Chapter 344 Master Huotra, who has focused on shipbuilding for thirty years

The visiting people saw the majesty of the Russian "honor guard". When they entered the wooden fort, they saw more armed men.

Gould is the owner of this island. The shipbuilders know this island. Everyone has always seen it from a distance, and this is the first time they have entered its interior.

Fordgen has visited this place many times. He doesn’t know whose attack Gould is worried about. Anyway, the core area is in a defensive mode like the home of the alliance master, with a large number of wooden stakes tied up to form a The wooden wall provided an impenetrable defense.

But seeing a large number of people with weapons, Fo Degen really didn't know what use the wooden wall had with such armaments.

Within the wooden walls, Gould's banquet hall.

The Russians welcomed distinguished guests and friends with a banquet with rich ingredients.

Although Gould didn't think there was anything noble about those shipbuilders who worked all day long among sawdust, since Rurik's professional requirements required him, he had no choice but to participate with a smile.

The strong liquor is blended into ordinary ale, and its rich aroma completely suppresses the aroma of roasted lamb and beef.

The guests are greeted with beef and mutton, dried fruits, and exquisite bread made from fine flour sifted through a fine mesh. The most delicious delicacy is the charming ale.

Of course in Rurik, the so-called sumptuous meals are just that. But looking at the plainly dressed shipbuilders, it must be that in their daily lives, there are very few times when they end up with a hard meal and a mouth full of oil.

Rurik had not touched any alcohol. He did not want his still weak body to be eroded and cause him to faint on the spot and delay the important event.

He didn’t say anything for now. As the son of the leader of Ross, he invited the visitors to eat and drink first. After everyone felt happy, he would talk about important matters.

It’s true that after three rounds of wine, the five tastes of food are better. Those guys who ate the barbecue from the glass plates looked at the beautifully dressed ones raised by Gould with greedy eyes. The maid kept putting roasted meats cut from cattle and sheep into her empty dinner plate.

They only focused on eating, but did not notice that the truly noble people present obviously did not feel much hunger. They just happily chewed the pieces of meat carefully, or slowly pulled the dried fruits. chew.

A slightly drunk old man with a beard, his red face made his wrinkles more obvious.

"Lord Rurik, those promises made by you Russians seem to be true. You are entertaining us with the most beautiful food..."

"You ..." Rurik smiled, maybe the negotiation is now? "Old man, I think you are the most experienced among all shipbuilders?"

"That's natural." The old man coughed twice suddenly and deeply, which once made Rurik think that the old man was suffering from a disease. He was suffering from some illness, but he saw that all the other shipbuilders had stopped tearing apart their flesh.

The old man sat upright and shook slightly."I am Huotra, a senior shipbuilder. My little friend, maybe you have heard my story, but Master Gould knows me very well."

Know him? Of course Rurik was completely unaware.

At this moment, Gould explained: "My lord, he has been focusing on shipbuilding for thirty years. He started when he was able to build a fishing boat alone and has never stopped until now."

"Wow!" Rurik stood up happily leaning on the low desk in front of him: "You are the person I need. Listen, we Russians really need the big ships you built. We need cargo ships, bigger ones. Ship!"

Rurik did not want to fully explain his purpose at the first opportunity.

Even when the messenger delivered the news, the most he revealed was that the leader of Ross intended to ask them to move, and if they did so, they would be immediately rewarded with a big reward. This matter is of course unrealistic. It is definitely not a case of Rurik offering a sum of real money as a temptation and the other party will move obediently.

Because, in today’s era, the shipbuilding industry of the Melalen Tribe is a heavy industry. What they own is not a workshop, but a shipbuilding site! It was ridiculous to want to relocate quickly. Rurik, who knew the industry very well, did not expect to let them take away all the factories.

All Rurik needs is talent, or the best of them. Because the Ross tribe has never lacked shipbuilders, what the tribe lacks is a key talent - engineers who can build large cargo ships.

If the people sitting in the banquet hall are all engineers and I spend a lot of money to take them away, my purpose will basically be satisfied. If they decide to completely relocate their business, the Russian shipbuilding industry will take off within two years, right?

But the craftsmen, based on their professional sense, felt that the Russians mainly came to order large ships. Only by serving this big customer well can you make big money.

The old Huotra happily praised himself: "Yes, my family and I are famous in the entire Lake Malaren. You all call me Huotra, my real name It’s not that. In other words, my real name is no longer worth mentioning. Only my nickname can represent everything about me.”

Of course, people with status have nicknames. This is the norm in the entire Nordic world. . Rurik has always known his nicknames "Golden Ponytail" and "Son of God". The heroic cousin Arik was so popular that he wielded two swords on the battlefield, so he was nicknamed "The Man with Two Swords".

The original meaning of "Hotra" is "hard wood". He got this nickname because his customers praised the ship he ordered for its good resistance to some reefs.

General-purpose long boats, small fishing boats, and even expensive and stocky cargo ships are all extremely strong.

How to build a strong boat? In fact, there are two core technologies. First, choose the right wood; second, process the wood correctly. Specific technical secrets, Huotra told his peers like crazy.

Hotra took it for granted thatThe Russians, who are rich and virtuous, want to order a large number of heavy cargo ships, because in the face of the current situation, they must be in urgent need of such ships.

With the depth of an old man and the pride of a technical talent, he said to Rurik: "Dear Russians, you must order a large number of cargo ships. Tell me, how many ships do you need?"< /p>

"Huh?" Rurik was stunned for a moment, then calmly said a very huge number: "I want a lot! I want a hundred ships."

The other craftsmen were also stunned on the spot.

Even Gould fell silent and asked Rurik in a low voice whether he meant what he said.

The situation fell into a strange awkwardness, and Rurik still didn’t know what his words meant.

"What? Are all of you looking at me? One hundred transport ships, what's so strange about it."

"This...my lord, one hundred ships ..." Hotela really didn't know whether he was happy or anxious now.

"Do you have doubts? I tell you clearly that we Russians need a large number of transport ships. Do you think a hundred ships are enough? No! I want two hundred ships, three hundred ships, there will always be One day, I want to own a thousand ships!”

Because the other party’s clothes were too gorgeous, Hotela hurriedly wiped his sweaty forehead. He sat upright with the help of the craftsman accompanying him.

Rurik continued; "Say! Can you build one?"

Hotla trembled: "A hundred ships... too many! If you want I am worried about all my family members and all the workers. I will build you up to ten ships in one year.”

“Huh? Why are there so few?” "Rurik was shocked this time.

"My lord, maybe for the rest of my life, my family will not be able to build you a hundred ships. It is a great undertaking that takes ten years to complete, and, my lord, you also have to build a hundred ships for you. This payment is a huge sum of money."

"You want money? We are not short of money." Rurik's confident smile reassured Hotla.

"That's good. My lord, if you Russians really want me to come up with a hundred ships in a short time, I can't do it. Also, building a new ship now is more difficult than before. It’s a lot more expensive. I’m really worried.”

If a ship becomes too expensive, Rurik estimates that he will have to develop new ways to make money. However, if he intends to acquire a large ship and even establish top-notch shipbuilding technology in the region that the Ross tribe can control, he must make an initial investment, and this investment cannot be expected from merchants at all. It must be personally supervised by the chief family who controls the tribe's finances.

"Well, let's not mention the matter of a hundred cargo ships. I want to buy a ship anyway. Tell me your price."

"Yes. According to the current sailing , I want five pounds of silver.”

"Huh?!" Rurik was stunned again, and then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“What? My lord, do you think it’s too expensive? My lord, the prices of everything have been increasing recently. Maybe there is more money in this world. In order to survive, we rely on craftsmanship to survive. People, the price is really going to increase."

"It doesn't matter." Rurik waved his hand, "Just five pounds, I thought it was a huge sum of money, you know? You can spend five hundred pounds of silver on buying grain, which is enough to order a hundred large ships."

Rurik's words seriously impacted the outlook of all the shipbuilders present.

When Hotla got older, he felt a pulse of blood hitting the top of his head. A wave of dizziness made him cover his head, and then he stumbled and said: "You are really too rich, even richer than our leader of Melalen." Be rich. Those rumors are true, you really need to buy food." "Of course! But we are also poor," Rurik smiled deliberately.

"Ah? I know your rumors. You are known as the boy blessed by Odin, Rurik! You and your Rose are so rich, you must have dug a gold mine in the north. And silver mines!"

"Gold mines and silver mines? Oh, that would be good. We are still poor because we lack a group of skilled shipbuilders. , you can build large cargo ships, I not only need you to provide ships, now..."

With that said, Rurik left his position and stood in front of all the shipbuilders: "I invite you to Ross, you My family will build a ship for me. As long as you decide to immigrate, your safety and wealth will be protected by our Ross warriors. You think five pounds of silver coins are enough for a big ship, but I think it is not enough. One pound."

Here, Rurik gave Hordttra a new word "master", which is surprisingly similar in pronunciation to "hordttra", which is what it means. Make people happy. That means "expert master" and represents Rurik's respect for them.

"Master Huotra, I hope that all of your family will be transferred to Rus, and you will get a new identity as Rus people. You will build big ships for me, and I will give you more rewards. From now on, you You can accumulate a lot of wealth, and your children will be treated well. You...you can often eat the delicious food and the best wine that you can taste today, and you can also dress your children in the most beautiful clothes like me. The warmest clothes.

Come to my Roseburg and you will get everything you want, as long as you are willing to work for me."

Rurik opened his arms and sketched. Create a perfect picture of life.

Those young shipbuilders have already captured their souls with barbecue and wine. In fact, this is also part of Rurik's plan. To live a prosperous life and have a strong military to ensure safety, ordinary people have nothing more than these aspirations.

Hotla couldn't believe that someone could actually make such a magical promise. You must know that in Mälaren, shipbuilding is one of the most profitable among many non-agricultural jobs. The more large-scale cargo ships were ordered, the greater the profit, and shipbuilders also became the target of exploitation by the leader of Mellaren.

The tribute is paid every year, plus the material expenses and labor costs of shipbuilding. The final profit is actually not much, but it cannot be said to be small. The more skilled the craftsmen are, their lives are at least much better than those of ordinary farmers.

Hotra looked at Rurik with a hint of doubt: "Can all these promises come true?"

"Are you doubting me? You actually Dare you doubt me?" Rurik deliberately showed a trace of displeasure, "Don't you know my identity? I told you that I am the only son of the leader of Ross, and there is no second person in the entire tribe who is more noble than me. What is in front of you is just a boy in beautiful clothes? No! I am the leader of Ross! Today, I invite you humble craftsmen as leader of Ross, but I don’t think you are humble, just follow me, for me. Work, you will become noble!"

"Ah? You are actually..."

Hotla simply shook off the support, staggered out of the seat, and knelt down. In front of Rick.

Of course, this extreme behavior was caused by strong alcohol eroding the brain, but Hotla was just confused and acted in an exaggerated manner. He was willing to believe in the Russian people. Everything he saw today made him conclude that those rumors were true. The once mysterious Russian people were not only rich, but also full of martial virtue.

The most important thing is that the leader of Mellaren, Olegin, never said how much reward he would give to the shipbuilder.

Russian people are unusual. First, they are rewarded with fat meat and fine wine, and then they put forward huge orders that can keep their family busy for ten or even twenty years, or even for several generations in the future. Now, the Russians seem to have finally made a final commitment.

Hotra, who was supposed to be a stubborn and somewhat home-loving man, didn’t care about the surprised looks from his family and friends. He lay down desperately and raised his head, looking up at the noble and elegant person. Beautiful boy. "Ah! You are like an elf in the forest, trying to bring wealth to me who is poor?!"

"Yes. Join me. You see, Gould is my friend, he has already We have become extremely wealthy. And there is Fodgen sitting over there. He has lived in Fort Ross for a winter and knows very well that we are really wealthy and powerful. Master Hotla, why do you think we need a large number of cargo ships? "

"Huh? It's to transport food?"

"It's not just that." Rurik raised his proud head, "Most people think that we Russians have disappeared! We conquered the north and saw the world's end sea. We conquered the east, and the people there became our slaves. We Rus are more powerful than the Melalens, so we can maintain the construction of our new settlements. , we need a large number of cargo ships to transport a large number ofSupplies are constantly being transported. This is a great cause, your family joins us, so that my family will always remember your contribution, and your descendants will inherit your contribution from generation to generation. "

This is definitely not what a young boy can say. This promise is too tempting!

Hotla stood up slowly, and he looked to the side Fodegen, who was sitting quietly and cheerfully, no longer wanted to have any more doubts.

Most of the other shipbuilders were Huotra's family members, nephews and grandchildren.

Seeing that the situation was developing extremely smoothly, Rurik became cruel. He was most afraid of the other party's hesitation, so it would be best to simply cut off their retreat.

Rurik made a serious statement: "Today, right now, right now. Before the roast lamb is cool enough, you must make up your mind. They brought their family and their own supplies and followed us back to Roseburg after the harvest season. Or give up and lose forever the favor of us Russians. You make your choice, Master. ”

Hesitating?

If he was really hesitant, Hotela would not have knelt down just now. After all, he had already talked with the senior tailor Fo Degen. Only then did I learn about the real Rus and the miraculous Rurik, and even more so, I learned about the kindness of the Rus. For example, they really saved the survivors of the destroyed Ostara people and treated them as their own people. Generally speaking, we treat these people who have nothing.

In fact, the beautifully dressed little girl sitting at the table at today's banquet is the new female leader of Ostara.

Hotra made a clear statement: "We move! Just this year! Let's go to Ross! "

"Ah! But father. His youngest son asked: "Although we should be able to live a good life in Ross, what about our current jobs?" ”

“Those half-built ships? Hurry up! Or transfer it to someone else. We work for the Russians and earn big profits, and we still care about this. ”

Rurik suddenly understood that the problem was actually very simple, that is, some ships were still under construction. In this situation, customers did not want the “factory” to run away instantly. Even if it ran away, at least they would have to lose money. . A shameless craftsman pays attention to his own credibility, and it is not good to break one's trust.

Rurik intervened directly: "Master, I admire your decisiveness. How much are those ships worth? ”

“They are all fishing boats. Huotra shrugged, "The total amount is only three hundred silver coins." Only when the ship is delivered, the customer will pay the final payment. ”

“How much deposit did they give? ”

“There is a pound of silver. "

"That's it? Rurik motioned to Gould, "Take two pounds of silver and give it to them. Those unlucky fishing boats will not be built." No, give them three pounds! We cannot treat them badly. ”

Gould then snapped his fingers, and his eldest son SnowLeva quickly took out a heavy bag of money and threw it over.

He took out three pounds of silver so readily. Although there was no scale, based on the skills he had developed in his daily work, Hotela knew that it must be three pounds. The "huge sums of money" easily thrown away by the Russians immediately solved their worries.

"Are you satisfied now?" Rurik asked.

"Yes! From now on, we..." Hotela hurriedly signaled that his family, and even the shipbuilders from other families who cooperated in shipbuilding, half-knelt on the ground, "From now on, we are yours Servant, my leader.”

Rurik nodded with satisfaction, and saw Fordgen constantly glancing at the beautifully dressed Carlotta. Maybe this guy wanted to save the girl. Who thinks he is?

Rurik coughed twice, "Fordgen, what's your attitude?"

"Ah!"

"Leave? Or stay?!" "

Fo Degen hurriedly knelt on the ground and complimented: "I have already prepared, my leader, as long as you give the order, my family and servants will bring all the supplies. Follow your fleet. And the mercenaries I raised, I don't need them anymore. I think they can all become your warriors."

"Well, you are very smart. From now on, if your workshop is built in my Roseburg, you can make clothes with peace of mind. I will give you enough money as soon as possible. You and your family will live a prosperous life in the future."