Chapter 453 Principal Takes Office

Large tracts of newly opened farmland are closely arranged in regular squares on the plains. The farmland is full of wheat. It is the time when wheat turns green again, and the whole plain looks green.

A wide road with gray and white stripes crosses the seemingly endless green land and extends straight to the north.

The road is well built, with white stones on the road surface and saplings planted on both sides.

A carriage slowly drove in from the south of the road. The driver puffed on his pipe and blew out a smoke ring from time to time.

He held the reins with one hand and turned his head left and right to admire the surrounding scenery.

"It's incredible. A few years ago, this was still a forest with few people." The driver sighed.

This is a tall and strong man with a ruddy face, high cheekbones, and thick stubble extending from his chin to the roots of his ears.

The man was wearing a blue, single-breasted coat with a stand-up collar, a white shirt, white breeches and black boots.

This outfit showed the man's identity - a member of the Arda army.

The coat made of thick linen had epaulettes with tassels on the shoulders. The epaulettes were a symbol of status in the Arda army. The man's epaulettes were embroidered with a bar and two stars in yellow silk thread, indicating that his rank was a lieutenant.

"Deer~ Deer~" The driver shook the reins and let the carriage slowly stop on the side of the road.

A woman's voice came from the carriage, "Why did you stop, Boris?"

Boris Makarov jumped off the carriage and replied to the woman, "Dear, I'm going to pee!"

He slowly walked to the side of the road, trying to find a shelter. Because he saw a group of people dressed as farmers digging drainage ditches beside the road in the distance. In addition to being able to volleyball on the road, this ditch can also serve as a water diversion for crops near the road.

He looked around but couldn't find a place he liked. The saplings on the roadside were too small, so he had to jump into the ditch on the side of the road - there was no one on this side of the road, so he took the time to pee.

After fastening his pants with satisfaction, he returned to the road and looked far away on the other side, where he found that the group of people who had dug the ditch before had stopped to rest.

Makarov stamped his feet hard on the ground and jumped a few times.

He said with emotion: "This road is well built, very hard!"

He squatted down and brushed away the pebbles on the ground with his hands, revealing the yellow and gray land. Makarov touched the hard road surface and recognized that it was a roadbed built with the so-called "mortar".

This mortar was also invented by Count Graman, and is made by mixing lime, clay and fine sand in a certain proportion. This material is also often used in the army to build fortifications.

A female face appeared in the window of the carriage and shouted to him: "Boris, get on the train quickly, I don't want to travel at night."

"Oh, don't worry, dear, we still have plenty of time. You also get off to get some fresh air, I'll go talk to the guys working over there. We will live here in the future, and we have to get along well with the locals."

After Makarov finished speaking, he walked towards the group of people digging ditches.

The group of farmers saw an unfamiliar person walking towards them, and they all focused their attention on the newcomer.

"Hey! Guys, don't be nervous." The newcomer waved to them.

They saw clearly that the other party was dressed as a soldier.

A group of people stood in awe. Because of a series of pro-military policies in Lake Heart Town, the prestige of Arda soldiers from officers to soldiers in the land under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Council is very high, even comparable to the former knights.

In addition, the army does not care about the origin of people when recruiting, and children from serfs can also join the army. Once they join the army, the whole family will immediately regain their freedom.

In the past, regaining freedom was not necessarily a good thing, because a free man with nothing might soon become a beggar.

But now, gaining freedom by joining the army is different. Their respectable lord, Master Graman, will give the family fertile land, seeds and iron farm tools. If they are lucky enough to have a farming community nearby, they can also get the opportunity to use large machinery such as harvesters and threshers.

If they are willing to leave the village where they have lived for generations, they will be assigned to work in a new manor, or should I call it a farm. Although they also farm there, they must learn to operate large machinery such as harvesters skillfully, learn to serve livestock such as mules, horses, and oxen, and the harvested grain also belongs to the farm. They receive monthly wages like workers in factories - sometimes they are converted into grain.

In short, joining the army has infinite benefits. Every year during the conscription season, countless families are eagerly waiting for a thin enlistment notice.

Makarov instantly gained the respect of a group of people. Although they didn't understand what the two stars and one bar on the shoulder straps meant, they respected him anyway.

"Sir..." they said stiffly.

"I'm not a sir, you can call me Lieutenant Makarov."

"Hello, Lieutenant Makarov."

The lieutenant asked, "Are you doing corvée labor by digging ditches here?"

No mistake, one post, one content, one 6, one 9, one book, one bar!

"Oh, thank the Lord of Light!" One of the farmers held his forehead with one hand, "There is no corvée labor now, it was abolished before the last Advent Day. In the future, you can get money from the officials if you work for the lord."

"Yes," another farmer echoed him, "We all come out to make some extra money during the slack season. If you go down this road, you will come across several groups of people digging ditches."

Makarov pretended to be serious and said, "Thank you, Count Graman! Thank you for his kindness! I have never heard of a lord who would pay his subjects for work."

"We have a good lord." The farmers said sincerely, "May God bless him with a long life."

Someone asked, "So, Lieutenant Makarov, what are you doing here?"

Makarov smiled , "Excuse me, does this road lead to the town of North Hope?"

"Yes." He got a positive answer, and someone introduced him: "We are residents of North Hope. Your carriage should be able to arrive in more than an hour along this road."

"Ha, great." Makarov said happily: "I will soon become a resident of North Hope. Please allow me to call you in advance - neighbors."

"A soldier? We are honored. But shouldn't soldiers be in the barracks..." The farmers welcomed him, but expressed doubts at the same time.

Makarov patted himself and continued to introduce himself: "I have been transferred to the reserve, and according to the arrangement of my superiors, I will go to North Hope Town to serve as the principal of the town public school,"

"Oh! It's the place where children are taught to read."

The farmers said they knew, and they all stretched out their hands.

"Welcome, Lieutenant Makarov."