Chapter 58: Spring Plowing

Since ancient times, grain has been the foundation of national stability and livelihood.

The same held true for Idar.

Every spring, whether commoners or serfs, all threw themselves into the work with full effort.

For the land cultivated by serfs, the Norman Empire generally implemented an 80-20 sharecropping system—serfs were required to hand over 80% of their harvest to the landowning noble, while keeping only 20% for themselves.

Although Bruno had been quite generous in freeing serfs before, he had no intention of changing this policy in the short term.

He needed the serfs to see just how much better the lives of commoners were compared to theirs.

While serfs had to surrender 80% of their harvest, commoners paid significantly lower land rents.

In Bruno's view, only with such a stark contrast could motivation be created. Only when serfs fully realized how much more privileged the commoners were would they work tirelessly to earn their freedom. This way, more surplus value could be extracted from them, accelerating the construction of grand projects.

Bruno worried that if he were too benevolent and improved the serfs' living standards too quickly, it would diminish the allure of gaining commoner status.

Thus, it was not his own greed at play—

It was all because of the monument construction system!

If not for the system, would he even be investing so much effort in building grand structures?

Of course not!

It was simply that the system's rewards were far too tempting. There was nothing wrong with taking advantage of them!

Still, Bruno knew that for the serfs, 20% of the harvest was far from enough to survive.

Thus, he planned to offer some compensations in other ways—slightly increasing wages for labor, creating more job opportunities...

The paper mill and distillery were both in urgent need of workers, and the road construction and monument projects welcomed all willing hands.

Once spring plowing was over and the serfs had some free time, they could make up for their food shortages by taking on additional work.

Moreover, Bruno had established a relief department that would distribute small amounts of food to those who could not survive otherwise. At the very least, no one would be left to starve to death.

At the same time, Idar introduced a new policy targeting commoners.

From now on, both commoners and serfs could not only purchase grain from Bruno with copper coins but also exchange their harvested staple crops for sea fish, seaweed, and other foodstuffs.

Additionally, all private grain trade was now banned in Idar. If commoners had surplus grain, they were required to sell it to the lord at market price.

If market prices were too low, the lord would set a minimum purchase price.

Any private sale or trade of grain would be strictly suppressed.

Bruno enacted this policy because he believed that only by keeping the grain supply firmly under his control could he maximize its value.

Whether for brewing alcohol or provisioning the army, a steady grain reserve was essential.

Furthermore, given the monument construction system's presence, Idar's large-scale projects would only continue one after another. Without sufficient grain reserves, Bruno would be plagued with worry.

He had long been preparing for this year's spring plowing.

Thus, on the day Idar began large-scale planting, Bruno personally led Lister, Old Ford, and others to the fields.

This year's spring plowing was unlike any before. It was a complete transformation.

The first major difference lay in the improved farming tools.

During the winter, while work on the Hanging Garden was underway, Bruno had already ordered the carpenters to construct curved plows and water wheels.

Luckily, he had an excellent memory and could recall the diagrams from his high school history textbooks. Otherwise, purchasing these two tools from the system shop would have cost him fifteen points of Radiance.

Memory alone, however, was not enough. The carpenters spent the entire winter experimenting before they finally managed to craft the curved plow.

The design itself was not overly complicated. It replaced the traditional straight beam and long shaft with a curved beam and short shaft, and a freely rotating plow disc was mounted at the front. This made the plow lighter, easier to maneuver, and more efficient in turning. It saved both human and animal effort.

The water wheel was even simpler. By winter's end, many of Idar's irrigation canals had already been fitted with them.

These wheels used the force of flowing water to rotate, driving buckets that automatically lifted water for irrigation.

For the peasants who had worked the land their entire lives, these tools were nothing short of miraculous.

Many stood dumbfounded, staring at the water wheels as they steadily turned, drawing river water into the irrigation channels.

As for the curved plow, although its appearance was strange and it had yet to be tested, anything personally ordered by the lord was bound to be extraordinary.

The second major difference this year was the crop varieties.

In the past, wheat and barley were the dominant staple crops. But this year, Bruno introduced the seeds he had received from his beginner's package.

Their quantity was limited, but their impact would be immense.

Potatoes.

Corn.

Sweet potatoes.

Any one of these alone would have been a revolutionary staple crop in his past world. Now, he had all three!

Potatoes could serve as both a vegetable and a staple food.

Bruno recalled how, in his previous life, whether as a main course like beef and potato stew, or as snacks like French fries and potato chips, potatoes had been his favorite food. They were versatile, flavorful, and unmatched in utility.

Corn and sweet potatoes were just as valuable.

Take sweet potatoes, for example. They had high yields, required little maintenance, and were useful from root to leaf.

Sweet potato leaves were edible, the root had medicinal properties for detoxification, and the tuber itself was highly nutritious.

It was also incredibly easy to prepare just roasting it over a fire made it ready to eat. It was an excellent source of sustenance.

Even better, it could be used to make porridge.

Although Bruno personally had little interest in dried sweet potatoes, many others did.

By slicing sweet potatoes into strips and sun-drying them, they became a long-lasting, non-perishable food source.

With potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes now in his possession, Bruno felt as if he had secured a dream like start.