"This was left to me by my father. I had it tested, and the purity is only about 80%, so it's not in great condition," Josh pointed to the gold in the box and said, "But as long as I exchange this gold for US dollars at the bank, I can pay for this house."
"What? The bank? No, no, you can't exchange it at the bank," Margaret immediately objected when she heard Josh's words.
"Why not?" Josh pretended not to know and asked.
"It's not worth it. The exchange rate at the bank is just a means for the government to collect money. It's just to fool ordinary people. According to the current market, if it's a regular transaction, it's at least $50 per ounce," Margaret explained.
Although he was a rich boy, he was not good at managing money, but Josh was not the kind of silly boy who knew nothing. He knew some basic economic knowledge.
"Then where should I go to exchange it?" Josh asked.
"It's simple. Leave it to me. Uncle John needs a lot of gold, and he can easily take this amount," Margaret confidently took on the task.
"Uncle John?" Josh didn't understand.
"He's the one who took over my father's jewelry company. He is also my father's partner and had a good relationship with my father. After my father passed away because I'm not good at running the business, I sold most of the shares to him, keeping only a small part," Margaret explained.
"That's great, but wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?" Josh thanked her.
"It's not troublesome. This is a mutually beneficial thing. Don't be fooled by the fact that the bank charges $35 per ounce for the gold they collect. Although the price doesn't change when sold to companies that need it, the actual cost, including various fees and approval procedures, is not much lower than the price purchased from the black market. And there are limits on the amount they can sell. Uncle John has had a hard time doing business these years," Margaret shook her head and said.
Upon hearing Margaret's words, Josh nodded.
He was also aware of this.
The US government is an expert in harvesting the people's and world's wealth.
Although Roosevelt's New Deal seemed to have saved the US economy ten years ago, the government was heavily in debt and didn't have much money to implement the New Deal.
But the New Deal was implemented smoothly. The question is, where did the money come from?
The answer is to harvest the people's wealth.
The first bill of Roosevelt's New Deal was the Emergency Banking Act, which devalued the US dollar against gold and banned the export of gold.
Then, the people were ordered to turn in their gold at $20.67 per ounce, and US gold mine owners were ordered to sell their gold to the Treasury at the same price.
In just one year, the gold exchange rate was raised to $35 per ounce, which devalued the US dollar by 40%.
This meant that people's wealth immediately shrank by 40%.
The country became rich, but the people became poor.
The ability to harvest the people's wealth is amazing.
Now, think about the future where the US frequently devalues the dollar and gives money to the people when things happen.
Therefore, harvesting the people's wealth has become a traditional art of the US government.
"I helped you out again. Shouldn't you thank me?" Margaret teased after they had settled the matter.
"That's only natural. So I'm preparing to cook dinner and invite you over," Josh said with a slight smile.
"Oh? You can cook?" Margaret was surprised to hear that.
"Of course. Just wait and see. But first, we have to go buy some ingredients," Josh said.
"Oh, I'm already looking forward to it," Margaret said with a smile.
So they went out again and drove to the nearest farmer's market.
In the 1940s, supermarkets had already been established in America but mostly sold nationally branded goods. Fresh produce and the like were not available. Due to the fact that supermarkets were mostly built in the suburbs, which were far away, and refrigerators were not yet widely used at the beginning of the 1940s, residents' shopping needs did not match supermarkets' convenience.
So, buying fresh food during this period was still mainly done at small retail stores, roadside stalls, or farmer's markets similar to vegetable markets. Nearby farmers would sell their farm produce, such as fruits, vegetables, honey, and other agricultural products.
The two of them walked around the farmer's market, and Josh quickly bought some beef, a chicken, a salmon and ingredients such as lettuce, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, and carrots.
He didn't plan to make authentic Chinese food, not because he couldn't, but because he didn't have the necessary ingredients. He can't buy the seasonings for Chinese food, such as scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, or cooking wine in this place. Only Western seasonings such as rosemary, cinnamon, ketchup, and pepper were available. Chili peppers were available, of course, as the Americas were their origin.
In addition to ingredients, kitchen utensils were also a problem. There was no wok at home, only an oven, a frying pan, and a barbecue grill.
So he could only make some half-Chinese and half-Western dishes.
For example, beef could be stewed with tomatoes and potatoes.
Chicken can be cooked with tomato sauce and starch to create a dish that would become famous in the future United States, but the dish known as General Tso's Chicken is a source of confusion for people in China. It is just a simple dish of chicken cooked in a sweet and sour tomato sauce, prepared like sweet and sour pork. It was created by a well-known Taiwanese chef in the 1950s to impress the commander of the US Seventh Fleet during their visit to Taiwan.
The salmon was cooked using a standard Western roasting method, with a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and served with rosemary.
Finally, the vegetables were shredded lettuce, carrots, and mushrooms and stir-fried in a frying pan.
As for the main dish, of course, it was bread. Two freshly baked baguettes solved all the problems.
It can only be said that Chinese people would look down upon these dishes, but they were enough to fool foreigners.
If you really wanted to make authentic Chinese food, you would have to wait until you had time to go to Chinatown to buy the necessary seasonings and kitchen utensils.
"Wow, it's really sumptuous. This chicken is so delicious. Is it a specialty of Austria? What's it called?" Although this was just a basic dinner in Josh's eyes, most of the dishes had a slightly sweet and sour taste that was clearly to Margaret's liking, and she ate happily, especially the strange General Tso's Chicken.
"Well, yes, this is an Austrian dish called Ferdinand Chicken!" Josh looked deeply at General Tso's Chicken and refused to acknowledge that this was a Chinese dish.
And it was totally unreasonable for a person of Austrian descent to cook Chinese food.
So, it was an Austrian dish, Ferdinand Chicken, and there was no problem with that.
As for why it was called Ferdinand, mainly because, besides the failed art student, Josh could only think of the spark that ignited World War I at that time.
Therefore, amidst the inexplicable situation throughout Austria, a future popular Austrian dish in the United States, Chicken à la Ferdinand, was born.
After dinner, Josh drove Margaret home. Margaret's residence was a small estate in the real affluent area of the north of Chicago.
Looking at the spacious estate and the sporadic lights in the servant's quarters, Josh seemed to understand Margaret's loneliness.
He hugged Margaret gently, watched her walk into the estate, and then drove away.
However, what Josh did not know was that as soon as Margaret walked into the estate, she saw someone in the living room.
At this time, it was impossible for the person who appeared here to be a stranger to Margaret.
This person was none other than Margaret's almost absent tennis star husband, Tony Wendys.
"What a rare guest. I thought you had forgotten that there was such a home." When she saw Tony, Margaret was a little flustered at first but soon calmed down and used sarcastic words to speak.
After all, what was there for her to be nervous about? She and Josh were completely innocent until now, and they had no overly intimate actions except for a ceremonial hug.
The person in front of her had been caught countless times.
"Who is he?" Tony Wendys didn't pay attention to Margaret's sarcasm but asked sternly.
"Just a friend, and what does it have to do with you?" Margaret sneered.
"I am your husband. How can it have nothing to do with me?" Tony Wendys angrily retorted.
"Huh, you still know that you are my husband? How many days have you been with me in the past year? If it weren't for you appearing today, I would have almost forgotten that you existed!" Margaret walked upstairs to her bedroom while sarcastically speaking.
"That's because of work!!" Faced with Margaret's continuous sarcasm, Tony Wendys was a little embarrassed and angry.
"Work? What a perfect excuse, and then? How much money have you earned? How much money have you spent at home? You even take a large sum of money from me every year to maintain your decent image! If that's all, it's fine, but where did you spend my money? That little star named Amy? Or that singer named Carly? Or those brothels?" Tony Wendys' words raised Margaret's anger, and she directly refuted him without any reservations.
"You investigated me?" Tony Wendys was stunned when he heard Margaret's words.
"Investigated? Do you think it's necessary? Do you think the things you did were very secret? Some people told me about these things. Don't think that nobody cares about me just because my father died. And don't think that I won't be able to survive without you. Tomorrow, I will have a lawyer draft a divorce agreement. Now, get out of my room!" Margaret became angrier and angrier as she spoke and then slammed the bedroom door shut before Tony could react.
"Hey, Margot, don't be like this. We can sit down and talk about it!" He panicked when Tony Wendys heard Margaret mention her father's friends and talk about divorce.
Just like Margaret said, he has a comfortable life now. Still, it's not really because of his identity as a tennis star or the money he earns from competitions or advertisements, which is not enough to support even one mistress, let alone two.
If they really divorce, with the connections of Margaret's family and her wealth, he probably won't get a penny.
"Margot, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have treated you like that. Let's talk it out, and I promise to change." Tony Wendys kept apologizing, trying to ease the tension between him and Margaret.
As for whether this is too embarrassing, he doesn't care as long as they don't divorce and can maintain their current comfortable life. He doesn't mind losing face a bit more.
However, this time, he underestimated Margaret's anger and determination. No matter how he softened or apologized, Margaret completely ignored him.
He also dares not to be too aggressive. In case it further provokes Margaret, that would be troublesome.
Damn it, Margaret wasn't like this before! Thinking of the weak-willed Margaret from before, Tony Wendys couldn't help but wonder what caused such a big change in Margaret.
Soon, Tony Wendys remembered Josh, who had brought Margaret back.
Although it was dark outside and the streetlights were dim, he could see that he was a tall, young, and handsome.
Hmph, turns out he found his next target!
Tony Wendys quickly blamed Josh, whom he had never met, for the situation.
His mood became even more depressed while thinking about this.
Since Margaret wouldn't open the door, Tony Wendys had to settle for the guest room downstairs. But obviously, Margaret's behavior made it impossible for him to rest easy, so he left the mansion in his car, ready to find a place to drink.
Margaret in the room heard the car engine starting and walked to the window, looking at Tony Wendys driving away, showing a hint of disdain. He was probably out there fooling around again. She saw through this man.
At the same time, she became even more determined to divorce.
After leaving the estate, Tony Wendys went to a brothel, just as Margaret had thought. Brothels in the United States have existed since the country was founded, but no specific restrictive laws exist.
In addition, these brothels generally pay taxes honestly and protection fees to the local police, so the federal government turns a blind eye to them.
It wasn't until 1978, when Pennsylvania enacted specific legislation, that the half-open brotelss in various states were gradually banned, leaving only Nevada, which still remains.
The brothel where Tony Wendys went was the largest in Chicago, located on the West Side.
However, as soon as he exited the car, he saw several Italians cursing and beating someone in the alley near the entrance.
Tony glanced at them and ignored them, walking straight into the farm.
"Mr. Wendys, welcome back. The girls have been talking about you." When Tony Wendys walked in, the service staff at the door greeted him warmly.
"Call Mary and Nancy. By the way, what's going on in the alley? Why are the Italians causing trouble here? Doesn't Brian take care of it?" Tony Wendys said, mentioning two girls' names and tipping the service staff $5, then asked.
The Westside is the territory of the Irish, and Brian, who he mentioned, is the caretaker of this establishment.
It's strange for Italians to show up and cause trouble around the Irish establishment.
"Thank you, sir. Normally, Mr. Brian would not allow the Italians to cause trouble in the Westside, but that person is also Italian. I heard that he owes their boss a lot of money. It wouldn't be a big deal for us since we treat everyone who comes as a guest, but this guy has no money and still dares to come here to find the girls. Isn't he asking for trouble? It just so happens that the Italians will also deal with him, and Mr. Brian is too lazy to take action. I heard this guy used to be a big shot on the streets in the southwest area, but now? Haha~~ he's probably not going to live long." After pocketing the tip, the service staff happily told Tony Wendys everything he knew.
"Oh? How much does he owe?" Tony Wendys asked casually. He understood that if he couldn't repay the money, that poor guy's life would probably be in danger.
"I heard it's several thousand." The service staff said.
"Just a few thousand, and they will take his life?" Tony Wendys couldn't help but blurt out.
"Mr. Wendys, you're kidding. For big shots like you, several thousand dollars are naturally insignificant, but for small fry like us, unless we rob a bank, it's impossible to save up that much in ten or twenty years." The service staff said with some self-mockery.
And Tony Wendys understood in an instant.
Yes, he could only save up a few hundred dollars a year before he met Margaret, and he was grateful for it.
Several thousand dollars could indeed buy a life.
Thinking of this, he involuntarily shuddered.
If Margaret really divorced him, would he end up like that unfortunate guy outside?
A thought began to grow uncontrollably in his mind while he was thinking about this.
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GOT IT