290, the ordinary world

What is the issue submitted by Hunter Ackerman? Hunter seems to be the most "savvy" of Red's three sons, and he thought of a possibility in advance. If Aesop really has any tricks to make the Citizens' Meeting decide that he is Aesop Ackerman, then the house and farmland will be taken away, and their family's plan to buy a merchant ship will be ruined.

In order to prevent such "worst" situations, he requested the Citizens' Meeting, and if Aesop's identity was confirmed, he would make another decision - the compensation for the custody of the house and the farm for the past sixty years.

Aesop's father, Seinth Ackerman, died unexpectedly. If no one cares about the land and the house, it would be deserted and abandoned. What's more, the house has been renovated several times before it can be preserved until now. The operation and maintenance of the land has not made any money in recent years. In the war years, it was a burden. Otherwise, their family would not think of selling the land and the house to engage in more profitable trade.

If Hunter really made such a request, Aesop could also refute it. For example, if the Red family had lived in a house, the income from operating the farm in recent years should be able to compensate for the custody expenses, or both of them were not owed. This matter would be complicated, but reasonably speaking, Aesop could still get his father's assets after returning sixty years. The Red family made an indelible contribution. If he was very rich, it would be okay to make appropriate compensation.

So Hunter wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of the city-state citizen representative meeting to apply for a ruling - Should Aesop compensate the Reds?

But the result of the matter was beyond Hunter's expectations. Aesop did take back the farmland and the house, which belonged to him, but Aesop did not come to fight for property. He gave the precious gifts of the three brothers in public, which was much more valuable than the farmland and the house. If the second proposal was thrown out in public, Hunter would become a joke for the entire Midulli City State, so he quickly took back the request.

Since Hunter gave up his request, Thales did not say what the second proposal was in public, and Aesop was as clear as a mirror, so he could guess it, but he didn't ask anything. After the meeting of the citizen representatives, his relatives recognized each other, Aesop lived in his hometown. He got along well with his cousin and three nephews, and he was having fun often.

Aesop lived in his old house. Red often invited his brother to meet at his house, and his three nephews often visited Aesop's home to visit his uncle. Aesop was a kind elder and was very nice to all three nephews.

Red's eldest son is an officer, with a bad temper and easy to be impulsive. Aesop often talks to him about marching and fighting, telling him about the strategy of war and the situation of the war. For a commander, it is far more important than passionate impulsiveness. Red's second son is a businessman, and he does business by him. Doing business is Aesop's old business, so he often talks with him about how to do business, not blindly calculating the real benefit.

As for the youngest nephew, Vel, he is only sixteen years old this year, which happens to be the age when Aesop left his hometown. He looks very similar to Aesop when he was a boy. He is Aesop's favorite junior. He even told his cousin that he would come to him when he had time, live with him, and help him manage the shop. The implication is that Vel will be his heir in the future. Of course Red is very happy, and Vel also likes to run to his uncle.

Aesop took back the farm and the house, why did there be shops? This matter is also related to Vel, and Aesop likes him the most for reasons. Among the property left by Aesop's father, there is also a shop in Midulli City. Aesop's father was originally a merchant. Later, the shop was inherited by Red. Red sold his assets and bought a ship to do business. The shop was the first to sell it. Aesop did not mention this matter again.

But Weil took the initiative to tell Aesop that in addition to the house and the farm, the property he should inherit also had a shop in the city, which was sold not long ago not far from the house. While Weil told his uncle, he bought the shop back with his own money, and returned it to Aesop with his uncle's name on the deed.

Aesop accepted the "gift" from his little nephew and handed over the shop to Vail. Some of the goods Hunter's business were also sold in Midulli City, and of course they were all handed over to this shop. Aesop lived a leisurely life, and he went to the city square to chat with people and became good friends with the sage named Thales.

Aesop often goes to shops and sits, watching the counters and doing business like an ordinary guy. That was the old business I had decades ago, and now I feel very friendly and happy to return to my old business.

Of course, the old house was renovated. It was very comfortable to live in it. It was renovated by Amon with the hired craftsmen. There is no need to say much about the god's craftsmanship, but even the craftsmen who worked with Amon did not notice anything unusual. They just thought that this coachman was very hardworking and capable, and Master Aesop was really good at hiring a friend!

When renovating the house, Amon asked Aesop specifically, saying that the original symbol of the patron saint had been exposed, should the symbol be left to hide again? Aesop said no, so the steps in front of the door did not move, but the stone slab was restored to its original state. The stone slab with the scepter of Hermes on the back was still placed in its original position, and there was no other symbol of the patron saint hidden in the newly built house.

Aesop believed in Amon as the only god. In his opinion, the power wars carved on the stone slabs were just a traditional hidden decoration, and were still kept as the preservation of memory, but he did not believe in Hermes, so he did not have to do anything unnecessary.

With Aesop's age and experience, he had reached a state where he did not have to be moved by everything, and he was both willing and at ease. Even though he knew who Amen was, he still watched Amen repair the house for him like an ordinary craftsman. Amen himself asked to do so, so he would not interfere. Anyway, people just needed to repair the house, and Aesop did not care whether the person who repaired the house was a god, as long as Amen was a qualified craftsman.

If an insider sees this scene, he may think that Aesop is disrespectful to the gods, but Aesop is very clear about how to get along with this god. Amon will have something to prove when he comes to the world. Since he has done so, it is the process of confirmation. Aesop does not know what he can do for the gods, and this is his help to the gods.

The house was repaired, and Aesop did not need to ride a carriage in the city, so Amon, the "coachman", was "unemployed". But he made another request to Aesop, hoping to manage the farmland. Aesop asked privately: "My God, why do you want to manage my farmland?"

Amon smiled and said, "I was destined to be a blacksmith and a miner when I was born. If it weren't for the incident, I might have been for the rest of my life. But later I became a hunter in the mountains, a guard of the temple, a general who commanded the army, and your car driver, but I never became a farmer."

Aesop didn't say much and directly handed over the farm to Amen to fully manage it. He just told Amen which crops he wanted to run the farm. In the eyes of others, Aesop was quite generous and trusting to the old friend who followed him back to his hometown. When he didn't need a coachman, he handed over the farm to Amen again.

Amon was also called Amon, and no one would have thought that he was the main god of Aju, but he regarded him as a mortal who was named with a certain foreign god. There were many things to worry about when running a farm. Aesop’s farm was half flat and half sloped. Most of the crops originally planted were olives. Olive oil was the most important product and export commodity of the city-states of the Yalun League.

However, Aesop changed the crops and planted grapes on the slopes to make wine. He also built his own wine cellar in the farm and planted wheat on the flat ground. The fertile plains near the Miduli City State have limited area, and the yield of wheat grain planting on many lands is not high. People would rather import wheat grains than plant them themselves, but Aesop did the opposite.

It will take at least one or two years to see a good harvest for replanting crops. Medanzo also asked Amon privately: "My God, you escorted Aesop back to your hometown and fulfill your wish now. Do you want to stay here to accompany Aesop to the end of your life?"

Amon shook his head and said, "This is not for Aesop. He has a good life with his relatives in his hometown and is living a good life. This is exactly what he asks for, not what the gods give. Without me, he could also invite better farmers to manage the farm. As the god he believes in, I don't need to stay here, even if I am far away in heaven, I can hear his prayers and calls.

I came to the world to have my own testimony, dealing with people here, observing what people think and think, and everything I do is handled by myself, and it happens naturally, which is different from looking at the world in the kingdom of heaven. The experiences along the way, including the dramas we saw in Yalun City and Aesop’s actions, are all inspiring me.”

Since Amon said that, Medanzo naturally stayed in the Aesop family. The gods and the ninth-level envoys would not care about one or two years. In the eyes of others, Medanzo and Aesop were both followers brought back to their hometown. Medanzo was a handsome and majestic warrior who could escort Aesop back to Midulli, obviously he was not weak in methods and even a great warrior. With him, naturally no one dared to cause trouble for Aesop.

After Aesop gave the farm to Amon, he stopped asking. Every day, he was not allowed to go to the city-state square to find Thales or chat with everyone, and he talked with Weir about the whole world in the shop. Weir didn't understand one thing very well and once asked specifically: "Dear uncle, you naturally don't do business to make money by running a farm, but it doesn't matter if you like it, after all, you have retained the land of your ancestors. If you grow grapes and make wine, it's also a good deal, but planting wheat valleys is obviously not as good as growing olives."

Aesop smiled and said, "You wait and see, you will understand it soon. Now the conflict between the Yalun League and the Kibada League on the Heaton Peninsula is becoming more and more intense. The Macedonian Kingdom in the north is rising, and the Poz Empire is still unwilling to fail. Under such circumstances, can the Yalun League maintain its dominance in trade for a long time?

Once the maritime transportation line is cut off or the business planting is transferred, what will happen to Miduli City-Nationale, which lacks product? Your second brother is doing business, who can you make money? Everyone is growing olives. What will happen if the olive oil cannot be transported out due to war? I have told your elder brother about the recent strategic situation, mainly military, but I am still a landlord, so I will naturally have my own considerations."

While Aesop was talking to his nephew, a young man came into the shop. He was wearing a short-sleeved waistcoat and holding a willow branch, looking very handsome. Aesop stood up and greeted, "Sir, do you want to buy something?"

The young man smiled and shook his head: "I just went into the city to find a grocery store and come in and see what I need."

Aesop waved his hand: "Then you can watch it casually."

The young man looked at the goods on the shelves and suddenly pointed to the statue of the god sold on the most exquisite shelf behind the store and asked, "How much does Zeus cost to sell to you?"

Aesop replied politely: "It's not Zeus, but the statue of Zeus, the one you refer to sells two silver coins."

The young man asked with a smile: "The great Zeus is the father of the gods of Olympus. Can this solemn statue of god be placed on the shelves and buy and sell like ordinary goods? Can faith in the gods be traded with money? This shop owner, please answer this question, otherwise why do you sell the statue of gods and earn your benefits in the name of the gods?"

The young people's questions are very interesting, and it sounds like they are looking for trouble. But this is the city-state of the Yalun League. There are often various sages or wise men in the city-state temple square, so Aesop is not surprised. It seems that this young man is a passing sage, but he asks the owner of the shop selling statues.

Aesop replied slowly: "I have been to many countries on Tianshu Continent. For example, in Aiju, the statues of gods cannot be bought and sold openly, otherwise they will be regarded as blasphemy to the gods. However, the statues of gods do not fall from the sky. If the officials or the people want to build the statues, they must also ask craftsmen to carve and depict them. This is to calculate the reward.

The faith here is more tolerant, and people's feelings towards the gods are closer. You are willing to pay for this statue instead of taking the money to drink at a tavern, which proves that you are willing to pay for your faith. This money is not earned by the gods, but paid to the craftsmen who carved the statues, the grooms who transported the statues, and the shops that sold the statues.

If you think you are buying a god, then the two silver coins are indeed blasphemy. You can offer Zeus a price, but in fact no one can afford it! All we have is the starry sky above our heads and the beliefs in our hearts. Things outside of us are a way of expression, so I want to ask you, how much do you want to bid for such a statue of god?"

The young man was slightly stunned, as if he didn't expect Aesop to have such an answer. He changed the subject and pointed to the statue of Hera next to Zeus and said, "So how much does this statue cost?"

Hera is the wife of Zeus in the mythology. Her statue is a painting on a stone sculpture. She wears a flower crown decorated with peacock feathers and a bright long skirt. She has a plump figure and a dignified face. Aesop replied: "Four silver coins are needed."

The young man said in surprise: "These two statues are of the same material and of the same size. Why is the statue of Hera twice as expensive as the statue of the Father of the Gods?"

Aesop explained calmly: "This is a statue of a goddess. The corolla and clothes are much more complicated. Craftsmen have to spend twice as much time to carefully carve and paint. If they are not careful, it is easy to damage it. Then the whole piece of stone will be scrapped, so it will be sold more expensively."

The young man nodded, pointed to the underside of the wooden frame and asked, "Then the statue of Hermes, the patron saint of Miduli City, and the patron saint of merchants, is similar in size to the two statues just now, and the carvings are also very exquisite. I like them all very much. How much do you plan to sell them?"

At this moment, Aesop's voice suddenly sounded in Aesop's soul: "The young man in front of you is the god Hermes himself. He came from the kingdom of Olympus and walked directly from the altar of the city-state temple."

Amon was far away in the vineyard outside the city, but he noticed the situation here in time and secretly reminded Aesop. When Aesop heard Amen's voice, he did not show any strange expression. He said to Hermes calmly: "Are you talking about this statue? If you pay six silver coins to buy the two statues just now, this one will be a bonus, and this store will give you free of charge."

Hermes' smile frozen for a moment, and then asked, "I think this statue is good, don't you plan to sell it more expensive?"

Aesop said with a smile: "This is just a statue of God, it's worth so much money, it's real, I don't want to deceive you."

Hermes frowned slightly: "Old man, do you know who I am?"

Aesop replied: "You are the customer who comes to ask for the price, and I am the owner of the store."

The young man turned around and walked out of the shop without saying a word. Weil, who had been standing next to him, felt a little confused, and Amon's voice sounded in Aesop's soul again: "Aesop, I want to say thank you! You have given me the best inspiration for the questions I have been thinking about."

...

Why did Amon thank Aesop? Maybe only this god knows it himself. And what is Hermes' purpose? I'm afraid only that god understands it in his heart.

In the meeting of the city-state citizens' representatives, Hermes had delivered the oracle at the request of the people - "People of Midulli, the old man before you returned from a foreign land, and he did not receive the brilliance of the gods. The gods will not prove his identity, but need him to prove himself."

The way Aesop proves his identity is to lift the Hermes scepter mark hidden in the old house. When he rebuilt the house, he put the stone slab back intact. Hermes knew Aesop's beliefs, and Aesop also expressed his beliefs. This silent dialogue between the gods and mortals was evenly matched.

When Hermes came to the world and appeared in front of Aesop himself, no matter whether he said his name or identity, Aesop would treat him as a customer who asked the price. How to sell the goods in the shop or how to sell them, Aesop did not disrespect the customer. Aesop watched this scene, understood the causes and consequences, and also had his own insights.

...

Autumn is coming, and the winter is approaching, and newly planted grapes need to be unloaded, pressed, and buried. The farmers in the farm are busy in the wheat field and cannot get out of their hands. So Amon came to the avenue outside the farm and prepared to hire a short-term worker.
Chapter completed!