Chapter 29

With twenty dollars in his pocket, John felt his back straighten a bit more.

That was twenty dollars!

This was the first time in his life he had control over such a large sum of money, and John was naturally in a very good mood. When he changed into his clothes and went outside to see Joshua's carriage, his smile became even more radiant.

But...

"Who, who is she?"

Seeing Emma, who was also beaming, in the carriage, John's eyes widened, and his expression instantly turned as if he had swallowed a fly. He couldn't help but immediately turn his head to look at Joshua, his eyes full of questioning and resentment. It was obvious that with a little girl like her tagging along, how could he go play with guns?!

"Uh..."

Joshua's expression was also a bit awkward. He spread his hands, indicating that he was completely helpless. He was also quite frustrated. Last night, when he mentioned that he would take John to learn shooting today, Emma unexpectedly insisted on going as well. Although Mr. Stone firmly suppressed this request, it surprisingly received strong support from Mrs. Stone!

Under his mother's pressure, Joshua had no choice but to agree.

However, as a son, Joshua vaguely guessed what his mother was thinking. Mrs. Stone was a very practical person. The relationship between their family and the Huntaral family was already good, and now that she had discovered how excellent John was, she naturally thought long-term. Of course, no one could predict what would happen in a few years, but interacting with outstanding peers of the same age would certainly not be a bad thing, right?

While secretly amused, Joshua also thought it was a good idea.

After meeting John twice and corresponding a few times, Joshua was quite optimistic about the boy's future. In his view, maturity and stability were one aspect, but having extraordinary talent was even more important. After just a few meetings, he was already very optimistic about John's future.

"What's that look on your face?"

Seeing that John's expression didn't seem too good, Emma pouted and said, "Don't you welcome me joining?"

Of course not.

John rolled his eyes but quickly raised his head, a bright smile back on his face. "Of course not, I was just thinking about an important issue, which is where we should go today."

"Aren't we going to learn shooting?"

Emma blinked, a bit confused. After all, she was just a little girl, and John's casual response made her happy again.

John and Joshua looked at each other, and the older brother quickly laughed and said, "I just heard that the shooting club might be closed today. We can go another day. Today, we can..."

Joshua's expression became difficult.

In 1880 New York, there weren't many entertainment places suitable for young boys and girls.

In the last vestiges of a patriarchal society, public entertainment was still dominated by men, with more salons and places filled with filth and drunkards. Theaters were a bit too early for two teenagers, and Coney Island, while a possibility, was too far away...

"This is really a problem!"

As the only adult, Joshua realized that bringing his sister today was a mistake, and a very headache-inducing one at that. Without her, the two could have spent the morning at the shooting club, had lunch, and gone home. Moreover, Joshua had some private words he wanted to say to John, which would be inconvenient with Emma around.

"Shall we go to the Natural History Museum?"

After thinking for a moment, Emma suddenly suggested excitedly, "I went there once before, and it was very interesting. John will definitely like it."

"Oh? That's a good idea."

Joshua's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded and smiled. "The Natural History Museum was only built two years ago, and it's definitely worth another visit. What do you think, John?"

"I have no objections."

Shrugging, John responded somewhat helplessly.

If it weren't for the excited look on Emma's face, knowing that refusing would offend this enthusiastic little girl and make him feel a bit embarrassed in front of Joshua, John would have simply refused the suggestion and stayed home today.

What's so good about going to a museum? To see nostalgic exhibits?

With a勉强 agreement, the three got into the carriage and set off. However, amidst Emma's protests, Joshua climbed into the Huntaral family's carriage and sat next to John.

"The patent for the electric light is a bit troublesome."

Once the carriage started moving, Joshua's smile quickly faded, and he said worriedly to John, "I sent another letter to Edison, but he only agreed to increase the transfer fee to five thousand dollars, considering twenty thousand dollars a joke... It seems he doesn't want to acknowledge it. What do you plan to do?"

"Then we'll wait!"

Without any hesitation, John replied calmly.

He wasn't worried at all that the patent would end up in his hands, because in this world, no one understood better than he did what the bamboo filament meant to Edison.

Without the electric light, would Edison still be Edison?

Moreover, twenty thousand dollars was not much for the future founder of General Electric. John remembered clearly that in history, after Edison discovered that bamboo was suitable for light bulbs, he invested ten thousand dollars just to find the best bamboo, sending teams to search all over the world, even into primitive forests and remote areas.

Some of their experiences could even be written into an adventure novel!

Knowing this history, John couldn't be as worried as Joshua. All he needed to do was wait patiently. As long as Edison was as committed to the promotion of electricity as he was in history, he wouldn't let this patent slip away!

"...Alright."

Seeing John's calm reaction, Joshua thought for a moment and nodded, saying no more. From the bottom of his heart, he was increasingly impressed, even amazed, by this boy. At just eleven or twelve years old, not only had he invented a better electric light than Edison, but he was also calmer than an adult in this situation. How could he ask for more?

With the patent issue put aside, the atmosphere in the carriage became completely relaxed.

"I heard you now have four private tutors?"

Seemingly remembering something, Joshua chuckled and winked, saying, "Emma was complaining a few days ago that you couldn't even write letters regularly because of your studies, and she was quite disappointed."

"Uh..."

John grimaced, not knowing how to respond. His classes were many, but not so many that he couldn't find time to write a letter. He was just tired of the little girl's almost daily letters. She was curious about everything, and John didn't have the time to humor her every day.

The two chatted idly, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the Natural History Museum.

Getting off the carriage and looking up at the museum's entrance, John squinted his eyes. Americans built these structures to be grand and imposing, making people feel like ants standing at the entrance, which felt a bit strange.

It seemed that not many people were visiting the museum today. After looking around, Joshua smiled and said, "Let's go in. I heard the museum received a new batch of exhibits before the year. Oh, and there are lectures almost every weekend. You can see if there's anything you like."

"There are lectures?"

Hearing this, John's eyes lit up.

"Right."

Joshua nodded and smiled, "And they are all science-related lectures, many given by European scientists or Americans who studied in Europe. Sometimes they are quite interesting."

This was a period of great scientific development, and to promote their scientific ideas or achievements, people often gave public lectures to gain more recognition. In recent years, American higher education had begun to flourish, and people's interest in scientific research had grown, making these lectures increasingly popular. Especially among the middle class in New York City, who couldn't attend luxurious parties and didn't want to go to salons with rough men, these more educational lectures were very popular.

The two chatted away, not noticing that little Emma was pouting behind them, looking as if she wanted to pounce and bite her brother. Fortunately, Joshua was a good brother and soon noticed his sister's unhappiness, soothing her a bit before leading the two into the museum.

"Look, there's a lecture today."

After entering, Joshua pointed to a small blackboard next to the ticket window and laughed, "John, it's a lecture by a famous European physician, very suitable for you!"

"Is that so?"

John's eyebrows raised, and he responded indifferently.

John wasn't particularly interested in the medicine of this era. Although he had briefly considered returning to his old profession because of the girl in Central Park, he quickly lost interest. Physicians in this era had low status and income, and without X-rays or antibiotics, treating patients was very difficult.

Moreover, in America, being a factory owner or investor was much better than being a doctor.

But despite these thoughts, John felt a vague sense of regret deep in his heart, making him somewhat reluctant to hear or learn about medical matters, as if he was unconsciously avoiding them.

"Dr. Bouchard, a Frenchman, the lecture is about... John, do you know this word?"

Standing in front of the blackboard, Emma tilted her head and read softly.

"That might be a new word, called 'microbes.'"

Standing behind Emma, John quietly looked at the blackboard, and beneath his indifferent expression, a complex emotion slowly crept into his heart...