The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

After dinner, Min Xi and Yun Ji prepared to boil water for a bath. The landlady said, "I see that you are very clean and there is no odor on your body. You can take a bath later." She was a little reluctant to waste firewood.

Min Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Madam Landlady, it's summer now, and we Chinese take a bath every day in summer."

The landlady's eyes widened: "Won't you get sick if you take a bath every day?"

"As long as the water temperature is high enough, how can you get sick? Only in winter do we not take a bath every day. Taking a bath frequently will prevent you from getting sick easily." Min Xi knew that this cognition was completely opposite to that of Europeans of this period. Europeans in the Middle Ages believed that bathing would cause illness, so they would not take a bath if they could avoid it. They all had a strong body odor, which made them smell bad.

He and Yunji have lived in Europe for more than a year, but he still can't stand being too close to the locals because the smell is too strong.

The landlady shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she couldn't understand.

Min Xi and Yun Ji ignored the landlady's dissatisfaction and went to boil water for a bath.

Anderson and Daniel originally wanted to keep chatting with Min Xi and Yun Ji, but when they saw that Min Xi and Yun Ji were going to boil water for a bath, they had to give up.

Before leaving, Anderson said, "I will take you to visit Oxford University tomorrow."

Min Xi did not refuse: "Okay, thank you!"

After getting up the next morning, Min Xi and Yun Ji went to the local vegetable market to buy vegetables, and then went to the bakery to buy flour. They made some beef patties for themselves in the morning.

While they were eating, Anderson and Daniel appeared again, so the two boys each got another piece of pie. They ate so much that they almost sucked their fingers. "How can it be so delicious! It tastes better than yesterday's dumplings! Do your hands have magic that can make food taste extra delicious?"

Min Xi smiled and said, "It's not that exaggerated. This is the food culture that we Chinese have accumulated for thousands of years. I just got a little inheritance." Magic is something that cannot be talked about casually. It would be difficult to deal with if you are slandered as a witch.

Anderson and Daniel ate their cakes and fulfilled their duties as tour guides. The two of them took them to visit Oxford University. It was indeed much more convenient to have students from the school as guides. At least they heard many interesting anecdotes and rumors about Oxford.

When they arrived at the botanical garden, Min Xi asked, "Why is this place locked? Can we go in and have a look?"

Anderson answered him, "This place is locked most of the time. Only the janitor and the biology professor have the key. Even the biology students don't have the key. If they want to go in, they have to find the professor. The greenhouse has collected many plants from all over the world. They are rare and precious. The professor is worried that someone will damage them. There is a group of vandals in our school who love to cause trouble for others."

When Min Xi heard this, he felt very sorry: "If the school staff or professor are here, can we go in and visit?"

"That should still be possible," Anderson said.

Daniel shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. I once saw a janitor watering the plants. I wanted to go in for a look, but he wouldn't let me in. He said a student had plucked a flower that the professor had worked so hard to grow. It had finally blossomed and was waiting to bear fruit, but someone plucked the flower. The professor scolded him half to death."

Min Xi couldn't help but think of the graduation works and assignments that he had worked so hard to cultivate at the Agricultural College but were stolen. He could completely understand why the biology professor was angry.

But this made it difficult for them to go in and visit.

"Do you know who is managing this place now? Or is there a biology professor in the school who is managing this place? I want to go in and take a look." Min Xi asked.

The two looked at him curiously: "You want to visit the hothouse?"

Min Xi nodded: "Yes. I am very interested in plants and want to go in and take a look."

Anderson craned his neck to look around. "Plants need to be watered regularly. There should be a janitor managing them. Ask a janitor. Since you are Chinese, maybe you can be allowed in."

"It would be even better if there was a biology professor. I could ask him and learn more about plants," said Min Xi.

“I wonder if there are any biology professors still in school.” Anderson shook his head.

Min Xi changed the subject: "Do you know where Professor Michel of Physics lives? I want to visit him."

"Do you know Professor Michel?" Daniel asked in surprise.

"No. I know a professor at Oxford University in London. His name is White. He is a professor of theology. Do you know him?"

Anderson was very surprised: "Of course he knows me. He taught our religion class. So you also know Professor White?"

"Well, a friend helped me introduce him. He knew that I wanted to visit Oxford University, so he introduced Professor White to me, and Professor White wrote me a letter of introduction." Min Xi explained.

Daniel asked, "Then why do you want to see Professor Michel? He is actually very famous in Oxford. Students call him a lunatic in private. He is a bit crazy and doesn't care much about anything other than academics."

Anderson said: "Those vulgar people don't understand Professor Michel. I think he is a genius."

Min Xi smiled and said, "Perhaps there is only a fine line between genius and madness. It seems that Professor Michel is a very pure person. I will go to him with Professor White's letter of introduction. Do you think he will pay attention to me?"

Anderson and Daniel both laughed: "No one knows. Did you ask Professor Michel for advice?"

"Not really. Originally, I wanted to ask him to be my guide, so I asked Professor White to write a letter of introduction. Now that you are our guides, there is naturally no need to trouble him, but since Professor White wrote us a letter, we should go and visit him." Min Xi said.

"I see. It's time to pay him a visit. I don't know where Professor Michel lives, but I know he often eats at Wolfe's restaurant. The owner of that restaurant makes delicious fried chicken, and many professors in the school go there to eat fried chicken," Anderson said.

Min Xi couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. Interested in food? That's perfect, cooking is what he's best at.

Daniel said, "I do know where Professor Michel lives. He lives in the attic of the Science Building."

"Thank you for letting me know. I will go visit him later." Min Xi said.

Anderson asked, "Do you want us to go with you?"

"Just tell me where the Science Building is and we can go visit it ourselves."

Anderson and Daniel led them to the science building, and Daniel pointed to a small window on the top floor and said, "He seems to live there."

"Okay, thank you!"

Min Xi and Yun Ji discussed that since Professor Michelle likes fried chicken, he must like roast chicken too. However, they didn’t bring a pot with them, so it would be a bit troublesome to make roast chicken, but they could make beggar’s chicken.

There are also water lilies in the pond on the Oxford University campus, so you can just pick a few and use them.

So the next morning, Min Xi and Yun Ji went to buy chickens, marinated and wrapped them, then called Anderson and Daniel and asked them where would be a good place to have a picnic.

The two guys directly recommended the grove on the Oxford campus, saying that the environment there was good and most suitable for picnics. In the past, Oxford students also often had picnics here.

In the end, Min Xi and Yun Ji really went to the Oxford campus to make beggar's chicken.

After the beggar's chicken was cooked, they shared a beggar's chicken with Anderson and Daniel, and the two guys cried out in admiration: "This is ten times better than Wolfe's fried chicken! Come open a restaurant in Oxford, I guarantee that business will be booming!"

Min Xi smiled and didn't respond. What a joke! The students in Oxford are so poor, and they are fighting with the locals in Oxford over debts. How desperate would I be to open a restaurant here?

After finishing a chicken, Anderson sucked his fingers, looked at the fire and said, "There's one left. Shouldn't we eat it?"

Min Xi said, "I won't eat this one. I'm going to give it to someone else."

"Which guy is so lucky?" Anderson said enviously.

"Professor Michel."

"Oh, okay." Anderson originally wanted to have a share, but when he heard the name, he had to give up the idea, "Min, your cooking skills are amazing. Next time you make something delicious, remember to call us."

Min Xi smiled: "Okay!"

Min Xi and Yun Ji brought roasted beggar's chicken, homemade beef jerky and tea to visit Professor Michel. The beef jerky and tea were prepared at home and are very Chinese in style, making them perfect gifts.

The two climbed up to the Science Building, a three-story building where Professor Michel lived in the attic on the top floor of the stairwell.

The stairs were made of wood and creaked a bit when you walked up them. This building seemed to have a lot of history. During the summer vacation, all the students left and the janitor didn't clean the stairs much. Both ends of the stairs were covered with dust, with only a few lines of blurred footprints in the middle, which must have been the traces of Professor Michel's footsteps.

The attic door was closed and only the window was half open.

"I don't know if he is at home." Min Xi said.

"Just knock on the door and you'll know." Yun Ji said.

Min Xi walked to the door and knocked: "Is Michelle home?"

After a while, a reply came from inside: "Who is it?"

Min Xi was a little stumped by the question and didn't know how to answer for a moment. Just when he thought of the wording, the door was opened, and an unpleasant smell poured out from the small and crowded room. Min Xi almost couldn't help but take a few steps back, holding his breath. After adapting for a while, he noticed a short man with messy hair and beard standing inside the door.