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If it weren’t for this genius who honed the key to biology, Lorenzo would never have allowed him to perform dissections in the wilderness.
Soon, people discovered things even smaller than mosquito legs and onion skins.
These tiny organisms would wriggle, divide, and swim.
Hedy quickly used the new equipment to publish a paper, collectively calling them microorganisms.
Over the past few months, Hedy had become increasingly close to the people at the academy, earning the unanimous recognition and affection of many scholars.
With the discovery of bacteria, the difference between boiling water and river water was further demonstrated. People found barely visible eggs in river water, even witnessing the hatching process under the microscope. After being filtered and boiled, the water was indeed safe and clean.
As microbiology spread like wildfire, the news of Hedy building the boiler house garnered support from both the academy and the Medici family. The generous lord expressed willingness to provide Florence Academy with a long-term supply of clean water, and if conditions allowed, would consider building a second boiler house.
Such advanced everyday items would inevitably spread from the upper class to the lower society, slowly transitioning from luxury goods to more common commodities.
Halloween soon arrived.
Hedy’s seat was now much closer to the head of the table, and during meals, she could hear the chatter and laughter of the five or six young boys. This era also had a form of Trick or Treat, but instead of candy, children went door to door asking for “soul cakes,” which appeared to be a type of bread covered in raisins. For each cake they received, they would pray for the friends or family of the strangers.
"May your family find the path from purgatory to heaven."
In addition, people would leave an empty chair, with corresponding food and wine set out on the seat.
Hedy noticed that the empty seat was very close to Mr. Medici and was filled with the finest wine.
Suddenly, she realized.
This wine was poured for his younger brother, Giuliano.
And… he, Giuliano, and Botticelli had all loved the same person.
She lowered her head, cutting into her lamb chop, and began thinking about other things.
Mr. Medici appeared indifferent, rarely showing any signs of emotion.
Botticelli would weep and drink heavily for the deceased, even wanting to charge into hell to find her.
But Mr. Medici, she thought, would likely never be moved by anyone.
Whether in the Middle Ages or during the Second World War, politicians are always politicians. Everything can be weighed on the scale of self-interest.
Hedy was lost in thought, thinking about old matters, when suddenly she heard a startled cry.
"Piero!"
Clarice immediately stood up, and her chair screeched loudly against the floor.
Hedy instinctively turned her head to look and saw a child clutching his throat, his face turning pale from coughing, and he had already started making suffocating wheezing sounds.
"You're choking on beans—spit it out!" Lorenzo's face also changed as he quickly moved over to pat the boy’s back.
But the child kept coughing desperately, unable to expel the obstruction in his airway.
“Hedy—Hedy!” Clarice was completely frantic, and instinctively looked towards her.
Hedy quickly ran to the other side of the table, reaching out to hug the boy from behind.
The child had started struggling wildly, gasping for breath.
