Chapter 52 Afternoon Tea
Rock and Henry had been drinking with Winston all morning, and the snacks to go with the wine were just better than nothing, so now it was standard afternoon tea time.
Although Britain does not produce tea, the British love to drink tea. In the 21st century, Britain is the world's number one tea consumer, with consumption accounting a quarter of the world's total production. English afternoon tea occupies a very important position in British catering culture, and its importance is second only to dinners and banquets. The etiquette requirements are very strict, with many rules from clothing, environment, mood to tea, utensils, desserts and so on.
Rock's house is really nice, and the environment is almost impeccable. Henry and Rock are now friends, and drinking afternoon tea together will help to enhance their relationship. As for the tea set, don't forget that the previous owner of this house was a smuggler. In other aspects, the smuggler may not dare to be ostentatious, but in terms of daily necessities, Rock is sure that Governor Alfred Milner is on the same level as the previous owner.
"Tsk tsk, Locke, I didn't expect you to use Wedgwood tea set. You know, you are on the same level as the royal family." When Henry saw the tea set on the coffee table, his envy of Rock for buying the house for only 100 pounds instantly turned into jealousy and hatred.
It's really hateful. The Wedgwood porcelain brand was founded in 1759, and this brand is still the official porcelain supplier for the British royal family.
Rock's tea set is from the Iris bone china series, which conforms to the perfect British aesthetic. The teacups and teapots have geometric shapes and textures designed on them. It has both the classic feel of backgammon and the fashionable feel of modern geometry, making it very suitable for men.
"Don't look at me like that. I don't know how much this set of tea set is worth. You know, the previous owner was a smuggler. Maybe he smuggled the tea set." Rock didn't care how much the tea set was worth. After drinking for a whole morning, his stomach felt empty and uncomfortable. He had already started eating snacks.
Desserts are an important part of British afternoon tea. Desserts are served on a three-tiered dessert stand. The first tier is filled with various savory sandwiches, the second tier is filled with traditional British desserts such as scones, some puff biscuits and chocolates, and the third tier is filled with cakes or fruit tarts.
When eating, follow the rule of taste from light to heavy, from salty to sweet, and start from top to bottom. Rock ate the sandwich first.
The taste is really average. There is too much cheese, the meat is cut a little thick, and the bread is not evenly baked. Don't expect Zack's mother Anna to be a good cook. If he wants to eat well, Rock still has to find a way to hire a chef from Qing. To be honest, Rock has never had a good meal since he came to this era. The restaurant in the police dormitory has a rich variety of food and unlimited food. Don't expect the taste. Compared with the cuisine of Greater China, the food cooked by the British can be called dark cuisine.
Of course, according to the British dietary health standards, the preparation methods of many delicacies in Greater China are also dark cuisine.
The method is not important, the key is to taste delicious, delicious, delicious!
"What a waste!" Henry didn't bother to complain about Rock's vulgar way of eating, he picked up the sandwich and started stuffing it.
Plug, plug, plug——
Fill, fill, fill——
Tons, tons, tons—
After making three plates of snacks and drinking a pot of milk and a pot of black tea, Rock finally came back to his senses.
Well, it’s too much consumption. It has nothing to do with Ada, it’s all Winston’s fault.
"It's great! I've been in Cape Town for ten years, and this is the most enjoyable afternoon tea I've ever had." Henry looked very satisfied.
"Ten years? I thought you were born in Cape Town." Rock was very interested in Henry's past, which helped Rock to understand Henry better.
"How is that possible? I have two brothers and a sister. You know, I am not eligible to inherit the title, so I can only make a living on my own. I came to Cape Town ten years ago and first worked in the Immigration Bureau. Later I joined the army, and then you know what happened next." It was obvious that Henry had set an ambush. He was also a man with a story.
Regarding the inheritance of the title, this is the tragedy of the second sons of all aristocratic families, but there is nothing to complain about. Being born in aristocratic families, they already have all the advantages. At least before they come of age, they don't have to worry about the so-called "unfairness".
"Is your sister pretty?" Rock can be very silly sometimes. This is a common problem among all men. They eat what is in the bowl and look at what is in the pot. They think other people's wives are the prettiest and their own sons are the best.
"Get out! You already have Ada. I warn you, don't set your sights on my sister." Henry looked down on Rock, a "second-hand good", and was rude to him.
"I don't even know if your sister is pretty or not!" Rock felt really wronged. If Henry's sister looked like Anna, Rock would get as far away from her as possible.
Of course, if Henry's sister is beautiful, then Rock wouldn't mind having some super-friendly relationship with Henry's sister.
"Ha, forget it, you beast. My sister is still in middle school. She is a student of Brighton Roding. Does she know where Brighton Roding is?" Henry felt superior. Rock, who was born in the Qing Dynasty, had attended a private school for a few days at most and definitely didn't know what Brighton Roding was.
"Ha, it seems that your family's title is not that great. Do you have the ability to send your sister to Eton College?" Rock not only knew the Brighton Roding Girls' School, but also Eton College.
Brighton Roding Girls' School was founded in 1885. It is the best girls' secondary school in the UK and is as famous as the most famous Eton College in the UK.
"Idiot, Eton College is a boys' school and doesn't accept girls at all." Henry took the opportunity to laugh at Rock.
No, isn’t the key point why Rock, a Chinese who has never been to the UK, knows about Brighton Roding Girls’ School and Eton College?
Well, on this issue, Rock really had no way to refute Henry.
The only honorary alumna of Eton College is Queen Elizabeth, but this is 1899 and the Queen isn't even born yet.
Note, it’s just “honor”.
"By the way, Henry, how many years have you not been back to England? Is your sister still in school?" Rock was a little skeptical. As a careless brother, he would probably not remember what grade his sister was in.
Sure enough, as soon as Rock finished speaking, Henry opened his mouth wide. It seemed that Rock was right. Henry's impression of his sister was still stuck in the time when she was in middle school.
It turned out that some people were not susceptible to nagging, and the next morning, Rock met Henry's sister Phyllis.
No wonder Henry didn't tell Rock whether his sister was pretty or not. Rock thought that Henry's sister was ugly. It was not until he met Phyllis that he realized that it made sense for the nobles to constantly improve their genes to a certain extent.
