Rurik really wished that his men would grow up in an instant, even if they could grow strong and tall enough quickly.
He saw the huge economic and political benefits brought by the expansion of the Rus people in the past year, and also realized the major worries of the tribe behind this sudden prosperity.
The law of the jungle is the political ecology of Northern Europe in this time and space. Of course, various tribes can form alliances, and the power of the parties entering into the alliance is of course unequal.
Tribes that lack strength either take the initiative to attach themselves to more powerful tribes, or are defeated and annexed by the other party.
The strength of the Ross people lies in their perennial shrinkage, which allows the tribe to control a large number of strong men. They are the key to supporting the tribe's combat effectiveness.
Those elites had already suffered losses, so to make up for it, Rurik had to step up training of his young men.
Times are moving forward like a torrent, and some things must change, especially the Rus' treatment of other non-alliance tribes that speak other languages. The two sides must build a new alliance.
The Kewen people came, and so did a group of deer farmers.
Enslave them? No! If it is to revitalize Russia and establish a strong regional power, the act of slavery can be said to be digging a grave in advance for its own destruction.
Imitate the Svea Tribe Alliance?
The Melalen tribe is entirely due to its large population, dual ability to do business and farming, and its unique geographical environment. Their prosperity comes from these few necessary conditions, thus becoming the leader of the alliance.
If just because of its large population and relatively strong overall strength, it can serve as an alliance leader, why can't the Russians replace it?
Rurik felt that he could not really enslave the Kovin people and the deer herders. Since the purpose was to obtain greater benefits, he could use more advanced and efficient means to make them particularly happy to work hard.
Because they are all human beings, and they all have the desire to make their lives richer.
Give them a contract, that is, surrender is not shameful, and cooperation brings prosperity. As the one who controls the power, he must also abide by this contract.
Although the children of the Ross tribe are somewhat resistant to the sudden appearance of foreign boys, after all, these children dream of becoming those battlefield heroes and excellent warriors. They admire one kind of people very much - good warriors.
How far can a bow-wielding hunter use a short wooden bow?
When Tyravis was at the boys' training ground, he used a short bow made by the Russians and hit a target about forty meters away with three iron cluster arrows, which was a small piece of snow rabbit-sized wood. Tattered leather.
The arrow's hit was not a matter of luck. Tyravis shot ten arrows in a row, and each one hit the target.
The most amazing thing is that one arrow hit the tail of the other and split it into two pieces.
"Robinhood!" Rurik exclaimed while holding his head.
The boys and girls who were watching were all yelling and hooting because of the experience. Rurik really protected his head with his hands, and his whole body could not help but tremble.
He was a little scared. Maybe at that time, if the child's aim was more accurate and he ran slower, wouldn't he be injured?
Relying entirely on his archery skills, Taravis established his status among boys, including his sister Saipolava. He also won the respect of girls through his precise archery performances.
Are all the children of the Kewen people good at archery? Thinking that during the siege battle, the mail armor of the Ross army was once covered with enemy arrows, Rurik felt that his judgment was completely correct.
Just three days later, Rurik issued an order to the relatively settled gray squirrel tribe of the Kovin people and the small group of deer herders, requiring them to hand over their children between the ages of six and ten, regardless of whether they were boys or girls.
At first, Mechasta of the gray squirrel tribe and Alsaka, the leader of the deer herders, felt that there was a conspiracy in this order. Even if they expressed their surrender, it was probably for the expediency of survival. They said they were loyal, but in their hearts How can the barriers between us disappear instantly?
Although the Russians have provided a lot of resources, it cannot be said that this is a huge favor. They need to be willing to do everything unconditionally.
More than twenty boys and girls accepted Rurik's recruitment. They are a mixture of deer farmers and Kovin people. In the final analysis, they are all "ancient Finns" and there is no real language barrier between them.
Taravis naturally became the commander of the boys, and Saipolava became the commander of the girls.
The Covins and deer herders, and even the Finns, are naturally relatively short people. Perhaps this relative shortness cannot be changed by eating a lot of meat and milk. Being small also has small advantages. Since they are not suitable for being on the front line and attacking other Viking tribes head-on, their best position on the battlefield is to provide fire support and long-range output from the rear.
Rurik's biggest request to Tyravis and Cyberlawi is very simple: "You take your people to archery seriously. I want your people to be able to be Robin Hoods."
Yes, Rurik gave "the speeding arrow split the arrow in front in half". Rurik gave this unique skill a clear word, Robin Hood. They didn't understand the cultural characteristics behind this word. They thought it was just a left-behind word. One of Rick's many new words.
On the other hand, it would be difficult to complete such a skill without long-term training and hundreds of millions of talents.
The number of Rurik's subordinates increased, and the training directions of the personnel also began to diverge.
He keeps his word and implements the rules he sets. Even if the ice and snow have not yet melted, now that training has resumed, the cafeteria has basically ended its existence as a temporary classroom.
Those stocky wooden buildings are often immersed in the aroma of food.
More than 300 children have their own seats. They have their own wooden bowls, wooden spoons and wooden forks. Many of them imitated their "boss" Rurik and used two wooden sticks as extensions of their hands. They regard learning how to use chopsticks as a toy to pass the time. When they can control the stick to pick up stones, the children will take the initiative to show off.
From the beginning, Rurik had relatively high requirements for hygiene. He ordered his men to clean themselves regularly. Among the clothes distributed, linen clothing needed to be washed regularly with soap, and individuals also needed to wipe their bodies regularly.
Wash your hands before meals, be sure to wash your clothes after training, and wash your face and hair frequently. Rurik will take advantage of the opportunity of the review to punish the dirty ones among them. The method is very simple and straightforward, that is, today's free lunch will be cancelled.
Likewise, it was considered a mistake to touch food directly with your hands while eating, and Rurik required his subordinates to supervise each other.
These strict requirements before and after meals have a completely ritualized feel. The children always feel that it is unnecessary, but they cannot fully understand Rurik's good intentions.
Every year, a number of very young children of the Ross tribe die. Most of these children die of colds and diarrhea. In short, they do not do a good job in keeping out the cold and have bad stomachs. Even though many families have bought soap and used it in daily life, and expected everyone to use it to wash their hands, Rurik knew that he had overestimated his people. Soap is still precious, and people use it prudently. Washing hands with soap is a bit of a luxury, but washing clothes that emit a strong sour smell has become a must.
Rurik's men were always in good health, and few even fell ill.
No one really pays attention to this matter, or in other words, they all have a happy-go-lucky attitude towards illness and death.
oh! When a person dies, it must be his destined fate, nothing more.
No one connected the disease with poor sanitation. Rurik could only build a ritualized sanitation work to let his subordinates passively develop a sanitation concept that can be called "stomatophilia" compared to most of the tribe. .
The Terravis siblings were shocked by the affluence of the Russian people, because they and their sister had eaten wheat porridge and vegetable soup for many years, as well as large mouthfuls of seal meat and fish. He originally thought that the first time he ate such food was a gift from Rurik, but he never expected that all children were eating such high-quality food.
Gradually, he felt that this was the normal life of the Russian people. Since children can eat so well, wouldn't it be better for the elderly?
A sense of inferiority deeply accompanies Taravis. He is a strong person, but what he feels is the backwardness of the people of Covin.
How to rectify the names of Kewen people? That is to do your own thing well and impress the Russians. This is what he thinks, and he is eager to make the Russians praise the people of Kovin by making great contributions.
Winter is still here, and Roseburg is thriving!
Almost everyone is preparing for the upcoming trade season. Due to the influx of huge amounts of furs, the entire tribe's leatherworkers and their families have gone into battle and begun a round-the-clock struggle.
Merchants took this opportunity to find ways to obtain goods.
Most businessmen spend the winter in the colder Roseburg every year in order to collect furs and work as second-hand dealers to earn the price difference. In essence, these people are porters, and their work lacks technical thresholds.
Those very few businessmen with relatively large financial resources can all be regarded as entrepreneurs in a sense.
Rurik easily learned that the great businessman Gould was focusing on those things.
The cold is still there, but it cannot interfere with Gould's ambition, even if this guy feels that life is like the sunset. He wants to make a lot of money in the last stage of his life, and while accumulating more wealth for his family, he will live a happier life for the rest of his life!
This old guy will always like young girls, but he has no right to marry another girl from the Ross tribe.
Otto and Rurik believe that the girls of their tribe are a special "strategic material" that can prevent baby girls from being "thrown into the woods to fend for themselves" and get engaged when they are twelve years old. The younger girls are all Join Rurik's Valkyrie Legion.
But as an old pervert, Gould was as energetic as a tireless shrew when it came to producing more heirs to his wealth. This was the second greatest pleasure in his life after making money.
He married his eighth wife, who was also the daughter of a foreigner. He only asked Gould for cash flow problems, so he offered his daughter to conclude a loan deal.
His eldest son Snoleva was truly Gould's biological son. He also married the daughter of a visiting merchant from the Melalen tribe and became his second wife. To put it bluntly, he felt that only by getting more married would he have a greater chance of having a son.
After all, in the huge Gould family, only men have absolute inheritance rights. As the eldest son, Snoleva bears a great responsibility.
Therefore, under the surface, all merchants endured the problem of payment tribes and tried every means to expand their transactions.
The Ross people have provided so many kinds of goods this year. They are the producers of northern materials. Compared with last year, this year's economic activities are so prosperous that the Ross tribe's limited economic market has seen the strange phenomenon of the currency tribe.
Apparently the Russians looted more than 200,000 silver coins, and a large number of copper coins with small purchasing power also flowed into the market.
Money shortage is a real thing and things get a little magical!
After all, they are Russians, and the main body of the Russian people at this stage is pure Vikings. As Vikings, it is completely normal to hoard silver.
There are only two people who own the craziest silver coins here, Rurik and Gould.
In order to combat the huge hard expenditure, the first thing Rurik thought of was to return the money to the "big money box", which was the tribal "treasury" in a practical sense.
The free lunch launched by the tribal leaders is aimed at Rurik's men. There are more than 300 mouths waiting for food. To feed them, the monthly expenditure is more than 600 silver coins.
Rurik recruited the women of the tribe to work as tailors, so that each of his men had a decent outfit. One thing to say, this costume requires a high investment in the beginning, and the later stage is basically some sewing and repair work.
Even if you hire tribesmen as construction workers and chefs, these salary expenses are not much. What's more, for those mercenaries and slaves, Rurik only needs to provide a small reward, and he can reasonably ask them to work more.
Among all the expenses, the two largest ones are the cost of raw materials for Rurik's own handicraft workshop, such as a large amount of seal oil and charcoal blocks.
As well as a large amount of grain and vegetables purchased from Gould.
A large amount of money actually flowed into Gould's pocket, and Gould, in turn, needed to spend money to buy soap, glassware, and new spirits from Rurik.
As a result, this trade has formed a magical closed loop. If the Ross tribe wants to calculate GDP, then the transaction between Rurik and Gould must account for half of the GDP.
Of course, the third wealthy household is a newly rising family and represents a new force of craftsmen. They may also account for one-fifth of GDP.
After the blacksmith Klavasen signed an agreement with his colleagues to share the skills of refining hundreds of steel, he also monopolized the glassware manufacturing of the Ross tribe. Now a large number of children from the Kowen tribe have become full-time blacksmith apprentices, and they do not even Stay on Rick's military training call list.
The Clavarson family was on the rise, and the Clavarson father and son made huge fortunes from their blacksmithing work. By March, they controlled more than 20,000 silver coins!
With this small amount of coins, Klavasen naturally set up a sturdy room in the Novgorod-style wood carvings that he had already built in his home to store his huge amount of silver coins.
In this era, whether there are banks or not, everyone has to protect their wealth by themselves. Even if the Rus people have long stipulated that those who steal people's money will be punished by having their fingers chopped off, beaten with a stick, expelled from behind, or even beheaded, how can theft be eradicated?
It's not that people's hearts are not simple enough, it's simply the desire for wealth that people are born with, which makes some people take risks. After sitting on huge wealth, the risk of being targeted by thieves and robbers is even greater.
Clavarson was sitting on a huge amount of money that he had never thought could be controlled by his family. He did not even think about spending it. Instead, he began to drive a large number of new children to become so-called miners, and ordered Kawei and Kamne to lead them. , sitting in a hired reindeer sleigh, going to the distant mountains to dig iron ore to complete a large number of orders.
They are more focused on producing more metal products, especially completing orders for more steel-arm crossbows from Rurik and steel swords for tribal male youths.
10% of the silver coin income is returned to Rurik's money box in a tax-like manner. Even so, the Klavassen family's wealth is still increasing rapidly.
In this way, two big and small money-grabbing masters, objectively speaking, they have very necessary economic ties with each other, which somewhat inhibits the free economic and trade of the Russians.
The working capital on hand of small businessmen is somewhat scarce, and the capital of ordinary Russian families is also generally scarce.
But the future of trade this year is really wonderful. Since there is a lack of flow itself, even if it is barter, the transaction must continue. Anything of value can be used as a medium of transaction, even the marriage rights of their own daughters. In order to make a lot of money, those businessmen feel that they have completely risked their lives to seize the opportunity to make a fortune.
Rurik, how could he be aware of this situation so early? Perhaps it is just because the core population of the Ross tribe in this era has expanded to 5,000 people, including a large number of newborns. Those Kewen people who surrendered can only be regarded as allies with a very special relationship, and the number of deer farmers they control is only ten.
Free market? Is it really necessary for just this few people? Rurik felt that it would be better to control all the small families by himself, just like building a medium-sized enterprise with a population of four to five thousand people including family members. To manage so many people, it does not require an overly complicated organizational structure. .
