When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1010 The Sugar and Grain Scramble and the Refugee March

After Barto fainted, no one noticed anything seriously wrong with him, so they let him remain unconscious, which conveniently meant one less person to drink with.

When the party ended and everyone returned, they found that Barto had already woken up and was just lying on the bench crying.

He had long since become numb, but after hearing Hugh Allen's words, he felt a sudden surge of inexplicable grievance.

It turns out they could have lived a good life; there was a way; his parents, wife, and two daughters could have avoided starvation!

But who can he say this to? And who should he blame?
Sheryl felt a pang of sympathy, but simply helped Barto up without saying much, and the two of them went to the dock together.

When they arrived at the dock, Khalifa was not there; only the wardens were there.

The guard told the refugees that it was getting late and that they should sleep in town.

The local mayor also arranged for them to stay at a monastery in the suburbs, where dinner was provided free of charge.

Sleeping in a monastery? And free dinner? Great!

The refugees were naturally overjoyed and left happily.

But when they tried to board the ship again the next day, they exclaimed that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Because the dock was empty, there were no ships to be seen.

"Where's the boat? Where did my boat go?"

"There are ship thieves!"

"Father Khalifaq, you didn't steal all our luggage, did you?"

Halifax made a gesture of pressing his hands down, but no one paid any attention; the noise continued.

With no other option, Halifax coughed loudly, and the guard next to him immediately pulled out a rubber baton and went over.

A few blows landed on the troublemakers, and the scene instantly fell silent.

"Well, let me say a few words," Halifax's expression softened slightly. "Don't worry about your ship, it's been lent to the local priest for transporting supplies."

Your luggage is being looked after by staff on board.

Let's walk together to the next town, Merlin. By the time we arrive, the ships should have just finished transporting the grain and are returning.

We'll get on the ship then.

At this point, the local priest, Polk, stepped forward and said, "Because of the sugar and grain being blocked from the way, our grain transport ships did not arrive on time, so we had no choice but to borrow your ships."

Of course, you won't leave empty-handed. I'll hire some of you to stay here, and you'll get a share of new land.

In addition, I will also mobilize a small number of donkey carts and horse-drawn carriages to transport the elderly, women, and children, and everyone, regardless of age or gender, will receive compensation..."

Hearing this, the crowd quieted down a bit and began whispering about how to extort more money.

Polk had no choice but to borrow the boat in this way.

He delivered grain on time for the first two years without any mistakes, so he was recognized for excellence for two consecutive years.

Last year, several county magistrates in this township received only "good ratings" because their first grain tax collection after a three-year hiatus resulted in inaccurate estimates and untimely grain delivery.

But Polk had planned ahead and delivered it on time.

If we include this year, that's three years of performance evaluation.

Do you even understand the value of a three-year evaluation?

However, the person in charge of the local charity market was too greedy. After renting the boat, he insisted on sending a list of spirits to Xia Lucheng.

Now look what's happened! Sugar and grain are competing for space, and one boat has harmed two virtuous men.

Whether the person in charge lives or dies is irrelevant, but what about my performance evaluation in Polk?

He dreamed of going to the capital and of making great progress in his career.

Just then, the Ludwick Relief Association arrived, and since he and Khalifaq were from the same hometown, they lent a hand.

Priest Polke spoke from above, and Anselm followed below.

What is meant by "sugar and grain competing for priority"?

Heylen explained, "It's just sugar ships and grain ships vying for passage, it's that simple."

The sugar-carrying ships that Hugh Allen mentioned did not only refer to sugar, but also included those transporting cloth, spices, mortar, rapeseed oil, and so on.

These ships were all destined for the city of Kerro Götterdölln, and then their cargo was transported to Leia to the west or Fran to the south.

If it happens to coincide with the arrival of envoys from various counties transporting grain to the Holy See, such as after the winter wheat harvest, it would create the unusual sight of numerous large boats blocking the river.

If, at that moment, a ship were to crash and sink, it would be like the sky were falling.

After hearing Heyren's explanation, while others remained relatively calm, speculator Reginald instantly became interested.

"Wouldn't that cause a major shock to the futures market?"

“Of course, every year during the ship jam season, at least a dozen or twenty people like you go bankrupt!” Heylen’s words were barbed, but they were also a warning to Reginald.

However, Reginald was oblivious to the fact that, as the saying goes, the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish; others are fearful, but he is greedy.

If no one goes bankrupt, whose money will he make?

Seeing that Reginald was stubborn and unrepentant, Hugh Allen could only shake his head.

Unlike the others who were indifferent, Sherley's clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

Upon hearing this news, he nearly fainted. The Ark of the Sacred Relics and numerous other sacred objects were still on the ship!
He should have taken the Ark with him when he came down. He was worried that carrying the Ark around would make it too conspicuous and that someone might steal it.

But to their surprise, the Ludwick Relief Society members sailed away.

It's alright, it's alright. He patted his chest to catch his breath and calmed himself down. It's too late to regret it now.

After this trip, the Ludvik Relief Association seems quite reliable; it's unlikely that anyone would steal from them, especially from refugees.

After he finished speaking, everyone was rushed off to eat the free breakfast, while Priest Polk began to select people to stay.

However, Polk didn't just pick randomly; he came prepared.

The central government documents have stated that grain production should be reduced and replaced with more profitable cash crops, and that industry should be vigorously developed.

Therefore, Polk does not select skilled farmers, but prioritizes craftsmen who can take care of cash crops or small tools.

Surprisingly, in the small circle of Sheri, Barto was kept on by the mayor and allocated thirty acres of land for olive cultivation.

“Don’t envy him.” The hunchbacked rope maker, Worin, suppressed his jealousy. “How much money can he make from olive oil? Let’s go to France…”

"Cough!" Sani suddenly coughed.

“Let’s go to Little Pond City and become shipbuilders. That’s where we can make big money. Farmland is just dead land.”

Ignoring the two brothers at Eagle's Foot Bay, Anselm turned to Reginald: "And you?"

“Rapidstream City, that’s a place where gold flows.” Reginald was clearly impatient.

“And you?” Anselm asked again. “I’m planning to go to Ronsanshire, is it on my way?”

“On my way, I’m going to Jeanne d’Or for a job as a primary school teacher,” Sheryl said nonchalantly, though he was actually going to the Holy See.

“That’s great. I’ve already allocated 45 acres of land near Longsand County. We can look out for each other on the way.”

After breakfast, the donkey carts and horse-drawn carriages arrived, and the group officially began their journey.

The refugees had no problem with walking; they had walked many roads when they fled before.

After a month on the boat, they really missed their homeland.

This time, however, was different from their previous escapes. They carried pies and dry rations in their arms, and the women, children, and donkey carts transported them along the way, chatting and laughing all the way.

However, many people, mainly the two brothers from Eagle's Foot Bay, are always worried that bandits or robber knights might jump out.

These bankrupt super knights were the most hated people during my previous escape journey.

Sheryl, however, did not share this fear.

He knew that the Holy Alliance had risen to power by killing nobles. If there were still bandit knights left to be wiped out after four years, he really needed to reconsider whether he should leave his will to the Holy Alliance.

Using a branch he found on the ground as a walking stick, Sherley looked to both sides as he walked.

Right next to the edge of the road was a patch of wild grass, messy yet vibrant: thistles, nettles, plantains...

Most of the plants were clumps of fluffy foxtail grass and small white chamomile.

Behind the thorny bushes and wild blackberries lies the farm’s rough-and-ready fence against wild animals.

At every intersection, you can see low stone boundary markers, which were once used by nobles to declare their land ownership.

At this moment, the family crests on them have been erased, leaving only lines of text: "Welcome to [Village Name], how many miles away is Meilin Town?"

In the distance, one can see half-timbered houses, a small church, small crosses at road junctions, and shrines placed in stone pavilions.

Honestly, Sheri felt that the religious atmosphere in the Holy Alliance was much stronger than in many parts of Leia.

He shook his head, then looked away and continued forward.

After walking for a whole day, we stayed overnight in a village.

By the afternoon of the next day, the large group of people finally arrived at Meilin Town and saw the vast plum orchards outside the town.

As for the two brothers from Eagle's Foot Bay, they didn't encounter the thieves and road bullies they expected; instead, they were met with dark circles under their eyes.

Upon approaching the dock, Khalifaq went to the management office to negotiate, while the remaining refugees rested and moved around on the spot.

The farmers were fine; they all sat quietly. But the city dwellers couldn't sit still; they were touching and looking around, joining in the fun.

They got tired of seeing them so many times; all the towns in the Holy Alliance were too similar.

Blue sky and grassland, distant mountains, and a wide, dark blue river nearby.

The same cobblestone mortar road, the same brick and tile house courtyard, the same red roof tiles.

Seeing that Merlin Town looked exactly like the town they had just left, everyone thought they had gone back to the wrong place.

Hugh Allen circled around and then went to Anselm's side to whisper something in his ear.

After whispering, Hugh Allen walked away as if nothing had happened.

Anselm dusted himself off and grinned as he approached the two Eaglefoot Bay brothers, who were sitting on the ground. "Shall we make a bet? If I win, you'll have to return all the money you won from me yesterday, how about it?"

"What do you want to bet?" A glint flashed in the tall Sani's dull eyes.

Anselm pointed to a small chapel by the dock with its gates tightly closed but bearing the court's sign: "Let's bet on this trial."

　P.S. There's one more chapter coming up later; I think I can finish it before midnight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)