Chapter 2820 Origins

Like most chain restaurants in the old timeline, Peony House prepared its fries using frozen semi-finished products delivered from a central kitchen. The potatoes were first fried in oil at roughly 175°C, removed before they turned yellow and allowed to cool, then plunged back into oil heated to 190-200°C for about a minute before being immediately sprinkled with seasoning. The frying pans required copious amounts of oil that had to be changed regularly—conditions that made fries thoroughly unsuitable for home preparation.

While Sonya savored the fries one after another, she unexpectedly fell silent, leafing through the menu she had kept. Then she suddenly pushed it toward Zahra and asked, "Do you think this story is true?"

Zahra looked down and saw Sonya was pointing to the opening pages. On the left was a reproduction of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, matching the mural at the entrance; on the right was a passage recounting Peony House's origins.

The story was, of course, the fantasy version approved by the Ministry of Truth. It claimed that Peony House had been a famous restaurant during the Eastern Capital Bianliang era. Its founder, surnamed Mai, had once been obsessed with alchemy in pursuit of immortality, earning him the nickname "Old Mai the Alchemist." Though Mai's alchemical endeavors failed, he gained excellent fire-control skills from the practice. The Peony House he later established specialized in fire-roasted flatbreads, ranked among the finest in the Eastern Capital. Though the Mai family were merchants, they remained steadfastly loyal to the nation. After the Jingkang Disaster, they followed Emperor Gaozong across the river to the south and reopened in the temporary capital. Following the Battle of Yashan, the family accompanied the Australia-Song ancestors on the long voyage to Australia, continuously adapting to Australia-Song customs, ultimately becoming Australia-Song's most famous dining enterprise with hundreds of shops.

Zahra grasped the gist of the passage. Nothing remarkable—just the usual boasting about being a century-old establishment. Similar claims existed in Persia too.

"Probably true, possibly false." Zahra shrugged, unconcerned. "He can't prove it, and you can't disprove it."

"That's true." A strange expression crossed Sonya's face as she murmured, "Can't prove it, can't disprove it."

"What's the matter with you?" The Persian girl was puzzled.

"Just like Peony House's story, the Senate is also an existence that can neither be proved nor disproved."

"What nonsense!" Zahra grew nervous, instinctively glancing around before lowering her voice. "Don't forget your status!"

But Sonya continued quietly, "I've always found it strange."

Since she had started working at the museum and conducted multiple island surveys with the Long-Range Survey Teams, this doubt had only grown stronger. During expeditions, Senator Cui Yunhong had left a deep impression on her—not merely because of his extensive knowledge and exploration abilities, but because of his insights. For nearly every plant, animal, and mineral specimen discovered, Senator Cui could identify it and provide the corresponding name.

The problem was that the names Senator Cui gave included not only Chinese but also the corresponding Latin scientific names and classifications. As the official language of the ancient Roman Empire, Latin had long been dead as a spoken tongue. Yet due to its stability, it remained the absolute standard in European academic circles for taxonomic classification—something Sonya, as a naturalist, knew intimately.

Senator Cui's Latin names were not only precise but largely consistent with current European usage. Even for specimens that had only recently been named in Europe, they were completely identical—which was exceedingly strange. Rack her brains as she might, Sonya could not recall any instance of Australia-Song scholars exchanging knowledge with European academic circles. This made her doubt the Senate's origins once again.

She harbored many similar doubts: the multiple languages the Senators commanded, their familiarity with European natural history, their knowledge of scholars and scholarship that even Sonya herself did not know—and she frequently conducted field research in Europe. She knew the academic world and its scholars quite well, yet not as thoroughly as the Senators did. Most perplexing of all, the museum's reference room actually contained writings by these very scholars! Not only that, but publishers had thoughtfully added various annotations...

"...I always feel that living among the Senators day after day, I ought to learn something from them, but there's nothing." Sonya smiled bitterly. "You know, I'm somewhat famous myself..."

"Oh yes, quite famous!" The Persian girl teased with a touch of jealousy. "Our Senator Xu even says he moved too slowly and regrets not bidding for you..."

Sonya blushed. "What nonsense are you talking!"

"I'm merely stating facts."

"If I had a choice, I'd rather not have that kind of honor," Sonya said.

"But then wouldn't you also lack everything you have now?"

A conflicted expression crossed Sonya's face. One could tell her heart was deeply torn.

Zahra understood her quite well, actually. The closer you drew to the Senators, the less their halo shone, yet the more mysteries surrounded them. She did not respond immediately but watched the crowd pouring out of the neighboring cinema walk into the verdant garden across the street, contemplating the restaurant where she sat and the various novelties that had arrived with the Senate.

After a moment's thought, Zahra replied, "Where they come from—is that really important? I rather think what they've changed, and what they'll continue to change, matters more." She met Sonya's blue eyes and continued, "Consider our own situation. Do you think you're free now, or not?"

Sonya understood at once. Their status was that of slaves. When she was being sold in Basra, she had known her fate was to enter a "harem," becoming a concubine with no personal freedom, using only looks and body to please her master. But here, setting aside her own ability to go on expeditions, even an ordinary maid like Zahra could enjoy a free and comfortable life: going out shopping, chatting freely with friends. Such freedom was unheard of even in Europe, let alone in the conservative societies of the East.

"This is probably fate's arrangement," she sighed. Then something occurred to her. "I've always been curious—how did you learn English?"

In this timeline, English remained a very niche language, far less popular than French, German, or Italian. It was neither an academic language nor a symbol of noble cultivation, nor connected to culture and the arts—no different from country dialects. Sonya's English came from her English mother. But a Persian girl far away in the Middle East—how had she learned it?

"Do you know Abbas the Great?"

"I've heard his name. A great monarch! A hero who defeated the Sultan."

"During his reign, he brought in English soldiers and craftsmen to help build armies and manufacture firearms. Our family was acquainted with the Shirley brothers at that time."

During the Safavid dynasty in Persia, to counter the increasingly severe military pressure from the Ottoman Turks, Abbas I actively introduced European military technology and sought political allies. The English proved most enthusiastic. England not only provided military aid and dispatched military advisors but even directly deployed its overseas fleet to support Persian actions in the Red Sea.

The Shirley brothers were two famous English adventurers in Persian history. The elder, Anthony, graduated from Cambridge University, then served as a soldier adventuring across the world. After meeting Abbas I, who had just ascended the throne, he actively helped build an all-firearms army and promoted cooperation with European nations. Around 1600, Anthony departed as envoy to Europe and eventually won favor from the Holy Roman Empire to become fleet commander. Meanwhile, the younger brother Robert remained in Persia to help build the army, then led three delegations to London and various European nations, facilitating formal diplomatic relations between England and the Safavid dynasty before dying on his final mission. Through their efforts, the Safavid dynasty built an army capable of matching the Ottoman Empire, greatly improving Europe's strategic position against the Ottomans.

Zahra's family had learned English because of this connection.

"...In that case, how did you..."

High-born women becoming slaves was not rare in the Mediterranean world—some captured by pirates while at sea, others seized when pirates raided coastal residences. But Zahra's family were genuine Persians, and Sonya had heard Zahra say her home lay in the interior mountains, far from the coast.

"That brings us to Shah Safi. Do you know him?"

"Not really."

"He was a terrifying monarch." Here, Zahra could not help trembling.

Abbas himself, though brilliant, had been suspicious and murderous, especially cruel to family members he suspected. Thus, all three of his sons were deposed or killed. By the time Abbas I died in 1629, he could only name his grandson Safi as heir.

Safi acceded at only eighteen. Because of his father's fate, he had grown brutal and introverted, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who might threaten his power—executing nearly all Safavid princes along with officials and generals who had achieved merit under his grandfather. Zahra's family had fallen in this violent storm.

"...After the family's downfall," Zahra sighed, "my sisters and I, along with several young brothers, all became slaves. That half year was like being in hell." She touched her chest. "Coming here, for me, was like arriving in a garden..."

Just then, their order arrived. The aroma dispelled the melancholy atmosphere. On a round wooden platter lay a circular flatbread cut into six slices. The top was covered with various fish, shrimp, and vegetables, bound together by a somewhat gooey yellow-white creamy substance. It gave off an enticing fragrance.

"Several spices here that the Chinese don't use." Zahra sniffed appreciatively. "How novel!"

(End of Chapter)