Film and Television: Starting from the Journey to Guandong

Chapter 130 Sister Song

While Zhu Chuanren was busy preparing for the airline, Ni Sichun took Xiner out to a small gathering of celebrities.

Although the overall national level during the Republic of China was relatively poor and backward, the country's strength was also very poor.

But even under such circumstances, the ladies of the upper class still live a very chic and comfortable life. The word celebrity became popular in the 20s. Most of them refer to people who are born into famous families, are talented, beautiful, and knowledgeable. Women who attend various fashionable social occasions.

The life of celebrities during this period was extremely luxurious. They changed their clothes three times a day. Many people could afford to marry, but not necessarily to support them.

Real socialites are like women at the top of society. They can be said to be the elite among women and are extremely particular about class and origin.

They not only have pure noble blood, but also understand Chinese and Western culture, and have certain talents and learning. Almost all of them have diplomas from famous girls' schools.

Many of the tutors the family hired for them were academicians from the Qing Dynasty. In order for them to speak fluent English, some elegant foreign aristocratic ladies were also invited to give lectures to them.

Many celebrities of this period were versatile, and could be said to be proficient in all kinds of music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

The wedding of each of them will shock the city, and even become a legend among the small townsfolk from generation to generation.

Their husbands are almost all national elites who have returned from studying in Europe and the United States.

Celebrities associate with prominent people who are either rich or noble. They may not necessarily have a beautiful appearance, but they must have an aristocratic temperament and be famous before they can be called celebrities.

The most famous socialites during this period were Lu Man and Tang Ying. Lu Man's father studied abroad at Waseda University and later became the director of taxation. He had a high political status and social reputation in the capital.

Tang Ying's father also went to Germany to study medical skills. After returning to China, she became a famous doctor in Shanghai and had a high social reputation.

Therefore, these two people are also known as the most famous "Southern Tang and Beilu" during the Republic of China.

After Tang Ying's father returned from studying abroad, he opened a private clinic in Shanghai, specializing in treating dignitaries.

Tang Ying was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was pampered and lived a prosperous life. Her parents have been strict with her since she was a child, not only to learn poetry but also to learn various dances and music. They also hired foreign teachers for her to learn English. It can be said that Tang Ying has been versatile since she was a child.

In addition to learning all kinds of knowledge, she also has to be very particular about food and clothing. This is something her mother has asked her to do since she was a child.

The most outstanding thing about Tang Ying is that her clothes are very fashionable and she became the trend vane of the Magic City at that time.

She uses some international brands such as LV handbags, Chanel perfume, CD lipstick, Celine clothing bags, Ferragamo high heels, etc.

There is a whole wall of wardrobe in her home, but most of these clothes are not bought, but some fashionable clothes that Tang Ying saw while shopping. The clothes are innovatively modified, a pattern is drawn, and then the tailor makes the clothes according to their own design.

The main reason why Tang Ying did this was that there was no shortage of rich people in the magic city at that time, so it was easy to match up with others when buying a piece of ready-made clothing. Only clothes made through her own innovation and modification were unique.

Therefore, Tang Ying's dress was very famous in Shanghai. Even women's magazines at the time praised Tang Ying and encouraged women of the new era to follow her as a role model.

Of course, there were not many women in that period who could really look up to Tang Ying. After all, even if Tang Ying stayed at home, she would sometimes even change her clothes three times, one set each for morning, afternoon and evening.

In the morning, I wear a short-sleeved cardigan to go out with my friends. At noon, I wear a cheongsam to have afternoon tea with my mother and elders. In the evening, I wear a long Western-style skirt and attend various banquets.

Moreover, Tang Ying had many maids at home since she was a child to take care of her daily life.

Tang Ying is also very particular about what she eats, and every meal must be balanced according to nutrition.

They are also required to be very strict and precise when it comes to meal times, and they must eat on time.

There are four chefs in Tang Ying's family, responsible for different cuisines and snacks.

Such socialites also have extremely high requirements in choosing their future husbands.

She has experienced two marriages, both of which were to either rich or noble partners.

As for Lu Man, a stunning beauty from the north, her life is basically the same as that of Tang Ying.

Lu Man was born into a family of officials. During the Republic of China, it could be said that he came from a wealthy family.

When she was very young, her parents sent her to France to study. Lu Man was pampered by her parents since she was a child and had a very stubborn personality.

Her life was more luxurious than Tang Ying's. She would sleep until the afternoon every day before getting up and wash up. After getting up, she would go out to attend various parties and have fun until midnight before returning home.

After getting married, she still didn't change her hobby of eating, drinking and having fun, and she didn't have any source of money.

At first Xu Zhimo indulged Lu Man blindly, but later he also realized that Lu Man was excessively extravagant and wasteful in life.

Because at Lu Man's request, Xu Zhimo rented a luxurious villa in Shanghai.

Since Lu Man needed to take a car every time he went out, he also bought a car and hired a driver.

Lu Man also hired almost a dozen servants. In addition, Lu Man's daily clothes and cosmetics were a large expense. Lu Man also often went to nightclubs to dance, listen to operas, and play mahjong.

Lu Man's mother once stayed in their home for a period of time and recorded their family's monthly expenses. Their monthly expenses were almost 600 oceans, which was equivalent to about 10 yuan in future generations according to the prices at that time.

Later, Lu Man contracted dental plaque due to physical reasons, which added a lot of pressure to Xu Zhimo.

Because when Xu Zhimo insisted on marrying Lu Man, Xu Zhimo's father cut off financial contacts.

The money Xu Zhimo earned every month was simply not enough for Lu Man to spend.

He also tried to persuade Lu Man to change his luxurious lifestyle. However, Lu Man never took these suggestions and continued to spend money lavishly.

As a result, Xu Zhimo wore ripped clothes all day long. In order to maintain family expenses, he even borrowed money from friends everywhere.

It can be said that since Xu Zhimo married Lu Man, he has been busy making and saving money almost every day.

That's why he chose to take a cheap postal flight, and eventually died in a plane crash. It can be said that Xu Zhimo's death was inseparable from Lu Man.

Therefore, ordinary people must not touch celebrities, whoever touches them will die.

Of course, the party that Ni Sichun and Xin'er attended was definitely not something that ordinary ladies could participate in.

After all, as Zhu Chuanren's first wife and concubine, the two of them are like the top of the pyramid in the world of celebrities and rich women in the magic city. Most people are not worthy of sharing the same table with them.

The only people who can allow them to dress up and attend are people like Sister Song.

Speaking of which, Ni Sichun and Sister Song are still relatives, and Zhu Chuanren is now working for Lao Chang. The two families have broken bones and connected tendons, so their relationship is naturally different.

Compared to the other two sisters, Sister Song seems to have no more words to describe her except money.

Indeed, Sister Song and Lao Kong were the couple who were most able to make money during the Republic of China. They relied on their authority to accumulate huge wealth. With this wealth, she lived an extremely luxurious life.

In 1904, 15-year-old Sister Song was sent to Wesleyan Women's College by her father to study abroad. As the first Chinese female international student here, although she came from a superior family and was dressed in jewels, she was not close to other people and liked to hang out with other people. He looked at everything around him in silence.

This is a habit she has developed since she was a child. She uses appearance to judge the family situation of others. As the eldest daughter in the family, Sister Song is extremely strong. She basically speaks out among the sisters. She can even confront others when they are treated unfairly abroad. The boss spoke out about the injustice and discrimination he suffered.

In 1910, Sister Song returned to China, and her father wanted her to marry into the Kong family. The Kong family had been doing business in Shanxi Province for generations, accumulating wealth and once becoming the richest man in Shanxi Province.

Although Lao Kong's father's generation lost all of their ancestral property due to tooth chip smoking, Lao Kong relied on his own abilities to restore the family's decline and became a hot young businessman at the time.

Therefore, the Song family fell in love with Lao Kong, but they did not expect that Sister Song already had a crush on him. While working as a secretary for Mr. Sun, he fell in love with Lao Sun. Although there was a big age difference between them, she asked Lao Kong more than once. Sun expressed his affection, but Lao Sun had no feelings for her and found a reason to decline her love.

Of course, besides admiring Lao Sun, Sister Song's main purpose is to yearn for the identity and status of the leader's wife, and she also went there with this purpose in the beginning.

Soon her father fell ill, and the eldest son in the family, Song Ziwen, was only in his teens. As the eldest daughter, she had to shoulder the important responsibilities of the entire family. After many considerations, she finally chose Lao Kong. After all, Lao Kong's family was rich and he had capital to accumulate.

Especially when she first visited Lao Kong's hometown, she was attracted by Lao Kong's luxurious living conditions. The huge courtyard and countless servants impressed her deeply, and also made her understand the value of Kong Xiangxi.

Sister Song originally thought she was going to a remote rural area. Having grown up eating bread and drinking milk in Chou Country, Sister Song looked down on small counties in Jin Province.

She originally thought that Taigu County, Lao Kong's hometown, was just an ordinary small rural county. Unexpectedly, after she went there, she was shocked by the wealth of Taigu County and the luxury of the Kong family. The wealthy daughter who grew up in Chou Country was shocked.

The old Confucian family was both Confucian and businessman, and he was the 75th grandson of Confucius.

The Kong family in Taigu County is also a prominent local family. Lao Kong himself was smart since childhood and was admitted to the famous Yale University Graduate School.

After graduating and returning to China, he quickly became a successful businessman by relying on his business talent. He founded his own company and bank and became an outstanding business genius.

According to rumors, when Sister Song entered the Kong family ancestral hall to kneel down, she was greeted by a concubine from the Kong family. When Sister Song reluctantly knelt down and kowtowed to her, a scene that shocked her happened.

The concubine of the Kong family actually ordered someone to bring a box full of gold and silver treasures and gave it to the bride, Sister Song, as a meeting gift, which shocked the worldly eldest lady of the Song family.

After marrying Lao Kong, Sister Song recommended her younger sister to Lao Sun as his secretary, but what she didn't expect was that the two of them actually became partners, which moved her deeply.

Later, she saw the great value brought by their marriage, so she tried her best to promote the marriage between the third sister and Lao Chang, and she also pushed the Song family to the highest status in one fell swoop through the marriage of her two sisters.

Relying on the convenience of Zheng's governance, the Kong family, which was originally just the richest local tycoon in Shanxi Province, suddenly became a wealthy businessman, and also made the Kong family the veritable richest man in the Republic of China. After all, with the help of his brother-in-law, Lao Chang , Lao Kong’s gave the green light all the way in business.

During the war, the Kong family even used their hands to enrich the country. After the Pacific War broke out, the U.S. decided to provide China with a loan of US$5 million to support the war of resistance.

Jinling stipulates that the exchange ratio of U.S. dollar bonds and legal tender is 1:20, that is, 1 U.S. dollar can be exchanged for 20 legal tenders. As long as the war is won, it can be converted into U.S. dollars, and the person responsible for this task is Lao Kong.

Unfortunately, by 1943, the national salvation bonds were sold for only about US$4300 million, which was far from the expected sales volume. After all, many people were not optimistic about the situation.

He also did not believe that Lao Chang would keep his promise. At the same time, as the war continued, prices continued to rise. With the excessive issuance of legal currency, the currency depreciated significantly.

The exchange ratio between French currency and U.S. dollars once reached 200:1. Originally, 20 French currency could be exchanged for 1 U.S. dollar, but now 200 French currency was needed. This was not going to work, so Sister Song, who saw the profits, instigated Lao Kong to stop selling U.S. dollar bonds. .

Later, Lao Kong suggested that Lao Chang stop selling national salvation bonds to stabilize the value of legal currency. After the suspension of sales, the black market price immediately rose, reaching a level of 250:1, but Lao Kong secretly sold it to the black market at the normal price.

While all the price was paid, Lao Kong made a huge profit of US$1150 million, equivalent to 26.47 billion French currency, making a lot of money.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the middle of the war, the United States provided a lot of supplies. More than a hundred Dodge trucks were sent to transport anti-war supplies. As a result, Lao Kong used all of these trucks as his own private cars and used these trucks to resell supplies. What is sold is cosmetics, perfume, socks, coffee and a series of non-anti-war supplies to the foggy city.

Of course, Sister Song herself is not idle. Although she does not have an official position, she relies on the momentum of the wealthy Kong and Song families, as well as her strong financial resources and fickle skills. She often pays attention to the financial market and trade conditions, analyzes various situations, and when to intervene. When to sell and when to buy in has caused many waves in the financial world.

Later, she teamed up with others to establish Seven Star Company, specializing in speculative businesses such as securities, gold prices, cotton yarn, and flour. She set off many waves in the trading market and manipulated market prices.

For example, a smoke screen was released, saying that new public bonds would be issued to replace various old public bonds and the interest rates would be re-specified. After hearing the news, many retail investors sold their public bonds in the market, causing the prices of old public bonds to plummet.

However, she took the opportunity to suck it in, and a few days later used her abundant funds to release it to drive up the price, causing the public bond market to skyrocket again. She made more than 30 million in a few days, and also caused a group of people to lose their money. Although some people were resentful and criticized by public opinion, because With Lao Chang taking care of me, there is nothing others can do.

With money, it is natural to live a luxurious life. The Kong family has two houses in Shanghai, located on Xiafei Road and West Aixam Road in the French Concession. These are two-story Western-style buildings. The houses are magnificently decorated. There are gardens behind the front building, and the bedrooms are strictly prohibited for other people to access because there are many safes.

Here, there are more than 60 people serving them, including butlers, housekeepers, male servants, maids, Chinese and Western chefs, concierges, messengers, gardeners, drivers, guards, etc.

In addition to the mansion in Shanghai, they also have a house in Jinling that combines Chinese and Western styles, but Sister Song only lives there occasionally and hurriedly returns to Shanghai after a day or two. Only Lao Kong lives here.

Sister Song's family is very particular about their diet and has many rules. Of course, it is Sister Song who sets the rules. She requires everyone in the family to eat breakfast separately. Everyone arranges it according to their own preferences. Those who drink milk drink milk, those who drink coffee drink coffee, and those who eat snacks eat dessert.

As for Lao Kong, Sister Song personally planned his breakfast, which stipulated that he must drink a bowl of egg white bird's nest soup every morning, rotate some high-end snacks, and he himself must drink a bowl of pearl powder bird's nest soup.

Lunch must be eaten together as a family, usually with six dishes and two soups, both raw and cooked, hot and cold. Of course, Lao Kong is from Shanxi Province and likes to eat pasta or drink old vinegar, but Sister Song and her children do not. Willing to eat, I only like to eat rice.

As for dinner, banquets are usually held. Basically, there is a small banquet on one day and one big banquet on three days. All kinds of important people or poker friends of Sister Song come here.

The food and drinks are all made in the kitchen according to Sister Song's request or a table is delivered here. The Kong family has three chefs, who are responsible for Magic City cuisine, Western food and Shanxi cuisine.

Before eating, the servants must close the doors and windows to drive away the flies. After the flies have been driven away, the meal can be served. If the flies land on the dishes, the bowl of dishes will be poured out. If the flies land on the table, the table must be disinfected, and the personnel responsible for hygiene will also be subject to inspection. scold.

In addition to eating, Sister Song is also very particular about her daily life and likes to dress up. The materials, leather shoes and cosmetics she usually wears are all imported from abroad, and the styles are also the latest.

You have to take a shower after breakfast every day. You use the same bath powder as the Queen of England. You wear new clothes after only a few wears, especially socks. You change them very diligently, which is what people in England, France, Germany, etc. Bought from China, you can buy hundreds of pairs at a time.

Of course, the money was definitely not spent by oneself. All expenses, including papyrus soap, were paid by the Central Bank. It can be said that the Central Bank at that time was the private accounting room of the Kong family.

The Kong family residence has two floors, faces south, has a brick-concrete structure, and is composed of a main building and an auxiliary building. The building volume is relatively large.

The red tile slopes and wooden eaves have wooden supports, showing the characteristics of British rural architecture.

The cement brushed walls (yellow), wall corners and chimneys are built with clear-faced red bricks.

The porch on the ground floor facade adopts ancient Roman style columns. This craftsmanship is generally not confused with the "country style" of half-exposed wooden frames.

From the north entrance, there is a fountain, and around the pool is the large living room.

The furnishings in the large living room are noble and elegant. The escalator in the inner hall has marble steps, the stairs are in an S shape and ascends step by step, with copper patterned railings.

Soft printed carpets are laid on each floor, and the teak wainscoting on the walls is 1.4 meters high.

There are many calligraphy and paintings hanging in the living room upstairs.

Next to the living room is a spacious bedroom. Near the bedroom is a small and elegant study room. On the table are the Four Treasures of the Study and some exquisite antiques.

There is a small restaurant, storage room, etc. to the north.

Sister Song and Lao Kong Zaimo both have several mansions, and another building with a strong Islamic sentiment and typical Arab style.

All such buildings have domes, spires, horseshoe arches, stone flower panes, and glazed brick inlays on the exterior walls.

The house was built in 1924, covering an area of ​​1080 square meters, with a construction area of ​​450 square meters, and a mixed brick and wood structure.

The residence is centered on the curved facade at the northwest corner and extends to the southeast, reflecting the balance and symmetry emphasized in Islamic architectural design.

There are two square pavilions with horseshoe rolls on the roof. The original pavilions have domes, which are very eye-catching and have an upward movement.

The door frame of the main entrance of the house and the window frame of the curved exterior wall are all in the form of horseshoe-shaped continuous arches, with ancient oriental columns. The inner edge of the arches is decorated in the shape of a gear rim, which is typical of North African, Spanish, and Islamic architecture since the 12th century. Characteristics.

Columns and arches are not only used for doors and windows, but also serve as exterior wall decoration and are embellished on the top of the wall.

Pushing open the exquisite iron door made by the blacksmith and entering the hall, the wall is filled with brilliant Arabic-style colored tiles, from the floor to the ceiling, including the stair handrails, all carved with exquisite patterns.

The carved patterns are mostly geometric or plant shapes, strictly complying with the prohibition of not using human figures for decoration in Islamic architecture.

The interior doors and windows are a perfect combination of round and arched shapes, which is pleasing to the eye.

The third floor of the main building is the master's bedroom and office, and the second floor of the auxiliary building is the staff and servants' housing.

There is a small open-air foyer in front of the hall, with walls on three sides and rows of arches.

The wall under the side eaves is divided into two parts. The upper part is a continuous combination of real windows and false windows that are concave and convex, both virtual and solid; the lower part is a continuous combination of round arched windows and slender columns. In front of the foyer is an entrance composed of three continuous arches. The entrance was originally equipped with a refined iron door with the words "3" engraved on it.

In fact, in terms of the elegance and luxury of the mansion, the Kong family is not necessarily much higher than the Zhu family.

Not to mention safety, Zhu Chuanren's house can be said to be the safest place in the entire Demon City. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Anyone who dares to attack rashly will definitely suffer a lot.

Sister Song was deeply baptized by Western culture, so the afternoon tea she served was naturally a Western afternoon tea.

In fact, British tea culture was first introduced from China.

In 1662, a Portuguese princess married the King of England, and her dowry included a box of Chinese tea.

It was the aroma of this box of tea that made tea drinking popular among the royal family.

The afternoon tea culture was created by a Duchess named Anna.

In England at the beginning of the 19th century, the aristocratic class had a popular English breakfast. They had a hearty breakfast, and they would go out for a picnic at noon and only eat simple bread, dried meat, cheese, fruits, etc.

Dinner, which often has a social meaning, is usually held after the concert or stage play.

By the mid-to-late 19th century, the time was getting later and later, and dinner actually started after 8 pm.

Therefore, the long period of hunger from lunch to dinner became a kind of torture.

Mrs. Anna, who was hungry in the evening, decisively decided to drink black tea and eat snacks in her private living room until dinner.

Probably because eating alone is boring, she often invites friends to her blue and white "Blue Room" to drink tea and chat.

Slowly, the "Blue Room" became a well-known afternoon social place for ladies at that time.

Later, Anna returned to London and continued to promote this life and invited friends to join her "tea drinking and walking" activities.

Noble ladies and ladies whose lives were somewhat boring followed suit, and the living rooms of each family soon became a good place to have tea with relatives and friends.

In this way, afternoon tea gradually became popular in the upper class, and the nobility no longer felt lonely in the afternoon because of sandwiches and tea.

Afternoon tea is also divided into low and high tea, but it is different from the literal interpretation.

For the upper class, afternoon tea is just a "small meal" before the main meal, and its greater function is to socialize.

For the working class, neither time nor money can afford such an exquisite life.

The workers cannot return home before six o'clock in the evening, and it is quite difficult to make them wait until dinner at eight o'clock in the evening.

So afternoon tea became dinner for workers in the industrial areas of the UK (northern England and southern Scotland).

Traditionally, the light afternoon tea served by the upper class is called Low Tea or Afternoon Tea. It usually takes place around four in the afternoon, with exquisite snacks paired with fragrant black tea, and a leisurely stroll in front of Hyde Park Avenue.

Afternoon tea in the middle and lower classes is from 5 to 7 o'clock and is more substantial. It usually includes a large cup of tea with bread, vegetables and cheese, and occasionally meat, pies and potatoes. It is called High Tea or Meat Tea.

Sister Song naturally disdains drinking hight tea, and it must be done in full accordance with British aristocratic etiquette.

In the Victorian era, men wore tuxedos and women wore robes.

Therefore, when drinking tea at Sister Song’s house, male guests must also wear tuxedos, wear high hats and hold umbrellas; women must wear white dresses and must wear hats.

If a woman comes, the men present must stand up to greet her. If the visiting woman says "thank you", it means that the man can do whatever he wants.

During this time, the lady does not have to stand up, she can just nod.

Only when someone whom everyone respects comes to greet you, should the ladies here stand up to greet them.

After sitting down, when tasting pastries, the pastries must be placed on a special dessert plate before eating. Do not take them directly from the dessert plate holder to eat.

The orthodox British afternoon tea snacks are served on a three-layer porcelain dessert plate, with sandwiches on the first layer, traditional British snacks and scones on the second layer, and cakes and fruit tarts on the third layer;

Eat from bottom to top.

The way to eat scones is to spread the jam first, then the cream, finish one bite, and then spread the next bite.

The order of eating refreshments should follow the rule of taste from light to heavy, from salty to sweet.

Try the salty sandwich first, allowing your taste buds to slowly taste the true flavor of the food, and then sip a few sips of the fragrant black tea.

Next is the English muffin spread with jam or cream, letting a little sweetness slowly spread in your mouth. Finally, the sweet and thick fruit tart will lead you to taste the pinnacle of afternoon tea.

If you need to leave your seat (around the dining table) for a short time during afternoon tea, you need to pick up a set of tea sets, hold a cup to drink tea with one hand, and hold the teacup tray with the other hand. During this period, if you need pastries, you can place the pastries around the teacup tray.

When drinking tea, hold the handle of the cup gracefully with your index finger and thumb. Of course, you can also insert your fingers into the circle.

Drink tea directly from the cup without a teacup tray; or directly lift a set of tea sets, drink tea from the cup with one hand, and hold the teacup with the other.

In short, there are many rules. Ni Sichun has studied in the West, so she is familiar with the process and does not find it cumbersome.

It was because of Xin'er's hardship that she had to learn from Ni Sichun at home for a long time before she dared to go out for afternoon tea, for fear that her mistake would embarrass the Zhu family.

Fortunately, her efforts were not in vain. During Sister Song's afternoon tea party, she showed the style of a woman from the Zhu family. Even Sister Song also performed Xiner's demeanor to Ni Sichun in private.

In fact, it is not difficult to understand. Xin'er has received all kinds of etiquette training since she was a child. Now it is just a change of tricks, and it is not difficult to learn.

But after she came back, she was full of praise for the desserts presented to the guests for lunch at Sister Song’s house.

Zhu Chuanren was quite speechless after hearing this, it was just sandwiches and scones.

Of course, he believes that any simple food will become a delicacy if it is exquisitely prepared.

The same goes for sandwiches, which were invented by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, and yes, Sandwich is a surname.

Mr. Sandwich was addicted to gambling: he played cards without sleep and food, and was unwilling to leave the card table when eating. He even asked the servants to bring cheese and meat to the card table, but he also found that eating like this would stain his hands and affect his health. The progress of the card game.

So he came up with a brilliant idea - sandwich the food between two slices of bread so his hands wouldn't get dirty!

Since then, the sandwich was born.

The sandwiches that appear on the afternoon tea table are generally small and delicate, and the crust should be cut off.

Sandwiches are usually filled with smoked salmon, mayonnaise, ham... and, of course, cucumber.

When making the sandwich, remember not to spread the filling too thickly.

Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing when the customer takes a bite and the sandwich flies out from the other end!

The small sandwiches eaten at afternoon tea can be long, rectangular, or triangular. Small things will definitely attract the love of girls.

But the essence of afternoon tea is the second layer of scones. As we all know, traditional scones come from Scotland, are usually triangular in shape, and are baked with oats.

The scones popular in later generations are generally spherical and made with flour and oven.

The origin of scones comes from Scone Palace in Scotland, where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned.

Traditional scones are very simple, but in later generations, fruits or raisins can be added to the popular scones. Even in ugly countries, chocolate chips can be added to the scones!

Scones are a type of bread, and all bread should be eaten broken with your hands, not cut with a knife.

A well-made scone should have a small slit in the middle so you can easily break it apart.

Jam and clotted cream are both traditional accompaniments to scones.

Use a teaspoon to spoon some jam and cream onto your plate, then use a knife to spread them onto the scones.

For Zhu Chuanren, this food is not as delicious as Roujiamo, but since his woman likes it, he can just recruit a chef who specializes in Western food. The main thing is to be a doting wife.

For example, Ni Sichun and Xin'er were half of Sister Song's family, so they would be left to have dinner together after lunch.

Before that, I would watch a play at home and then go out for dinner after the play.

There is no doubt that dinner is also Western-style, and Sister Song advertises it as authentic.

Zhu Chuanren almost burst out laughing after hearing this. The so-called traditional food of Western aristocrats really has nothing to do with delicious food.

But when it comes to eating rules, they must be very complicated.

Food and drink in traditional aristocratic homes are always accompanied by a lot of rules, which are more complicated than the seasonal restrictions and financial needs of ordinary peasant families.

Some of these rules were prescribed by the church, while others were prescribed by the king.

For example, nobles in 14th-century England were required to abide by rules that limited the amount of food they could eat. This was an attempt by the elderly Edward III to curb extravagance.

The king's meal should not exceed five courses, the nobles' meal should not exceed three courses, and the knights and officials under his command should have no more than two courses.

Only one of these dishes can be fish or meat.

At banquets held by nobles in the Middle Ages, the host sat at the top. The closer he was to the host, the more noble his status. The most important thing was that he was the first person on the right hand side of the host and was also the main guest of the banquet.

At the banquet, each guest is served by at least three attendants, one holding a jar to pour water for washing hands, one holding a bowl to collect water, and one holding towels.

The start of the banquet is marked by a pre-meal prayer led by the host's pastor. After the prayer, the first course will be served.

The dish is served to the host and the guests next to the host. The guests take their own portions from the plate and pass them back to other guests.

Medieval banquet starters usually fell into one of the following categories:

Cooked and roasted meats dipped in seasonings; minced meats mixed with red wine and seasonings;

Or the jelly-like balls of congealed gravy.

Spring meat is made by mixing chicken and pork with bread crumbs, then mashing it into mince-like mince, and then adding sugar, saffron, salt and other seasonings;

Venison cooked in almond milk is venison cooked with onions, wine, flour and sweet curry powder.

After finishing the appetizer, there will be a break, during which some fruits and nuts will be served to entertain the distinguished guests.

It should be noted that the dishes at this stage may only be for display and not for eating.

For example, there is a dish called thrush baked pie. The pie is made first and then the live bird is put into the pie.

When the owner cuts the pie, the bird will fly into the air, circle around the house and sing.

Medieval banquets were not simply about enjoying delicious food, but about reflecting the host's character.

The second main course was grilled meat.

The most common are roasted venison, wild boar, goat, suckling rabbit or various exotic birds.

At the side of every guest is a boy who serves.

Different meats are eaten in different ways, and the job of these serving boys is to remember and learn how to eat each meat and demonstrate their skilled cutting skills to the guests under dim candlelight.

He is responsible for selecting the most suitable parts for the guests to eat. This job is very important, and it is related to the B-character of the host.

After the meat is finished, the waiter will bring dessert.

Such as grilled citrus, plums soaked in wine, apples mixed with syrup, etc.

The party is technically over after dessert, but you can still order a cheese platter or mulled wine.

The waiter would take away any leftover food, which was usually the waiter's dinner and occasionally distributed to the poor outside the castle.

On fasting days, all meat will be replaced with fish, such as lamprey grilled with vinegar and pepper, grilled herring with sugar, etc.

The most precious of all fish is sturgeon, considered a delicacy that only kings can eat.

But the famous Henry of Lancaster didn't like sturgeon, preferring salmon with a rich sauce.

Due to a lack of biological knowledge, seals, dolphins, beavers and various water birds were considered fish because they all lived in the water, and these animals were also among the main course choices for feasts during fasting.

There were no individual vegetables at medieval banquets; all vegetables were thrown into the pot and stewed with meat or fish.

The staple food was bread, and the lord and distinguished guests were given freshly baked wheat bread.

Other officials were served less generous portions of half-wheat bread.

The further away from the lord, the worse the bread was, and those at the farthest end could only receive brown rye bread.

Another difference between nobles and commoners is that commoners drank ale, while nobles mainly enjoyed wine.

Among the officials around the nobles, there is a high-ranking official responsible for taking care of the lord's wine cellar.

His job is mainly to ensure that the master's drinking wine is not interrupted throughout the year, and at the same time, he also ensures that the servants who work for the master also have corresponding alcoholic beverages.

If we follow this set of rules, I'm afraid no one will be a guest at Sister Song's house in the future.

Fortunately, she is not too rigid. Her dinner is closer to modern Western food, consisting of steaks, fish fillets, and occasionally lobsters.

In terms of dinner parties, Xin'er still feels that the Zhu family is better. After all, the Zhu family mainly eats Chinese food, and Western food is just a tool used for banquets and pretentiousness.

However, when going to Sister Song's house for dinner, probably not many people go there just for the meal. Most of them go there to flatter Sister Song and make Sister Song feel comfortable so that she can leak some soup from her fingers for everyone to drink.

It's all for profit, otherwise why?

Ni Sichun and Xin'er simply cheered for their relatives. Sometimes they were in trouble. After all, they didn't want to go out when the weather was bad. If they didn't go, it would be disrespectful to each other.

Sister Song is a person who cares about face very much. Even if she is a relative, not giving her face will have extremely serious consequences.

Zhu Chuanren didn't want to confront the Kong family. Again, although he wasn't afraid of it, it was troublesome and there was no need to cause this trouble.

And Ni Sichun felt that she had not made much contribution to the Zhu family for so long. Even though she was reluctant at times, she still insisted on going, as if she was maintaining the relationship between the two families for her husband.

Zhu Chuanren naturally understood what Ni Sichun was thinking, and he was furious in his heart. It seemed that his status was still not high enough. When he had the qualifications to say no to the Song family, he would be close.

At the moment, he still has to take advantage of the relationship between the Ni family and the Song family, so if he endures it, it's not a huge grievance.

(End of this chapter)