"In this way, my nominal dear father really loves me." William sneered.

He looked at old Gretel with cold eyes, and said, "Say, how did you survive the winter?" ”

"This ......," old Gretel muttered.

William smiled contemptuously and said, "There are only a few rows of wooden fences in the whole village. If there were lizardmen, they wouldn't have been able to stop them from attacking anyway. Tell me, how the hell did you survive the long winter? I don't blame you! ”

“…… Then I'll say it, Lord Baron. Old Gretel only thought for a moment, and then said, "It's the city of Patras!" ”

"Ciudad Patras? The city of Viscount Grien? William's heart moved, and he said.

This is his neighbor!

The small village of Nisse, surrounded by dark forests and shadow swamps in the north on both sides of the northwest, and to the east is the Cordillera Mountains, where a river flows under the mountain, from which the villagers' usual water comes from, and it is within his territory that the village usually uses for water, and a day and a half of walking to the south is the territory of Viscount Grion, where the city of Patras is located!

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel said cautiously.

"Oh, so it was the people of Patras who used to protect you?" There was no joy or anger on William's face.

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel's attitude became more respectful, for fear that one would not pay attention and make William angry.

"How did the city of Patras shelter you? Send a team to protect you every winter? William asked again.

"No, Lord Baron." Old Gretel smiled wryly and shook his head.

"How did that shelter you? Say it. Old John's face was ugly, and he took the initiative to help William urge.

Old Gretel did not answer, but looked at William.

"Let's just say it. Don't babble anymore. William said coldly.

"Yes, Lord Baron!" Old Gretel's heart suddenly froze, bowed slightly, and said, "We pay a fee to Patras City in exchange for the treatment of being able to spend the winter in Patras City." ”

"How much?"

"One Pis gold coin per person." Old Gretel replied.

"One Pis Gold Coin per person?" Old John suddenly cried out at this point, which was much more ruthless than his advice to William.

"Yes, Lord John. If you don't have Pis Gold coins, you can also exchange the harvest from the ground for 25 bushels of rye per person. After paying the entrance fee, less than 30% of our annual harvest is at our disposal. So we can't afford to pay your rent anymore. Old Gretel had a sad look on his face.

"And if we can't get into Patras City in the winter, we'll be fertilizer in the stomachs of the lizardmen who are surging out!"

"It's not like no one in the village used to think about using the village's defenses to fend off the lizardmen's attacks, but when they come back every spring, they are never seen again, and the village is also destroyed and needs to be rebuilt."

"Lord Baron, we can't stop the lizardmen! Only the city of Patras is the only safe shelter! ”

Old Gray said it all in one breath.

All the villagers were looking at William, waiting for his decision.

William was silent, his face like a volcano about to erupt.

Old John and the others were also silent, they didn't know that the situation in this territory was so complicated.

After a while, William suddenly smiled, "So, do I also have to pay to take refuge in Patras City?" ”

"Lord Baron, we really can't afford even a little more taxes." Old Gretel did not answer William's question directly, but only emphasized his own difficulties, and said.

William finally understood, why didn't the Duchy collect taxes here? Why is it that the villagers in the small village of Nise, where there is no tax, are so poor, they are no different from serfs.

In fact, they are the serfs of the city of Patras, the viscount of Green!

And not him, the lords of William Odyssey!

Even he, if he chooses to take refuge in Patras City in winter, then he is also a serf of Viscount Grion!

Viscount Greon is amazing! For nothing, there was an extra group of serfs to work for him, and he had to pay almost nothing! William sighed in his heart.

But Viscount Green's greatness was based on William's pain.

William asked himself, would he be willing to beg another person to take over the property that originally belonged to him every year?

Are you willing to look at your territory every year, in a cycle of reconstruction and destruction?

Are you willing to send someone under the fence?

In fact, there is no need to ask, William's subconscious has already given him the answer!

He didn't come to this world to be a turtle with a shrunken head.

William's eyes became firm and as sharp as an eagle, and he looked at all the villagers who were also looking at his lord.

The eyes of the villagers were full of hope.

The corners of William's mouth suddenly bloomed into a sunny smile, "I'm sorry!" I won't ask for more than 40% of the rent, but I won't ask for less either! No point is missing! ”

One stone stirs up a thousand waves!

The eyes of the villagers became frightened, but no one dared to speak, for fear of fines!

The atmosphere was uncomfortably depressing.

If William still had to collect taxes, they would have no way to live, and even if they didn't eat or drink, the rest of the harvest would not be enough to enter the city of Patras.

"For the sake of divine fate, Lord Baron, please don't see us again after winter! We are your faithful servants, your ploughs and horses, your territory, which we need to cultivate. "Old Gretel still wants to save it.

"Yes, my people! I have never doubted your loyalty! William chuckled, "And, this winter, I'm going to stay here!" ”

"Lord Baron......"

"Lord Baron......"

Old John and Old Gretel said in unison, the same words, different tones, but different meanings.

Old John was worried about William's safety, but Old Gretel didn't believe William's decision.

"Perhaps I should tell you, Lord Baron, how dangerous the village of Nisse will be after the snowfall? It is a beast that devours countless people. ”

"I thank you for your kindness, old Gretel, but forty percent of the harvest is still not missing!"

"After the harvest month, after paying enough taxes, if you still want to leave the village and go to Patras, I will not stop you! Of course, his fields will be divided among me to the others who remain. And if I find someone running away without paying enough taxes, hehe, winter is coming, and the beasts of the dark forest are hungry! I think it's going to entertain those lovely guests. Of course, I really don't want to see that scene. ”

William said coldly.

The hearts of the villagers were filled with chills.

"And I will stay here, and I will work with the villagers who are willing to stay here to build a small village that truly belongs to us!" William said suddenly.

As soon as this sentence came out, all the villagers looked in disbelief, and they couldn't believe that William, a so-called nobleman, would risk his life to stay here.

"Baron, you'll regret it!" After a moment of silence, old Gretel said.

"You'll never see that day!" William looked at him stark and said.

"This is exactly what I wanted, Lord Baron!"

Old Gretel stepped back and didn't continue to speak.

William's stern gaze swept over all the villagers, and he said, "Give up everything and leave, or stay with me!" Those who leave will be spurned, have nothing, and die in poverty, but those who remain will be glorified and a good life that he never dared to imagine before! ”

Without the harvest in the field, they would starve to death.

But if you stay, I don't know how many lives will be taken away by the long winter!

Seventy-three families in the small village of Nisse are faced with a difficult choice.

However, William's words were not finished.

"There's still a month to go until the harvest month, so you have plenty of time to think about it!"

"But before the final moon arrives, I have a new mission for you!"

William took out a golden weed and showed it to all the villagers.

He plucked it in the corner of the house this morning.

"Does anyone know this kind of grass?" William asked the villagers.

The villagers were all thinking about whether to leave in the winter or stay, and few people responded to William's question.

William's face sank, and he exclaimed, "Isn't there a single person in the whole village of Nisse who knows this grass?" ”

The villagers were frightened and hurriedly raised their hands to show that they knew.

More than half of the villagers raised their hands one after another.

It is a common weed that is found everywhere, and the villagers have an impression of him.

William nodded and said, "My lords, I need you to find this grass for me, the more the better!" ”

"Yes, Lord Baron." The villagers replied weakly.

Seeing this situation, William was not angry, but smiled slightly, and said, "Every hundred grasses are used as a bundle, and every three bundles I will buy with a Poole copper coin." ”

The villagers' eyes opened as wide as brass bells, and they looked at William like hungry wolves looking at their little lambs.

This kind of grass can be found everywhere in forests, fields, houses, and hundreds of plants can be pulled out at will.

And three hundred of these useless weeds can be exchanged for a Poole copper coin.

Five copper pools can buy a worst piece of brown bread, the kind mixed with bran, wood chips, and a small amount of rye flour, which can barely last a person for three days.

In other words, as long as you pull up five or three hundred weeds, you can get three days of food.

Moreover, they all have a strong sense of confidence that they can find far more weeds than that.

This is a strong attraction for the villagers of Nisse, who have been below the poverty line and have been exploited by the city of Patras.

William was very satisfied with the hungry eyes of the villagers, and added another fire, saying, "First come, first served, if the quantity is enough, I will stop buying." Go ahead! ”

The villagers ran away screaming and screaming, and only a few villagers walked unhurriedly.

Among them were the Addams family, and the old Gretel family.

Is the village rich? William thought.