"So that's how it is." Charles chuckled as he moved the two bags of money in front of him, roughly estimating that if they were gold coins, there were at least dozens of them.
He was short on cash, and it seemed that when he needed a pillow, one appeared; as soon as he became an official, someone sent him money. It seems that not only in China does one get rich when becoming an official, but it's the same in North America.
"Are there others eyeing those two mines?" Charles didn't want to be an incorruptible official, nor did he want to be someone who only took money and did nothing.
"Alas, it's not others, but several members of the Continental Congress and the Pennsylvania Assembly. They believe that Pittsburgh has not developed at all and is of little use. With the war against Britain, Pittsburgh's role should be to serve all of North America.
Someone once suggested, when discussing sending people to France, supporting France in recovering the British-occupied Ohio area in exchange for French support for our anti-British war in North America.
Although Pittsburgh wasn't explicitly mentioned, it should be included in their scope of sacrifice. Even the esteemed Mr. Adams supported this proposal. Because France currently has no intention of supporting us, they haven't continued to pressure us.
But in any case, now that you are in the Continental Congress, as a true representative of Pittsburgh, they should no longer be able to force us to be sacrificed," the coal mine owner whispered.
He was very sensible and knew that it was unlikely for Charles to oppose officials of equal standing, so he didn't ask Charles to uphold justice for them. Instead, he quietly pointed out that he was already on the same side as them.
"Don't worry, since I am the representative elected by Pittsburgh, I will consider Pittsburgh's interests. I will not stand by and watch anyone infringe upon our common interests," Charles nodded.
He knew that North America at this time was desperately seeking "international aid," and sacrificing Pittsburgh, which had only a little over a hundred people and was far from the east, was entirely possible.
However, the anti-British war in North America had a characteristic: it was relatively united. Even at the most dangerous moments, only a few individuals betrayed the revolution. Now that Pittsburgh, represented by him, had become a member of the Continental Congress and was widely known through newspaper announcements, they would certainly not risk losing public support by sacrificing Pittsburgh.
As for whether he might offend some bigwigs in the Continental Congress because of this, he had a slight understanding of the current situation in North American society and judged that it should not happen.
Like any country or region, it also had various internal and external contradictions: contradictions between officials and common people, between the South and the North, with Britain, with France, and so on.
However, the current focus was on the contradiction with Britain; whether internal or external, resolving the contradiction with Britain took priority. Many people who originally had conflicts often sacrificed their differences and united to jointly resist Britain.
With Charles' not-quite-a-guarantee "guarantee," the two mine owners naturally left happily, but Charles didn't even know their names before they left.
Only after asking Tom did he learn that these two guys were named Eunice and Lyle. In fact, their relationship with Charles wasn't very good before, and they even considered buying the developed fertile land of his family because the old lord was deeply in debt.
However, once Charles became an official, things were different; they immediately sent one hundred Spanish gold coins each, both as a bribe and as a gesture of goodwill and apology. Those gold coins, calculated according to the currently issued US dollar, were worth three thousand US dollars, equivalent to Charles' thirty months of parliamentary subsidy.
In the afternoon, Charles politely declined other wealthy Philadelphia merchants who saw the newspaper and wanted to visit, and took his manservant Tom to Franklin's place to listen to his teachings.
However, when he returned to the hotel, he still found several gifts piled in the room. This time, however, they were more formal congratulatory gifts for his election, such as a freshly roasted whole turkey, a large string of dried fish, and a few relatively beautiful handicrafts, all totaling no more than a hundred US dollars.
Fortunately, Charles had already received hints in this regard during his studies with Franklin today: gifts that were too heavy and impractical should be returned with a thank-you note, while light gifts or those with great commemorative significance should be accepted, and appropriate thank-you gifts could also be returned. Charles naturally followed Franklin's teachings and dealt with and responded to each one.
However, after he finished dealing with these matters, Moulton, who had stayed behind, reported to him that a young man had also wanted to visit Charles in the afternoon. Because Charles had gone to study with Franklin, he planned to come back in the evening. Moulton, whose hands were sore from receiving gifts, also specifically stated that the person had definitely not brought any gifts when he came.
Charles initially didn't pay attention, but when he heard Moulton say that the young man called himself James, he suddenly remembered that he actually had someone else in Philadelphia: James-Jonathan, the son of his old butler, Jonathan.
Indeed, just as Charles finished his lavish dinner, Tom excitedly brought in a young white man.
"Sir, James is here! James has come to see you!"
"Oh! James, hello! Welcome to see me. Have you had dinner yet?" Charles walked over with a smile to greet him.
His remark was originally just a traditional courtesy, but the young man in front of him, after blushing slightly, generously stated:
"Sir, I was planning to have dinner here with you."
Charles was stunned.
Looking at James' clean and tidy, yet obviously somewhat old, linen shirt, he suddenly understood. It seemed that his family's financial difficulties in the past meant that even the tuition for the butler's child might not have been very abundant.
He now had a good amount of money, plus many high-end foods sent by others. He immediately ordered Tom to take some dried fish to the kitchen to cook, and also to bring some bread and a plate of roasted turkey meat for James to have an extra meal.
Watching James, who, even while devouring his food, still insisted on using a knife and fork to cut it, Charles couldn't help but smile slightly.
This was a young man who felt slightly younger than himself, but his actions were very mature. People often said that children in the 21st century were precocious, but that precociousness was physiological; psychological precociousness was definitely not as good as in ancient times. Apart from knowing how to date at a young age, they simply didn't understand other things.
Some people's abilities can be seen from their behavior. This James was young, but he was methodical in his work and generous and proper in his interactions with people; at least he was not mediocre. And from Jonathan's performance, as well as James' behavior towards him just now, his loyalty to his family should not be a problem.
After James finished his meat-based dinner, and Tom brought two glasses of whiskey, Charles began to question his family's future butler.
"James, I've forgotten, which school are you studying at now?"
"At the Philadelphia College and Academy, sir." James wiped his mouth with his napkin, smiled kindly at Tom, and took the small glass of whiskey he offered.
"Philadelphia College? Is that the college founded by Mr. Franklin? What are you studying?" Charles was very surprised.
Charles was surprised, firstly, that the very traditional old butler would allow his son to study at a university founded by a new-school democrat, and secondly, that a young man like James could get into such a university. (At that time, Philadelphia College still bore the name of a college, but in reality, branches had already been established below it, and it was only a nominal difference from a university.)
This Philadelphia College was actually the predecessor of the University of Pennsylvania, founded by Benjamin Franklin, and was the first university in Pennsylvania. Because of Franklin's own academic leanings, the school's teaching content was greatly influenced by Enlightenment thought, leaning towards scientific theory and democratic ideas.
"It's the college founded by Mr. Franklin, sir. I'm studying business management, which you personally chose before you went to France." James' answer resolved some of Charles' confusion.
It seemed that sending the butler's son to study at a university in Philadelphia was the idea of the original, progressive past Charles.
"Oh, how are you doing in your studies?" Charles originally wanted to test James like a child, but then he thought that he didn't know what modern business management was all about, and immediately changed his words: "Do you have any difficulties in your studies? The family's conditions weren't good before, and we might not have provided enough support for your schooling. Now that I am a representative of the Continental Congress, I should be able to offer you some help in terms of money and other aspects."
The implication was, if anyone bullies you at school, just mention my name, and if you don't have enough money, just ask directly.
However, James was very fond of making surprising statements. His first answer blocked the subsequent questions.
"According to my tutor, I can actually graduate already. So I won't need to go to school anymore, and of course, there are no other difficulties. I came specifically to see you because I saw the news about you published in the newspaper. I was already planning to finish my studies and return to Scarlet Manor early."
"You can graduate already? Is the subject matter that simple?" Charles found that he had been spending this evening in constant surprise. "You're not planning to drop out early because of tuition fees, are you? If it's a financial problem, you don't need to worry; I'll take care of everything. Even if it means selling property, I will absolutely support you until you finish university."
Charles stared at his old linen shirt. A linen shirt was definitely not suitable for winter, but James had most likely worn it through an entire winter. His heart warmed, and Charles, who considered himself heartless, somehow said such emotional words to someone he had just met.
Mainly, he himself had experienced the hardships of attending university. Although Charles was an orphan, his academic performance was relatively good, and getting a loan was not a problem. He had also worked diligently and frugally since childhood, so he had more work experience. He only felt that life was very tiring, but he didn't feel particularly bitter.
However, he had seen and, for a period, experienced the painful lives of some children from ordinary families whose financial conditions were poor, couldn't get loans, and weren't strong at working. The parents of those children often reminded them, "Even if we have to sell our house and land, we must support your studies." Charles was indeed a heartless person; he always felt that after these parents said such words, those children, whether in their studies or work, would not be as diligent.