Chapter 27

After writing a long letter to Joshua, John handed over the patent to him to handle. He definitely would not sell it for three thousand dollars.

John was fairly familiar with the history of the light bulb and knew that before the invention of the tungsten filament, Edison had always used bamboo filaments. The widespread use of tungsten filaments in the future would likely not occur until the 20th century. In other words, unless history underwent a significant change, the super durability of bamboo filaments, along with John's creativity in the base and shape of the light bulb, would ensure that even if Edison didn't buy it, there would be many others interested.

There might not be many people as persistent as Edison in inventing the light bulb, but there would certainly be many who could see its bright future.

As for Joshua's certain concerns, John didn't pay much attention to them. The current Edison was not yet the great figure he would become decades later. Before he teamed up with Morgan to found General Electric, John didn't think he had any other means to deal with him. Moreover, it was the 19th century, 1880! Although New York City was filled with darkness and corruption, and the Tammany Hall, controlled by the Irish, still dominated the city, after the crackdown a decade ago, the numerous German immigrants also began to have a voice.

Old Hunter had been operating in New York for twenty years, and John didn't believe that the old man would allow anyone to bully his grandson.

Of course, after thinking for a long time, John finally specifically instructed Joshua that if Edison changed his mind, he could still sell it to him for twenty thousand dollars. After all, Edison was the inventor of the light bulb, and he was probably the only one who could quickly reduce production costs and promote it tirelessly. John, who had long been tired of candles and kerosene lamps, also looked forward to the day when "upstairs and downstairs, electric lights and telephones" would become a reality...

On Monday morning, the new governess, Miss Philip, arrived at the Hunter residence with a large bag of luggage and settled into a room on the third floor with Hans' accompaniment. This was a room specially chosen by Old Hunter, the best among the many rooms on the third floor, and it was equipped with brand new daily necessities, which greatly surprised Miss Philip, who had a cleanliness obsession, and made her very satisfied with her future employer.

She couldn't ask for more.

Women in this era were still in a position subordinate to men, without even the right to private property. The status of a governess was only slightly higher than that of a maid. Mr. Hunter gave her a high salary and sufficient respect. What more could Miss Philip ask for?

As Miss Philip was busy preparing her lessons and planning to repay Mr. Hunter's trust, John finally welcomed his first governess—the kind and patient Reverend Off, and then painfully opened the Bible on his desk...

...

After a one-hour nap after lunch, John had to return to his study again.

This study was also specially arranged by Old Hunter, right next to Miss Philip's room. Old Hunter even had the butler custom-make a bookshelf, a desk, and several chairs for John, and even bought a piano to place in the corner, making the entire study very comfortable, specifically for his lessons. In this regard, although John was not particularly impressed by the governess, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pressure, as his grandfather had invested a lot in his education. If he didn't learn well...

"Try your best."

John sighed inwardly, warning himself. Fortunately, he had three hours of classes in the morning, but only about an hour and a half in the afternoon, which he could endure.

"You look quite tired?"

After John sat down at the table, Miss Philip, who had been waiting inside, raised an eyebrow and asked lightly.

"Not really tired."

Shaking his head, John smiled slightly: "It's just that I'm not very good at theology, and Mr. Off's requirements are quite high, so... well, I am a bit tired."

Halfway through his polite response, seeing Miss Philip's understanding expression, John admitted dejectedly.

Although Reverend Off was very kind and patient, his teaching style was like a sermon in church, and the content seemed like brainwashing to John, dull and boring. However, in this era, theology was one of the most important subjects, and John could not avoid it. Under Mr. Off's watchful eyes, he didn't even have a chance to slack off!

How could he not be tired?

Seeing John's lazy appearance, Miss Philip frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then stood up from her chair: "Then let's start our first lesson today by appreciating a piece of piano music."

Without waiting for John to react, Miss Philip walked to the piano and sat down gracefully.

Her delicate fingers lightly touched the keys, and her expression was extremely focused, like a true pianist in John's eyes, as she pressed the first note.

A melody like a babbling stream floated out of the new piano.

"It sounds familiar!"

Resting his chin on his hands on the table, John felt the piano piece becoming more and more familiar the more he listened. He had definitely heard it in his previous life. However, with his limited musical knowledge, he couldn't name it, but he knew that only a master like Beethoven could create something so familiar to a classical music novice like him.

"If I listen patiently, it's not bad."

John squinted his eyes, feeling that the piano piece was like a gentle spring breeze and warm sunshine, making him feel comfortable all over...

...

"Mr. Hunter!"

A voice tinged with anger woke John from his extremely comfortable state.

"Huh?"

Suddenly lifting his head from the table, when John saw Miss Philip's "elegant" expression even when angry, he immediately understood what had happened.

"Uh..."

Embarrassedly scratching his head, John quickly stood up and apologized: "I'm sorry, Miss Philip, you played so well that it made me very comfortable, and I fell asleep without realizing it... Could you please tell me the name of this piece?"

Instinctively, John tried to shift the focus, attempting to avoid the awkwardness of falling asleep during the lesson. Unfortunately, Miss Philip, unlike Old Hunter, was not easily swayed. She sternly said, "Mr. Hunter, I hope you understand that for a musician, having someone fall asleep during a performance is a great insult! And as a gentleman, your behavior is extremely impolite!"

"Please allow me to apologize again!"

Realizing the situation, John's expression became serious, and he bowed slightly: "Miss Philip, I am very sorry for my inappropriate behavior. This is the first time, and I promise it will be the last!"

Under Miss Philip's critical gaze, John's expression was very sincere, as if he truly regretted his actions.

After staring at him for a while, Miss Philip slowly nodded, her expression gradually softening. She had been very angry because she had tried to use music to soothe John's fatigue, but he had fallen asleep, which was unacceptable to her as a self-proclaimed musician. Seeing John's sincere apology, her anger slowly subsided.

John secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing when to yield is a virtue, and John would not oppose his governess like a rebellious teenager. Moreover, his grandfather clearly valued Miss Philip, so John knew how to act.

"Ah, what a tragedy!"

After breathing a sigh of relief, John thought about the five afternoons each week he would have to endure this sleep-inducing music "education" and felt a deep sense of sorrow, wishing he could smash the piano! He could occasionally discover his artistic side by listening to it, but if he had to listen to it every day, or even learn it, it would truly be torture!

"Do you dislike the piano? Or do you dislike music in general?"

As John was conflicted, Miss Philip seemed to read his thoughts and suddenly asked.

"Yes, I don't really like it."

After hesitating for a moment, John decided to be honest: "I have no interest in the piano or music, especially so-called classical music, which often makes me drowsy!"

Undoubtedly, young Mr. Hunter was a true philistine.

After pondering for a while, Miss Philip raised her head and said, "Mr. Hunter..."

"Please call me John, Miss Philip!"

John waved his hand, interrupting Miss Philip, and smiled. He foresaw that he would be learning art from Miss Philip for a long time, so it was better to build a good relationship early.

"Alright, John."

After a brief hesitation, Miss Philip changed her tone and continued, "Your grandfather hopes I can cultivate your artistic appreciation. In fact, for most art forms, you only need to know how to appreciate them and be familiar with the most famous works. However, as a future gentleman of high society, you should at least master one, which will be very beneficial for your future."

John knew Miss Philip was speaking the truth.

What was the difference between a nouveau riche and an old noble? It certainly wasn't the amount of money, a fact John had long understood.

"Then, do you have any recommendations?"

After a moment of silence, John blinked and asked.

"I excel in three areas."

Miss Philip raised her head proudly and said, "Piano, oil painting, and tailoring! Considering the gender difference, I strongly recommend you choose piano or oil painting!"

"Piano or oil painting?"

Gently stroking his chin, John frowned in thought. After a while, he relaxed and asked with a smile, "Miss Philip, may I ask, if I want to learn oil painting, do I need to start with sketching and simple drawing? If so, I would choose oil painting as my artistic hobby..."