Clark and Shiller ended up not eating dinner and arrived at Marvel because Clark really didn't want to eat cabbage anymore.
They planned to find a restaurant after getting here. Shiller thought they could go to New York first; he was very fond of a Belgian restaurant in Manhattan and believed it would be a good idea for Clark to try it. However, Clark preferred to head to Mexico City to have Mexican food, as he hadn't been to Mexico for a long time and missed the corn tortillas and tacos there.
So, they still made Mexico City their first stop. Upon returning to Mexico, Clark couldn't help but exclaim, "Every time I come here, I feel full of strength. I think this might be the place on Earth closest to the sun, and everyone here is a child of the sun."
Clark basked in the sunlight, his outline completely blurred by the intense rays, with houses built of sandstone stacking up behind him, a bright halo above his head, and everyone around paying him homage as if he were a real God of the World.
Martin came to pick them up and, upon his recommendation, they found a very famous restaurant in Mexico City to have lunch.
The cuisine of Mexico is famous worldwide for its fresh, aromatic, and stimulating flavors, which are popular among many who favor strong tastes.
The staple foods in Mexico are corn and millet, with the famous snack taco's shell made from millet. Another common sight on the dining table includes beans and chili peppers, which Mexicans consume in great quantities.
Moreover, Mexicans have a unique taste for cacti, and they eat them not as vegetables but as fruits.
But perhaps the culinary heritage of ancient civilizations shares commonalities. The locals here also enjoy fruits dipped in chili powder and like to wrap everything in large tortillas, with a long tradition of sauce culture.
As early as the 17th century, Mexico had a type of hot sauce made from over a hundred rare ingredients, which has even been passed down to this day and become a showcase for Mexican chefs' culinary skills.
Shiller and Clark visited a revamped restaurant. Although Shiller could tolerate various ingredients and flavors, Clark, being a true American, didn't eat offal.
Authentic Mexican tacos come with offal and may include fried insects and other dishes, which Clark absolutely couldn't accept, so they went to a popular tourist restaurant instead.
Clark loved beef, so he ordered a set of main dishes first: a black pepper steak followed by fragrant juice beans stewed with asparagus, spicy fried fish with potato corn chips, honey cheese cactus, green and red pepper chicken strips taco, and crispy chicken wrapped in Mexican tortilla.
Shiller, not very familiar with Mexican food and having rarely eaten it, ordered according to his taste: cream sauce pan-fried salmon, corn avocado salad, and a large molten lava cake.
Martin, intending to scare the two Yankees, insisted on ordering the specialty dishes ant larvae and tripe soup.
Before the dishes arrived, Shiller said, "Originally, I was thinking of bringing Oliver over directly, but it seems his mentality needs some adjusting. Maybe you should come over first to check things out."
"I was thinking the same thing," Clark replied with a nod to the waiter serving ice water, then turned to say, "Perhaps there's no grand and noble cause here for him, but at least there's a job that can help him divert some attention."
"So the problem we're facing now is how to convince him to come here. I think he has a sort of fear of returning to a familiar place, but once he takes that step, the rest will not be a problem."
"I hope I can convince him," Clark said, crossing himself in front of his chest.
Soon, the server began to serve the dishes, and plate after plate filled up the entire table. Mexican cuisine is known for its passionate and unrestrained cooking style. Traditional Mexicans believe that food should not only be a pleasure to taste but should also pursue visual fervor and beauty, so nearly every dish features four or five colors.
The corn chips were deliberately fried to golden and purple colors and were garnished with strips of green and red peppers. The green cacti and the honey looked like a fresh spring in an oasis, while the molten lava cake was baked black around the edges, exuding a rich milky aroma.
The rim of each plate was decorated with various little figures. Martin recognized them as symbols of the Aztec civilization, clearly knowing what's most attractive to tourists, and even Clark couldn't resist taking out his phone to photograph every dish.
He said delightfully, "Lois and I are planning to go to Mexico for our honeymoon, but she doesn't handle spicy foods well. I'll try these non-spicy dishes later; maybe we can come to this restaurant right after getting off the plane."
The group began to feast. The seafood and meat were exceptionally tasty, and each vegetable had its unique flavor. The tripe soup was surprisingly delicious, and Shiller was on his taste buds, trying hard to distinguish the seasonings, planning to replicate them when he got home.
Even more surprising was the dish of ant larvae Martin had ordered. The white ant larvae occasionally revealed black ant grubs but had been fried to a golden color and then dressed with lemon juice and chili sauce. The combination of fried crispiness and a tangy, spicy freshness was incredibly appetizing.
Clark even had two spoonfuls before saying, "Ants are industrious workers. We shouldn't eat their larvae."
Martin expressed his disdain for the Americans' limited knowledge, saying, "Do you think we just snatch their eggs out of ant hills on the rocks? How many people would be needed to collect eggs for a restaurant this large?"
Clark looked around and noticed that almost every table had the dish, which was clearly the restaurant's specialty. Judging by the quantity, it definitely wasn't feasible to rely on collecting from ant hills.
"We have a formal insect farm here, which can be considered one of Mexico City's pillar industries. Most of the insects and larvae you eat here come from these farms," Martin explained.
"We're not savages, so of course we know eating wild insects can cause problems, and our civilization is much older than yours, having featured insects on our dining tables over a thousand years ago."
Every time someone talked about the history of America, Clark had no response, so he could only purse his lips and continue eating.
Shiller was somewhat curious and said, "There are many ancient nations in this world, some of which have a larger population than Mexico and thus require more food, but they have not developed a systematic cuisine of edible insects. Why is that?"
"Because we have more leisure time," Martin said with a smile. "You might think that with so many people in ancient China and several famines, why didn't they eat insects?"
"As a matter of fact, eating insects is a rather troublesome affair. First, you need to establish a discipline from scratch to identify which insects are edible and which are not, much like the study of herbal medicine in the East."
"Then you need to understand the insects' growth environment, similar to how you would gather mushrooms and other plants. However, the difference is, the plants are rooted in the ground and don't run away, whereas catching insects can depend on luck."
"Like ant delicacies, before there were ways to farm them artificially, everyone had to dig out an ant nest, but finding an ant nest was basically a matter of luck, and it was the same with other insects."
"Moreover, catching insects is riskier than harvesting plants. Digging an ant nest, one can easily get formic acid sprayed into the eyes. Many poisonous insects also lie in wait on people's paths, resulting in mild skin swelling and ulcers or even death in severe cases."
"Insects are small, and even though they have a high protein content, they are not a high-nutrition conversion food. It can be said that one goes through a lot of trouble for little gain, and only in situations where there is no shortage of food and clothing and no large-scale famines, similar gourmet cuisines would develop."
Shiller understood; in simple terms, Mexicans developed a culture of eating insects because they had enough leisure to hunt for insects, and after catching them, they figured they might as well try them, hence the development of a series of edible insect cuisines.
There are similar cultures in some areas of China, but they are relatively niche, probably because ancient Chinese people indeed didn't have that much time to chase after these little things.
The three were very satisfied with their meal, so they set off to visit The Great Pyramid.
Driving through Mexico City, Clark was still amazed by the beautiful integration of modern and ancient in the cityscape. Soon, a massive structure appeared on the horizon—the world's largest pyramid had unexpectedly descended upon them.
There were many tourists around the Pyramid, but against the backdrop of such a colossal structure, they were like grains of rice scattered on the earth, hardly worth mentioning.
Martin began to introduce the Aztec Gods to the two.
"The world was initially a void, and then a God was born, called Ometeotl, a dual God who was both light and dark, male and female, birth and death."
"This God had four children." Martin introduced their names in Spanish, but Shiller and Clark didn't understand. However, Martin soon told them their more memorable roles.
They were Lord of Flaying, Smoky Mirror, Feathered Serpent God, and Left-Handed Hummingbird.
There were all sorts of lesser Gods as well, and the most interesting part was that in the Aztec mythology, there happened to be a Maize God and a Tender Maize God, showing just how highly the people of Central America valued corn. Clark thought they should also have a Popcorn God.
Among these four Gods, the one in charge of agriculture was the Feathered Serpent God, but He was more like a deity presiding over the timing of the seasons. In Central American legends, the Feathered Serpent God arrived with the rainy season, which coincided with the time for planting maize. Therefore, He was regarded as a protective deity who could bring orderly agriculture and favorable weather.
Unlike most traditional mythological figures, the image of the Feathered Serpent was not brutal nor did it bear any imperial dominance like those found in Roman and Greek mythology. In the legends, He often played the role of a victim, constantly being poked and prodded by war Gods or Dark Gods.
In the most famous myth about the Feathered Serpent God, the Dark God came to His palace to invite Him to drink. After getting the Feathered Serpent God drunk, He caused chaos in His kingdom.
When the Feathered Serpent God awoke and saw the chaos, He was deeply disappointed. However, He didn't impose severe divine punishments or destroy the world, as many Gods might have. Instead, He burnt down His palace in sorrow, buried His treasures, withered the trees and plants, dimmed the sunlight, and then left with a heavy heart.
Halfway through His departure, someone handed Him a mirror. After looking at Himself He said "I have aged!" and then returned to the Aztec Divine Country.
When asked why He was returning, He said His father was there, and someday, everyone else would have to return as well.
The story ended there, to sum it up: the Feathered Serpent God went home to find His dad after being bullied.
In fact, the Feathered Serpent God was not native to the Aztec civilization; it was more like a fusion with the Maya civilization or a widespread belief in the American region.
But no matter which regional myth He appeared in, He was not a particularly aggressive God. His true nature was not as dangerous as His outward appearance suggested, and He particularly detested human sacrifice, which was seen as a symbol of mercy and benevolence.