Chapter 150： It saved the soap production industry

Arik's sword pierced the enemy, and Otto used his sword to collect the tribute in Novgorod.

The Ross tribe is making significant progress in both directions, and they are bound to return with a lot of treasure.

Before that, the residents who stayed behind in Roseburg still lived their ordinary lives.

A large number of women and children were left in their hometowns, and a group of older men carried small fishing boats to carry out traditional fishery production on the sea near the fjord.

The fishermen threw down the hemp rope that was tied to the hook. The rope was very long and thick, so it could lift large cod.

Many fishermen’s families spend a winter time carefully weaving their new fishing nets. They have already started traditional trawl fishing. This technology is of course far inferior to the high-tech after a thousand years. Without sonar detection equipment, the fishermen prayed for the blessing of God, and then they dropped their nets and started fishing purely by chance.

However, there is only one special catch that fishermen can accurately catch with a harpoon.

That is the beluga.

As the ice floes melt away, seals who like to lie on the ice and face the sun's belly become difficult to catch.

Beluga whales entering the northern waters have naturally become the new preferred prey for fishermen.

In their cognition, beluga whales are called "big white fish".

They are docile animals, lacking fear of human ships since ancient times. As a result, fishermen can row a small boat to quietly approach the group of whales, suddenly poke them with an elongated harpoon, or directly throw a harpoon with a hemp rope at the end to kill the beluga whale and complete the hunt.

Even if the power of the beluga can overwhelm a fishing boat, the adventure is really worth it compared to the harvest.

There is only one type of whale that the Ross people dare not touch, and that is a huge baleen whale.

It is too big and is regarded as a huge sea monster by people, but when you see it, you should avoid it. Many people have said that the mouth of that huge baleen whale can swallow an entire fishing boat. The best way to face fear is to overcome fear?

Well, fear can indeed be overcome. The fishermen awoke from fear, and of course they refueled and paddled in the direction away from the giant whale.

All Viking tribes are aware that the white whales cruising in the sea have a large amount of pure white grease on their heads, which can be used as excellent lamp oil with a little refinement. And this grease is not ordinary, its smell is even lighter than seal oil.

After staying at Rürich in Roseburg, he had no intention of getting on his fishing boat to go fishing in the sea.

The bravest group of people in Roseburg have all gone out. Perhaps those people led by cousin Arik will triumph early, and the Sorgon army led by his father will have to return in a month at the earliest.

There is huge uncertainty in navigation. There is only one thing Rurik believes very much that his cousin and father will return safely with a large amount of supplies.

However, since the Russians chose war this year, it is bound to be that some young people have never returned.

But what does it have to do with themselves? Those fighters must be fully aware of their deaths.

Rurik was worried that as the seals became more difficult to catch, the efficiency of the priests in making soap would plummet, and even the lack of raw materials would suspend production.

Who would have thought that the sudden increase in demand for grease caused fishermen to take risks and attack whales.

In this era, the number of cetaceans in the world is huge, even in remote and small waters such as the Baltic Sea, there are large numbers of whale groups.

The stabbed beluga whales were dragged ashore, and they were quickly sold in the fish market formed by the coastal raid.

It has to be said that the beluga whale is big and has red muscles, and the residents regard it as an unusual fish.

But how can the residents think that beluga and reindeer have exactly the same ancestry?

The fishermen also divide the whale's entrails and sell them, trying not to waste the edible part, ten copper coins per Roman pound of whale meat. Although it is much more expensive than ordinary fish, many residents are still willing to pay the money.

A beluga can weigh one ton! To get such a "big fish" ashore requires the efforts of the entire fishing boat, and in the end, it can only be broken down immediately on the coast.

According to the attitude of the Roths towards food, even if it is the intestines and stomach pouches of livestock, they are willing to try to eat them.

The total weight of a white whale may reach 2,500 Roman pounds, and fishermen will sell edible 1,500 pounds!

One silver coin is exchanged for two hundred and forty copper coins. The Ross people agree with this exchange ratio.

In this way, just by selling the meat of a beluga whale, the fishermen can get seventy silver coins.

This is just selling whale meat.

Because the cyst-like forehead of the beluga whale is filled with viscous whale oil. Once upon a time, as long as the menstrual brain oil of the whales caught was made by fishermen, the priests were willing to purchase them at a higher price.

The fishermen did not think about the matter further. Since the priests are willing to buy, why not sell it?

The whale brain oil of a beluga whale can fill two large wooden barrels. Even if the fishermen earn 70 silver coins by selling whale meat, and the whale brain oil falls into the hands of the priest, it will eventually evolve into at least 30 sulfur soaps! Besides, whales have thick subcutaneous fat, and these fat priests are also willing to wait at high prices.

In order to buy these oils, the priest only used a barrel of whale brain oil and a silver coin to get it in the hands of fishermen with ease.

As everyone knows, the total sales price of just whale brain oil, which is finally turned into soap, will reach one hundred silver coins, which is one pound of silver.

According to the agreement, Rurik didn't have to take part in soap making himself. In theory, as long as the fisherman catches a beluga whale, he will eventually get 80 silver coins.

This should be the case, but Rurik’s silver coins did not continue to soar.

The reason is really very simple. For half a year, Rurik has been committed to amass wealth frantically by means of commodity trading and commercial sharing. Most residents realized that in the long run, they would be emptied of their families by those merchants, which also drove many people to take the risk of launching a vengeance war against the Gotland people.

The money that was originally hoarded has already been enriched in Rurik's hands.

By now, not many people in the tribe buy freshly produced soap made with beluga grease. Soap is really easy to use, but every family really lacks cash.

But the production of soap has not stalled yet!

According to the agreement, Rurik paid the priests silver coins in advance, and the soap production was still on the right track.

In this way, the priests became complete producers, and he himself became a purchaser.

More and more soaps are being made, and for this reason, Rurik has to think carefully about how to stock up the goods.

Even if his people don’t want to buy, wait for the return of the big merchant Gould who made a lot of money in the south, the old guy will do whatever it takes for his own benefit. Gould will buy all the soap, and he will definitely not dislike it. many.

Rurik has at least a rudimentary understanding of economics.

He boasted that he only knew one thing, and he knew terms such as "supply and demand" and "invisible hands". Now he still has awe of business activities.

As everyone knows, the basic knowledge he understands has surpassed too many people.

Rurik didn't think he would become a big businessman without any dispute because of this knowledge. Because Gould, a great businessman in this space and time, fully proved one thing, the ancient people may lack a lot of knowledge by no means that they are inherently stupid than people after a thousand years. Even if they don’t understand any clever theories, how to make their business bigger Strong, this guy Gould has his own insights and abilities, relying on these, Gould himself is quite rich!

Now, Roseburg seems to be a little depressed.

actually not.

The eyes of the left-behind were full of expectations for the future, while others were mobilized under the influence of Rurik.

Perhaps precious metals are naturally pure in value, but this value is still given to it by people.

Because gold and silver are small in quantity and extremely difficult to damage, they naturally have the necessary conditions to become currency.

Currency is still only a measure of the value of commodities in transactions, so currency must be circulated to make sense.

I already have a lot of silver coins, what's the point of just sleeping in a wooden box? They cannot be eaten as food.

Rurik quickly recruited some tribal men who were not young, most of whom were forty years old, and their physical fitness was generally much inferior to that of young people. Of course, such a man is still obviously strong when he takes up arms to deal with the Slavs.

Rurik recruited twenty men and told them to build two longhouses as his own storage room and servant's living room.

For this, he is willing to pay a huge sum of five silver coins to each of the builders.

Five silver coins for salary, is it more?

Of course a lot! All of this money was purchased as a catch, enough for a person to have enough food and clothing for three months!

Rurik is still adopting an advanced strategy of advance payment. Each worker first gets two silver coins. If the construction of two longhouses can be completed in five days, not only will he get the remaining three silver coins, but also an additional one. The reward of silver coins.

One peaceful night, Rülik stayed in his long house.

The climate has become warm, there was a light rain yesterday, and it is still warm today.

Ah, in fact, this so-called light rain was also felt by Otto in Novgorod.

This is a rainfall process that has swept through most of Northern and Eastern Europe. There is light rain here in Roseburg, and Novgorod is the thunderstorm.

Rurik was eating fresh whale meat. I have to say that whales are also an ancient branch of cloven hoofed animals. This meat is very similar to reindeer meat and has a weird smell. Of course, this smell can be ignored.

As an ancient person, picky eaters are stupid. Even if it was the screaming shark meat and the crazy-tasting shark liver, Rurik dared to pinch his nose and eat it.

Rurik ate cooked whale meat, as did his servant Lumia.

Now, a servant Lu Mia and her little master are sitting together gnawing meat, Niya is completely indifferent now. The husband took the army to collect the tribute, and he had to ask a wife for many young boys. He also had the important task of building Shilla Fort.

The husband is old, and all he does is for his only son, Lurik, to take over smoothly.

Niya didn't like to be alone, so in previous years, her husband Sorgon sailed. She always recruited a few left-behind women from the tribe to temporarily serve as her own maid. In the name of the chief's wife, she asked them to do something.

It is no longer needed now.

Because of this Lumia, it may be that Rurik has given her too much favor, and the girl's meekness is reassuring.

There is one thing that Niya has criticized about his son's determination.

"Rurik." Niya's words were harsh.

"Mom, what's wrong."

"I have no objection to you spending money to invite people to build a house, but you... you actually spent 120 silver coins!"

"What? Mom, do you think this money is very valuable?"

"It's already a pound of silver!" Niya shook her head vigorously, and stretched out her hand that was as old as a dead branch, pointing to the wooden beam of her parent's house; "How valuable do you think our house is?"

"This..." Rurik shook his head because he really didn't know.

Niya sullenly said, "There are only ten silver coins."

"Huh? So cheap?"

"Cheap? It's already a great price." Speaking of this, Niya couldn't help but think of her youth.

Niya glanced at Lumia, who was gnawing at her head, recalling that thirty years ago, she was only a little older than this girl.

Engaged at the age of twelve and became Otto's wife a few years later. Now, thirty years have passed!

"Since I married your father, your father invested in the construction of this house, and he spent ten silver coins at the time. That was a huge sum of money! Especially the main beam." Niya still pointed to the big beam, "it It can be used as the keel of an elite warship. It has been a beam for thirty years and is still very strong today. But you! For two new wooden houses, each one will pay six times the price!"

Hearing what his mother said, Ruriek suddenly straightened his back: "Ah! I spent a fortune?"

"It's fine if you know." Niya chuckled, because now she doesn't feel sorry for her son for spending more money than the so-called wronged money, and he is not short of money. "My children, those men who generally followed your father when they were young, I chatted with their wives. Guess what those women say?"

"How to say?"

"They said that Rurik is a good man. He is indeed the leader of the future, he is not merciless in spending money, and he is really considerate of everyone."

It sounds like a compliment, and Rurik always feels a bit harsh.

Niya continued to nag: "You have a lot of money now, and spending money will naturally become a waste of money. I just hope that before you spend money in the future, you have to think about whether it is worth it. Maybe you think your decision is very worthwhile."

Rurik nodded: "If the people think that I can give them a better future, of course they will follow me. For example, for doing things for me, I will give them more rewards, so that everyone will be loyal even for money. To me."

"Oh? You did it on purpose."

Rurik sighed slightly: "Now that I have to pay this money. If I knew the market at the beginning, I might consider it carefully."

Regarding the issue of wages, Rurik did not think much about it. After all, I now have as many as 5,000 silver coins and take out about one-fifth of them to pay for the house. How big is the problem?

At this moment, Rurik had to think about it, is it so easy to make money on his own, so that money has become lavish?

The prepaid wages have been given to those people, and the construction of the houses is on the right track. The current situation is that they will be able to build the houses in five days.

After all, it is a wooden house!

An axe and a scraper cut the handy pine and oak trees on the hillside into reliable shapes. First, digging holes and pestle the wooden stakes in to form a wooden frame, and then stacking wood horizontally to form a wooden wall. Even if the roof is constructed, the frame is constructed first, and then timber is laid to construct the roof.

In fact, those men in their forties have certain carpentry skills themselves, but they are just building traditional houses, which is not a problem at all.

Rurik hurriedly ate the meat, and faced his mother to express his feelings: "Mom, the money is won. In fact, I don't feel like my father or brother, holding an axe and a sword to steal others. What a wise means of wealth. Wouldn’t it be better if you could do business to make money?

Mom, you think it’s not wise for me to build a house with 120 silver coins.

Those fishermen caught a whale, and the whale brain oil was sent to the priest. The grease will turn into soap, and when Gould returns, I will sell all the soap, which is another huge sum of money.

I have already calculated it. I can earn eighty silver coins on a whale myself. "

"Huh? So many?" Niya was taken aback.

"Yeah. So I have to build a wooden house. Just two long houses are still not enough." Rurik's eyes were full of hope. "There are merchants who help me sell soap. I don't have to worry about not having silver coins to earn. Besides, I can still work with a blacksmith. Earn money. I want to prepare my own warehouse first, then the living room of my future servant, and the living room of the guard. Mom, I think I should find a way to exchange some gold and make you a beautiful one Gold necklace."

Niya felt warm when he heard what his son said. She patted her son's little head and smiled and said, "I am satisfied now. I am too old to be embellished with gold and silver. I just hope you are wealthy and healthy."

"Of course I will! Because of those soaps, just use it to clean yourself, you can wash away evil things, and people won't get sick." Rurik thought for a while and wanted to say so on purpose.

The fact is true. Soap, especially sulfur soap, has a strong bactericidal ability to a large extent, killing all kinds of bacteria and viruses on the surface of residents. In fact, as long as there are no malignant infectious diseases in the Baltic Sea, and the residents of the Ross people only need to use soap frequently and pay attention to keeping warm, Lurik can't imagine what kind of diseases a good person can be killed by.

Niya didn't think soap really had such magical powers. It would be best if it had it. Niya pays more attention to the huge benefits brought by soap, and his son will get richer and richer because of it.

Anyway, there is nothing to do at night, and in the era of lack of entertainment, Rurik is willing to chat with others to pass the boredom.

"Just soap is not enough. Mom, I thought of other ways to make money."

"Oh? What's that?" Niya was a little dismissive.

"Mom, you would never think of the special container I saw in the merchant Gould. It was a beautiful transparent bottle filled with wine. Gould dared to pay three pounds of silver just for a transparent bottle! "

"Ah? Just a drinking container? Three pounds of silver?!" Niya couldn't believe her ears.

"It's true. But..." Rurik smiled deliberately: "I already understand how to make it. I need the help of a blacksmith. Mom, I will be a big success. When Dad comes back, I will be able to make it. Some crystal cups, I can make more money by selling them!"

These are things that Niya can't understand. See how excited her son is, she believes that his son will succeed.

Children's continuous success is the happiest and proudest mother as a mother.

When Rurik saw his mother's smiling face, that was his best encouragement.

It doesn't seem to be a difficult task to make glass. Rurik really knows the four important materials of modern glass, and these materials are all at your fingertips!

His own plan sets the future arrangements: "I have decided, Mom. Tomorrow I will take my people to train on the hillside. When we finish training, I will go to the smithy and Kravassen to try to make new utensils. .Mom, think about the future life!

I recruited a group of servants, there will be a maid to take care of you, rub your back, help you tailor, and even all the clothes are washed by the servants.

Mom, you don't have to work on it yourself, just enjoy the rest of your life.

Ah, everything will be better"

After hearing what his son said, Niya was so moved that he cried. She held back the soreness of her nose and tried to suppress the outflow of tears. UU reading bluntly said: "Luriek, you are still growing, you must eat more meat. And you, Lumia!"

Niya was in a very good mood, "Lu Mia, you also eat more meat. If you are thin and weak, you can't serve your master."

"Yes." Lumia nodded, but Niya threw a piece of whale meat with blood. She skewered the meat on a branch, sprinkled it with a little salt, and grilled it skillfully on the indoor campfire.

Because in the days before, Lu Mia also lived the life of eating barbecue fruit belly.

At that time, salt powder was extremely expensive. The people of their own deer breeders are not very happy to exchange a pile of leather with other races. Besides, those Finns are not always peaceful.

Sometimes, the Finns and the Varangans will do exactly the same thing-attack the deer breeders

Just now, Lumia could not understand what the little master said. It seems that the master will get richer and richer? That's great. Soon there will be another group of servants coming, and I heard that the master intentionally canonized himself as the "maid maid", which is also a good thing. Perhaps in the near future, you will no longer be alone in driving the deer to herd. With the presence of helpers, your work pressure will be less.

Who knows? The only thing Lumia can believe is that as Rurik's servant, at least she won't worry about eating, dressing, and lodging.

Looking at the big pile of fresh meat in her hand and the salt in a small urn, Lumia has become accustomed to this good day when she can get salt at any time.

Those new servants may already be on the way. Most of them are girls who are much younger than themselves. The so-called "maid maid", I'm afraid the little master meant to order themselves to be their sisters.

Lumia is eager to have more "family", thinking that she will soon have a group of sisters, she also feels that the future is bright.