Alfes presents a delicate nanmu pipe, a white ivory mouthpiece, using a three-hundred-year-old briar root nodule as the main material, the mouthpiece and the handle are flush with the handle, and the thickness of the bowl is also equal.

Such a rare material requires a very skilled master master to polish and process it. The material of bria reflects bright red and clear lines under the light, and its wood grain is fine and distinct, but such a piece of briar root nodules needs to go through more than 70 complex processes to make it into a bucket before it is formed. ①

There was once an interesting set of metaphors, cigarettes are like prostitutes, hastily solving desires without leaving a trace;

Cigars are like mistresses, not only can solve desires, but also can show off in front of others, but the cost is huge, and the wealth is empty;

A pipe is like a wife, a one-time addition, a long-term maintenance, and a lifelong companion. ②

It can be seen that the owners of pipes are people of taste and philosophers.

On the surface, Alfes seems to be such a person, a calm and elegant businessman.

Yudecao felt as if he had seen this pipe somewhere, and suddenly remembered that he had met a man smoking a pipe outside the bar, and his figure slowly overlapped with Alphes's current appearance, and he realized that he had met it outside the Black Pepper Bar.

If you look closely at the pipe, you can see that the wood grain on it actually forms a twisted and intertwined spiral pattern.

This is a mark, shaped like three question marks revolving around a point, and also like a man in a cloak, hollow, incomparably empty, with a feeling that looking at this mark and his spirit is about to be sucked into the abyss of despair.

At this time, Yudecao seemed to see the endless starry sky, the starry sky was vast and ethereal, and in the distant Pleiades star cluster, there was a crowned and yellow robe, which made a whisper that made the mind and soul tremble, but at the same time made people stare at its figure until death.

The apparition in front of him was interrupted by the sound of Purvent's son Philip accidentally breaking a cup,

"It's terrible to see such a scene",

Yudecao found himself in a cold sweat, with fear and humility as a human in his mind, and Yudecao actually had the feeling of giving up his faith and worshipping the existence of the one in the starry sky, of course, such thoughts were only fleeting.

With the sound of the cup cracking, Alfes silently put away the pipe in his hand. Pvent turned and walked in Philip's direction, and helped the servant to put away the fragments of the cup.

At this time, no one noticed that Alphes took advantage of the momentary chaos in the hall to quietly enter Herman's study, put down a picture album and quietly left.

Hearing this, Herman also strode over to the other side, and said in a loud voice,

"Oh, Mr. Pwente, thank you, for saving us a piece of delicately made stained glass! You know, we Jews have a custom of breaking glass to get a blessing on important things. ”③

Everyone else secretly laughed when they heard it,

Mr. Herman's words not only alleviated the embarrassment of Philip's faux pas, but also showed his tactfulness and personal charm.

When Pvent heard this, he realized that he owed Herman a favor.

Philip was embarrassed by Pvent's head and bowed, and Pvent whispered to Philip,

"Apologize quickly."

Eleven-year-old Philip was ashamed of his mistake and said with a shy red face,

"I'm sorry!

Mr. Herman, I didn't mean to,

I was just fascinated by the graceful dancing of the ladies on the field. ”

Herman laughed and said to Provent,

"Mr. Pwente, it seems that Philip has reached this age, too,

It's time to worry about his future marriage.

Ha

Maybe you can take Philip to meet the ladies and ladies who are present.

see

Miss Ashina of the Wencht family over there is very cute. ”

Provent also responded with a smile,

"Thank you for your generosity,

I won't say anything like compensation, that will only diminish your noble character.

In a few days, after our grocery store has counted the inventory, I will send you some good things from all over the world.

Of course, if you think it's good, you can promote it for our Pvent grocery store is the best reward. ”

"That's it."

Herman responded,

The two treacherous and cunning businessmen smiled in agreement, as if the little episode just now had not affected everyone's mood.

Herman saw that the little life in his wife's arms had fallen asleep, and he felt that this scene was very warm.

Kirk gently laid little Albert flat on the crib and let him sleep peacefully.

Herman ordered the band to stop playing for the time being, as it was Kirk's performance time.

Kirk carried the ends of his skirt and saluted the guests present,

The dignified appearance and ingenious matching make the beautiful Kirk more delicate and moving,

She went to the piano and sat down,

Under the rhythm of the hands, a beautiful and moving melody is composed.

She is a pianist.

The guests present listened to it fascinated,

At the end of the song, the applause was thunderous.

"Ms. Kirk, I love you."

This is the cry of a young disciple.

"Ha, it's a pity that she's my favorite, and I won't give it to you."

Herman replied humorously.

Everyone present burst into laughter.

And Yudkaw was still thinking about what he had just seen,

That sigil has incredible magic,

As long as you look at it once, you won't forget the strange structure of the imprint, and the indescribable existence,

It's like a fiery soldering iron in my mind,

He believed that even if he lost his memory, he would not forget that terrible mark.

Yudecao then remembered a question.

"Alphes may not be a simple person, but under his gentlemanly image of a big businessman, there may be an ulterior secret.

Huh? What about the Elphes?

Maybe it's better to go to Pvent and ask for it later,

The two of them seem to know each other, although it doesn't sound like they're on good terms. ”

Herman walked up to Yudkaw and teased cheerfully,

"Dr. Yudkaw, you look very tired, are we not well accommodating? Or are you not very accustomed to the food of our Jews? Or is it that today's wine and the sound of your beloved wife's piano have made you already drunk and half-awake? ”

Yudekaw replied a little embarrassedly,

"Maybe I'm too tired this morning, you know we're on shift, it's the morning shift. Maybe I can find a quieter place to rest now. ”

Herman called the servant and said to him,

"Please take Mr. Yudekaw to the study to rest for a while, as the child's midwife, Mr. Yudekaw needs to be the first to come out when he goes back to bless."

The servant answered, and Herman told the good servant to turn to Yudekaw and say,

"Mr. Yudkaw, please go to the study and rest for a while.

Of course, you can read the books in it casually, I have a collection of many works by famous literary masters, and there are a few authentic books for you to enjoy.

Of course, there are books you like to take with you, except for those few original ones, haha. ”

Yudekaw was then guided by the servant to Herman's study.

The door of the study is made of cedar, a hard, insect-resistant wood, and the doorknob is inlaid with colored gemstones, which is very luxurious.

After pushing it away, you can smell the scent of ink and books, and there is a refreshing but elegant aroma wafting in the air.

That's the incense of the finest cedar essential oil,

It can not only repel insects, but also make people feel peaceful, apparently this is the incense arranged by the careful Herman servant.

The study room is full of books, picture albums, and oil paintings by famous artists hang on the walls, including high-imitation paintings from the Middle Ages, as well as works by contemporary popular painters.

I didn't expect Herman to be so low-key and luxurious, and sure enough, the wealth of Jews cannot be compared with ordinary people.

Jew

A race that is born in favor of God is also a race of many calamities,

Heaven may have given them infinite wisdom,

Although the fate of the Jews was difficult, it was often the Jews who were able to survive from desperate situations and perpetuate their race.

They wander, they wander, they migrate, but they still survive,

It has spread all over the world, although the nationality is different, but the bloodline continues.

After being constantly oppressed and targeted by various ethnic groups,

Jews gradually became scarce, but they learned how to survive and developed a talent for accumulating wealth.

Almost every Jew was able to obtain a large amount of money in the face of adversity to carry it on.

It was an incredible miracle, and perhaps it had something to do with their devout belief in the Creator of the Jewish mouth,

They all have amazing business talents.

————————

Alphes mysteriously infiltrated Herman's study,

He saw a picture album from the East on his desk,

After opening it casually, the contents inside are unsightly,

Apparently this was the "man who understands" album that Pvent gave Herman at the time.

The men and women in the album pose in various shameful poses,

After reading two pages, Alphes tore off the cover of the album and placed it in his arms.

As a gentleman, as a big businessman, he naturally disdains it, and there is no need to steal this album;

Alphes once had a beautiful wife, who remained single after her mysterious disappearance;

He relied on his handsome appearance to shuttle among the courtesans of various celebrities, but he has never had an heir.

To put it bluntly, a high-quality single man who has never lacked women around him, how could he need to steal such a little yellow book.

Alphes took out another album from his robe, placed it in the freshly torn Toyo cover, and placed it back in its original position.

Then he rolled out of the window and landed on the grass outside.

After taking a few steps, he glanced back at Herman's dwelling, the corners of his mouth pulled up, and his body straightened, like a wild beast staring at its prey, like a director arranging a scene, everything was in control.

He left quietly, thinking,

"The props are ready, and the actors are in place.

My lord, watch this farce, this is the script I have designed for you.

This time, it will be more exciting than the previous script.

My Lord, this time I want you to be pleased and give me the strength you bestow on me believers. ”

————————

Yudekao sat down in the comfortable leather chair in his study, closing his eyes and trying not to think about the imprint.

As his thoughts cleared, Yudkaw smelled the scent of cedar to relax his nervousness and relieve some psychological pressure.

"Oh, this chair is so comfortable, and I'd like to add one to my home.

I should ask Mr. Herman where he bought it, maybe it was made of calf skin?

It may not be appropriate to ask directly, but with Mr. Herman's generosity today, he might have given it to me directly.

If it's not right, go back and ask the servants.

Perhaps, according to Mr. Herman, admiring calligraphy and painting now may give me a moment of tranquility in my present spirit. ”

Yudkaw thought.

He first stood up and looked at the oil paintings on the side for a while, and felt that he still couldn't resonate with these artworks;

It's obviously a bunch of scribbled paint, why can it be so valuable?

No one can figure this out, maybe it's the so-called commercial hype.

Yudekaw gave up his artistic "heavenly negative" and turned and walked towards the bookcase.

Stretch out your hand and pull on the cover of the book,

Hey, "History of World Civilizations", the next book, "The Merchant Deals", and the next book "The Art of Auction".

"Oh my God, isn't there an interesting book? Is the style of high society so boring? ”

Yudekao lay back in his leather chair, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that there seemed to be an "interesting" picture book on the table.

It was a one-style cover of the Oriental picture book that Pvent had given to Youdekaw.

"Could it be that Mr. Herman likes this tune too?

The style of painting of the Orientals is indeed different from ours, which is different and bold! ”

Yudekao thought about it like this, and a lewd smile flashed,

casually took this album that Alphes "deliberately" left in Herman's study,

"Sure enough, it's a series, huh? A delicate flower in a golden bottle?

My book seems to be called a monk and a believer, and it seems that the content is different.

Hehe, it shouldn't matter to peek twice, maybe take it away? Mr. Herman was in a good mood anyway. ”

Fertility and reproduction have always been instincts in human life.

Even if the current Yudekao has lost the ability to work for personnel, it does not hinder the instinctive work,

What's more, Yudecao didn't find a suitable book for himself to watch in the vast sea of books.

Such an "easy-to-understand" album was just the only choice for him who was depressed at that time.

Before Yudecao could open the cover, the maid knocked on the door and entered the study.

"Dr. Yudkaw, Mr. Herman has commanded me to call you to prepare for the next blessing ceremony.

If you have a favorite book, you can take it with you. ”

Old Yudekao's face flushed,

Unexpectedly, when I was about to open it and take a closer look and appreciate it, I was interrupted by the little maid.

If you put the album back with the maid staring,

Presumably, the maid will also misunderstand Mr. Herman when she sees this album,

And she watched me put the album back, and I was afraid that tomorrow the city of Ulm would know that "Dr. Yudekao likes to read Oriental albums".

quickly calculated the current scene,

Yu Decao had no choice but to hide the album in his robe, so as not to damage his reputation.

"Thank you for me, Mr. Hermann, for the importance he has given me, and thank him for me,

I picked up an interesting book from here and will return it when I'm done reading it. ”

Yudkaw said.

Subsequently, the blessing ceremony went smoothly, and with the moonlight and music, the people gradually dispersed.

Pvent and Philip bowed again to the Hermans in thanks, while Yudkaw shook Herman's hand and left.

He forgot to return the album, and the calamities that had nothing to do with him were transferred to him.

That's fate.