The priests gritted their teeth and stirred the soap just right. Everything was the same as last night, and all thirty-five wooden boxes were filled with soap.
At this point, the priests dragged their almost broken bodies to rest, and it was time for Rurik to fulfill his promise and return home.
He changed into thick clothes, and with Bo Na seeing him off, he walked through the snow to his door.
Stuffed into the linen pocket of the leather coat, the silver coins inside were jingling.
"Hey, Rurik, we made a new soap, can the leader sell it quickly?" Bona asked.
"Want more silver coins"
"Of course, we all want to be rich."
"Then try your best to make it. My father can easily sell what you make. Don't work too hard and take a break after working for a few days. You don't have to worry about grazing, Rumia, my servant is not Would be stupid enough to run away.”
Rurik spoke a lot of things that worried Pona with a small mouth, and reassured her.
Suddenly, he stopped again.
"What's wrong with you Rurik?" Bona stopped and asked.
"I'll give you a little gift, just reach out."
Bona didn't think much. She watched the child put his hand into his leather jacket and soon took out a silver coin.
"Ah...does this... conform to the contract you signed with us?" She rationally told Poona that she probably shouldn't take the money alone.
"Just accept it, it's a personal gift from me to you. I care about soap more than the rest of you, I can see clearly."
Rurik thought about many long-term things. The longevity of his father and the high priest was probably coming to an end. By that time, Bona would succeed the high priest, and he should naturally become the leader.
The alliance between priests and chiefs needs to continue.
Rurik heard some unfavorable remarks about Bona. The high priest Vilia criticized her for not studying her lessons well, and others criticized her.
Is there something wrong with her? Of course there is.
Rurik could feel that all the lower-level priests were very sensitive to money, and this Bona was the most sensitive.
She loves money and the problem becomes very easy. This woman has no relatives. Maybe she feels that her future backer is either the new leader or the wealth she controls.
Use money to buy the future high priest Bona, and the relationship will deepen from now on, and then continue to give her some coins. So after a few years of doing this, when I grow up, I will naturally have full control over the priest group.
Maybe this matter is very important. If you can't control the priest, maybe you will be controlled by the priest.
"Just hold on to it. We can be very good friends. In the future, I hope you will do more things and you will get more silver coins. I will never treat you badly."
Listen, is this what a seven-year-old child can say?
Bo Na couldn't control so much, so she readily agreed after receiving the money.
In this way, the initial alliance between the future leader and the future high priest began. For both parties, this alliance was an obvious win-win.
"Rurik, let's stop here." Bona finally said.
"Please go back, too. You all have a good rest tomorrow, and you can continue making when your arms are no longer sore."
In the era before industrial machines, all steps of making soap relied on human physical strength. Even if we use existing technology to make a windmill and waterwheel, its working efficiency is not that outstanding.
Modern society is based on large-scale production of modern science and technology. The Ross tribe cannot expect that at all, and they are not aware of it at all.
What's more, the tribe's current soap production is initially monopolized by the priests.
If a group of strong men whose arm muscles have exploded due to frequent rowing are recruited to work as soap stirring workers, the work efficiency will naturally increase, and even the priests will not be able to obtain considerable profits.
"That's it for now. We'll consider the development of soap in the future." Rurik thought for a while and then entered the house.
"I'm back." He opened the wooden door and pushed open the leather curtain for warmth.
"Come in quickly and sit here with me." Seeing her son, Niya quickly patted the animal skin sitting under her.
Rurik walked over naturally and snuggled into his biological mother's arms, showing his warmth.
How precious this warm scene is!
Rumia followed Otto back, and Niya's attitude towards the little girl really changed. Since the priest said that she had Odin's permission to become a member of the Ross tribe, this did not mean that she got rid of her status as a slave.
Niya doesn't want to show off as a bad old woman in front of her husband and son, and it's impossible for her to really show daughter-like care to you, Niya.
Servants are meant to work.
Rurik was forced to lie in his mother's arms for a while to please her.
As soon as he entered the house, he was actually looking for Rumia at first sight, for fear that her parents would treat her badly. Unexpectedly, the situation is not bad, Rumia now looks like a professional tailor.
"Mom, do you want Rumia to sew? You gave her our steel needle. It seems that you are at ease with her."
Niya nodded, "I asked her to mend your father's leather hat. She can sew and her skills are pretty good."
Here Rumia kept her head down, cautious and didn't want to say anything.
Rurik could understand her restraint. She had been so submissive in the past few times she stayed in his family's longhouse.
It was Rurik who found it very strange today. He suddenly asked: "Rumia, when did you learn to tailor? Maybe you... you can make clothes yourself."
"I..." Rumia raised her head slightly. The question was asked by her master. She was very happy to answer, "I learned before that we all make our own clothes. We use deerskin and we use linen."
Rumia's "we" refers to her family when she was a former Sami. Rurik thought for a while, and she, a ten-year-old girl, should indeed learn this.
Because she could only prioritize learning this, followed by how to raise deer and herd them.
After saying that, Rumia lowered her head and continued her work. Rurik watched her for a while, and it was clear from her skillful movements that this girl had sewn clothes before.
In the past, bone needles were probably used for sewing. The material was not good, and the harder leather required a lot of strength and skill to pierce. If steel needles are used, there will be no such problem. Although steel needles are small, selling them to a nation that cannot make them will be a huge profit.
Niya still held her son in her arms, fearing that this magical brat would run back to the longhouse of the priests.
She asked: "My child, you earned a lot of silver coins this time. You still need a wooden box to put the money at home."
"Of course!" When his mother mentioned this, Rurik quickly took out his pocket full of silver coins. "That's it, you guys have to help me keep it."
"As my child, we will only help you until now. When you grow up, you must protect your own money."
"Of course. Haha, I need to take good care of my mountains of silver coins!" Rurik deliberately said haha.
"You brat, you still want a silver mountain?" Niya smiled and pinched her son's little face affectionately, as if stroking a kitten. The feeling on her hands was really good.
Otto suddenly muttered: "Maybe it's possible."
"A mountain of silver" Niya asked.
"Why not?" Otto stretched out his right hand and pointed at a bag of silver. "He is a born businessman, and he will have more and more silver coins in the future. I'm afraid that if he doesn't come out this year, our box won't be able to hold it."
"This...is true" Niya opened her eyes wide.
As a wife, Niya has to manage her husband's property, because that is all her family's property. A large number of silver coins and a small amount of gold coins prove wealth.
Otto continued: "I also need to find a carpenter to make a big box for Rurik to put his silver mountain in. I also need to find a beautiful woman for him to take care of the silver mountain for him."
Rurik suddenly perked up when his father said something very sensitive.
He suddenly said: "Dad, I really need a woman to take care of my money."
"Of course, it's tradition."
"Okay." A smile appeared on Rurik's lips, staring at Rumia who was still sewing clothes. "As for a woman, I choose Rumia."
As soon as Tong Yanwuji said this, Rurik's parents were stunned on the spot, and the scene instantly became stiff. Along with Rumia, the movements of her hands also stopped.
"What...what's going on? There's something wrong with my decision."
"You!" Niya pinched her son's chin again, her big eyes and stiff face fully showed her surprise, "My child, are you in love with this woman? Are you really planning to marry her?"
His mother's words were so abrupt. Now, it was Rurik's turn to be shocked.
Rumia was also shocked. Her hands were shaking. Thinking about how kind Rurik had been to her these days, a master cared too much for a servant. Didn't he have any other requirements?
Could it be that the so-called request is a marriage contract?
Rumia didn't dare to say a word, she knew she had no right to speak.
"How could I marry her!?" Faced with the sharp eyes of his parents, Rurik quickly explained, "Does it mean that I want her to take care of my finances because I want to marry her?"
"Isn't it true? Even if you are the leader, your wife will take care of your property. That's how we are, that is the wife's obligation." Niya explained seriously.
Rurik thought about it carefully and found that the tribesmen seemed to live like this, but this concept was too simple and original.
If the tribe needs to develop further, the leader must consider hiring people to take care of his wealth. A large family will have a professional butler, and a company will have a professional accountant, let alone a gradually developing political entity.
Now, there are some big things that one has to make a solemn statement about.
Rurik said loudly: "I don't want to marry her, but she is my servant and someone I trust. I will marry a wife in the future, but before that, I need her to help manage my money."
"But is this inappropriate?" Niya asked doubtfully, "This has never happened before."
Rurik had an idea, "Now there is one. No child could earn a lot of money before, but I did it. The money is mine, and there is more and more money!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, "I also promised to give her a gift, what do you think I will give her?"
"Is it her promise to take care of your money?" Otto suddenly asked.
"No, but it has something to do with money. Rumia, stop being nervous and raise your head and look at me."
How could Rumia not be nervous! She had just speculated that Rurik had special feelings for her.
Because even in the ancient Sami community, the age of marriage is very early. It is said that the ancients did not have puberty. The situation is similar all over the world at this time and space.
Rumia is not an idiot, she understands this.
She originally thought that she would marry into another family of deer farmers, have some children, and live a peaceful life in an extremely cold place. She never thought that she would be kidnapped by the Varyags and made a servant.
Is it crazy that I have the opportunity to become the wife of the future leader? What if that becomes true?
Obviously it's unrealistic, but it makes sense to take care of the owner's property. Isn't it also incredible?
In full view of everyone, Rurik put his little hand into his pocket, took out a stack of silver coins at random, looked into Rumia's eyes, and said solemnly: "Rumia, you have contributed a lot to making soap. Maybe you feel that you If you are a servant, you cannot be paid like those priests. Now I will give you the reward. You deserve these silver coins."
"What are you!" Otto was shocked. The so-called servant, Rumia, was his son's property. Is there any reason to give property to a servant?
Indeed, from Otto's point of view, it was difficult for him to accept his son's shocking decision.
Niya also advised, "My child, that's enough. No need to give her any money, she is just a servant."
The reason for parents' objection is so ridiculous. Don't servants count as human beings?
Yes, Rurik guessed that this is what his parents thought, and this concept spread throughout the tribal alliance.
As a child, I can't change this backward concept instantly by mouthing some big principles. The tribe needs time to become civilized.
He can't change everyone for the time being, at least start with his own family.
Rurik suddenly stood up, walked straight into Rumia, and stood in front of her.
He held the money bag in his right hand and held the girl's arm in his left hand.
This move seemed to indicate that the two were in an alliance.
"I just want to give her something. The first fifteen bars of soap were the last work she did. She was almost so tired that she vomited blood. According to the standards of silver coins given to priests, she had to get at least three. Since mom and dad think this is incredible, Then change it.”
Rurik also had an idea, because silver is silver, and when it is melted it can be made into various things, such as silver bowls, but the value of silver does not change significantly. At most, a processing fee will be added?
Pure silver has a low melting point, so it is easy to smelt and cast silverware. The only consideration is how to obtain a large amount of silver.
"Dad." He looked at his father Otto, "I want to give her a gift. I want to make a silver ornament for her. I will melt it with the silver coins in my hand and make a necklace for her. What do you think?"
"This..." Looking at his son's determined eyes, Otto didn't want to be overbearing. Because the son has made a concession.
Silver is silver, but when it is melted and made into jewelry, the situation becomes a little different. Because once jewelry is made, basically no one uses it as a medium of transaction unless it can be easily minted into Chen He silver coins.
The problem is that the recast silver coins need to have a Roman seal, and the textiles must be highly similar. Otherwise, ordinary merchants will be very suspicious that lead is deliberately added to the recast silver coins to pass them off as inferior.
Otto shrugged and tugged at his wife to stop her objection.
Besides, Otto suddenly remembered something that he needed to take his son Rurik to complete in the next few days.
"Then make her a silver jewelry." Otto sighed, "Rurik, as long as you don't regret your decision."
"I will never regret it." Rurik said firmly.
"Well, I can find a good blacksmith to make her a good pendant inlaid with amber, and I can also engrave some inscriptions on it to show that she is your servant."
"Ah, blacksmiths can also make jewelry." Rurik was very happy about the change in his parents' attitude. Now he has a new interest in blacksmithing.
"Nothing surprising." Otto deliberately showed his son the ruby on the hilt of his precious sword. "Look at this, it's inlaid with gems and plated with silver. I'll take you and your servant to the blacksmith tomorrow. It's settled!"
"Ah! So fast." Rurik was overjoyed.
"It's not just about this, the main thing is to order an iron sword for you. You have to understand that since you have the money, you have to pay the deposit and the balance of the iron sword. My father will give you a chance to be independent today. .”
Rurik nodded deeply.
"And your servant's pendant is made at your expense. You can even ask the blacksmith to decorate it with precious stones, but the price will be more. I think you are happy to dress up your servant. This child of yours is indeed different. .”
Rurik, listen, the blacksmiths of the tribe are really complex talents. Can a blacksmith also be a silversmith, a jeweler, and a gem expert?
What kind of talents are these! Such people exist in the tribe
Rurik didn't care about this at all before, but now he has to pay attention.
If I have contact with these magical blacksmiths, I will definitely ask them to do more things for me in the future.
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Chapter 92 Giving Rumia a Gift
