The priests gritted their teeth and stirred the soap just right. Everything was the same as last night, and all thirty-five wooden boxes were filled with soap.
At this point, the priests dragged their almost broken bodies to rest, and it was time for Rurik to fulfill his promise and return home.
He changed into thick clothes, and with Bo Na seeing each other off, he walked through the snow to his door.
Stuffed into the linen pocket of the leather coat, the silver coins inside were jingling.
"Hey, Rurik, we made a new soap, can the leader sell it quickly?" Bona asked.
"Want more silver coins?"
"Of course, we all want to be rich."
"Then try your best to make it. My father can easily sell what you make. Don't work too hard and take a break after working for a few days. You don't have to worry about grazing. Rumia, my servant is not
Would be stupid enough to run away."
Rurik opened his small mouth and said a lot of things that worried Pona, comforting her.
Suddenly, he stopped again.
"What's wrong with you? Rurik?" Bona stopped and asked.
"I'll give you a little gift, please extend your hand."
Bona didn't think much. She watched the child put his hand into his leather jacket and soon took out a silver coin.
"Ah? Is this... consistent with the contract you signed with us?" Reason told Poona that she probably shouldn't keep the money alone.
"Just accept it. It's a personal gift from me to you. You care more about soap than the rest of you, I can see clearly."
Rurik thought about many long-term things. The longevity of his father and the high priest was probably coming to an end. By that time, Bona would succeed the high priest, and he should naturally become the leader.
The alliance between priests and chiefs needs to continue.
Rurik heard some unfavorable remarks about Bona. The high priest Vilia criticized her for not studying her lessons well, and others criticized her.
Is there something wrong with her? Of course there is.
Rurik could feel that all the lower-level priests were very sensitive to money, and this Bona was the most sensitive.
She loves money, so the problem becomes very easy. This woman has no relatives. Maybe she feels that her future backer will be either the new leader or the wealth she controls.
Use money to buy the future high priest Bona, and the relationship will deepen from now on, and then continue to give her some coins. So after a few years of doing this, when you grow up, you will naturally have full control over the priesthood.
Maybe this matter is very important. If you can't control the priest, you might be controlled by the priest.
"Just hold on to it. We can be very good friends. In the future, I hope you will do more things and you will get more silver coins. I will never treat you badly."
Listen, is this something a seven-year-old child can say?
Bo Na couldn't control so much, so she readily agreed after receiving the money.
In this way, the alliance between the future leader and the future high priest began to be initially concluded. For both parties, this alliance was an obvious win-win.
"Rurik, let's stop here." Bona finally said.
"Please go back, too. You all have a good rest tomorrow, and you can continue making when your arms are no longer sore."
In the era before industrial machines, all steps of making soap relied on human physical strength. Even if we use existing technology to make a windmill and waterwheel, its work efficiency is not that outstanding.
Modern society is based on large-scale production of modern science and technology. The Ross tribe cannot expect that at all, and they are not aware of it at all.
What's more, the tribe's current soap production is initially monopolized by the priests.
If a group of strong men whose arm muscles have exploded due to frequent rowing are recruited to work as soap stirrers, the work efficiency will naturally increase, and even the priests will not be able to obtain considerable profits.
"That's it for now. We will consider the development of soap in the future." Rurik thought for a while and then entered the house.
"I'm back." He opened the wooden door and pushed open the leather curtain for warmth.
"Come in quickly and sit here with me." Seeing her son, Niya quickly patted the animal skin sitting under her.
Rurik walked over naturally and snuggled into his biological mother's arms, his warmth unmistakable.
How precious is this warm scene!
Rumia came back with Otto, and Niya's attitude towards the little girl really changed. Since the priest said that she had Odin's permission to become a member of the Ross tribe, this did not mean that she got rid of her status as a slave.
.
Niya doesn't want to show off as a bad old woman in front of her husband and son, and it's impossible for her to really show daughter-like care to you, Niya.
Servants just have to work.
Rurik was forced to lie in his mother's arms for a while to please her.
When he entered the house, he was actually looking for Rumia at first sight, for fear that her parents would treat her badly. Unexpectedly, the situation was not bad, Rumia now looked like a professional tailor.
"Mom, do you want Rumia to sew? You gave her our steel needle. It seems that you are at ease with her."
Niya nodded, "I asked her to mend your father's leather hat. She can sew and her skills are pretty good."
Here Rumia kept her head down, cautious and didn't want to say anything.
Rurik could understand her restraint. She had been so submissive in the past few times she stayed in his family's longhouse.
It was Rurik who found it very strange today. He suddenly asked: "Rumia, when did you learn to tailor? Maybe you...you can make clothes yourself."
"I..." Rumia raised her head slightly. The question was asked by her master, and she was very happy to answer, "I learned before that we all make our own clothes. We use deerskin and we use linen."
Rumia's "we" refers to her family when she was a former Sami. Rurik thought for a while, and she, a ten-year-old girl, should indeed learn this.
Because she can only give priority to learning this, followed by how to raise deer and herd them.
After saying that, Rumia lowered her head and continued her work. Rurik watched her for a while, and after observing her skillful movements, he realized that this girl had sewn clothes a lot in the past.
In the past, bone needles were probably used for sewing. That kind of material is not good. Harder leather requires a lot of strength and skill to pierce. If you use steel needles, there will be no such problem. Although steel needles are small, you can't sell them to people who can't make them.
The nation is a huge profiteer.
Niya still held her son in her arms, fearing that this magical brat would run back to the chief priest's house.
She asked: "Child, you earned a lot of silver coins this time. Do you keep the money at home? Do you still need a wooden box?"
"Of course!" When his mother mentioned this, Rurik quickly took out his pocket full of silver coins. "That's it. You must keep it for me."
"As my child, we will only help you until now. When you grow up, you must take care of your own money."
"Of course. Haha, I need to take good care of my mountains of silver coins!" Rurik deliberately said haha.
"Bad boy, do you still want a mountain of silver?" Niya smiled and pinched her son's face affectionately, as if stroking a kitten. The feeling on her hands was really good.
Otto suddenly muttered: "Maybe it's possible."
"A mountain of silver?" Niya asked.
"Why not?" Otto stretched out his right hand and pointed at a bag of silver. "He is a born businessman, and he will have more and more silver coins in the future. I'm afraid that if he doesn't make it this year, our box won't be able to hold it."
"Is this...really?" Niya opened her eyes wide.
As a wife, Niya has to manage her husband's property, because it is all her family's property. A large number of silver coins and a small amount of gold coins prove wealth.
Otto continued: "I also need to find a carpenter to make a big box for Rurik to put his silver mountain in. I also need to find a beautiful woman for him to take care of the silver mountain for him."
Rurik suddenly cheered up when his father said something very sensitive.
He suddenly said: "Dad, do I really need a woman to take care of my money?"
"Of course, this is tradition."
"Okay." A smile appeared on Rurik's lips, staring at Rumia who was still sewing clothes. "As for a woman, I choose Rumia."
Children's words are unbridled? As soon as these words came out, Rurik's parents were stunned on the spot, and the scene instantly became stiff. Along with Rumia, the movements of her hands also stopped.
"What...what's going on? There's something wrong with my decision?"
"You!" Niya pinched her son's chin again, her big eyes and stiff face fully showed her surprise, "My child, are you in love with this woman? Do you really plan to marry her?"
His mother's words were so abrupt, and now it was Rurik's turn to be shocked.
Rumia was also shocked. Her hands were trembling. Thinking about how kind Rurik was to her these days, a master cared too much for a servant. Didn't he have any other requirements?
Could it be that the so-called request is a marriage contract?
Rumia didn't dare to say a word, she knew she had no right to speak.
"Me? How could I marry her!?" Faced with the sharp eyes of his parents, Rurik quickly explained, "Does it mean that I want her to take care of my finances because I want to marry her?"
"Isn't that right? Even if you are the leader, your wife will take care of your property. That's how we are, that is the wife's obligation." Niya explained seriously.
Rurik thought about it carefully, and found that the residents of the tribe seemed to live this way, but this concept was too simple and original.
If the tribe needs to develop further, the leader must consider hiring people to manage his wealth. A large family will have a professional steward, and a company will have a professional accountant, let alone a gradually developing political entity.
Now, there are some big things that I have to make a solemn statement about.
Rurik said loudly: "I don't want to marry her, but she is my servant and someone I trust. I will marry a wife in the future, but before that, I need her to help manage my money."
"But wouldn't this be inappropriate?" Niya asked doubtfully, "This has never happened before."
Rurik had an idea and said, "Now there is one. No child could earn a lot of money before, but I did it. The money is mine, and there is more and more money!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, "I also promised to give her a gift. What do you think I will give her?"
"Is this her promise to take care of your money?" Otto suddenly asked.
"No, but it has something to do with money. Rumia, stop being nervous and raise your head and look at me."
Rumia isn't nervous? How is that possible? She just really speculated that Rurik has special feelings for her.
Because even in the ancient Sami community, the age of marriage is very early. It is said that the ancients did not have puberty. The situation in this time and space is similar all over the world.
Rumia is not an idiot, she understands this.
She originally thought that she would marry another deer-herding family, have some children, and live a peaceful life in an extremely cold place. She never thought that she would be kidnapped by the Varyags and made a servant.
Could it be that I have a chance to become the future leader’s wife? That’s crazy. What if that becomes a reality?
It's obviously unrealistic, but is it reasonable to take care of the owner's property? Isn't it also incredible?
In full view of everyone, Rurik put his little hand into his pocket, took out a stack of silver coins at random, looked into Rumia's eyes, and said solemnly: "Rumia, you have contributed a lot to making soap. Maybe you feel that you
If you are a servant, you cannot get paid like those priests. Now I will give you the reward. You deserve these silver coins."
"What? You!" Otto was shocked. The so-called servant, Rumia, was his son's property. Is there any reason to give property to a servant?
Indeed, from Otto's point of view, it was difficult for him to accept his son's shocking decision.
Niya also advised, "My child, that's enough. You don't need to give her any money, she is just a servant."
The reason for parents' objection is so ridiculous. Are servants not human beings?
Yes, Rurik guessed that this is what his parents thought, and this concept spread throughout the tribal alliance.
It is impossible for a child to speak some big principles with his mouth to change this backward concept instantly. The tribe needs time to become civilized.
He can't change everyone for the time being, at least start with his own family.
Rurik stood up suddenly, walked straight into Rumia, and stood in front of her.
He held the money bag in his right hand and held the girl's arm in his left hand.
This move seemed to indicate that the two were in an alliance.
"I just want to give her something. The first fifteen bars of soap were the last work she did. She was almost so tired that she vomited blood. According to the standards of silver coins given to priests, she must get at least three. Since mom and dad think this is incredible,
Then change it."
Rurik also had an idea, because silver is silver, and it can be made into various things by melting it, such as silver bowls. The value of the silver has not changed significantly. At most, a processing fee will be added?
Pure silver has a low melting point, so it is easy to smelt and cast silverware. The only consideration is how to obtain a large amount of silver.
"Dad." He looked at his father Otto, "I want to give her a gift. I want to make a silver jewelry for her. I will melt it with the silver coins in my hand and make a necklace for her. What do you think?"
"This..." Looking at his son's determined eyes, Otto didn't want to be overbearing because his son had already made a concession.
Silver is silver, but when it is melted and made into jewelry, the situation becomes a little different. Because once jewelry is made, basically no one uses it as a medium of trade unless it can be easily minted into Chen He silver coins.
The problem is that the recast silver coins need to have a Roman seal, and the textiles must be highly similar. Otherwise, ordinary merchants will be very suspicious that lead is deliberately added to the recast silver coins to pass them off as inferior.
Otto shrugged and tugged at his wife to stop her objection.
Besides, Otto suddenly remembered something that he needed to take his son Rurik to complete in the next few days.
"Then let's make her a silver jewelry." Otto sighed, "Rurik, as long as you don't regret your decision."
"I will never regret it." Rurik said firmly.
"Well, I can find a good blacksmith to make her a good pendant inlaid with amber, and I can also engrave some inscriptions on it to show that she is your servant."
"Ah? Blacksmiths can also make jewelry?" Rurik was very happy about the change in his parents' attitude. Now he feels fresh about blacksmithing.
"It's not surprising." Otto deliberately showed his son the ruby on the hilt of his precious sword. "Look at this, it's inlaid with gems and plated with silver. I'll take you and your servants to the blacksmith tomorrow, and that's it.
deal!"
"Ah! So fast." Rurik was overjoyed.
"It's not just about this, the main thing is to order an iron sword for you. You have to understand that since you have the money, you have to pay the deposit and the balance of the iron sword. My father will give you an independent opportunity today.
."
Rurik nodded deeply.
"And your servant's pendant is made at your expense. You can even ask the blacksmith to decorate it with precious stones, but the price will be more. I think you are happy to dress up your servant. Your child is indeed different.
."
Rurik, listen, the blacksmiths of the tribe are really complex talents. Can a blacksmith also be a silversmith, a jeweler, and a gemstone expert?
What kind of talents are these? Do such people exist in the tribe?
Rurik didn't care about this at all before, but now he has to pay close attention.
If I come into contact with these magical blacksmiths, I will definitely ask them to do more things for me in the future.