"Thomas, how much does a linen gown cost now?" Nalant thought for a moment, preparing to solve this problem in the simplest and most direct way.
That is to spend money to buy enough linen gowns to distribute to the serfs to keep out the cold.
The price of the linen gown was not expensive. Nalant estimated that even tens of thousands of pieces would only cost a few dozen gold coins. This was not a big expense for him today.
"Sir, do you want to buy linen gowns and distribute them to the serfs? This... I'm afraid it's not cost-effective. Every winter, the price of linen gowns increases."
"In spring and summer, a linen gown can be purchased for only thirty or forty copper coins, but now, if you want to buy it, you need at least fifty or sixty copper coins to buy it."
"Furthermore, sir, it's winter now. It's impossible to buy a large number of linen gowns at once, because there are not many tailors in each territory, so if you want to make tens of thousands of linen gowns... I'm afraid it will take a winter.
It will be possible to finish it within the time required..."
Nalant originally thought that if he had money in this world, he would be able to buy and buy as he did in his previous life, but Mario's answer made him understand that he was wrong again.
In this different world with low productivity, even if he has gold coins, it is extremely difficult to purchase a large amount of supplies at once, just like food.
Just like Nalant's own territory, now because new serfs have joined, the number of tailors has increased to three or four.
This is because these new serfs were screened before being captured.
Like other baronies, there are only one or two tailors in each territory, so it is simply unrealistic to produce tens of thousands of linen gowns in a short period of time.
At this time, Nalant felt a little worried. The most painful thing in the world is that there is a price but no market. If you really wait two or three months, the day lilies will be cold.
"Sir, why don't you ask the serfs to cut more wood so that they can burn the fire pits in the house for a longer time in the cold winter?" Mario saw his master frowning and knew that this problem was not solved.
, my master must have felt uncomfortable, so he quickly proposed other suggestions.
"Is it possible? I remember that the serfs would also burn fire pits in the house in previous years!" Nalant asked.
"Sir, maybe... the effect is not great, because even if you light a bonfire, it won't be able to keep the whole room warm all the time. But I believe that storing more wood will reduce the casualties of the serfs!" In Mario's current mood
In my opinion, it is impossible for serfs not to freeze to death in the dead of winter.
Even in Tulip City, old, weak, women and children often freeze to death due to the cold winter.
It's not that the fire is useless, but because most of the houses of the serfs are low and dilapidated thatched houses, even after repairs, they will inevitably leak.
When lighting a fire inside the house, if the bonfire is too big, the risk will be greatly increased, not to mention the fuel problem. If you are not careful, you may light the thatched house on fire, and then the gain will outweigh the loss.
But if the fire pit is too small, the effect will be greatly weakened, and you can only feel a few rays of warmth when standing next to the fire.
Therefore, this is also the reason why serfs often freeze to death even if they light bonfires at home.
"Reduce casualties?"
This was not the effect Narant wanted.
What he wants now is to keep the serfs warm through the winter, even if the system does not force that no one can die.
But at least it can't happen that dozens or hundreds of people freeze to death, otherwise the system will issue unnecessary tasks.
However, although Mario's suggestion was not very good, it gave Nalant another idea.
That means buying clothes is not possible, so we have to think of a solution from the house level.
As long as the house is warm, the situation of freezing to death can basically be solved.
Thinking of this, Narant couldn't help but start thinking about what he had seen and heard in his previous life.
Although he was a southerner in his previous life, the development of the Internet naturally allowed him to know how to spend the winter in the north.
In previous lives, winters in northern areas with cold temperatures could easily reach minus ten or twenty degrees, or even more extreme.
However, because of the heating, winter in the north was actually more comfortable than in the south in previous lives.
Because if you dress warmly when you go out and keep moving, you won't feel the cold.
But back inside, there is heating, and northerners can even move freely in the house wearing only a single piece of clothing.
Of course, the modern methods in the past life are definitely incomparable. After all, his other world does not have such conditions, so what he needs to think about is how winter was passed in the ancient north in his past life.
"kang!"
Suddenly, Nalant's eyes widened, and a name with northern characteristics from his previous life blurted out from his mouth.
In previous lives, there was no heating in ancient times in the north, but people in the north were able to stay warm through the winter, wasn't it just by burning a kang?
Burn it up every day before going to bed, lie on the kang and cover it with a quilt, and you can keep yourself warm all night.
Moreover, because of the mud brick barrier, no matter how strong the fire is, there will not be any danger.
More importantly, the mud bricks absorb heat after being burned by fire and can store this heat for a long time, which in turn saves fuel.
Unlike a fire, once the flame is extinguished, it will be completely cool. Doesn't this just meet the needs of the poor serfs in this other world?
"Chopping? Sir, are you asking the serfs to chop down trees for storage?" Mario, however, did not understand the name "Kang" and thought that his master meant "cutting down", so he immediately prepared to write it down.
"Mario, it's a kang, not a chop!"
"Carry it?" Mario was even more confused.
"..." Nalant was speechless and found that he was also confused. How could this term be explained clearly to a native like Mario? "Forget it, Mario, you will know after the thing is made. Sir, now I think
I have found a good way to keep the serfs warm in the winter, so you immediately find a few masons to come over, and also find a few coolies to move some bricks and clay!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The fire pit has definitely never appeared in this world, so if I explain it randomly here, it is better to wait until the actual thing is made, and Mario will be able to understand it at a glance.
Moreover, it is expected to start snowing in more than ten days, so Narant feels that the sooner this matter is completed, the better!
The technical content of the kang is actually not too high. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a big stove. Now that there are bricks in his territory, he can start working on it immediately after finding the manpower.
"Yes, sir!" Mario didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he responded and quickly went to summon the craftsmen.
Mario Dao was really curious when he heard that his master had a way to keep the serfs warm during the winter.
In his opinion, unless all the serfs in the territory can wear extremely warm cotton clothes, it is possible that no one will freeze to death.
…
It didn't take long for Mario to find two masons and several coolies.
Bricks and clay were also brought in a cart.
"Sir, because the other masons have been assigned to the fortress in the southwest, there are only two of them left in the territory!"
"That's enough for two! Come with me now, sir, let's find a dilapidated thatched house and start experimenting!" Nalant waved his hand and led everyone towards the alley aside.
The main reason why he wanted to find a dilapidated thatched house was that Nalant was too lazy to wait. The thatched houses on both sides of the street had been repaired by the serfs themselves and were very strong, so it was not easy to dismantle them.
It's better to find a shabby one where you can make a hole with just one step.
When entering the alley, the surrounding thatched houses gradually look dilapidated, which is normal.
Most of the thatched houses on the main road were assigned to capable new serfs, who had the ability to repair them better.
For example, those masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, and tailors are the owners of the houses on the main street.
This was not assigned by Nalant, but arranged by Mario.
A few days ago, he specifically explained the reason to Narant.
One is of course to give preferential treatment to these capable talents so that they have a greater sense of belonging.
The second is to make it easier for Nalant to summon craftsmen in the future, or for other serfs to find these craftsmen for work.
Narant thinks this distribution is very good, and he definitely supports it. As for fairness and justice, this does not exist in the world of knights and aristocrats.
"This is a good one, Mario, go up and call the door!" After walking for about four or five minutes, Nalant arrived at the outskirts of Maiye Village. Although the thatched houses nearby also showed signs of repair, they were less mature than those on the main street.
It's down several notches.
"Yes, sir!" Mario responded and quickly ran to the thatched house.
Boom, boom, boom!
"Open the door, the lord is here, come out and see the lord!" Mario was not polite, he knocked on the door hard and shouted.
"Open the door! Is there anyone here? The lord is here. Come out quickly and see the lord!"
However, Mario knocked for more than ten seconds, but there was no movement in the thatched house.
"Forget it, Mario..."
Squeak!
When Nalant saw this, he thought everyone in the house was there, and was about to ask him to move to another house. Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, the door of the thatched house opened with a creak.
An old serf in his fifties or sixties appeared inside the door. His skin was dark and full of wrinkles.
"What's the matter with you? I've been calling for so long and there's no response! The lord is here in person, why don't you salute and say hello quickly!" Mario said with displeasure on his face.
This serf has neglected his master. If the master blames him, he will even be punished.
"I have seen the lord, sir. Please forgive me, lord, but my ears are not good. I didn't hear you just now, so I ignored you!" The old serf saw the situation outside the door clearly, and when he heard Mario scolding him, he immediately knelt down with a thud.
On the ground.
But after lowering his head, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.
"Well, get up!" Nalant naturally would not embarrass an old man and gave the order with a friendly face.
When Mario saw that his lord was not angry, he felt relieved and said, "Get up quickly! Today the lord is going to build a stove in your house to keep you warm during the winter!"
On the way here, Nalant had already made it clear to the two masons what he wanted to build.
The name "fired Kang" was very troublesome to explain to others, so Narant simply used a stove instead.
So, now Mario also uses a stove instead of a fire kang.
"Ah? Build a stove?" The old serf was obviously stunned for a moment, not knowing what was going on.
"Don't be nervous. Your Majesty is building the stove for you for free. You don't need to pay for it! Thank you for your generosity!" Mario thought that the old serf must be worried about money, so he immediately explained.
"Yes, thank you Lord!" After hearing this, the old serf knelt down and thanked him again.
"Okay, then you come out first. Now let a few barbarian coolies dig a big hole in the wooden wall on the side of your house. Only then can you start building the stove!" Nalant nodded and gave instructions to the old serf.
The chimney of this fire pit must be placed outside.
This way the smoke from the fire will not escape into the house.
Therefore, holes must be made in the wooden wall first.
Moreover, in order to facilitate the construction, Narant planned to dismantle the entire lower part of the wooden wall. Anyway, it would be stronger when the brick wall was used.
"Ah, do you want to demolish the wall?" The old serf was surprised again.
"What's the matter with you serf? Do you dare to ask more questions about the things my master ordered?" Mario saw that the old serf was quite verbose and immediately scolded him.
If he had faced other lords, he would have probably been whipped several times, which means his lord is merciful.
"I learned that I was wrong. Don't be angry, sir. Please wait a moment. My granddaughter is still in the house. I'll call her out first!" The old serf's eyes showed slight panic, but he didn't dare to say anything more.
He immediately apologized to Mario, then turned around and entered the house.
After a while, the old serf helped a young girl outside the house.
"There's someone else in the house?" No one expected that there was a girl in the house. After all, the old man had been knocking on the door for so long, and he used the excuse that he couldn't hear it. Could it be that his granddaughter couldn't hear it either.
However, when they saw the girl's appearance, everyone suppressed their doubts.
Because the granddaughter of the old serf is obviously in a bad state now.
The girl was at most fifteen or sixteen years old, but her face was flushed and weak at the moment. At first glance, she seemed to be sick, and the illness was serious.
The girl walked lightly and needed the support of the old serfs. Moreover, in such a cold day, sweat could still be seen on the girl's forehead.
The old serf shrank his head and carefully helped his granddaughter to a corner. In the process, he tried his best to block everyone's sight with his body.
Mario looked at the old serf and then at his own master. He did not mind his own business, but quickly greeted a few barbarian coolies and masons, and began to tear down the walls and move bricks.
Mario knew that with his lord's kindness, he would definitely not sit idly by in such a situation, so there was no need for him, a civil affairs official, to step in and steal the spotlight.
Sure enough, the next moment Nalant frowned and looked at the old serf, "What's wrong with your granddaughter?"
"Back to the lord, it's...nothing. Maybe it's just that it's been cold these past few days and I've got a bit of a fever from the cold!"
"I don't want this to be okay. If we delay it for a while, I'm afraid your granddaughter won't be able to survive it. Don't you know there is a doctor in the territory?" Nalant shook his head, feeling that this old man was a bit irresponsible.
However, when he thought about it, seeing the old serf's tattered clothes and the dilapidated thatched hut, he thought of other possibilities, so he said: "Don't worry about whether you don't have money to take her to a doctor."
, since you have all become serfs of me, Nalant, you are my property, sir, and I also have the responsibility to protect my property from loss."
"So, from this year to next summer, if all of you serfs get sick, you can go to a doctor for treatment. If you have no money, I will allow you to take it on credit and pay it back when the harvest is good!"
Today's scene also reminded Nalant that the new serfs were now extremely poor, and their pockets must be cleaner than their faces.
Therefore, it is necessary for him to ask Mario to issue a decree later, informing the new serfs that they can get medical treatment on credit this year.
In this way, there will be no problem of new serfs getting sick but having no money for treatment.
After saying that, Nalant ordered to Da Shi, "Da Shi, go to the medical clinic in the town and find a member of the medical team to treat her!"
"Yes, sir!" Da Shitou immediately trotted towards the main street after receiving the order.
Next, Nalant turned his attention away from the old serf and began to instruct the craftsmen and coolies on their work.
As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers. A few barbarians just kicked a few times and broke a large section of the broken wooden wall of this thatched house.
After all the one-meter-high wooden board walls below were cleared, a few coolies began to mix mud and mix adhesive.
After the clay for bricklaying was mixed, the masons immediately came on stage and started building the kang with bricks.
This thatched house in the Storm Territory is naturally not as spacious as the small bungalow in the north in the previous life, so the kang does not need to be too big. The width of one and a half meters is enough.
Although it would be a bit crowded for four or five people to live in such a width, these serfs would definitely not mind as long as they could survive.
On the contrary, this was the normal way for serfs to spend the winter. They huddled together to stay warm.
Narant watched the masons laying bricks, pointing out the details from time to time, and gradually the lower part of the fire pit began to take shape.
But at this moment, Winnie came to the house under the leadership of Big Stone.
"grown ups!"
Nalant did not ask Winnie to come over originally, but Winnie heard that this was her master's order, so she was worried about the other team members coming, so she rushed over herself.
"Well, Winnie, that serf girl seems to be very ill. Go and check on her!"
"Yes, sir!" Winnie responded, and then looked at the girl next to the old serf. Seeing that she was in extremely poor condition, she was shocked, so she quickly walked towards the girl.
When the old serf saw Winnie's arrival, instead of showing any joy, a look of panic flashed in his eyes.
But now that there were barbarian guards such as big rocks around, and the lord Lord Garnaland was personally in charge, he didn't dare to make any move.
"Old man, let me show her!" Winnie came to the old serf and said softly.
"Thank you, doctor!" The old serf had no choice but to sit on the wall beside his granddaughter.
Winnie immediately knelt down and put her hand on the girl's forehead.
"It's a fever, and it's very serious!" The situation was obvious. In fact, Narant could tell before that the girl must have a fever, so he said he couldn't delay it any longer.
"Eh!" However, just when Narant thought that Winnie's diagnosis was complete and he would start treatment or prepare medicines, he suddenly heard Winnie's startled voice.
"What's the matter, Winnie?" Nalant immediately looked over curiously,
"Sir, her forehead seems to be getting colder!"
"Getting colder?" Nalant didn't react. He paused and said, "Is the fever going away?"
"Yes, the fever has gone away, sir. The temperature on her forehead has gone down so fast!!" Winnie nodded immediately, with a puzzled look on her face.
Nalant was a little baffled when he heard this. His face was red with fever and his forehead was sweating a second ago, but now his temperature has cooled down immediately?
At that moment, he quickly walked over and came to the girl.
Arriving behind the girl, Narant stretched out his hand and placed it on the girl's forehead.
"The fever has gone away? Is there such a thing?" When Narant put his palm on the girl's forehead, the girl's body temperature returned to the same level as before. This made Nalant confused for a moment!
"Huh?" The next moment, the girl who was a little groggy with her eyes closed let out a soft hum, and then her eyes slowly opened.
The girl opened her eyes and saw Narant and Winnie for the first time. She showed a trace of confusion and doubt at first, and then she saw the old serf beside her and asked, "Grandpa, what's wrong with me?"
"Bessie, you finally woke up!" When the old serf saw that his granddaughter had woken up at this time, he first showed a trace of panic, then suddenly stepped forward to grab his granddaughter, pushed her to the ground and knelt down to Nalant.
Said: "Thank you Lord Lord for your care and allowing the villain's granddaughter to recover!"
"Bessie, please thank the lord. You were still suffering from a fever just now. It was the lord's arrival that made your illness better!"
"Oh, good grandpa!" The girl named Bessie was still a little confused. After hearing the explanation, she immediately said: "Thank you, Lord, for your care!"
Seeing this scene, Winnie, Da Shitou and others around them looked at each other in confusion, so they looked at their master.
This thing is so miraculous that people who originally had a high fever can recover in an instant, which is beyond their knowledge.
When many of the new serfs who were hiding in the house and peeking around saw this scene, they also looked at Nalant in surprise, thinking that it was Nalant's care that really cured the girl.
Suddenly, everyone looked at him with a hint of awe again.
Of course, Nalant didn't care about everyone's reaction at this moment, because even his own expressions were extremely rich now.
His expression first changed from confusion to surprise, and then from surprise to surprise.
After a moment of surprise, he suppressed it again. After suppressing it, he looked at the old serf and his eyes became playful.
"Okay, let's not say the words of thanks. Both of you raise your heads and look at me!" Nalant interrupted the gratitude of the grandfather and grandson on the ground.
The old serf trembled when he heard this and began to tremble.
But the girl named Bessie didn't know the situation and slowly raised her head.
"Ah! Sir...she is...she is..."
"Winnie, adults know, don't tell me!" When the girl named Bessie raised her head, Winnie discovered something and immediately exclaimed.
Narant immediately stopped her exclamation.
"Yes, sir!" Winnie then knew that her lord had also discovered the clue, and she immediately responded obediently.
When the old serf heard Winnie's exclamation, he suddenly felt deflated, knowing that he was doomed.
"Lord...Lord, please have mercy and spare Bessie, she...she is still a child...she is not willing...she will not bring disaster..."