Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 231

2021-01-29

Chapter 231 Gully
In the living room of Mitchell's house, Winters put on his rags The tattered lumberjack asked earnestly, "How is it? Does it look like a refugee fleeing the famine?"

Anna smiled and shook her head.

"How long has it been since you washed this suit?" Catherine reclined on the reclining chair, wrinkling her nose and commenting.

Mrs. Mitchell came into the living room with a set of crystal clear and near-transparent teacups.

When Catherine saw Mrs. Mitchell approaching, she immediately put away her sloppy posture, sat upright and politely took the teacup - like a mouse seeing a big cat.

So did Lieutenant Juan.

Huan took the teacup with both hands and said with a sneer to the little Junior Brother: "Come on! If the refugees fleeing from the famine can have your body, then I will quickly pack up and run away."

Hu Senior Brother An's mouth was poisonous and tricky, Anna and Catherine both covered their lips and chuckled, and even Mrs. Mitchell couldn't help showing a smile.

Winters is neither fat nor thin. His long-term physical labor has made his body well-proportioned and strong, and he doesn't look like a hungry and full refugee.

"Then I pretend to be a mercenary? Guard? Bodyguard?" Winters frowned slightly: "Kaman said that the interrogation of Revodan is very strict, except that the soldiers are the victims of the disaster, and other identities are easily suspected. "

"You are who you are." Anna reminded softly.

Winters looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, what else do you think about?" Hu Senior Brother An hate iron for not becoming steel to teach a lesson: "You are an officer, what kind of refugee are you pretending to be? Just wear a uniform and ride a high-headed horse. Fang Fang entered the city, who would dare to doubt you?"

This method is not useless for Winters, who once walked into the castles from the main gate in uniform.

But it's a bit dangerous to use this trick in Gervoudan. There are many officers coming and going in and out of the castles, and Gervoudan has only a few genuine officers, all of whom are familiar faces.

"However, when the time comes, let's be adaptable." Winters thought of this, and his eyebrows twitched. So they don't know where their gendarmes are going.

From the moment the wolf town militia intercepted the military police reconnaissance cavalry, it was a matter of time before it was exposed to Gervodin's eyes.

So he must make a trip to Gervodin as soon as possible.

The time together is always short, with Winters seeing Anna in the morning and leaving in the afternoon.

When seeing off, Juan sighed and asked, "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"Don't worry, I brought a guard." Winters smiled and shook his head.

"Yes." Juan snorted softly: "You are so powerful, why do you need me?"

Winters was tired of parrying: "Senior...I didn't mean that.

Juan patted Winters' horse, rarely said resolutely: "Listen, be careful. Don't fall in the sewer and die in Gervodin. It took me a long time to find you. Big living, don't want to bring a corpse back to Hailan."

"Please rest assured."

"Go away, don't waste your time."

Winters looked towards Anna, Pierre, Mrs Mitchell and everyone else who came to see them off... Scarlett also came, her eyes were red and swollen.

He nods one after another in greeting, then beats the mount lightly and drives the horse away.

His silhouette got smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared over a hillside.

 …

For the Navarre sisters, the freshness of coming to Wolf Town had been dissipated in less than three days—a point similar to Winters.

The expansive vistas quickly become tiresome, leaving only the endless horizon and the monotony of day after day.

Rural life is hard and hectic. Women in peasant households have to work like men, while underage girls have to collect firewood, fetch water, pull grass, and do whatever they can.

The life of the manor family is equally tedious and boring, because the hired workers are scattered, and the women of the Mitchell family have to work in the fields like the men.

So now there are only two recreational activities at Mitchell Manor: one is called housework and the other is called female red.

Even in the "good times" of the past, life on a newly cultivated plantation was a thousand miles away from the colorful sea blue.

For the manor owners of Wolftown, the only recourse to daily life is a banquet.

In the past, each manor would take turns holding parties, eating, drinking, exchanging gossip and dancing.

This is also the only chance for the ladies to leave the manor except for church services.

At other times, the wife and daughter of the manor owner should stay out of the door and out of the door.

But now, no one is throwing a banquet anymore because everyone is having a hard time.

The manor owners who are related in Gervodin have already fled Wolf Town to go to their relatives and friends.

The mansions of several manor houses are empty and occupied by wild foxes and birds.

The manor owner who remains in Wolf Town is either because he has nowhere to go, or because he has a deep attachment to the land and is unwilling to leave his hometown.

By contrast, the average homesteader family may have an easier time than the estate owner—but only in comparison.

Nevertheless, Ellen entertained the two Nava Young Lady Lei with the best things in the house without the slightest hesitation.

But still too rough for two pampered ladies.

"How do you get these things into your mouth?" Katherine complained to her elder sister every night in bed: "I can't swallow it anyway. I know I'm not at home, and I don't have a special cook. But Why don't you sift the grass husks in the flour anyway?"

Compared to Scarlett who scraped the plate clean every day, Katherine would have a lot of food left over from every meal.

It can be said that Catherine Nava Young Lady Lei now lives entirely on the toffee and biscuits brought from Sea Blue.

Although Anna also ate very little, she always hugged the younger sister tenderly and tried to comfort her: "Mrs. Mitchell is already very good and generous. They are having a hard time now, you She is a well-bred lady and should be more considerate."

In fact, the Great Nava Young Lady Lei is also very uncomfortable, but she is naturally reluctant to complain and always bears silently.

Coupled with Katherine's pre-emptive immaturity, Anna naturally entered the role of a "more mature elder sister".

Catherine grabbed the elder sister's hand and said coquettishly: "I'm not complaining about Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Mitchell is very good, and Hailan can't find a few more charming ladies than her. But ...you know, you just can't swallow it."

"Just bear with it."

"By the way, and the little one from Mitchell's— —Girl." Catherine changed her words at the last minute, because Anna now strictly forbids the younger sister to say the words [little hooves] and [little bitch]: "I almost eat the plate at every meal, and I don't understand women at all. Etiquette. How can an unmarried lady eat all the food on her plate? That's the privilege of a married lady!"

Anna's cheek rested on the younger sister's shoulder: "I think Michell The lady is very casual, very real and unpretentious, very good."

Hearing this, Catherine pushed the elder sister away angrily: "Go away, don't hold me, you go find the little girl Sao Hoof will be your younger sister!"

"Okay! Don't say the word "little"." Anna had to show her elder sister's air: "And you're not much older than others? "

Although Katherine always puts [little] on Scarlett's head, she is actually only a year older than Scarlett.

Catherine is sixteen, Scarlett is fifteen, and Anna is four months away from turning nineteen.

In Ocean Blue, the ladies become hostess at the age of sixteen, but Navarre Eldest Young Lady is about to step into the ranks of the old girls.

Gossip crept through the living room, banquet hall, and small garden, and Madame Navarre's old rivals—also ladies—was gleefully waiting to see the joke.

This is also the reason why Mrs. Navarre has been sighing every day for two years, sleepless all night, and hated Winters so much that her teeth are itchy.

"Mr. M walked happily, then went into the city on horseback, and left the two of us here." Catherine pointed the finger at the man again.

She bit her elder sister's finger and said, "It's okay if you don't eat well. The bed is as hard as a rock, and the bones hurt when you sleep, but I can persist. But it's so boring here, it's more boring than a monastery. I'm still bored, I'm going to suffocate. I count the leaves on the big tree outside today, and it's a day."

This time even Anna had nothing to say, she lightly sighed , because so is she.

Spiritual emptiness is more unbearable than material deprivation.

Of course Mrs. Mitchell will not let the two "Ladies Hailan" go to the fields to do farm work, nor will she arrange for guests to do housework.

In this case, Anna and Catherine stayed at Mitchell Manor with little to do, while everyone else was very busy.

Scarlett everyday all has to go out to herd cattle and sheep, and to cut grass for the horses.

There is no fine food for the horses right now, so let them exercise less and try to feed only boiled hay - as they are not yet fully accustomed to coarse food.

Catherine, curious and unwilling to admit defeat, also went with Scarlett for a day.

When she came back that night, little Ms. Navarre collapsed on the bed and refused to get out of bed on the second day.

In order to pass the time, Anna tries to learn embroidery from Mrs. Mitchell.

At the end of the day, Anna's fingers were covered in blood. Even Ellen couldn't bear to let her continue to study, but she persisted.

As for Katherine? Through childhood, Catherine wanted whatever the elder sister had, and naturally she also learned to embroider.

But after getting her finger stabbed twice, Catherine played a trick. She was still circling around the elder sister with her sewing basket in her arms.

Watching the performance of the Navarre sisters, in the mouth of the only remaining maid in the Mitchell family, the meaning of the word [Lady Sea Blue] is rapidly changing from "beautiful Eldest Young Lady from a prestigious family" to "It looks like nothing."

Nvhong is a compulsory course for all ladies, no matter how respected their status is, even the princes and nobles have to learn.

But Madame Navarre never forced her daughter to learn needlework because she had higher expectations for her daughters.

At Mrs. Mitchell's place, Anna started to "make up lessons" again.

Compared to the Navarre sisters who couldn't even get out of the manor, Don Juan's life was quite comfortable.

He's a man after all, and it's easy to go anywhere.

So Lieutenant Juan stayed in the barracks most of the time. When he was really busy, he went out hunting with his men.

The newly reclaimed land has vast forests and abundant natural resources. Don Juan's annual hunting opportunities in Veneta can be counted on one's fingers, and he had a great time in the new reclaimed land.

Rabbit, deer, yellow sheep, horned deer... Lieutenant Juan's prey is getting bigger and bigger, and he has only started to think about hunting bears just a few days after he came to Wolf Town.

Seeing the giant bear and giant lion skeletons in the basement of Mitchell Manor, Don Juan was also inspired to win or lose.

Lieutenant Juan's obsession with hunting saves Pierre a lot.

Lieutenant Juan brought twelve light cavalry, people and horses, which added a heavier burden to the militia's already poor food reserves.

Nowadays, Don Juan goes out hunting every day before dawn, and only comes back at night. It is a disguised participation in the production, which makes the sweat on Pierre's forehead a little less.

Until August 11th, the second Sunday in August.

The Navarre sisters can finally leave Mitchell Manor to relax.

Because the church in Wolftown has been repaired, Father Kaman will resume the weekly ceremony, and attending service is one of the only two reasons why the ladies should leave the manor right now.

Early in the morning, Ellen led the crowd to the town center with the carriage.

As soon as she left Mitchell Manor, Catherine felt that her breathing became easier. She is like a cheerful bird, holding Mrs Mitchell and elder sister chirp chirp twitter twitter talking and laughing.

The old believers in Wolf Town came, and people came to watch Mass from Dusa, Hedong and Hexi villages.

For the first time since the church was destroyed, so many people gathered in the town center.

Everyone greeted each other happily, and the two normally deserted streets were very lively.

The church just erected four wooden walls and a wooden shed, which is much simpler than the wolf section protecting church in the past.

But the people who come here are proud because they also helped rebuild the church.

Father Kaman visited every old believer in Wolf Town and persuaded them to provide some food to help rebuild the church.

That's what Kaman means to Winters when he says "it won't make you work in vain."

The process of persuasion is very similar to the process of selling "indulgences", in which the benefits after death are used to persuade believers to pay while they are still alive.

No one would like to be forcibly confiscated food, but in order to rebuild the church, the old believers happily dug out the food buried in the cellar.

The food raised by Father Kaman greatly relieved the urgent needs of the militia.

What Gervoudan didn't do, what Winters didn't do, Kaman did.

Luckily Winters wasn't in Wolf Town, otherwise I don't know what kind of snarky comments he would have made.

The wolf protecting the church has changed a lot, Father Anthony passed away, and those gold and silver sacrificial vessels also passed away, but Father Kaman is still there.

Under the auspices of Father Kaman, the ceremony proceeded step by step.

It used to be Father Anthony preaching, this time Father Kaman stood in front of Dao Altar.

The content of Kaman's sermon is quite simple. He encourages everyone not to give up hope and belief in difficult days, "persist, and you will be saved."

Catherine, who was sitting in the front row of the church, was a little disappointed. She asked Anna quietly, "Is that so?"

Anna listened carefully, prayed silently, and ignored the younger sister .

Catherine looked all around, her disappointment growing stronger.

The majestic cathedral, the temple of gold and jade in glorious splendor, the exquisite stained-glass windows and frescoes, the clergy in exquisite costumes, the choir and the organ, the grand and solemn mass ceremony.

This little church in Wolftown is so shabby, pitifully shabby.

After the ceremony, the crowd gradually dispersed.

It used to be a small gathering in Wolf Town on Sundays, and men would line up to practice bows and arrows.

But no one's talking about it now, and the Montagne town officer isn't there either.

Everyone took the sacrament, chatted outside the church for a while, and then went home.

"Come on, Kate." Anna took the younger sister's hand.

Catherine sighed, "I thought it would be fun to go to town, but it turned out to be no fun."

"I thought of a fun game that is also suitable for ladies. Ellen smiled and took Catherine's arm: "Nava Young Lady Lei, can you play cards?"

Ana and Catherine looked at each other and shook their heads vigorously: "Mother said dice and cards are The rudest soldier only plays, and mother won't let us gamble."

There was a look of nostalgia in Ellen's eyes, and she smiled and said, "Not really. My husband taught me some poker rules for ladies, would you like to try them? And if we don't put chips, it's not gambling. "

"Okay, please teach us." Catherine immediately let go of the elder sister's hand and stuck it to Mrs. Mitchell's arm. The intimacy made Scarlett faintly jealous.

The ladies of Mitchell Manor sat back carriage, set foot on the road back.

Not far from Wolf Town, all around becomes a deserted wilderness.

Only at this time can you truly feel the new The desolation and loneliness of the cultivated land.

People live in settlements far apart, and there is nothing apart from this.

Catherine is still pestering Mrs. Mitchell about the rules of cards , Anna listened carefully.

Suddenly, everyone heard a "boom" from the bottom of the carriage.

It was followed by a few "booms", and the carriage jerked abruptly. Shocked, and quickly tilted to a corner.

The ladies on the carriage were terrified, Catherine and Scarlett screaming.

Mrs. Mitchell calmly soothed the screams The two of them, while Anna pursed her lips and held the younger sister's hand tightly, she was face deathly pale, but did not say a word.

Pan Weiqie——an old girl brought by Ellen from her parents' home Servant - jumped out of the coachman's seat and quickly helped the ladies out of the carriage.

Old Pan Weiqie lay on the ground and looked at it for a while, then got up and explained to Mrs. Mitchell: "Miss, it should be broken. axis. "

"Little Uncle, you untie the horse." Ellen had only one solution at the moment: "Ride home first, then take a carry." "

Although it is a master-servant relationship, Ellen always calls Pan Weiqie "Little Uncle", and Pan Weiqie is rarely called Mrs. Ellen calls her "Miss" as she did when she was a child.

"Then what if you stay here? Miss. "

"Don't worry, it's safe around here." Ellen replied with a smile: "Don't worry about us. "

Panweiqie nodded, although still a little worried, but rode away.

After the old Panweiqie left, only Ellen and Scarlett were left on the roadside , Anna and Catherine.

Staying alone in the uninhabited wilderness, staring at the vast horizon, Catherine suddenly felt a tinge of fear.

“This… Is it dangerous? Catherine grabbed the elder sister's arm tightly and asked timidly, "Will there be wolves?" Or robbers and bad guys? "

"Wolf?" No, wolves are rarely seen here, and Mr. Montagne has a clean fight. Ellen comforted Catherine softly.

Scarlett was not afraid at all. She proudly told Catherine with a sense of victory: "There are no bandits and robbers, because bandits and robbers were also killed by Montagne. Mr. wiped out very clean. "

"That's why there were wolves, and there were bad guys in the past, didn't they?" "Catherine was even more frightened.

"Yeah, but it was all cleaned up by Mr. Montagne." "Scarlett replied as it should be by rights.

"I don't want to stay here, elder sister." "Catherine cried while hugging the elder sister: "Let's go back to Hailan, it's so dangerous here." "

Anna hugged the younger sister helplessly, laughed apologetically to Mrs. Mitchell and Ms. Mitchell, looked thoughtful at the sky.

"What are you afraid of?" Scarlett felt incredible. She pointed to the hillside not far away and said, "Look, isn't there someone there?" "

"Where? "

"It's there. "

Following the direction indicated by Scarlett, Anna and Catherine saw a strange scene.

Five shirtless men and a thin cow were slowly walking on the sunny side of the hillside. Moving.

“My God! "Catherine turned her head sharply: "Why don't they wear clothes?" "

Ellen sighed, replied softly: "The clothes are worn and need to be repaired, and the flesh and blood can grow back." "

"What are they doing?" "Anna looked at the five people, puzzled.

"We are reclaiming wasteland and plowing. "

But the two Navarre ladies didn't even know what [ploughing] meant, so Scarlett had to explain it carefully.

Ellen simply gave Anna a Explained the whole sequence of events with Catherine about "Montagne resident officer handing out wasteland reclamation to refugees."

"But it's Sunday. "Catherine asked inexplicably: "Shouldn't work on Sunday, don't they rest on Sunday?" "

Ellen and Scarlett fell silent.

"They." " Anna said softly: "There should be reasons that you and I don't know or understand. "

Like I don't understand why he's staying here, Anna thought.

Among the five men ploughing, one old, one middle school, and three young.

p>

The middle-aged man gasped heavily and said to the old man in front, "Father, shall we take a break? "

The grey-white-haired old man stopped, turned his head to look carefully at the thin and thin cattle that dripped water from their noses, and said, "Take a break, let the animals take a break." "

This old man is the same old man who answered Winters in the town square.

Ploughing should be done with animals in front of the plow and people behind it.

But Four adults out of the five men stood in front of the animals, leaving only a weak child behind to help the plow.

Not because they were stupid, but because they didn't have enough The large cattle pulled the plow.

The soil of the newly cultivated land was sticky and heavy, and the wasteland that had not been cultivated for thousands of years had long been compacted into one piece, as hard as a stone.

p>

It has to use big horses and heavy plows to cultivate it.

Winters doesn't have many big animals, so he gave all that could be given to the refugees, but it was still not enough.

p>

There are not enough animals, so people have to be animals.

"Look! grandfather. "The young man pointed at the ladies by the roadside: "There are girls watching us!" "

The old man slapped the youngster's arm off: "Don't point at people!" Don't stare at people. ”

youngster turned around embarrassedly.

The four men pulling the plow were all sweaty, sitting on the ground panting desperately.

The old man took the trouble to warn Sons and grandchildren: "must be careful not to fall. A coulter can shave off the ankle with a single stroke. If you fall, fall to the side too, and be sure not to fall on the coulter. "

"How many times have you said it..." The youngster who was beaten just now was a little impatient.

Before he finished speaking, he was slapped again by the father.

middle age person nodded to the old man: "Don't worry, Dad. "

Another youngster asked: "Today is Sunday, so we don't go to church, is that okay?" "

"The Lord will not blame us." The old man swallowed his saliva: "If we delay the farming season, we will all starve to death next year." At that time, no matter how religious it was, it was useless. The Lord will not blame us. If he blames us...we don't have to trust him anymore. ”

It is now August 11th, and winter wheat will be planted in late September and early October. If you miss the farming time, you will have to wait until next year.

Although there are large wastelands in Wolf Town, those The most flat, irrigated High Level land has already been purchased and cultivated.

The rest are gently sloping, far-flung, rock-filled land - just like an old man with his children and grandchildren cultivating This one.

If the slope of the field were any higher, it would not even be possible to grow crops.

They had to work hard to remove the stones before they could use the plow Turn over the soil, otherwise the stones in the soil can easily break the coulter.

But the old man is already satisfied that there is such a piece of land.

On the dirt road in the distance, another approach comes A new carriage.

"Enough rest, keep going. The old man held his knees and stood up with difficulty: "But be careful with the coulter!" ”

The carriage carried the ladies by the roadside and drove erratically into the distance.

The rope was once again caught on the sunken shoulders and bony back of the old man.

He is little by little, moving slowly but surely.

...

Meanwhile, the barracks of Gervodin.

Lieutenant Cellini has a guest.

“Who are you talking about? "Lieutenant Andrea Cellini's eyes went wide.

"Sir. "Come over to inform the soldier and repeat: "It's a lieutenant-chief named Don Juan who wants to see you. ”

[About the history of playing cards: In 1392, King Charles VI of France ordered Jacquemin Greene to draw a deck of playing cards by hand. The treasurer of the Imperial Family, who was responsible for the payment of the bills at that time, talked about There are three decks of cards printed in 'golden' and a variety of colours with lots of decorations for the entertainment of our king, Your Majesty. "17 of them are on display at the National Library of France.

But this doesn't mean that the card originated in France, it just proves that at least the 14th, the card has appeared]
[It's also a big chapter today. ，有6587字]
[感谢书友们的收藏、阅读、订阅、推荐票、月票、打赏和评论，谢谢大家]