I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 75 Granary
Luc stood in the only open space between the crowded buildings, constantly measuring the range with his feet. Behind him stood Old Ek and Ryan, observing the land together.

"Sir, this place is close to your cabin, and the land is large enough. I think it's perfectly possible to build a granary here."

Old Eike observed for a while, then slowly told him his thoughts.

After completing the temporary residence for everyone, Luc divided the six women including Mary into two groups, and each went to the forest to pick wild vegetables and fruits. He planned to build a new building before the farming season.

In the past, there were only himself and Robert's family in the mountains, and the food only needed to be concentrated in Luke's cabin. But in the future, it is clear that the amount of grain will only increase, and it is time to build a granary.

There is a difference between a granary and a cellar.

The cellar was not large, mainly used to store perishable food and leave space for an ice cellar, while the granary was mainly used to store grain.

Luc nodded, agreeing with Old Eike. This location was indeed good. It was close to the farmland and his cabin, and the terrain was higher than other places.

"Then let's stay here. Let them collect food for a few days, and then we'll try to build the granary as soon as possible."

Old Eck sighed. The peasant women collected food mainly for themselves. Luc had no shortage of food. Of course, they would still provide Luc with a portion of the food after collecting it. After all, in their hearts, this forest was Luc's property, and allowing them to pick food was already a kindness.

The most important thing in building a granary is fire prevention and moisture prevention, so Luke also plans to set up a circle of isolation zone outside the granary, and strictly prohibits making fire and cooking near the granary.

When it comes to cooking, no one in Ward Village has utensils, so Luke asked Miller to make a batch of ceramic bowls and distribute them to everyone.

Miller didn't feel anything yet, but Robert, on the other hand, felt a surge of joy. Seeing Old Eck, Jill, and the others gratefully accept the earthenware bowl, Robert couldn't help but straighten his chest. As Luc's first serf, and having personally participated in the rescue of the peasant woman, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of superiority, even though, aside from his lodgings, his food and drink were no different from everyone else's.

After the location was selected, the next step was naturally to build the granary. After about five days of collecting food, except for Mary who went to herd sheep as usual and two peasant women who continued to pick fruit, everyone else was gathered together by Luc to build a granary.

This time, Luke plans to participate in the construction personally, after all, the granary is a relatively important building.

Luc divided the people into two groups, one group took axes and saws to cut down trees, and the other group took shovels and hoes to start digging the foundation.

For the first time, Luc experienced what it was like to work with just his mouth.

The foundation this time is different from the usual foundation for building a house.

This time the foundation is also a cellar, and it is an inverted cone-shaped cellar, where food will be mainly stored in the future.

The most tiring work, digging, was of course given to the prisoner Martin. The dejected prisoner dug the soil hard with a shovel, and soon he was sweating profusely.

Gil and Robert took turns using the other shovel, while the peasant women helped them carry soil in wicker baskets from above. It took seven or eight days to dig the foundation.

The next step is to use fire to dry the foundation and cover it with wood ash, then wooden boards around and at the bottom, and it can be put into use. The advantage of doing this is that it can prevent moisture to the greatest extent.

As the planks were laid, Ryan and his team mixed the chopped wood with dirt and rocks to build the granary's walls and roof. The granary's walls were cylindrical, topped with a conical roof, somewhat resembling a temporary dwelling. Working from dawn to dusk, the two teams finally completed the granary's basic form, spending the better part of two weeks building. All that was needed was gradual repairs.

Looking at everyone's happy yet tired faces, Luke decided to add a little fish to the oatmeal tonight to add some meaty flavor.

As dusk falls, compared with the lonely smoke from cooking in the past, a cloud of smoke rises from the mountains and forests, slowly dissipating like ripples on the water under the setting sun.

Luke and Ryan returned to the cabin to rest, while Old Eck took Jill and the peasant women to the open space between the cabin and the temporary residence. They each set up a fire and clay pots, with gurgling bubbles constantly emerging, and waited quietly for dinner to be cooked.

Being busy can make people temporarily forget the scars of the past, and the rare sight of meat and fish also adds to the joy in their hearts. Everyone began to talk and laugh. Several women in linen clothes gathered together, whispering something, and soon they could hear the sound of laughter.

One-eyed Gil brought two bowls of porridge, one mixed with wild grass roots and the other mixed with fish meat, and walked to little Charlie. Next to the doghouse, there was a man tied up, Martin with a haggard face.

"Here's your dinner, bastard!"

Gil slammed the wild grass root porridge in front of Martin's eyes, and then gave the fish porridge to little Charlie. Seeing the little Charlie drooling as he ate, Martin's eyes flashed with anger, but it turned into a flattering smile in the blink of an eye: "Master Gil, you are really a kind and generous person. I like this bowl of porridge very much."

"I'm not a master, Master Luc is the noble. If you call me that again, I'll cut off your tongue!"

Gil was blind in his left eye, so Luc specially sewed a mask for him, which he fastened on his cheek to add a bit of ferocity. At first glance, he looked more like a bandit than a farmer.

"Haha, of course I know, but Master Luc usually doesn't even look at me. It's because you've always taken care of me."

Martin was smiling, unmoved by Jill's harsh tone. Seeing that Jill was still looking at him coldly without saying anything, Martin suddenly spoke with a deep sense of remorse:
"I know you still hold a grudge against me because Carl and I, those beasts, hurt your family. To be honest, this was not my intention. I have always said that I have never personally hurt any of your villagers. I am just a poor farmer who was coerced by Carl. I used to be the same as you, but you also know that it is precisely because I am also a farmer that I have no choice, otherwise Carl would have killed me. But I still have a kindness in my heart, so I did not kill the people of Ward Village.

Of course, I still feel deeply sorry for this, so I think you deserve to beat and scold me these days. This is God's punishment for me, and I should atone for my sins."

"If this can ease your pain, I am willing to continue to be beaten and scolded by you in the future."

As Martin was speaking, he began to wipe away his tears. One-Eyed Gil quickly reached out his hand to interrupt him, still with a blank expression on his face. However, he did not continue to scold him. He just turned around and left silently.

Martin didn't care. He picked up the porridge from behind Jill and swallowed it in big mouthfuls. Then he said contemptuously in a voice that only he could hear: "Hey, he's just a farmer after all."

……

The next morning, as the sun rose, Luc gathered Ryan Gilbert together, looked around at the three of them, and smiled slightly.

"Guys, today we're going bear hunting on the other side!"

(End of this chapter)