infodatos Chapter 7 There's Too Little Food
Chapter 7 There's Too Little Food
After Richard finished playing with the swan, he turned around and noticed the serfs resting on the grass, who were occasionally stealing glances at him.
He understood.
During the past few days of travel, everyone ate dry rations, but his was better off, as he ate some high-quality smoked meat, jam, and exquisite pastries.
Serfs certainly didn't have this kind of treatment; they ate easily portable wheat bran biscuits, so coarse they could hurt your throat.
My stomach was already empty, and after working for two hours, I was exhausted and starving.
...
"Karl, pick some people to start cooking."
Amid the expectant gazes of the serfs, Karl set up several large military stew pots and poured in a hundred pounds of rye.
The rule we just agreed on—one work point for one kilogram of grain—must not be broken, just like basic wages cannot be easily changed.
The lunch portion was rationed at one pound per person, and the remaining pound was cooked for dinner.
We don't have the resources to distribute the food to them so they can cook for themselves; we can only follow the standard of communal cooking.
However, in order to better replenish his strength, Richard took ten pounds of minced meat from the "beef patty" and threw it into the stew pot.
"Listen up, everyone!"
Karl banged the stew pot with a ladle and shouted at the serfs.
"The master was quite satisfied with your performance this morning and rewarded you with some beef!"
"Keep your spirits up and work hard this afternoon; there might be more tonight!"
"If anyone dares to slack off, I'd rather throw the rest of the minced beef into the wasteland to feed the wolves than give it to you!"
"Line up. Each person can have a maximum of three bowls of minced meat soup. Anyone who dares to take more than that, I'll throw him into the river and freeze his ass off!"
The message must be made clear; the serfs cannot be made to believe that they have meat to eat at every meal.
It was because the master thought you had worked quite hard that he took pity on you and gave you extra rewards.
Done.
Carl sprinkled a handful of salt into each stew pot, stirred it a few times, and that was it.
The wind blows.
The aroma of stewed meat and grains wafted far and wide.
The serfs were so hungry their legs went weak, their eyes fixed on the bubbling black goo, drool dripping down their faces.
Good heavens!
There's beef to eat?!
Is this true or not...
Am I still a serf?!
...
They did eat meat, but they ate disgusting crawling insects like rats, grasshoppers, salamanders, and earthworms from the fields.
Precious meats like beef were only affordable for nobles and wealthy merchants.
Even free citizens only buy a few pounds to share with their families during holidays.
Praise be to the kind and benevolent Mr. Richard!
Although their master always had a stern face, looked at them as if they were a bunch of idiots, and even threatened to whip their bottoms at the drop of a hat.
But the serfs felt a great deal of kindness towards this new lord.
...
Especially Wade.
He had just been gathering firewood in the pine forest when he discovered something valuable. After thinking about it, he decided to offer it to the new lord.
"Sir, I found a beehive in the woods, so I brought it back for you to enjoy."
His face was covered in red welts from bee stings, and he held a handful of clean pine needles with utmost respect.
There was a piece of natural beeswax on top.
The condition is fairly good.
Golden honey dripped from the broken edge.
Richard was sitting on a rock stewing his lunch when he glanced at him, expressionless.
This guy didn't steal any food?
That's truly rare.
In places where sugar-making technology is underdeveloped, honey is an absolute luxury that is hard to come by.
Saying.
It must have been tough for the little bee, managing to pierce his face, which was as rough as sandpaper.
"Let it go."
"From now on, without my orders, you are not allowed to get distracted and do anything else."
Done.
He pulled a fist-sized piece of smoked meat from the bag and tossed it into Wade's arms.
"Get out of here."
In name only, what Wade collected in the Black Pine Forest did not belong to Richard.
But Wade was a serf.
There is no private property.
Theoretically speaking, Wade was using something that should have belonged to Richard as a tribute.
However, Richard didn't dwell on this minor issue too much, because he could sense the serf's expression of support.
So they only gave a minor warning.
Wade felt a chill run down his spine.
They carefully placed the offering down, grabbed the smoked meat, and returned to the group.
My feelings are a bit complicated.
His intention was to please the master, but the master seemed somewhat displeased with his behavior, yet still bestowed a reward upon him.
this...
It's really hard to figure out...
However, he did receive a reward, a precious lump of smoked jerky, and he became happy again.
Add a little to the paste every day, and if you eat it sparingly, it can last for a month!
...
Compared to the serfs' food, Richard's was certainly not bad.
His personal pot was also a chaotic mess.
The main ingredients are parsnip and fresh horse meat, while the side ingredients are parsley, rosemary, onion, wine, and olive oil.
While the serfs were working, he started stewing it for a full two hours, enough to make anyone who ate it fall into a daze.
He's a person who likes to enjoy life. After eating dry food for a few days, his stomach was a little upset, so he needed some soup or broth to soothe it.
Whether others are doing well or not is their business; you can't mistreat yourself.
...
At this time.
After the serfs finished distributing the meat paste, Karl, who was in charge of the distribution, came to Richard's side.
"sit."
Richard scooped a bowl of horse meat stew and handed it to Carl, gesturing for him to sit down and eat.
Although Karl was not yet a knight and therefore not entitled to sit at the table with the lord to eat and drink.
But the conditions are simple now, so we have to make do with whatever we can, and besides, we were going to share this stew with the guards anyway.
The lord personally distributed the food.
You can imagine how moved Karl was.
However, he was soon drawn to the food in the bowl.
The parsnip, so tender it melts in your mouth, the rich horse meat infused with the flavor of wine, seasoned with rosemary and other spices, and topped with a flavorful sauce...
This taste...
It was a delicacy he had never tasted before!
It's said that whoever eats the most gets confused, and Carl was no exception, wolfing down his food without any regard for his image.
"Wow, this is so delicious!"
...
Richard chuckled.
"Make arrangements this afternoon, have everyone go and build a wall. It doesn't need to be very big, about five acres should be enough."
"The Grand Canal will also help, but be careful not to let it harm the serfs."
Five mu is about half the size of a football field, the size of a small estate, which can easily accommodate more than a hundred people in the early stages.
Once the wall is built.
They slowly built houses inside, filling it in little by little.
At that time, a small wooden watchtower will be erected at each of the four corners, and a simple fortress will be born.
The serfs' accommodations were much simpler; they simply built a row of large, communal wooden sheds along the inner wall.
of course.
Men and women should be separated.
...
"Yes, sir."
After responding, Karl looked troubled.
Richard thought he still wanted to eat, but was too embarrassed to ask, so he scooped him a full bowl again.
"If you want to eat, just say so. If even you can't be fed, it only proves that you are serving an incompetent lord."
Karl was slightly taken aback.
He accepted the bowl of food with both hands.
"Thanks..."
"Well..."
"What I meant was, isn't the amount of grain being given to the serfs too much?"
"You only brought 1,000 kilograms of rye. At a ration of one kilogram per serf, that should only last for ten days at most, right?"
While Karl was organizing the supplies, he did a quick inventory and discovered...
There is too little food!