Compared to baking bread in a clay oven, the most convenient way to process flour into cooked food is to bake the cake on hot stones.
When humans mastered processing flour to make cooked food, the first thing they thought of was making scones.
There is nothing surprising about what the Russians do. People who buy wheat are making large quantities of new types of bread that are different from oatmeal. They are deliberately making large quantities for convenience.
Rurik ordered more than twenty women from Mercia to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the work of baking bread after finishing their morning prayers.
They mix the dough to make dough and stick it on the hot cast iron plate to mass-produce scones.
Every night, the temperature still below freezing has already cooled these scones, and the limited moisture in them immediately makes the scones hard. Rurik sent people to collect the pancakes at this time, punch a hole in the middle of the pancakes, string them up in groups of fifty with hemp rope and carry them away.
These pancakes are the "military food" for people traveling far away.
As for the Mercian women whose hands were full of dough after a busy day, they had already fed themselves in their work.
This group of strange women will supervise each other to pray at noon and evening, praising their gods for the bread they have given in thanksgiving.
"Absurd. That's the food I rewarded you with." Rurik felt a little unhappy. Considering that they had indeed put in a lot of work and were conscientious, forget it.
It was about to be the day of departure, and as the time approached, the workload for them increased significantly.
A total of 450 surviving Tavastian female prisoners, their physical fitness has been too strong due to long-term manual labor training. As for physical fitness, the weak would have died long ago.
Rurik was a little reluctant to leave these female miners, but their disposal rights were assigned to the kingdom of the Balmoks who immigrated to Britain.
The time to rent their labor force has come. Apart from the payment for clothing, food and housing, he really did not pay more.
And their contribution to Fort Ross was to create two hills made of iron ore, which became two dangerous highlands.
Just after the Spring Equinox, the breath of spring became stronger after a brief sacrifice. The sea is still frozen and the ground is covered with snow.
There are already too many days during the day. During this period, the walls and internal buildings of Blast Furnace Town have been basically completed.
A hill of iron ore is within the town's walls. After a light snowfall, it turned into a giant white tower.
The employed men and women are using iron ore to build the strong base necessary for the new blast furnace. When the temperature warms up, the construction of the blast furnace will be completed.
On the frozen coast, taking advantage of the snow everywhere, the hulls of two new ships were pushed out of the huge wooden shipbuilding.
They have also reached the last and most critical moment.
The spring equinox has not yet arrived, a roar comes from the northA reindeer convoy moves quickly along the frozen coastline.
This is a heavy transport team with as many as 300 adult reindeer undertaking the arduous task of pulling the sled.
The reindeer gained great strength by eating oats, so they pulled up to ten carefully selected giant spruce trees to Fort Ross, and then violently unloaded them in front of the Yuhotra family shipyard. An open space filled with various types of wood.
Soon, thousands of people who joined in the fun ran to the coast to enjoy a great event.
Rurik also came. He was dressed in white furry polar bear fur, which was warm and showed his vigor. The ferret hat with a huge white tail on his head makes him look even more noble.
His female relatives all came, all dressed in almost the same way, and everyone deliberately displayed their jewelry of gold, silver and precious stones.
Exquisite clothes are made by expert tailors.
It is Rurik's old friend and subordinate Fisk. This man's mother Bloma has become Rurik's royal tailor in a sense. Hundreds of traditional Rus women have been ordered to work as linen weavers and leather tailors for Rurik over the years, and receive monthly payments.
Women cherished their job opportunities and absorbed the technology of Vodgen tailoring workshop and Slavic canvas weaving. The level of Russian tailoring technology has been greatly improved.
There are people wearing gray-brown hats everywhere, including a large number of men and women wearing colorful striped linen blankets.
Those are the masterpieces of Slavic women. They used woad, blue moss, red chrysanthemum, yellow chrysanthemum and other colored plants to dye cloth on the spot, making their clothes full of color.
It was crowded and lively, and countless whispers turned into a low buzz.
“It’s finally time to install the mast again.” Old Otto’s eyes were full of joy, and the big hand on his son Rurik’s shoulder subconsciously squeezed it.
"In this way, we now have six Aurora-class ships."
"Have you thought of names for them? I remember that two more ships will be launched this year. Total Four new ships..."
"Yes, the names have been decided."
"What are they?" Otto asked with interest.
"Let's call the new two ships Gray Squirrel and Salmon Chief."
"Huh? So casual? Wait, you..." Otto thought about it and couldn't help but feel happy Made a sound.
"Do you think I chose the name casually?"
"It doesn't matter." Otto let go of his hand and raised his head, "The installation has already begun. The mast has been transported to the scaffolding. We Let’s wait and see.”
In recent years, watching the installation of masts on large ships has become a routine for the people of Roseburg.
People cheered heartily after the mast was installed on the big ship. The entire fjord rumbled, and even the pine trees that were covered with snow in the distance began to shake off ice.
Rurik had no suitable plan at the beginning as to what to name the new ship.
The four existing ships: AfuDukes of Rolla, Gurdot, Sperosvilia and Ostara. Although the ship names are all very meaningful, they actually have nothing in common.
What is commonality? Rurik decided to name the new ship after other peoples who had submitted to Rus to create commonality for subsequent ships.
Gray Squirrel and Chief Salmon are originally the tribal names of the Covin people. Naming new ships after tribal names is actually a means of strengthening cohesion.
As for the big ships that will be launched in the future, Rurik's proposed names are "White Tree Manor" and "Lapp (Deer Breeder)". They are the most loyal servants of the Russians now, and they will continue to fight side by side in the future.
The big ship will continue to be equipped with huge jibs and other ancillary accessories. Based on the lessons learned from the British expedition, more rowing boats will be evenly hung on the sides of the ship.
As for them entering the water, Rurik guessed that he really didn’t have time to witness it.
According to Rurik's plan, Ross's "Eighty-Eight Fleet" plan will be completed this autumn and winter.
Hotla and his old friends proved their shipbuilding prowess and made a fortune. This group of people obviously has higher pursuits. Shipbuilding makes them proud. Building bigger ships has become the life goal of new craftsmen! This is like a brave warrior trying to kill the enemy bravely on the battlefield to realize the value of his beliefs.
The shipbuilding industry in Rus will further prosper, and of course it is Rurik himself who contributes to its prosperity. He knew this very well. Without the Duke of Ross's battleship order, how could they have the motivation and necessity to build large ships?
Ships such as the Aurora had to gather all the strength of Hotla and her friends, relying on the giant trees and high-quality metal materials provided by the Duke, and it took nearly half a year to build two ships.
Relying solely on the family’s own strength, building general cargo ships and traditional rowing boats is the most cost-effective option.
“So, should we build a Galen-type ship with a displacement of over a thousand tons like the Gothenburg?” The only Swedish sailing ship in history that Rurik personally knew about was this one. It took Swedish craftsmen several years to build her.
No! The current technical level of the Russian people cannot build it, and there is actually no need for more.
Russ can develop more slender, lightweight and fast planet-class sail destroyers, and build more to gain absolute maritime hegemony in the entire Baltic Sea as soon as possible.
I am afraid that the Principality of Ross has now occupied the sea power in this sea area. Rurik does not think this is a fact. His dream is very broad. Unfortunately, Danish power is still a huge threat. Before Denmark recognizes Ross's hegemony, Ross must continue to build gold.
Big construction requires a lot of money. If you have a fleet, you must have an ice-free port facing the Atlantic Ocean! With more large ships, it became possible to sail across the Atlantic to America, the land of miracles, and to seize future benefits from the west.
No one has a strategy like Rurik's, and the Russians can't even imagine theirs.The Duke at least planned the national strategy for Ross for the next 233 years or more!
An expansion strategy heading east, west, south, and north.
For the sake of a great future and to possess sea power first, the land trade route from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Port of Narvik was opened by the Duke of Ross himself!
The time happens to be April 1st of the Julian calendar.
This day is not April Fool’s Day, just because April Fool’s Day did not exist in 834 AD.
All the preparations needed by Rurik have been completed, especially those transporting huge quantities of wood, chromite ore, finished chromium products and leather (the tribute of the gray squirrel tribe) which arrived at the end of March, allowing the sled to be pulled. The sturdy reindeer became a very timely source of power.
Do we have to walk to the port of Narvik in Balmok?
With these strong deer, large groups of people are traveling on sleds, and it may take them two weeks to reach their destination.
As for the road to Balmok, there is actually a ready-made road for this trip, which is to find the big river (Torna River) west of Ironburg and follow the frozen river channel. Head upstream and reach the glacial lake on the top of the mountain (Lake Torna). Under the lake is the Balmok people's Narvik port! This frozen river can be called a highway in the Middle Ages. In winter, the smooth surface is suitable for reindeer sleigh teams to move forward unimpeded in the opposite direction. In summer, people can take small boats to float down the river from the lake all the way to Bothnia. bay.
This line was discovered many years ago by the Balmok explorer Modgen and his group. This group also discovered another waterway leading to the Airon River (Kemi River) and directly hit it. The Rus people are busy building the mining town of Ironburg.
As for the informants on the upper reaches of the Iron River, the Ross explorer Spyot and his friends went very far, and when Rurik personally joined them, they discovered the Moorman River.
Rurik has not visited Murmansk, which he appointed, after that. Based on the news coming back from the north and the actual fresh walrus tusks shipped back, he can definitely determine Murmansk, an ice-free port built by the Russians themselves, is indeed being developed.
Walking across the glacier to the Balmok people’s hometown, Rurik once thought it would be a difficult journey, but now the road is no longer far away.
A powerful reindeer sleigh team is gathering.
April 1st is the final assembly day.
The female miners of Tavastia were gathered together, each of them holding the two silver coins issued by Rurik and some personal belongings in their hands.
They gathered in their residence, and everyone had wiped their bodies clean with hot water. A crowd of people gathered outside the warehouse, and Rurik stood on a sled and shouted loudly.
"Your life in Rus is over! You will go to Balmok, marry a strong man, and move to a distant and warm island! We will set off tomorrow on a sleigh, don't worry about the future Worry, we will all arrive safely. Think about the days ahead, you all.will have a better future. ”
Rurik didn’t say too much. Women like them had no choice. The eyes of Tavastia women were extremely responsible. Maybe they were used to the regular life now, but they had to leave. , and even in the future they will not be able to enjoy a good life of having enough to eat every day.
Of course, we must give them a good hope, but...
I am afraid that in this time and space, everyone in a country will not be able to enjoy it. It is extremely rare to have enough to eat. Rurik dare not say that he is a kind and good person. At least he is a holy king to the Russians, and to other forces and other countries, he is a pure misery.
< p>Is the Principality of Ross a pirate country? I'm afraid it is. Rurik has no choice. This is an era of the weak and the strong. Ross must be strong enough to avoid being destroyed by the strong. Her size is too small. , internal exploitation cannot accumulate enough original capital, external expansion and plunder is the only way, he knows that he must do this.But when the female miners of Tavastia leave, who will fill this vacancy?
Perhaps when recruiting people from the shores of Lake Mälaren, or simply from Balmok and Novgorod, men are of course more physical than women and will not weaken themselves due to menstruation. He estimates that he will recruit two A hundred people are enough. As for the labor force, the more the better. After all, iron is a huge profit, and the Russians' shipping capabilities are really terrifying.
These measures will take time to complete, and Rurik does not want them to happen in the future. The miners are a group of simple slaves.
Isn’t indentured labor more suitable than slaves? Of course, with Rurik, who is the Duke of Ross, the contract will naturally be extended to future generations. Go down. Those who sign the contract can be conquered people from all walks of life, mercenaries hired in the early days, simple slaves, homeless children, and even the purest natives of Rus.
The principality has become a mature country, and this group of contractors is the cornerstone of the country. They pay taxes, serve, and contribute. They are the real subjects of the principality of Ross.
It is such people, such as miners. , once they settle down and can engage in mining year after year, even their children and grandchildren will become accustomed to this kind of life and fear losing it.
This is almost the iron law of "working as a worker".
Then when Ross encounters a possible crisis, they will also defend Ross to protect their stable life.
Who does not yearn for a stable life? Ross people expand for a better and more stable life. Stable life, the purpose of the war is to destroy the enemy and gain a better life for the Russian people in the future.
This is of course selfish, but the increasingly ruthless Rurik will no longer be generous to others. At this stage, the only concern is whether the Ross and the servants have enough to eat today. The legend of the Son of God is just the icing on the cake. This group of very pragmatic guys will always follow the leader who can bring good days.
April 2. On that day, as many as seventy sleds were prepared, and eachThe sleigh was pulled by four deer, and Rurik's large vehicle was pulled by six deer.
Reindeer are naturally not as powerful as horses. They are better at withstanding the polar cold and have amazing endurance.
As long as they are not forced to travel endlessly, there is no problem for the four deer to pull a sled carrying as many as ten people and a batch of supplies for fifty kilometers a day.
Rurik also cherishes animal power. Some sleds are specially used to transport hay and sacks of oats. He does not believe that reindeer can eat their fill by just gnawing grass under the snow during rest time. After all, they still have to Feed high-energy wheat.
450 Tavastian women crowded into the sleigh, a total of forty-five. Rurik led a hundred loyal mercenary warriors in ten vehicles.
More than fifty Russians were hired to assist in pulling carts and feeding deer.
Especially Rumia’s extremely distant uncle, who also participated with more than a dozen Lapps (deer farmers). They are the real deer-raising experts. In Rurik's eyes, he was almost equivalent to a mechanic in a motor transport team.
With the personnel and materials ready, Rurik hugged Nolen casually, but this caused many female relatives to pout in jealousy.
This is to go to Balmok. Some elite mercenaries are from Balmok, and they are natural leaders.
In addition to the Tavastian women, there was also a shipment of commercial goods such as wheat, ironware, Slavic-style floral cloth, and a small amount of bearskin and deerskin. Compared with sea transportation, the goods transported by land sled are really limited.
Rurik did not want to let go of the trade opportunity. He concluded that the people left behind in Balmok had made a new batch of salt as agreed, and these goods were just exchanged for their good salt.
As for meeting Magnut from Britain again, Rurik no longer cares. He just wanted to unload these women and goods at the destination, let Nolen declare his dominance, recruit some warriors, and then Habitat Ross could withdraw.
Because the decision to attack the Karelia people was made by Rurik himself. As the supreme commander, when he comes back determines when the war will begin.
He really didn’t dare to delay any longer.
People were cheering, Otto and Niya were cheering, and even Rurik’s daughter Velika extended her little hand in her infant state.
He waved to his family and tribesmen. Then he ordered the Lapp charioteer: "Let's set off."