers" and prepared to check out. At least in the Nolan area, every story collection sold will give him a considerable share.

It didn't take long to stand at the entrance of the alley, and the old man came out with a smile on his face, and it seemed very smooth.

"We are so lucky today. They agreed to sell the vase!"

"Great, where is the vase? Do you need me to go into the alley to get it?"

He tilted his head to look behind his father. He didn't look like he was carrying a vase.

Chapter 498 Chapter 491 Visiting Stres

Jenkins didn't find the object behind his father. His father shook his head:

"You don't need to move it. The vase is temporarily placed in a friend's house by that family. It is very close to our store. They will deliver it in person tomorrow morning and take the balance."

"So..."

"So you go do your own thing. I still have to go to the church. Someone just sent a letter and found something interesting in the hills in the north."

As he said that, his father passed Jenkins and waved back:

"Young man, enjoy your rare vacation."

"It seems like every day is a vacation."

He only dared to think about it in his heart and watched his father walk towards the empty carriage parked on the street.

"So, I'll try my luck in the cemetery. How could I forget to communicate with the cultist last time?"

Shaking his head, he took the chocolate he had just woken up from his collar and put it on his shoulder, but his plan was immediately interrupted:

"Baron William, I didn't expect you to be here!"

He sighed helplessly and turned around. Standing in the alley was the young Liverpool who he had just met in the bookstore.

"Good afternoon!"

The young man greeted excitedly again, and then apologized:

"I'm sorry to bother you at the door of the club last time."

"It's okay."

Jenkins shook his head, "But my friend said that as a qualified gentleman, it is very wrong to rashly enter private territory without permission."

"Yeah, ha, that's because..."

Liverpool scratched his hair and wanted to continue explaining, but someone recognized Jenkins again:

"Mr. William!"

It was the little girl Fennie Faithford, who was standing by the window of the second-floor apartment not far away, waving her hands with excitement.

"Hey, cousin Liverpool!"

Jenkins looked at George Liverpool.

"That's Uncle Streis's house. Do you know my distant cousin Finnie?"

Jenkins spent a long time trying to figure out the relationship between the young man in front of him and the girl Faithford, but at least he understood that the two knew each other.

"It's such an honor!"

Liverpool said, his face flushed with excitement.

"I understand. The person who helped Finnie is you! You are such a kind person. Do you want to go up and sit for a while? Uncle Streis has always said that he wants to thank you in person!"

"Well..."

Jenkins felt that he was facing the most unfamiliar social occasion, but he was not good at refusing such a non-malicious invitation.

"Okay, thank you for your invitation. I think I still have some time in the afternoon. Yes, that's right."

In the last weird fake world, Jenkins didn't realize that something was wrong before he went upstairs, so he didn't know what the Streis family's house looked like.

But after being invited in by a warm family, he found that it was almost the same as he imagined.

Like most of the poor people in this era, the Streis family is also a typical multi-child family. The oldest girl was already working as a textile and factory worker, much older than Finny Faithfull, and the youngest boy was held in the arms of the slightly plump Mrs. Stress.

Due to the large number of people in the family, the small house seemed a bit crowded. The children were soon attracted by the kitten on Jenkins' shoulder, while Jenkins himself greeted everyone politely and quietly looked at the interior decoration.

The house was fairly tidy and poor, but at least it could be seen that the family had a hardworking housewife. There was an indescribable smell in the air, and Jenkins thought it was most likely the smell of Stress's lunch, so he made another inference that the hardworking housewife was not good at cooking.

According to his understanding, such families often have low incomes and struggle on the edge of hunger and bankruptcy all year round. Mr. Stress, the pillar of the family, worked as an accountant at the dock. Although this did not require physical effort to shorten life, it could not significantly improve the family's situation.

In the original owner's memory, before the Williamites became rich, old Williamites had a small shop in the dock area. The original owner had seen too many poor people like Mr. Stress when he was young, so he could deeply understand the living conditions of these low-income groups.

Once such a family loses its source of income, it can only rely on selling the items in the home to make a living in the early stage. And before the situation deteriorates further, if there is still no new source of income, then this family will basically fall forever.

But judging from the current situation, everyone in the Stress family is smiling, and there is no shortage of furniture in the house.

"Did you find a new job so soon?"

Jenkins thought puzzledly.

Although the Stress family is poor, the family is full of a thriving vitality. The family warmly entertained Jenkins. Although the teacup was chipped and the tea tasted not very good, Jenkins was very satisfied with this visit.

During the chat, Jenkins also learned that the girl Faithford's father and mother had a very good relationship with the Stress family before they died. So after they got into trouble, Stress also had the idea of ​​adopting this relative.

But with the birth of a new life in the family, this matter can only be left unresolved. Little Finny's luck is obviously not very good. Before the beginning of this winter, the fat housewife also suggested that the girl live here, but before she made a decision, the church had already found her.

The visit lasted until about 4:30 in the afternoon. Before leaving, the family enthusiastically stuffed Jenkins with two knitted wool gloves.

This is Mrs. Stress's side job. In addition to washing clothes for others, she occasionally does some knitting odd jobs to supplement the family income.

Jenkins was going to the church to attend Miss Bevanna's fighting class, and the girl was going back, so the two left here together.

"They are really enthusiastic."

When he walked out of the alley, Jenkins was still sighing. Turning his head to look at the alley, this is worse than the living conditions of the Williamite family before they became rich, and there are countless alleys like this in the city.

"Yes, Baron Williamite, my aunt's family is always like this."

"...Why do you call me 'Baron Williamite'?"