Chapter 130: The Scent of Money

Much of the time, the rank and file of society imagined what high society must look like. Was it like the movies and television shows, where everyone was refined and mild-mannered, speaking with a northern accent, wearing wigs even in the height of summer, dressed in thick tailcoats, sitting with false solemnity beneath parasols in the blazing sun, pinching a teacup handle between two fingers while lifting the other three, touching their lips lightly to the drink inside, then sweating through their wigs as they said, “Delicious”?

In truth, it was not like that. No one dressed that formally and neatly in the middle of summer unless he was insane. Even in more formal venues, there would be proper air-conditioning. Even if people did wear a little more, it would not affect their outward bearing.

Besides, summer was a season for showing skin, and daring to show it. This referred specifically to girls who cared about beauty.

The word “summer fashion” had not been invented for people who could not afford summer clothes, though from a certain angle, the clothes worn by those who could not afford summer fashion were not all that different from real “summer fashion.”

As for the life of high society, Eleanor had never seen anything deeper. She was only speaking from instinct, and one had to admit she was extremely right.

The elites of high society spent their days talking with different people at different times, then enjoying fine food with others exactly at mealtimes.

But the content of those conversations, their attitudes, and the stubborn choices they made determined the jobs, lives, and family futures of hundreds or even thousands of workers.

The seemingly simple life was not simple at all. But William did not intend to explain these things to the girl now. Once she completed her new studies, she would gain a newer understanding of the world herself.

“Beautiful car. I thought you’d buy the kind we used to look at together...” William and Eleanor had just reached the parking area when the driver opened the door for them. Eleanor could not help whistling, then added her comment.

They had once attended an auto show together. There was nothing wrong with that, so William did not intend to deny it. Everyone had once dreamed of one day controlling his own fate and buying the things he wanted, and the two young people had been no exception.

Back then, the car they liked had been a bit more old-fashioned and more ordinary. Most importantly, after discounts, it cost only a little over ten thousand dollars. A used one was even cheaper.

What they had liked was not really the car itself, but its beautiful price.

The driver was a temporary driver provided by the community’s service company, just like the maid in William’s house. The higher-end the community service company, the more kinds of services it offered. When necessary, it could even organize a cheerful party for the residents.

Now it was merely providing a driver. That was too simple. If it was not a long-term hire, William did not even need to pay the driver any additional fee.