Chapter 287 Praise Day
Bean sprouts and leeks are among the few vegetables that can be eaten during the cold ice age.
With a little suggestion from Russell, Mrs. Salby distributed the bean sprouts and leeks, and then spread them to the entire Black-rumped Snake Manor, and even to the entire Youguang River Valley.
Life in the manor during the Ice Age was very hard.
The serfs could only eat some pickles and salty sauce, but no fresh vegetables at all.
But the nobles don't have to worry. They can naturally use metal and gem materials to build greenhouses and grow vegetables. Even if the castle does not build a greenhouse, fresh vegetables can be transported from the volcanic oasis where spring is present all year round.
Therefore, no noble lord has ever thought of trying to allow his subjects to eat fresh vegetables during the Ice Age.
It would be kind to eat some pickles and salty sauce to avoid freezing to death during the Ice Age.
"Sir, all the serfs in our village knelt on the ground and kowtowed when they ate bean sprouts and leeks, praising you!" Mrs. Salby said happily, "And the last time, when we ate tofu, everyone also took the initiative to give Master, you are kowtowing!"
To the serfs, tofu, bean sprouts, and leeks seemed to be just ordinary things, but they added great warmth to their lives.
Russell smiled lightly and said: "As a lord, I naturally have to consider the people. Not only do I want you to be full, but I also want you to eat well."
"Praise sir, you are truly the embodiment of kindness and generosity!" Mrs. Salby said sincerely.
"How are the new serfs doing in the village? Have they had any conflicts with the locals?" Russell asked.
Mrs. Salby replied: "There were several conflicts, but they were all separated and could not get together. Many people either married local daughters or married local men... Basically they lived in harmony. What about life?”
Today, the population of Wuyao Snake Manor has exceeded 5,300.
Fortunately, there was a lot of wasteland, and the newly arrived serfs could cultivate new farmland without fear of running out of land for cultivation.
Some craftsmen such as carpenters and stonemasons are not afraid of not having jobs. The manor is under construction and there are too many jobs. So far, there are not enough manpower to build the manor's office. The work of the cigar compound alone is enough to attract people. They are busy.
Finished patrolling the territory.
Russell then returned to the Cigar Courtyard, ready to rest for a while before starting today's knight evening class, working diligently.
But before he could finish his cup of tea, two great scholars, Alex and Robert, came over.
"Sir Russell."
"Sir Alex, Sir Robert, are you okay?"
"We have carefully examined the retting technology, and it is really as gratifying as expected. This is definitely a great technological invention." Robert said enthusiastically, "You will be promoted to a great scholar because of this, absolutely. !”
"I'm just doing my part for the country." Russell said modestly.
"We have a lot of ideas that we want to discuss with you, your health officer Catherine. She can't explain many things clearly." Alex said. Catherine was only a free citizen in the cave, and her culture was too shallow.
"Okay, please sit down. If you have anything you want to discuss, just ask."
The two great scholars were also very polite and asked repeatedly about various details of retting technology, such as the principle of manure fermentation, the reason why fresh manure burns roots, the construction of septic tanks, and the method of collecting manure...
Russell, who was eloquent, would naturally answer patiently, but in fact he knew little about retting. It was done anyway on Earth.
Therefore, many questions cannot be answered, so the great scholars are left to explore on their own.
In the evening, the two great scholars were simply left to have dinner together in the Cigar Courtyard. The tofu, bean sprouts, and chives served at dinner once again opened the eyes of the two great scholars and made them keenly aware of the value.
It is different from the nobles who are out of touch with reality and already belong to two different categories of people from the serfs.
Alex and Robbit were both born into the civilian class, so they can better understand the value of these things to the serf class.
"Beans are the most unpalatable. I didn't expect tofu to be so delicious!" Robert exclaimed, "There are also bean sprouts and chives that can sprout during the Ice Age. They are not only a delicious delicacy, but also excellent vegetables during the Ice Age!"
Alex also sighed with emotion: "I really came to the right place to inspect the Black-loisted Snake Manor. Mr. Russell, let me replace the wine with juice and give you a toast!"
Russell smiled and accepted the compliments from the two great erudite men.
The host and guest enjoyed the meal.
However, the two great scholars did not stay at the Black-waisted Snake Manor for too long. They completed their inspection in three days, collected everything about the fertilization technology, and left the Youguang Valley under the escort of the guard knights.
As soon as the great scholar left, Grove led Ms. Fannie to pay homage to him.
"Sir." Grove was a little shy, but he held Ms. Fannie's hand very firmly.
Ms. Fannie was a little more cautious and leaned over: "My lord."
"Congratulations." Russell took a closer look at Ms. Fannie. Although her skin was a bit dark, her facial features and figure were very good, especially the ratio of breasts to hips. It was obvious that Grove was good at this.
Looking back, Russell asked: "When are you planning to get married? I will give you a congratulatory gift then."
"We don't plan to hold a wedding." Grove said with a smile, "We just plan to have Fanny's family come over for a meal... I hope adults can come too."
"Okay, let me know when the time comes." Russell smiled.
When it was evening, Butler Morris brought red wine and went into the study to have a drink with Russell, and reported the recent situation of the Cigar Courtyard.
Russell had two sets of expenses.
One set was the expenses of the Cigar Courtyard, which belonged to his personal property; the other set was the expenses of the Black Snake Manor, which belonged to the lord's property. The two sets of expenses were separated and not mixed together for the convenience of paying taxes.
Although the Black Snake Manor belonged to Russell's territory, it still needed to pay part of the tax to Baron Roman.
"Master, during the time you were away, Sir Charles withdrew 100 gold coins from his private account and remitted them to the public account." Butler Morris said, "So there are only 25 gold coins left in the private account of the courtyard."
"Is that all?" Russell frowned.
"It's mainly because too much was withdrawn from the public account." Butler Morris sighed helplessly. Most of the nobles' income was withdrawn from the public account to the private account, but Russell now withdrew from the private account to the public account, which was a personal support for the territory.
Then he handed a copy of the account book to Russell.
Russell flipped through it, but didn't look at it carefully. He still trusted Butler Morris very much, so he closed the account book.
After a little thought, he said, "Don't panic, just hold on for half a month. The order from the cigar factory will come soon. I will ask Fluorescent Castle to advance a sum of money. When the public account has money, you can ask Charles to settle the private account."
"Okay, sir."
"By the way, when Grove gets married, please pick a gift from your private storehouse for me, a gemstone sword." Russell said.
Russell's private storehouse has a lot of good things hidden in it, especially during the Second Fall, he met many great nobles, and they all gave him some gifts, including a gemstone sword. It's useless to keep it at home, so it's just right to be used as a gift.
Butler Morris took the order: "Yes, sir."
After a pause, he said: "Sir, April 21st, the Praise Day, is approaching, but there are still two days before the ban on banquets is lifted. How should I plan?"
April 21st is Russell's birthday, which is also the Praise Day. As the name suggests, it is the day when the people praise the lord. Usually on the Praise Day, the serfs need to pay eggs and bread to the lord.
The ban on banquets will not be lifted until April 23rd.
Russell thought for a moment and said, "I may spend the time on the snowy plains, so don't worry. Just add a meal for the servants and share the joy. As for the eggs and bread on the day of praise, the serfs can bring them over, and you can distribute them as rewards."
Butler Morris immediately praised, "Master, you are so generous. The serfs of the Black-waisted Snake Manor must be serfs watched by the dragon."
"Haha." Russell laughed, "I don't care about taking so little from the serfs. It's enough for the serfs to have more children and provide me with knight seedlings."