I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 138 Household Registration System
On the east side of the church, there is a low hill.

The war horses were eventually buried here and were not reduced to meat.

Because they were afraid of the stink, Luc led his men to dig the grave at dawn. At this moment, the others continued to work for the day, while Luc stayed alone in the church and whispered his request to Hugo, who was always in a state of prayer:

"Friar, you and my wife are the only ones in the entire manor who can read. Du Si is not convenient for public appearances, so I would like to ask you to help me count all the household registrations. I wonder if you are willing?"

Hugo silently recited the Scripture. Despite his youth, he possessed a calmness that only a middle-aged man could possess. When he heard Luc's words, he didn't refuse. Instead, he asked in confusion, "Household registration?"

This term was somewhat unfamiliar to him.

“Yes, household registration.

Simply put, it means recording the name, age, family relationship, and, if possible, the region of origin of everyone in the manor. Luc nodded.

"What's the use of this?" Hugo frowned slightly.

He was not as pretentious as other monks, and did not think that Luc was blaspheming God by asking him to work. He was just confused about what Luc did. He had traveled to so many places, but had never seen the lord care about such things.

"It's useless now." Luc looked directly into Hugo's eyes, "But it will be useful later!"

Others do not pay attention to household registration, but Luke knows that it is an indispensable thing.

When the population is sparse, it's possible to rely on memory to keep track of the territory's inhabitants, but as the population grows, written records will become necessary. This is just a prototype; once the land is sub-leased next year, each household will need to be counted for the amount of land allocated and the number of poultry they own.

Yes, Luc encouraged the rest of the people to raise poultry, especially chickens and sheep.

Hugo thought for a while and agreed to Luc's request. He also happened to want to ask Luc for a favor.

"Sir, I would like you to keep an eye on travelers from Cluny on my lands in Telfbridge. I want to know what's happening at Cluny Abbey. I'm leaving after this winter."

If Luc's goal is to become a true lord step by step, then Hugo's goal is to follow the true footsteps of God. If possible, he would like to reform the current status quo of the church.

Knowing what he was thinking, Luc realized that he couldn't persuade him, so he could only agree reluctantly.

Luc had never seen a monk like Hugo, and the other had never seen a lord like him. The two people from different classes had a feeling of mutual appreciation.

Looking at Luc's resolute face, Hugo paused and said, "I am also sorry that your warhorse passed away, but if you want a new one, I think I can provide a little help."

Luc was looking at the slightly dull silver utensils in front of him. As he expected, the two utensils were not made of pure silver, but contained a large amount of lead. This is also the norm nowadays. After all, pure silver is valuable, and lead-containing utensils will taste sweeter when used to hold wine. This alone is worth many nobles vying to imitate and make them, but Luc knew that it was typical lead poisoning.

Hearing Hugo's words, Luc retracted his gaze and said in surprise: "Can you provide help? Tell me."

He hadn't expected to get any information about horses from Hugo. "If you want a good steed, the first choice would be an Al-Andalusian or a recently deceased Percheron. But I'm sure you understand I can't get them. I only have information about ordinary horses."

Hugo flipped through the pages of the book, and like the yellowed Book of St. John, his resume was as distinctive.

"In the southern county of Auvergne, I once saved a dying knight. He had a vast pasture with a large herd of horses. I can write a letter of recommendation and ask him to choose a fine warhorse for you."

"But how to transport it back is something you'll need to figure out yourself."

Luc tapped the tabletop. Two wooden tables had been placed in the church for Hugo's convenience. He noticed a word in Hugo's words: Auvergne!
If his memory is correct, Luc was originally born in Auvergne.

Luc couldn't help but think of his former baron lord.
As Hugo spoke, he drew the location of the knight. Luc secretly memorized it and planned to ask Hoffman later whether he would pass by that place.

At the same time, he noticed something new.

"Father, I might need you to help me with another task," Luc said with a smile. "Please draw a simple map of the places you've been."

……

Hugo was very active. That day, he took the white paper given to him by Luc and started walking among the crowd. He asked questions like "what are your names and where are you from" in a solemn tone, which scared some timid serfs and made them think they had violated some taboo.

Luc looked at everyone's reactions and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Luc had a general understanding of the value of war horses.

The price of a strong adult horse is about six pounds. Including the round-trip transportation costs, if Hoffman can really get him on board, a total of ten pounds of money will be needed. You must know that Hoffman sells charcoal and only gives Luke a dividend of six pounds a year. This shows how expensive war horses are.

Fortunately, there was still some money left from the eloping monk last time, enough to buy a good horse.

At the end of October, Luc took a long walk around the hillside and realized he'd been a bit too optimistic. Rye on newly cleared soil wasn't growing as well as on established land. It was already the time to pull out the wheat seedlings, and the weather, even hotter than last year, was causing them to grow rapidly. Even a cursory glance revealed the difference between the two plots of land: the flatlands were bustling with wheat, while the hillsides were sparse. Despite equally meticulous cultivation, the final yield might only be half that of established land.
However, the first intercropping on cultivated land was not smooth sailing.

Robert carried a hoe and walked around the fields like a soldier patrolling a fortress, digging out weeds between peas and wheat from time to time. Weeding was much more difficult after intercropping because the watering and fertilization levels were different, and the daily management of the two plants with intertwined roots was also very difficult. Fortunately, a lot of insects were killed when the mountain was set on fire.

With farm tools, fertilizers, people and livestock, Luc no longer has to worry about anything in the fields. His main focus now is on finding talents for special jobs.

First of all, there is Oliver. As a professional beekeeper, apart from anything else, the fact that Luc and Duce can drink a glass of honey water every day is worthy of Luc providing him with better food and accommodation. Not long after the weaving hut was completed, his residence was furnished with a set of furniture, and he was also rewarded with a small piece of rabbit fur, which made Oliver very happy. There are simple people and there are smart people. Compared with Paul's honesty, Luc can see that Oliver is actually more mercenary, but it is precisely because of this that Oliver likes Luc's reward very much. Before the weather turns completely cold, you can see him wandering around with rabbit fur on his head all day long. Fortunately, the status of beekeepers is slightly higher than that of ordinary serfs, otherwise he would be laughed at by many people.

The second is Ryan's apprentice.

That’s right, Ryan really found a kid with a good talent for carpentry among a group of children!

(End of this chapter)