Farmland Acreage

Chapter 17

Following behind several commoners, Ryan soon arrived at a ridge. The wind and snow of the Fierce Winter seemed to be blocked by the high mountains on either side, lending this place a trace of warmth.

Without much need for speculation, Ryan found the land capable of growing food. Scattered across it were berry bushes and wild wheat.

Yet this very place was home to quite a few reindeer, red deer, yaks, antelopes, and goats.

Among some dense shrubs, Ryan even discovered a den of foxes sleeping and resting.

Perhaps because they had not seen humans for too long, these herbivores were not particularly wary. Or perhaps they felt that, in the depths of winter, predators would not appear.

Since wild wheat could grow here, then after clearing the land, planting barley or wheat naturally would not be a problem. It might even be possible to plant berries in the Mountain Forest beyond the farmland.

Ryan turned around and could even see the peak of Rhino Horn Mountain.

"Very good."

Ryan looked at the settlers before him, who had clearly formed family units. They were the people he had brought back from Deer Spirit Village.

"Judging by the scale of this place, at least ten mu of land can be developed. And since this is at the foot of the mountain, we can develop downward, using terraced fields..."

Ryan almost immediately calculated that, if terraced fields were opened up from here toward the South, then assuming the soil was suitable, there could be between fifty and one hundred mu of land.

In the South of the Empire, one mu of land could yield roughly one hundred to one hundred and fifty jin of wheat. In Northwind Province, in the Frozen Earth Territory, it would be normal for that figure to be cut in half.

Not as much wheat or barley could be grown in frozen soil.

So, roughly between fifty and eighty jin?

Ryan possessed a great deal of knowledge. He was confident that the wheat yield he could achieve in the North would not be inferior to the lowest yields of those southern lands.

Once he returned to the territory, he planned to recall the characteristics of frozen soil. Frozen soil was only a general term; it did not mean nothing could grow there. Unless they dug into permafrost, it was still possible to grow food.

Based on his current estimates, once these lands were developed, a yield of one hundred jin per mu should be possible.

If they could truly develop one hundred mu of farmland, that would mean ten thousand jin of grain.

Was that a lot? Not at all. But for the Frozen Earth Territory, it would be a huge step forward.

As long as suitable farmland could be found within twenty or thirty li of the foothills around the Frozen Earth Territory, Ryan was confident he could claim it. Anything farther away... would not do. Serfs facing the beasts of the Northlands would only be eaten. Only soldiers or strong hunters could deal with those beasts.

But the problem was that becoming a hunter or soldier required more food. Only by eating more could one build strength.

That created a vicious cycle. Thus, the twenty li they could protect counted as the safe zone for farmland.

In truth, even that distance was not entirely safe. He only said so because he possessed his own spirituality and could bestow blessings.

With that thought, he looked at one of the families before him.

"Personally, I estimate that more than fifty mu of farmland can be developed here. According to the rules I stated, I can give you thirteen silver coins and twenty-five copper coins."

"If the final amount exceeds fifty mu, you can find Beard to make up the remaining silver coins."

Looking at the villagers before him, whose breathing had grown rapid, Ryan paused for a moment.

"As the first people to find farmland, I am willing to give you an additional opportunity."

"First, I will grant you the Deer Spirit's Blessing."

"Second, once the farmland here has been developed, your family will move here and be responsible for it."

"Eighty percent of the harvested crops will belong to me. The rest will be yours."

"Of course, you may also bring some serfs here from the territory and have them work for you through purchase or lease."

Eighty percent. In his previous life, anyone who heard such a split would have cursed loudly, yet after Ryan said it, the family before him barely hesitated.

Across the noble territories of the Empire, the exploitation of peasant households and commoners generally ranged from eighty to eighty-five percent.

As for land managed by serfs, there was no such thing as a share.

If they were given two meals a day, that already counted as the lord being exceptionally kind.

Besides, to them, the Deer Spirit's Blessing was something money could not buy.

With an eighty-percent split with the lord, a family could only be said to avoid starving to death.

This was a common situation among southern farming households. If a family wanted to save money, they could only take on other work outside the busy farming season to have any surplus grain.

But this place was different. According to the lord, there would be at least fifty mu of land.

Twenty percent of fifty mu was a different matter. They could use half of it as rations, then sell part of the remaining grain.

Ten mu of land could only keep them alive. With fifty mu, they dared call themselves farm owners.

Although the land would still belong to the lord, since they were responsible for it, even if they themselves did not have enough money in the future, perhaps one of their descendants would. They might buy the entire plot of farmland, and then they would truly become wealthy.

Thinking of such a bright future, the five members of the Bain Family grew excited and directly knelt on the ground.

"Thank you, my lord."

As citizens of the Axeniel Continent, these people's ancestors had also belonged to nobles. Even in the decades before Ryan arrived at their village, nobles had ruled over them, until those nobles continuously moved South, abandoning them and leaving them displaced.

Do not assume that life improved without nobles ruling and oppressing them. After losing the protection of nobles and the extraordinary, only a few people in the village, such as Brandt, could even go out to hunt.

The population died off even faster.

Ryan smiled. He generously bestowed the Deer Spirit's Blessing upon one of the young men. With the physique of an Apprentice Knight, the young man could already hunt on his own, and might even become a knight in Ryan's territory in the future.

The Bain Family would become a model for the Frozen Earth Territory, the object of everyone's envy and jealousy. With such an example, others would see a path forward and work even more desperately for him, their lord.

Perhaps under such competition, their demands would become even lower. By then, even conflicts would erupt and be resolved among themselves.

Imagining the wonderful future, Ryan could not help but laugh. But the next moment, he calmed down.

Finding farmland was one thing. Developing it was another.

"Arrange for three hundred slaves to develop the farmland here. Tell them that the ten best performers will become Freemen of the Frozen Earth Territory."

"Beard, you will be responsible for this matter. And you..."

Ryan looked at the Bain Family before him.

"You will be responsible for supervising the work when the time comes."

For the sake of their own future farmland, Ryan believed the Bain Family would absolutely not tolerate any shoddy work.