From inside the house stepped a middle-aged man with a friendly face.
As soon as he saw the man, Josh's brow furrowed slightly. There was something familiar about this man—though the memory probably belonged to the original owner of the body.
"Are you... Josh? Josh Kahn?" the man asked after studying him carefully.
"That's right, I am... Are you Uncle Randolph?" Josh replied, the name jogging his memory. The man was indeed familiar. He was a friend of his father's—a hunter who used to live near the foot of the Alps outside of town. Josh even remembered this man holding him in his arms as a child. It seemed that his father had sold the house to him before he left.
"Oh my, you've grown so much in these few years! Are you back from America? How are your parents? And... who are they?" Randolph asked excitedly, bombarding Josh with a series of questions.
"Oh, these are my subordinates. The war is over now, and I happened to be in Europe on business, so I decided to drop by for a visit... As for my parents—well, it's a long story," Josh explained in a sad tone.
"I see... Well, don't just stand there. Come in and sit down! I've just made some tea," Randolph said warmly, changing the subject as if he sensed something in Josh's tone.
Josh didn't refuse; having come this far, it would be rude not to accept the invitation.
He entered the house with Ophelia and Vito, leaving the rest of his entourage outside to keep watch.
The interior was classic European, complete with a sofa, fireplace, and radio. By the fireplace was a dog bed on which lay another Saint Bernard with four puppies snuggled close to her.
The Saint Bernard from outside had followed them in and was now standing protectively near his mate and the puppies. The two dogs were clearly a pair.
"You may have noticed—the furniture here hasn't changed a bit since you left. That's because I always thought you or your family might return one day after the war. And look, I wasn't wrong!" Randolph said as he invited them to sit down and went to prepare tea.
Josh and Ophelia sat on the sofa while Vito took a professional stance five feet behind Josh.
Randolph noticed Vito's actions and was slightly surprised, but quickly deduced that Josh's status must be quite important now.
"You're very thoughtful, Uncle Randolph. There was no need to keep the house the way it was," Josh said, touched by Randolph's thoughtfulness. This simple gesture showed that Randolph was a true friend, one who cared deeply for his father.
"It was no trouble at all. I live alone and don't have any particular hobbies, so it didn't really matter whether I changed anything or not. Here, try this-it's a premium green tea I managed to get from the Far East. It is said that only emperors used to drink it. I hope you like it!" Randolph said, placing porcelain cups in front of Josh and Ophelia before pouring the clear tea into them.
"Of course I like it," Josh said. He had noticed that in Austria, unlike in Britain or America, people had different preferences for tea, ranging from herbal and fruit teas to green and black teas. In particular, green tea was more popular than black tea.
The main difference was that Austrians boiled their tea instead of steeping it, as they didn't have the habit of drinking plain hot water.
Josh took a sip, savoring the familiar aroma of green tea that lingered pleasantly in his mouth.
"Is this Longjing?" he asked in surprise.
Though the boiling had dulled its flavor somewhat, Josh, a tea enthusiast in his former life, recognized the distinctive taste.
"You know Longjing? Your Chinese is pretty good!" Randolph said, equally surprised.
"No, I've never been to the China. But I lived in Chicago, where there's a Chinatown, and I learned from the locals there," Josh explained, casually deflecting further questions.
"Ah, I see." Randolph nodded without suspicion, then asked, "What happened to your parents?"
"Food poisoning. They passed away two years ago," Josh replied, feigning a sad tone despite feeling no real grief.
"I see. That's truly unfortunate. But it looks like you're doing well. I'm sure your parents would be proud of you from heaven," Randolph said, his expression tinged with regret.
"So, how long do you plan to stay this time? If you want, I can sell this house back to you for the original price," Randolph offered.
"Sell it back? Why?" Josh asked, confused.
"Well, before the war, I was planning to travel and settle somewhere else. But then the war broke out, and your father was in a hurry to leave without many buyers available. So I bought it temporarily. Now that you're back, I think it's a good idea to give it back to you. Besides, I doubt money is an issue for you," Randolph explained, adding a playful dig at Josh's apparent wealth.
Josh laughed and agreed to the deal. Although he hadn't originally planned to take back the house, Randolph's offer made sense. It wouldn't cost much, and in the future it might even become a notable historical site as his childhood home.
The transaction was quickly completed at an above-market price, but it was clear that Randolph wasn't motivated by money. This intrigued both Josh and Ophelia.
"So, Uncle Randolph, where are you going next?" Josh asked.
"I'm thinking of going to Norway," Randolph replied.
"Norway? That's a great place!" Josh nodded thoughtfully, knowing that in this world, Norway was where even gods like Odin had chosen to fall.
Noticing the playful puppies near the fireplace, Josh asked, "What about the puppies? Are you taking them with you?"
"Haha, you've taken a liking to them, haven't you? I was going to bring them, but if you want them, they're yours. Just treat them well—they are of the purest Saint Bernard lineage!" Randolph said, emphasizing their pedigree.
Unbeknownst to Josh, purebred Saint Bernards were nearly extinct in the 19th century. Modern Saint Bernards were mixed with breeds such as Newfoundlands and Great Danes.
To Josh, however, Saint Bernards were simply legendary dogs with noble names and heroic reputations.
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