Lieutenant Colonel Manrich's official duties went smoothly. He came back early in the afternoon to prepare for a family dinner. In fact, the two guests were Claude and his adjutant, Lieutenant Longcodo. His wife personally cooked and prepared a not very delicious but warm and sumptuous dinner for everyone.
Since Claude was staying at the Baron Mansion in Normandy all day today and had no time to go to the bookstore to buy some books, Lieutenant Colonel Manrich decided to stay for another day. He took Claude and Lieutenant Longcodo with him. We went to visit the royal capital alone, then went to the bookstore in the business district, and then set off back to the military academy after dinner. This way, it would be daytime when we arrived, and we would not delay business.
So Claude and Lieutenant Colonel Manrich returned to the military academy on the morning of the third day. Poor Lieutenant Roncodo sat in front again and took turns with the coachman to drive the carriage all night, and was as cold as a quail. Lieutenant Colonel Manrich generously waved him back to the dormitory to rest, and at the same time found another coachman to take Claude to Aunt Natalie's house.
After arriving at the place, the carriage driver helped Claude move a large box of books into the room, and then drove the carriage back to the military school. Claude himself brought a big bag into the yard, greeted Aunt Natalie, handed her the note written by her precious son, said a few words about her son Phaedra, and then told her Aunt Natalie, please don't disturb him during the day, he needs to have a good sleep.
Although Claude and Lieutenant Colonel Manrich slept in the carriage after traveling all night, it was a carriage after all, so their sleep was not very peaceful. Therefore, Claude was also mentally exhausted and needed a good rest. After this break, he slept until about three o'clock in the afternoon before waking up. Claude left the room and prepared to go to the kitchen to boil some hot water for himself to take a good bath.
Doris was the only one in the kitchen. When Claude saw her, he remembered what happened that night and felt a little embarrassed. Doris also blushed a little, but still pretended not to care and asked Claude what he needed. Knowing that Claude needed to boil hot water for a bath, she enthusiastically said that she could help, so Claude went to fetch water and deliver it to the kitchen. Doris started to boil water in a clean copper pot, and then asked Claude to pour the boiled water into the water tank outside the room.
After struggling for a long time, Claude was finally able to take a hot bath. However, the bathroom only had a shower head and no bathtub. This made Claude particularly regretful. He actually wanted to take a bath. After taking a shower, Claude remembered that Halbena had taken the clothes he had changed out of last time for cleaning and had not brought them back. Although he had put on new underwear, there was no replacement for the military uniform outside.
Claude had no choice but to open the window and stick his head out to call Doris for help. He shouldn't have soaked the military uniform he changed into in the tub while taking a shower, otherwise he could have put it on first and made do with it. However, Doris heard Claude's call, so she went upstairs and brought Claude's last washed clothes. They were all neatly folded, and the military uniforms were also pressed, which made Claude feel that he spent a lot of money every month. The three riaso cleaning fee is good value for money.
Claude was going to thank Doris for her help, so he took a paper tube of baked egg rolls bought from the royal capital as a gift to thank her. Doris didn't expect that Claude would give her a gift. She looked flustered and a little shy for a moment. After trying to avoid it for a long time, Claude put the paper-wrapped gift in front of her and left the kitchen.
What he didn't expect was that when Claude came out of the kitchen, he saw old man Zasilak standing at the door of the yard, staring at him with a dark face and asking: "What are you doing?"
What am I doing? I didn't do anything and didn't want to do anything. What do you mean? Claude felt a little confused for a moment and didn't know how to answer.
Old man Zacilak ignored the confused Claude and entered the kitchen aggressively. He carefully looked at Doris' body and found no signs of disheveled clothes. Then he asked: "Is this What do you want to do in the kitchen?"
"Ah, he just came to thank me," said Doris.
"Thank you, why should I thank you?" The old man looked very suspicious.
Only then did Claude realize that the paper cone that he had just put in front of Doris was gone. He was very unhappy with the old man's suspicious attitude: "Hey, what do you mean? I just woke up and wanted to take a shower. She helped me heat hot water. After I took a shower, I still didn’t get the clothes I washed last time, so she went upstairs to bring them to me. Now that I’m going to the military academy, can’t I say thank you to her?”
Doris nodded, indicating that Claude was right. The old man made a fuss and was too embarrassed to apologize. He just said "hum" and went upstairs.
Paralysis, you damn old man, Claude is really a little angry. I went to the capital two days ago to bring a big package for your precious son, and I also spent so much carriage fare. I didn’t expect to meet your daughter-in-law as soon as I came back. After saying a few words, you turned your back on me and even suspected that I had an idea for your wife... Who are these people? Okay, old man, just wait for me...
But Doris said next to her, are you okay? My father-in-law is like this, because my husband is not at home, and he is very concerned about other men contacting me...
Claude said with a dark face that it's okay, I'm going to the military school first.
Since he came by carriage in the morning, Claude had to walk to the military academy this time. It’s not that far anyway, it takes about half an hour to walk, which means it only takes about ten minutes to walk from one end of the village to the other.
The road surface is a little wet. The roads in the village are made of rocks and are very smooth. This is much better than in other villages. The roads in many villages are dirt roads, which turn into mud pits during the melting period in February, and turn into small puddles during the rainy season in March, making it impossible to walk on them.
Claude walked slowly along the road in the village towards the military school. Kaleben Village is very large. The villagers' houses are not built together, but are scattered here and there, one house after another. There are small vegetable gardens and gardens in between. By the way, flowers are also one of the specialties of Kalebeng Village.
Not long after, Claude walked to a large open space in the village. This open space had been bought by several merchants, and they were planning to build the first tavern in Kaleben Village here. Obviously, these merchants were selling The idea of military cadets, who are more willing to spend their salaries and subsidies in taverns than villagers.
At this time, Claude was stopped by someone. He turned around and saw that the person calling him looked familiar. It was only when he saw the fake wooden leg on his left foot that Claude remembered that the person calling him was the villager from Kalebeng Village. Sir, Aunt Natalie's eldest son seems to be named Chenova.
The mayor of Chenova was very polite and wore a faded old military uniform without epaulettes, which he probably brought back when he was disabled and retired. Since he is a citizen and a retired soldier, it is okay to wear an old military uniform, but he is not allowed to wear any formal epaulettes. In this regard, the treatment of soldiers and officers in the Kingdom is completely different. If Claude retires with the rank of major, he can wear military uniforms and official major rank epaulettes for daily social activities.
The village chief of Chenova stopped Claude because he was curious as to why Claude was walking instead of riding a horse. He was also concerned about whether Claude's habit of staying at his parents' house was going smoothly. Claude gave a brief explanation and said that Aunt Natalie was very hospitable, but he couldn't figure out why his father, old man Zasilak, didn't seem to welcome him to stay
Chenova smiled bitterly, apologizing for his father. He told Claude the reason. His father didn't like the military academy settling in the village, thinking it would disturb the peaceful lives of the villagers. However, Chenova strongly supports the opening of the military academy in the village, believing that it will bring about earth-shaking changes to the village and may change the village's face of poverty...
"Knight Claude, Kaleben Village is far away from the royal capital and is the most peripheral village. Although it is under the jurisdiction of the royal capital, it does not have a good impact on the village. Just like the flowers produced in our village, It is often too late to deliver it to the royal capital at the freshest moment, so the price has been kept very low, and it is often considered uneconomical to plant it. For the villagers, it is better to go to the mountains to pick some mountain products, dry them and sell them to earn a few bucks. Copper coins subsidize household expenses…”
The village chief of Chenova is a man who has seen a lot of the world. When he joined the army, he joined the Marine Corps. He followed the kingdom's fearless fleet to the mainland of Nubisia and was stationed in many places. But later, after serving in the army for eleven years, he wanted to make a career and make a career for himself. After receiving training as a non-commissioned officer, he was transferred to a local army in a territory directly under the Nubicia continent. Unfortunately, he was shot by a poisonous arrow while suppressing an indigenous rebellion. In order to save his life, the pharmacist cut off the left foot that was hit by the arrow, and he retired due to disability.
The village chief of Chenova learned to read and write in the army, which is better than his semi-literate father. After returning home, he first married his wife, but was soon appointed as the village chief of Kalebeng Village because of his national status. He had a conflict with his father, who was originally the village chief. In the end, he had no choice but to separate and build another house in the village. .
Regarding the conflict between him and his father, old man Zasilak, the village chief of Chenova briefly mentioned it because they had different views. Old man Zashilak is a person who doesn't like to get into trouble. Unless it's to collect taxes or recruit soldiers, he usually doesn't want to have contact with the villagers. He just likes to live his own life behind closed doors.
At that time, Chenova had just been appointed as the village chief, and he was very ambitious. He hoped to rally the whole village to change the face of poverty in Kalebeng Village. This was something that his father, old man Zasilak, was most opposed to. Old man Zashilak believed that it was none of his business whether the villagers lived well or not. If there were opportunities to make a fortune, it would be better for his family to enjoy them all. It can be said that old man Zashilak is an extremely selfish villager with no vision. He only cares about his own one-third of an acre of land. He will not care about anything else if the sky falls...
The village chief of Chenova, who has been in the military for more than ten years, knows very well that many of the ways to get rich are not something that his family can make and own alone, but are a kind of scale effect. Just like the Nubicia continent he had been to, a market town or village is often famous for its specialties, which makes the entire village rich and affects the surrounding areas, creating more opportunities to make a fortune...
It was out of this consideration that he strongly supported the establishment of the military academy in Kalebeng Village. This may bring about a great turning point and change in the peaceful lives of the villagers, making them no longer content with poverty. At the same time, it will bring him great benefits. For example, if Kaleben Village develops, he, the village chief, will have political achievements. In addition, there are also great economic benefits, such as the tavern that is being built now, and he also bought a share in it.
But what the village chief of Chenova is worried about now is how to change the economic situation of Kaleben Village and find a way for most villagers to benefit, so as to form a cluster effect in Kaleben Village. As a specialty of the village, flowers have a short shelf life, and the wild products collected by the villagers in the mountains are not in large quantities. They must be collected slowly to be sold in a certain amount. The scale is too small. Other plants are common grains such as oats and potatoes, and they have no specialties of their own at all...
Claude chatted with him for a while and was about to leave, but he stopped after walking a few steps. After thinking about it, he told Chenova that there was actually a cash crop that might meet his requirements, and Claude thought that Carlisle Half of the hilly mountainous land in this village is very suitable for growing this kind of cash crop. It's just that this kind of cash crop is a bit expensive. I wonder if the village chief of Chenova has the courage and confidence to plant this kind of cash crop.
The village chief of Chenova grabbed Claude and asked what this cash crop was
Claude simply said two words: "Tobacco."
The village chief of Chenova suddenly realized what he was doing. He raised his palm and gave himself a slap. He naturally knew that tobacco was a specialty of Nubisia Continent. He had tasted tobacco when he was stationed in the direct jurisdiction of Nubisia Continent Kingdom. In the Farea continent, tobacco is a luxury product, but in the Nubisia continent, tobacco is used as a very common medicinal material. He also gave up the habit of smoking after returning because the tobacco here was too expensive.
Perhaps it is because of the commonness and popularity of tobacco in Nubisia Continent that even several large trading houses that monopolize the tobacco supply to Farea Continent have not thought of growing tobacco on Farea Continent. They only need to transport the tobacco from the Nubisia continent back to the mainland to increase the price several times. It is very simple and huge profit, so there is no need to plant it on the mainland.
Claude also came up with the idea of growing tobacco when he saw tobacco seeds for sale in several shops in the commercial district of the royal capital. If the village chief of Chenova listens to his words and really grows tobacco in Kalebun Village on a large scale, the price of tobacco in the kingdom will definitely plummet, and it may be hit by those big trading houses. But Claude believes that the village chief of Chenova will definitely understand the risks involved. If he insists on growing tobacco, then he will obviously be sure to deal with the big business houses that monopolize the tobacco trade...
After saying goodbye to the village chief of Chenova, Claude arrived at the military academy. Lieutenant Colonel Manrich told him that the day after tomorrow was the day when the advanced seminar would begin, and all participating officers had already arrived at the military academy. At 8:30 in the morning the day after tomorrow, General Michel Ch. Priest will personally serve as the director of this advanced seminar and preside over the projects and courses that need to be studied.
"Do I need to make any preparations?" Claude asked.
Lieutenant Colonel Manrich thought for a while and shook his head: "You were personally named by General Michelic to participate in this advanced seminar. I don't know what preparations you should make. We'll see what happens then. But I I think it's better for you to bring a notebook and pen and take notes when other officers speak. Maybe it will increase everyone's favor. No way, you are a captain with the lowest rank in the military. You should be in those school levels. In front of the officers, leave a good impression on them..."