Chapter 60

On July 12, 1882, John and his butler Hans arrived at Hamburg, an important port and foreign trade city in Germany. After a brief stay in Hamburg for one night, they continued their journey and finally reached their final destination, Berlin, on the evening of the 15th.

The transportation of this era had truly exhausted John. However, being young, and considering the journey from London to Berlin was not as arduous as crossing the Atlantic, John recovered his energy after a night's sleep. If it weren't for Hans being too tired to get out of bed, John would have gone out the next day to explore this famous city.

Berlin, in John's mind, was a city filled with tragedy. The two world wars of his previous life had left a deep impression on him regarding Berlin. Setting aside these abstract concepts, he really wanted to see this city of iron and blood. After resting in the hotel with Hans for two days, on the morning of the fourth day in Berlin, John dressed himself neatly and walked out of the hotel with his butler.

"Sir, don't you think we should buy some gifts first?"

Sitting in the hired carriage, Hans asked somewhat anxiously.

"No need."

Turning to look at the scenery on the streets of Berlin, John waved his hand and said, "Grandpa specifically instructed me not to prepare any additional gifts besides what he asked me to bring... Ha ha, I really didn't expect that Grandpa would have a cousin in Berlin!"

"I only heard about it for the first time before we left."

Hans blinked and shook his head with a bitter smile.

Just before they left New York, old Hunterall suddenly told them that he had a relative in Berlin named Angela Hunterall, who was John's great-aunt! This news surprised both of them. John had never heard Grandpa mention a cousin, and Hans, who had been with old Hunterall for over a decade, had always thought he had no other relatives, as he had never helped Hunterall send letters to Europe over the years.

Therefore, John felt a bit uneasy at this moment. As soon as they arrived in Hamburg, they sent a telegram to this relative, informing them of their visit today. However, John was unsure whether this family would welcome his arrival. He didn't know this great-aunt, but he had little confidence in Grandpa Hunterall. After so many years with almost no correspondence, who knew how strained their relationship had become!

However, since old Hunterall had instructed him, John had to visit the old lady's house after arriving in Berlin and deliver the gifts entrusted to him. This was the top priority for the day.

Thinking about this, John temporarily put aside his unease and focused on the scenery around him. Compared to New York, which was full of construction sites, Berlin was much cleaner and more organized, and its urban development was clearly more mature. However, compared to the recently departed London, Berlin was somewhat lacking, both in scale and in the pride and ease of the people on the streets.

"But like New York, Berlin has more vitality than London."

After observing for a long time, John silently defined Berlin. Germany, which had just completed unification, was rapidly advancing in culture and science, and industry was also developing rapidly. Compared to Britain, which was beginning to show signs of decline, this country lacked only time.

The carriage clattered along and stopped in front of a house after half an hour.

"Are you sure this is the right address?"

Looking at the two-story detached house, which was common on the streets of Berlin, John glanced around and subconsciously confirmed.

"Of course, sir!"

The question seemed to irritate the driver, who replied with a serious expression, "This is the address you gave me, I guarantee it's correct!"

"Alright, thank you."

Hans quickly paid the driver and dismissed him. He noticed that as their carriage stopped, a young white man of about twenty came out of the house and walked straight toward them.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

After briefly observing the two, especially focusing on John, the young man turned to Hans and asked with a gentle smile.

The butler stepped forward and replied, "Hello, is this the home of Mr. Schiller? We wrote to you before, and we are here to visit Mrs. Angela Schiller!"

"Oh?"

Hearing Hans's response, the young man's eyes lit up, and he turned back to John, exclaiming, "Then you must be John! I'm your cousin Conrad, welcome to Berlin..."

...

Sitting at the main seat of the long dining table, John's face was calm, but he felt a bit uneasy inside. Anyone would feel uncomfortable being stared at by a dozen people.

Across from John was his seventy-year-old great-aunt Angela Schiller, whose husband, old Mr. Schiller, had passed away six years ago. On both sides of the long table were John's three uncles and their families. Today, John, who had always thought he had no relatives besides old Hunterall, suddenly found himself with three sisters, four brothers, and a sister!

A real big family!

After taking their seats, everyone's eyes frequently fell on John, especially his cousins, who seemed very curious about him.

In fact, after arriving at the Schiller family, John was warmly welcomed by his great-aunt and her family. Mrs. Angela Schiller chatted with John for half an hour, only stopping after her son reminded her several times. For today's lunch, the entire Schiller family was present, with the old lady's three sons and grandchildren all returning to accompany John for the meal.

So, John quickly understood something.

Mrs. Schiller still missed her brother who had moved to America, and their relationship had been quite good in the past. However, for some reason, old Hunterall had rarely written to his sister, leading to a long period of no contact between them.

"Perhaps it's because of Mother?"

Although Mrs. Schiller didn't say it outright, John had a good idea why old Hunterall had stopped writing to his sister, and he sighed inwardly.

The questions from his great-aunt were numerous and varied, but mostly focused on old Hunterall's health and her own feelings of missing her brother. She rarely mentioned John or his mother, only asking about John's plans in Germany, as if she was deliberately avoiding these topics. So, with a bit of thought, John naturally understood many things.

"Oh, right!"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, John suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a small box from his pocket, stood up, and presented it to Mrs. Schiller, saying softly, "This is something Grandpa asked me to bring for you, and he instructed me to hand it to you personally!"

"From Al?"

Hearing John's words, Mrs. Schiller's expression changed, and she immediately opened the tightly closed box with trembling hands.

Time seemed to stand still as Mrs. Schiller stared at the contents of the box, lost in thought.

John returned to his seat without looking at what was in the box. Although he had brought it from New York to Berlin, he had never thought of opening it, as he believed this gift, which had crossed the ocean, belonged to the memories of his grandfather and his sister.

Sure enough, after looking at the contents of the box for a long time, Mrs. Schiller wiped her eyes and put it away.

After the old lady had calmed down, the lunch officially began. The dining atmosphere at the Schiller family was not dull, especially with the presence of several young people. As soon as the first dish was served, one of John's sisters, Jenny, asked curiously, "John, you mentioned earlier that you plan to study at a German university in the next few years. Have you chosen a school yet?"

"Well... not yet."

John smiled and shook his head.

At this time, German higher education was leading the world, and there were many universities to choose from, such as the University of Berlin, the University of Leipzig, and the University of Göttingen, as well as Heidelberg. However, John did not have a clear goal yet and planned to gather more information first.

"You could consider the University of Berlin!"

The youngest, Elsa Schiller, blinked and suddenly said, "My father is a professor at the University of Berlin, and Conrad is also studying there. Wouldn't it be perfect for you to go there?"

"Really?"

Hearing Elsa's words, John's interest was piqued, and he immediately looked at Heinrich Schiller, a refined middle-aged man of about forty-five, who was one of his "uncles."

"The University of Berlin is indeed excellent."

Putting down his knife and fork, Mr. Schiller nodded and smiled modestly, "It is one of the best universities in the world, excelling in many fields. If you want to go, I can write a letter of recommendation for you."

Hearing this, John immediately showed a grateful expression and nodded repeatedly, "Thank you, Uncle. I will definitely consider your suggestion seriously..."

...