Chapter 22 Sense of Ceremony
In an era when veterans’ pensions were only 36 rubles a year, 100 rubles was a lot.
George didn't just talk, he kept his word and didn't stop until he watched the reluctant Peter give 100 rubles to the grateful Gorbunov.
“You won’t look back for him to come back, will you?” George suddenly felt that being a naughty kid seemed pretty good.
The naughty child’s behavior makes people around him unhappy.
The naughty kid was so happy.
“I won’t!” Peter was very unhappy now, and he also complained a little about Nikolai and Georgi.
You guys are just here, what are you doing with this annoying guy?
George used to be known as a "virtuous" person in the aristocratic circles of St. Petersburg, but now all the good reputation he had accumulated before was gone. It's really better to meet him than to be famous.
The ladies are even more disappointed.
As mentioned before, George's personal conditions are very good. He has a tall title, good grades, does not smoke or drink, and has no bad habits. Except for his somewhat flawed background, in all other aspects he is a top choice among the top aristocrats.
In fact, the matter of birth is not important at all. There are many dirty things in the aristocratic circle. For example, Peter in front of George. This guy later married the sixth princess of Yasan and lived together for 15 years, but he didn’t Child, because Peter doesn't like women at all and has never touched the sixth princess.
George's uncles and cousins have more dissolute private lives than Ya Er before meeting Ekaterina.
The heroine of the French drama "The Ball", which is currently being screened in St. Petersburg, triggered a fight between two unnamed princes.
The two Grand Dukes finally reached an agreement to share the same lover and not interfere with each other.
The one who was most hostile to Catherine was the concubine Maria. There was no direct conflict of interest between them, it was just hatred born of jealousy.
Now that Ya'er has passed away, Catherine has left France, Maria is about to become the queen, and her hatred for Catherine will gradually fade over time.
Although George is not a grand duke, a super duke is still out of reach for ordinary nobles.
George is not only tall and tall, but also very handsome. He has inherited almost all the advantages of Ya Er and Ekaterina.
So for girls in aristocratic circles, George almost perfectly fits all their fantasies about love.
Now the ideal has finally become a reality.
For Nikolai and Georgi, the dance is just a game.
Girls who are generally precocious usually go to dance parties to find suitable marriage partners.
George's current performance does not mean that he will be completely ruled out, but he is just slightly disappointed.
It doesn’t matter, who is perfect?
As the crown prince and future tsar, Nicholas didn't look very smart.
Georgi is a real prince. He is a bad-tempered person who teases people all day long and will never grow up.
Peter seemed the most normal, but rarely interacted with the ladies, and instead mingled with the boys.
Okay, this is another one who hasn’t grown up.
“Let’s go get something to eat——” The little boy tried his best to make another plan.
Before the dance begins, you always have to fill your stomach.
The food prepared by Peter is very rich, and there are more than ten kinds of wine alone.
The Yingying Yanyans don’t know that George doesn’t drink, but Nikolai and Georgi must know that.
George noticed that Georgi was whispering to Peter, and then Peter took the initiative to pick up a glass of wine.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are all about to become adults, and we should try to do some things that adults can do." Peter's pretentious look was hilarious, and the young ladies listened attentively.
The aristocratic circle has a clear hierarchy. Only members of the royal family such as the Prince of Oldenburg are qualified to take it seriously.
So when George forced Peter to give Gorbunov money, as long as Nikolai and Georgi didn't speak, no one else was qualified to speak.
The same now. "Let's have a drink together first and congratulate the Russian Empire on welcoming the greatest tsar in history -" Georgi found a reason that no one could refuse.
If you don’t drink this drink, are you dissatisfied with Georgi’s proposal, or do you have a problem with the Tsar?
So the gentlemen and ladies were very obedient and picked up the wine.
Nicola also picked up the wine glass, and then remembered that George never drank.
“Do I need to change it to water?” Nicholas still takes good care of George. Although George is his uncle, Nicholas is four years older than George.
George shook his head in refusal and picked up the wine glass.
If you want to integrate into Russia, you don’t have to know how to drink.
Generally speaking, drinking is not enough. If George wants to truly understand Russia, he has to drink a thousand glasses.
To be able to drink a thousand glasses is definitely an exaggeration, but champagne is generally only 12 or 3 degrees Celsius, and to George, it is about the same as beer.
Russians are known for their heavy drinking, but in fact most vodka only has 40 degrees.
The alcohol content of some vodka is indeed very high, but the vodka sold exclusively in the Russian Empire has always been 40 alcohol, which has not changed for more than a hundred years.
Vodka is a drink for poor people, and rich people must drink champagne.
In the crystal clear crystal cup, amber bubbles danced gracefully along a wonderful arc. George did not appreciate the bubble column from the side like others, but looked from top to bottom.
“What are you looking at?” The little boy paid special attention to George’s every move.
“Look at the hops——”
“What are hops?” Georgi is still very easy to learn.
George smiled and did not explain.
Foreigners always like to play with rituals to improve their character, but in fact it is rare and strange.
Champagne is fermented fruit wine, and it is normal to have bubbles.
This thing is called hops in the East.
Which one of the two words bubbles and hops is more elegant?
The so-called procedure of drinking champagne is a symbol of ritual. This thing should be invented by the French in order to sell champagne at a higher price.
For Russians, vodka is true love.
George doesn't care. He has no feelings about champagne or vodka. He focuses on an experience.
To be honest, the slightly sour taste of champagne is really not a pleasant experience for George.
But the taste is quite fragrant, and the feeling of bubbles jumping on the tongue is also good.
"How do you feel?" Nicholas was concerned about George's feelings, and it seemed that George didn't even pour a glass.
"Not bad." George was unimpressed.
Champagne is not beer. A glass of wine can only be half a tael at most, and it is not enough to drink in one sip. Can you get drunk with this amount of wine?
I look down on George so much.
George can now almost understand why Nicholas drank 125 bottles of champagne in one night.
In addition to the low degree, the more people participating is probably the most important reason.
"Uncle George, you're so awesome -" Georgi was amazed and filled George's mouth again.
Nicola frowned.
Russian custom is to drink as long as there is wine in the glass.
It was the first time for George to drink alcohol. According to Georgi’s method of pouring, George was afraid that he would lie down and go back later.
(End of this chapter)