Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest

Chapter 71 - 71 5 What is the Purpose of Living

?71: Chapter 5: What is the Purpose of Living?

71: Chapter 5: What is the Purpose of Living?

After acquiring a large quantity of lime,

Roman’s first action was to drive everyone to build the road.

They poured raw materials such as lime, gravel, crushed stone, clay, silt, and even a large amount of wheat straw and weeds onto the road surface, added water, and stirred them into mortar.

This kind of mortar was a very primitive form of concrete.

The main components were sand, stone, soil, and grass.

The lime acted as a binder for the various auxiliary materials, playing a role in solidifying and shaping.

Then, they spread the well-mixed mortar around evenly.

Its various effects were not as good as cement, but for road surfaces, it was qualified and had the advantage of being durable and easy to obtain materials.

Roman required at least an 8-centimeter thickness—that is, the depth which an adult’s index finger could completely insert into the concrete road.This task was naturally quite heavy, with a long construction period and extremely laborious, requiring the use of horse and ox carts to transport various architectural materials back and forth.

But it had to be done!

The salt mine was 40 kilometers away from Sige Town, and usually, it took more than two hours to travel there.

The lunch prepared in Sige Town would be cold by the time it arrived there.

If the road was rugged and bumpy, this travel time could be extended by half.

Poor road conditions also caused severe wear and tear to vehicles and wheels.

Moreover, Sige Town was located in the southeastern corner of the basin, while the location of the salt mine was towards the northwest.

In other words, this road led not only to the salt mine.

More importantly, it penetrated to the heart of this basin.

Sige Town was like a home with no knowledge of the resources within.

As long as he wanted to develop this vast basin, he needed a solid and durable road.

Under Roman’s orders, aside from the two hundred people at the salt mine, there were more than four hundred people from Sige Town who would start the road repair work in a grand manner tomorrow.

Roman’s requirements for them were not low.

Because there was no guard supervision, he had to set clear targets and demanded that these people pave at least 500 meters of distance every day.

Spread out over each person, every individual needed to fix a stretch of primitive concrete road over 1 meter long and 4 meters wide.

It was just because of the need for division of labor—some had to continue burning lime, others had to collect sand, gravel, etc., and still others had to lead large animals back and forth to transport various things.

Only about a hundred people were actually involved in the paving work.

The specific work scheduling was arranged by the steward of Sige Town.

Roman, on his part, would provide three meals a day.

Everyone had to arrive at dawn.

All the laborers ate an 80% full breakfast before six o’clock and then worked for six hours.

They had a full meal at noon and rested for half an hour after eating.

In the afternoon, they worked for five hours, then ate the third meal.

If the targets were not met that day, Roman would kill 10 individuals who he saw as the most inefficient workers.

Those who couldn’t work didn’t deserve to eat three meals a day!

At lunchtime, Roman announced this in front of everyone.

He stood in a higher position, looking down at the farmers discussing among themselves, and if anyone jumped out to oppose, he would immediately chop off the head of the dissenter.

Sige Town could only have one voice.

But these farmers were also smart enough not to question Roman’s decision.

“Lord, will we really have three meals every day?”

Someone in the crowd asked.

Roman didn’t arrange for a plant; these fools weren’t worth his trickery, nor was it possible for him to give an impassioned speech, as they might not understand talks of the future or development.

But his announcements were nothing less than a groundbreaking event for them.

In that era, farmers could only eat twice a day.

The first meal was not enough to fill them up.

The second meal was also unsatisfying.

In their memory, having enough to eat for both meals only existed during the planting season more than a month ago when there was even meat in their bowls.

During the road-building period, Roman had provided them with only one meal a day.

Even now, many farmers secretly swallowed their saliva at the thought.

“Yes, it’s the same standard as your daily lunch.

“But if you idiots fail to meet my requirements, I will kill ten of you.

If you think you’re incapable, then go do something else; I will show no mercy.”

“What if it rains?” another voice raised a different question.

“Then it will be postponed!” Roman said impatiently.

He looked around for a moment, his expression indifferent, his red eyes deep and serious, as he saw the crowd pressing in front of him.

At this moment, a question lay before all of them.

What is life for?

Not for faith!

Not for money!

Not for status!

Not even for the future!

It’s for a full belly!

They were just for a full belly!

Tilling the land was merely a means for them to feed themselves!

And here, the Lord could let them eat three meals a day!

A full three meals!

The third meal they never even dreamed of since they were born!

Even if they really didn’t meet the goal and ten people were killed, there was nothing to be afraid of.

The barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes.

They were over four hundred people; they could wear out the Lords by sheer numbers.

And as long as they worked hard, it definitely wouldn’t come down to them.

After all, even if the Lord made an example by killing a few, he would only choose the weak who couldn’t work; it made no sense to harm the strong.

Roman nodded, and with a lift of his right hand, he waved lightly and said, “Rest this afternoon, start work tomorrow, you may go.”

The dense crowd dispersed in a rush when he waved his hand.

Roman walked down the hillside.

There were 130 people left, besides the 80 farmwives originally responsible for lunch, Roman had also put 50 female slaves in to help, or else the big kitchen would be too busy to cope.

“Your task coming up is important, so I’ve increased your numbers, do you have any objections?”

They exchanged glances.

The Lord wasn’t asking but stating.

His tone did not suggest that he thought they would have objections.

In the end, an ignorant farmwife whispered, “Lord, I have a sheep at home, three chickens…”

She was a young woman, perhaps not yet blessed with the chance to have children with her husband, but her household did have some assets, some livestock, at least.

Before, working on just one meal a day, she could still take care of the animals, but now that might be impossible; she could only return home at night and was worried the livestock would get thin or lost.

It would be a significant loss.

Roman’s eyebrows furrowed slightly; he had asked casually, but someone really stepped forward, “I’ll buy them.

I will purchase all the livestock in Sige Town at a fair price, you can’t waste your time on such things anymore.”

Faced with the wealthy Lord, nobody had a word to say.

They found that ever since this Lord took charge, their lives had undergone earth-shattering changes, many old habits completely shattered.

“Moor.” Roman called out.

The Steward, sweating, immediately stepped forward.

“Take care of the purchase at my expense, can it be done?”

“Yes!

Yes!

Immediately!

Immediately!” Moor nodded repeatedly.

He couldn’t pull out any money if asked; with the purchase of so much food, his savings were nearly emptied out.

The price of a pig or sheep might seem insignificant, worth at most one or two silver coins, but nearly every poor household in Sige Town kept some animals; that scale was somewhat frightening.