The transparent glass is filled with dark brown liquid. Its color is similar to that of ale brewed from burnt oats, and its smell is extremely unique.
But the cup was still full of weirdness. Rurik was very interested in it, and his female relatives expressed doubts.
"Is it the sweet and sour wine brewed by people from the east?" Otto asked casually.
"It was made by Peravina." Aslach personally helped up the pottery urn and asked Otto if he wanted to taste it.
"Novgorod people can brew this kind of strange wine. It's good. Compared with bitter wine, this sweet and sour wine is also good."
Rurik He sounded a little surprised. The kvass he was surprised by was not a rare thing in Old Otto's place.
Thinking about it again, it is not surprising that Otto frequently visited Novgorod in the past and knew and drank kvass.
In fact, the idea of adding oat flour to wheat flour has been around since ancient times. In this era of rough agriculture, it was almost inevitable to mix the two types of wheat. It is common for people to pursue delicious food. The mixture of sticky wheat flour and lack of sticky oat flour, baked bread is a beneficial compromise. Even if wheat flour is in the minority, oat flour, which is the majority, can appear in the form of shaped bread.
This kind of bread can be hard, even if it is eaten like chewing wood, its extremely shelf-stable and edible characteristics make it a perfect convenience food in this era.
As for it being made into kvass after being left for too long...
This was a good idea of the East Slavs. Perhaps after they knew how to make bread, kvass technology was also invented. In comparison, the Rus and other Viking tribes have been fishermen since ancient times, and the cultivation of oats only happened in the past few hundred years. And the Russians, who have never left the fjord, are simply unable to plant. It is only in the past five years that a large number of professional farmers have begun to appear in the Russians.
Otto drank it deliciously, and Rurik also tasted it carefully.
At this time, the bread carefully baked by Aslaqi was cut into dense slices and shared with everyone sitting around the long table, especially the girls.
There were slices of bread on the glass dinner plate. Rurik, who had already eaten a bowl of noodles, didn’t mind getting some more bread.
He smelled the strong aroma of wheat. Under the matrix of oil lamps, the almost pure white, fluffy and porous appearance of the bread slices really made him feel that time was a little bit out of place again.
"Did you bake this?" Rurik raised his head again and looked at Aslaqi.
"Yes. I've always been good at this."
"Eh? How come I didn't know this in Gotland? Is this your secret?"
Aslaqi smiled, she actually wanted to say a lot.
Otto was not surprised. This old guy was very excited after drinking some wine. After eating lo noodles for many days in a row, he really fell in love with this wonderful way of eating wheat. Let’s try some unique ones. Oriental drinks andInteresting slices of bread, life is full of joy.
But this piece of bread directly refreshed his understanding of bread.
A large piece of bread is as soft as lamb's fur. It has a rich wheat aroma and an indescribable burnt and sweet feeling. An extremely powerful eating desire controls the mind.
He opened his mouth wide and stuffed the soft bread into his mouth in just two clicks, then chewed it deliciously, and a sweet feeling suddenly filled his entire mouth.
Otto swallowed, patted his chest vigorously and drank the remaining half cup of kvass, letting out a sour and refreshing burp.
He pointed with his big hand: "Aslaqi, you! Did you use honey water?"
"It's honey." She answered politely.
“Are you really willing to give it up?!”
“I am willing to give it up in order to let the Duke eat well.”
This is flattery, and Otto is so happy that he haha Laughing, Rurik naturally heard the deeper meaning.
At this moment, Arik has become an outsider. He is fully aware of his wife's intentions, but he does not know how to join them. It was an awkward scene for a grown man to stand here. Rurik felt really sorry to see it and simply left his seat. Even if it was crowded, he had to pull his cousin to the dining table.
Before, this was perfectly normal.
But Old Otto has completed raising Arik based on tradition. His nephew has already married and established a business, and is already a hero of the dukedom. While he is acting alone, he will treat himself as a guest when he comes to the duke's family. Also because of the change in status, Arik must remain humble and respectful when facing the most noble duke family.
Many times, the young and promising Arik felt that his relationship with his uncle was inevitably alienated. My uncle's life is coming to an end. Although I love my younger brother, he is a duke after all, and is called the "Son of God" by everyone.
Even if he has achieved great achievements, compared with Rurik's achievements, these military achievements are like the stars and the sun. Although they are both twinkling, the younger brother is the brightest and the ultimate. The presence of warmth.
Arik has a low self-esteem, but on the other hand, Aslaqi, because she came with a purpose, her behavior was more generous.
A glass bottle stuffed with wooden blocks was placed on the table by Otto with a bang, and then pushed in front of Arik: "Drink! We, father and son, drank it!"
Strong liquor?
Then drink.
Unexpectedly, Otto, who was in high spirits, quickly ordered his servants to bring more spirits.
"Dad, do you want to get drunk with Arik?" Rurik frowned and couldn't help but feel nervous, "We agreed that we only have one bottle a day."
"Forget it. Come on! You have forgotten your father for Ross's great cause. I am very happy that you two brothers have become heroes. It's a pity that I am old! Oh..." Old Otto thought of some past events. , the tears couldn't help but fall, and then turned into the old man's howl.
Things got extremely strange,Niya held Otto's head and comforted him like a child, but Otto kept crying and yelling: Ogier can no longer enjoy the good days now!
Hearing this, Arik felt relieved. He suddenly pulled off the cap of the bottle, drank a bottle of strong wine, and then said, "Fortunately, my biological father's grave is still here."
Rurik immediately answered: "Then sprinkle the wine on my uncle's tomb. You must do it at night, and his heroic spirit will see us in the sky."
" A good idea."
Otto's sudden loss of control was certainly due to his drunkenness, but the most fundamental reason was sadness for his own aging. A hero is getting older and wants to make a difference to heal. I feel powerless, and even taking a boat trip to Novgorod feels exhausted. Now I can only stay in my hometown and stick to the old friends who have only a few survivors from my childhood. Being marginalized is really painful, but this is fate.
He noticed that Aslaqi’s belly seemed to be growing again, but his eldest nephew-in-law Peravina’s belly was indeed much bigger.
My son Rurik has even more outstanding abilities. Among the female relatives sitting here, there are three of them who have given birth to new life in their bellies.
Nordic women naturally lose their childishness prematurely. Princess Mary and Duchess Carlotta of Ostara all have their bellies puffed out. As for the high priest Rumia, who has more North Asian ancestry, she is almost twenty years old, and is actually a mature woman in today's concept.
How to bake bread until it is soft and fragrant? Rurik intends to ask Aslaki about this matter.
He didn't care that his father and his cousin were drinking happily, he just wanted to figure it out. After all, eating a good meal was an important remedy in this era of lack of entertainment.
Aslaqi simply seized this opportunity: "Sir, actually I have something important to tell you when I come here this time."
"Is it true that I came here because of something important? "Rurik was on alert.
"Maybe it's a big deal, maybe not. I have only one request."
"Tell me, I can satisfy it as long as it's reasonable."
"Okay. "It's..." Yaslaqi calmed down, "It's your mill. I want to see your golden millstone. I want to see its structure and learn from it. I want to build a mill for my family." Services."
Open a mill? Is this a big deal?
Yes, it is indeed a big deal.
Rurik thought about it carefully. In today's era, a mill can be called a "heavy industry" style.
He glanced at his cousin and his father. Considering the current scene, it would be ridiculous to say that they were not father and son. Not only did the two drink strong drinks, a large amount of ale was also placed on the table. The two of them were really fierce, but unfortunately the material conditions now were much better than before, and the wine was enough for the two of them to drink to pieces.
Ruri ordered the female relatives who had eaten enough to go back to their rooms to rest, or they could gather around Mary to review the Latin they were learning with each other.
He only left Aslaqi behind: "Visit the studyLearn my mill, good. I can probably guess how you bake bread too. Now follow me and I will take you to the mill. ”
The time is still March, even though April is about to come, the frozen sea has begun to show obvious signs of melting, and the whole world is still cold. The thick snow is still there, and they reflect the moonlight crazily. Starlight, the whole world is not really dark.
The golden grindstone of the mill is still grinding, and the slaves who are lazy to rest quickly stand up to grind the mill when they see the Duke coming.
These servants were all captured from Britain, and their laziness was not a problem. Even Rurik deliberately moved the mill. The bronze millstone was indeed a bit strange, and the sharp sound of metal friction was really an annoying noise in the extremely quiet night.
“You all avoid it, I don’t blame you for being lazy. "Rurik ordered casually.
Aslaki walked up with satisfaction and stroked the golden millstones. They were not real gold, but a kind of bronze with a color similar to gold. She confidently checked After tasting the coarse flour, the smile on his face gradually faded.
“What do you think? "Rurik asked.
"What a wonderful tool, much more efficient than the stone grinding rod I used. However, the wheat it grinds is not fine. Can I see the structure under the millstone? ”
“Of course. ”
Soon, the mercenaries on guard were called into the mill, and the four of them worked together to remove the upper millstone.
Under the oil lamp, the internal structure of the upper and lower millstones was revealed. It was displayed vividly in front of Silaqi, and she deconstructed its working mechanism in her mind almost instantly.
She murmured: "With this structure, the wheat grains are ground into powder, indeed. It is very different from the stone grinding rod method. "
"Of course. It was an invention from the far East, brought here by the Romans. Oh, I hope you understand what I'm saying. ”
Rurik was inevitably a little arrogant in this regard, but when he asked Asraqi if he understood the structure, he received an extremely firm affirmative answer.
< p>"Oh? Do you... really understand? ”“Yes. Look at those grooves, they are indeed the key to grinding the wheat grains into flour. Unfortunately, my family's wealth is not enough to make so many bronze millstones. ”
“Are you obsessed with bronze? "Rurik stepped forward and pointed casually: "Bronze is not a good thing, it is just a stopgap measure. I need a lot of flour immediately, and I also need to make sure I can make a good millstone. Now it seems I succeeded. "
Aslaqi immediately spoke from the perspective of a businessman: "Indeed, if it were made of stone, I wouldn't have to spend a lot of money to make a stone millstone. Many stones are very hard and can grind wheat into powder. "
"It's such a pity..." Rurik sighed softly: "I am about to prepare the last dry food, and I will go to Balmok in a few days. ifWithout these four millstones, I would not be able to process too much flour to make bread and pancakes. ”
“If you have enough time. "Aslaqi asked weakly.
Rurik turned his face sharply, "Of course he did not hesitate to make a large number of stone millstones. One hundred or two hundred. In the future, Ross can only get more and more wheat, and grinding flour to make bread is an unstoppable trend. Believe me, after eating bread, the tribe no longer likes to eat simple boiled wheat grains. Everyone’s desire for a delicious meal is unstoppable. You say you want to build a mill? I'm still wondering who to arrange such a job for. Aslaqi, you are exactly as your name suggests, the fairy of the sanctuary. ”
“You are a noble person. These four bronze mills are so beautiful, shouldn't you make more? "
Rurik shook his head: "If possible, I would also like to try zirconium bronze or even simple carbon steel, but the cost is too high. ”
“Could it be that the great Duke is also worried about the cost? You are clearly the richest man in the world. ”
“Put away your flattery! Aslaki, do you think of me as a businessman? He actually spoke to me in a flattering manner. I am a Duke, and my wealth is not only my own, but also belongs to the Russian people. I will have to feed tens of thousands of children in the future, and it will be very difficult for me when they are hungry. Your suggestion is very good. It would be a great help to me if you could build a new mill. If your mill is strong enough, the qualifications to process grain will be yours. "
"Ah! It's wonderful. "
"If you are willing, build me a lot of mills. I don’t care what kind of grinder you use, what I always need is ground flour. If you achieve great success, these golden millstones will be given to you. "
"I...I will! I can quickly make a batch of stone millstones, and even..."
While she was ecstatic, she still retained a strange hesitation.
Rurik immediately asked: "Do you want more rewards? Aslaqi, I promise you to process flour for me, and I will naturally reward you. ”
“That’s me, I also thought of a tool. ” She began to describe a possibility: “If there is a huge stone grinding rod being pushed and rotating to grind wheat, it...”
“Huh? "Rurik was shocked.
"Your Majesty the Duke..."
Rurik blurted out "niantz" in great surprise, which was referring to the rotating stone roller.< /p>
Aslaqi danced and described her idea, and Rurik was absolutely sure that she was talking about the stone grinder.
Perhaps such a heavy-duty wheat processing tool should not be used by a Nordic. The woman thought, how could she think of something she had never seen before?
In fact, the prototype of a heavy stone mill is a stone grinding rod, which is pushed by heat to crush wheat grains into powder. If it is huge enough, The wheat was crushed by her own weight. Today, Asraqi saw the stone millstone rotating and grinding the grains of wheat, and her smart head began to think in an instant.It reminds me of giant stone grinding rods being continuously pushed around a central axis to grind wheat grains.
The rotating stone grinder was originally in Rurik's plan. Since Aslaqi proposed this device configuration, wouldn't it be an afterthought to say that he had thought of it too?
Just think of it as something Aslaki thought up.
"You are so smart! You are really our Rose's treasure! I would like to call you sister."
Asila Qi was a little confused after such a high praise. After all, she had seen it before A worldly woman, she knew that this was a business opportunity related to the future of the old Harald family, and she must seize it.
Are businessmen just second-rate dealers?
No! Although the old Harald family's property in Gotland collapsed, the family is slowly recovering in New Rossburg under the rule of the Rus. Although recovering, the successor of the family fell on the shoulders of a young woman.
In Gotland, the family's only industry is the processing of wool and sheepskin. Aslaqi noticed that the Rus people were doing similar work. The industry was already prosperous, and she felt uncomfortable trying to get involved.
Build a mill to focus on processing flour, and then build a bakery to make a large amount of bread to provide high-quality military food for the Russian army in the future. This is an absolutely emerging industry. If you seize the first-mover advantage, you will gain future privileges.
While living in Rossburg for more than two years, Aslaqi felt that she had glimpsed the secret of the Ross people's victory. The Russian army is very organized, very good at navigation, and has advanced and sophisticated weapons. What's particularly important is that they always stock up on a lot of food before a battle so that they can compete with their enemies for consumption.
Because the benefits are eternal. She has no obsession with Gotland itself. She just wants to revive her family, and it doesn't matter where she completes the revival.
Aslaqi and her family have completely taken the stand of the Russians. Tonight, they took the initiative to ask Ying to build a large number of mills and bake a large amount of bread. In fact, Rurik's possessions only belong to Aslaqi. Qi’s certificate of submission.
This time she not only produced a certificate of nomination, but also produced a guarantee.
She promised Rurik: "When you come back from Balmok, you will see a brand new mill. When my first stone mill or stone mill is built, wheat will be processed immediately. I I will personally spend money to buy wheat from you and process it into powder. I hope you will buy it all when you come back.”
This is her condition. Rurik readily accepted: “That’s great, I will. I will give you a suitable purchase price.”
Rurik could not come up with a suitable price right away. The amount of labor fees paid to Aslaqi’s mill in the future must be based on the actual situation. His answer was very vague, and Aslaqi didn't care.
In other words, Aslaqi’s focus has never been on how much remuneration she can get from working for the Duke. If you think about it this way, the situation is too small.
She hopes that her full performance will benefit her family and lead to a faster recovery.
This isA mother's struggle, a female warrior's struggle.