I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 22 The 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 give up until he watched the reluctant Peter give 100 rubles to the grateful Gorbunov.

"You're not going to look for him back, are you?" George suddenly felt that being a naughty kid seemed pretty good.

The behavior of naughty children makes people around them 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, why are you bringing this troublesome 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 young ladies were 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 nothing. There are many dirty things in the aristocratic circle. For example, Peter in front of George. This guy later married the sixth princess of Asia and lived together for 15 years, but had no children because Peter did not know how to do it. He likes women and has never touched the Sixth Princess.

George's uncles and cousins ​​had more dissolute private lives than Ya Er before meeting Ekaterina.

In the French drama "The Ball" currently being screened in St. Petersburg, the heroine sparked a fight between two unnamed grand dukes.

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, prom is just a game.

Girls, who are generally precocious, usually go to dances 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, but he will never grow up if he is full of bad intentions and teases people all day long.

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 Peter prepared was very rich, and there were more than ten kinds of wine alone.

The Yingying Yanyans didn’t know that George didn’t drink, but Nikolai and Georgi definitely knew 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. It's time to try to do some things that only 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.

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 cup, 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.

Nicholas also picked up the 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 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.

It's definitely an exaggeration to drink a thousand glasses, but champagne is generally only 12 or 3 degrees Celsius, and to George, it's about the same as beer.

Russians are known for their heavy drinking, but in fact most vodka only has 40 degrees alcohol.

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 was still very eager 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 bubbles are normal.

This thing is called hops in the East.

Between the two words bubbles and hops, which one 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 was 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 cup of champagne only lasts for half a tael at most. Even if you have a big mouth, it won’t be enough to drink in one sip. Can you get drunk with this amount of wine?
  I look down upon George so much.

George could 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.

Nicholas frowned.

Russian custom is to drink as long as there is wine in the glass.

It was George's first time drinking, and according to Georgi's method of pouring it, George was afraid that he would lie down and go back later.

(End of this chapter)