Chapter 26 Guests from Afar: The threshing ground, guests from afar...
The Lai family didn't have much wheat, so after harvesting, they borrowed a threshing ground and several truckloads of wheat were transported there.
The next step is to thresh the wheat grains off the whole stalk; this step can be done by renting tools from the threshing ground.
The wheat stalks, after being threshed, are still bundled together using the same method and taken home to be used as livestock feed.
Skilled villagers can also weave it into straw hats, mats, and chicken coops. At the very least, all that wheat straw can be kept as kindling for cooking and heating in the winter.
After removing the straw, collect the remaining wheat grains mixed with various debris and pour them into a special container to completely separate the wheat grains from the debris.
Finally, the dried wheat grains were packed into burlap sacks, marking the completion of the entire autumn harvest. All of this process had to be kept dry.
After several days of hard work, Lai finished drying the wheat and weighed it at the threshing ground that same day, handing over one-third of it to the village.
All the wheat harvested in the village was stored in a warehouse next to the threshing ground, guarded day and night. Only after all the grain had been collected and handed over would it be sent to the town.
During the autumn harvest season, the village worked for almost a month to finish all the farm work.
The main problem is that the threshing ground isn't big enough, so people have to queue up. Therefore, those who finish harvesting their wheat first have a significant advantage, because the longer they wait, the more likely it is to rain.
While the village was busy storing the grain to be delivered to the town this year, a caravan of twenty-three people with eight fine horses arrived in Rosen Town.
That very evening, the town's hotels received a large order.
That night, the candles burned brightly in the town's tavern, and the lively sounds of people drinking together carried far and wide. The tavern hadn't seen such a bustling scene in a long time.
After several years, the town of Rosen has finally welcomed guests from afar once again.
"Sir, what would you like to order?"
The bartender politely inquired about the guests sitting at the bar.
He was dressed in hunter's clothes, with sturdy animal hide armor on his elbows, knees, and chest, and his flaxen curly hair was loosely tied back.
A scar ran across the end of his eyebrow, forming a memorable broken eyebrow. His eyes were sharp, always giving the impression that he was being watched by a fierce eagle.
"A glass of Montmartre."
"Sir, what would you like to order?"
The bartender asked the customer sitting next to that man, a man dressed in a mage's robe.
"A glass of tequila, with some honey."
The bartender deftly mixed two drinks and placed them in front of each of them.
"Anderson, relax tonight and don't always have such a long face."
"That's what the man in the mage's robes said."
Anderson took a small sip of his Montmar and sighed.
"I had a bad feeling about this operation."
"My dear commander, I really didn't know you had secretly learned divination behind our backs."
The mage in his robes joked, then continued.
"All we need to do is capture a live fourth-tier cub, and the nobles and lords of the main city will vie to pour large sums of gold coins into our pockets. At that time, no one will care if you don't go on missions for a year."
Anderson sighed again.
"I hope so."
Many things are beyond his control. He still has over twenty brothers to support, and this operation cannot possibly end with just capturing a single fourth-tier cub. But he still hopes to return as soon as possible and complete the mission quickly.
As dawn broke, the convoy left the city, climbed over two familiar small hills, and arrived at a dirt road leading to a small village. They also saw the tunnel, which was mostly completed.
The tunnel hasn't been completed yet, so you can't see that there's a road on the other side of the mountain.
"Barnett has finally decided to build a road."
The mage in his robes urged his horse to walk beside Anderson.
Are we still going to the village?
Anderson thought for a moment before answering.
"Go ahead, replenish some supplies, and visit some old friends along the way."
"Yes, Commander."
"Go to the village!"
"knew."
The mage in his robes called out, and a response came from the back of the line.
The convoy marched in a neat line toward the small mountain village, immediately attracting the attention of all the villagers upon entering.
A tall, fine horse would be quite conspicuous in a remote, impoverished village.
The team members stood tall and proud, striving to be in their best mental state.
They parked the carriage in the threshing ground as usual.
Besides being lent to villagers for drying wheat during the autumn harvest, the threshing ground was also used for hosting group activities. The adjacent warehouse, in addition to storing grain, was also lent to passing travelers for a small fee.
There's also an iron pot over there. People staying overnight can cook for themselves or pay the villagers to cook and bring it to them.
The news of the strangers' arrival in the village quickly reached Barnett's ears. He brought Kari and several members of the self-defense force to the threshing ground.
Upon seeing that it was Anderson, he greeted him warmly.
"Welcome back, Commander Anderson."
"Thank you, elder."
Anderson tilted his head to the right, and his teammates behind him carried a basket of wine and placed it in front of the two of them.
"This is a gift for you, to thank you for your continued help."
"Commander Anderson, you're too kind."
"Not at all. The convoy needs to rest in your village for one night before setting off at dawn tomorrow. This afternoon, please help us purchase some supplies in the village."
Anderson quickly revealed the purpose of his visit to the village in just a few words.
What do we need to purchase this time?
Anderson explained the main requirements, and Barnett left with his men, leaving only the original warehouse guards behind.
The convoy's main need this time was a special kind of flatbread. This flatbread didn't taste very good, but it was very filling and kept for a long time. Once baked and dried, the flatbread, if properly stored, wouldn't mold for a month.
They have prepared a large quantity of dried meat and seasonings such as salt.
I just need to buy some dried vegetables and vegetables that can be stored for a long time in the village, and then I'll have everything I need.
The destination of this mission is deep in the Eaton Forest, where they will need to stay for at least two months. Various types of durable, low-volume food are especially important to them.
A group of villagers quickly gathered at the threshing ground, all bringing their own various crops.
In the village, Barnett also organized a dozen or so women, set up a large pot, and started making pancakes.
The village now has a plentiful supply of rye and wheat. Selling the grain to Anderson's caravan, which goes on an adventure to the Great Forest of Eton, is definitely more profitable than selling it to shops in town, so the villagers are very enthusiastic.
"elder brother!"
Lamb's voice came along the forest path, where Ray and Neil were cutting down trees.
Lamb went to his house but couldn't find them. He later asked Old Gug and found out they were there.
"elder brother!"
"Neil! Neil!"
"My cousin seems to be looking for us."
Neil put down his axe and listened carefully to the sound.
"It should be him, Neil, go and check."
"good."
Neil followed the sound to Lamb, and after more than ten minutes led him to Ray. Ray was still chopping at the dead tree.
"The caravan heading to Eaton Forest for an adventure is here! Shall we go check it out?"
"It's just a motorcade, what's so interesting about it?"
Neil asked curiously.
“Neil, you don’t know this, they’re going to buy some supplies this time, and we can sell them the vegetables from our homes.”
Upon hearing that it could be sold for money, Neil immediately became interested.
How long will they stay?
"Ray asked."
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Take any extra vegetables at home and sell them quickly; don't miss this opportunity."
"No rush, I'll go after I've cut down this tree."
"That's what Lei said calmly."
"Brother, I'll help you."
Lamb took Neil's axe and started helping to chop down the tree. After they finished, he and Rye sawed it into sections, loaded them onto the truck, and took it home.
"You know what, this little thing is actually quite useful."
As Lamb spoke, he tightened the reins on the small animal.
"Bro, could you hurry me back home?"
"You'll be in a hurry?"
"I asked suspiciously."
"I haven't tried this, but I have driven an oxcart before."
"Okay, hurry back, the wood isn't doing so well."
"Okay."
Back home, Lamb helped unload the logs, and then the three of them went to the threshing ground. They decided to see what everyone was selling first, and deal with the rest later.
The villagers brought mostly vegetables, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, along with some dried fish, pumpkins, radishes, and homemade, long-lasting vegetables. Seeing this, Lai had a sudden inspiration and immediately thought of what he could sell.
"That Malaysian is really handsome!"
Lamb's attention was entirely on the horses in the caravan; he was extremely envious and wished he could glue his eyes to them.
Not only Lamb, but all the young men and boys in the village kept their eyes glued to the horse.
The people in the convoy were used to it and let the children gather around and watch.
They were constantly warned not to get too close, as the horses might get startled and kick them, which would be disastrous.
"Lam, I'm going back now."
"Hey? Bro, what have you decided to sell?"
Lamb was somewhat curious.
"Hmm, I've got it. I'll try to sell it first."
Ray hadn't gone far when Neil ran after him.
"Brother, why did you leave without waiting for me?!"
Neil was somewhat annoyed.
"I thought you wanted to watch a little longer, so I didn't call you."
Neil sulked and decided to ignore Lei for the next hundred days.
My brother really doesn't understand himself. No horse is as important as my brother.
"Neil, do you think our salted bird eggs will sell?"
Neil immediately overturned his decision.
"Definitely! My brother's salted bird eggs taste really good. I can eat two big steamed buns just with them."
Lai also thought it might be possible to sell it.
The caravan couldn't easily start a fire while traveling, which is when salted bird eggs came in very handy.
It's salty enough to make it both delicious and flavorful, perfect for any occasion, and an excellent gift.
"I noticed they had a lot of iron cages in their vehicle. What are they going to do with them?"
An iron cage?
After a moment's thought, Lei understood.
"They must have gone to capture monster cubs."
At some point, the aristocratic gentlemen of high society began to engage in social activities involving raising baby monsters.
In addition, although the church has explicitly prohibited it, some cities still have large arenas that regularly host gladiatorial games.
In their eyes, Warcraft cubs are pets, a source of pride, and a tool for making money.
Neil is still young; there are some things he doesn't need to know yet.
Furthermore, monsters are inherently ferocious, and capturing their cubs is no easy task. Therefore, few people dare to take on such quests, and most teams instead venture into the Eton Forest to search for treasure.
I fear that greed will eventually lead to being devoured by beasts, just like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
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