Many modern writers and writers take it for granted that 16th-century England must have been a country full of vagabonds who smelled like sewers. Because they felt that the people at that time were very afraid of the Black Death, coupled with the vigorous propaganda of the Catholic Church, the whole of Europe, including the Kingdom of England across the Strait of Dover, finally entered a "stinking age" in which the whole people did not bathe.

If the idea of a dialogue could be realized, Bruce Hard, the steward, and Arthur Field, the steward, who were in the service of their respective lords, would surely have retorted contemptuously: "Gentlemen, the plagues that have had a catastrophic effect on the whole of British society and have occurred so many times have indeed changed the history of our country to a great extent. However, not being able to take a shower doesn't mean that everyone in Britain can't dress appropriately. Because of the outbreak of the plague, should we ignore the basic importance of having a clean and tidy appearance and maintaining personal body odor? ”

"No, this is by no means the life that the lords or nobles want. They like to be clean, tidy, and have an elegant appearance, and they do the same for their servants. As for how to maintain personal hygiene without taking a shower, then you can only change your underwear frequently, and you must use absorbent linen. ”

Of course, the words of the stewards are one-sided, and they also speak from the standpoint of the lord or noble. For the poor in society or some poor tenant farmers, the practice of changing clothes frequently seems to be a very luxury.

In the mid-16th century, an ordinary peasant of the lower classes would have to pay 1 shilling or 1.5 shillings (1 shilling equals 12 pence) to buy a new canvas shirt. At that time, the price level in London was that the cheapest bread bar in food cost 0.5 pence a piece, and the salary of a skilled worker or farmer was only 4 pence a day.

Therefore, the exaggeration of medieval Europe, which later historians called "Europe without bathing for a thousand years", only applies to the two major Catholic countries of the European continent, France and Spain, as well as to the large number of poor peasants in the European countries.

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As a member of the family, Euphemia Walton, under the guidance of her father, mother and governess, also had a very strong fear of the Black Death, which swept across the continent, and many contagious diseases (plagues) that were prevalent in England. Therefore, "can't take a bath" has become one of the main themes of her life.

Although she can't take a shower, Yuphimia, as a young lady, is perfectly equipped to keep her clothes clean and tidy every day. Even if she sometimes sweats too much and has been to places where the air around her is not fresh, she can use a linen cloth to wipe her body. In this way, it is normal for Isabel Walton, who is sitting next to her, not to notice that she has a bad smell.

When she woke up, Euphemia happily said to her "sister", "Isabel, actually, before today's dinner, I wanted to ask you a question. Do you want to know what the problem is? ”

Isabel said yes, but her eyes searched the room for items in the light of the oil lamp. When Euphemia realized that the other party's attention was not on her, she asked strangely, "Isabel, is there something you are looking for to answer my question in your place?" ”

"Oh, I'm sorry, Effie. Uh, what did you want to say? ”

"My God, you haven't listened to what I'm saying!"

"I'm sorry, Effie. Actually, I'm looking for some bath items that I can use. ”

"God willing! Isabel, you... You... What are you talking about? Do you want to... Bathe? ”

Isabel felt a strong sense of surprise from the frightened expression on the other party's face, the incoherent words. She didn't understand what had happened in the last few seconds, and reassured Euphemia and said, "Effie, what's wrong with you?" Why is your body shaking so much? Talking isn't as happy as it was just now? ”

Euphemia looked cautiously around the room and the closed door, and whispered in a tone that seemed to escape God's imminent punishment of her, "Don't you know that bathing can make you suffer from sweating, malaria, fever, and smallpox?" Maybe tomorrow will make you leave us in agony, from Asker Manor! ”

Isabelle's mouth opened slightly in astonishment, her eyes wide in an effort to see the "demon" hidden beneath Miss Walton's heavy expression. It took her a long time to react, and she said in a tone full of doubts: "Effie, how do you know that you can get diseases such as hidrosis, malaria, and fever when you take a bath?" ”

Next, Euphemia finally found an opportunity to pass on the "life experience" she had gained over the years to others. At length, Isabel took the trouble to recount the "inevitable connection" between bathing and the plague.

After the other party finished speaking, Isabel finally recalled some of the contents of the middle school textbook. Leaning on the side of the bed, he stared at Euphemia and thought, "It's useless to tell her about the benefits of bathing. The British government and people of this era had great limitations in their response to the plague, and these limitations were intricate and related to the medical methods, technology, and even religion and politics of the time. ”

Now, how do you solve this problem? It can meet her own needs, but it cannot completely subvert the misconceptions that Euphemia and her family have in the context of the times. ”

"By the way, Henry, that kid and everyone else say that I am a precious Christmas gift from God to Sir Sir."

"If religious ideas can have a huge influence on them, why can't I put religion to good use?"

"Use Catholicism to find a good excuse for bathing yourself!? Am I really a witch with magic? What if some powerful bastard nobleman falsely accused me of being a witch and planned to burn me with a cross? ”

Euphemia, who was sitting across from her, tilted her little head and said to her, "Isabel, although I feel like we've known each other for a long time, I never knew where you came from. ”

Isabel came back to her senses, smiled and said, "I am from Andorra la Vella, in the Principality of Andorra. ”

Euphemia muttered, "The Duchy of Andorra? Well, let me think about it, I think I've heard that name somewhere. ”

Then, suddenly, she said happily, "I see." Once, in my French class, I overheard Mr. Fitzgerald mention such a small buffer state established by Charlemagne. ”