Rather than baking bread in a clay oven, the most convenient way to process flour into cooked food was to bake it on hot stones.
When humans mastered processing flour to make cooked food, the first thing they thought of was making scones.
There is nothing surprising about what the Russians did. People who bought wheat were making large quantities of new types of bread that were different from oatmeal. They were deliberately making large quantities of them to make it easier to eat.
Rurik ordered more than twenty women from Mercia to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the work of baking bread after finishing their morning prayers.
They knead the dough to make a dough and stick it on a hot cast iron plate to mass-produce scones.
At night, the temperatures that are still below freezing have already cooled these scones, and the limited moisture in them immediately makes the scones hard. Rurik sent people to collect the pancakes at this time, punch a hole in the middle of the pancakes, string them up in groups of fifty with hemp rope and carry them away.
These pancakes are the "military rations" for people traveling far away.
As for the Mercian women whose hands were full of dough after a busy day, they had already fed themselves in their work.
This group of strange women would supervise each other to pray at noon and evening, praising their gods for the bread they had given them.
"That's ridiculous. That's the food I rewarded you with." Rurik felt a little unhappy. Considering that they had indeed put in a lot of work and were conscientious, he decided to forget it.
It was about to be the day of departure, and as the time approached, the workload for them increased significantly.
There are a total of 450 surviving Tavastian female prisoners. Their physical fitness has been trained too strong by long-term physical labor. As for physical fitness, the weak would have died long ago.
Rurik was a little reluctant to leave this group of female miners, but their disposal was to belong to the kingdom of the Balmoks who immigrated to Britain.
The time for renting their labor force had come and he really did not pay more than the payment for clothing, food and housing.
Their contribution to Fort Ross was to create two hills made of iron ore, which became two dangerous highlands.
Just after the Spring Equinox, the breath of spring became stronger after a brief sacrifice. The sea is still frozen and the ground is covered with snow.
There were already a lot of daylight hours, and during this period, the walls and internal buildings of Blast Furnace Town had been basically completed.
A hill of iron ore lies within the town's walls, and after a light snowfall it becomes a giant white tower.
The employed men and women are using iron ore to build the strong foundation necessary for the new blast furnace. When the temperature warms up, the construction of the blast furnace will be completed.
On the frozen coast, taking advantage of the snow everywhere, the hulls of two new ships were pushed out of the huge wooden shipbuilding.
They have also reached the last and most critical moment.
Before the vernal equinox, a reindeer transport team from the north quickly moved along the frozen coastline.
This is a heavy transport team with up to 300 adult reindeer undertaking the arduous task of pulling sleds.
The reindeer gained great strength by eating oats, so they pulled as many as ten carefully selected giant spruce trees to Rossburg, and then violently unloaded them into a pile of various logs in front of the Yuhotra family shipyard. space.
Soon, thousands of people who joined in the fun ran to the coast to enjoy a great event.
Rurik also came. He was dressed in white furry polar bear fur, which was warm and showed his vigor. The ferret hat with a huge white tail on his head makes him look even more noble.
His female relatives all came, all dressed in almost the same way, and everyone deliberately displayed their jewelry of gold, silver and precious stones.
Exquisite clothes are made by expert tailors.
It was Rurik's old friend and subordinate Fisk, whose mother Bloma became Rurik's royal tailor in a sense. Hundreds of traditional Rus women have been ordered to work as linen weavers and leather tailors for Rurik over the years, and receive monthly payments.
Women cherished their job opportunities and absorbed the technology of Vodgen tailoring workshops and Slavic canvas weaving techniques. The level of Russian tailoring skills has been greatly improved.
People wearing gray-brown hats were everywhere, including a large number of men and women wearing colorful striped linen blankets.
Those are the masterpieces of Slavic women. They used woad, blue moss, red chrysanthemum, yellow chrysanthemum and other colored plants to dye cloth on the spot, making their clothes full of color.
The place was crowded and lively, and countless whispers turned into a low hum.
"Finally it's time to install the mast again." Old Otto's eyes were full of joy, and the big hand on his son Rurik's shoulder subconsciously squeezed it.
"In this way, we now have six Aurora-class ships."
"Have you thought of a name for them? I remember that two more ships will be launched this year. A total of four new large ships..."
"Yes, I've already thought of a name."
"What is it?" Otto asked with interest.
"Let's call the new two ships Gray Squirrel and Salmon Chief."
"Huh? So casual? Wait, you..." Otto thought for a while and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Do you think my name is casual?"
"It doesn't matter." Otto let go of his hand and raised his head again, "The installation has already begun. The mast has been transported to the scaffolding. We will wait and see."
In recent years, it has become a routine activity for people in Roseburg to watch the installation of masts on large ships.
People cheered heartily after the mast was installed on the big ship. The entire fjord rumbled, and even the pine trees that were covered with snow in the distance began to shake off ice.
Rurik had no suitable plan at the beginning as to what to name the new ship.
There are four existing ships: Aurora, Gurdot, Sperosvilia and Duke of Ostara. Although the ship names are all very meaningful, they actually have nothing in common.
What is the commonality? Rurik decided to name the new ship after other peoples who had submitted to Rus to create commonality for subsequent ships.
Gray Squirrel and Chief Salmon are originally the tribal names of the Kovin people. Naming new ships after tribal names is actually a means of strengthening cohesion.
As for the big ships that will be launched in the future, Rurik's proposed names are "White Tree Manor" and "Lapp (Deer Breeder)". They are the most loyal servants of the Russians now, and they will continue to fight side by side in the future.
The big ship will continue to be equipped with huge jibs and other ancillary accessories. Based on the lessons learned from the expedition to Britain, more rowing boats will be evenly hung on the sides of the ship.
As for their entry into the water, Rurik guessed that he really didn’t have time to witness it.
According to Rurik's plan, Ross's "Eighty-Eight Fleet" plan will be completed this autumn and winter.
The Hotla family and his old friends proved their shipbuilding prowess and made a fortune. This group of people obviously has higher pursuits. Shipbuilding makes them proud. Building bigger ships has become the life goal of new craftsmen! This is like a brave warrior trying to kill the enemy bravely on the battlefield to realize the value of his beliefs.
The shipbuilding industry in Rus will further prosper, and of course it will be Rurik himself who contributes to its prosperity. He knew this very well. Without the Duke of Ross's battleship order, how could they have the motivation and necessity to build large ships?
Ships such as the Aurora had to gather all the strength of Hotla and her friends, relying on the giant trees and high-quality metal materials provided by the Duke, and it took nearly half a year to build two ships.
Relying solely on the family's own strength, building general cargo ships and traditional rowing boats is the most cost-effective option.
"So, should we build a Galen-type ship with a displacement of over 1,000 tons like the Gothenburg?" Rurik personally knows this only Swedish sailing ship in history. How to build her? Sweden It took craftsmen several years.
No! The current technical level of the Russian people cannot build it, and there is actually no need for more.
Ross can develop more planet-class sail destroyers that are slender, light and fast, and build more to gain absolute maritime hegemony in the entire Baltic Sea as soon as possible.
I am afraid that the Principality of Ross has now occupied the sea power in this sea area. Rurik does not think this is a fact. His dream is very broad. Unfortunately, Danish power is still a huge threat. Before Denmark recognizes Ross's hegemony, Ross must continue to build gold.
Big construction requires a lot of money, and if you have a fleet, you must have an ice-free port facing the Atlantic Ocean! With more large ships, it became possible to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to America, the land of miracles, and to seize future benefits from the west.
No one has a strategy like Rurik's, and the Russians never imagined that their Duke would at least plan a national strategy for Russia for the next 233 years or more!
An expansion strategy heading east, west, south, and north.
For the sake of a great future and to possess sea power first, the land trade route from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Port of Narvik was opened by the Duke of Ross himself!
The time happened to be April 1st of the Julian calendar.
This day is not April Fools' Day, just because April Fools' Day did not exist in 834 AD.
All preparations needed for Rurik were completed, especially those transporting huge quantities of wood, chromite ore, finished ferrochrome and leather (tributes from the gray squirrel tribe), which arrived at the end of March, making the sturdy reindeer pulling the sled very timely. source of power.
Do we have to walk to the Balmok port of Narvik?
With these strong deer, the large group of people were traveling on sleighs, and it might take them two weeks to reach their destination.
As for the road to Balmok, there is actually a ready-made road for this trip, which is to find the big river (Torna River) west of Ellenburg, and follow the frozen river upstream without thinking, and arrive at The glacial lake on the top of the mountain (Lake Torna), under the lake is the Balmok people's Narvik port! This frozen river can be called a highway in the Middle Ages. In winter, the smooth surface is suitable for reindeer sleigh teams to move forward unimpeded in the opposite direction. In summer, people can take small boats to float down the river from the lake all the way to Bothnia. Bay.
This route was discovered many years ago by the Balmok explorer Modgen and his group. This group also discovered another waterway leading to the Aylon River (Kemi River), which directly hit Aylon, which was busy building a mining town. The Russians of Fort.
As for the informants on the upper reaches of the Iron River, the Ross explorer Spyot and his friends went very far, and when Rurik personally joined them, they discovered the Moorman River.
After that, Rurik did not go to inspect Murmansk, which was designated by him. Just based on the news coming back from the north and the actual fresh walrus tusks shipped back, he could definitely determine that the Russians in Murmansk were The ice-free port built by oneself is indeed being developed.
Rurik once thought that walking across the glacier to the Balmok people's hometown would be a difficult journey, but now the road is no longer far away.
A powerful reindeer sleigh team is gathering.
April 1st is the final assembly day.
The female miners of Tavastia were gathered together, each of them holding the two silver coins issued by Rurik and some personal items in their hands.
They gathered in their quarters, each of them having been wiped clean with hot water. A crowd of people gathered outside the warehouse, and Rurik stood on a sled and shouted loudly.
"Your life in Rus is over! You will go to Balmok, you will marry a strong man, and you will move to a distant and warm island! We will set off on a sleigh tomorrow, don't worry about the future, we will all arrive safely .Think about the days to come, you will all have a bright future."
Rurik didn't say much. Women like them had no choice. The eyes of Tavastia women are extremely responsible. Maybe they have become accustomed to the regular life now, but they have to leave, and they will not even be able to enjoy the good days of having enough to eat every day in the future.
Of course I want to give them a good hope, but...
I am afraid that in this time and space, it is extremely rare for everyone in a country to have enough to eat. Rurik dare not say that he is a kind and good man. At least he is a holy king to the Russians himself, and to other forces and countries, he is a pure misery.
Is the Principality of Rus a pirate country? I'm afraid so. Rurik had no choice. This was an era of the weak and the strong, and only Ross who was strong enough could avoid being eliminated by the strong. Ross must accumulate original capital. Her size is too small, and internal exploitation cannot accumulate enough original capital. External expansion and plunder are the only means. He knows that he must do this.
But with the female miners of Tavastia leaving, who will fill the vacancy?
Perhaps when recruiting people from the shores of Lake Mälaren, or simply from Balmok and Novgorod, men are of course more physical than women and will not weaken themselves due to menstruation. He estimates that recruiting two hundred people will be enough. . As for the labor force, the more the better. After all, iron is a huge profit, and the Russians' shipping capabilities are terrifyingly strong.
These measures will take time to implement, and Rurik does not want the miners in the future to be a group of simple slaves.
Isn’t indentured labor more suitable than slave? Sign a contract with whom? Of course, it is with Rurik, who is the Duke of Ross. Unless there are special circumstances, the contract will naturally be continued by descendants. Those who sign the contract can be conquered people from all walks of life, mercenaries hired in the early days, simple slaves, homeless children, and even the purest native Rus.
When the Principality of Ross becomes a mature country, this group of contractors will be the cornerstone of the country. They pay taxes, serve, and contribute. They are the real subjects of the Principality of Ross.
It is this kind of people, such as miners. Once they settle down and can engage in mining year after year and even their children and grandchildren, they will become accustomed to this kind of life and fear losing it.
This is almost the ironclad rule of "beating workers".
Then when Rose encounters a possible crisis, they will also defend Rose to protect their stable life.
Who doesn't yearn for a stable life? The expansion of the Russian people is for a better and more stable life. The purpose of the war is also to destroy the enemy and gain a better life for the Russian people in the future.
Of course this is also selfish, but the increasingly ruthless Rurik will no longer be generous to others. At this stage, he only cares about whether the Ross and the servants have enough to eat today. The legend of the Son of God is just the icing on the cake. This group of very pragmatic guys always follows the leader who can bring good times.
On April 2, as many as seventy sleighs were prepared, each pulled by four deer, and Rurik's large vehicle was pulled by six deer.
Reindeer are naturally not as powerful as horses. They are better at withstanding the polar cold and have amazing endurance.
As long as they are not forced to travel endlessly, there is no problem for the four deer to pull a sled carrying as many as ten people and a batch of supplies for fifty kilometers a day.
Rurik also cherishes animal power. Some sleds are specially used to transport hay and sacks of oats. He does not believe that the reindeer can eat enough by just gnawing on the grass under the snow during rest. After all, they still need to feed high-energy wheat.
450 Tavastian women crowded into the sleigh, making a total of forty-five seats. Rurik led a hundred loyal mercenary warriors in ten vehicles.
More than fifty Russians were hired to assist in pulling carts and feeding deer.
Especially Rumia's extremely distant uncle, who also participated with more than a dozen Lapps (deer farmers), they are the real masters of deer raising, and their existence is in Rurik's eyes. Almost equivalent to a mechanic in a motor transport team.
With the personnel and materials ready, Rurik hugged Nolen casually, but this caused many female relatives to pout in jealousy.
This is to go to Balmok. Some elite mercenaries are from Balmok, and they are natural leaders.
In addition to the Tavastian women, there was also a shipment of commercial goods such as wheat, ironware, Slavic-style floral cloth, and a small amount of bear skins and deer skins. Compared with sea transportation, the goods transported by land sled are really limited.
Rurik didn't want to let go of the trade opportunity he got. He concluded that the people left behind in Balmok had made a new batch of salt as agreed, and these goods were just exchanged for their good salt.
As for meeting Magnute from Britain again, Rurik no longer cared. He just wanted to unload these women and goods at the destination, let Nolen declare his dominance, recruit some warriors, and then Habitat Ross could withdraw.
Because the decision to attack the Karelia people was determined by Rurik himself. As the supreme commander, when he came back decided when to start the war.
He really didn't dare to delay any longer.
People were cheering, Otto and Niya were cheering, and even Rurik's daughter Velica stretched out her little hand in her swaddling clothes.
He waved to his family and tribesmen. Then he ordered the Lapp charioteer: "Let's set off."
