I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 172 Departure to Macon County

"Master, this is the wooden stand you asked for!"

Little Maiman used a raft with round wooden balls on one side and a rattan rope to pull a pile of oak logs in front of Luc.

His hut was still under construction, so he still lived in the original shack every day. However, before the house was completed, he built a bunch of messy but useful tools.

"Yes, it seems you have been very diligent during this period."

Of course it is impossible to cut all the wood in such a short time. This is the wood that little Maiman has stockpiled.

As for Robert's vine net, Luc took it slowly and looked around. "How come it's ready-made? Did you go fishing without telling me?"

"How is it possible, sir? Absolutely not!"

Robert was originally bending over and waiting for praise, but who knew that Luke would suddenly mention this, which made him feel a little embarrassed for a moment.

"Sir, I was fishing in Provence before, but I was starving and had no other choice. Now I have food, and you often give me food. Why would I go fishing? The fishing team's net broke a while ago, so I made up this story."

Seeing Robert's pious expression, Luc raised an eyebrow and didn't intend to pursue the matter. He said, "I trust you this time. Look, if you see any empty fields, take the grape cuttings and plant them along the direction of the sun. Remember, don't plant them too far apart; about four feet will do."

After following Luc for several years, the uneducated Robert could understand some of Luc's words.

As an agricultural veteran, he sighed, picked up the grape branches and went to the field.

Luc pointed at little Maiman and said, "Go and preservative the bottoms of the oak piles first. You should know how to do this if you've built a wooden wall before. Once you're done, follow Robert and nail them one by one next to the grape branches."

The wood that little Maiman brought was not high enough, just enough for the vines to climb.

Don't underestimate this point. Too high or too low will affect the growth of the vines. Luc customized a batch of them because he remembered the height of wild grape racks.

The grapes were left to be supervised by Old Eike, and after a pause, Luc suddenly turned around and walked towards the edge of the forest with the remaining blueberries.

"Master, you don't grow blueberries anymore?" Ryan trotted after him, a little confused.

"Yes, but not in a ploughed field."

"why?"

"Have you ever seen where blueberries grow?" Luc scanned the uncultivated land, picked out a patch of vacant land with few weeds, and walked over. "I forgot about the blueberries before, so I didn't tell them to dig out their roots. If you pay attention, you'll notice that blueberries and other crops require different soil."

When they reached the open space, Luc squatted down. The blueberries were not held in his hands all the time, but were placed in the earliest woven willow basket for wild fruits.

"That's it. The farmland was previously fertilized, and the ash was mixed into the soil."

"But I guess blueberries just can't be grown in soil mixed with wood ash!"

Luke said in a deep voice: "Go find some farmers and ask them to open up this piece of land."

Grape growing in Burgundy is not uncommon.

In fact, Burgundy is a paradise for grape growing.

As far as I can remember, the baron in Auvergne grew grapes, but never blueberries.

It’s not that there aren’t any, but local priests often say that blueberries are a crop forgotten by God and can only be picked, not planted.

Luc didn't believe it, but he had to admit that this indirectly reflected the difficulty of growing blueberries.

Just now, Luc was thinking about planting blueberries and grapes together, but when he saw farmers applying fertilizer in the distance, he suddenly realized a problem:
Maybe the difficulty in growing blueberries has something to do with the soil!
Luc got up and started looking for the place where blueberries were first discovered. Finally, he found several wild blueberry plants on a dark black soil.

Picking up a handful of fine soil and rubbing it carefully, Luc gradually had an idea in his mind.

Back at the clearing, Ryan had already called over a few young men who were busy cultivating the land.

Ryan recruited young men between the ages of seventeen and eighteen and twenty-three and twenty-four. Each of them worked tirelessly, showing no signs of fatigue or impatience at having to work for the lord again. This was certainly due to Luc's lingering gratitude, but more importantly, it was due to their respect for him.

Perhaps Luc himself does not know that his prestige in this age group is much higher than that in the group of Robert and others.
"Jill, go get some peat and pine needles."

Luc saw a familiar face and gave instructions to the guy who was going to be a father next year.

Jill had been in charge of charcoal burning before. Although he was briefly transferred to guard Eugene, he immediately took over the charcoal burning after his return. As for the farmland, of course Luke ordered others to help his family cultivate it.

It takes at least a few days to cultivate a new piece of land. It is not just about turning the soil into ridges and furrows, but also about mixing in peat and pine needles as Luke ordered.

That’s right, Luc knew why blueberries couldn’t grow well. It was a problem with the soil, or in other words, blueberries prefer more acidic soil.

The wild blueberry field was not simply growing in the soil, but was surrounded by a small swamp.
The swamp is not as deep as you might imagine, where you can never get out. There is just more mud near the blueberries, and you really can't see it if you don't look carefully.

"Pine needles and peat are just a last resort. We dug the blueberries so hastily back then, I doubt this batch will survive. But let's leave it that way for now. It's getting late."

For several days, Luc devoted himself to the cultivation of grapes and blueberries.

There were no major problems with the grapes. Graping by cuttings was not much more complicated than planting apple trees. With Old Ek around, things went smoothly.

After reminding Robert again not to completely press the vine net on the wooden frame, and then asking little Maiman to quickly make a batch of scarecrows, Luke began to pack his bags.

He is preparing to go to the county town!

"You must bring the coat of arms. A formal noble status will avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"Try to choose the best weapons. This is a long journey and there might be danger along the way, so we can't be vague."

"Take dried meat, cheese, bread, and any food that can be preserved easily. Also, take money. Money is useless in the valley. Take it all with you."

Luc counted the contents of his cubicle.

Luc had always been in charge of the weapons and armor, so old Eike didn't know the exact number.

There is no need to say much about Luc's fine steel knight sword, dagger, bow and arrow, iris shield, chain mail and pot helmet.

Including the weapons of George and Jean, there was a knight's sword, three short swords, a dagger, a rapier, a flail, a mattock, eleven shields of various sizes, a mace, three short curved spears, and twelve javelins.

The armor includes three pieces of leather armor, four sets of armored clothing, and five concave helmets.

Luc picked out a complete set of leather armor and two sets of armor, and then selected the only three-sided leather-covered Germanic small shield, as well as three short spears and three short swords.

Call Ryan, Miller and Hans and let them put them on.

This time, he was going to the county town to meet Pierre, hoping to make some connections along the way so that he wouldn't be looked down upon.

After all, when faced with a poor knight and a rich knight, any businessman needs to make a trade-off.

After thinking about it, Luc tied the emblem to one of the short spears and asked Ryan to carry it. In this way, a team of knights that at least looked powerful appeared.

——Luc rode a horse that was even taller than the previous one. The leather saddle that George had stolen was brand new and shiny. He put on deerskin boots, hid a dagger, hung up his bow and arrows and helmet, and put on the smooth and neat white linen clothes brought by Du Si.

His long brown hair was tied behind his head with animal rubber bands, his beard was carefully trimmed, his sapphire-like pupils were bright and sharp, and a scabbard specially made of leather was hung around his waist. The cross hilt reflected a dazzling light. He sat on the horse with his head held high and his chest puffed out, with chain mail tied to his horse's tail. At first glance, anyone would be unable to help but praise his majestic appearance.

Ryan stood with his legs apart beside his warhorse, wearing the lightest dented helmet, a light linen shirt with dark brown breeches, and a shiny leather armor that was specially maintained with oil. He had a round leather shield on his back, his left hand holding the hilt of a sword with a scabbard slung around his waist, and his right hand holding a heraldic short spear, with a golden stag pattern fluttering in the wind.

Miller followed closely behind, dressed identically to Ryan except for the lack of a scabbard and emblem, he was just a bit shorter, and of course, his leather armor was replaced with a vest.

Compared to Miller, Hans had an extra large bag on his back, which was why Luc didn't let Hans carry the mace - he needed to act as a mobile granary.
After packing everything up, he asked Old Eike to manage the farmland and told Jill to guard the castle.

The four of them crossed the mountains and forests, bypassed Château de Cooper, and headed towards Macon County, the westernmost part of Burgundy.

(End of this chapter)