I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 186 New Products
Just a few days into May, the weather gradually became pleasant, and the long-lost mountain breeze blew into the dark castle again, causing the curtains of the double wooden bed to sway slightly.

Luc leaned back in the bathtub, his neck resting on the oak edge. A few flower petals floated in the warm bath water. He stretched lazily, and after a while, he slowly pulled himself out.

"I don't know where you developed this habit of taking baths."

Luc, naked, pulled a towel off the bedside table. Douce glanced at him nonchalantly. "It's okay to take a bath, but if other nobles heard that someone had woven a towel specifically for wiping themselves out of wool and linen, they would definitely think he was extremely wealthy."

The wool came down. Thanks to Mary's careful care, the output this year was quite a lot. Two sheep shed twelve pounds of wool. As for the goats, they were really not suitable for wool production. Three adult sheep together only weighed six pounds.

Listening to the slight complaints of his wife who was in charge of the textile factory, Luc smiled and changed into a clean and soft white linen shirt washed with pig pancreas.

"Why do you feel sad?"

"Taking a bath can help relieve fatigue. I didn't have the conditions to take a bath before. Since little Maiman has recently learned how to make a barrel, of course I want to try making one. It's a pity that the space left in the bathroom on the second floor is too small to put a bathtub in it."

"As for wool?"

Seeing Du Si roll her eyes at him, Luc pulled out a pigskin belt and buckled it onto his new linen trousers. Last winter's linen had been specially sewn, at his request, into a style that required a belt instead of a rope. He straightened his clothes, then gently walked behind Du Si, helped her put her hair up, and said, "Even if we take away the two towels, the remaining sheep's wool is enough to weave two complete woolen cloaks. Counting the one I had earlier and the sheepskin coat, there's more than enough to give to others, besides keeping warm in winter."

“But it’s still a bit wasteful.”

Du Si stretched out her white arms and tied her hair into a ponytail that was not very ladylike. There were not so many rules in her own territory.

"Think about it, my dear. I have two furs myself, but Lisa has none. As my maid, you always need some unique rewards, just like your squire Ryan."

"Besides, there's old Butler Eck and Jean. If you don't knit two bath towels, there's just enough for them all."

Clothes are an important resource, especially warm clothing.

In an era when most serfs had only one piece of linen passed down from generation to generation, it was a luxury for almost everyone in the Knight's Castle to have one piece of winter linen and one piece of spring and autumn linen, not to mention that they were intact and not tattered. As a result, the dozen or so serfs who had just moved in looked at the brand new clothes of the people in the old manor and thought they were seeing things.

One of the results of this is that Lisa and others lost their sense of superiority in clothing.
They are both intact linens, which one is more noble?
Originally, Luc did not pay attention to this matter, but he seriously underestimated the hierarchical concept in the feudal era.

Even being a maid of the Baroness was, in her mind, more noble than a free peasant. So, relying on the fact that she grew up with Du Si, she often begged for a nice piece of clothing.

"Old Eike is fine, Jean is fine too, Lisa? Let's wait a little longer."

"Next year, when there's more wool, she'll definitely have one. How about this, I'll take out a rabbit hat from my storeroom and give it to her."

After thinking about it, Luc decided to give Lisa a little reward for Du Si's sake. After all, Du Si did a great job in weaving this time.

After the textile mill was rebuilt, Amy, who was slightly pregnant, returned to the mill. Because they had sheep wool, this time the very hard goat wool was woven into thick ropes.

Yes, goat hair can be woven into ropes. This was what Du Si told him.

In the early days of Tiha Village, people often used goat hair to weave ropes, which cost much less than hemp ropes.

Luc didn't quite understand how much the cost could be saved until a rope about 120 to 130 meters long appeared in front of him.

Six pounds, 120 meters
Luke stretched it in surprise, and it was stronger and more durable than hemp rope.
"Linen is much more expensive than goat wool. Only you are willing to equip everyone in the manor with it."

Patting the pillow that was also filled with goat hair, Du Si glanced at Luc. In fact, her husband was very capable. He managed such a small piece of land very well. She was also a small noble who relied on arable land. How could she not know that the output of Knight Castle in all aspects was almost three times that of Tiha Village. You know, Tiha Village has more than 200 people.

The only problem is that it is too luxurious.

Luc didn't think of himself as extravagant. From the beginning of the land reclamation to now, he felt that he was very frugal.

For example, the maple leaf candy I discovered a few days ago.

He ordered the maid to pour out the bath water, and then he and Douce went to the hall. It was already noon, and the cook had prepared the dishes. The abundant harvest meant that Luc had basically only one meat and one vegetable for breakfast, but at this moment, there was a special dessert. "Douce, try it and see how it tastes."

Lisa had already pulled out a chair, and Luc sat down and smiled at his wife who was looking at the plate in confusion.

Upon hearing this, Du Si stretched out her fingers to pick up a piece and looked at it carefully.

Her husband also has an advantage, which is that he is a great eater. Over the past six months, she has eaten many unheard-of but extremely delicious foods.

Without hesitation, she put the dessert that seemed to be wrapped in ice crystals into her mouth. The crisp sound and sweet taste instantly spread across Du Si's taste buds, and her eyes widened immediately.
"Delicious! Honey, what is this made of?"

Du Si picked up another piece and chewed it. She heard Luc say with a hint of pride, "Of course it's maple candy. It's nuts coated in syrup. It's not as sweet as honey, but it's definitely good for satisfying cravings. So, your father was a businessman before. Do you think it's possible to sell it?"

"Sell it?" Du Si stopped chewing. Because it was still a long way from the autumn harvest, the people in the manor still maintained a certain degree of collective activities, such as the fishing team and the gathering team.

However, just like logging, commodity taxes will be collected in the second half of the year.

Du Si thought for a moment and said, "It should be possible to sell it, but dear, selling sugar is much riskier than selling charcoal. Wouldn't you consider it?"

"Don't worry, this doesn't count as selling real candy. I have my own plans, and I won't sell too much."

Since discovering maple leaf candy, Luc was very surprised. After making a can that night and seeing that there was no problem, he rushed to the white maple orchard with little Maiman the next day.

As a mixed broad-leaved forest, the most common trees in the forest are oak and beech, followed by ash and poplar, and mixed with small amounts of pine, thorn, ash, hazel, birch, elm, etc.

Oak and beech are the main sources of charcoal.

Hazel and beech are the main trees for picking fruits.

Now he has found another patch of white maple trees. After seeing the sap flowing out of the cut white maple trees with his own eyes, Luc immediately started collecting it.

First of all, don’t be too wasteful when collecting.

So Luc asked little Maiman to make two hollow wooden tubes, which were inserted into the bark of the white maple tree and flowed outward. Because the bark contained a certain amount of sugar, they were afraid that it would be damaged and attract insects, so they found beeswax to cover it.

The second thing is how to use it.

Because there are a considerable number of white maple trees, even if we maintain the idea of ​​sustainability, we estimate that there will be good maple syrup, so Luke thought of trade.

Salt, not intended to be traded for the time being.

Not to mention the output, the unfortunate owl died, which made him lose the opportunity to intervene in the salt smuggling route. Fortunately, the Alpine Notes gave him a new idea, but it would take at least some time to verify it.

So after much thought, the only thing that can be sold is wine!

The mead was so scarce that it wasn't even enough for me to drink.

Cider, cider before grafting is a thankless task.

We still have to wait for the mass production of Humulus lupulus.

"So, white maple wine is a good choice."

Luc picked up a candied nut and said:

"Oh, by the way, that goat wool sweater we had was too prickly. Let's have the textile factory make a carpet instead. We also need to do some simple renovations to the castle interior."

(End of this chapter)