Chapter 16
Even Alma's expression for a moment was one of shock.
Count Philip is a living signboard, and it can be said that at times he is far more valuable than the government's favor.
It is "valuable" in the literal sense.
Everyone would want to hold such a golden thigh tightly in their own hands and definitely not want to give it to anyone else.
However, the old man opened the door so bluntly for an assistant who had just been there for over a month.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ferry rolled his eyes at Lin Weilun. "You represent Ferry Clinic. Don't make any mistakes for me. Do you understand?"
"Oh, Dempsey..." Alma blinked, "You are as kind as an elf. I am so touched."
"Could you please have some gin with the lunch?" Ferry said flatly. "Or maybe some dark beer."
Alma immediately became serious. "Please be mindful of your words and actions, sir! Drinking is prohibited during working hours!"
But she had barely finished speaking when she realized she was holding a cup in her hand.
The wife's face instantly became embarrassed, but fortunately the thoughtful and kind child quickly rescued her.
"I didn't add a lot of alcohol, mostly orange juice and lemon juice," Lin Weilun raised his hand. "You can think of this as a mixed drink."
So Alma returned to his fierce appearance, confident, "Except for what Lingert brought!"
Soon, afternoon tea time was over.
The first group of scheduled guests were about to arrive, and before that the housekeeper had to prepare tea and snacks and sort out last month's bills.
There are always some lazy guys who owe medical fees. At the beginning of every month, the housekeeper who works as a part-time accountant has a headache about collecting the debts.
Lin Weilun also felt warm in his chest.
Although he knew very well that this was probably old Ferry's "legacy handover", the time was really too short, and this trust really touched people's hearts.
"Thank you," he thought for a moment. "If I've completed my mission successfully, how about you come to my house for dinner tomorrow night? I bought some nice wild duck this morning, and it's still alive."
Ferry sat up straight with a wolf-like light in his eyes.
"Are you serious?"
Even the housekeeper rushed over and said, "Don't worry, good boy! We will definitely go!"
Lin Weilun laughed.
"Well," the old man's shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back lazily in his chair, "Now I finally feel that this decision is worth it."
-
The next morning, Lin Weilun drove old Ferry's Ford to the Earl's house.
This was his first time visiting a 20th-century English manor, and it felt like he was walking into a movie.
Three or five gardeners were walking around in the lush garden, which had not only orange trees but also an olive grove.
Red and white tulips covered both sides of the corridor, marigolds swayed gracefully, and the stone brick road was swept and sparkled, like a handful of pearls.
There are even footmen in tuxedos and maids in puffy skirts. Everyone wears pure sheepskin high heels and their backs are as straight as bricks.
But none of them wore wigs, which made Lin Weilun, who was there for sightseeing, feel a little disappointed.
After learning of his identity and purpose, the servant wearing the monocle showed an unhappy expression, "We clearly invited Dempsey Ferry."
"Mr. Ferry had an emergency today," Lin Weilun said politely, but without giving in. "He asked me to apologize to the Earl. You should understand how much he values his relationship with the Earl. Nothing in the clinic is more important than this, so that's why he chose me to come here in his place."
The butler then looked the young man in front of him squarely in the eye—too young, like a fool who had just graduated from school and was brave enough to venture into the world with nothing but ambition and innocence.
But since that's what I said.
"Follow me," the servant said indifferently, turning around arrogantly. "The stables are behind. Remember to follow me closely and don't look around or move around. Everything the Earl owns is priceless."
He was right, the villa in the center of the estate almost looked like a castle.
Slanting sunlight shines down from the corridor, and chubby angel sculptures are inlaid on the stone pillars.
Every few meters there is a huge flower pot as tall as a person, with daffodils soaked in dew and delicate and fragrant.
Lin Weilun followed the servant through the church-like magnificent hall and quiet corridor, and passed by a group of people in white chef uniforms.
They seemed to be preparing lunch already; a sheep had just died, and the cleaned body was being carried by two people, while another person was holding lilies and tall candlesticks for decoration, and another was carrying a basket of fresh capers.
The air is filled with sweet and luxurious scents.
But the destination is even further away.
A private horse ranch connected to the forest sits on the edge of the estate.
A team of 15 people is responsible for taking care of five horses, each of which is a purebred English horse. They even have their own family tree, which clearly shows the registration of their ancestors.
In the noble stables, the theory of bloodline is even more paranoid than that of Slytherin.
This also led to these four-legged animals being trained to look the most noble. Their hair still sparkled with tiny lights even in the stables. Their long necks were smooth and graceful, their bodies were light, the muscles of their backs and limbs were well-developed and well-proportioned, and their eyes seemed to be filled with stars.
Seeing the flash of amazement in the young man's eyes, the servant couldn't help but puff out his chest, feeling proud. "Every horse you see is more valuable than a house in Denham. So, do you understand? You'd better go back and get Mr. Ferry. This is not something an inexperienced veterinarian can handle."
"There are always some things that think they can have the same status as noble horses just by wearing the same black leather." Lin Weilun finally became impatient.
The perfect manor just happened to have a very noisy fly.
He shifted his gaze to his status-defying tuxedo. "Please, save your breath. I'm not the one who should know my place. With a rope around my neck, I should kneel down wisely and know how to treat my guests. But what about you? You've just torn away most of the Earl's dignity and manners. It's hard to imagine such a smear campaign in such an elegant manor. Unless you're paying the Ferry Clinic, the Earl and I will be grateful to you for keeping your mouth shut."
The servant's eyes widened, shocked by the sudden sarcasm. The color quickly drained from his face and he even stuttered.
“You…you…”
"What are you arguing about?" A bearded man came over carrying a bucket, his sharp eyes darting back and forth between the two men. "Who is this? Where's old Ferry? He's the only one missing."
"This is the newcomer to Ferry's clinic," the butler glared at Lin Weilun, emphasizing the word "newcomer." "Just take him there. He won't be selected anyway."
After saying this, the servant turned and left, and the bearded man turned to the young veterinarian.
"I'm Willen Lingert, the second-in-command of the Ferry Clinic and the official partner of the Ministry of Agriculture. Mr. Ferry couldn't come today, so I came here." When you go out, you give yourself an identity.
Lin Weilun introduced himself in a very calm tone, as he sensed something from the servant's words.
Today's consultation is probably not a simple one, so he must not be looked down upon. He is not representing himself.
Sure enough, the bearded man's expression brightened a little after hearing this, and he picked up the bucket again. "Then come with me. The horse racing season is about to begin, but our original veterinarian has returned to Manchester. He is simply too old and can no longer handle the job, so the Earl plans to hire a new one."
Stopping here, Lin Weilun wanted to turn around and leave.
He had no intention of working for the Earl. There were simply not many animals he could come into contact with on the estate, and the environment would deprive him of the only joy he had in becoming a veterinarian.
But since he was already here, he took a step forward and followed the bearded man into the stable.
In addition to the jockey and the horse breeder, there are two people carrying tool boxes.
One has a pigtail and the other is short.
"Look, here comes another one," the short man spoke first, "and a pretty boy. Let me tell you, sir, we have no intention of competing with college students for the same job."
The bearded man waved his hand. "He's from the Ferry Clinic. Alright, everyone. The Count has gone hunting and hasn't returned yet. You can get started now. The task is simple: check the horses in the stables that are about to go on the show. When the Count returns, tell him the results."
"But I didn't bring any lunch," the short man grumbled. "What if the Count doesn't come back until the afternoon? I wonder if I can go home at noon?"
"The Earl's manor won't let its guests go hungry," the bearded man put the bucket on the ground. "The kitchen has already started preparing lunch for you. It will be shepherd's pie with tomato cream soup. If you're thirsty, there's black tea and apple juice."
The capers come from the forest next to the horse farm, which is also a large area of Philip's private land. They have a strong sweet taste.
The short man immediately smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Lord Earl."
Lin Weilun noticed that the man with pigtails didn't seem to be listening to what the two men were saying, but his eyes kept falling on him.
But he didn't recognize that face.
Never mind, he wouldn't be here long anyway. But could we look forward to the Earl's kitchen?
Lin Weilun opened the toolbox, took out the stethoscope, and began to examine the horse.
Because he was not in the mood, he just pretended to touch it a few times and ended it after collecting the text descriptions.
There were five racehorses in total. When he put down his hand in front of the last horse, Shorty and Pigtail were still sniffing the butt of the first horse.
The bearded man frowned, "So soon? Are you done?"
The shorter man shook his head and said, with the tone of someone who has experienced it, "You can't do that, kid. Even if your professional skills are basically zero, you have to let the customers see your attitude. I really don't know if old Ferry is too old to walk, otherwise why would he hire you?"
The bearded man also shook his head.
Time passed by little by little. Lin Weilun watched the two people rushing to dissect the horse with boredom. After thinking for a while, he turned around and walked out. He asked the maid, whose face turned red when she approached, for a cup of black tea.
The maid glanced at him a few times and then brought him a small plate of biscuits.
Lin Weilun thanked him and took a bite.
Mmm, salty crackers, they taste even better with cheese on them.
At this moment, someone outside shouted, "Hey! The Count is back! Get out of the way!"
Everyone immediately looked towards the direction of the forest, and sure enough, three tall horses ran out from there.
The leading man, dressed in riding gear and carrying a longbow in one hand, dashed across the arena in a matter of seconds and stopped in the middle of the stables.
The two behind were slower, but they had long, bulging cloth bags tied to their saddles, filled with struggling creatures.
Lin Weilun heard the sound of someone swallowing nervously behind him. It was the short man.
The servant was quite efficient. He immediately stepped forward, took the bow and quiver, and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your hard work."
Someone handed over a wet towel, someone took away the slightly sweaty BMW, and someone came over attentively with a cup of cold tea filled with ice cubes.
A maid even brought a basin of water sprinkled with rose petals for hand washing.
Some people gathered around two long cloth bags and took out a long, thin leg from them.
The Earl had only been standing there for a breath when several circles of people surrounded him.
But even so, the shadows cast by the crowd could not block the brilliance of the diamond inlaid on the whip.
His eyes fell on several unfamiliar faces.
"These are the veterinarians applying for the job," the bearded man immediately stepped forward and introduced them. He pointed at the short, talkative man and said, "This is Mr. Yale."
Then came Lin Weilun—"This is Mr. Lingert."
Finally, the pigtailed girl—"This is Mr. Henry."
Lin Weilun tilted his head and looked at him in some surprise. Henry was a first name, not a last name, but the two people who introduced him before him clearly used last names.
However, Xiaobian'er just kept touching his nose and didn't even look at him.
Forget it, what does it have to do with him? I won’t stay here long anyway.
The Count had just dismounted and was still panting slightly as he spoke, "So, gentlemen, how is my horse?"
"Excellent!" the short man said quickly, his tone both respectful and flattering. "Your mental state, gait, breathing, teeth, saliva, and skin are all superb. I can tell your horse breeder is absolutely devoted and dedicated, like a mother caring for her baby."
After a few words, the horse breeders nearby, including the bearded man, all smiled.
Then there was Henry the Pigtail.
Henry cleared his throat before stepping forward. "Mr. Yale is correct. However, during my inspection, I noticed some horses had subtle tartar on their teeth. I think this should be addressed as soon as possible, otherwise it could cause tooth inflammation, which could affect the horses' eating."
The short man glared at the pigtailed girl. "Every animal has tartar. It's not a problem at all. Don't try to make trouble for no reason and show off your authority in front of the count."
Henry made no answer.
The Count quickly turned to the third man.
After their eyes met, Lin Weilun sighed softly. He had not wanted to say it at first. He did not want to stay and work for the Earl, nor did he want any chance of being favored.
But my colleagues are really... helpless.
"All your horses are in excellent condition," he said, approaching one of the mares, "but this one is an exception."
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I'll update later tomorrow, don't wait, darlings.
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