My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 440: No urination or defecation allowed

After being locked up in the courtyard for many days in a row, a noble playboy like Makaros could no longer hold it in. Although there was food and drink here, he always felt like being in prison.

He knew that he was a criminal in the Ming Dynasty, and that he was not sentenced to death or thrown into prison. That was the mercy of the Emperor. However, after staying here for a long time, he could not help but want to go out for a walk and have a look.

Everything here made him curious.

The architectural style is completely different from that of Castile. Precious porcelain in Europe can be seen everywhere here. He really wants to go out and see it.

Come and see the prosperity of the Eastern lands and see if it is true as Marco Polo said, that there is gold everywhere.

Although Father Antonio was also curious about everything in the Ming Dynasty, he was not as anxious as Makaros. His many years of ascetic life and the constraints of the Vatican's rules and regulations also made him more patient than Makaros.

Although Ali agreed to help ask the Duke of Wei, with his status, he had no chance to see Xu Da. He was just bragging in front of Makaros and the other two to improve his own status.

He could only convey his intention to the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was in charge of the two of them. As for who this captain would convey this matter to, that was not something he could know.

"Father Antonio, can the Duke allow us to go out and relax?"

During lunch, Macaros spoke to Father Antonio while holding his chopsticks somewhat stiffly.

He finally picked up a piece of braised pork slices and put it in his mouth. He tasted it carefully and found that the meat was tender and soft, rich in fat, and had a good color, aroma and taste, which whetted his appetite.

The diet of the Ming Dynasty is completely different from that of Castile, and the dishes here are also eye-opening to him.

Castilian cuisine mainly consists of grilled, smoked and cured meats, as well as red stew, accompanied by some raw vegetables and fruits, and the staple food is black bread.

However, their family was aristocrats, so the black bread they ate was naturally different from that of commoners. It did not contain sawdust and tasted much softer.

But in the East, the dishes here really surprised him. The dishes here are exquisite and delicious, and each has its own style. What is even more amazing is that vegetables can be cooked and do not have to be eaten raw. They taste even more delicious and no one knows how they are cooked.

Daily meal time can be said to be his most painful and most enjoyable moment.

The painful thing is that he really can't learn how to use chopsticks. Looking at the food on the table, he wants to throw away the damn aristocratic etiquette and eat with his hands.

At this time, Father Antonio was carefully picking up the meat slices with chopsticks. He finally picked up a piece of meat, then put it into his mouth, chewing it slowly, feeling the taste of the meat.

When he was done, he glanced at Makaros and said casually, "God has his own plans."

Then he continued to pick up the meat with difficulty.

Upon hearing this, Makaros almost blurted out "God has no control over the East", but then he closed his mouth and quickly repented in his heart. It was a close call, as he almost blasphemed God just now.

I could only use chopsticks to pick up the rice in the bowl to block my mouth.

But then again, this white rice is much better than the tasteless rye bread, it is delicate and smooth. Although Castile also has rice, the amount of rice grown is rare and precious, unlike the East where rice is eaten every meal. Putting aside the difference in beliefs, the East is really my ideal paradise on earth!
As they were sighing, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open and Ali walked in. In front of the two people's surprised gazes, he got straight to the point:

"The Duke has already agreed, and he is very generous. As long as you master the official language and writing system of the Ming Dynasty as soon as possible, you will be allowed to go out one day a month under the supervision of the guards."

"Yes, dear Mr. Said, we will master the language and writing of the Ming Dynasty as soon as possible!"

Makaros excitedly agreed, and immediately felt motivated again, "So, dear sir, when can we go out?"

"Tomorrow." Ali answered, while complaining in his heart that these two guys probably didn't know what they would face next.

From the gossips from the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I learned that after they have mastered speaking Chinese and writing Chinese characters, the Duke will send them to the schools in the Ming Dynasty to formally learn the ways of the sages.

Although they had studied for a while, the two could only stammer and recite "It is a great pleasure to have friends visiting from afar", but this was something that only children of a few years old learned in the Ming Dynasty. Waiting for them in the school were the complete sets of the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as various classics and historical records.

When Ali thought of the two of them nodding their heads while reading, he couldn't help laughing. He thought about how much effort he had put in to integrate into the life of the Ming Dynasty, and now it was the turn of the European nobles.

After Ali left, Makaros couldn't suppress his excitement, and even ate his meal much faster, which made Father Antonio couldn't help but say:

"When eating, use chopsticks to pick up food gently. Don't make a mess on the table. Don't be greedy and try to get too much, which will show your greed. This is the dining etiquette of the Ming Dynasty. My Lord Earl, you should abide by it."

Father Antonio spoke in Chinese. Macaros was stunned and it took him a long time to realize what the priest meant.

This priest must have been reading and memorizing the book secretly without my knowledge, otherwise how could he speak Chinese so authentically?
The next day, Makaros woke up early, washed, put on his clothes, and dressed up, then waited for Ali to come.

Father Antonio no longer wore his priest robe, but put on Ming Dynasty clothing and a small felt hat on his head. This made Makaros feel a little strange. Why did the priest do this? Was it because the cold weather froze his head?
After breakfast, Ali also came, and led by the guards, several people went out.

Walking on the street outside, Makaros couldn't help but take a few deep breaths. This is the smell of freedom, it's so good.

Taking this opportunity, he had to take a good look at Dongfang's appearance. Although he had briefly seen the scene of Yingtianfu when he was escorted back to Yingtianfu last time, the time was too short and he didn't have time to take a closer look. Moreover, he didn't know whether he was alive or dead, so his mind was not on this.

The group walked forward, and Makaros looked at the scene in front of him curiously. Everything here was new to him.

He discovered that most of the houses here were built with wood, with strange patterns of birds and beasts carved on them. They looked like exquisite craftsmanship, like works of art.

The streets are wide and although not very clean, they are much better than those in Castile.

Macaros felt a little emotional, thinking of the streets of Castile. Not only were they crowded and narrow, but they were also littered with garbage thrown around by citizens, as well as feces and urine from humans and animals. One had to take a horse-drawn carriage to go out, otherwise one would accidentally step on something disgusting.

This is not a big deal. Sometimes you will see many civilians defecating directly on the street, regardless of gender. I didn’t think it was a big deal when I was in Castile, but walking on the streets of Daming, in comparison...

Look at what civilization is, what it means to be a citizen of the Celestial Empire. If I have the chance to return to Castile, I will definitely suggest to the elders of the municipal council to prohibit citizens from urinating and defecating in public!
(End of this chapter)