Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Heavy Plow Farming
This night is destined to be a sleepless one.
The deceased are gone, the living remain!
The death of fifteen villagers forced Lynn to reduce the workforce for rock salt excavation and the Salt Factory.
Fortunately.
The proficiency in rock salt excavation and the Salt Factory has increased, significantly boosting work efficiency.
Every day, over three hundred pounds of fine salt can still be produced.
The following morning.
George left the village with three thousand pounds of fine salt.
Without the burden of over ten thousand pounds of rock salt, the speed of the carriage dramatically increased.
...
On the open ground of the village.
Five sturdy and robust men stood in front of Red.
They were the members of the Guard Team selected by Red.
Lynn did not have high expectations for these guards, as they were temporarily formed from physically strong villagers.
As long as they can maintain their physical fitness and power, and rush forward at the first moment wielding scimitars left by thieves during critical moments, that’s sufficient!
What surprised Lynn was.
Red was now leading the five members of the Guard Team in physical training!
After questioning Red, Lynn learned.
In George’s caravan guards, there was an old soldier who participated in the Windless Valley campaign!
Forty years ago.
Earl Becker, who owned Lancashire, attempted to break away from the Kaldi Empire to establish a kingdom!
The Emperor of the Empire sent out fifty thousand cavalry, along with Mitchell Carolyn, known as the Spear of the Empire, to suppress them!
The fifty thousand imperial army marched majestically into Lancashire, the vanguard advancing unhindered, straight into Windless Valley!
However, as the army entered Windless Valley, they encountered the ambush of Earl Becker’s forces!
Rolling stones and logs fell from the valley top, causing heavy losses to the imperial army.
Earl Becker’s forces seized the opportunity to engage in close combat in the already narrow Windless Valley!
After a long campaign, coupled with the ambush.
The imperial army suffered numerous casualties, blood flowed like rivers.
In the face of a crisis.
Confronting the encirclement by Earl Becker’s forces, Mitchell, the Spear of the Empire, demonstrated unmatched prowess, leading five thousand cavalry to break through the encirclement!
Nevertheless.
The imperial army still suffered heavy losses, and the empire’s prestige was utterly diminished.
Half a year later.
The Spear of the Empire returned with a hundred thousand troops and suppressed Earl Becker.
But after the suppression, the Spear of the Empire vanished forever from the eyes of the world.
The five thousand cavalry that broke out of the encirclement also disappeared without a trace...
...
Lynn walked along the gravel path, inspecting the village.
The increase in plowing oxen and draft horses led to the barns being completely insufficient, and immediate expansion was needed.
Every time George returns, he brings back plowing oxen and draft horses, and the number will only grow.
Additionally, Lynn needs to start considering building a pasture!
Next, there’s the granary for storing food and the cellar for keeping meat.
The population hasn’t increased, but the amount of grain brought back keeps growing, necessitating a larger granary to store it all.
The cellar also needs to be built immediately.
Even though there’s now fine salt to preserve meat.
As the seasons change, the weather will get hotter.
It’s necessary to dig and build a temperature-controlled cellar to store preserved meat and keep it fresh longer.
Now with Colin having Level 3 Construction skills, Lynn can directly assign these tasks to him.
Not only that.
Lynn directly assigned Colin ten apprentices.
Having him craft the beds, chairs, tables needed in the village.
Up to now, Lynn is still sleeping on bare wooden floors.
Lynn thinks he must be the most frugal lord.
...
As Lynn passed the Blacksmith Shop.
A cheerful and excited voice called out to him.
"Master Lynn, you came at just the right time, I was about to look for you!"
Ehrelo’s face was full of smiles.
Walking into the Blacksmith Shop, Ehrelo immediately wheeled out a Wheel Plow.
[Wheel Plow]: Crafted through special forging, solid and sharp, requires draught animals harnessed to pull it forward, can be used for deep plowing, etc.
Looking at the words before him, Lynn raised an eyebrow.
The Wheel Plow forged by Ehrelo is identical to what Lynn remembers.
Having Ehrelo continue crafting them, Lynn called over Gavin and Wilbur.
One person pushed the plow, another led two plowing oxen.
Heading towards the cleared but not yet cultivated land nearby.
Gavin held a branch in his hand, guiding the plowing oxen ahead.
Wilby gripped the handle of the plow, moving his left hand to lower the plow head that was hovering over the plow car.
The sharp and solid plow head instantly pierced into the soil.
The plowing oxen, maintaining steady steps, slowed down.
But it was still within the endurance range of the two plowing oxen!
Because when designing the heavy plow, Lynn considered aspects like center of gravity and force, aiming to save the plowing oxen’s energy as much as possible.
The plow sliced through the soil, severing tree roots embedded within.
About twenty centimeters deep of fertile soil was turned over under the action of the curved plow blade, and fell beside the plow.
Looking at the deep furrows left by the heavy plow, Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
The heavy plow can expose the lower fertile soil, mix it with the upper layer and bring the roots of some weeds to the bottom for further decomposition.
Providing nutrients for the upcoming plantation!
Neither the iron hoe nor the light plow could achieve such effects.
It can improve cultivation efficiency and reduce the number of villagers needed on the land.
This is why Lynn insisted on forging the heavy plow!
At the moment, Gavin and Wilbur’s faces had a trace of indescribable excitement.
With the existence of the heavy plow, the efficiency of opening up wasteland has greatly improved.
Even when plowing the land with oxen, aside from speed improvement, the presence of wheels makes it even easier!
Lynn stood at the edge of the plowed field, watching for about half an hour, estimating in his mind.
With Gavin and Wilbur possessing Level 2 Planting Skills, in half an hour, the plowing oxen plowed approximately two hundred square meters.
At this efficiency, working eight hours and deducting rest for both oxen and humans, at least fifteen acres of land can be plowed in a day!
Lynn has two thousand pounds of high-quality iron, enough to forge twenty such Wheel Plows, requiring forty strong adult plowing oxen.
But he currently only owns twenty-eight of them.
Although draft horses can be used for plowing to some extent.
However, in terms of endurance and speed, they are far inferior to plowing oxen.
Lynn sighed, he must acquire more plowing oxen!
Having Gavin and Wilbur continue to plow the open land.
Lynn walked through the fields inspecting.
Wherever he looked, there was lush greenery.
It was the half acre of vegetable seeds he bought and planted in Kent Village, now growing.
They were cabbages and spinach.
Especially the spinach, with its short growth cycle, could be harvested in a few days.
...
In the vegetable field.
Lynn squatted beside a furrow, his gaze sweeping over each spinach plant.
Seeing spinach with seven or eight true leaves, Lynn grasped the spinach leaves with his left hand and with his right hand, cut the spinach leaves with a sickle, placing them into a willow basket beside him.
[Collection Experience +1]
[Collection Experience +1]
...
Spinach can be uprooted, or harvested with a sickle.
When harvested, spinach has the chance to grow a second crop!
Lynn carefully put spinach leaves into the willow basket, increasing his Collection Experience bit by bit.
Once the basket was full, Lynn stood up and stretched lazily.
Not far away.
Kuisi Connie and Mola were also harvesting spinach in the fields.
Lynn’s gaze stretched into the distance, and his brow instantly furrowed.
A few miles away from the village, a large team was slowly coming.
Where they passed, dust rose from the ground.
Continuous heavy sounds of metal chains dragging echoed.
Clank, clank...