Most of the reindeer captured in the Karelian War last year were transported to New Roseburg this winter.
A large number of deserted beaches on both sides of the Neva River are covered with snow, making them excellent places for deer herding in winter.
Governor Cornuson took on this task. The biggest job of the deer herders he assigned was to keep the deer from getting lost. The task was really simple, but the benefits gained from it were not small.
There are nearly 3,000 deer of all ages, and legally they are Rurik’s property. There are hundreds of deer that are trophies of the soldiers, and their situations are varied.
Some deer were slaughtered long ago, their skins were sold, and their meat went into the bellies of the soldiers.
Some deer were bought by residents and used as draft animals for pulling sleds in winter and two-wheeled carts in summer.
More than fifty deer were bought directly by Old Harald with silver. The owner of the deer, an old warrior from Rus, needed silver coins but was not good at raising deer, so he took out the silver coins and took the deer home happily.
They were beasts of power inferior to ponies, and something was better than nothing.
Old Harald was forced to move to New Fort Ross with a lot of family property. Because his beautiful daughter married General Ross, the fate of being killed was gone. A lot of property was saved in the form of gold and silver, and the lost property was saved. Careers can also be quickly restored in the new world.
The Rus were once raiders, and now the family is part of the Rus.
So there is no hatred in old Harald's heart? If the Ross army had not attacked Gotland, he would still be doing well on the island.
hatred? What's the use of hating.
The disputes between the Gotlanders and the Svealans were hundreds of years old, but he never imagined that the Rus among the Svealans were so powerful.
Now everything is clear. The reason why the Russians are strong is that under the leadership of the heroic leader, they walked out of the cramped land and began to expand, just like a bear that had hibernated for a long time jumped out of the cave to look for food.
After personal contact with Prince Rurik of Rus, he concluded that this son was far superior to other Viking chiefs. Many noble people only care about the happiness of themselves and their families, but not Rurik. This son is a tyrant to the outside world, but a saint to the inside. He is a contradictory person.
Now that his grandson has been born, Gustav can already walk. This boy is half-Russian by blood, and he has indeed inherited the name of the Khrolev family.
There is a successor to the family, not to mention that this boy is the nephew of Prince Rus.
Gotland has died, and the Sweden of Rus and Svealand has also been divided. Old Harald feels that he must bury his bones by the Neva River, at least before he dies, he can see the revival of his family.
The leather production and trading jobs that the family is best at are expanding, and the newly opened mill job is a brand new way to make money.
As the mill expanded, more livestock were needed to drive more stone mills. However, simply processing flour will only earn a labor fee. Even if the flour is made into bread, won’t it still earn a labor fee? This is a job of small profits but quick turnover. Only by relying on the advantage of scale can we make big money.
There are thousands of residents in New Roseburg. The main customers of the bread are hunters and fishermen. They buy high-quality dry food to meet unexpected needs. If they feel that the dry food they make at home is enough, they will not buy more.
Therefore, the largest orders still come from the military.
Old Harald didn't say it on the surface, but he still felt that his daughter's running a mill was a waste of money-making efficiency. If the Duke of Ross stops his expedition that day, the mill business will be depressed. Although this is unlikely, how can they judge when the Ross army will launch an expedition?
Unless there is strict cost control, start from the food production stage, such as getting your own land, hiring people to farm it, and becoming a landlord.
Old Harald and Aslaqi both had the need to obtain farmland. They had both revealed it to Rurik, and they were indeed ready to do so.
Can farmland only be used to grow wheat? How can you make money faster than growing wheat as a cash crop? There are not many family members and servants, and the food supply in New Roseburg is also normal. If the family lacks food, just use money to buy it, and the limited energy and material resources should be invested in high value-added industries. In order to get rich in a short time, Aslaki has the motivation to take risks and can invest heavily to wait for a big fortune in the future.
They had the capital to take risks and a unique trump card. Aslaqi concluded that Rurik would not sit back and watch his family become poor. If his eldest nephew Gustav had a bad life, he would definitely help.
Besides, the relocation of the Hrolev family here was simply Rurik's order, and the existence of the family itself has special significance to Ross.
The family was burdened with a special heavy responsibility, so when Rurik sent a messenger to ask Harald Harald and Asraqi and his daughter to come to the palace for a meeting, the father and daughter could guess what was going on with their toes.
After all, people in Ostara have been clamoring about the search for land buyers in the past few days. After all, there are theatergoers everywhere, and no one can afford a huge sum of money in one go.
In fact, old Harald couldn't take out sixty pounds of silver coins in one breath, just because he and his daughter were gambling on fate. The gold and silver were turned into actual goods and real estate, and the last liquid funds were recently exchanged with Rurik. The family still has some gold and silver reserves, but it cannot afford the huge amount of money to buy the land.
Aslaki held her father's arm, and the two of them were unaccompanied and did not need to be accompanied. Even Aric's request to be accompanied by Peravina was declined.
There were some guards standing outside the palace. The huge Harvest Square was still covered with snow, and the sunlight shining here was very dazzling.
The air is no longer oppressively cold, and the time for the world to thaw is not far away.
A huge sleigh team and a large number of reindeer will move to Novgorod, and Novorosberg, which has been lively all winter, will return to her summer tranquility, unless the army gathers again.
The father and daughter entered the palace lobby calmly. Rurik showed his attitude by not summoning them in the more suitable "Russian Duma" parliamentary chamber. Secondly, this was indeed a small meeting attended by the top nobles of Rus. Among them Secrets don’t need to be known to others.
Carlotta had already arrived first and sat down casually. Rurik also crossed his legs calmly and stretched out his hand to signal when old Harald and his daughter entered the room.
Old Harald gasped and sat down. He was still very reserved: "Sir, there must be something important that I have been specially invited to discuss."
"It is indeed a big deal. I won't be polite. Both of you, father and daughter, are here. Let me make it clear! It is about the sale of about ten hectares of farmland by the people of Ostara. I hope that your family, as the buyer, will buy it in one go. Down."
This was explained suddenly. The father and daughter heard it clearly and were suddenly ecstatic in their hearts. However, the two old business foxes showed extremely indifference on their faces.
As a result, Carlotta couldn't sit still.
"Please, you must buy our land! The people of Ostara want to build a new home in a new place, and we need a fortune as start-up capital. We have almost nothing, only this cultivated land."
This is a buyer's market. Rurik is not surprised that Carlotta would be respectful to her customers, but he didn't expect her to be so urgent.
Aslaki looked at Carlotta and then at Rurik, feeling at a loss for a moment.
Rurik could add: "That's it. She wants to sell the land and you sell the land. I think it will be a good thing for both of you."
Aslaqi looked at her father a lot, and that look clearly pointed out: You are the best in this matter of being a good girl.
With her father's hint, she became bolder: "Buy land? Yes. At least I need to know the price."
The price had been spread for a long time, and Aslaqi asked knowingly. The result was just like those rumors, the total price was sixty pounds of silver coins, or six pounds of gold. Carlotta, the female leader of Ostara, personally confirmed this price that cannot be negotiated.
"What do you think?" Carlotta asked.
"Can."
"This is great!" Carlotta sat upright excitedly, and Rurik also had a smile on his face.
"But!" Aslaki glanced at Rurik from the corner of her eye, and said solemnly: "To be honest, I lack cash. Since the prince has decreed that one silver coin can be exchanged for ten pounds of oats, I can use oats to pay for this. A payment?"
"This... is okay too."
"Oh? Since this is all right, what if it is processed leather and cloth? Sister Carlotta, the payment you want is sixty pounds of silver coins! For the prince, this is nothing, but for us businessmen, it is a lot of money. . If converted into wheat, it would be 60,000 pounds, enough to carry a large ship!"
Carlotta was confused for a moment, not knowing what this sister wanted to do.
In fact, Rurik was also a little confused. He guessed something but couldn't explain it.
"Aslaqi!" Rurik raised his head and asked: "Don't show off. Since you promised her, she will hand over the land, and you will give her money or equivalent in kind. What do you want?"
Aslaqi showed a look of regret: "Sir, I can provide goods of equal value, but the oats you promised have not yet been shipped to my warehouse. In fact, there is no warehouse in my house that can load 60,000 pounds of wheat in one go. granary. As for the silver coins, most of them have been turned into leather. There are also many silver coins as payment to the construction workers. Besides, I took out goods of equal value, and I don’t think Carlotta has the ability to take them all away, even if he takes them away Now, do they really know how to sell leather?"
I don’t understand it at all! What on earth does this woman want to do?
Carlotta felt as if she was being entertained and felt that her brain was not smart enough.
Rurik understood her hint: the payment can be deferred, or more money can be paid.
The transaction model of deferred payment is no stranger to Rurik. In the era of big e-commerce, delayed payment by customers is the norm. As long as each party trusts each other and maintains credibility, or agrees on a credibility with some force, the transaction can continue.
Rurik asked directly: "You actually want to postpone the payment, right? Aslaqi, you definitely mean this."
"Yes! Now that everyone has guessed it. In fact..."
"Stop being secretive." Rurik shook his head.
"Okay." Aslaqi sighed helplessly: "I also think about Sister Carlotta and her people. Sixty pounds of silver, if you don't take action, I will only have the entire New Roseburg." The family has the financial resources to take action. What I said is true. I am short of cash on hand. We are still waiting for the sea to thaw and sell all the goods on hand for cash. Sister Carlotta chose an inappropriate time. Land for sale if..."
She began to negotiate terms with Carlotta one-on-one: "Give me the land immediately, and when I collect the payment, I will not only give you the arrears, but also give you additional interest."
"Interest? How much is it?!" Carlotta asked without thinking.
Seeing that his wife was too pure and high-quality for this transaction, Rurik couldn't stand it anymore. He slapped his thigh and stopped Aslaqi's 5% interest rate on the spot.
"I have decided! 20% interest rate. Aslaqi, give her 80 pounds of silver coins before the harvest season this year, not one less."
"Sir!" Aslaqi also finished eating.
The interest rate was a good one, and Carlotta immediately made the decision and claimed the deal was done, then smiled.
Aslaqi was a little confused by the sudden imperial appointment. Even though Old Harald was watching the show, his face was grim now.
Rurik still slapped his thigh: "If all my money hadn't been in my hometown in Roseburg, I would have bought Aslaqi. For Ostara and for Rose, please spend a special amount of money! Everything from now on The people of Ostara will remember you well."
But Aslaki only felt a little hypocritical. Rurik and Carlotta were very close. They were family to each other, as if what happened today was blackmail by their husband and wife.
She gritted her teeth: "Since it is the king's order, I must agree. So we must sign the contract."
Since we want to establish a business contract, verbal communication is totally unacceptable.
The vast amount of paper brought from Novgorod immediately underlines its wonderful effect.
This is the oath between Aslaki and Carlotta, and Rurik is at best the witness.
The document was signed quickly and the document itself was folded. Old Harald was stunned by all this. He saw the commercial value in it and saw that paper even changed his lifestyle.
Isn’t it troublesome to make a written oath? To engrave words on a suitable board, the board must be carefully prepared and then the thick board must be carefully preserved. Old Harald had also heard of using noble materials like parchment as a carrier of contracts. It was done by the Franks in the far south, but the value of the parchment itself was astonishing.
Therefore, many businessmen do not like to make written contracts. There are indeed serious troubles in the carrier materials of the contract. A large number of business activities often involve the failure of money to be received in time, which naturally leads to the lending business.
A business contract relies on verbal statements from both parties, which is very maneuverable. Once both parties misunderstand the contract, conflicts will arise. On issues related to the ownership of money and goods, the ambiguity of verbal contracts led to subsequent fights. Old Harald had seen too much in the Viking business environment of old Gotland.
The port of Visby was in ruins, and a whole new wave of Swedish immigrants replaced the old Gotlanders with new settlements.
Old Harald didn't have much interest there, but business is business. The Russians and Swedes have the same or even stronger business atmosphere here. Now the paper brought by the Russian prince makes it easy to sign a written contract. This thing is simply for Born for business!
His layout is actually a bit smaller, but the depth he sees exceeds that of an ordinary businessman.
The land deal involving Aslaki and Carlotta was significant in nature. Rurik, the prince of Russia, did not have property rights to these farmlands. As the arbiter and certifier, he paid attention to the entire transaction.
Nearly ten hectares of farmland has become the private property of the old Harald family. Whether to plant wheat or other cash crops on it, or even abandon it, is theoretically the family's own business.
But this is Rus, and Rurik will not allow the land to fall into disrepair. Ten hectares of land is a large area, and even if Aslaqi owns the land, she can't control what to plant.
Carlotta is very satisfied with this transaction. When a wealth equivalent to eighty pounds of silver coins becomes the property of the Ostara people, the people of the tribe will rely on it to develop rapidly. Aslaki will not really have to wait until the goods are sold to repay the money in silver coins. She will first pay the equivalent of twenty pounds of silver coins as the down payment, and the subsequent balance of sixty pounds of silver coins must be in cash.
The two women were satisfied with each other, and Rurik spoke again: "Aslaqi, you now have the land. I approved this large-scale land transaction, and your actions created a history for Ross. Tell me, What are you going to plant in your new land?"
"Probably wheat." Aslaqi knew that Rurik would have something to say, so her answer was full of temptation.
"No. You don't want to plant wheat. I want you to plant flax stalks."
"Why linen? Is it just for making cloth?"
"It's not just that." Rurik sighed softly: "In my opinion, the banks of the Neva River in New Roseburg are still not suitable for growing wheat. It is suitable for growing flax, ramie and hemp. Since your family I was good at leather processing when I was in Gotland, and the processed leather is used to make clothes. Since the final purpose is to make clothes, isn't making linen also highly profitable? Listen!"
"yes."
Rurik's face was serious: "I allowed your family to revive, and I also need your family to revive. I want you to plant flax on a large scale, because my fleet needs a lot of hemp rope and cloth, and my ship-borne weapons need hemp. The torque of the rope. How much money can you make by simply growing wheat and then crushing it into flour? If you grow all flax, I will collect as much as you want. The price is guaranteed to satisfy you. For this reason, I am willing to sign a futures contract with you immediately. .”
The prince is using his power to direct a transaction, and Aslaqi knows that everything about her family is actually in the hands of this person. As the saying goes, there is no love without reason. As smart as she is, she knows that the prince's purpose is to support an obedient big businessman in the East, so as to prevent the Gould family, a big businessman in the West, from becoming dominant.
No, a flax futures contract was quickly signed, and Rurik decided to use the price of flax stalks at the Mälaren Birka market last summer as a guide price to purchase the expected output of Yasilaqi's land this year. Flax stalks are a cash crop. It seems that its only use is to make cloth, and its special attributes limit its marketability. If it weren't for Rurik, a super collector, even ten hectares of land would be planted with this, and it would definitely be a loss in the end.
Therefore, this paper contract has advanced significance across the ages. If a wealthy businessman suddenly pops up and wants to buy this contract, Rurik may increase the price and sell it to cash out immediately.
If there is a matryoshka-style purchase around this contract, and selling the contract alone is the means of cashing out, isn't this a typical futures transaction? The essence of tulipmania was a group of businessmen trading around a written contract for the right to purchase special tulip bulbs, against the contract itself.
Fortunately, there is no businessman richer than Rurik trying to do this in the Principality of Ross. It is undeniable that this contract has opened up the situation in nature, and the Principality of Ross has begun to give birth to the soil for futures trading.
Since there was a written contract, there was no possibility in Aslaki's mind that Lord Rurik would break the contract. She calculated in her mind that she would definitely make a lot of money this year by growing flax stalks, and could do so every year.
Two contracts were signed in one day, and all three parties will get their own benefits. Not only will they make a lot of money this year, but they will also have great positive significance for each other's future.
It’s truly a win-win contract.
