Chapter14

A mile from Longborn, Meriton, was home to Mrs. Bennet's sister's house.

Mrs. Bennet was the eldest daughter of the Gardiner family.

The younger sister married Philip and stayed with her husband in Meriton.

The younger brother married and settled in the vicinity of Chipsay Street and Tian'en Temple Street in London.

The elder Gardiner was a solicitor at Meriton.

English solicitors are divided into barristers and solicitors.

The former can appear above the English High Court and is commonly known as a "barrister"; The latter is engaged in a variety of non-litigation businesses.

Generally, barristers do not directly accept clients' retainments.

The client needs to go to a solicitor, and if he needs to go to court, the solicitor will then ask the barrister for retention.

When the elder Gardiner retired, because his son preferred to go to London for business, he passed on the work contacts he had accumulated over the years to his second son-in-law, Philip.

The two villages are close to each other, and it takes a maximum of thirty or forty minutes to walk.

For more than 20 years, the Bennet family and the Philip family have maintained friendly relations and exchanged with each other.

On his third day back at Longborn, Brando paid a visit to the Philip family.

It was not the first time she had met the Phillips.

The last time they saw her was two years ago, less than a month after she had traveled here, and she looked visibly weak.

At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Philippe and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner learned that their nephew was recovering from a serious illness and rushed to visit the town of Scarborough.

Due to the distance and the lack of convenient transportation, there were only a few greeting letters between each other in the past two years.

This time, the Phillips saw their nephew in high spirits, and almost danced on the spot, trying to pull Brando in circles.

"God forbid! This is the best news heard this year. ”

"Brando, it's so gratifying that you're finally fully recovered."

Many people have the stereotype that the nature of a lawyer is calm and eloquent.

It is difficult for Mr. Philip to find a relation to this trait by half a pound.

The words are so enthusiastic that they are true.

Calm and spicy, it's hard to see.

It may be said that Mr. and Mrs. Philip and Mrs. Bennet stood together, and at first glance they were very close relatives, but they were too kind-hearted.

In terms of intersection, the Gardiner couple in London is much more stable.

Brando accepted both relatives well.

Regardless of their personality, they all have kindness and closeness to the Bennet family.

She said solemnly, "Auntie, uncle, I am very happy to be here in Meritun. Isn't there a lot of fun to do here? It can make the people who live here radiant, and make people look more and more radiant. ”

"Hahaha!"

Madame Philip laughed.

Who looks energetic? Who gets older and closer?

It's her and her husband who are talking about it. The nephew looked serious and praised - really handsome.

Mr. Philip even boasted of his strength: "Dear Brando, please believe me, when you step into Meritun, you become the most dazzling being. One look at you will make you feel happy. If you look at you more, you will be able to enhance your charm from the inside out. ”

Mrs. Philip agreed, "Your uncle is right. I'll take you out for a spin, I'm ready, and tomorrow everyone will be more beautiful than today. What a life! ”

As the words fell, the three of them looked at each other and laughed.

After joking, Mrs. Philip restrained her smile and said to Brando, seemingly seriously:

"Seriously. I am now relieved that you, unlike your father, did not make silence a daily rule. ”

"Don't worry that you won't be able to marry your beloved girl in the future because of your stupid mouth, and then go home and cry secretly."

As she spoke, Mrs. Philip was amused by the scene she had made up in her own mind, and could not hold back her laughter.

"Auntie, I'm only sixteen."

Brando was helpless. In urging people to get married, Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philip are sisters.

Mr. Philip supported his wife and said to Brando, "Time always passes by in a flash, and in the blink of an eye you will be twenty or thirty years old." Maybe one day you'll surprise us with a lover out of the blue. ”

Mrs. Philip assisted: "Little nephew, you have to trust your uncle's professionalism, he has some ability to reason. ”

Brando: What kind of self-created reasoning ability is this?

Get married, you can't get married in this life.

One in a billion likely, she brought back a lover.

She dared to take it, did the Philip couple dare to admit it? Can the two sense the surprise, not the frightened?

Don't talk about marginal topics.

Brando shifted his gaze, "Then again, what's interesting about Meriton?" Tell us about it. ”

Mr. Philip was very cheerful, "What do you want to introduce?" Let's go, take you to the field. The clothes, shoes and hats in town are not as trendy as London's, but there is a good place that is not inferior to the shops in the big cities. ”

What is a good place?

Mr. and Mrs. Philip took Brando to the outskirts of Meriton.

The suburbs are not deserted, and you can see traffic from time to time. Men, women, and children, in and out of the same place.

Not far away is a garden building.

The iron door is wide open, and a sign is erected at the door, "Lucky Circulation Library".

That's what the crowds are coming for.

"This is a newly opened circulating library in March this year."

According to Mr. Philip, the owners are Mr. and Mrs. Toby, who have just settled in Meriton.

"Business is very good, and people who have been there say it is good. Every once in a while, we'll come and go around. ”

The so-called circulation library is a private for-profit store, and its main business is to borrow books for a fee. ①

The shopkeeper bought a large number of books and newspapers.

Readers pay a pro-rata membership fee to become a member. Depending on the membership level, the length of borrowing time and the number of books borrowed will vary.

Paying for borrowing allows lower- and middle-income earners to read more books for less than they would spend on books.

Around 1740, this type of shop began to emerge in England.

After nearly 100 years of development, it can be seen from London to the countryside.

Brando has been to several circulating libraries in Scarborough Township.

In seaside resorts, this type of shop does a good job.

Tourists don't want to increase the burden of luggage, but have a lot of time to pass, so they pay to borrow books to read.

There are differences in the types of books purchased by bookstores in different regions.

The readers of the resorts are the powerful and the wealthy middle class, while the readers of the rural towns are the squires, farmers and laborers, and the reading preferences of the two different audiences must be different.

Brando walks into the "Lucky Circulation Library".

The borrowing hall is open and spacious.

The counter is prominently located in the center.

Behind the wall are large bookshelves that reach to the ceiling, and there is also an oversized library with two wooden ladders on either side.

Behind the counter, four men stood.

The older ones are responsible for registering and returning books, and the younger clerks are responsible for climbing up and down to pick up books.

Contrary to the stereotype of the library in later generations, this type of bookstore at this time had nothing to do with quietness.

The people who came to borrow the books did not make a loud noise, but they were scattered in the hall in groups of three or five, standing or sitting, chatting enthusiastically.

Lean in and listen to a few words, and people are either talking about a good book they have read recently, or expressing their thoughts on a certain newspaper news.

It is not difficult to find a common denominator: readers who come to borrow books affirm the store's ability to choose books.

The books and newspapers provided by the store hit the preferences or needs of readers, which made the business of "Lucky Bookstore" boom.

Mr. Philip: "I have a senior membership, and I can borrow 10~15 books at a time. Brando, are you interested in joining? Some of the books here, I guess you don't have in your father's study, but I find them interesting as well. ”

Mr. Bennet likes to stay in his study, and he is willing to spend money on all kinds of books.

The Philip family was different. Not on real estate income, but on the salary of a law firm. You can't talk about saving on daily expenses, but you won't spend lavishly.

"I'll take a look at the introduction first."

Brando pointed to the billboard at the counter, on which was posted an oversized "Admission Instructions".

The conditions and benefits of membership are clearly stated.

Specific to monthly, seasonal, annual, and welfare discounts for different age groups, and the required deposit are clearly explained.

Below is a list of incomplete editions, which vary from member to member.

The whole is according to one rule. The more expensive a single book is, the higher the membership level required to borrow it. The higher the level, the more dues you have to pay.

The store posted the price of the books and the membership fee, so that it was cheaper to borrow books and read them at a glance.

Brando noticed the notice board next to the billboard.

It has a list of new books coming to the library, as well as a ranking of borrowing books.

The top three do not have religious books, but popular novels, travel books, and various popular science books.

There is also a line written below: "Our store provides newspapers and books for sale, new and old members have discounts, please ask the store staff for details."

After the boom of mobile libraries, many shops not only borrowed books, but also sold medicines and insurance. Now, have you started selling books?

Brando plans to start with a three-month trial.

As Philip points out, the list of books posted in the store is different from the Bennet collection.

Newspapers and magazines are more complete and keep up with the latest dates of publication. Books are more popular than monographs.

The staff was very enthusiastic in providing advice, asking not only the customers themselves about their reading preferences, but also about the book preferences of their families.

With a membership card, the borrowed books can be read by the whole family, so many people choose to pay high-end membership fees.

Brando has no preference and wants to read all kinds of books.

Then I was recommended for a long time as an additional service.

Add one shilling each month to get the latest bibliography list booklet, which will be delivered to your door, so that you can keep up to date with changes in your stack.

Brando: Buy!

It is known that this circulating library captures the preferences of readers in the township, and its bibliographic brochure is more than just a list of books to borrow. It can better reflect the preferences of the middle and lower class readers in England to a certain extent.

At the moment, the top of the list of entertainment methods in the UK is "reading". Before the rise of electronics, this casual model would continue to dominate the charts for more than a century.

If you want to get a piece of the book industry, it is worth spending a little money to understand which wind is blowing if you want to grasp the preferences of your audience.

In the past, for the public, the price of printed materials was relatively high relative to wage income, which made the borrowing business of circulating libraries boom.

To bring down the price, we must rely on technological innovation.

In 1811, German mechanics Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Bauer emigrated to England.

The invention of the cylinder paper printing machine powered by a steam engine made printing from manual to mechanized.

It takes time for a new invention to go from being introduced to becoming widespread.

This steam printing press was first introduced in 1814 by The Times of London.

Soon after, the two inventors returned to Germany and in 1817 established the world's first factory for the manufacture of steam printing presses. In 1823, the German newspaper Berlin Die Zeitunger was the first customer of the printing press factory. ②

Not only printing presses, but also papermaking technology is improving, accelerating the industrialization of printed matter.

With the introduction of new technologies and the reduction of production costs, the book sales market across Europe is quietly preparing for transformation.

The elite class is always in the minority, and it is difficult to expand the audience of expensive books.

As Europe industrializes and urbanizes, the middle class and the working population will continue to grow.

It's a huge reading community. At this time, the innovative technology needed for cheap books was also ripe.

It is an irreversible trend for the book market to turn to small profits and quick turnover.

Brando sensed that the heyday of mass reading was coming.

The new trend in the book industry has been revealed, but it has not yet been fully developed.

She had learned that Britain had not yet abolished the knowledge tax, and that Charles X of France next door had reinstated the censorship system and imposed controls on all kinds of printed matter.

Even so, it can be seen from the "Lucky Circulation Library" that the villagers are willing and able to consume some of the cheap books.

There are not a few people who buy it, and a few books are out of stock.

"Seven Days in France" and "Rome Yesterday and Today", these two travelogues are temporarily out of stock."

The clerk said that the travelogue category had the best sales. After borrowing the book, members are still unsatisfied, and often buy it home to collect and read it repeatedly.

Brando: Sure enough.

The best-selling travel books have a long cultural background in the UK, and also reflect the rise of a new industry.

From the 16th century, the English aristocracy rose to the "grand tour", and the children of the nobility formed a trend of studying on the European continent.

With the main purpose of studying, to grasp the political, cultural and business dynamics of continental Europe, so that they can better develop after returning to the UK.

The target locations are mainly Italy and France, and the reasons are related to the origins of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

The "Grand Tour" costs a lot and is unaffordable for non-powerful people. In the late 18th century, expenses rose to thousands of pounds per person per year.

After the Industrial Revolution, the middle class of industry and commerce gradually increased.

In 1811, "tourism" appeared in England, replacing the original "grand tour".

Traveling far away is no longer about learning from other countries, but about entertainment. The main tourist body has also changed from the aristocracy to the middle class, and mass tourism is on the rise.

This trend is intuitively reflected in the bestseller list.

People's appetite for travel books is on the rise. Some are preparing for travel, while others are fantasizing about not being able to go for the time being.

France and Italy remain popular destinations abroad, with seaside resorts being the most popular attractions in the UK.

Brando's focus on the book industry stems from his two years in Scarborough. There's no reason not to write a travelogue and earn the dividends that come your way.

Returning to Longborn from the seaside town, she detailed the various events along the way, in order to write a travel book for her research.

Transportation, postal services, and accommodation information along the route can provide a route reference for tourists who are planning to travel from Hertfordshire.

Prepare to write two short travel books.

One is aimed at wealthy people, and the other is aimed at middle-class new tourists.

After completing the membership card, she first borrowed a wave of travel-related books to analyze the shining points of popular books in this genre.

Brando asked the clerk, "What kind of books are borrowed the fewest people?" ”

Clerk: "These days, everyone is very interested in reading, and there are readers who like them in all kinds of books. ”

Brando: "Relatively speaking? ”

Clerk: "There really are no dead stock. If anything, readers here are less interested in solving puzzles. However, the puzzles are printed on the newspaper advertising column.

Everyone likes to read other sections of the newspaper, so the borrowing volume remains high, but the decryption section is skipped. ”

Today's newspaper billboards are a magical section.

It's rich and colorful. It is not only an advertisement for products, but also a bulletin board, and can also be used as a communication board.

Since the cost of sending a letter over a long distance is higher than buying a newspaper, it is only necessary to agree in advance that A will post a message in France and B will be informed by buying a newspaper in Italy.

Messaging is inherently delayed.

Don't expect postal shipping to be faster, it's not as fast as the resale of high-selling newspapers.

If you don't want others to know the content of the message, then encrypt the post.

The use of cryptography has a long history in Europe.

Especially in the 15th century, during the Renaissance, cryptography became a new industry.

It flourished especially in the fields of alchemy and diplomacy, where each Italian city-state had a cryptography department, and each ambassador had a cryptography secretary. ③

Over the course of more than 400 years, cryptography has continued to evolve, and there has always been a part of the population that has not diminished their interest in it.

As a result, in the 19th century, there were seemingly garbled text on the advertising boards of newspapers from time to time. Some are encrypted communications, while others are specially published puzzles for someone to solve.

Brando: "Please bring me a couple of newspapers with declassified information." Instead of the latest date, it is a bound edition from the last few years. Also, are there any French and German presses? ”

"Yes, we have purchased some foreign publications."

The clerk replied quickly, "Please wait a minute, and I'll pick up the books for you." ”

*

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The trip to Meriton ended with the enthusiastic feeding of the Phillips.

Brando returned to Longborn with a large bag of literature.

For the next three weeks, Longborn's life was full and peaceful. Study, exercise, and read borrowed books and periodicals in your spare time.

September 7th, nightfall.

After bathing, she leaned against the bedside and waited for her hair to dry naturally.

I picked up a bound copy of "Prussian Fun Stories" and flipped through it, and scanned the contents of an advertisement in a certain issue of last April.

It's a complex gibberish that seems illogical.

Soon, Brando's eyes lit up and he sat up straight.

Half an hour later, she wrote a large decoded translation, and this "garbled advertisement" actually told a difficult problem.

The wind seemed to pause for a moment.

The dim glow of the candle flame falls on the paper, casting a mysterious hue on the translation.

The translation is as follows:

"Questioner: Mr. Spectre. Q: ......