"Hey, Shorty Kohler, the Plow Moon is about to pass, and the Hay Moon is coming." A thin old serf working in the wheat field straightened up and looked at the short serf next to him.
"I don't know why, but I feel like this month has gone by so fast, as if it was just yesterday that I unloaded the yoke and plowshares of the oxen. But when the hay month is over and the harvest month comes, those damn Yankees will They are coming to plunder the food we just harvested." Kohler, the dwarf, also patted the soil on his body and stood up.
These peasants liked to use the names given to each month by Charlemagne. The Plow Moon is June, the Hay Moon is July, and the Harvest Moon is August.
"What are you afraid of? This year is different," the old and thin serf looked at the small wooden fort taking shape on the hill in the distance. "Even if the Vikings come, we can take our family and hide in the lord's wooden fort. "
"That's right. It will be quite safe to transport these harvested crops to the new granary in the wooden castle. By the way, old guy, do you feel that this year's crops are a little different?" Kohler, the dwarf, wiped his sweat. He took off his straw hat, fanned himself, and looked at the fields.
"Of course. This year's barley and oats are growing denser and better than last year. Personally, I feel that I can harvest twenty from one plant." The old farmer gently pinched the young barley seedlings next to him and said slowly.
"Oh my god, old guy, are you kidding me?" Kohler, the dwarf, looked shocked.
To be honest, in the early Middle Ages in Western Europe, an era when simple and extensive planting methods were followed and agricultural technology was backward, it would be a blessing to have a harvest ratio of one to six. Remember that in colder climates earlier than Simon's time, harvest ratios of one to three were common.
"Oh, your father didn't know your mother when I was farming in the fields! Even in the peaceful and prosperous years of Lorraine, I have never seen barley grow like this." The old farmer continued Sighing.
"That means..." Shorty Kohler's voice was a little excited.
"That's right." As soon as the old serf finished speaking, the two of them looked at the manure pit with a large oak cross inserted next to it.
"It seems that the monk is the spreader of God's glory! This incredible miracle has now begun to show signs!" The dwarf Kohler looked enthusiastic, and he almost got down and kissed the fertile soil that had just been fertilized with farmyard manure. No one knew that this guy who was usually cunning and full of clever ideas would be so pious and fanatical when he met the "Holy Miracle".
"Look, Master Simon is training old Bauch and his friends in the shield wall battle formation again!" The old skinny serf heard a chorus of shouts and Simon's instructions, and hurriedly pulled Kohler.
I saw a group of militiamen standing in a row, holding large bucklers, and marching side by side. Following Simon's instruction, the recruits in the front row immediately squatted down with their shields, and the recruits in the back row immediately stepped forward and placed their shields on top of the shields of the recruits in the front row. A relatively neat shield wall appeared on the village road on the side of the farmland.
"Look at these guys, they have plenty of fuel and water every day, and now one of them is getting stronger than the other!" Kohler smacked his lips and looked at these sturdy militiamen with envy.
"That's not true. We have meat to eat every day, and no matter how bad things are, we still have a bowl of broth. Hey, it's a pity that I wasn't chosen by Mr. Hoffman at that time." The old and skinny serf said dully, pounding his hoe.
"You're old and thin, and you haven't fought a few battles in your life." Kohler returned to his natural self and couldn't help but talk.
"Hey, why weren't you chosen? You are as weak and short as a malnourished pheasant. I even suspected that an old monkey entered the house the night before your mother was pregnant with you." The old serf He immediately fought back.
In this way, the two people's escalating talk finally attracted the attention of the village chief who was patrolling in the distance. After a scolding, the field was finally clear.
…
Looking at the silent shield array in front of him, Simon felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.
To be honest, it took a lot of effort for Simon and Fatty to train a group of chattering, undisciplined, and poorly coordinated farmers who doubted their life.
"Shield array, stab!" the fat man on the side shouted.
At this time, gaps opened slightly in the shield wall, and twelve sharp spears suddenly stabbed out from inside.
"Not bad." Simon nodded with satisfaction.
The original idea was for each soldier to be equipped with a large kite shield, a one-handed ax or a mace. However, this area is heavily influenced by the Vikings in the North. Most of the weapons shops in the northern port sell round shields, with only a small number of kite shields. The village chief simply replaced all the shields with round shields when purchasing.
However, when the village chief was purchasing weapons, the weaponsmith heard that his lord wanted to practice shield wall battle formation. This well-informed guy strongly recommended the purchase of twelve more spears.
The village chief thought for a while, if the soldiers in the back row of the shield formation could use spears to stab the enemy with the help of the shield formation, the entire shield formation would be like a wooden wall with thorns, so he purchased a batch of more spears.
"Put away the spear! Now I'm going to test the strength of the shield wall." Fatty ordered, and then stood in front of the shield wall.
All the recruits held their bucklers tightly in their hands.
"drink!"
The fat man gathered his strength and kicked hard towards the airtight shield wall. With the muffled sound of "哃", a "big hole" suddenly appeared in the neat shield wall.
Several recruits were shaken by the huge impact so that half of their bodies were numb. Their center of gravity was unstable and they sat down on the ground.
"Trash! Have you eaten all your meat these days in vain? I can't even support my feet. Then if you encounter the collision of the huge body of the Vikings, you will all die!" The fat man cursed with all his might.
"Remember, each of you is an indispensable part of this shield formation. If there is a big hole in the shield formation because two or three individuals cannot withstand the impact, then everyone will die as a result! I have been emphasizing that, You must trust your companions, but you must know that this trust is based on everyone's strong strength and solid foundation." Simon frowned and said to the recruits whose morale was a little low.
"Such shield wall training will be held every afternoon except Sundays. I hope you will be aware of yourself and not be the one holding you back." Simon looked at the setting sun and felt that it was almost time. "Today's training is over. Now, let’s go eat. The morning after tomorrow, we will gather in the courtyard of the hunting house and continue building the wooden castle.”
Today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday. According to tradition and God's law, except for marching, transporting food, and holding funerals for lords, all other acts of slavery and labor are prohibited. On this day, everyone rests in the Lord's day and praises God in the church.
Although there is no church in Feld Village, every Sunday afternoon, the pastor of Hinkse Village will come here on time to comfort the hearts of these believers.
"Oh! My God, everyone has two pieces of meat today!" Old Bauch looked at everyone's wooden bowls and was a little surprised.
Simon feels that in order to make the recruits physically strong, in addition to heavy training tasks, rich nutrition is also indispensable. If some people can only drink a bowl of broth as before, then these weaklings will inevitably become a breakthrough in the shield wall.
"You have to thank Master Simon. From today on, each militiaman gets two pieces of meat. But the three best performers that day can eat two more pieces of meat for dinner." The fat man grabbed the stewed meat with one hand and chewed it. Said.
After dinner, it was getting dark. A big bonfire in the center of the village was lit, and farmers and women held hands, singing songs and dancing in front of the bonfire. The atmosphere of joy pervades the whole village.
Simon sat back and looked at the carnival people. He touched little Klein's hair on his left hand with his hand and couldn't help but think of a joke he had seen before.
One Sunday night, the villagers sang and danced in the church yard. They sang "Baby, Have Mercy on Me" all night long. The priest couldn't sleep and listened to it countless times. As a result, during mass the next morning, the priest said "May the Lord be with you" instead of "Baby, have mercy on me." This is truly a major scandal in history.
After thinking about it, Elsa didn't know when she sat on her right side.
The three of them chatted and joked together in this cheerful atmosphere, and the time reached midnight before they knew it.
…
On the afternoon of the next Sunday, the priest of Hinkser walked on the muddy path leading to the village of Feld.
"Oh! My Lord, the barley and oats here look much thicker and lusher than those in Hinkser Village." The pastor couldn't help but said while looking at the thriving wheat fields on the roadside outside Feld Village.
At this time, he even felt that the cross inserted in the cesspool on the roadside was faintly emitting holy light under the sunlight.
"I think I can also spread the Lord's glory and holy miracles on the land of Xinkser Village!" The pastor thought to himself and walked into Feld Village.
"I really hope the castle here can be completed soon, so those damn pagans can't trample on God's people at will." The pastor looked at the three-quarter wooden wall built on the hill not far away.
He is glad that things are on the right track in Verde Village, and that this once barren and plundered land is ushering in a new lease of life.
It's almost early summer and the sun is starting to get hotter. The wind blowing from the river carries hot and humid water vapor, making people stay in the dark room and don't want to go out.
"Ding, ding, ding"
As the bell rang next to the clearing, the villagers knew that the priest was coming, so they put on their clothes and walked out of their houses. No matter how hot the weather is, it cannot stop them from pursuing their faith.
The priest took off his hood and said mass. But today’s Mass was a little different from the previous ones.
"God's people, we are fortunate to witness the manifestation of God's miracles in the village of Verde. Now it is no longer a sign. The fat wheat grains and dense wheat seedlings are the best proof! God, all the time Be with you! Amen!" the pastor said excitedly.
The crowd cheered, and everyone had a smile on their face.
"Lord Simon, if you have extra wood after the construction of your castle, can you build a chapel on this sacred land? In this way, I can apply to the diocese to send you a pious priest, always Guard your land." The priest looked at Simon standing aside.
"No problem, respected pastor of Xinkser Village, I have this plan!" Simon was also sincerely happy from the bottom of his heart today and nodded happily.
At this time, little Klein ran out of the forest path in a panic and panting. It seems that this naughty little guy went hunting in the woods again.
"Sir, there is a group of bandits camped in the woods at the border between our village and Wessel Village in the north. It looks like there are twenty or thirty people!"
"Oh, God!" exclaimed the crowd. Everyone started to get a little restless.
"Lord, a few days ago, I heard from some poor traveling businessmen who came from the north and were robbed of everything. They were bandits on the forest path north of Wessel Village. It seems that these bandits are now here. It's in the woods of Verde Village." The priest said with a frown at this time.
"Everyone, be quiet," Simon said loudly, looking at the noisy discussion of the villagers in front of him. "You don't need to be too nervous. I will step up the training of the militia in the next few days, and then personally lead the troops to exterminate this group of damn lawless people! Don't forget , this is a land shrouded in God’s glory, God is with us all the time and protects us!”
"Master Simon is right. How could those pigheads possessed by Satan's apostles be able to fight against us who live under the glory of God? I'm afraid those guys would be scared if I wasn't under the influence of holy miracles. Kneel down and beg for mercy!" Kohler, the dwarf, also echoed.
The crowd burst into laughter, and everyone's panic was dissipated.
