Chapter 319 Good Weather

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A weekly salary of two pounds is enough to feed and clothe a family of three.

Just the jewelry you take with you when you go out today is enough for a family of three to live for more than eight years.

You have taken too much and are about to take more, so I hate you.

Audrey stared blankly with her eyes wide open. When she asked this question, she had an answer in her mind.

It’s just that she thought that the other party would start from the life of the nobles and their impact on the country. Attacking Parliament and bills is one of the best ways to attack the nobles. She also knew about the "Corn Act" and "Poor Law", and this year's "Air Pollution" "Remediation Act" has varying degrees of rejection among civilians, and she has heard many similar complaints in the foundation. In addition, there is the private morality of the nobles - on the surface, Loen is a conservative country, but in fact, it is only better than Intis in finding lovers and lovers in private. It is also a very difficult thing to criticize the private morality of the nobles. Good entry points - the most important thing is that from these two entry points, Audrey can prepare some rebuttals.

In the long run, these bills will be beneficial to the economy and pollution control... The corruption of personal ethics of the aristocracy can also be understood as individual differences. There are also many people who are loyal to marriage, just like my father...

Audrey thought about this in her mind for a while, but Richard did not mention these two points.

Instead, he chose the most direct thing and the thing that the nobles disapproved of the most - money.

This topic is even somewhat unfamiliar to Audrey.

Nobles should be light-hearted and indifferent to the cost of money, because dignity and nobility are the best virtues of nobility.

The nobility of a noble should be reflected in any aspect other than money. For example, Audrey's partner Susie has a market price of 450 pounds, but it was a gift obtained by Earl Hall after he spent a lot of money on a hunting dog training ground. Just like Audrey never wears a dress a second time on formal occasions, just like the precious food from all over the world at the dinner, just like the hanging in the corridor that will be passed by inadvertently, but is worth millions and is made by a master. paintings.

If a nobleman talks all day long about how much he spent on banquets, how much he spent on food, and how much he spent on making new clothes for his wife and daughter, then he will inevitably be spurned by the entire aristocratic group, and people will laugh at him like a stingy outburst. household.

Even Audrey developed an "occupational disease" because of her work at the foundation, and it was a somewhat embarrassing thing for her to estimate her own food and clothing expenses. It was as if she had become a stingy nouveau riche. , only has money in his eyes, but no noble status and dignity.

"Ah, this... but sir, this wealth was accumulated by our family... over decades or even hundreds of years."

Audrey composed herself and tried to refute the other party's words with an "aristocratic" answer.

"My family won its first title in a war more than two hundred years ago, and then gradually became rich. Before that, the Hall family was just a small knight family. We are not born noble, nor are we born noble. It is far from reaching today’s level.”

"If everything I enjoy now is the wealth accumulated by my family, then what's wrong?"

Richard couldn't help but laugh.

He was thinking about how to end this topic. After all, he had heard this kind of words too many times. He heard that even in the slightly better old times, there were many people who thought like this. You tell them about the waste of production materials, and they tell you that I have the final say on my wealth. But you tell them, did you earn a penny of this money yourself? Have you not squeezed any worker’s surplus value? Do you provide every worker with pension benefits and work-related injury benefits? Even after taking some time to understand what residual value is, they still decide my wealth.

After all, He shouldn't be talking to these factory owners who have no concept of "people" at all.

After all, the people here are scientifically called laborers with two legs. When these creatures are injured or old and have no labor force, they are no longer human. Then who cares about their life and death?

But it is also a waste of resources to directly dispose of all factory owners. They should be directly turned into food, into biscuits, bread, red wine, chickens, ducks, fish, cattle and sheep, so that their lives can use some residual heat at the end.

"Earl Hall is in the steel and banking business, so your family's money was earned by your parents and brothers personally going to the steel processing factory?"

Richard looked boredly at the steam train passing by in the distance, and prayed that the West District would go straight to heaven: "How much salary does your family's industry give to employees? How much is the subsidy for employees in case of accidents? Will employees be directly affected when they get old? What if you quit and don’t care about life or death?”

After employees get older? It seems that I have almost never thought about what will happen to my employees when they get old. If you can't work or work, shouldn't you be fired? But if you really have reached that age and can no longer participate in other jobs, is dismissal the same as... Audrey felt her back feel hot for a moment, and she secretly wrote down these words, and then said:

"But we paid the costs and paid the wages. Why can't we have the money?"

Richard sighed:

"How much income does your property earn in a month? Have you ever noticed it?"

Audrey slowly shook her head.

This sentence suddenly reminded her of the conversation between Earl Hall and Hibbert that day. Workers should be treated with restraint, some money should be given up appropriately, and workers should feel that they are being treated favorably, so that more value can be generated... ...Audrey didn't dare to agree, but she couldn't refute it either.

Because she was part of the profit from it.

"Suppose, after excluding costs, your family's steel industry makes a net profit of 100,000 pounds a month. How much contribution do you think your parents and your siblings have in this 100,000 pounds?"

I definitely didn't, and neither did my mom. We never cared about this... In addition, dad and Hibbert were usually busy with politics and participating in the affairs of the House of Representatives. In fact, they didn't really participate in production in the company for long, and often Just looking at the report and the market investment, the company managers should be in charge... Audrey frowned lightly and asked tentatively:

"Sorry, I haven't understood this. How should I judge?"

If you don't understand this, why do you hate aristocrats? I thought you were seeking answers based on a certain knowledge of nobles.

Forget it, forget it, at least the attitude is very sincere...

Richard's impatience was suppressed by the other party's bit of sincerity, and he began to show his moderation and patience again:

"The simplest judgment is that out of the one hundred thousand pounds of interest, your family only provided a factory site."

"The company's management keeps it running, the employees work hard, and the market digests these products. Even if it does not belong to Hall, it can still generate value. But the 100,000 pounds created, after deducting the employees' wages, what is left Everything belongs to you." The manager looked at her, "You basically didn't do anything, but you took the lion's share. The employees created a profit of 100,000 pounds for you, but you can only get a monthly salary of five or six pounds. Do you still feel that your family’s money is the result of your family’s serious work?”

Click.

Audrey was stunned.

She seemed to suddenly understand something for a moment, as if she suddenly understood why nobles were hated, but at the same moment, an unprecedented resistance surged in her heart. She understood all the words of the other party, so she began to resist such a fact.

"Just providing a venue"?

Yes, the factory's production seems to have nothing to do with him, but he still enjoys a monthly income of one hundred thousand pounds, instead of tens or hundreds of pounds in rent. Yes, the Hall family is not a natural aristocrat. The Hall family He obtained the title in the war... The Hall family's personal ethics are not bad, but people with poor personal ethics can also become nobles. Morality is not the standard for becoming a noble, but a requirement for self-restraint by nobles. If you are not born noble in this powerful world like the angel family, then as a noble, what is the nobleness of yourself?

Is it actually money?

Is money actually the last thing that should be mentioned in aristocratic interactions?

"Some of the nobles are also not doing well, but they would rather borrow money to maintain their dignity than admit that they are no longer as good as the average middle class."

"They borrowed money and didn't think about adding value, but they had to make themselves a few new clothes and hire a few servants to keep up appearances. I actually don't understand this kind of behavior. It's probably because they have nothing worthy of praise in their lives. The rest of this title still has some meaning."

Richard didn't stop talking because Audrey looked deeply affected. Instead, seeing that she didn't collapse or yell, he chose to continue enlightening:

"It can be seen that your virtues such as 'decency' and 'kindness' are actually self-defeating. You first obtained the status of 'noble' through various reasons, and then you tried to compete with others by highlighting your own extraordinaryness. 'Non-aristocratic' cut off their seats, such as these luxurious accessories that will no longer circulate in the market and thus lose their value, to show themselves to be 'naturally superior' through so-called aristocratic virtues."

"Are you all nobles because you are kind and kind? Are the most kind people in the world a noble?"

"Obviously not."

Richard shrugged:

"But the richest people must be the nobles."

"However, your statement of 'not paying attention to money, only respectability' is as ridiculous as a student who graduated from Capital University saying that he does not pay attention to academics. In this way, you will put shackles on yourself, wasting money when you are rich, and embarrassing yourself when you are in poverty. , isn’t it interesting?”

"Respectability" is actually a restraint on the nobility...?

This sentence turned out to be the sentence that Audrey could relate to the most, because it was difficult for her to forget the incident she encountered during her first meritorious service after becoming an Extraordinary - at Duke Negan's dinner, Qi Lin Gus pretended to be Baron Gramir and sneaked in, but was discovered by himself due to some small mistakes, and was eventually killed by Mr. Fool's followers.

The poor Baron Gramiel, of course, fell victim to Zillinges' failed operation and was found dead in his own home. But while offering comfort to the deceased, Audrey had to admit that Baron Gramiel was actually a very "unaristocratic" nobleman.

Baron Gramiel is not handsome, and Baron Gramiel does not have aristocratic virtues... He lacks self-confidence. He has his nostrils turned upward towards civilians with lower status than himself, and nods and bows to those with higher status. He only dares to glance at his identity with the corner of his eye. Higher female dependents.

Baron Gramil's funeral was very simple, and his relatives had to help pay off his debts, because Baron Gramil's financial situation was also very bad, and he even borrowed money to survive for a long time. But he still maintains the aristocratic style and maintains a servant configuration for himself such as butler, valet, maid, coachman, horse feeder, gardener... Do these configurations make sense for a noble who already needs to borrow money? ? Baron Gramiel could have borrowed more money to invest and hired fewer people - but Audrey didn't think there was any problem at the time, so she finally realized that she seemed, probably, might have accepted this strong man's offer. Thoughts, I really started to feel that "respectability" was not a good thing.

It seems to make sense.

No. Is this right?

The previous education conflicted with the status quo, and Audrey almost gave up thinking.

She seemed to become two people, and they started a heated debate with Baron Gramil as the object of argument. One accepted the new idea and said, "If Baron Gramil hires fewer people, he might be able to make some money through investment." "The other one gave an "aristocratic" answer and retorted, "But this is what nobles should be like? We are all like this. Baron Gramiel is already very unaristocratic. If he no longer abides by the rules of the aristocracy, then he Why are you still a noble?"

Audrey frowned suddenly.

"Audrey, how many more people do you think I can save while you are talking to me?"

But at this moment, Richard suddenly asked such an irrelevant question.

"How many people do you think were attacked in Backlund in these few minutes? How many people could have been lucky enough to meet me, but now they can't? - Of course, this is not entirely your responsibility, After all, I am speaking to you voluntarily.”

Audrey was startled and immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

It was too difficult to hear clear and coherent reasons for hating nobles. Of course she knew that many people were malicious to nobles just because nobles were richer. This reason could not convince her. She was looking forward to hearing some more real and straightforward reasons. , but fear such a conversation.

"This is called a waste of resources, miss."

Richard shrugged:

"Just like the resources that are wasted on you and turned into jewelry, clothes, perfumes, shoes, and handbags, if you keep them with you, they will lose their value. I don't do anything here. Outside Everyone will just let nature take its course."

"I'm sorry, sir, I..." She wanted to end the communication immediately, but Richard stopped her again with his movements.

"It doesn't matter, miss. In fact, I don't care at all how many people die here."

The Angel of Temperance begins to fully express his temperate and patient virtues:

"I actually have a lot of things to tell you, but if I want you to understand these I have to give at least two hours of lectures first, so I don't want to say a word. But I have a relatively simple suggestion, maybe you can quickly Realize that your family's wealth actually has nothing to do with your family, and it has nothing to do with you. I don't know if you are willing, Miss Audrey, I will be your puppet substitute for free, and then you leave here with me."

Audrey was a little surprised: "Where to go?"

"I came to Backlund on a business trip and will be returning to the Southern Continent soon. Are you interested in working as a nurse in my institution and providing some hospice care to the patients? Or serving plates in restaurants in the Southern Continent and going out on the streets? Sweeping the floor is a very relaxing job.”

Richard looked at her and asked in the same relaxed tone as when he rescued her:

"Do you have the guts to try it?"

Going to the Southern Continent?

Audrey could not help but feel curious about the unknown world.

"What kind of place is the Southern Continent...?" Although Alfred wrote so many letters, Audrey never left Loen in her eighteen years of life. Traveling only between the capital and the fiefdoms of East Chester County.

"The Southern Continent is a beautiful and terrifying place."

Richard smiled: "When you come to the Southern Continent now, you can see living corpses driving cars, skeletons farming, you can see members of the Rose School going crazy while counting the time of their madness, you can see wars, and you can see A peaceful world. You can see people who want to live independently and freely, and you can also see people who are muddle along and only care about their own lives."

Audrey was a little moved. Although the jobs that the gentleman mentioned, such as "carrying dishes, sweeping the floor, and working as a caregiver," made her subconsciously feel some fear and rejection, she knew that these rejections actually came from the education she received - " shameful".

Nobles should not work, it is the people who work.

Even if nobles want to participate in work, they must be elegant, relaxed, and able to become a social benchmark.

These jobs are not decent, not elegant, and are not suitable for noble ladies.

"I...I might be able to."

Audrey knew that the other party was trying to divert her attention, and she was happy to let go of the questions that she couldn't think of answers to: "I often provide psychotherapy to my friends. Maybe, I might be very suitable... to listen to patients." What people think…”

It would be great if the other party was willing to guarantee her life safety. Even if not, with the strength of Sequence 6 and Susie, she could barely protect herself in the Southern Continent. If you just work in a hospital, you shouldn't encounter too much danger.

"This job is not that relaxing."

Richard joked: "If you come, I will give you a salary, but your salary will definitely not be worthy of the pressure that everything you see will put on you. Well, after all, the funds of our cult are still very tight. The hospital is quite shabby and there are occasional fights.”

"It doesn't matter, I will try to adjust myself..." If I really can't accept it, I will also change my job. Audrey thought and said, "I want to see more..."

She was a little excited about the unknown world, but at this moment, a series of rapid footsteps came, accompanied by a soft and crying voice of a woman, "Audrey!" appeared from behind Audrey, as if A strong hand pulled her back to reality from her unknown fantasy.

"Ah, mom...!"

While demurely wiping her tears with a handkerchief, the beautiful Countess walked over and gently hugged Audrey, who was looking gray in comparison. Audrey carefully pulled her foot back to prevent her mother from seeing her broken heel.

"My dear, you must be frightened."

Mrs. Caitlin shed tears, kissed her little daughter's face, and kept comforting her: "It's okay, it's okay, my dear, let's go home. We don't want to come to such a dangerous place alone again."

"NO, I have not……"

Hearing these words, Audrey quickly resisted, but before she could refute, she was led away by her mother. She quickly looked at Richard, only to see a figure walking forward quickly, standing between her and him.

While coaxing her, Mrs. Caitlin pulled Audrey up who was trying to speak, and led her into the airtight crowd of Beyonder bodyguards, towards the steam train in the distance. Audrey saw Archbishop Anthony standing in the carriage of the train, looking behind her warily.

"This train is really noisy."

Mrs. Caitlin complained to Audrey in a low voice: "The space is very small, and there are no cushions. It's impossible to sit down."

"It's a pity that the carriage can't come here. The roads here are almost completely destroyed..."

While whispering, she took her daughter, who kept looking back, onto the steam train and sat not far from Archbishop Anthony.

Richard watched Audrey go away without any surprise. He looked at the pile of jewelry that Audrey left on the chair, and then looked at Earl Hall who had the courage to step forward for his daughter. He wanted to express The meaning is self-evident.

"Long time no see, Mr. Ernst, thank you for saving my little girl."

Earl Hall was a little nervous. He had just learned that this person was not a saint, but an angel with a weird temper. Even Archbishop Saint Anthony did not dare to approach rashly in this situation because he was not sure. the other party’s position.

"To express my gratitude...do you think, how many thank-you gifts should I prepare?"

Richard pursed his lips at Audrey: "How much is she worth?"

Earl Hall's breathing paused for a moment, but he also relaxed obviously: "The little girl is worth four hundred thousand pounds."

"...That's it. Collect it within a week and transfer it to the bearer account."

He yawned: "I saved your daughter for money, but your daughter escaped from there with others first, and then met me. You should first praise her for being able to lead others alive until I went to save her." .”

After Richard said this, he bent down, picked up his suitcase, walked through the crowd, and left.

Not interesting. He thought.

When we walked out of the subway station, the bombing was over. Above the ruins on the ground, I saw a clear blue sky with no clouds in sight.

TBC

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It is worth mentioning that the nobles advocate "not working" and look down upon labor work. The nobles should do nothing and accept support and be noble. Even if the nobles participate in labor, they should be looked down upon. So I don't understand why the squid would put "squid" in the article. One of the manifestations of "the high status of female believers of the night" is that noble women can participate in some work.