NOVPUBWeizti finally caught up with the progress. Panting, he dragged Chiwaco to the pavilion between the fields. The neatly organized fields were clearly demarcated, with a large thatched pavilion every some distance. Inside the pavilion, there were several large barrels and a corner piled with farming tools and seeds, with a simple altar for the Chief Divine in the center. It was raining today, and the sun wasn’t too fierce. Once the rain stopped, it would be impossible to work under the midday sun; they would have to rest in the shade.
As the two approached, they could see two Mexica samurai sitting cross-legged on the ground chatting idly in the pavilion. The weather was indeed hot, so they were not wearing armor, just holding war clubs, with sharp bone whistles hanging around their necks. These two samurai were supervisors of this area of fields. They were responsible for overseeing the work of the men, guarding the Chief Divine altar, and also looking after the farming tools, water buckets, and seeds in the pavilion.
"You..." 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Seeing someone approaching to rest, one of the young samurai looked up and was about to scold them. However, the older samurai quickly stopped him, pulling his arm.
"Let them rest... They’ve made great achievements, seen His Highness... Supposedly, they’re to be ennobled as nobility!"
The young samurai swallowed the rest of his words. He gave a couple of looks and then turned his head away, muttering resentfully under his breath.
"Just some Prepetcha militia who betrayed their old master, with no exceptional martial arts, and yet they’re to be ennobled as nobility of the Alliance, standing above us!... Ah, His Highness said he would distribute lands as rewards to us, so why is there still no movement? Instead, we samurais are tasked with watching over these mundane field chores."
"When has His Highness ever made a mistake? No matter the background, whether one is a traitor or not, rewarding contributions is His Highness’s constant practice... Recently, hasn’t His Highness already handed down rewards of gold and silver cloth, promoted our samurai ranks? Now with a shortage of laborers, if we were indeed given fields, would you farm them yourself?... We just need to follow His Highness’s orders!"
"His Highness is, of course, never wrong. It’s just that gambling is forbidden in the military, there’s not much fun in the city, and even women are drafted to work... These gold and silver coins are of little use in our hands!... As samurais of the Alliance, we must seek our prospects on the battlefield. As long as we collect enough captives and severed heads, make enough merits, we can eventually become nobility by military service!... What kind of future can one have by sticking around in the fields."
Upon hearing this, the older samurai also sighed. His eyes showed a longing for battle, like a wolf with hidden fangs, enduring in silence, yet he continued to pacify his companion.
"Keeping gold and silver in hand, even if it can’t be spent here, can be used in the markets of the Alliance’s hinterland. When our families relocate from the hinterland of the Alliance, we all need to establish our foundations here. Building residences, acquiring herbs, purchasing slaves; each requires a significant amount of wealth..."
"As for making merits, following His Highness, do you fear not having opportunities to earn them? After fighting this campaign in the west, everyone is quite exhausted, deserving some rest. Once the autumn harvest is complete, we can go out to conquer again and capture more laborers and food!"
The young samurai nodded, his face showing an expectant smile. By this time, Chiwaco and Weizti had already entered the pavilion. The Mexica samurai greeted them briefly, then fell silent, stopping their conversation.
Chiwaco’s old face smiled in return. Then, he went to the barrel, scooped out some water with a wooden ladle, and drank directly from it. The ice-cold water flowed down his throat, dispelling the heat from his body and even carried a bit of sweetness and saltiness.
This water was fetched by laborers from a nearby deep well, stored in wooden barrels, and transported here in the morning by a new type of wheeled cart. The Great Master had ordered that no one should drink lake water during the rainy season at will; everyone must drink well water or clean stream water. The Alliance never lacked salt, with large salt fields near the Capital City, so the Great Master had ordered laborers to add salt to the water to better sustain the workers’ strength.
As for that type of wheeled cart, an old militiaman had also curiously inspected it closely. This type of single-wheel cart could move freely on the muddy plains of the Lake Region, but it was uncertain in the forest with intertwined tree roots. The cart had two wooden handles, a flat box for carrying loads, and a large wheel below. The center of the large wheel was hollow, supported by evenly cut wooden rods and secured by two rings of shiny bronze nails... Anyway, it looked time-consuming and labour-intensive, definitely requiring bronze tools to make; it was also expensive, seemingly something used by the Lords.
Beside the old militiaman, Weizti took a few quick sips of water and then went to the center of the pavilion to the altar. The altar was piled up with wooden and stone blocks, displaying the Mexica Chief Divine’s sun emblem, surrounded by rings of dried grains, mainly corn kernels, bean pods, and pumpkin seeds.
Weizti bowed his head, silently praying in his heart, reciting the name of the Chief Divine, praying for this year’s harvest.
Normally during spring plowing, the village priests would lead everyone in praying to the God of Harvest. Now that the Alliance managed everything, Mexica priests also toured to perform ceremonies. It was said that the Chief Divine was very powerful, capable of taking care of everything, including the harvest... it was somewhat doubtful, but praying seemed better than not, so let’s see what this autumn’s yield would be like.
The two rested for a quarter hour, then continued back to their work in the fields, busy until dinner time. By then, the rain had slightly eased, and the clouds had thinned somewhat. The sun hid behind the clouds, staining the dark edges of the clouds with a stunning red glow, emanating an inexplicable charm.
