CHAPTER 16 #2
Whether it was collecting penicillin-producing plants or helping her design a kindergarten, it seemed there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, no matter the effort.
As Hedy quietly watched him concentrate on his drawings, she suddenly realized that she had been overly cautious and careful in the past.
At least Leonardo was kind.
She sighed gently.
He only made occasional small mistakes, but even then, he would ride hundreds of miles to bring her a large bouquet of daffodils.
How could she not forgive him?
Leonardo finished the last gear, massaged his neck and shoulders, and let out a sigh of relief.
As he turned his head to look at the night sky, he finally noticed that she was watching him.
The faint smile in her light blue eyes made his heart skip a beat.
"What... are you looking at?" he instinctively asked.
Hedy smiled and waved her hand.
Suddenly, she thought of the photograph of the Curie couple.
If she could spend her life with someone who shared her thoughts and ambitions... maybe it would be very happy.
Not long after, the first swing was completed in the backyard of the Doge’s Palace.
The double-triangle structure ensured its stability, and a small cushion was tied to the seat.
Although Leonardo had calculated its weight limit and swinging range, he still felt a little uneasy when he sat on it himself.
"I'll push you, just hold on tight," Hedy said, standing behind him. She noticed he was about to tie his hands to the ropes. "Relax a little... it's not like you're about to be hanged."
"Will I really not fall off?"
Hedy smiled without answering, gently giving the swing a push.
The swing began to rock back and forth, gradually going higher and higher.
Leonardo realized he was swinging through the air like a seagull, slowly opening his eyes and couldn’t help but cheer, "Hedy—I'm flying!"
Hedy laughed and gave it another push, stepping aside to watch him enjoy himself.
Leonardo quickly mastered the technique of swinging by using his legs, even starting to instinctively push against the ground with his toes for more momentum. Before long, he was gripping the ropes and having a great time.
He could easily spend the whole afternoon on this swing!
"It really feels like flying—" As he came down, he braked with his toes, turned to look at her, and smiled brightly. "Do you want to try?"
"Me?" She hadn’t expected him to offer the seat to her so quickly. "Sure."
She probably hadn’t swung on a swing in decades.
Once Hedy sat down, she noticed the position was slightly higher than she expected and turned to give instructions. "Don’t push too high, I’m afraid I’ll fall off."
He smiled and nodded, pushing her gently forward.
The light, carefree feeling returned with the summer breeze rustling through the long trees, and she couldn’t help but cheer, "Higher!"
The carefree sensation of her younger years surged back, and her smile relaxed as well.
Her dark hair flowed like silk in the wind, and her laughter rang out like the sound of a silver bell.
"Higher, Leonardo!"
"Alright!"
Lorenzo stood on the upper floor, gazing down at the young couple enjoying themselves. After a long while, he chuckled.
Although he stood by the window, no sunlight came in.
The swing quickly became the most popular pastime.
Not only were there three swings in the Doge's Palace courtyard, but the lord's children could play on them from morning till night. Other nobles also requested designs from the craftsmen and had several swings built.
The young noblewomen, cooped up in their chambers, started to come up with different ways to play on the swing, with some even managing to swing high without falling off.
The current pope of Florence, the most enlightened Lorenzo, was so open-minded that he could even tolerate pagan oil paintings, and indulgence no longer had the same sinful connotation as it did with the Roman pope.
Gradually, even in the municipal square, swings were reconstructed, with blacksmiths crafting silver-painted roses and climbing vines that adorned the posts.
Not long after, Florence’s first kindergarten was officially established.
It not only had spacious classrooms, a public dining hall with posted menus, but also included nuns and other charitable women from monasteries, who took care of every child with great care.
From two to five years old, children could play, rest, and learn basic language and small skills without a worry in the world.
The kindergarten also had a doctor and regular supervisors, ensuring the safety and health of the children.
The existence of such an institution seemed almost like a fairy tale—
Any female worker from the Medici workshop could entrust her child to the care center for just five silver coins for four months, and meals were included!
What a great deal! As long as the child was dropped off in the morning and picked up in the evening, the parents could focus on their work and earn money for the family during the day!
When the news first spread, many people couldn’t believe it.
They thought it was a joke because, after all, what businessman would spend their own money on such charitable acts?
But Hedy truly made it happen.
The kindergarten wasn’t very large, with only five classes, but it could accommodate about seventy to eighty children.
Before the opening, all the spots had already been filled, and some even went so far as to send gifts, begging for them to make room for one more child.
Not only the common folk, but the nobles also began visiting one after another, hoping that Hedy would open a special kindergarten just for the aristocracy.
Their children were often looked after by nannies, but there were always various oversights.
— The palace was indeed not suitable for children to run and play; even a casually damaged painting could be a priceless masterpiece from three or four centuries ago.
If these upper-class children could gather together from an early age, it would not only help with their future marriages but also foster cooperation and friendship between powerful families.
The lord was quite generous, directly investing in the construction of new kindergartens throughout the city's north, south, east, and west, with a brand new kindergarten specially built in the central area for the nobles—one that could only be accessed by referral and had plenty of restrictions.
Once Hedy realized there was support from the government, she felt much more at ease. She began to print even more copies of the "Baby Care Guide," aiming to save the lives of more children.
"Don’t hit them recklessly, don’t violate their bodies, and raise them with love and reason."
Many of the modern concepts that seemed self-evident in later times were considered new and progressive in this era, even sparking criticism and backlash.
— She faced opposition and condemnation once again.
Previously, it had been when she published papers as an alchemist, and later when there were suspicions about an improper relationship with Lorenzo, with rumors that Florence would fall into a corrupt, decadent state.
It seemed that whenever women tried to make reforms or advancements, they were met with malicious speculation and attacks.
She had long since grown accustomed to it.
Hedy's advocacy against corporal punishment for children met with strong opposition from many old church followers. Some even submitted articles to newspapers attacking her views.
— Children were seen as embodiments of original sin, born inherently evil.
Without the use of the rod and the whip to give them a harsh lesson, how could they ever learn to be good?
If corporal punishment were abolished based on her explanation alone, wouldn’t the teachers who had learned the art of whipping become laughingstocks?
This controversy was indeed frustrating. It was a choice that aligned with human nature, yet it was still slandered and questioned by theology.
However, even hundreds of years later, even in modern times, many humanistic ideas would still be mocked and doubted.
Though Hedy anticipated such reactions, she hadn’t expected the zealousness of some conservatives to be so fierce.
It was as though they believed that without the ability to punish children or use whips and abuse, life would lose all its joy.
She sighed, deciding to seek help from other friends.
But to her surprise, the Medici-controlled newspaper directly published the angry attack.
This led to an unexpected twist in the situation.
Many people began writing letters, some even having literate servants pen their words for them, vocally condemning such vile thoughts, using their own voices to interpret these doctrines.
"God asks us to love our neighbors as ourselves—why can’t we show kindness to our own children?"
"There is so much moral teaching in the Bible—whipping is not the only way!"
"I support Miss Medici’s view, children can be loved and embraced!"
The newspaper kept publishing more and more similar statements, and even public opinion began to subtly shift.
Such passionate and fervent defense wasn’t just appearing in black and white on paper. It was reported that debates were happening in places ranging from the Academy of Plato to taverns, with some families and schools quietly putting away their rods.
People seemed to be shedding many shackles, both material and spiritual, as well as emotional ones.
When Hedy put down the newspaper, she had a faint sense of something.
The Middle Ages had truly come to an end.
She, along with everyone else, stood at the beginning of the Renaissance, all walking toward a new life together.
This world would eventually return everything that belonged to God to the people.
Life, time, desires, joy, and the meaning of living—
We were meant to live for our own happiness.
By the time the kindergartens were completed, it was March of 1486.
The weather had gradually turned a little colder.