After the Spring Festival, there is what the Russians call the Fishing Festival.
Nearly a thousand wooden boats of various types poured into the thawing sea. Even though there were still a lot of ice floes on the sea, it could not stop people's enthusiasm for fishing.
Silver is a good thing, but it cannot be eaten as food. Many people saw the priests dissecting two big fish on the altar, which was a good omen.
There are the most ice floes near the coast. When the ship is rowed out of the fjord, things become different.
Cod plays a very important role in the entire Baltic Sea ecological chain. They are also a kind of fish with a very expansion spirit, so that they can be found in the entire huge sea area. The Gulf of Bothnia has a large number of cod resources.
It's just that they are not suitable for the Russians to drag their fishing nets for fishing.
After nearly half a year of fishing moratorium, the cod, which have become fat and strong, do not mind the sudden appearance of bait at all.
A large amount of hemp rope fishing line was thrown into the sea, and a lump of herring meat was hung on the barbed iron fish hook to lure the herring at the bottom of the Gulf of Bothnia to eat.
In one afternoon, at least 3,000 fishing lines were thrown into the sea, kicking off a massive catch of cod.
Everyone spread out the boats so that some fishermen were destined to wait until the next day to return to port.
All the efforts were well rewarded. When the soft light of the evening sun shone over the entire Roseburg, a large number of fishing boats had returned with loads of catches.
Half of the ships are still working, and they are just waiting for nightfall.
The geographical location of the Ross tribe determines that few of the southern allies are willing to go to the northern waters to fish. In fact, due to technical limitations, no tribe can imagine the grand occasion of casting a net to catch thirty tons at a time.
A successful trawl with a large net that catches five hundred pounds of herring is blessed by Odin!
Cod fishing is different. With luck and the hemp rope is strong enough, it is possible to catch cod that is two stikas long (nearly two meters).
On the night of the great festival, the residents of Fort Ross spontaneously lit an astonishing number of bonfires, making the quiet world a bustle with people.
People grilled fresh fish around the bonfire, and Rurik also participated in this gluttonous feast!
Grilled fish, just sprinkled with a little salt, can bring the simplest deliciousness. Cod is very different from other fish. The fat content of fish meat is very low, and the cod liver is full of cod liver oil.
Rurik could not only eat the boneless fish steaks happily, but also eat the fish liver and make his mouth full of oil.
Oil? Can fish oil be used to make soap?
Forget it, fish oil soap must be fishy, and washing clothes with it shouldn't make you smell like fish.
Surrounding the campfire, Rurik couldn't help but think about it. The so-called most efficient way to catch seals is to drill a hole in the frozen sea. When the seal comes up to breathe, the harpoon will directly hook it and kill it on the spot. Currently,
, all soaps are made from seal oil, and its fat has no peculiar smell. The best substitutes for it are beef tallow and mutton fat.
Soap can indeed bring a lot of wealth. Without high-quality oils, everything is empty talk.
"Damn it, if I want to make more soap, do I have to start by raising cattle and sheep? I'm really convinced."
Rurik's eyes noticed that his father, this old guy was already a kind of close friend of his, holding his own horn cup or oak cup, drinking the remaining ale and laughing.
All the young people were caught up in the carnival, their stomachs filled with fish and meat and all kinds of drinks.
According to general custom, tonight, the entire tribe drank all the wine they brewed last year, and if they want to drink new ones, they have to start over.
The carnival only lasted one night, and the next day, the Ross tribe officially entered the most active period of the year.
Just like a big tree waiting for spring, it feels that the time has come and tries its best to sprout new buds. Soon, the dry trunk returns to the lushness of summer.
The whole tribe has become busy, and the new busyness is indeed very different from previous years.
Everyone is telling the story that there are several powerful young men in the tribe who have won the support of other young people and continue to seek revenge against the Gotlanders.
Another major event is proceeding in an orderly manner with everyone paying attention, and that is the tax collection operation of the Russian army heading east after the fishing season begins every year.
The trip will not be too long, but participants still need to prepare some dry food.
The amount of cod caught yesterday was huge, people were not so luxurious as to intentionally waste food, and there was a constant supply of new catches.
The women began to make salted fish and dry the fish again. They also processed the little wheat left at home into hard wheat cakes to serve as food for their husbands or sons during expeditions.
The great businessman Gould began to reorganize his fleet, and he hired some people from Fort Ross as temporary sailors. Under Otto's personal supervision, Gould personally led his men, pulling a two-wheeled wooden cart, and began to
The yellow sulfur soap was carried to the fleet. A large amount of processed deer skins had been bundled and thrown onto the ships.
Gould was going to make a lot of money. For the blacksmith Clavarson, he had already made a lot of money, but his body was seriously exhausted. The huge demand for steel swords made him greedily sign a huge order to produce two hundred swords.
?That’s crazy.
What's more, the kid Rurik now has a new idea. Burning shining sand, mixed with some quicklime or something, can make a transparent cup. It sounds very tempting and worth trying. But now, how can I
Do you have the time and energy to help him?
Children are children. When spring comes, the child will continue to lead more children to the hillside for training. Not to mention, what Rurik does is very interesting. This group of children will definitely be better than their parents when they grow up.
That's how Klavasen feels.
Otto didn't know that some things were beyond his knowledge, which Rurik didn't expect.
The five blacksmith families in the tribe all believe in Thor, the God of Thunder and the patron saint of craftsmen. Therefore, they naturally maintain a relatively close relationship. Although there is inevitable competition, the competition is completely intense.
Can be ignored.
If it weren't for the huge order that made it an impossible task, Klavasen wouldn't have thought of spreading the technology to his friends. What's more, his son Kawei has already made himself a steel sword, which can be completed easily."
In the test of "cutting off the iron sword", a few days after the big festival, Kawei will inevitably follow the leader and take his own steel sword to the expedition to Novgorod.
There was one less outstanding blacksmith, and Klavasen, who didn't even have an assistant, even thought of asking his wife to help him.
Is that possible? Impossible. He found it incredible that a woman would become a blacksmith.
The four blacksmiths knelt down and longed for the full set of steel-making techniques. Not only did they point out their friendship for generations, they also made it clear that they would give them a sum of money as a reward.
In essence, Klavasen is a craftsman and a businessman. Since Rurik negotiates a share with him, the child does not have to work because he can get 10% of the profit from each sword by selling the technology. Why can't he follow suit?
?
Klavason also understood that as long as there were more orders, Rurik would quickly accumulate wealth because of the "agreement". He knew that he was fully capable of spending the share that should be given to Rurik, considering that the child would be the next one if nothing unexpected happened.
Chi Ling, which fool dares to steal his money?
But your colleagues and friends need special treatment.
Klavasen and his four colleagues also made a formal agreement engraved on the wooden board, that is, the proliferation of technology with a price, and the price is a thousand silver coins.
Indeed, it seems that this is an agreement that they cannot accept at all. After Klavasen explains it, how can his colleagues not agree?
It turns out that the agreement he signed with each of his colleagues was that after providing technology, he would make twenty steel swords free of charge, and the performance test must be successfully completed.
Twenty pieces were sold for a thousand silver coins.
While others were immersed in the warm night after the big festival and feasting on fish and meat, the blacksmiths gathered together to complete the signing of all the terms of the agreement. Here, the deeper agreement is that since everyone can make steel products, everyone will do business in the future.
To make changes.
The pricing power of any metal smelting product is no longer owned by an individual, but five families of blacksmiths gather together to discuss. No one is allowed to raise or lower the price without authorization. All prices must be discussed by everyone and cannot be changed.
They discussed many things about this, such as how to prevent the incoordination of output due to laziness of one company and over-working of another, which would further lead to the disharmony of sales. In order to avoid being too poor and too rich, all professional blacksmiths must average their orders.
Distribution. That is, if a company receives too many orders and reaches the point where it cannot be completed at all, the orders must be diverted to others.
The blacksmiths took advantage of the festive atmosphere to successfully complete the signing of the agreement and formed an alliance for this purpose.
Five households of Russian blacksmiths made a great attempt.
In the ninth century AD, Europe completely returned to the agricultural age. The trade network in Western Europe almost completely collapsed, and only the Viking tribes were keen on trade.
Five blacksmiths from the Ross tribe, one of the Viking tribes, got together and decided to form a cartel organization, also known as the Price Alliance.
Since ordinary people don't bother to change Thor to become a blacksmith, the remaining blacksmiths have the motivation to unite.
The blacksmiths all know their own nation's rune script, and they also know a lot of practical mathematics and physics experience. They are more knowledgeable than others, and are naturally more intelligent.
When Klavasen further explained his thoughts, others thought for a moment and realized that the signed "agreement" also established the existence of the alliance.
Just like the relationship between the Ross tribe and the tribes in the south, that is, the basic principle is that if one side is in trouble, the allies must rescue it.
The same must be true for the blacksmiths' covenant. The fundamental purpose is for everyone to make money together.
Each of their families carved their name on the wooden board, and then performed a small ceremony under the starry sky, as if this would gain the affirmation of Thor, whom the blacksmiths believed in.
Rurik had no idea that the blacksmiths had spontaneously organized a price alliance. On a new day, he took one of his young subordinates to the hillside and continued to carry out purely militarized activities with wooden shields and wooden swords.
In the eyes of adults, it is a good thing that Rurik can train his children in an orderly manner.
The boy will soon grow up to be a warrior and will make great achievements.
Rurik has some tricks up his sleeve. He can actually make the children change complex formations through words and slogans. From now on, his children will all follow Rurik. They have established a good relationship now.
It will be easy to become a warrior in the future.
In fact, the child's parents are more happy because they don't have to worry about their lively son trying something particularly dangerous and dying. The two previous sons died because of dangerous games, and children die every year.
However, it is not advisable to confine your son at home because of danger.
Future leaders will gather young children together to train tactics, so that the children's fathers and brothers can boldly and confidently make greater attempts.
What people are most afraid of is having worries about their future. Even the Russian men who are willing to open up new lands are worried about the miserable situation of their wives and children after they die in battle.
Although many women love their husbands so much that they will bury them if their husbands die in battle, but what about their sons? Young children are generally raised by relatives and friends, can they really get good care?
Rurik's actions reassured many people. They all believed that as long as their young children established a close relationship with him from an early age, they would never have to worry about their young children having a bad life. On the contrary, those children had become the lucky ones.
Three days had passed since the big festival. When Rurik personally visited Klavassen's blacksmith shop, he saw a large group of people hammering iron blocks.
Who are they? They are actually Klavasen's colleagues.
The main purpose of Rurik's visit was to collect the 10% of the profits that belonged to him, and to continue discussing glass making. He never thought that he would end up like this after not seeing each other for three days.
"You are actually teaching the skills I gave you to others?" At this moment, everyone could see Rurik's childish expression of obvious anger.
Klavason quickly explained carefully: "Ah, my son. The tribe gave me an order for two hundred swords. I have been working hard for a long time, but I still only made thirty. With the abilities of me and my son,
Even next spring I still can’t complete this order.”
"So you just teach the technology to other people?"
"Yes." Klavasen actually didn't think there was anything wrong with this, and continued: "We are all brothers of the same tribe, so I can't make a lot of money alone, right? So we also signed an agreement. From now on,
We are an alliance and we work together. Only in this way can we complete the order of two hundred swords on that dark night (referring to the summer solstice)."
"You!" For a moment, a word called cartel appeared in Rurik's mind. "You actually...cartel."
"What's wrong?"
"You actually formed an alliance."
"You..." Klavasen was stunned for a moment, and the other blacksmiths also stopped what they were doing. "Rurik, don't you like it? Don't worry, we have made an agreement, and we will fulfill that agreement. It's time to
We swear to Thor in the sky that we will never be greedy for even a copper coin from you."
Hearing this, Rurik felt a little relieved, but the shock and a bit of uneasiness in his heart still lingered.
Rurik muttered in a low voice: "It seems that even if I don't participate, you will become different. Okay, you continue to do it."
Klavason couldn't hear the meaning of these words at all, so Rurik simply did not object and continued: "Don't worry, I know you came here to ask for money today, Kawei, take out the money."
Soon, Kawei came with a linen bag and handed it all to Rurik. There were heavy silver coins in it. Rurik counted thirty of them, which meant that he had to make six swords.
The share of profit obtained.
Undoubtedly, Rurik was very surprised by Klavathan's actions. He did not stay any longer and left hastily with his servant Rumia. He did not even continue to encourage Klavason to lobby for making glass, and left after taking the money.
Looking at his hurried back, Klavason shook his head and couldn't help but blame himself: "Is it really wrong for us to form an alliance? We are all blacksmiths, so it is strange to form a covenant?"
Perhaps only by looking at it from the perspective of future generations can we understand the progressive nature of the blacksmiths' actions.
Rurik was so shocked that he quickly retreated to his home to calm down.
On the way home, Rumia couldn't help but ask: "Masta, why did you leave so quickly? Didn't you still have something to say..."
"What do you know!" Rurik shouted.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Master."
"No! Keep calling me masta. Rumia."
"Yes, masta?" Rumia replied weakly.
"You still have to continue studying. You still can't understand what the blacksmiths are doing now. They just want to break away from the control of the leader. I don't like this. When I become the leader, the blacksmiths must be under my control."
Rumia really didn't understand. The only thing she understood was that her master had a strong desire to dominate at a "young age". Why did some blacksmiths have to be controlled by him?
She said nothing and just followed Rurik closely.
In Rurik's concept, cartel price alliances are always hated by a country. But it cannot be denied that it is actually a product that will inevitably appear when commercial civilization develops to a certain extent.
Businessmen are the first group of real bourgeoisie to appear, and such businessmen often take care of both production and sales. In order to compete in the increasingly fierce competitive market, monopolistic organizations will emerge.
He, an individual businessman is fragile. If he makes too much, he will be seen as a fat sheep in the eyes of others. If he makes too little, he will naturally starve to death. If he becomes an organization, it will be completely different.
The Hanseatic League is such an organization. First, due to the restoration of trade in Western Europe, cities were formed by merchant markets. Merchants gained control of the cities to form free cities. Multiple free cities formed alliances for the benefit of wealth. Merchants
They recruited their own mercenaries to resist the attacks of the lords, and formulated their own business rules to coordinate various industries within the alliance.
Their origins are not aristocratic, but are filled with a desire for wealth and a determination to protect their wealth.
If you don't want to be a fat sheep slaughtered by the lords at will, then unite. Since everyone is so poor that only money is left, use money to build a powerful force.
The Hanseatic League is a classic cartel alliance. This alliance was eventually destroyed in the intensifying war between the European 6 powers, but it did not really disappear. As long as the business culture reaches a certain level, businessmen will definitely try to maximize their profits.
Form an alliance.
Some businessmen went to the New Continent. They did not want to be controlled by the European 6 powers, so they established a new type of country purely dominated by big businessmen and big landowners. They found that it was possible to run a country using the operating methods of their own Natong Business Alliance.
, even more efficient than the one used by monarchs and lords. It is so shocking that even the monarch no longer wants it.
But the times have also entered the modern era.
Great changes often begin with subtle changes. Initially, Rurik felt that his people were generally extremely lacking in knowledge. Although they all had strong learning abilities, it was not difficult to change their concepts.
Now, Rurik really feels like he has some ideas for how to dress.
Are they just an alliance of five blacksmiths? I am afraid that at the beginning of the Hanseatic League, a few big businessmen in Hamburg gathered together to hold a meeting to establish a small alliance. Later, more and more businessmen and industrial experts joined it, and the quantity changed.
It becomes a qualitative change.
After all, Klavasen and other five blacksmith families have taken the lead in mastering the technology of block-smelting low-carbon steel in Europe. As long as their alliance has a chance to continue to develop, it will not be as simple as making a lot of money.
"This is a danger. I must control them. I must form my own team of blacksmiths and obey my orders. Yes. The salt and iron monopoly has never been because of its huge profits. If businessmen in these industries form an alliance and develop, will they
Will they still listen to the king? Bah! They will try to depose the king and install an obedient one, even if the king is no longer wanted. They are Europeans after all!"
Thinking about it this way, Rurik increasingly needed his father to go all the way to Novgorod to get some servants for him, and he also needed servants and mercenaries brought by the great businessman Gould from the south.
Rurik's ideas changed greatly.
Clavarson and the others are very smart, and Gould is even smarter. As a time traveler, I can regret that they don't understand what advanced means. It would be stupid to despise their IQ!
To control them, you must first compete with this group of businessmen and industrialists, and win with an overwhelming advantage. Only by establishing your own industrial chain and sales chain can you prevent future wealth from being controlled by them.
Is it not?
When Rurik thought about it, an astonishing reality appeared here. If the blacksmiths ran away collectively and the great businessman Gould no longer lived in Roseburg, where would his wealth come from? Although the industry can be rebuilt, losing this
Ready-made powerful producers and sellers must be drinking the northwest wind for several years.
The lifeline of our wealth is actually controlled by people like them. No! It must change! It must change completely within a few years!