The success of the curved plow and the bull nose ring significantly boosted Marin’s influence in the Hoffman estate.
Both Old Hoffman and Lady Mary began to value Marin’s opinions.
Seeing that he now had a say, Marin decided to take advantage of his time at home to implement some reforms on the backward Hoffman estate.
Besides increasing productivity, he also aimed to change some of the bad habits the people on the estate had developed.
For instance, the first reform Marin proposed was about bathing…
Aside from Marin, who had come from another world, the Hoffman family members were devout Catholics.
They strongly believed in the absurd church propaganda that “not bathing equals purity.” As a result, aside from Adler, who rinsed himself after intense training sessions, Old Hoffman, Lady Mary, and Marin’s younger siblings would go long periods without bathing.
Lady Mary even applied musk and other perfumes to mask the odors that built up from not washing.
In fact, the Hoffman family bathed more frequently than many others.
During summer, they would bathe every few days.
In winter, however, they might go two or three months without bathing.
Some devout believers would go years without bathing.
For example, the Sun King Louis XIV, who ruled for 72 years, only bathed seven times.
While some people might take years to perfect their skills, Louis XIV seemed to take years just to bathe once.
When dining with his family, Marin couldn’t bear to sit too close to them, as they all had a bit of a sour smell from not bathing regularly.
This made him feel like he wasn’t dining with nobles but rather with beggars who didn’t care about cleanliness.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Marin had the estate’s woodworkers craft two large oak tubs, which were painted and left to dry for a few days before being used as bathing tubs.
He also built a small enclosed room next to his own to house one of these tubs.
Then, to the shock of his entire family, Marin began a “suicidal” routine of bathing every day.
“Dear, why are you torturing yourself like this? Did not being accepted into the emperor’s army hit you so hard that you’re considering suicide?” Lady Mary asked, concerned.
Old Hoffman, meanwhile, had rolled up his sleeves, ready to “rescue” Marin from the bath.
“Haha, Mother, who told you bathing was suicidal? That idea is simply absurd!”
“How dare you! That was said by the highly esteemed bishops!” Old Hoffman retorted angrily.
“Father, my teacher, who traveled the world, told me that in Turkey, people consider bathing a habit, and every town has public bathhouses.”
“Don’t mention those heathens from Turkey! They are followers of the devil,” Old Hoffman responded with displeasure.
“Even so, Ancient Rome had public bathhouses too, and Romans regularly visited them. I haven’t heard of Romans all dying from bathing.”
“Didn’t the great Germanic tribes destroy the Roman Empire?” Old Hoffman countered.
“They were defeated by Germanic armies, not from too much bathing…” Marin was at a loss for words and a bit worried about his father’s reasoning skills.
“Well…” Old Hoffman found himself unable to argue further.
“Dear, are you sure bathing won’t cause illness?” Lady Mary asked, still concerned.
“I’m certain, absolutely sure! My teacher said that in Asian countries, including that large empire in the East, people regularly bathe, and no one has heard of bathing causing illness.”
“But surely the bishops wouldn’t lie to us, right?” Adler chimed in.
“Well, let me ask you, does the Bible mention anything about getting sick from bathing? God never said that and neither did Jesus. This idea seems to have spread after the Black Death and has no real basis.”
“I still don’t feel right about it…” Old Hoffman, though unable to refute Marin, held on to his views.
“Don’t worry! If you don’t believe me, just watch. I’ll bathe every day and see if I get sick!”
“But son, I’m afraid…” Lady Mary remained concerned.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I wouldn’t risk my life for nothing. My teacher was a great scholar, not a bishop with limited understanding.”
Over the next few days, Marin boldly bathed every day, even singing a German version of the “Bathing Song” as he enjoyed his baths.
His family was left both puzzled and concerned.
Kahn and Kohler, following Marin’s orders, also began bathing daily in their own tubs, set up in the small bathroom next to Marin’s.
After two weeks, the trio were still perfectly healthy and full of energy, while the rest of the family remained anxious, fearing that Marin would suddenly fall ill and pass away.
Then, in a bold move to force a change in his family’s habits, Marin took advantage of some free time, tricked his younger brothers Simon and Albert into his room, and forcibly stripped and threw them into the bath.
This caused an uproar in the household.
Old Hoffman, armed with a stick, chased Marin around the estate.
Even Lady Mary, who had always doted on Marin, was furious.
If Marin hadn’t proved through his own example that bathing was safe, Lady Mary might have joined Old Hoffman in a “double attack” on Marin.
Amidst the family’s concerns, Simon and Albert, those two little troublemakers, showed no signs of illness after bathing.
Slowly, the family began to relax.
Adler, being the most daring, was the first to give it a try.
Marin had asked the estate’s woodworkers to make more tubs, and Adler claimed one for himself, setting up a small bathhouse near his room.
He began bathing regularly, although not as frequently as Marin.
Adler washed every two or three days, but even this was considered quite rebellious.
Next to try was Lady Mary.
As a woman, she naturally preferred cleanliness.
Seeing that her sons were regularly bathing with no ill effects, she was tempted to join them.
Soon, she too began to bathe often, making herself clean and fragrant…
and she couldn’t escape Old Hoffman’s advances afterward.
“Go away, you stinker! You reek! Go bathe or don’t even think about coming near my bed!”
And so, Old Hoffman reluctantly joined the bathing brigade.
As Lady Mary started bringing their daughter Annie along, soon every member of the Hoffman family had adopted the habit of bathing.
When Marin sat down for dinner with his family again, it no longer felt like he was dining with a group of beggars at a beggars’ headquarters…