Rather than baking bread in a clay oven, the most convenient way to process flour into cooked food is to bake it 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 did. People who bought wheat were making large quantities of new types of bread that were different from oatmeal. They were deliberately making large quantities to make it easier to eat.
Rurik ordered more than twenty women from Mercia to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the work of baking bread after finishing their morning prayers.
They knead the dough to make a dough and stick it on a hot cast iron plate to mass-produce scones.
Every night, the temperature still below freezing point has already cooled these pancakes, and the limited moisture in them immediately makes the pancakes hard. Rurik sent people to collect the pancakes at this time, and smashed a piece in the middle of the pancakes.
Holes were strung up in groups of fifty with hemp ropes and carried 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 would supervise each other to pray at noon and evening, praising their gods for the bread they had given them.
"That's ridiculous. That's the food I rewarded you with." Rurik felt a little unhappy, and considering that they had indeed put in a lot of work and were conscientious, he gave it up.
It was about to be the day of departure, and as the time approached, the workload for them increased significantly.
There are a total of 450 surviving Tavastian female prisoners. Their physical fitness has been too strong due to long-term physical labor training. As for their physical fitness, those who are really weak have long since died.
Rurik was a little reluctant to leave this group of female miners, but their disposal was to belong to the kingdom of the Balmoks who immigrated to Britain.
The time for renting their labor force has come, and apart from the payment for clothing, food and housing, he really did not pay more.
Their contribution to Fort Ross was to create two hills made of iron ore, which became two dangerous highlands.
The spring equinox has just passed, and the breath of spring has become stronger after a brief sacrifice. The sea is still frozen, and the earth is covered with snow.
There are already a lot of daylight hours, and during this period, the walls and internal buildings of Blast Furnace Town have been basically completed.
A hill of iron ore is located 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 foundation 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.
Before the vernal equinox, a reindeer transport team from the north quickly moved along the frozen coastline.
This is a heavy transport team with up to 300 adult reindeer undertaking the arduous task of pulling sleds.
The reindeer gained great strength by eating oats, so they pulled as many as ten carefully selected giant spruce trees to Rossburg, and then violently unloaded them into a pile of various lumber in front of the Yuhotra family shipyard.
space.
Soon, thousands of people who were joining 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 sharpness. The ferret hat with a huge white tail on his head made 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 was Rurik's old friend and subordinate Fisk. This person's mother Broma became Rurik's royal tailor in a sense. Hundreds of traditional Rus women have been ordered to dress Rurik over the years.
Ke works as a linen weaver and leather tailor and receives monthly remuneration.
Women cherished their job opportunities and absorbed the technology of Vodgen tailoring workshops and Slavic canvas weaving techniques. The level of Russian tailoring skills has been greatly improved.
People wearing gray-brown hats were everywhere, including a large number of men and women wearing colorful striped linen blankets.
Those are the masterpieces of Slavic women, who used woad, blue moss, red chrysanthemum, yellow chrysanthemum and other colored plants to dye fabrics on site, making their clothes full of color.
The place was crowded and lively, and countless whispers turned into a low hum.
"Finally it's 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 a name for them? I remember that two more ships will be launched this year. A total of four new large ships..."
"Yes, I've already thought of a name."
"What is it?" Otto asked with interest.
"Let's call the new two ships Gray Squirrel and Salmon Chief."
"Huh? So casual? Wait, you..." Otto thought for a while and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Do you think my name is casual?"
"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 will wait and see."
In recent years, it has become a routine activity for people in Roseburg to watch the installation of masts on large ships.
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.
There are four existing ships: Aurora, Gurdot, Sperosvilia and Duke of Ostara. Although the ship names are very meaningful, they actually have nothing in common.
What is commonality? Rurik decided to name the new ship after other ethnic groups that submitted to Rus to create commonality for subsequent ships.
Gray Squirrel and Chief Salmon are originally the tribal names of the Kovin people. Naming the new ship after the 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 Herder)". They are now the most loyal servants of the Russians, and they will continue to fight side by side in the future.
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Large ships will continue to be equipped with huge triangular sails and other ancillary accessories. Based on the lessons learned from the expedition to Britain, more rowing boats will be hung evenly on the sides of the ship.
As for them going into 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.
The Hotla family and his old friends proved their shipbuilding prowess and made a lot of money. This group of people obviously had higher pursuits. Shipbuilding made them proud, and building bigger ships became a new trend.
The life goal of a craftsman! 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 Ross will further prosper, and of course it is Rurik himself who contributes to its prosperity. He knows this very well. If there is no battleship order from the Duke of Ross, how can they have the motivation and necessity to build large ships?
Ships like 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 1,000 tons like the Gothenburg?" This is the only Swedish large ship in history that Rurik personally knows about. How to build her? Sweden
The craftsmen spent several years.
No! The current technical level of the Russian people cannot build it, and there is actually no need for more.
Ross can develop more planet-class sail destroyers that are slender, light and fast, and build more to gain absolute maritime hegemony in the entire Baltic Sea as soon as possible.
I am afraid that the Principality of Rus 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 Rus' hegemony, Rus must continue to build gold.
Large-scale construction requires a lot of money, and if you have a fleet, you must have an ice-free port facing the Atlantic Ocean! With more large ships, it will be possible to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the miracle land of America, and to seize future benefits from the West.
No one has a strategy like Rurik's, and the Russians never imagined that their Duke would at least plan a national strategy for Russia 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, because April Fool's Day did not exist in 834 AD.
All the preparations Rurik needed were completed, especially those transporting huge quantities of wood, chromite, finished chromium products and leather (tributes from the gray squirrel tribe), which arrived at the end of March, making the sturdy reindeer pulling the sled very timely.
source of power.
Do we have to walk to the Balmok port of Narvik?
With these strong deer, the large group of people were traveling on sleighs, and it might 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) to the west of Ellenburg, and follow the frozen river upstream without thinking, and arrive at
The glacial lake on the top of the mountain (Lake Tolna), under the lake is the Balmok people's Narvik port! This frozen river can be called a highway in the Middle Ages. In winter, it is very flat and suitable for the smooth flow of the reindeer sleigh team.
If you go in the opposite direction without any hindrance, in summer, people can take a boat and float down the river from the lake to the Gulf of Bothnia.
This route was discovered many years ago by the Balmok explorer Modgen and his group. This group also discovered another waterway leading to the Aylon River (Kemi River), which directly hit Aylon, which was busy building a mining town.
The Russians of Fort.
As for the information about the upper reaches of the Iron River, the Russian explorer Spyot and his friends went very far, and when Rurik personally joined them, they discovered the Moorman River.
After that, Rurik did not go to inspect Murmansk, which was designated by him. Just based on the news coming back from the north and the actual fresh walrus tusks shipped back, he could definitely determine that Murmansk, the Russian
The ice-free port built by oneself is indeed being developed.
Rurik thought it would be a difficult journey to go to the Balmok people's hometown via the glacier, 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 own residence, and everyone had wiped their bodies with hot water. A dark crowd gathered outside the warehouse, and Rurik stood on a sled and shouted loudly.
"Your life in Rus is over! You will go to Balmok, you will marry a strong man, and you will move to a distant and warm island! We will set off tomorrow on a sleigh. Don't worry about the future. We will all arrive safely
.Think about the days to come, you will all have a bright 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 they wouldn't even be able to enjoy it in the future.
A good day to have enough to eat every day.
Of course I want to give them a good hope, but...
I am afraid that in this time and space, it is extremely rare for everyone in a country to have enough to eat. Rurik dare not say that he is a benevolent and good man. At least he is a holy king to the Russians, and to other forces and other countries, he is
Simple suffering.
Is the Principality of Ross a pirate country? I'm afraid it is. Rurik has no choice. This is an era of the jungle. Only Ross is strong enough to avoid being destroyed by the strong. Ross must accumulate original capital. Her size is too small.
Internal exploitation could not accumulate enough original capital, so external expansion and plunder was the only method. He knew he had to do this.
But with the female miners of Tavastia leaving, who will fill the 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 recruiting two hundred people will be 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 implement, and Rurik does not want the miners in the future to be a group of simple slaves.
Isn't indentured labor more suitable than slaves? With whom to sign the contract? Of course it is with Rurik, who is the Duke of Rus. Unless there are special circumstances, the contract will naturally be continued by descendants. The signers of 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 native Russians.
When the Principality of Ross becomes a mature country, 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 this kind of people, such as miners, who once their lives are settled and their children and grandchildren can engage in mining year after year, they will become accustomed to this kind of life and fear losing it.
This is almost the ironclad rule of "beating workers".
Then when Ross encounters a possible crisis, they will also defend Ross to protect their stable life.
Who doesn't yearn for a stable life? The expansion of the Russian people is for a better and more stable life. The purpose of the war is also to destroy the enemy and obtain a better life for the Russian people in the future.
This is of course also selfish, but the increasingly ruthless Rurik will no longer be generous to others. At this stage, he only cares about whether the Rus and servants have enough to eat today. The legend of the Son of God is just the icing on the cake, and this group is actually very
A pragmatic guy always follows the leader who can bring about good times.
On April 2, as many as seventy sleighs were prepared, each 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 the reindeer can eat enough by just gnawing on the grass under the snow during rest. After all, they still need to feed high-energy wheat.
450 Tavastian women crowded into the sleds, sitting in a total of forty-five vehicles. Rurik led a hundred loyal mercenary warriors in ten vehicles.
More than fifty Russians were hired to assist in pulling the carts and feeding the deer.
In particular, Rumia's extremely distant uncle also participated with more than a dozen Lapps (deer farmers). They are the real deer farmers, and their existence is in Rurik's eyes.
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.
Now we are going to Balmok. Some of the elite mercenaries are from Balmok and are natural leaders.
In addition to the Tavastian women, there was also a shipment of commercial goods such as wheat, ironware, Slavic-style cloth, a small amount of bear skins and deer skins. Compared with sea transportation, the goods transported by land sleds are really limited.
When he got the trade opportunity, Rurik didn't want to let it go. 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 the Magnute people from Britain again, Rurik no longer cares. He just wants to unload these women and goods at the destination, let Nolen declare his rule, and recruit some warriors to live in Rus.
Withdrawn.
Because the decision to attack the Karelia people was decided by Rurik himself. As the supreme commander, he decided when to start the war when he came back.
He really didn't dare to delay any longer.
People were cheering, Otto and Nya were cheering, and even Rurik's daughter Velica stretched out her little hand in her infant state.
He waved to his family and tribesmen. Then he ordered the Lapp driver: "Let's set off."