The oats finally ushered in the harvest season.

Even if it came late, the harvest was terrible, and the wheat finally began to harvest.

Unexpectedly, this year's poor harvest has become a reality. Farmers are holding their huge sickles. They are standing in the fields and looking at the sparse and drooping ears of wheat on their farms. How do they feel?

The wheat ears are all withered and yellow, they are mature, but the fruits are not much.

The farmers helped each other, a group of strong men manipulated the giant sickle, and began to cut the wheat stalks in pieces, and then with their unique strength, accompanied by the wheat stalks, they were moved to the side of the field ridge as much as possible.

The women and children who followed, and even the elderly at home, gathered up the wheat, tied them into bundles with twine, and began to carry them to the house.

Even when the harvest was basically completed, some women still stayed in the fields, bent down to pick up the scattered wheat ears, and put them into their rattan baskets.

Since ancient times, they have not wasted any wheat ears, especially in this year of under-harvest. It is extremely important that they do their best not to leave any wheat kernels behind.

It is already mid-September. Although winter is not here yet, the cold of every morning tells the residents along the lake the reality of the approaching winter.

I am afraid this will be a difficult winter. Even if everyone has survived the winter, what will happen to the spring famine next year?

Even so, do you have to take out the grain and sell it in the market for a few silver coins?

Every household started to clean up the land that was compacted before the house. This is their threshing ground, and it also takes into account the role of drying the valley.

All the harvested wheat stalks were thrown here, and the family, holding their wooden shackles, began to beat the wheat stalks fiercely.

They have to use great strength, only in this way can the oats be hulled effectively.

Oats are grown all over Europe, which is very resistant to cold and drought, but the work of husking requires vigorous efforts.

Farmers have spent a lot of sweat, and have completed their own harvest. A man can often take care of the equivalent of more than one hectare of farmland. This is the yield, which is average in harvest years. The yield per mu of oats is generally maintained at about 100 catties per mu, and a strong man can often take care of as much as 20 to 30 mu of farmland. In Mlaren, there are many strong men who can take care of one and a half hectares of farmland. After all, they are Nordic people who are naturally able to grow strong.

The farmland is indeed vast, even their planting and harvesting techniques can't be flattered.

The Melaren tribe never appeared from beginning to end. If the traditional Slavs of Novgorod had formed a rural community based on blood and friendship, it would be a community similar to a natural village. They are fishermen themselves. In fact, after half a century of transition, the economic center of Mlaren has become more and more biased towards agricultural planting in the region.

Most of the residents of the tribe have become small farmers, and the proportion of traditional fishing in the economy is decreasing. Of course, the lack of harvest this year will force farmers to fish on a large scale in the coming years. When they start to worry about hunger, they will feel the gift of Lake Mlaren.

In good years, one and a half hectares of farmland under the care of a hard-working farmer can harvest up to two and a half tons of oats. Converted into the most commonly used measurement unit in the Nordic world, it is 6,400 pounds! This is an extremely staggering number. A family of several people only needs 1,500 pounds of rations a year, which is enough to survive. If they fish a lot during the slack season, they can further reduce their rations.

Of course, this is the data of abundant years, and it is also the data that can be reached by the most diligent small farmers. It is not universal.

Most farmers without debts can harvest nearly 5,000 pounds of hulled oats during the harvest season in normal years.

How to use these grains is very particular. First, the family's rations are given priority to deduct 2,000 pounds, and another 1,000 pounds are reserved for planting food. In theory, the remaining 2,000 pounds of grain can be sold at the market. Even if the grain collectors will keep the price low, farmers can still exchange more than one pound of silver in the end.

All this is a beautiful fantasy.

Greedy people don't expect to accumulate benefits by relying on their own labor alone. For the large families of the Mellaren tribe, any famine year is a feast for them to get rich!

Because there are really not many independent small farmers who have no debts.

In famine years, large households borrowed the grain, and the new harvest will have to be repaid in a larger amount. What is this amount?

The areas in the Western European world that were once controlled by Rome, even if they became new kingdoms ruled by the barbarians, the ancient Roman tax system was inherited. Agricultural taxes are also eleven taxes, which farmers must pay to the lord. As for borrowing, since the lord and the peasants are the lord's lamb, the interest rate of the borrowing is zero in principle (the dirty work of collecting interest on the mortgage is naturally done by the Jewish businessman for the lord). In order to protect the lamb in the real sense, the lord must naturally ensure that the residents in the territory can survive in the famine year. If the bandits follow, the lord will also build a wooden castle to protect the civilians, so as to ensure that his tax revenue will not die.

The Mellaren people don't have this concern, otherwise, where did those big households come from?

Ordinary farmers, after tamping the wheat straws and sieving the wheat grains, the new wheat will be used as the arrears to be returned. They have to return more, and after the spring famine, they still have to borrow grain.

Almost all debts started from the lack of harvest in the disaster year. At the beginning, they only borrowed a small amount of grain. It is not a big problem if there are more harvests. Even the farmers are also grateful to the big households and leaders for their help in difficult times.

However, the northern European border and the agricultural environment itself are extremely fragile. It is not impossible to count on farming to maintain small farmers in this border. It is just that the technology level of today's era is too low, and no one can expect to use current technology to ensure a good harvest is the norm.

No, every disaster year deepens the debt of farmers.

The big family and leader Olegin, they did not intend to harm their tribesmen at first. They are willing to help the tribesmen who are in trouble, and it is justified to charge a certain amount of interest afterwards.

After all, the debts are getting bigger and bigger, the strength of ordinary farmers has been declining, and the large households who have been accumulating wealth have long since ignored all kinds of disasters. After becoming stronger, they saw the same clan in the past, and their eyes became more and more ambiguous. When they began to raise a large number of slaves and serfs who sold their land for a living, their relationship of trust in the people dimmed.

Quantitative change has finally arrived at the time of qualitative change!

I don't know when the Mellaren people's life of helping each other to keep warm, became the leader and several big families, and ruled over the entire tribe. In recent years, this rule has intensified.

Let's talk about the harvest this year.

The harvest season of 830 was an unprecedented disaster for the people of Mellaren. It will not fail to collect, and 50% of the outstanding collection has been settled.

Farmers began to count this year's harvest, and the result was a disaster of blood and tears.

Those families that can harvest 6,000 pounds of food in a good harvest will only have 3,000 pounds this year. If they have no debt, the harvest is not too bad, at least hunger will not happen.

But wait a minute!

There are many farmers who want to repay debts equivalent to 1,000 pounds of oats.

During the harvest season, there are many families with only 2,000 pounds of wheat harvested by the whole family, and they have to pay off their debts. This way...

Although there is still a large amount of wheat in his hands, but it is still more than a thousand pounds to pay off the debt. Men were crying, women were crying, and the old man even had the idea of seeking death. Only the innocent children didn't know what was going on. They clamored to eat new wheat, but they also cried.

Ever since, a very bad problem enveloped the entire Melaren tribe.

Those people who have existed as handicraftsmen, do not grow their own land, but wait to buy a large amount of new wheat provided by farmers during the harvest season.

Despite the famine years, even in Uppsala in the north, the bad news of agricultural harvests has long been heard. In Mlaren, people still have extravagant hopes.

However, the prosperous farmers' market that everyone hopes for has not reproduced the prosperity of last year.

The situation this year made everyone stunned. There were no farmers who carried their own food to the market for sale.

At this moment, the grain merchants who conspired to agree on the purchase price, their plan completely collapsed.

Yes, there are only a handful of food left, and a part of the crop is left, and the rest is rations. Even if the food rations are small, at least the family has to survive the winter, and wait until there is really no food to eat before trying to find a way.

No one sells food? !

The shocking news soon reached Gould Island.

Gould, who was greatly frightened, had to tell the wise Rurik about the sad news and get a wise explanation at a dinner party.

And Rurik knew the news early. Because it has never been a secret, there are already some people panicking on Little Gould Island.

The courtesy pretends are intertwined, and Gould explained this fact in his worries.

"That's it. It seems that there are really no farmers selling grain this year. I learned that everything is the result of a lack of grain harvest. They really don't want to sell grain. What do you think about this."

What else can Rurik say, he seems to be making a statement of fact, and his concerns are hidden in it.

"Oh? Are you worried that Olekin won't get those half a million pounds of food?"

Rurik asked the question directly, and Gould hurriedly nodded: "That's half a million pounds! Even though Mellaren has a large population, he has to gather so much food in a famine year... I'm really worried."

"Are you worried that the farmers won't be able to produce so much food, or are you worried that Olekin will break his promise."

"Of course I am worried that Olekin will go back. In my opinion, he is squeezing out his own people this year, and there is no way he can do it."

"That's his business, don't be too pessimistic." Rurik shrugged.

"Huh?" Gould stunned, "I thought you would..."

"What will happen?"

"Measure the peasants. After all, you are kind, and you are friendly to the poorest people."

"You are wrong." Rurik shook his fingers. "Only those who are willing to submit to me, I regard them as my own people. Even if it is a humble slave, as long as I am willing to do things for me, I can benefit them. , This is my principle. I and the Mellaren people are not relatives, why should I care about them? Unless, they are almost starving to death, pray for me to take them in, and swear to do things for me..."

"That's what you think." Gould sighed deeply. "Well, maybe at this moment next year, you will add more servants."

There are some things Rurik and Gould understand, and the two are tacitly tacitly aware of each other now.

"Rurik, do you really believe that Olekin will fulfill the promise?"

Rurik looked strange: "You have dealt with him for so many years, don't you worry about him?"

"I..." Gould sighed how close he was to Olekin? "I just don't feel relieved, Reurik. Among all the leaders, I only believe that you value the contract most."

The flattering shot was good, and Rurik smiled, then took a sip of chrysanthemum tea: "Trust him. Maybe he will regret it, at least not this year."

"Why? This is a disaster year."

"Unless he feels that as the leader, he can play with the Ross people at will. Anyway, our alliance with each other is very fragile, and he doesn't want to lose us."

"Well, but there are no farmers selling food. Where did the 500,000 pounds we want come from? His own farmland alone can't provide so much."

"What else can I do?" Rurik opened his eyes and suddenly pulled out the dagger that was spinning around his waist. The buzzing sound was endless, frightening everyone present to look sideways.

"you"

"Are you scared? Gould? Just be afraid. What can Olekin do? This is it!" Rurik held the dagger and slammed into the wooden table in front of him, which was self-evident.

How did Olekin get food? Just one method: buy by force.

Fortunately, he is the leader and the leader. To maintain the most basic face, he can't simply plunder like attacking outsiders.

This is not asking for tribute from merchants. The tribute he wants is actually silver and copper coins. For a long time, for those farmers who own acres, he has no reason to collect taxes, because in ordinary years, he only relies on his own farmland to live and worry about food and clothing, and nowadays the famine year is still the same.

Mellaren is not a city-state after all. She only has a rudimentary shape, and has only just begun to implement a tax system in the true sense.

There is no agricultural tax in Mellaren, but a commercial tax called "tribute" based on local conditions. The "tax" that is being levied today is also a tribute to what Olegin calls a variant, and it is also a commercial tax.

In order to fulfill the contract, to gather enough 500,000 pounds of grain during the harvest season and give it to the Ross people. It is no longer the simple purpose of getting more than 400 pounds of silver, but to regain the absolute support of the Ross people. The Ross people call themselves weak, and believe that they are fools. Later, Olekin thought for a while, and he believed that the Rus were actually very strong. Since they hadn't clearly expressed their coveting for their own power, Olekin didn't say anything.

In order to achieve his goal, Olekin began to perform what he called "necessary evil."

He took the private army to act vigorously, and it was not others who wanted to "attack", it was the productive farmers of the same race.

He was anxious for all the men of the tribe as the leader, and held an empty meeting in an empty field.

Nearly 10,000 people came at a time!

It was an extremely rare meeting, and a large number of allied businessmen who watched the excitement also took the opportunity to join in the excitement.

The clansmen didn't know what important things the league said. As expected, it was really important, and the angry clansmen slammed their chests.

In the final analysis, Olekin is explaining an order: "Each household must take out three hundred pounds of grain, and I will buy it at the price of fifteen pounds a silver coin. You must complete it within three days, and the person who completes it will be issued by me. As a voucher. If you don't give it overdue, I'll take it personally with my troops. You won't get a silver coin by then."

To put it bluntly, this is Ming grabbing!

The mighty Melaren tribe has more than 20,000 people. There are more than 10,000 mature men in the tribe. There are a small family of five and six (a couple can have more if they can), and there are three thousand households.

In ordinary years, farmers don't need to be forced. They often take out as much as 1,000 pounds of grain to sell in the market. What is a mere three hundred pounds?

However, it is now a disaster year, and the only small amount of food left has caused the entire tribe's farmers to be pessimistic. I never expected that the leader not only did not give comfort, but also joined the priests and emphasized in the assembly that the tribe must do so. .

What else can I do? After all, he is the leader, after all, those big households and priests support him.

After all, everyone was at the rally and saw the private soldiers raised by Olekin!

Five hundred martial arts wore leather and chain armor suddenly appeared. Who would dare to question the authority of their leader? Really looking for death!

What else can you do as an ordinary person? It seemed that he could only take out the grain obediently, squeeze 300 pounds from his teeth, and finally get twenty silver coins.

Choose the lesser of the two evils, and savvy farmers know that if they really sell food, 15 pounds of wheat will only cost a silver coin, which is really absurd. The leader is just such an order, he can get a sum of money if he obeys him, and if he doesn't follow it, maybe the leader won't even borrow wheat in the future.

In this way, Olekin's intimidation got a satisfactory result. After the appointed time, of course, there are also farmers who have not delivered the grain for a long time. The reason for not giving it is very simple: take out the last grain ~www.mtlnovel.com~ The family went bankrupt after the winter.

Count on Olekin's kindness? Do not! He took the grain forcibly. As for the bankruptcy of the farmer, he gave a self-proclaimed very suitable solution to the worries of the bankrupt farmerbeing a serf.

"Ruriek, you people of Ross can make money, but I will definitely not suffer."

By the time statistics on the grains obtained through forced purchases and even looting, the sum of these amounts to more than one million pounds! And this is not considered Oleg's own gain.

He planned in this way, 500,000 pounds were handed over to Rurik, and the rest of the grain was hoarded by himself. As for how to use this huge amount of food, that's my own business.

For example, when the farmers are hungry, they open warehouses and sell grain.

I am a strong buy of fifteen pounds of silver coins. When the time comes, I will sell my food, and I can't be more than ten pounds.

He planned to do this, but he hadn't thought that his own move to search for food would bring a solid reserve of materials to his major decisions in a year, and give his allies strong confidence in "doing" with him.