Saratov, a city located on the lower reaches of the Volga River, has a permanent population of 200,000. It is the trading center for grain and timber in the Romanov Kingdom. Here, you can buy low-priced timber, which is needed for Mosk's reconstruction work. More than half of the wood is purchased from here.
Precisely because of the timber and grain trade, the houses in this city are different from other cities in that they are mostly built with timber. Brick and tile houses have become a rare sight. Only some wealthy gentlemen will build houses with bricks and tiles.
Since the river thawed, the port of Saratov has also been full of vitality, transporting large amounts of wood and grain to cities on the upper reaches of the Volga River every day.
Although the business at Saratov Port is booming, as a serf of a noble family, Scott King is not happy at all.
He squatted on the edge of the field ridge, holding a hoe on his shoulder, sighing as he looked at the black field in front of him that had been plowed several times. In the distance was the sawmill with billowing smoke.
"It's a good thing that the war was won, and it's a good thing that people didn't starve to death in the winter, but we've eaten all the seeds, so how can we cultivate the land?"
Scott King had a sad look on his face, his dark, saggy skin was twisted into a ball, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He hadn't slept well for two or three days because they couldn't get any seeds for farming at home.
It's now May. If we don't sow the seeds, we won't be able to grow food. Even if we can plant it, the harvest won't be very good.
Regarding the food for his family for the next year, Scott King had to cheer up and plan to borrow some money from the noble lord... Just borrowing some seeds would be enough...
It turned out as he wished. After pressing his fingerprint on an incomprehensible treaty, Scott King successfully got a small bag of seeds. Although he incurred another debt, he was very optimistic because the weather was good this year. There is also enough rain, so as long as the seeds are planted as soon as possible, the harvest will not be too bad.
Wait for the harvest after autumn, harvest the golden wheat fields, beat them into grains, pay taxes 30%, pay off the debts of the noble lords with 30%, and still have 40% left... Buy a new pair of shoes for Chekariva, hers The shoes are all tattered, and the shoes on the second-hand market are very cheap anyway, so they should be treated as her 12th birthday present....
Full of longing for future life, Scott King came to the rented field with a bag full of seeds in one hand and a hoe in the other.
Braving the warm sunshine, he began to bury the seeds into the ground bit by bit, covered them with fertile black soil, and poured some water...
Everything is going on in an orderly manner. Scott King is very familiar with the farm work in the field. He dares to pat his chest and say that he knows the things in the farmland better than anyone else. When there is plenty of rain, there should be no more watering. , he knows when to beware of strong winds.
The sun went down and at dusk, Scott King finally sowed the seeds. He stood on the ridge of the field and observed his masterpiece, humming a song he had heard somewhere and picked up a hoe to go home.
His wife and Chekareva are waiting for him...
When he arrived at the village, Scott King suddenly saw a group of people gathering at the entrance of the village, talking about it as if something big had happened.
This chapter is not finished yet, click [next page] to continue reading -->>
【Father Mavey】【】
He squeezed into the crowd and saw an official in blue uniform standing by the low wall, holding water and pasting a large poster on the wall.
"What happened?" Scott King didn't know how to read, so he grabbed the only literate man in the village.
The man, who looked sallow and pale and was obviously a little malnourished, squinted his eyes and read the words on the poster in a low voice. Everyone fell silent and held their breath, wanting to hear what he had to say.
"The king signed a latest law, the General Decree on Peasants' Disengagement from Serfdom..."
"From now on, serfdom is abolished and all serfs are restored to the status of free persons and enjoy general civil rights. Landowners cannot buy, sell or exchange peasants. Peasants have the right to own property, hold public office or engage in industry and commerce..."
"Peasants can own a certain amount of land, but they must pay ransom to the landlord. Before signing a redemption contract, they must perform labor and pay rent for the landlord, and establish village communities and township organizations controlled by the nobles..."
Including Scott King, no one quite understood the meaning of this decree. They only heard the first sentence: Abolition of serfdom.
For a moment, the crowd was noisy. Everyone was extremely surprised to be suddenly restored to their status as free citizens. This meant that they were free and no longer had to work for the landlord!
More importantly, they do not need to pay ransom to become free citizens!
free!
Scott King was also very happy. He wished he could go home immediately and tell his wife and daughter Chekariva the good news. This meant that Chekariva was eligible to study in a school in the city....
But the literate man frowned even more tightly. He kept chewing the second half of the decree, then suddenly lowered his head and let out a long sigh.
"The sky is going to change..."
"You should be happy!" Someone pushed his shoulder.
"Happy?" The malnourished man looked at them with pity: "Don't you know what kind of trouble this decree will bring?"
Everyone looked confused.
"Sigh... Although you are no longer the serfs of the noble master's family, it means that the land you are cultivating now will be taken back by the noble master. If you want to cultivate the land, you will have to pay a high fee to the noble master. A heavy ransom... Which of you can pay the ransom?"
The crowd gradually became quiet, and Scott King asked: "Can't the noble Lord first give us the land to cultivate and then charge us the fee like before?"
"If you are still serfs, then of course you can, but you are now free people. The noble master must fulfill the content of the law and take back the fields that were cultivated by you for free, and then redeem them to you."
"Then... what about the seeds I borrowed from the noble lord this morning?" Scott King suddenly became anxious: "I just sowed it!"
"They are all the property of the noble lord..." The man shook his head: "Everyone, please listen to my advice. If the family does not have money and food, it will be difficult to open the pot soon. Go to the city quickly. If it is late, there will be no work. .”
Scott King didn't know how he got home, and he couldn't remember what he had for dinner. Judging from his hunger, he seemed to have eaten nothing.
This chapter is not finished yet, click [next page] to continue reading -->>
【Father Mavey】【】
Early the next morning, at dawn, Scott King climbed out of bed, picked up the hoe in the corner, and remembered something as soon as he walked out the door. He quickly put the hoe back home and trotted into the city.
The city was overcrowded. Saratov is a small city. It was originally peaceful, but a sudden influx of people made the small city congested.
Everyone is looking for a job. Some people even came last night and slept in front of the factory, trying to catch the earliest opportunity to see if they could find a job.
Scott King was mixed in with the crowd, being squeezed here and there. His eyes were full of confusion, and his mind was blank. He numbly followed the people around him and raised his arms high, shouting strange sounds in his mouth.
He didn't know what was going on. This year was obviously a good year for a bumper harvest... Why did he suddenly stop farming... Oh, there was no land for him to farm... The aristocratic bastards had already The fields were sealed....
It was noon, the sun was shining high, and Scott King had not found a job. He was dark and thin, and could only farm. The factory did not want him at all. Even if the salary dropped again and again, everyone could only get 10 for working hard all day. The kopeck reward was not enough to buy a piece of bread, but everyone was still overcrowding, pushing and shoving...crowded...
Scott King was walking on the road in a daze. He didn't know where he was going or what he should do. He was so hungry... His stomach ached from hunger... His eyes were a little blurry... ..
He sat on the steps of a tailor's shop, breathing heavily. It took a long time to feel that he had regained some strength. He grabbed his short, yellow hair and cried softly.
Suddenly, a pair of clean cloth shoes appeared in his field of vision.
Scott King raised his head and saw a young man wearing a priest's robe. The man was holding a thick book with his palms on his chest, nodding and bowing to him:
"Sir, do you...believe in the truth?"
