What are you happy about? Come and help me if you are happy. "Rurik turned his toner-covered face impatiently and made a face for the excited Rumia.
Rumia was in high spirits and ran over boldly: "Masta, I have completely learned that form now. If you ask me any questions, I will recite them by heart."
"Huh? When I asked you a question yesterday, you seemed to have burned your tongue and couldn't come up with a correct answer for a long time. Listen, if you memorize it wrong, it's the same as usual... I changed my mind. If you answer the question truthfully, come over and stir it up. Soap."
Hearing this, Rumia subconsciously looked at the pottery urn in front of her little master. She saw that there was some bright yellow viscous substance inside. She leaned over and smelled it. Why was there still some smell? This smell is actually a bit familiar.
"Masta, what you make here is soap."
"Ah, I didn't tell you before. This is a new type of soap. I believe it has a better decontamination effect. It can also... kill the most annoying and difficult parasites without causing any harm to people."
Rurik stopped what he was doing. After all, the work of making soap is currently monopolized by the priests. They regard this as an important means of making money, and it has been two months since the birth of the first soap. Now they still think that agreement is very wonderful. Their sense of happiness is so low, a priest can get strong satisfaction from just a few silver coins.
Of course, soap is not static, and at the price of two silver coins a piece, it is indeed a bit expensive.
To be a human being, you need to take a long-term view of things. At this stage, Rurik is more willing to make a fortune and earn a lot of wealth by selling high-end handicrafts. Organizing an army of Vikings to go on boat expeditions to kill people and plunder countless gold, this kind of thing should be put on hold indefinitely.
If Rurik was given a choice, he would rather be a dove who is gradually marginalized in Viking society, that is, those who are willing to accumulate wealth through labor. The descendants of the Doves accepted this idea, and they never left Svealand and the northern regions, eventually becoming the national foundation of future Sweden.
Doves are not cowards, they just think that looting is not as profitable as farming after all.
As the production of soap increases, its price will drop anyway, and more specialized soaps will need to be made.
For example, adding finely ground sulfur powder to the thick soap paste, and after thorough stirring, the originally brown soap bar was suddenly dyed golden! It has a certain smell of sulfur, but this smell is no more unacceptable than the burnt smell of plant ash.
Its color is brighter and naturally gives people a pleasing feeling.
The other is to add ground charcoal powder, and after stirring, it becomes carbon soap, which is a pure black piece.
Of course, the best soap is bar soap. If essential oils could be extracted from certain flowers, would soap...
The only thing Rurik can be sure of is that after today, on the evening of February 16 in the Julian calendar, the first batch of golden sulfur soap will leave the mold. Tentatively it is the price of three silver coins.
Think about it, just sprinkling a handful of fine sulfur powder into the paste, and this simple action can actually earn an extra silver coin.
The possibility of this crazy money-making shocked Poona and other lower-level priests, and the high priest Vilia found it even more unbelievable. But once that yellow-white soap bar is successful, who doesn't love the beautiful color?
As long as the yellow-white sulfur soap is successful, adding other dyes, such as cheaper indigo, can produce green soap.
During this era, blue and white were the most readily available dyes, followed by yellow and red.
The most noble one is purple. The purple cloth used by the nobles of the Eastern Roman Empire to decorate and wear was obtained by killing many purple snails.
In the evening, Rumia was eager to show her understanding of multiplication tables and formulas.
"Are you really good at it? Well, I'll give you some questions. If you get the answer wrong..." Rurik pointed to the pottery urns operated by the priests, "Just like the first time you made soap, help them until you're so tired that you're almost exhausted."
Rumia composed herself, she was ready.
This time was indeed different from the past. Rurik asked five questions in a row, and she could skillfully report the correct answers. One of her actions is strange. She needs to close her eyes to think for a short time, just like her mind needs time to perform internal calculations.
After all, she gave all the correct answers. It seemed that the deer herder girl had learned multiplication within a hundred.
Rurik also quickly figured out the reason for her sudden enlightenment. It was amazing that she had already used calculations in her daily life.
"Masta, I have learned it. I want more knowledge, I want to help you." Rumia's wide eyes showed her sincere feelings.
Ryuri took her hand and handed her the wooden stick used to stir the sticky soap.
"Then work with me. I will try to sell the new soap for a higher price."
On the other hand, Otto immediately learned that his son was making a new type of soap. It would be yellow and white, and the effect would be the same as the previous ones.
Otto, he is now acting as his son's salesman.
He traveled around the tribe, spreading the news among his closest friends. Although he had never seen the actual sulfur soap, in his oral description, the thing had become as beautiful as gold.
It has been two months of the Julian calendar since ordinary people began to use soap. Everyone who has used it knows its power, and laments that soap shrinks faster if used too much.
It will be used up sooner or later!
For families who have purchased the soap, the wife, who is responsible for housekeeping, urges her husband to get more coins in the new year to buy more soap.
But husbands were attracted by the bright white steel swords made in the blacksmith shop. If they had enough silver coins, they would buy the sword first and then solve the soap problem.
The steel sword that cuts through iron as well as clay is truly amazing.
There is another legend circulating within the tribe these days.
Klavasen has successfully made two steel swords. He himself uses the block-smelting low-carbon steel technology taught by Rurik, and also uses advanced methods such as oil quenching and soil-covering to burn the blade.
Fifty tempers is too physically demanding. In line with the principle that as long as it can cut through ordinary iron swords, it is qualified. The sword he made was reduced to forty tempers. Even so, it is only a half-edged long iron sword. In the strong Kawei swung his hand quickly and successfully cut off a piece of wrought iron bar that was used as a test object.
The length of general Viking iron swords is controlled at around 70cm. If it is too short, it will not be the main offensive weapon, and if it is too long, it will be inconvenient to use.
In ordinary combat, two sword-wielders fight each other. Their swords always bend in head-to-head combat, but they are not easily broken. However, if one of them is stronger, the legend that ordinary iron swords will not break is also broken.
The wrought iron bar used in the experiment is thicker than an ordinary sword, and the two materials are actually exactly the same.
Klavasen simply knew the importance of product quality. Now, whether the sword was easy to use or not, he ordered his son to be a sword test master and verify it with a chop.
The two steel swords were delivered to their buyers, for which Klavathan earned a large sum of money.
What excites him is not only the joy of receiving more than a hundred silver coins, but the most amazing thing is that the owners of the steel swords regard their old swords as "sacrifice". Under the attention of hundreds of warriors who heard the news, they came , the master of the steel sword really cut off his old sword with a powerful and heavy swing.
Klavasen's reputation has soared, and some of the doubts that once existed have disappeared!
The brave and fierce men all wanted to get a steel sword. They began to count their belongings. As long as they could collect sixty silver coins, they would order it from Clavarson. Over the years, the blacksmith has almost never left Roseburg. He would only dig in the northeast when mining ore.
The blacksmith won't just take the deposit and run away. Besides, everyone knows that a steel sword actually costs sixty silver coins. If you order two swords, the price will be more than one pound of silver!
You must have a sword, and you must always use soap. Compared to the sword, the fact of soap can actually be relieved.
On February 17, those yellow-white soaps had finished baking. Each one of them had shrunk seriously because they were baked instead of air-dried. The sulfur soaps were covered with dense cracks.
A wooden table was placed in the open space in front of the priest's longhouse, and as many as fifty pieces of sulfur soap were piled deliberately into a pyramid shape at Rurik's request.
More than five hundred people flocked to the longhouse of the priests. People were jumping and jumping, and some even climbed on the roof of their houses to wish for the so-called special golden soap.
The leader Otto stood with the priests again this time. Just now in the chief priest's house, he had already experienced the feeling of washing his hands with a handful of sulfur soap.
In terms of body feel, it is no more magical than the previous soap. What's remarkable is its color, just like daisies in early autumn, the color makes people feel comfortable.
The crowd was chattering. In addition to the wealthy tribal warriors interested in buying, there was also a large group of spectators.
Some children emerged from the crowd. They were frightened by the leader's majesty and could only stand blankly, keeping their distance from the beautiful exhibits on the wooden table.
"Brothers, I'm glad you're all here. Shut up now!" Otto raised his arms and calmed everyone with his loud baritone voice.
"I told you a few days ago that my son Rurik received another revelation from Odin. Odin felt that our tribe lacked color, so Rurik gave the priests to make this..." As he said, Otto A piece of sulfur soap weighing two pounds was held up in his hand, "Open your eyes and take a look, that's it!"
"Brothers, this treasure is so beautiful. It can still clean your clothes, and its special smell can also prevent the hateful lice from continuing to harass. Don't you want to have such a beautiful color treasure in your home? It is A treasure unique to our Rus tribe! Brothers, Odin gave us the opportunity to get it, and now I give you the opportunity to buy it. For only three silver coins, you can get it! Those who do this will please Odin, It is inevitable to enter Valhalla..."
Rurik felt like he had entered a sales exhibition in the 9th century AD, and his father looked like he was possessed by a profiteer. The big bearded man spoke in a ecstatic manner, as if buying this sulfur soap would get him a ticket to the happy Valhalla.
Looking at the excited eyes of the onlookers, Rurik was convinced that not only did his tribe believe him, but the wealthy households were also willing to pay.
Otto then raised his arms and shouted: "Come and buy, come with money. If you don't have money, don't come. Come back when you have saved enough money!"
When it comes to soap, it's not a tribal spoil.
In daily life, residents exchange goods such as gadgets and clothes produced by themselves with each other. As long as there is demand, there is trade. The spontaneous trade of these residents can be said to have been carried out since ancient times. Now Otto is selling this batch of sulfur soap on behalf of the priests, which is turning low-level trade into bulk commodity trading.
Before the winter of 828, this kind of thing did not exist at all. However, by the time spring approached in 829, people were already happy to see someone who could provide a large number of high-quality daily necessities.
Many people have already bought soap at home and it has not been used up yet. These people just came to join in the fun, just to see the appearance of the yellow and white soap. After all, three silver coins can buy enough fish for nearly two months! Three deer hides can also be purchased. Spending huge sums of money to buy it is indeed a self-evident act of financial strength.
Ordinary people are not willing to spend their precious silver to buy "guldensopa", which is also "golden soap". Today, it is time to watch the show of the rich.
There are still thirty wealthy people who are willing to pay the money, and their heroic appearance is also familiar to Otto.
How do they get rich? There is nothing more than outstanding performance in external affairs, including the large-scale battle with the fishermen of Gotland more than seven years ago. That battle made many people become heroes of the tribe and also gained a fortune.
Defeat the enemy, possess the enemy's wealth, and become rich yourself. An ordinary Rus fisherman aspires to this and sees it as his only chance of getting rich through a short adventure.
So they are just fishermen, just brave and fierce warriors.
If you want to gain wealth, there is another way to produce consumer goods for profit, and there is no other way than to be a businessman who acts as a second-tier dealer.
Otto thought that these sulfur soaps would be sold out today, but the reality was a slap in the face.
He managed to sell it for thirty yuan, and the rest continued to pile on the table, waiting for buyers.
"Isn't there anyone who continues to buy? Can't you afford three silver coins anymore?"
Can't afford it? It’s really impossible to afford it.
A young man emerged from the crowd. This boy was a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers. His newly grown beard proved that he was immature. His thin body was really incompatible with his ambition.
"Great leader, our young warriors don't have enough money. We want more silver coins. If you can, I hope you can lead us to find a group of enemies and eliminate them all, so that we can take possession of their money boxes!"
"Oh? Are you going to rob?" Otto asked loudly and deliberately.
"Yes! We should take revenge! It's been many years! We have to go south to avenge those hateful Gotlanders! They killed our people many years ago, and this revenge must be avenged."
As soon as this statement came out, the crowd suddenly became excited.
The Rus people, like other tribes, their own tribesmen died in the war, and the surviving tribesmen should take revenge as soon as possible.
The results of it? Otto was already in his fifties. His mentality had become very calm, and he gradually lost the aggressive and ruthless spirit of his youth. For several years, Otto has not chosen revenge.
There was also Arik in the crowd. He had brought his wife to watch the fun. When he heard someone shouting for revenge, his thoughts instantly returned to the pain of his childhood.
The so-called warrior who had just grown a beard was only fifteen years old. Just because the Nordics had grown up early, a boy looked like he could already become a sea warrior.
Arik struggled to get out of the crowd, raised his already muscular right arm high and clenched his fist deeply.
He stepped forward and faced his uncle: "Great leader, it has been seven years. Isn't it time for revenge?"
I don't know who suddenly shouted: "Revenge! We will make those Gotlanders pay the price. They were the ones who attacked our fleet first, and it is time to steal all their wealth."
Immediately afterwards, the crowd began to roar the same word - revenge.
But do they really want revenge? Rurik was stunned to be in such a lively scene. He couldn't help but think in his heart, if you know that more than 500 strong men with bursting muscles burst into amazing roars in exactly the same rhythm, this kind of scene would be repeated on the battlefield. Can't you scare the enemy into hiding before using a weapon?
According to tribal tradition, Rurik knew that his cousin's great revenge must be avenged.
These men, sometimes Rurik felt that they were very gentle in their daily lives. That's not true! Once involved in the battle, they instantly transform into bloodthirsty berserkers.
It is they who are now proposing to organize people to go to the residence of the Gotlanders for revenge. The purpose is not as simple as revenge.
They just want money! The problem is very simple. As long as you rob the wealth hoarded by those people, you can buy better clothes, more beautiful soap, and a steel sword that can cut off ordinary iron swords.
The steel sword is not out of reach, but it is equivalent to six gold coins or sixty silver coins.
As long as there is a chance to go on an expedition and defeat a powerful enemy on the battlefield, he will definitely get a lot of wealth after the war. It means risking death in battle to get a large amount of money. The fishermen who stay in their hometown for such stability are not worthy of blaming the expedition for sharing the huge spoils.
If a dream is out of reach, many people will give up after trying it and finding that there is little hope. Those who persevere for a lifetime are the only ones who succeed.
However, once the dream is not so extreme and there are rational means to realize it, why not take the risk immediately?
People were caught up in a frantic frenzy, as if they were waiting for the leader to raise his arms and issue an order to organize a fleet expedition after the ice and snow melted.
Otto frowned deeply, tightened his bearded mouth, and had to organize his words carefully to respond to their excitement.
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Chapter 111 They are excited
