Chapter 208 Accidental Injury
Chapter 208: Accidental Injury
Starting from January, the entire Wubei Territory began preparing for spring farming. By the beginning of April, after several months of hard work, out of the 100,000 acres of newly reclaimed land, more than 30,000 acres were planted with crops like vegetables and flax, while the remaining 70,000-plus acres were all sown with two-grain crops: barley and wheat.
After the sowing was completed, one would expect a relatively slack farming season. However, Luo Ning had already made plans. The people in his territory had no time to rest.
Under Wilson's organization (he served as a government official), reclamation teams were formed in Shanlin Town, Swamp Town, Black Soil Village, and other places. They were divided by villages and began a new round of land reclamation in full force.
This year, not only were they equipped with curved plows and iron farm tools, but Luo Ning had also brought many black buffaloes from Swamp Town and distributed them to the village chiefs. With these resources, the difficulty of reclaiming new land decreased compared to previous years, and the speed of reclamation increased significantly.
On this basis, Luo Ning also formulated a reward and punishment system:
By early July, the top three villages in terms of reclaimed land would be rewarded. Each family in these top-ranking villages would receive a reward, and the village chiefs and team leaders responsible for the reclamation would receive even larger rewards. The incentives included additional land allocations, food subsidies, house expansions, monetary rewards for capable individuals, and even freeing exemplary slaves from servitude.
Where there are rewards, there must also be punishments. For villages that ranked at the bottom, if their reclaimed acreage was more than 3,000 acres less than that of the top villages, the village chiefs and team leaders would be dismissed. Depending on the situation, taxes for each household in those villages could be increased.
With such a combination of carrot and stick, each village, driven by dual forces of fear and desire, threw itself into the reclamation work wholeheartedly. Some even sent "spies" to monitor the progress of neighboring villages. A strong competitive spirit quickly emerged.
Heavy work naturally led to heavier consumption of food. But Luo Ning was not worried—he still had 3,000 gold coins in hand, so buying another two batches of 300,000 kilograms of grain would not be a problem.
From the lord down to the slaves, everyone in Wubei was incredibly busy, but the external environment was quite calm. No special incidents occurred in the territory, and even the border of Wushan Territory was surprisingly quiet. Perhaps the Bolant Thieves and the Black Gold Brotherhood were too busy with their own spring plowing to cause trouble?
Over these two months, Luo Ning's magician training progress had surpassed a thousand. In just three more weeks, he could become a Silver Knight and Chief Magician. Fortunately, he had the attribute panel to allocate points, saving him from spending excessive daily time on cultivation and long journeys between territories.
He had merged Qingzhu Village, Ziguo Village, and Huitu Village into "Sanfang Town." Heitu Village, which initially had more than a thousand residents and later received six hundred slaves, now had nearly two thousand people. Luo Ning renamed it Heitu Town.
…
"Sir, this land has been planted with mulberry seedlings," Horn reported, accompanying Luo Ning to inspect the mulberry fields in Ziguo Village.
Luo Ning sighed. He had initially planned to plant only ten acres of mulberry trees, but now it seemed too little. Unfortunately, he could not have foreseen that he would quickly take over Swamp Town and become the Lord of Wubei Territory so soon.
"What's the survival rate?" he asked, squatting beside a ridge and examining a young mulberry seedling. Though only a 20-centimeter cutting, its three leaves were vibrant, clearly indicating successful growth.
"I checked and found that some seedlings didn't survive," Horn said, "but we prepared adequately using the layering and cutting methods you mentioned. We've already removed the dead seedlings and replaced them. Most of the mulberry seedlings in these ten acres have survived."
Horn sounded proud. He noted how convenient it was to use layering and cuttings instead of mulberry seeds.
"Very good!" Luo Ning said, smiling. "Next, pay attention to watering the young mulberry seedlings. Apply fertilizer again after thirty days."
"Don't worry, sir," Horn replied. "As for fertilizer, we've started composting it using Chahar's method. If it's not enough, I can bring more from Swamp Town."
Horn was one of the three intermediate knights in Wubei Territory. Although his combat power was lower than Kurami and Baburin's, he seemed more inclined to dedicate himself to agricultural endeavors.
"This is our first year of raising silkworms," Luo Ning reminded him. "Although we're mainly testing things and gaining experience, it's essential to select people who are attentive, obedient, and patient."
He continued, "I'll have Leah bring her apprentices here. The loom manufacturing site will also be moved to Ziguo Village. Prepare suitable housing."
Ziguo Village would become a sericulture base. By setting up textile and loom manufacturing here, silk cocoons and related materials wouldn't need to be transported elsewhere.
Leah would handle cotton spinning, silk reeling, and weaving. She had experience—she had successfully woven a silk scarf before, which Luo Ning gifted to Lulans. Even if Master Daen's loom couldn't be operated yet, Leah could still produce silk through slower, more labor-intensive methods.
After inspecting the fields, Luo Ning and Horn headed back. Along the way, Luo Ning continued sharing his sericulture experience, explaining temperature and light control, cutting mulberry leaves into small pieces for young silkworms, drying mulberry leaves, checking for sick silkworms, regularly cleaning the silkworm house, and removing silkworm droppings.
He spoke confidently and in detail because he had personal experience. Over these two months, Luo Ning had also begun exploring papermaking. The bark fibers soaking in Shanlin Town should be softened by now, so once he returned, he could proceed with the next steps: crushing, mixing, and hopefully producing paper. With enough paper, Luo Ning could write sericulture handbooks and record his experiences, ensuring that even if he left Wubei Territory, Horn and the others could still learn.
As they approached the village, Luo Ning prepared to ride back to Shanlin Town. It was still early, and he did not expect to hear urgent hoofbeats outside the village. Both he and Horn looked toward the sound.
"It's Tom, who's been following the commander on the mopping-up patrol," Horn noted. Tom had great potential, having learned much from McCann and Riedel. After the Swamp Town affair, Tom joined Riedel's patrol team, trekking through the mountains and forests daily.
Luo Ning frowned slightly, noticing Tom's disheveled, panicked appearance.
"My lord!" Tom reined in his horse, dismounted hastily, and knelt on one knee. "Sir, the commander is injured!"
Luo Ning's heart skipped a beat, and Horn also looked stunned. In Shanlin Town, Riedel—a silver-level knight—was a key combat force. He was out on a mopping-up mission. How could he be injured? Did they encounter a powerful monster?
Riedel was responsible for the northern mountains and forests, not the Wushan Monster Mountain Range west of Ironwood Workshop, which McCann's team managed. It seemed less likely that Riedel would face powerful monsters.
"What happened?" Luo Ning asked seriously.
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