In terms of child labour, Isabel and George Field only discussed the recruitment of migrant child labourers. In order to make herself feel better, she talked to George about how to arrange the work of child laborers in a dozen family craft workshops.

"Miss, what I have arranged for the children of the farmers in the family workshop is a simple work of combing wool. As for the mother of the child or other women, it is mainly the work of spinning and carding. After all, children are not yet able to do the work of adults in many ways. George, who was sitting in his seat, looked calm.

Isabel nodded, "Good." In addition, during the harvest season, they can be arranged to do some work to load grain and harvest. In the spring and summer, the women and children can also be asked to do weeding, sowing, milking cows, or the work of a farm maid. ”

With that, she glanced at the housekeeper who was sitting on the side, "Lena, you must be mindful of theft and laziness in supervising the servants of the manor. Other acts such as drunkenness, fighting, and rumor-mongering can be done without violence, and these people can be held in solitary confinement to make them repent. However, all minor offences are punishable by gratuity deductions. ”

Lena stood up and agreed, "Miss, is the amount of gratuity deducted still the same as before?" ”

"Well, from now on, half a month's honorarium will be deducted for minor misdeeds, and a month's honorarium will be deducted for serious wrongdoings. In the food and drink that was offered to them, all were not allowed to drink wine or eat meat during the penitent period. ”

"Miss, will this cause a riot among these people?" Lena feared that such a heavy punishment would cause strong resentment among the hired servants and servants.

"It's just for people who have made mistakes, who have violated the rules of the estate. You must tell them that the purpose of punishment is to make them remember their arbitrary behavior. In the event of a recurrence of various wrongful acts, the punishment shall be increased up to expulsion. ”

Now, the problem is back to finances. Isabel looked at Lena's husband. "Matthew, you can show me the account book of the fine later, and then revise it again as I say."

Matthew nodded in agreement, "Miss, I think there are some more changes to be made in terms of the remuneration of hired workers. ”

What the custodian in charge of finances means, Isabel knows what it means. Reducing the amount of remuneration paid is also an extremely important means of increasing profits. He took the jug and poured himself some ale, and took a sip, "I remember that the Decree of 1495 stipulated that an agrarian should not be paid more than 20 shillings, 8 pence and 5 shillings a clothing allowance for a year after being provided with meat and wine. An ordinary employee is paid an annual gratuity of 16 shillings 8 pence and a clothing allowance of 4 shillings. ”

"Yes, miss, the village hired may be executed in accordance with this decree. However, His Majesty the King had issued a decree a few years earlier on the treatment of the displaced people. Matthew took a sip of his wine and replied, "Later, His Majesty decreed that all displaced persons who were able to work would be punished if they did not find work within the prescribed time. Therefore, you can threaten these displaced people with decrees, and if they do not accept the amount of gratuity you have set, they will be flogged and all of them will be sent home. ”

Isabel nodded and asked calmly, "What do you suggest I should set the amount of honorarium?" ”

Matthew picked up an account book and looked through it a few times, then looked up at her, "It can be paid at half the average employee's gratuity, or even less." ”

"Half the honorarium? So, what is the lower number of honorariums? ”

"Miss, the lower annual gratuity may be fixed at six shillings, three pence and two shillings for clothing."

Isabel mentally calculated that she could squeeze 40% of the honorariums out of the homeless people as profits, plus the penalty for deductions. In this way, she can get a lot of net profit from labor costs every year. It seems that she is already a standard black-hearted capitalist who started with brutal exploitation.

Then she turned her gaze to Bacon Hard, the agent in charge of selling wool textiles and livestock products, "Mr. Harder, how many crops are on my land that can be sold on the market?" ”

Bacon stood up and took out a ledger in his hand, looked at it and looked at her, "Now you can provide tweed, lamb, cheese, butter, beef and mutton, cow and goat's milk, and cow wool skin." ”

"Only these are the few, can you grow some crops?" After Isabel finished speaking, she immediately remembered the flax she used to make the longbow in the first place, and looked at several of the overseers in charge of crop cultivation, "Gentlemen, what do you think of growing flax?" ”

One of the supervisors stood up and replied, "Mademoiselle, many parts of the county are highlands, mountains, and marshes, and because of the cold, wet weather, it has always been dominated by pastures. The vast majority of the people of many northern counties, including Richmond County, also depend on animal husbandry for their livelihoods. ”

Another supervisor also saluted and replied, "Miss, flax and woad can be grown in your territory. However, grain, livestock and wool are the most traded agricultural products in the northern markets. Compared with these agricultural products, flax and woad may not be more profitable. ”

"Okay, sit down." Isabel turned to Bacon Harder and said, "Bacon, when you go to the market, you may keep an eye out for the trade in flax and woad." If you can't get a higher profit, you won't consider planting these two crops for the time being. ”

"Yes, miss." After thinking about it, Bacon smiled and said to her, "Mademoiselle, if you consider raising your income with other crops, I think there are several other crops or land commodities that can be sold." ”

"Well, let's talk about it.

"Yes, miss. For example, forests can produce wood and charcoal, and marshes can produce reeds and marl, all of which can be sold. ”

Isabel stood up and paced, "Bacon, you can also ask about the price of these goods when you go to the market. If you can make a high profit, you can sell these things as well. ”

"Yes, miss, I will."

Later, she instructed the people in charge of growing agricultural products: "However, the forest area in the territory is not very large, and it is not possible to harvest a large amount of wood and charcoal. As for the reeds and the mud, you'll better check the marshes in your territory. ”

"Yes, miss."

At about 10 p.m., the cottage workshops scattered in the village of Hasway behind the heights were closed, and the church and convent workshops on the west side of the village, near the heights, were also finished for the day.