Buying Grain

Chapter 43: Buying Grain

[Cooking EXP +1]

[Cooking EXP +1]

[Cooking EXP +1]

Romain stood before the cutting board, chopping meat with heavy thuds.

Sowing was a tedious process, as it relied solely on manual labor.

Either too many seeds were sown, or not enough fertilizer was used.

Either the furrows were dug too deep, or too shallow.

It was difficult to improve efficiency, especially for farmers without formal education; it was a skill that required practice.

Fortunately, learning this technique wasn't difficult; one would get the hang of it with practice.

Romain preferred to work slowly rather than see a field of wheat with uneven growth, some patches dense and others sparse.

That wasn't what he called meticulous cultivation.

However, during this period, he would provide an extra free dinner, allowing them to meet the basic requirements for sowing.

Romain could also use this opportunity to gain experience points in his [Cooking] skill.

Large bones and meat, large onions, large carrots, all thrown into or around the wooden basin on the ground.

"If it's not clean, you won't get sick from eating it."

With two meals provided daily, it meant the farmers didn't have to eat their own stored food every day. They could just come to the common land for meals, and even bring their elderly and children.

Moreover, the meals were plentiful, and they could even have soup made with cured meat.

But a problem arose.

After the harsh winter, Sigg Town faced a shortage of food. They didn't have much grain to begin with.

If they ate sparingly, they could definitely make it to July in the summer. By then, the current harvest of wheat and other crops would be mostly ripe, just in time to supplement their food consumption. Sigg Town wouldn't have anyone starve to death.

But ever since Romain started providing free lunches, the amount of grain consumed during this period was, in Mol's eyes, astronomical.

The daily consumption had reached an astonishing over a thousand catties!

Although most of it was grains, miscellaneous cereals, and vegetables, the sheer volume was undeniable!

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they consumed the equivalent of a draft cattle every day!

That was a strong, healthy draft cattle, weighing around six hundred catties, capable of replacing five or six laborers!

That was a super valuable asset to Sigg Town!

Even as the Agricultural Officer, his daily meat staple was mostly sheep, pigs, and chickens.

He would only slaughter an old draft cattle once a year, occasionally enjoying the taste of beef. He would also distribute it to his friends and family, and even feed some to his purchased slaves as a reward for the past year.

And now, Romain was starting to provide a dinner as well, doubling the consumption.

The already meager grain reserves were becoming even more strained.

Therefore, Mol, aware of the situation, had to come before Romain to explain the current state of affairs.

Romain stopped chopping vegetables and nodded after Mol finished speaking, saying, "You mean to say that even the landlord has no surplus grain, right?"

Mol wiped sweat from his brow. For some reason, every time he faced Romain's gaze, he felt drenched in sweat.

Mol bowed respectfully and said, "You are absolutely correct."

He was afraid that Romain would question him, disbelieve his words, and order the guards to search his property...

The grain was indeed almost gone, with only tens of thousands of catties left, so Mol wasn't that afraid.

But he was afraid of other issues.

He had been embezzling funds for years, and if that property were exposed...

To be or not to be, that was the question.

Romain, however, did not think that way. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked at Mol and said, "If there isn't enough grain, then go buy some from outside."

Buy grain?

Mol was stunned.

"This... this... it might not be appropriate."

Sigg Town sold large quantities of grain every year.

Mol had never even considered buying grain from outside.

He had thought that by informing Romain of this matter, Romain would give up the free lunches and let the farmers bear the burden of grain consumption—the farmers' combined reserves were even greater than his own.

It wouldn't be difficult to collect one to two hundred catties of grain from each household; it wouldn't even be a significant strain.

Wouldn't that perfectly fill the grain deficit?

He was already prepared; as soon as Romain suggested it, he would execute it immediately.

If Romain couldn't think of it, he would give hints indirectly, showcasing the Lord's astonishing wisdom!

What's going on with you!

Failing at the crucial moment, are you even a noble!

Did you hijack the real Romain's Cracking Armor on his way to his post?

The food has already gone into their stomachs, so it's only right to collect grain from them. You didn't even ask for a single copper, and it would have been good enough not to collect a food tax from them. Why do you still need to buy grain to feed these farmers?

Romain glanced at Mol and said, "What's unsuitable about it?"

He slammed the cleaver onto the wooden stake with a "bang!"

The loud noise made Mol's small heart skip a beat.

Romain said in an unquestionable tone, "Find all the merchants here for me!"

Romain didn't think about looting the farmers' stored grain; that was their lifeline and could easily cause public resentment.

You can kill people, and ten or so deaths don't mean anything in this era.

But you can't steal grain. Do you nobles want to rebel!

Before long.

Five merchants came before Romain.

These were all small merchants from Sigg Town who sold Sigg Town's produce – such as mountain goods, furs, and agricultural products – to the outside world for meager profits.

But Romain had taken all the labor away, cutting off their supply of goods, and they hadn't had any business for many days.

Now that Romain had summoned them again, they were confused.

"Do you know the price of grain?"

They looked at each other and then lowered their heads, saying, "We do, my lord."

"How much grain does Sigg Town sell annually, and at what price?"

These small merchants keenly noticed Mol's face turn pale.

This made their hearts pound.

Would their subsequent answers involve the fate of Lord Mol?

They didn't want to answer this question, but facing Romain's calm face and intensely focused gaze, they felt their throats dry and finally said, "Perhaps... perhaps we sell twenty to thirty thousand jin annually. Two thousand two hundred jin of grain can be exchanged for one gold coin."

He was speaking very conservatively.

Romain ignored Mol, who had collapsed on the ground, and continued to ask the merchants, "What is the current price of wheat?"

The small merchants exchanged glances.

Finally, one merchant said, "It's the off-season now. One gold coin can only buy over sixteen hundred jin of wheat. If it were the peak season, it could buy about two thousand jin."

Romain listened and calculated for a moment.

Then he said, "Well, I need 100,000 jin of grain now. I want coarse grains, vegetables, and cereals. You will need to find people outside to buy grain to meet my needs, but I will not give you a profit; I will pay you a salary. For every thousand jin you transport, you will receive 5 copper coins. For every ten thousand jin you transport, you will receive 5 silver coins. As for your initial purchase capital, Mol will pay for it..."