Mstisk is now a large rural area under construction. Because of its past experience in city construction, this new city based on rivers and lakes will not be messy from the beginning.
It will also quickly evolve into a town, with T-junctions inside. Residential houses must be single-family houses, and their arrangement must be coherent. They will build new woodblocks, new warehouses, and even new dry latrines. It is still too early to build a sewer system, but drainage ditches are dug in advance to ensure that when it rains, excess water flows directly into the Msti River.
A new wharf is under construction on the lakeside. A large number of wooden piles have been driven deeply into the mud near the shore. However, it is still during the spring plowing period and no one is working here anymore.
There are also some long boats deliberately washed up on the beach, as well as a group of local canoes.
If you look carefully, you can see figures moving on the fields and even moving deer.
The two large ships anchored only when they approached the shore of the lake, and their bulbous bows touched the mud.
Rurik looked at Kawei again: "If you want to see it for yourself, do it now. If you have decided that you want a field to plant, tell me. I... will stay here for a while."
"Forget about farming. I am a blacksmith, not a farmer. I carry tools with me. If the brothers' iron tools are damaged, I can repair them nearby. Well, I think this place lacks a blacksmith shop."
"You still answer like this? That's fine. Of course Mstisk needs a blacksmith shop. Now I will arrange for your apprentices to go back to their hometown to work. Come on, let's get off the ship." Rurik said happily.
A wooden human-powered squirrel cage crane should be built on the shore, so that bags of planting grain can be quickly unloaded by relying on the principle of leverage.
Rurik didn't want to rely on his brothers' arms to transport sacks. If a sack of wheat fell into the lake and the seeds were planted, the germination rate would plummet.
The soldiers of the First Flag Team worked all day long. They learned that some family members had returned early, and the morale of the entire team was high. This enthusiasm was invested in the construction and farming of the town.
The phantom of the big ship reappeared on the lake. Farmers hurriedly suspended their work and poured into the half-renovated dock from all directions.
Kawei stood on tiptoe and saw figures approaching him one after another. Those people's blond hair was extremely conspicuous in the sun.
"Haha, our helpers are here!"
Arik, who returned with the ship, was even more impatient. He patted his brother Rurik on the shoulder: "You just complained about building a crane. You will see it soon."
The First Flag Team has always presented itself as a brave and capable warrior, but now it has become a bunch of losers.
Rurik suddenly noticed that some people had red necks caused by the sun. They were squinting in the hot sunshine. Everyone was wearing simple clothes. If they wore a straw hat, wouldn't they look like classic European farmers?
At first glance, the vigor of their bloody warriors has been obscured by the dust on their bodies.
And these "red necks" saw such a scene!
A group of women in robes carefully climbed down the rope net of the ship, and many young children were also clinging to the ropes with their chubby little hands. The women all carried bags on their backs, with some odds and ends hanging on their belts.
There were also some suitcases tied with hemp ropes on the deck of the ship, which were slowly hung down and landed on the small boat that was ready to receive them.
Women and children were slowly landing.
"That's my woman! That's my child!"
The soldiers of the First Flag Team who recognized their family members rushed forward bravely, burst into tears of joy and jumped out of the knee-deep lake, and continued to wade forward to reunite with their families.
Dozens of people saw their family members, and the soldiers had already spontaneously launched a response operation without Lauryurik's supervision. Knowing that their family members are soft and soft, they can disembark very smoothly and quickly. As for disembarking with a large amount of weight, they can wait a little longer.
They were the daughters nourished by Lake Ilmen. They thought that being forced to marry a Rus would mean leaving their hometown for the rest of their lives. However, they returned with their children in just a few years.
However, doesn’t the lakeside he is standing on belong to the arrogant and powerful Pine Needle Manor? There was a terrible battle here last year.
There are no traces of war, nor the vast buildings of Pine Needle Manor, just the farms being developed by Ross men, wandering deer, and a city under construction.
They knew a little bit about the end of Pine Needle Manor, but because they had never seen the horrific post-war scenes, they couldn't make any connections. They didn't understand those things and instinctively didn't want to know about them.
What about reality? The giant tomb is not far away, and there should be obvious markers there.
Women with only dozens of brothers came, and some brothers even had two women and multiple children. There were even brothers and their mothers who came together to join their old father who was serving in the Second Flag Corps. This is what is called selling the property in your hometown and immigrating with your family with your belongings.
The decisive action of this kind of person was a very good sign in Rurik's eyes. He couldn't help but re-examine his understanding of "relocation". His own concept of oriental homeland seemed to be unsatisfactory to the Viking people. Applicable, my tribesmen are more decisive than I imagined.
A few dozen lucky brothers spent their first night settling in the new world with their family members from afar in their new-style houses. A family guards a one-hectare field, and the oats in their own field have been sown. The family also has a large amount of money and surplus grain, which is enough to ensure that the family can wait for the wheat harvest safely.
Soldiers who were unable to settle down were still working. They were logging trees to build their own houses, and by the way, they were asking for land from the forest and opening up new private fields. The hunting operation was also going on, and they who were manipulating crossbows began to sweep away the big red squirrels jumping around in the forest. The prince arrived just in time, and a batch of squirrel skins dried by the campfire happened to be sold directly.
Today's days full of hope are all thanks to the perfect prince. They are all willing to do things for prince Rurik. This is not only out of their own wishes, but also because the prince is always trustworthy and will definitely give rewards.
A group of laborers was easily assembled. In the evening, more than 300 strong men were either carrying wooden poles on their shoulders, or carrying bundles of hemp ropes, newly woven rattan ropes, or even driving multiple reindeer to drag and cut trees. of large pine poles massing towards the pier.
Overnight, a human-powered crane was built out of wood and rope.
On the second day after Rurik's arrival, an astonishing amount of wheat seeds began to be transported through the crane's net to the shore where the grass sprouted, and then were carried by strong men onto two-wheeled trolleys...
Do we still need to be taught about farming?
It’s not that the old Russians in the past disdained growing wheat, it’s just that the conditions didn’t allow it. A small amount of cabbage and onions can be grown in Roseburg's home fjord, although a sudden cold snap may undo months of hard work.
The young people of the First Flag Team received guidance from the old farmers of Baishu Manor here. Together with the advanced "fool-type" agricultural tools that integrate tillage and sowing, spring plowing is not a technical problem, it is just a matter of physical exertion.
Rurik ordered his wives and concubines to divide the fertile fields among the brothers of the First Banner Corps according to the contract. They were all close to the lake. They were most nourished by the penetration of the lake water and could also absorb some nutrients from the mud. There are still a large number of fields that have not been allocated. Except for a group of low-fertility fields, they are deliberately vacant and fertile fields that are urgently needed to grow wheat.
All the wheat seeds were transported in the morning, and the panting soldiers of the First Standard were summoned by Rurik again.
Everyone stared at Lord Rurik standing on a cart, listening to his speech, hoping to take the opportunity to make another fortune.
"Brothers! The deadline for spring plowing is about to end, and we still have a lot of fields that have not been sown! You have all been assigned your own fields and have completed your own farming. Now one of you counts, and you Women and children, I need your labor! All the wheat and oats must be planted. For our autumn harvest, all of us will work together! You must pay attention, we are fighting a brand new war, and we must defeat the famous Fight for our hungry enemies and for our endless supply of food!”
These words speak of too great a dimension, and have always been a bit hollow.
Rurik thought about it and shouted again with a smile: "Brothers! Do you like to drink ale and my kvass? You like it very much! But they require a lot of wheat to brew. Now farm for me, I I will give each of your families a barrel of delicious ale. Of course, I will also give you silver coins!"
They rarely had the opportunity to drink drinks. Simple river and lake water had a fishy smell. Now, because of the popularity of the princes in the past, boiling chrysanthemum water after picking chrysanthemums and drying them has become a normal drink. Boiled pine needle water is another traditional drink, with a bitter taste to suppress the fishy smell.
Not to mention what a good drink is, their first choice is mellow ale. Nowadays, kvass with a slightly sweet and sour taste is another option, followed by high-end mead.
Obviously ale is a drink that everyone likes and is very cost-effective. The only problem is the lack of raw materials. Unless these fields have a bumper harvest this year.
In order to drink wine and eat a steady stream of wheat, Rurik easily gathered a group of laborers.
He now has more than just the First Flag Team to do the work. Part of the farmland here has also been given to the ally farm as spoils of war. After the farmers of the farm finished farming, they heard that the prince's fields were in urgent need of labor, so they came to help in exchange for a reward. !
Rurik was indeed well-prepared. The famous blacksmith Kawei immediately built the most traditional earth stove, repaired the dull axes of his brothers, and even made the shovels sharper, and even used quenching. heat treatment.
The cogs behind the plow are filled with wheat. Many modified plows are dragged across the fertile fields by multiple reindeer. Strip-shaped arrays of wheat are buried under the soft soil. The speed of sowing has already rewritten the local agriculture.
Old Pine Needles Manor is the largest acreage in the area and is basically connected to each other. Good fields will be planted with wheat, while poor fields will continue to be planted with oats.
With enough seed grain on hand, Rurik was fully confident to use it. He was definitely not squandering it. It seemed that he used an amazing amount of seed grain. The more advanced sowing method was actually more economical than the traditional high-density sowing method of the locals. a lot of.
It was only the tenth day of May in the Julian calendar, and the sowing of the entire Mstisk field was declared triumphant.
Rurik acknowledged that the brothers and their families were not lazy, and everyone received two silver coins, regardless of gender.
It’s a small amount of money, isn’t it? It's very little. After all, Rurik promised that there would be a barrel of ale in the future!
The prince and the queen were plowing the land, and the feet of the prince's young wives and concubines were also covered with soil. They enjoyed the fun of working together, just like living together in their hometown of Roseburg, and fighting side by side on the battlefield. Financial rewards must be provided, no matter how much they want.
As if Odin was protecting his people who believed in him, Rurik in the Ilmen Lake area was the last to complete spring plowing. Just three days after everyone finished their most tiring work, the rain started.
Rurik had returned to the city of Novgorod at this moment. The ground became moist overnight. He could not feel the cold, but the intoxicating warmth.
This rain forced Rurik to "suddenly brake" after working continuously. For three full months, he traveled in a large area from the Neva River to Lake Ilmen and seldom had a good rest. Now he can finally be quiet. Take a moment to make some plans for the future.
Everyone knows that the large-scale immigration operation in the Principality of Rus has begun. The huge fleet will return to Roseburg during the warm period, and the sailors who leisurely and leisurely work as urban construction laborers in Novgorod and Novorosberg to make money will return. Their old business. This is just a trip that Rurik himself must participate in. Those soldiers of the First Flag Army who have settled down have transformed into fishermen. They will fish for bass in Lake Ilmen, and even float along the Volkhov River to other places. Go fishing for the fierce and extremely fat pike in the large Ladoga Lake.
In terms of plundering the environment, the local Slavs are not as capable as the Russians.
Rurik decided to convene a meeting on the spot for future operations, especially to issue a series of tasks to his wives and concubines who served as land surveyors, priests, and paper workers, as well as to Medd, who served as the governor of Novgorod. Waite issued a clear mission. Of course, Mstisk, a rapidly expanding city of Russian immigrants, implemented self-government under Arik's supervision in accordance with Nordic customary law, just like the living conditions back home in Roseburg.
Before the meeting, the little fat guy Blue Fox was happily invited to the bedroom by Rurik himself to discuss certain things in detail.
This is a confidential conversation, it must be related to business! When I think that I can continue to make a fortune, I feel so happy.
In fact, he was not the only one Rurik invited, and Blue Fox also noticed that a simple charcoal-blackened cross was hung on the main entrance of an independent, small, wooden-carved building in Novgorod.
John Ingvar, a young man about the same age as Rurik, was sitting in the house wearing a black robe. Rurik allowed this man to openly hang the silver cross pendant on his chest.
The oily spring rain made Blue Fox a little damp all over. He walked into the prince's residence, obediently took off his leather boots, and then walked into Rurik's house with his paunchy and bare feet.
"Sir! I'm here to keep my appointment," he said.
As a result, the blue fox knew from experience that he did not expect that Prince Rurik was holding a sleeping child in his arms. This child? Could it be?
When Blue Fox arrived in Novgorod, he looked at the city from a businessman's perspective. His eyes were always observing some details, hoping to explore some business opportunities. He saw that the old prince Otto had been happily playing with his eldest granddaughter, but the old queen Niya was very strangely holding a swaddling baby, which was obviously a baby boy.
The strange thing was that he felt that something was missing from this place. The prince and his family were enjoying themselves happily, but he really couldn't tell what was missing. Looking more closely, Prince Rurik's brows seemed to reveal a little regret.
The prince is kind, but he will never hug other people's children, so this baby must have a blood relationship with the prince no matter what.
Well? Could it be that his Svetlana had already given him an heir to the principality? It can't be.
