Chapter 18 Chapter 16 Change

Hopefully no one will ever imagine my love of dancing and other such experiences as a phase of indulgence in my life.The reader may have noticed that even then I was a cautious man.During that period of obsession with pleasure, as far as I was concerned, I still maintained a certain degree of self-reflection.Every penny I spend is accounted for, and my expenses are carefully calculated.Every small item, such as bus fare, postage, and one or two copper coins for buying newspapers, is all recorded in the account, and it is settled once every night before going to bed.I have always maintained this habit, and I know that although I have handled hundreds of thousands of public funds, I have been able to practice strict economy in expenses, not only have no debts, but in the movement I lead, always If there is a surplus, it is the result of developing this habit.I wish every young man to learn from me a little experience in keeping every income and expenditure in an account, and I am sure he will benefit as much as I do.

It is through my close attention to the way I live that I understand the need to be frugal.So I decided to cut my expenses in half.In my accounts, there are a lot of expenses for tickets.Because I live in someone else's house, I have to pay the bill once a week as usual.Sometimes people from the owner's family are invited to go to restaurants and participate in some gatherings.All of this adds to the burden of the car money, especially if it is a girlfriend who invites, according to the rules, the man will pay all the expenses.And eating out is an additional expense, because even if you don't eat at home, the weekly food expenses are not easy to deduct.I feel that these items can all be saved, as well as the money spent on false ideas of decorum.

So I decided to rent a house by myself instead of being an apartment in someone else's house, and move around at any time according to the needs of my work in order to gain new experience.The new house I chose is only half an hour's walk away from the work place, so the fare can be saved.In the past, no matter where I went, I always had to take a car, and if I wanted to take a walk, I had to find another time.This new method combines walking and economy, which can save car money and allow you to walk eight to ten miles a day.During my stay in England, I was practically free from any disease, and my body was quite strong, mainly due to this habit of walking for a long time.

In this way I rented a house; a reception room and a bedroom.This is the second stage, and the third stage is still to come.These changes saved me half the cost.But how do I use my time well?I knew I didn't have to read much for the law exam, so I didn't feel pressed for time.What I have been worried about is my English level.The words of Mr. Li Li (later Sir Friedrich) "come to me after finishing university" are still ringing in my ears.I think I should not only strive to be a lawyer, but also get a degree.I found out about courses at Oxford and Cambridge, and consulted a few friends. I found that if I chose either of these two places, I would have to spend more and live in England longer than I would. Be prepared to live much longer.A friend suggested that if I really wanted to pass the exams, I should take the entrance exams for the University of London.I would thus be obliged to do a great deal of work, and would greatly increase my general knowledge, without much extra expense.I think this opinion is very good.Yet the schedule scares me.Latin and a modern foreign language are compulsory subjects!How did I get Latin?But the friend urged Latin, saying: "For lawyers, Latin is very valuable. Knowing Latin is very useful for understanding legal books, and a treatise on Roman law is entirely in Latin. Besides, knowing Latin makes it easier to master English." I thought he had a good point, and decided to learn Latin in spite of all difficulties.I have already started to learn French, I think it should be regarded as a modern language.I took a private college prep class.This exam is held every six months, and I only have five months to prepare.For me, this is almost an impossible task.But pursuing the desire to become an English gentleman made me a serious student.I fixed a very precise time-table; yet neither my intellect nor my memory allowed me to manage Latin and French, among other subjects, within that time.The result of the examination was that he failed in Latin.I felt sorry, but I didn't lose confidence.I've got a taste of Latin, and I think my French is far better enough to take another exam, and I'm thinking of taking a new subject in the sciences.I had studied chemistry, but it was not attractive because of the lack of experiments, otherwise it must be very interesting to learn.This is a compulsory subject in Indian schools, so last time I chose this course for the University of London Entrance Examination.But this time I chose thermal optics instead of chemistry. It is said that it is easier, and I found that it is indeed the case.

In preparation for another exam, I tried to simplify my life even more.I feel that my way of life is not commensurate with my family circumstances.It makes me sad to think of my struggling older brother, who was always generous enough to send me the money I needed.I saw many students who were doing well on eight to fifteen pounds a month, and I had before my eyes many examples of simplicity in life.I have met many poor students whose life is much worse than mine.One of them lived in a slum, and he rented a room for two shillings a week, and paid twopence for his meals, which he bought from a cheap cocoa shop in Rohart with cocoa tea and bread.It is naturally difficult for me to imitate him, but I think it is definitely possible for me to change from two rooms to one room and sometimes cook by myself at home.In this way, you can save four or five pounds a month.I also read several books on how to live a simple life.I gave up that suite, rented a single room, bought a stove, and started cooking breakfast at home.A breakfast takes less than twenty minutes, for all that is needed is porridge and cocoa.I ate lunch out, and dinner at home with bread and cocoa.This would cost me only one shilling and threepence a day.This period is also the day when I work the most.The simple life gave me plenty of time to study, so I passed the exam.

Readers should not think that such a life embarrasses me. In fact, this change has coordinated my spirit and actions, which is more suitable for my family economy.In this way, my life will definitely be more straightforward, and I will feel infinite joy in spirit.