The Tombstone Island stronghold is finally confirmed.
One fine morning, Harozov and Arik took most of the fleet on their final journey home.
The sky has cleared up, and even the wind direction has changed significantly.
Most of the time they were immersed in a mild southerly wind, and only occasionally encountered a weak northern airflow. They raised their sails, especially the dragon-headed warship at the head of the team, and hung sails printed with tribal oar totems to symbolize their identity.
Times have changed.
They paddled again with the help of the wind, and people sang ancient songs, dreaming that they could return to their hometown in just two days.
However, they actually met fishermen from their hometown early in the open sea.
Two larger flat-head fishing boats work together to tow a huge hemp rope net woven by women.
This net was thrown into the sea water. It was two hundred meters wide. Such a large net was towed by two boats. The more than thirty fishermen on the boat used wind and oars to sweep across the net. Covering an area of more than ten meters underwater drawn by fishing nets.
In the era before sonar fish detection, early trawlers could fish by chance in the vast sea by relying on the experience of the boat owners and the so-called luck given by the sea god.
Don’t think about how efficient fishing can be with such a crude method. But as long as they fish for long enough, fishermen can still get a good catch.
The two fishing boats focused on catching the larger herrings and let the smaller ones go. This is not because they understand the principle of fishing from the bottom of the lake.
But because of this, traditional hemp rope nets are prone to breakage when dragged in seawater. If the fishing net is woven too finely, the strong resistance will often make it difficult for the trawler to move.
They mainly fish for herring, which is longer than a man's hand, and occasionally some swimming cod.
The two boats have already headed to the southern waters far away from Fort Ross. They put the fish they caught in baskets made of vines and left them there for at most one night before they had to return.
Although the fish meat has deteriorated a little, the Russians don’t care.
Eatable food is precious at any time. Not to mention that it has gone bad, as long as it is grilled on the fire, the smell of burnt fish oil will completely cover up the smell. People's food requirements are not as demanding as those of later generations.
The two fishing boats saw the fleet in the distance, and they were first instinctively alert.
The two ship bosses immediately completed the communication. First, they closed the net urgently, and then prepared to return north.
After all, in this vast sea, any ship encountered may be an enemy. Even their own fishing boats carry a lot of axes and short spears, which can be sharp weapons for hunting whales, confidence for self-protection, and even more deadly weapons for plundering the weak.
It is always good to avoid the limelight when a mighty fleet appears.
However, when the fishermen urgently operated, they all saw clearly the sails of the fleet in the distance - they were their own.
"It's one of ours, maybe the big leader. Brothers, let's go and have a good look!"
The plan of a ship boss is supported by everyone. After all, the sail The pattern is so reassuring.
The fishing boat adjusted its direction and headed straight for the fleet. Both Harozov and Arik spotted the approaching boats.
"Is that someone from our ally?" Arik asked.
"It should be someone from Melalen."
Based on his own experience, Harozov took it for granted that it was an ally's ship.
As the fleet got closer, Harozov discovered through experience that the fishermen were all his own race, and he even recognized them.
"Grovogen! Why are you?" Harozov asked an old man on the fishing boat with a pale beard tied into two braids in a strange shape.
"Harozov? I thought the big leader was back. You...you seem to have won?!"
"Haha, it's a great victory!"< /p>
"Oh! I really didn't expect that we would meet your fleet here." Fisherman Grovergen said excitedly.
"I never thought you would actually go to such a far away place? What are you doing? Fishing?"
"Of course. Because of our Rurik, that child he is now We need the catch very much.”
“My brother?” The clever Arik threw down his oars and rushed to the bow, “What’s wrong with my brother?”
“ Haha! It's Arik. I can't explain what your brother is doing now. Let's just stop fishing and lead you home."
Brother! What big thing did you do again? Hearing a few words from the fishermen, Arik initially understood something crazy.
Is my brother Rurik showing mercy?
The boy actually gave more than a hundred boys of the same age under his command, giving them at least a pound of cooked fish every day. For this reason, some fishermen venture far into the ocean to fish.
In the vast Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic herring is always the most abundant cold-water fish.
But its growth is generally slow. It takes five years to reach about 20 centimeters. At this point, the fish will basically not continue to grow. After the herrings are decapitated and gutted, three will make up a pound. In this way, if Rurik entertained his men with herrings every day, he would eat nine hundred herrings a day!
For Fort Ross, which has a population of only 7,000 to 8,000 people of its own and foreign races, the demand for fish has suddenly become much larger. Rurik is indeed the fishermen's most stable buyer. Everyone admires this kid's honesty and trustworthiness and his absolute cash on delivery.
In any case, Rurik, an engineering student, is essentially a science student. He is proficient in calculations, so he did a good calculation for himself, and the conclusion he came to was exactly his "one poundThe plan of "nutritious meat meal" worked.
Because as glassware began to be manufactured on a small scale, in a short period of time, blacksmith Clavarson had completed forty sets of "tea sets".< /p>
The so-called "tea set" is a long-necked glass pot and a thick-walled and thick-bottomed glass. Even though it is not purely clean due to the nature of lead glass, it is slightly dark.
Due to the original but correct annealing process, the strong stress of glass cooling has been greatly weakened.
Rurik personally tested it. The cup was poured with boiling water, whether it was boiling water or not. There are no cracks in either the pot or the cup.
And this trick has actually become its major selling point, because most residents simply cannot imagine seeing the details of the water inside the cup. Is it an unprecedented visual experience?
So all the tribesmen who saw it exclaimed that it was crystal! Its emergence gave people a new and interesting way to talk about their lives lacking entertainment. It was the high price tag that kept everyone away.
No one was interested in finding out how it was made. The fact was that some businessmen who were still staying in Roseburg were already happily paying high prices. Bought one set for himself
Rurik sold five sets, and the five fur traders, who had accumulated a lot of wealth, spent twenty gold coins to buy them. From then on, they could happily use " "Crystal cup" to drink water.
As for the toxicity of lead glass, I and the blacksmiths will not use such glasses anyway.
Just poison the heads of those big people! Anyway They have money.
Of course, good things must be enjoyed by themselves, since alkali metals are the key to making glass. According to the new requirements, Rurik and Clavason made potash-lime glassware. The process was obviously difficult, which was no problem for Klavasen, who had been working hard all his life and had huge upper body muscles.
In this way, Rurik bought three absolutely harmless glasses. , Niya was really shocked by her son's magic.
But what surprised this woman even more was that her son suddenly earned ninety gold coins!
Niya had been wearing it! The amber and gemstone necklace was originally a gift from her husband, but now it also contains a gift from her son. The necklace is strung with a gold ring, which is made of melted gold coins.
I am becoming richer and richer. , Rurik also knew that his father was coming back soon.
Before that, one lazy evening, a fleet suddenly entered the fjord of Fort Ross.
Fishing boats have returned early to report that the warriors who conquered Gotland have returned victoriously!
For a while, the women and children who stayed behind in their hometowns flocked to the beach.
Very wonderful news was reported. This time they won a great victory and the fleet made shocking gains. Especially those families with men participating in the operation were the most excited because of the latest regulations negotiated by the tribe. Gains in military operations are basically determined by participation inShare with the person alone.
Of course, the priests are also ready to take action. Still in the latest agreement, the priest group will receive 30% of the loot.
Rurik and his mother waited at the beach along with the excited crowd.
News came that Arik had killed many enemies in the crusade, and he had made great military exploits.
Rurik was happy about this, and what made him even happier was the rumor that this army had plundered at least 100,000 silver coins!
What a wonderful rumor this is? ! If it were true, wouldn't it mean that the money shortage that Roseburg might have been facing was suddenly alleviated.
Rurik was indeed proud of his elder brother's victory, but he was keenly aware that the pile of glasses he produced might not have to wait for the big businessman Gould to return and be distributed on a large scale. .
Of course it is a lead glass cup, but selling it to a clan member who has suddenly become rich, isn’t it a very profitable business? Although it was toxic lead glass, considering that even if it wasn't such a glass, they would still find a way to get a bronze cup because they were wealthy. Bronze, there is more lead in it than lead glass!
When he thought of this, Rurik's sense of guilt disappeared.
"Well done to you for coming back. I will definitely get your money into my hands in a reasonable way."
The setting sun shone softly on the white sails of the fleet, The world is truly peaceful.
People on the coast raised their hands and cheered enthusiastically, while some older men stood in the shallow water, waiting for the ship to dock and tugging on the cable to fix it.
Ships began to wash up on the beach. The cargo ship loaded with cargo had its hard oak keel cut deeply into the shallow sand. It was entirely due to the weight of the cargo that they were stranded in knee-deep water and could no longer move.
People jumped off the boat one after another, and dozens of people dragged the cables and tried their best to pull the boat to the shore.
A large number of women went to the beach to look for their husbands or sons.
However, some women also received the bad news that their sons had been killed in action. At this point, the excitement suddenly fell to the bottom. There are many such women, and this noisy and happy scene seems to have nothing to do with them.
They were confused, but fortunately, someone hurriedly told them that even if they were killed in battle, their bodies would not be abandoned, and their families would receive their share of the spoils.
After hearing such news, their sad hearts miraculously improved. Because these women generally do not have only one child.
Even if their only son died in battle, they would still be able to obtain an astonishing amount of wealth, enough to spend the rest of their lives without having to work hard.
A large number of heavy wooden boxes were lifted down, and the boxes were escorted by heavily armed warriors. There was no doubt that the boxes were filled with money.
Another group of women were escorted off the ship, including a small number of adult women and many who were obviously little girls.
Even if most of the prisoners have already accepted their fate,In order to show the glory of the victor, Harozov still ordered his men to tie the prisoners' hands again, just like leading a cow or a sheep, and led them ashore.
Rurik noticed this keenly. He asked his mother: "Are those prisoners?"
"Probably so. Where did your brother go to fight, where did he bring any women?"
"Oh. It looks like there are children. "It's so pitiful."
Rurik's casual words undoubtedly deeply hurt the heart of his maid Rumia.
Rumia subconsciously pulled Rurik's robe, attracting Rurik's attention.
"Rumia, what's wrong with you?"
"No...it's nothing. I'm a little cold."
"Okay, we'll be there soon. Go back."
Rumia didn't say much. She knew that the so-called carnival of the Russians today had nothing to do with her. As for those poor captives, although they reminded her of her own experience, how much do they have to do with her?
Rurik deliberately stood in a more conspicuous place, and Arik quickly found his lovely brother.
Just cute? The child took great pleasure in keeping himself clean, and was indeed prettier than the other children.
Aric ignored the people who were already in a commotion and couldn't wait to distribute the spoils. He approached his brother and aunt Niya with great interest.
Aric still has the smile of a child, after all, he has just grown up.
But the sword in his waist has withstood the test of blood and fire, and Arik has grown into a real man.
Arik declared his achievements on the battlefield without hesitation, "Mom, I killed at least twenty enemies, and even a fighting master. I killed the strongest enemy. , they all said I was a great hero."
Niya was happy for him, and patted his shoulder excitedly: "Good boy, you did a good job, just like your father. Grandpa."
After all, Niya, who had lived under the same roof for a long time and had lost two sons, had long regarded her nephew as her own.
Here, Arik, who has been without a mother since childhood, also regards Niya as his mother.
Arik deliberately rubbed his brother's little face: "Rurik, I heard something from the fishermen. You are so awesome, you can continue to make a lot of money."
< p>"Of course." Rurik's face was pinched by his cousin so that he could not speak clearly, "I heard that you robbed the enemy of one hundred thousand silver coins? Is this true?""Of course! This is It's absolutely true." At this point, Arik really wanted to show off. "I am a hero who has made great achievements. I can get a thousand silver coins and a hundred gold coins! I have become very rich now, and I will have no worries about food and clothing in the future."
Niya Shocked: "Wow! So much money?!"
"Of course! Mom. Uncle will also be proud of me. But, he is still not as good as me.My brother is rich. "As he said that, Arik rubbed his brother's little face again.
Who doesn't like cute things? Since Rurik paid special attention to personal hygiene, he insisted on washing his face and hair with soap, as well as his own clothes. Wash carefully. His hair is quite smooth, and his fair face has no freckles at all. This child is even cleaner than many girls. How can he not attract Arik's love?
Niya is very happy that her nephew can. Treating her brother so affectionately, she felt in a daze that the two of them were her biological sons.
Arik rubbed his hands for a while and then let go: "I heard that you give him love every day now. A free meal for those friends of yours? Oh, you are so generous. Just do this and your hard-earned money will be depleted very quickly. ”
Rurik replied in the affirmative, but in his heart he didn’t feel that it was hard work for him to make big money. It was purely using his noble status as “Odin’s Blesser”, science and technology, and his relationship with A clear contract signed by the partners, from which he earned a lot of wealth.
He has always believed in one thing: a person's hard work is a necessary virtue, but simple hard work can only make a person comfortable with food and clothing. If you want to make a lot of money, you need to have a keen eye to grasp the fleeting opportunities in fate, including grasping your own talents.
Rurik has understood that an ordinary Russian. , what level of daily living expenses should be
It has to be said that if, as Arik said, one action was due to heroic reasons, the loot equivalent to two thousand silver coins would be obtained. Can have a happy life for a lifetime.
In fact, Arik also intends to make some comparisons with his brother. With this success, Arik even estimates that if the army can be assembled on the built Tombstone Island in the future, Enemies plundering Gotland will become regular in the future, and he will make new achievements and become richer.
Will his personal wealth soon surpass that of his younger brother?
Arik couldn't help but ask: "Brother, how much money do you have now? I advise you not to be so generous. Although you and those children are brothers, they are not so poor that they need you to support them. "
"It doesn't matter, I promised it to them. Follow me and you will have meat to eat! That is what I reward them with. "
"Haha? You really look like a leader. "Arik said with satisfaction.
Rurik curled his lips slightly: "Brother, don't worry about me. Even if I reward them with meat every day, my wealth is still growing. Because I have created a brand new and wonderful baby. Wait a minute, you come to my house and sit down, and I can show it to you? No! Why don't I give you one as a gift? "
"Your gift? OK! "Aric was already in a good mood today. He was even more excited when he learned that his brother was going to give him a treasure.