Chapter 18: The German Hipster of the Qiao Family

  I have a strong urge to kick this old thing, what kind of person is this!

  It's worth mentioning that although Germany is a bit of a mess, it has produced quite a few scientists and thinkers, like Nietzsche, Marx, Engels, and even Hitler was an artistic youth. However, one bad thing about German artistic youths is that they can be quite troublesome. Just these few people have made the entire world with over 10 billion people go crazy. In the past few hundred years, there were many Germans who mixed well in Constantinople.

  "You haven't come to the wrong place. Our Constantinople has been standing for a thousand years, and it's also the birthplace of what those scholars call the Renaissance, with many famous churches and theaters, grand opera houses, you won't be disappointed when you come here." Constantinople is full of famous historical sites, even this street under the carriage, called Ducas Street, has its own story, its own legend.

  So, I took the opportunity to tell them a pretty interesting little story about what had happened on this street in the past, to break the ice. As we chatted, it led to why the two of them had caused trouble at Wendi's restaurant. The explanation from Blond Frederic was simple: after being found by their own guards, they were originally supposed to be taken away on the spot. However, with only a few days left until Mass, he successfully persuaded those guards to postpone their return. Having heard about Wendi's restaurant from some German merchants in the past, he took them there.

  Frederick said, "Right, I only saw two running out, and the other two are still inside. What kind of punishment will they receive? As long as they return the money, there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Frederick asked.

  "Why say that?"

  "I and Hans went to the stable, gave all our money to a servant there, and told him to settle our bill. While he was gone, we took the horses and ran out, hiding in an alley." Frederick said.

  "Do you know how much that meal costs?" I asked the German, looking up at him.

  "Over 1,000 Dutch guilders, about 1,200 livres, and according to the exchange rate here, it won't exceed 1,000 sols."

  "There's enough for food." I smiled and said, "But you forgot to pay the medical expenses. More than a dozen servants were injured, and many tables and chairs were also destroyed."

  "Four horses will be enough! Those are thoroughbreds given to us by the Polish royal family." Frederick flashed a set of white teeth, grinning brightly. "Four horses. After selling them, they can pay for their medical expenses and still have enough left over to buy a nag to pull a cart to take them back to Germany and cover their expenses on the road. Of course, provided they leave Constantinople immediately - living here isn't cheap."

  This person is very interesting.

  I smiled and looked at the two of them: "As for those two horses, are you also planning to sell them as a source of living expenses in Constantinople? If you don't mind, I'd like to buy those two horses."

  The German Hans showed a delighted expression and shook Frederick's palm excitedly with one hand.

  "But I think you also know that living in Constantinople is not cheap. Two horses, used sparingly, would be enough for ordinary people to live well here for several months. But your origins are not humble. You know what this means. The wealth that is sufficient or even slightly surplus for ordinary people is far from enough for the two of you."

  Two Germans, one looking worried and the other staring at me with a deep meaning. I ignored Frederick's expression and handed out my olive branch: "I'm just interested in Germany."

  "What is the reason you want to help us again and again?"

  "Yes, your motives are indeed suspicious!"

  Friedrich and Hans both had eyes full of doubts, but it was Hans who asked the question first instead of Friedrich.

  I understood their feelings and guessed that they must have had a hard time coming from Germany to Constantinople. I didn't make any explanations, but instead asked: "What can you do in Constantinople to make a living?"

  "Friedrich can apply to the theater's orchestra as a flute player, and I can teach! As a private tutor, I will teach German, French, Greek, Latin, Hebrew - it's not a problem at all."

  Hans answered confidently and got Frederick's approval. They had hands and feet, and if they were lucky, they could indeed survive in Constantinople!

  "I can play the flute! I'm very good at it!"

  I chuckled at the two of them, and continued to ask in a calm tone: "Are you planning on living your lives like this? Giving up the inheritance rights of your family's territory and letting others take what belongs to you? Think about it, you may have escaped for now, but will your elders give up on the idea of bringing you back? In the future, when you return to your territory, if your subjects and people find out that their lord, a high-and-mighty noble, had once performed as a flute player in Constantinople and taught others how to read, what do you think they will think?"

  A series of sharp questions left the two young men stunned, their eyes fixed in a daze, clearly lost in deep thought. Indeed, they could run away to realize their ideals and take revenge, but what would they do after completing their wishes in Constantinople? As nobles, if they simply ran away privately, it was just a minor mistake that wouldn't cause much harm. However, if others found out that they had worked as pipers or school teachers among the common people after running away, things would become difficult to handle. If word got out, not only would the nobility ridicule them, but also consider them shameful and refuse to associate with them. It's worth noting that this world wasn't the 21st century; without being accepted by the entire collective, a lord's rule couldn't last long.

  "Thank you for your generosity, but I still have that original question, why help us?" This time it was Frederick who asked, and Hans, who wanted to follow up with a remark, was restrained by his tightly clasped palm.

  I said with a half-truth: "At first, it was just a little interest, but the benevolence, wit and wisdom you showed later, as well as your passion for art, made me admire you. Finally, as a noble myself, I don't mind making two more friends from Germany."

  "Since we are friends, we should at least know your name. So, may I ask what your name is?" Frederick said.

  "My name is Nikiru Fusu, but friends usually call me Nikisu, nice to meet you, Frederick and Hans."

  With the two of them, we quickly drove out of the street where the restaurant was located, and then a series of ancient buildings came into view. I acted as a tour guide for Frederick and Hans, giving a brief introduction to the scenery outside the window. For places that I didn't quite remember, I would ask the attendants in the car.

  "Wow, the buildings here are so old! Look at those sculptures!! Where is this place?"

  "There's a very special place in Constantinople, the older the place is, the more statues it has. This is a must-visit road for Constantinople Square." I haven't forgotten that after serving the Holy Communion, I saw a girl on Constantinople Square, although it's been over three hours since the Holy Communion ended.