"Dad, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious." Gould continued to emphasize, "Our family must leave."

Snoreva's mind was very confused, he held his head in his hands, and closed his eyes as if meditating.

"Actually, you still don't want to leave?" Gould asked.

"No. It was a bit sudden..."

Gould shook his head and comforted: "Oh, silly boy. Even if we leave Anklaas, we still have to sell our goods in Mlaren. Trust my decision. Now you can tell me about the market. Are there any rumors."

"rumor?"

"For example, the rumor that the Rus attacked the Gotland."

Snoreva can hardly conceal his excitement when it comes to this. He wailed, "At least in terms of combat, I admire the Ross people very much. The businessmen in the market are all saying that the leader of the Ross people is more bold than the leader of Mellaren."

"You dare to attack because of the Ross people?"

"Yes, they dare to attack. But the leader of Mellaren is only defensive. In my opinion, it is better for Mellaren to organize an army and continue to attack the Gotland master Danes. In this way, we will We can sell our goods to the troops on the expedition. Trust me, Dad. We will make a fortune."

Now, Gould, who is sipping sweet and sticky red wine in an exquisite glass, is very happy to see his son say such insightful words.

He sighed happily: "You are very smart, you already know a good time to do business. Haha, if the Mellaren people are willing to organize an army, of course we have to take the opportunity to sell goods. They will be very happy with the leather we sent. "

Snoreva still blushed, and he continued: "That is, the leader has no intention to gather an army yet. You know, the merchants are all looking forward to that day."

"Really?" Gould quickly finished the glass of wine, then suddenly forced his face down, and said solemnly: "Maybe, they will."

"Dad, what's wrong with you."

"I... I am worried about one thing. I suspect that the Danes will give the Gotland their heads, and war may be imminent."

"Oh! Really? That's a good thing."

Snoreva looked forward to war. From his eldest son's face, Gould saw only the desire to make war fortune, but he completely forgot. Maybe Mellaren might become the forefront of war.

Gould said solemnly: "Who will the Danes attack? The Ross people? No, that's too far. The Danes want to fight back and also want the Mlaren to launch an attack. They must know that Mlaren has a lot of wealth, and it is far from Denmark. The man's nest is also very close. The Danes either do nothing or attack here."

Snoreva's face has become a little awkward, he grumbled reluctantly: "In this way, we can sell them all the leather. We can raise the price, and they will buy it too."

"What you said makes sense, but, as a big businessman, you must know how to enjoy your wealth if your life is gone? We need a strong backer, and we must prepare ourselves to retreat with wealth. Road. In my opinion, the only way to go to the Ross people is to go to the far north. According to my understanding of the Ross people, they have the first sweetness and will often attack the Gotland people. Sooner or later, the Danes will Launch a large-scale counterattack. I don't want you to stay here at that time."

"Huh?! Could it be, Dad! You even your island..."

"Bah! It's just a charity given to us by the leader named Olegin." Speaking of what happened to him, Gould was not happy: "That guy claimed that the land on the land belongs to their tribe. We can only do this. Set up shops on the island. Of course we can open shops on the shore, and we have to pay them. Why! Do you really like this island?"

Snoreva smiled honestly: "Actually...I really like it a little bit."

"Look at your promise!"

"Oh, Dad, it's my fault." Snoreva hurriedly relented: "Thank you for your teaching, I understand. If we are in danger, we will retreat with all our strength."

"Oh, that's right! I have a very good agreement with the Ross people. They are much more generous than the Mellaren people! We can set up shops in the territory of the Ross people, import their special products and transport them here for huge profits. That's it. The child named Rurik, he pays great attention to the contract, he will inherit the position of the leader of Ross. Remember, he will be the backer of our family in the future. Remember, you are my eldest son, and you will inherit most of my Family business."

"Then...what about my brothers?" Snoreva's heart was pounding at the mention of this, and his inquiry was full of caution.

"They, you don't have to worry about it. I can give you 80% of the property, and all of them can only get 20%."

Listen, Snoreva's hanging heart suddenly let go!

For many years, this thirty-year-old young man was most afraid that his father would no longer like him and would no longer give him his main property.

The reason why he thinks this way is indeed because of a very simple reality. It is just like the unknown ownership of the family property. The troubled Snoreva has been a little annoying.

Gould drank another glass of wine, and with the beating flame of the oil lamp, he couldn't help but look at his two lovely granddaughters.

The two little girls are innocent and the eldest granddaughter is about to get engaged. Which boy can be her husband? That boy, he must be a business partner of the family!

Alas, it's a pity that they are all girls.

Thinking of this, Gould cast a sharp look at his eldest daughter-in-law, which made her eldest daughter-in-law tremble.

With this, Gould started to choke again: "My son, you are good everywhere. That is, you are thirty years old, and you still have not given birth to a grandson. You are my hope for the future, but If you don't have a son for a lifetime, how can this work!"

"Oh, Dad. My wife and I will work hard."

"Your wife?" Gould was already slightly drunk, and his words became unstoppable. He already ignored the feelings of his daughter-in-law, and said straightforwardly: "If it really doesn't work, you will marry another. You know better than us that there are many women in the market, and there are many beautiful Briton women among them. Rather. It's cheaper than other merchants, it's better to buy some back! You should be like me, let them have children, and be promoted to wives once you have a son."

His father's words were too blatant, and Snoreva shuddered, not knowing what to say for a while.

Only the eldest daughter-in-law can hear these words like on pins and needles.

Without letting her husband speak, she left her seat and climbed in front of Gould in a humble attitude, and said with firm eyes: "Dad, I will work hard. I will definitely give birth to a son. No! It's two. Three! And I'm now..." Then she sat up slowly, stroking her belly: "Actually, I already have it."

"Oh? What a happy event!" Gould was excited, and threw the glass in his hand directly to the side. Half of the drink was spilled on a leather cushion.

Gould stood up, dragged his daughter-in-law's chin with his right hand, his face kind.

He understands that the eldest son has not married another for so many years, he is a rare person among businessmen, it is because he likes his wife. This woman is the wife she personally selected for her eldest son. Because of these past, Gould also had feelings for this woman for many years.

The daughter-in-law is more proactive than her son, and she is obviously afraid of losing her status.

"I'm like my daughter." Gould rarely showed tenderness: "You have to work hard. I have found a new backer for your husband in the future, and our family has received a guarantee of safety. And you, the continuation of the family falls on your shoulders, and your responsibility is very heavy."

"Yes, Dad, I can."

After a while, a greasy roast lamb was finally carried up.

This is a sheep, which is the ready-made goods that Snoreva bought from the Merlaren Bazaar. Up to now, there are still more than ten in the sheepfold of the island. Snoreva bought sheep without the slightest intention of raising them to cut wool. He was just for meat.

In terms of eating meat, elegant? There is no such thing.

As the most distinguished person, Gould tore up a lamb thigh with his bare hands, almost, this is the best quality part of the roast lamb.

The family eats a sheep, and here the two men eat the most. Gould and Snoreva have big belly sacs. It is for this reason that they can eat suet balls.

At this time, it is accompanied by freshly baked fermented bread, fresh onions to relieve greasiness, and wine, and life is beautiful.

Only very wealthy families can live such a luxurious life. The Mlaren tribe is very rich, but the gap between the rich and the poor is very serious. The ordinary farmers still live on a pound of oatmeal porridge a day, and sell the extra wheat in exchange for it. All kinds of daily necessities, and even a series of equipment needed during the war.

Every sturdy man of the Mellaren tribe has the obligation to accept the call of the big leader.

Similarly, the Rus, the Uppsala, and the clansmen of all tribes have this obligation.

The only exception is those merchants with large assets.

Don't expect the loyalty of this group of businessmen at all. Although they are part of the alliance, whoever gives them preferential terms, they run to his turf in large numbers. If the situation changes, the merchant will bring his wealth and organize the fleet to run away.

Gould, who has been drinking three times and eating five flavors, and eating comfortably, is already lying on his side, with one arm resting on his head, and his whole person is like a lump of rotten fat.

Seeing that his father is so gracious, Snoreva felt that his hospitality must have made his father particularly satisfied.

Upon seeing this, Snoreva asked; "From tomorrow, shall we go to the lively bazaar area?"

"Tomorrow? No, take a day off."

"Also, we can just count the goods."

"Our goods really need to be counted, and there is one more thing." Gould stared into his son's eyes: "You have to prepare at least one hundred pounds of silver."

"Huh? So many? What are you going to do?"

"Of course I went to the market to purchase!"

"Purchase?" Snoreva was puzzled when he heard it: "Dad, but those crystal cups were bought by others long ago. If we go again, we won't be able to buy any expensive treasures. There are only a large number of large-scale goods, I can't make it that we spend so much money?"

"Really? What do you think I want to buy?" Gould sat up.

"Yes... for example gems? Oh, those gems are very rare. Besides, here, the price of amber is not expensive."

"I want to buy people." Gould said concisely.

"People? Those who are locked up, those women. Oh, dad, are you so confident about your body? Mom is here too..."

Snoreva subconsciously felt that his father followed his own hobbies again, and wanted to engage in more young women to serve.

Gould smirked: "Child, you think too much. I know that the Norwegians must have taken some women to the western island again, and they should be some Briton women. I want to buy a batch, all of them. Send it to the Ross people. I forgot to tell you that the Ross people have given me many tasks this year, and promised to give me great benefits after it's done. They need a lot of servants, whether it's men or women."

"Oh? Still this kind of thing?!"

"In my opinion, we bought all those people in the market, even children, and brought me back to this island."

Hearing his father's rhetoric, Snoreva was really taken aback.

The Vikings in the Baltic region have traded in slaves since ancient times.

For example, the bankrupt farmers become debt slaves, and the creditors are sometimes brought to the market by these people in exchange for a good price to repay the debt.

In addition, many poor people **** with ropes are simply ordinary people from Britain and Frank. In the past 50 years, foreign slaves like Mellaren Bazaar have gradually increased, and it can be said that there are mostly women.

A woman is a woman. The farmers in Mlaren can't manage that much. They will try their best to sell the food they grow, accumulate wealth, and then buy a foreign woman from a Norwegian dealer. Their purpose is very simple, to treat this woman as a wife.

For example, the chiefs of the Mlaren tribe, as well as the local wealthy and powerful households, choose the best looking ones and stay in their houses as servants.

Gould continued to ask: "Son, you should know the prices of those people, are they still the same as before?"

"Yes, the average man is still twenty silver coins, and the woman is still thirty silver coins. A good-looking woman, or a strong man, can be as high as one pound of silver coins, usually around fifty silver coins. That is, those Norwegians No children were brought in. At least this year I didn't find them."

"What's the use of children!" Gould shrugged and couldn't help but spit out: "That Rurik, he told me that he must get some children for him, saying that good servants should be trained from an early age. Those Norwegian talents will not be taken prisoner. A child who comes here is taken captive and died in the vast sea."

"That's true too." Snoreva smiled honestly.

"So, there should be many young men in the market who are eager to be mercenaries for others? Are there many of these people?"

"This... this kind of person always exists, Dad, you should understand. If you need more mercenaries, you should go to the taverns in Mellaren."

"Okay. I will recruit some more people and send them all to the Ross people. I recruited a group of mercenaries for them at the request of the leader. You see, we will get a lot of men and women, and they will wait for the time being. On this small island. Children, you have to prepare and feed them at least until August."

"Huh? Our island..."

"Then you build some wooden sheds! Then go to the market to buy some food, to the fishermen to buy some fish. Do you remember how much it cost, and send me a report in August, don't worry about it, the money will eventually be Give it back to us."

In this way, Gould rested on his own island for a whole day, and took him on June 5th, who had finished replenishing his energy, tentatively rushed towards the mouth of the river where the core of the Mellaren tribe was, and rushed towards that piece of land. The most prosperous land market. Because it was just a test, he didn't bring his own goods to land at all.

He didn't worry about the sales of his own goods at all. Some of his colleagues had personally traveled to the small island controlled by him and brought money to trade. For those people, the eldest son will take care of it. After the roast lamb meal, the eldest son has already witnessed the magic of soap. Gould fully believes that the eldest son will become an excellent salesman. In the future, it is estimated that the news that he is selling an artifact washing tool is in Mei. The Laren tribe spreads.

At that time, a group of wealthy households who have money at home and especially like novelties will uninvited them to visit their islands.

Regarding the current situation of the merchandise trade in the bazaar, my son has already made a good report to himself, so Gould no longer has so much curiosity here.

Gould was still wearing gorgeous clothes. Accompanied by more than a dozen guards headed by Jeflo, he began to "shopping" in a revolving style.

Sure enough, most of the things on the market are large-scale goods, such as linen, cowhide, sheepskin, wooden daily necessities, and even last year's surplus. It is these large-scale goods, which are the largest commodities.

Still in a familiar corner, here is the so-called city of people dominated by Norwegian businessmen for a long time. The poor people who were taken from Britain in various ways are sold here.

How different the reality is from Gould's idea, he learned after inquiring that most of the people had long been bought by the wealthy of Mellaren.

A sturdy Norwegian businessman with a Norwegian forest cat fur hat on his head told Gould bluntly that he drove a carriage with a cage, and hired a fishing boat to bring his "commodities" here. . Gould knew that this person was nothing more than a desire to make more money.

Here are five poor women shivering with fright. Their dresses are completely different from those of the locals, but their looks are not much different.

They are all Briton women, and even some beliefs that Gould finds strange, but their looks are not satisfying.

Gould especially remembered that the two Briton women he bought two years ago, because of their good looks, in order to get them, he paid the profiteer two pounds of silver and a cordial greeting!

The Norwegian businessman proposed a thirty silver coin. As a result, Gould spent one pound of silver and another 40 silver coins for two unique Norwegian forest cat skins, and took them away. Although the Norwegian businessmen were unwilling to do so, considering that they had not sold them for many days, they had to buy food for nothing. Although they suffered a loss, they simply managed to do business.

After all, they are Norwegian businessmen who cross the mountains. Gould thinks that they are either trafficking some foreigners or selling extremely soft and unique cat skins. Besides, there seems to be not many good things that can be obtained.

Today, Gould is only doing a survey. He even went to a tavern to investigate the price of those ale, calculating how much craft ale he could bring back to Rurik.

He also investigated the young people who were looking for employers and gained some insight into the state of the "human employment market" this year.

Some farmers in Mellaren~www.mtlnovel.com~ they owe money to the landlord, and in order to avoid becoming debt slaves, they had to sell their land to repay the debt. As a result, such men have all their strength left. They need to do some physical work for an employer, or even serve as a mercenary bodyguard, to earn some money to support themselves.

Most of Gould's own guards are of this kind. It's just that Gould chooses young people who are alone, so that they have no family members and can only be loyal to the sponsor.

Since the agreement between Rurik and himself is not so restrictive, there is no problem in hiring people with family members together and sending them all to Roseburg.

For the time being, Gould did not make such a decision. He first took the five women he bought to his island, lifted the shackles of their hands and feet, gave them food, and announced their future. No one paid attention to their feelings. Gould felt that it was a great kindness to reward them with the leather cover for temporary sleep, as well as some fish and oatmeal.

It is true that Gould only needs to be responsible, that is, to send all the people who have been absorbed to Roseburg safely.

If Rurik and Otto intend to show greater kindness, it is their business. At that time, they would just pay for these people's three-month meal, but it wouldn't be much anyway.