Rurik used a word in the first person plural. Rumia didn't think much about it. She was happy for her master.
At this time, she, who was following Bumping Rurik, had not yet realized that her master had already made up his mind to give her a gift.
Of course, from Rumia's point of view, it was a gift, but from Rurik's point of view, it was actually a necessary reward for her.
So, how much does the hundred Roman silver coins of good quality that Rurik has in his hand now weigh?
The gross profit of fifty bars of soap is exactly one hundred silver coins, which happens to be a very interesting numerical node.
Because the silver coins minted by Rome in the late eighth century, according to the orders of the Eastern Roman emperor, one pound of pure silver should be smelted into one hundred silver coins.
What Rurik is holding is a pound of pure silver. Isn’t it heavy?
But silver is a metal that is always accompanied by lead when it is mined and smelted. The Eastern Roman Empire could purify silver ingots to an astonishing degree, but when it was smelted into silver coins, the mints had to put them into it out of greed for ink.
Add a little lead.
When the empire inspects the mint's finished products, as long as the currency inscriptions are correct and the weight is basically up to standard, it is the so-called best-quality currency.
As for the deliberate addition of lead, it is not within the scope of consideration.
So this brought about a very bad situation. The quality of Roman silver coins was gradually declining. On the one hand, the reason was the corruption of the Eastern Roman Mint. Each silver coin was dug out a little bit of silver shavings, collected and re-smelted.
You can make a silver ingot out of thin air.
In this time and space, and even in the next thousand years, silver can be said to be the universal currency of the world. Whether it is the East or the West, even South Asia, or even the new continent in the future, silver's liquidity is better than gold.
After all, silver is silver, it is a scarce metal, not as common as iron ore.
Therefore, silver coins and copper coins are currently the most widely circulated currencies in the European world. Among them, in the Frankish Kingdom and Britain, silver coins are the most popular currency among the people. However, the Frankish Kingdom has its own royal mint, and they cast their own silver coins. In order to emphasize their own
Uniqueness, character and taste differ from Roman silver coins.
Silver is silver, and any blacksmith can melt it, separate out the worthless lead, and then cast the molten silver water for a second time. Skilled blacksmiths can cast it privately using stamps imitating those used by the Frankish royal family.
The silver coins should be stamped with the appropriate patterns and inscriptions.
Silver coins need to be circulated freely, and they are not as hard as bronze or iron. Pure silver is relatively soft, so it will inevitably face bad wear and tear during use, and the quality will of course decline quickly.
If you want to maintain the fineness, that is, maintain the silver content, of course you have to melt it and add silver shavings to restore the silver content. Of course, some people also think reversely and add lead to maintain the weight, causing the lead content of early silver coins to increase.
If it is too high, the quality will plummet.
A good tradesman can easily estimate its silver content - bite.
If you can bite out teeth marks, then it is a silver coin of good quality. Although the lead content in it varies, you will not suffer too much.
Europeans added lead to silver coins to make them look good, and Easterners had exactly the same routine. This led to the store clerks and store owners, who must be proficient in mathematical calculations. European balances and Eastern weights were also merchants.
Necessary utensils.
In the Baltic region, silver coins from Rome, Frankish silver coins, and a variety of copper coins were the most commonly used currencies.
The amount of currency was sufficient, and there was no money shortage in this region. As the Danes' plundering of the south and Britain intensified, more and more of the hot money they plundered flowed into this region.
The Danes happily attacked the Frankish Empire and the British areas that had already been fully integrated into the Frankish currency system. The large amount of Frankish currency they looted was squeezing the status of Roman currency around the Baltic Sea.
Why?
One of the most obvious reasons is that businessmen are not fools. Although they all use silver coins, they prefer to use whichever one adds less lead.
The Frankish Empire minted its latest silver coin at the beginning of the eighth century, more than ten years before Rurik was born. Its silver content was as high as 99%. Although it was much lighter than Roman silver coins, the silver content was really high.
.
In just twenty years, the powerful people in the Frankish Empire and the British region, as well as the surrounding Iberia and northern Italy, as well as the Swiss mountains and some West Slavic tribes, all understood the high silver content of Frank's new silver coins.
Although merchants melt down and recast old silver coins to eliminate wear and tear, they will inevitably add lead to them. Twenty years is too short, and the lifespan of silver coins is generally not long enough to require recasting.
In Danish society, the commonly used currency is gradually being monopolized by Frankish currency. Although the relationship between the Danes and the northern Siiya tribal alliance, later known as the Swedes, is more often conflictual, their daily transactions have always existed.
.
Merchants roamed the Baltic Sea. They didn't care which faction their customers belonged to. They didn't want to betray their silver coins.
Frankish silver coins have already affected the society of the Siya tribe. Because the Ross tribe is too far to the north, their tribe mainly hoards Roman silver coins.
The Rus tribe had learned about a new silver coin a few years ago, which was lighter and of better quality than Roman silver coins.
Silver is silver, currency is composed of silver, and coins delivered in commercial activities are settled based on the weight of silver. This is the only reason why various silver coins can circulate in the European world.
As long as the Rus tribe wants to do business with their brothers in the south, the proportion of Frank silver coins in the tribe's own money boxes will quietly increase. If no big accident occurs, it will be a matter of time before Frank silver coins replace Roman silver coins.
In the European macro-trade, a large amount of silver coins flowing out of Eastern Rome flowed into the Frankish Empire. Frank's official mint melted Roman silver coins and cast the silver into its own.
Perhaps the Frank Empire did not make it clear that they were trying to establish a Frank Empire hegemony that would cover the entire Europe. Their silver coins were already spreading rapidly throughout Europe.
Rurik happily returned to the longhouse of the priests with a bag of silver coins. He didn't waste much time on his return, and he couldn't wait to announce the good news as soon as he entered the door.
"I brought all the silver coins back! Come and share the money!" Rurik also deliberately showed off his linen bag, and the clanking sound of metal collision attracted the intense attention of the priests.
If all the soap is sold for money, everyone can get a fortune. As long as everyone prepares the oil used for sacrifices in advance, all the excess oil can be made into soap!
The priests know very well that boiling oil is the key to everything. As for making plant ash water, this kid Rurik needs to give some guidance at this time.
They boiled oil happily, as if the pain in their arms had been relieved, and they were all in a good mood. This time they saw Rurik returning, their mood was even better.
"Rurik, you! Have you brought all the money back?" Bona hurried over, her face cracked with very ugly wrinkles because of happiness.
"Of course... of course."
For a moment, Rurik actually felt fear. This group of priestesses all moved slowly when performing sacrificial rituals. When they heard the jingling of money, they all became eager to gnaw fresh meat.
Hyenas, howling and rushing over.
"Now it's your turn to fulfill your promise." Poona said urgently.
"Okay. You just need to step back later."
To ensure fairness, Rurik arranged all the silver coins in a ten by ten matrix on a leather mat.
Even during the day, oil lamps were still lit in the longhouse of the priests, and the light shone on the silver coins, and the head of the Roman emperor really shone brightly on it.
The expressions of the priests fully proved their emotional excitement. If reason had not restrained their inner impulses, Rurik firmly believed that these priests would have attacked each other, and for the right to own the silver coins, a dozen of them would have been beaten to death.
At the critical moment, it was Vilia who stepped forward to take charge of the situation, and she was very shocked when she saw so many silver coins.
Why wasn't she shocked?
Because in the society of the Siiya tribe, each tribe regards animal skins as a very important value standard reference object in commodity transactions.
Scandinavia has long supplied high-quality animal skins to people in the south. As the resources of wild animals dwindle, they have to raise cattle on some small plains. There are also brave people who go to remote places to hunt wild reindeer, and even more
Rare fur animals, such as ferrets, which are particularly valuable.
They cannot raise cattle to very large sizes, so the volume of the cowhide after being cut is not much different from that of an adult reindeer.
In the memory of High Priest Vilia, when she was young, an adult cowhide or deerskin was worth one Roman silver coin. Today, the value is roughly the same, about one-fifth of a Roman ounce of silver.
The one hundred silver coins displayed by Rurik could buy one hundred cowhide or deerskin.
For example, a piece of cowhide can be made into a high-quality leather coat, as well as leather boots, gloves and hats.
Vilia was here to supervise, and the more excited lower-level priests could only lick their faces as they watched Rurik sit down and distribute the wealth.
Twenty silver coins were picked out in full view of everyone, and then placed in a pile in front of Villa.
"Grandma, please count."
"Okay, my child."
The silver coins were so valuable that even though Rurik seemed to be able to tell the number of the priests in an instant with the naked eye, Vilya still had to count them one by one.
According to the "employment contract", the priests should only receive so much remuneration, and how to distribute and use it is their own business.
Rurik believed that they would take care of the silver coins according to the new rules they had just formulated, but those did not have much to do with him.
The remaining eighty silver coins were his initial silver capital.
It can be very dangerous for a child to have such a huge amount of money.
Isn't it dangerous? Youdao is a common man who is not guilty of the crime. A person who lacks the ability to protect his own property is a big fat sheep in the eyes of strong men.
I am only seven years old, and my personal safety actually depends on the protection of the priests and parents. Now that the church priests make soap and provide a way to make money for the priests who are actually poor, they are actually strategically tying their own safety to the rights and interests of the priests.
But will there be outlaws who rob property? A child wandering around with heavy silver coins in his hand can make good people have evil intentions when they see it. This is human nature.
The people of the Ross tribe are still simple. They will definitely not take the risk of being hunted down by the whole tribe to attack the leader's son or the leader's home.
At least in the past few years, Rurik had never known that there had been any robberies within the tribe. At most, they were trivial disputes. The elders would coordinate and the two sides could resolve the conflicts based on their common ancestor.
Therefore, there are no legal provisions in the tribe, only some "rules" passed down orally and agreed upon.
Next, Rurik put the money away. It seemed safest to put them in his own cash box.
With the silver coin bag hanging on his waist, Rurik continued to stay in the warmth of the priest's longhouse.
He looked into the eyes of Rumia who was waiting for orders, and ordered: "You go to graze and drive the deer back when it gets dark. You don't want anyone in the longhouse of the priest tonight. Follow me home and I will make arrangements for you."
Something. Well, something good.”
"Okay, I'll go as soon as I'm ready." Rumia nodded.
Deer, they are their own deer! Driving the deer to escape? That is very stupid, and they will die of hunger and cold.
Rumia has found her new home, and she is doing well as Rurik's servant.
Precisely because the deer originally belonged to Rumia, the deer showed no signs of nervousness at all when they saw their old owner.
The deer herd used to be a giant of 300 individuals, but now it has shrunk to 20. It will be impossible for them to multiply back to their former size within ten years!
While Rumia was driving the deer to peel away the snow and eat grass, Rurik looked like a soap production engineer.
Since the priests have gained profits and want more, they can continue to produce.
As long as the fat they control can withstand consumption, wouldn't it be nice to turn it into soap?
But their situation was obviously a bit bad. The key work of stirring the wooden sticks to create the saponification reaction, their arms were sore, which cannot be suppressed by willpower.
They boiled enough grease to make soap thick enough to fill thirty-five wooden boxes.
Until evening, no one's work satisfied Rurik. What to do? Keep stirring!
Rumia had already returned with her herd of deer. The deer's big mouths pushed through the thick snow, and each one of them was a venison lawnmower. They gnawed a belly full of hay and returned to their deer pens.
I don't know how much time passed, but Otto, who had just finished dinner, came to the priest's longhouse to find out what was going on.
Otto reported to Villa the huge cashback brought by the soap, which also brought strong demands from the tribe for more.
Silver coins are not a problem, everyone needs spot money.
"I saw that they are still making work, but their situation is not very good." Otto asked worriedly: "Great priest, can they still make thirty-five tomorrow?"
"this……"
Rurik is here, and Vilia has come to the conclusion from him that the priests' power is limited and they need to take a vacation.
She said in a hoarse voice: "My leader, you can ask your son carefully. He knows everything. He hopes to go home and sleep tonight."
"Okay." Otto nodded.
My son has been spending time in the chief priest's house for some time, which is not appropriate.
Otto summoned his son and immediately gave a few instructions.
"Dad, I will go back tonight. The priests will work for a while longer, and the soap can be poured into the molds and sold as finished products by tomorrow evening. Dad, you can't be in a hurry."
"I try not to be in a hurry." Otto stroked his son's forehead, and the more he touched it, the more comfortable he became. Not only because he had a son at an old age, but also because his son was a strange person.
The son washed his head with soap. The golden hair felt so comfortable, as if he were stroking a golden ferret fur.
Of course, Otto and his wife Niya both used soap to wash their hair today. Those tribesmen who bought soap finally enjoyed the ultimate cleanliness that they had not seen for a long time and said that it was worth their money.
In this way, for those tribesmen who had not purchased anything, Otto came here firstly to see his son, and secondly to urge the goods.
Rurik couldn't help but yawn. He untied the pocket from his belt and put it in the palm of his father's big hand.
"Dad, these are all my money. For safety, they are put in our cash box. I think this is the most appropriate."
"This...this is your money. Maybe you need a money box of your own." Weighing his son's money bag with his palm, the old man was surprised by its weight.
"Oh? Really?" Rurik thought for a moment, and it would be fine if he had a piggy bank. "Okay, Dad, help me get a money box, and I will use it to save money in the future. But my own money box must
Put it in our house."
"Of course, my boy."
"Dad, I have to supervise their work for a while. When all the soap is poured, a priest will escort me home. Now..." Rurik glanced at Rumia, "Bring my servant back first.
Come home. Dad, you have to tell mom that you must treat her well in the future and try to treat her as your daughter."
"Oh, really? Okay, I'll try my best." Otto nodded deeply and tried his best to sit obediently with Rumia, who looked like she didn't want to cause trouble. "Servant, come with me now."
Upon hearing this order, Rumia shivered subconsciously, with a strong sense of tension in her eyes.
"Dad! You have to call her Rumia! Are you going to be rude?" Rurik protested.
"Okay, Rumia, come here." Otto tried to be gentle to a servant.
What else could Rumia do? Now she could only be at the mercy of this evil man who had hurt her family. It would have been okay if Rurik was with her, but now she had to be at the mercy of this evil man?
Seeing her nervous face, Rurik made a funny look, and then comforted her softly: "Don't be afraid, everyone knows that you are recognized by Odin and are one of our tribesmen. You go back first, and I will give you some advice when I go back."
A gift for you."
A gift? Security is the best gift.
Rumia nodded as if she understood. She followed Otto closely and walked out of the warm priest's longhouse. Facing the cold outdoors, she quickly walked towards the warmer chief's house.
Maybe today I will be the servant who pours wine, adds firewood, and cleans the house.
I hope Rurik, who can protect himself, will come back soon.