Succubus' Manor

The wild fruit that can be made into hard candy grows in the grass. One is no bigger than a child's finger. Because it is already ripe, you must pick it lightly, otherwise the wild fruit will be crushed. The peel is very thin, about With the thickness of a layer of glutinous rice paper, those who can do this job are all meticulous and patient people.

Picking wild fruits under the scorching sun is the most rewarding job, and after completing the daily quota, there are additional rewards for picking more wild fruits, but once you faint, you will never be able to do this job again, so even if you do it again Reluctant to part with, and want to pick more, people still hide from the most intense sun at noon.

Norma is also in the picking team. She is 14 years old now, and she can be regarded as an adult in this era. Her biggest job is to raise wild boars. Now that the wild boars have grown up, not only do they not need her to take care of them, they will also respond to them. Come and take care of her.

So Norma decided to find another job—the pig has a good nose and can always find wild fruits that others can't find.

And they are smart, knowing that Norma will pick them, so they will never eat them.

Norma picked a basket of wild fruits. This is her task today. If you pick enough, you can get a dry biscuit. As long as you don’t be lazy, it’s normal to pick three or four baskets a day. Because of the help of wild boars, Norma can After picking five baskets, after completing the task, one more basket will get half an extra dry biscuit, and Norma can earn three dry biscuits a day.

One more than working in a sugar factory.

These dry biscuits can't be eaten by Norma alone, and she has no parents and lives in a castle, so she has no extra expenses. Not long in this city, a frail person.

After receiving the dry biscuits from the steward, Norma carried her small bag on her back and led her wild boars back to the city.

Instead of going back to the castle, she went to a family that lived on the edge of the town.

This family is considered to be the worst group among those who escaped, because they are not all young and middle-aged, but a pair of old parents and a young couple. He suffered a serious illness and is now lying in bed unable to move. The young couple has three children, all of whom are only five or six years old, and were sent to kindergarten.

Although the kindergarten will teach the children to read and write, they will not allow the children to take food home, and the kindergarten only provides one meal. For the growing children, they still have to rely on their families to fill their stomachs.

Now this family relies on a pair of old parents to collect wild fruits under the scorching sun.

The wife has to take care of the sick husband at home.

It's just that they are older, their physical strength cannot keep up, and their hands and feet are slow. The two old people can only earn two dry biscuits a day, which is barely enough to complete the task.

But the territory has been good enough for them. The family has been exempted from rent for three years, and the children can be sent to kindergarten for free.

If it weren't for the fact that they were sad, the manager wouldn't have let the two old people do such a lucrative job as picking wild fruits.

Norma knocked on the family's door.

The sallow and emaciated woman quickly opened the door and let her in.

"I won't go in." Although Norma is small, she looks like an adult. She has a mature heart. Norma opened her bag, took out a piece of dry biscuit and handed it to the woman, "It's today Yes, you can let your uncle eat more to heal quickly."

A bitter smile appeared on the woman's haggard face.

She didn't want to accept the help of a half-grown child, but with one more piece of dry biscuit, her husband and children would have more food to eat, and a little more hope of living. She looked at the biscuit that Norma handed over, and finally Unable to say anything to refuse, he just lowered his head and reached out to take the piece of cake.

Norma is a considerate little girl. She said to the woman: "When uncle recovers, you can earn more. Then return the cake to me. I'm leaving."

The woman said dryly, "I'll see you off."

Norma: "No need, my pig will send me back, you go back quickly."

After Norma finished speaking, she trotted, leading a group of wild boars behind her, and ran towards the castle.

She helps others without expecting anything in return, she just likes to help others, just like the servants in the castle who helped her selflessly when she was very young.

The woman stood in front of the door, watching Norma's leaving figure. She knew that the last words the other party said were to comfort her and leave her with the last bit of face and dignity.

After wiping away her tears, the woman went home with the dry biscuit.

As long as her husband recovers, she can go out to find work. She picks wild fruits with her husband's parents and can always earn enough for the family's flowers. When the time comes, she will definitely return the cakes to little Norma .

When Norma returned to the castle, the sugar factory hadn’t stopped working yet. Now the sugar factory uses torches for lighting, which are hung on the walls on both sides. Relying on manpower, especially stirring the syrup, there is not even a tool for borrowing power, so it can only be stirred continuously with wooden sticks.

Until the sticky syrup gradually hardens into a ball, then take it out and let it cool for a while, then press it flat with a mold, then take it off one by one, put it in the freezer, reheat the leftovers, and press again.

The work in the sugar factory was very tiring and very hot. Although there was an ice basin next to it, it had little effect.

It's just that no one complained of being tired, and no one complained of suffering. Those who have suffered hardships don't think it is suffering, and those who have never suffered... These days, except for the families of nobles and wealthy businessmen, no one has experienced hardships.

Now I have work to do every day, as long as I work, I can get dry cakes and food. Such days can't be called bitterness, but happiness.

No one does not cherish such days.

Especially those who fled.

Before fleeing, they couldn't find a job, couldn't fill their stomachs, and many people around them died of starvation. There were always poor people on the streets who fell down while walking, and never got up again.

On the way to escape, the things they could eat were grass roots or the white things behind the bark. Not to mention filling their stomachs, they could only support them to go on and have a sigh of relief.

Chi Yan also feels that the atmosphere in the territory has become better now, and the manager also said that there are fewer people arguing now, and people are all focused on working to make money. Except for those who really can't work, there is no idler in the territory now.

And the production efficiency has been improved, and the ice storage is full of hard candies.

Now Chi Yan's only worry is whether the merchants can open up business routes.

Otherwise, the sugar and unbrewed wine would fall into his hands.

When Chi Yan was in fear for more than two months, and when the summer was finally over, the merchants finally came back. Unlike the disgraced first time, they almost beat the gongs and drums this time, but they came back arrogantly. They pulled out more than 20 trucks of goods, but when they came back, there were more than 40 trucks.

And also bought a batch of slaves pulling carts back.

The first thing they did when they entered the city was to take the cart to the castle. After all, these goods belonged to Chi Yan, and they were only working for Chi Yan this time to get paid.

"My lord, besides salt, we also brought back a lot of seafood." Although Arnold looked embarrassed, his eyes were shining brightly. "There are dried sea fish, as well as kelp, scallops, and sea rice."

Arnold went on and on: "In addition to seafood, we also exchanged for dried goods, all of which are dried mushrooms, which are all edible and can swell very much when soaked."

They even brought back a cartload of brimstone.

It's just that the merchants don't know what this thing is used for. The other party said that it was dug out from the mine, but they don't know how to use it, but it should be a good thing. The merchants think that although they don't know the use, the lord They must know, and the other party sells it very cheaply, half a can of sugar can be exchanged for a car, so they brought back this car of unknown sulfur with the idea that it would be best if it was useful, and it would not be a big loss if there was nothing.

Chi Yan didn't recognize it was sulfur at first.

It wasn't until he smelled the special smell and combined with the fact that it was a yellow brittle crystal that he realized it was sulfur.

This is an important harvest. Sulfur and saltpeter, together with charcoal, can produce the most basic gunpowder, and as long as the proportion is correct, the lethality cannot be underestimated.

"The businessman who sold this to you, next time you go there, can you still get in touch?" Chi Yan asked seriously.

Arnold also answered very seriously: "My lord, he lives in that city. He dug these things from the field he bought from the local lord. Because they are too brittle, they are not gems, and they have a smell, so It has not been sold all the time, and they are all piled up. I don’t think he will be able to sell them next year.”

Chi Yan: "..."

This makes sense, you can't eat or drink things, and they are not hard enough to sell to nobles who like gems, so you can only pile up and eat ashes. It is estimated that the businessman who bought the land lost a lot of capital to get in.

Chi Yan: "You guys rest for a few days, and then go there again, and you can buy as many of these things as you can."

Arnold's eyes widened: "My lord, is this thing really useful?"

Chi Yan said with a smile: "It's useless to others, but it's useful to me. You can negotiate and lower the price. Anyway, he won't be able to sell it."

Arnold laughed twice, looking like a treacherous businessman.

Chi Yan's desire to get gunpowder is not for war. After all, he won't be able to fight for a while. He mainly wants to have gunpowder so that the demolition can be carried out faster. The slums in this city are an eyesore to him.

The conditions in the slums are not only poor, but also badly built. The walls that should be broken and not broken have been broken, and it is still very troublesome to demolish them. There are also many problems in re-planning.

If you have gunpowder, it's much easier to disassemble.

And it can also be made into a weapon. Chi Yan can have an army that is invincible in this era.

Even if this army has only 20 people, it is stronger than 200 infantry.

Even if it's just for self-protection, it makes people feel more secure.

As for the seafood in exchange, Chi Yan doesn't like eating them very much. His mother is allergic to seafood. There has never been seafood on everyone's table since he was a child, so that Chi Yan himself doesn't eat much. He doesn't hate it, but it's not too bad on like.

But he does know that seafood can be made into condiments, which his mother taught him. Chi’s mother felt that the chicken essence and monosodium glutamate on the market had additives, which were not healthy enough, so she tried to make it by herself. After cooking the chicken, tear the chicken into fine pieces Shredded, and then baked in the oven until there is no moisture, as long as it is not burnt.

Then dry all the dried sea fish and dried scallops, dried shiitake mushrooms, and then put these things into a wall breaker and grind them into powder. If the first time is not fine enough, beat them twice. Then this powder is the homemade chicken essence.

Put a spoonful when cooking soup, very delicious.

But Chi Yan never could tell the difference between the homemade ones and the ones bought outside.

It's just more expensive than buying from outside.

Speaking of health...he didn't understand why the mother who often ate instant noodles didn't think instant noodles were unhealthy.

But now, Chi Yan felt that his mother was wise.

No matter how healthy or not, multiple skills are always good, so he hurriedly asked Anna to come over and take Anna to make chicken essence.

Their oven can't set the temperature, it all depends on the chef's experience and skills. Fortunately, Anna is very reliable. All the dry goods she baked have no moisture. In order to avoid burning the shredded chicken, they baked it twice, all using low heat. The same goes for shiitake mushrooms.

Chi Yan doesn't eat mushrooms, so he can't stand the smell, but when dried and ground shiitake mushrooms are mixed with other dry powders, the smell of shiitake mushrooms will be lost, so Chi Yan can still accept it.

"My lord...do you really want to grind it into powder? What is the purpose of grinding it into powder?" Anna thinks that if it is not ground into powder, these things can be served on the table after being soaked. This is meat, but if it is ground into powder, it is not meat. up.

Chi Yan: "Grind it into powder and it will be a spice."

Anna looked bewildered, and then heartbroken.

Grind the meat for spices!

Can't even think about it!

Chi Yan comforted: "Don't worry, after you grind it into powder, put a little in cooking, everything will taste better."

Although Anna didn't dare to refute it, Chi Yan could tell that Anna was about to cry.

It's just that Anna still followed Chi Yan's instructions honestly, and ground all the baked things into powder. Because the stone mill used was relatively heavy, the powder was very fine, but it was a little wet when she grasped it with her hands. Chi Yan I asked Anna to put the powder in the oven and bake it for a while until there was no more moisture, then it was considered a success.

It is easy to break if there is moisture, and it will not last long.

It can be used for a long time without moisture.

That night, the people at the table drank wild vegetable soup with chicken essence.

Wild vegetable soup, which is not very popular at ordinary times, was completely drunk today.

When Chi Yan was at home, he also boiled sugar, and only put vegetables. The seasoning was salt, monosodium glutamate, and a little sesame oil, which was fragrant and delicious.

If you boil an egg in it, it will be even more fragrant.

It's a pity that the most duck eggs in the territory now, and there are no chickens.

The chickens in the manor are all roosters, and there will be fewer and fewer, not more, and there are no fighting chickens that can lay eggs among the roosters.

Chi Yan didn't know that every time Anna put chicken essence, it hurt like she put her own blood.

... Meat, it's all meat.

The meat is turned into powder!

Chi Yan asked Kleist at the dining table, "Is today's soup good?"

Before Kleist could answer, Benedict said enthusiastically, "It's so delicious! It's even better than thick soup with milk!"

"You can drink more if it tastes good." Chi Yan said with a smile.

Benedict asked, "What do you add to this? Why does it taste so good? I've never had this kind of soup anywhere else."

Chi Yan put down his chopsticks and said very reservedly, "Secret."

Benedict: "..."

Chi Yan: "Just kidding, I have a seasoning. If you want it, you can exchange it for it. I'm very generous."

Benedict: "...I want to change."

He had almost eaten everything, and changed everything he could get out, especially the paper. Those thin sheets of paper almost emptied his family property.

Now Benedict has almost become a poor man.

It was Mrs. Campbell who felt sorry for the child, and she said: "My lord, let me exchange some bacon."

Chi Yan: "It can't be changed much, the seasoning is made of meat."

Mrs. Campbell: "... Then, exchange as much as you can."

Chi Yan squinted his eyes, thinking that when he became rich in the future, he could set up a chicken factory and a duck factory in his territory, and maybe he could make a fortune by selling chicken essence.

It's always good to have more ways to make money.

After returning to the room, Chi Yan proudly said to Kleist, "Am I smart?"

No... He didn't come up with this method of chicken essence, so Chi Yan put it another way: "I have a really good memory!"

Following Chi Yan's words, Kleist said, "You are always smarter than others."

Chi Yan rubbed his nose, proud and a little bit shy. He closed the door and said to Kleist, "The yellow brittle crystals brought back by the merchants are sulfur."

Kleist looked at Chi Yan, waiting for Chi Yan to continue.

Chi Yan went on to say: "There are many functions, but for us, the biggest function is that it can be turned into gunpowder when mixed with saltpeter and charcoal."

Kleist heard the word "gunpowder" for the first time. He licked the corner of his mouth, looked at the high-spirited Chi Yan, and asked softly, "What's the use of gunpowder?"

Chi Yan: "Gunpowder with a good ratio can blow people to pieces after encountering fire."

After Chi Yan finished speaking, he felt that such a description was too bloody, and was about to add it when he heard Kleist ask in a hoarse voice, "Is it a weapon?"

Chi Yan: "...the killer weapon?"

After hearing this word, Kleist seemed to quickly become excited. He grabbed Chi Yan's waist from behind.

Chi Yan could feel Kleist's teeth biting his skin.

Chi Yan raised his head, thinking that this was a good feeling, quite novel and exciting.

So he closed his eyes and said, "But this thing can't be used until it's critical."

Now the Holy Court and the royal family haven't fought yet!He was exposed when there was no fight. Under the threat of a third-party force, the Holy Court and the royal family might cooperate temporarily and unite against him.

Although Chi Yan didn't think he was timid, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

Therefore, the person who mixes the gunpowder must be trusted by him, and must be tight-lipped.

It can't be that the thing has not been fully developed, and this matter has caused a lot of trouble, and everyone knows it.

"Let the demons try." Chi Yan still kept his head up, his scalp tingling with comfort, "They all listen to you and won't leak the secrets, and they really need to exercise, they can't keep working hard. "

Without training, there will be no progress. It is simply a fantasy to expect the demons to grow by themselves.

Kleist said vaguely behind Chi Yan: "Okay."

The conversation ended here, and Kleist easily pulled Chi Yan into the vortex of desire.

The selected demons are all meticulous among the demons. The demons do hard work-after all, no one dares to let them do fine work. Now there is no need to dig the reservoir, and the demons will work with Like a tauren, he is in charge of the Katuo grown indoors.

So when they learned that they were going to do another job, they were all at a loss.

"What are we going to do?"

"How do I know? You ask me? Who do I ask?"

"Are you going to kill robbers?"

"Dream, there are no people around now!"

The demons couldn't think of what they could do.

It's not that they underestimate themselves, but that after staying here for a long time, they all know how much they are and what they can do.

They can even wash clothes torn, so they can only pay for other races to do it for them.

"Your Majesty understands us and will not let us do what we cannot do."

"Yes, it must be something we can do."

But they racked their brains and didn't know what else they could do besides killing robbers and doing manual labor.

Fortunately, Chi Yan also recruited a few dwarves to serve as teachers to the demons.

The dwarves now have a high status in the territory, because they are hardworking, capable, and creative.

Originally, dwarves were at the bottom of the chain of contempt among all races, comparable to goblins, and even worse than goblins.

But now, they have been reborn.

They are respected by the people and valued by the lord.

With their own hands and brains, they can obtain status and benefits that they could not have dreamed of before.

But the dwarves still like to live together. They have very low material requirements. Apart from work, their only hobby every day is handicrafts. The tables, chairs and benches they make can be exchanged for food, cloth, and even sugar from other races.

Chi Yan also vaccinated the dwarves: "They may not be very smart, and they seem to have a bad temper, but they will not hurt you. Don't be afraid. If they are lazy, you have to punish them. If they make progress , you must praise them."

"This is a very important job." Chi Yan said seriously, "There is also danger. Once you notice something is wrong, you must evacuate immediately."

Looking at the dwarves under the steps, Chi Yan felt a sense of accomplishment.

When he first came, the dwarves looked timid, always bowed their heads, always kept their chests in their mouths, and couldn't even straighten their backs.

The current dwarves have long been out of line with the original ones.

Their bodies became strong, their backs straightened, and their brows became radiant.

They just got better.

This is enough to show that all Chi Yan's previous efforts were not in vain.

After Chi Yan explained all the precautions, he told the dwarves the ratio of deployment, and emphasized repeatedly: "You can only work during the day, and there must be no fire in the house."

Dwarves: "My lord, we know!"

They have always strictly enforced the words of adults, and dare not ignore them.

Chi Yan felt that if he could really get the gunpowder out, maybe he could really change the land according to his own ideas.

It's just that he dared not tell people.

After all, this idea is really too conceited.