Christina was woken up by the sudden sound of horns outside the window.
She got out of bed on hands and knees, came to the window and looked at Daffodil Street, which had become busy, and found that the steam-powered car that was spitting smoke and shaking constantly had slowly driven away. Then she pouted, closed the window and drew the curtains, preparing to go back to bed and sleep for a while.
Anyway, today is the weekend and there is no school... She muttered.
But at this moment, an aroma mixed with the smell of heated fat and roasted egg whites drifted into the bedroom.
Mom's breakfast was ready... She glanced at the bed hesitantly, and finally sighed, folded the quilt, and went to the bathroom on the second floor.
Turning on the light, a face with messy pale blond hair and dull purple eyes that were obviously not awake appeared in the mirror.
She immediately put her hair together, rubbed her eyes, straightened her back, and posed in the mirror to give her a better look.
Although she is only 13 years old, her good nutrition and height inherited from her mother have made Christina the most attractive girl in school.
When will she be like her mother here... She made a gesture on her chest with her hand, then shook her head violently, washed her face with cold water, and woke herself up.
After washing up, she changed out of her nightgown, picked a home dress from the closet, put it on and Christina walked out of the bedroom again. When passing by her sister Dorothy's room, she held her breath and listened carefully to what was going on inside, then gently pushed the door open.
Not yet awake... There was a smile on her lips, and her steps downstairs were a little brisk.
Christina followed the aroma of breakfast to the dining room connected to the kitchen, and found that her mother, with long hair tied behind her head and wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen, and the aroma of fried eggs came from her. The father was sitting at the dining table, holding in his hand a metal box with two metal brackets extending from the outside and a huge circular outline on both sides of the uneven surface.
It was a radio recently purchased by the family. It could receive wireless signals from the huge iron tower in the center of Tingen City, convert them into lifelike human voices, and deliver various real-time information.
At this time, the speakers on both sides of the radio were emitting a rich male voice with a bit of hissing noise. Christina poked his head out from the door, wearing a shirt and vest, with neatly combed black hair. Klein Moretti turned the knob on the machine, making the sound much louder:
"... The signal tower network in the surrounding areas of Tingen City has been completed. Starting next week, Ramde, Morse and others will be able to listen to four radio channels including 'Tingen News' together with Tingen City citizens, and can listen to popular science classes held by Tingen University professors in turns on weekends...
"... The railway speed increase throughout the Kingdom is about to be completed. The time taken by steam train from this city to Backlund will be shortened from 4 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes. The fares other than first-class seats will also be reduced by 20%...
"... Professor Melissa from Backlund Technical University published a blockbuster paper last week, proposing a method to build artificial aircraft based on aerodynamic principles. Perhaps in the future, each of us can get rid of the bulky airship and soar in the sky..."
Hearing this, Christina let out a sigh, came to sit down at the dining table, and asked curiously:
"Are you talking about Aunt Melissa?"
"It should be her," Klein nodded, turned down the volume of the radio, and continued, "When she came to Tingen last month, she discussed this technology with us."
"Dad, do you know this too?"
Christina opened his eyes wide and looked at his father in disbelief.
She always thought that her parents were just employees of a security company that searched for antiquities, doing a job that required experience but was not very technical. She never expected that she could discuss such academic issues with Aunt Melissa, who taught at Backlund Technical University.
"Of course, your father is the first college student in his family, a few years earlier than Melissa."
Before Klein could answer, a soft voice came from Christina's ear. She looked back and saw her mother Angel Granger coming to the table with fried eggs, bacon, toast and vegetable salad, and said with a smile.
I know, it's Khoy University's history department, but my aunt graduated from Backlund's university... Christina muttered in his heart, but didn't show it on his face. Instead, he took the dinner plate and helped divide the food and arrange it.
Seeing that she stopped asking questions, Klein continued with some unfinished meaning:
"Actually, this idea Oldest One was proposed by Emperor Roselle, but there was a lack of technology to realize it at that time. It was not until two years ago that a... genius invented an internal combustion engine that can run on alcohol to replace the bulky steam engine. The idea of the aircraft had a chance to be truly realized."
He put down the radio, touched Christina's head, and said in a preaching tone:
"Tina, this incident tells us that any technological achievement cannot be accomplished by one person or a small group of people. Even the aunt Melissa you admire cannot cover all fields. You need to rely on the inventions and creations of others to make your research further."
"But..." Christina stopped what he was doing and looked at his mother. In her expectant eyes, he swallowed back the words he instinctively wanted to refute, and changed his words, "... but Roselle invented many things by himself, including the airplane you mentioned."
"That's because he stood on the shoulders of giants."
Klein said something unclear, and then looked at Angel. Both of them laughed, making Christina confused.
Fortunately, her desire for breakfast made her quickly put this matter behind her, and she arranged the breakfast into four portions, including her own, her parents', and her sister Dorothy who was walking upstairs.
The latter is one year older than Christina. He is 14 this year. He inherited his father's black hair and brown eyes. He is a little thinner than his sister. His face shape is somewhat similar to Melissa, who occasionally comes back to visit Tingen City.
She also looked tired, as if she hadn't slept enough last night. She didn't wake up until she smelled the aroma of breakfast. She sat down in her seat, took a sip of the yellow-white drink in the glass, and asked in surprise:
"Isn't this milk?"
Huh? Christina also doubtfully picked up the cup and took a sip of the warm liquid that exuded the unique aroma of beans. It was sweet and thicker than milk.
"This is Soy Milk, made from soybeans and water, and coffee beans..."
Klein, who put down the radio and sat back at the table, explained. Seeing his tendency to preach further, Tina and Dorothy looked at each other and spoke together in a tacit understanding:
"We got it!"
Klein, who was interrupted by his two daughters, shut up angrily and started enjoying breakfast. After a while, he changed the subject and began to praise Angel's craftsmanship:
"The soft-boiled eggs were fried to perfection."
Christina feels the same way. In Tingen City's home, she can't see the prosperity of a big city and can't come into contact with all kinds of novel things. She is quite satisfied with "eating" only.
Not only my mother, my father is also very good at cooking, and he likes to cook some strange dishes that are not available or heard of outside.
It was like she was testing Dorothy and me, but the results were quite perfect... She sandwiched the eggs and bacon between the toasted bread and took a big bite together. She drank the Soy Milk in the cup without finishing it, and was about to pour another cup when she suddenly heard Klein say:
"Angel and I are going on a long trip this morning and will probably come back in the evening."
Dorothy, who was quietly enjoying breakfast with a knife and fork, looked up at his father and asked:
"Something at work?"
"Yes, I was notified last night," she was answered by Angel, who had finished breakfast quickly and was continuing to work in the kitchen. "I will prepare sandwiches in advance, and you can also go to Silver Crown Restaurant to order a packed lunch."
"Won't someone come to take care of us?" Dorothy immediately asked, "I mean the one who came to the house last time when you were traveling far away, Red-haired Uncle."
"She said Mr. Medici."
Christina added for his sister, the figure wearing a variegated shirt with an open collar and red hair like flames appeared in his mind.
The interaction that day left a deep impression on her.
"It turns out it's him..." Angel stopped wrapping the sandwich, turned to look at his two daughters, and moved the corners of his mouth slightly, "He won't come over today, and he won't come over in the future either."
Hiding by the bedroom window, watching his parents walk out of the house, get on a hired carriage and leave Daffodil Street, Christina took a deep breath and closed the curtains.
She came to the corridor that connected all the rooms on the second floor and found that her sister's bedroom door was still closed. She guessed that the other party might be reading a book. Then she calmed down and tiptoed downstairs to the dark basement and fumbled to turn on the light.
Under the light, several rows of shelves reaching the ceiling were neatly arranged. There were two wooden boxes in the corner. The additional flue was covered by Trapdoor. The stone table was covered with bottles and cans of various shapes.
The environment that should have been dusty from humidity and lack of use looked very clean, as if it had been cleaned not long ago.
This also puzzled Christina. The family did not hire a maid to clean the house as often as the neighbors. The parents also took turns doing laundry and cooking. Logically speaking, it would be difficult to keep a two-story townhouse with a basement clean.
But Klein and Angel did it. Not only did they do the housework in an orderly manner, they did not appear to be in a hurry.
It always feels like they secretly hired a few female workers to come into the house to clean after Dorothy and I fell asleep, and then left before Sun rose... It's hard to imagine mom and dad cleaning the toilet with their own hands... An unlikely guess popped up in Christina's mind.
How could this be possible, unless those female workers were turned into mice, usually hiding on the roof or in the sewers, and turning back into human form at night... She smiled to herself, walked around several shelves with jams, storable food, or unused tools, and came to the corner of the basement that was too wide compared to the ground, and opened the lid of a wooden box.
Hidden in the box is a palm-sized Golden Kettle, which shines attractively under the light.
Is it really here... could it, as shown in the dream, fulfill one of my wishes?
Christina couldn't hide his excitement and took out Golden Kettle, placed it on the stone platform next to him, played with it left and right and observed it for a while, confirming that the shape of the kettle in front of him, the surface covered with complex patterns, and the thing with a wick sticking out of the spout was the "Magic Wishing Lamp" that he had dreamed about many times.
She took a deep breath, slowly rubbed the smooth surface of the magic lamp, and called out a name:
"Genie."
With a roar, a flame appeared from the wick of the golden spout. The flame emitted a golden light that was as thick as water. It spewed upward as if it had been waiting for a long time, and quickly formed a blurry, twisted and somewhat dim figure.
This figure was the size of a normal human being, but it was floating in the air, shaking its head and looking around. Then its eyes were locked on Christina, with a surprised expression on its face with blurred features.
Sure enough, there was Genie, and he looked similar to the person in the dream who promised me a wish, except that he didn't wear a crown on his head... Christina had a smile on his face, and was about to imitate the protagonists in various novels and lower his head to make a wish, when he heard the vague "Genie" speak in a majestic voice:
"You summoned me, so you are going to grant one of my wishes."
Christina opened his mouth in shock, and it took him a while to squeeze out a sentence:
"Shouldn't it be you who will fulfill my wish?"
She felt like she had been cheated!
"Normally, this is indeed the case," Genie replied immediately, with a joking tone of voice, "But my last owner is not dead yet. He has consumed all the wishes. If you make a wish now, your life may be in danger."
"Unless you fulfill my wish first, I can't fulfill yours. This is an exchange of equal value."
This is simply the evil existence that deceives the protagonist in the novel... No, even that kind of existence will throw out bait to tempt me first. How could anyone ask me to help him first... Christina curled his lips and shook his head:
"Forget it, how should I send you back?"
As she spoke, she reached out to touch the weak flame at the spout of the magic lamp, as if to extinguish it.
"Wait, you don't even want to bargain?" Genie exclaimed, the grand and majestic aura disappearing in an instant, "I mean, you should help me do some small things first, and then you can get generous rewards, such as a wish that does not exceed the limit of my ability."
The vague figure waved its arms, as if to prevent the flames that allowed him to appear from extinguishing.
This sounds a little more reasonable... Christina thought for a moment and asked cautiously:
"What do I want to do for you? Isn't it killing people, making sacrifices, or contributing a lot of Gold Pound?"
My family doesn't have much money, and we can't even hire a handywoman... She added in her heart.
"It doesn't have to be so troublesome. Just take me to a few places and unlock some little secrets there," Genie replied quickly, as if he was worried that the girl in front of him would regret it. "If you hurry up, it can be completed in one day."
I just have one day... How could it be such a coincidence? Does this Genie know that mom and dad are going out today? Christina was a little confused, but the recurring dreams and inner desire finally overcame her caution, and she picked up the little magic lamp.
"I hope you can keep your promise, otherwise... otherwise I will hand you over to Archbishop of the 'Fool' church!"
She said to the figure still floating in the air.
This sentence seemed to have a great impact on Genie, especially when he heard "Church of the Fool", his whole body trembled.
"Of course, when you complete this matter, I will no longer be bound. Don't mention one wish, three are fine."
He answered seriously, and then got back into the golden lamp. The flame at the mouth of the pot emitted a wisp of bluish-white smoke and went out.
At the same time, Christina also had a vague location information in her mind. She recalled the map of Tingen City and found that it was a location in North Borough. It was not far from Daffodil Street and could be reached quickly by taking Public Carriage.
While my sister is still reading, I will go over there... Her inner hesitation was gradually replaced by a sense of excitement. She turned off the lights in the basement, walked up the wooden stairs, and opened the secret door at the end of the stairs.
A somewhat thin figure stood in front of the basement exit, legs spread, arms akimbo, looking at her angrily.
"Arrodes really didn't lie to me," Dorothy said angrily with a serious expression, "Tina, what are you doing secretly in the basement?"
Although it was a question, her eyes stayed on Golden Lamp held in her sister's arms, as if she already knew what the latter was doing.
The sister's sudden appearance and harsh questioning made Christina's heartbeat stop for a moment, but she immediately reacted, with a sarcastic smile on her lips and said:
"I'm going to run away from home."
Ah——Dorothy seemed to have an exclamation mark written on his face.
"Why?"
she asked eagerly.
"Because..."
Christina smiled mysteriously, leaned close to her sister's ear, and whispered a few words.
Immediately, the surprise on Dorothy's face faded, turned gloomy, and finally turned into some determination.
She glanced at Christina, walked away quickly without saying a word, and ran up to the second floor. When she returned to the basement door a moment later, she had changed into casual clothes and was holding in her hand a simple silver mirror with strange patterns on the edge and black gemstones on both sides.
"Let's go, I'll go with you."
she said.
PS: There is an event in the book club, remember to participate, it ends tonight.