What exactly did the serf class want?

Gastens once thought about this question when he was a serf himself, and the answer seemed to be very simple, get rid of serfdom and become a free citizen.

But then what?

Trying to get a piece of land and then enslave other serfs?

Gastens once didn't know the answer, and after returning from Earth, he had the answer, but he didn't know his own answer, whether he could answer other people's questions. His speech at the Elena factory was very successful, and the promises he made gave the serfs great enthusiasm for their work. They almost scrambled to get to work in order to repay Gastens for his kindness. Thanks to the extraordinary enthusiasm of these people, it took only four days for the Elena factory to complete the initial commissioning of the production equipment.

However, production still could not be carried out.

To produce an improved version of the Type 27, now known as the Elliot rifle, Gastens had to be supported upstream, and most of the unmodified Type 27 parts had to be shipped from other factories. This link in the middle does not need to be opened by Gastens, and Elliot has already used its own capabilities to get the upstream producers. According to the plan, the first batch of parts will arrive in four days.

And in these four days, Gastens still has some problems to solve.

"Boss, are you looking for me?"

Gurakos stood in front of Gastens with a respectful attitude. The workers from Slotter's Power Equipment Company's Stralongwood maintenance plant have been assigned to various workshops, and they get along well with the workers at the Elena factory, although they don't understand the language, but because they can get rid of serfdom from now on, the workers are very friendly to the people who came with Gastens.

"Well", Gastens sat at his desk, redrawing the design. He had given the only blueprint to Eliot, who sent him to the Royal Academy of Arms, and then he was never heard from. During these four days, he had to draw a new design of the different perspectives and components to facilitate the start of the factory. Seeing Gurakos come in, Gastens asked in a fluent Negr language.

"How's it going, it's been okay lately, right?"

"It's good, these workers are very enthusiastic, they are very good to us, and a lot of work is rushed."

"Look at them, think about you, what do you think of your life?"

"Compared to them, that's so much better. At least we still have a salary, we don't get enslaved, we have unions, we can defend our rights. In the past two days, I have heard that some workers have been beaten to death because of mistakes in production, which is terrible. ”

"Well, this is the sorrow of slavery, there is no fundamental right, where does happiness come from? What do you think of me giving them the status of a freedman? ”

"Very well, you're doing the right thing."

"What about you, what do you want?"

Gurakos was stunned, he really hadn't thought about it. After a few minutes of thinking, he looked at Gastens and asked with some uncertainty, "Go home?" ”

Gastens smiled, he stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the town not far away, "As soon as the war is over, I will send you home, until then, make this place home." It's been the middle of winter lately, and you don't have much farm work, so it's not a problem to let you live in a tent all the time, so I want to mobilize everyone to build a house. ”

"That'...... It's not bad, but what about the production of the factory? ”

"You don't have to participate in most of the work, I will let the farmers who don't have farm work do this now, and the reason why I tell you is because the house also has your share."

"Huh?"

Gurakos was so surprised that he never thought he could own a house in Ankenrein. You know, even if he is in Strandwood, he can only live in the workers' dormitory, where did he get the house?

"Don't be so surprised, it's not a good house. Now the temperature is too low to lay the foundation, so I temporarily build some wooden bungalows that can live in people to avoid the cold. Wait until next spring, and we will build a new house, the kind that can live in it for a long time. ”

"That'...... We...... That's not a good fit, is it? Gurakos was a little apprehensive. If he had been in Strongwood, he might not have had a house in his life, after all, the city is notoriously expensive. And the wages of their workers are also notoriously low.

"It's not a good fit, it's settled."

Gastens closed the coffin, chatted with Gurakos a few more words, and sent him away. He thought about building a house for a while, if the serfs could be tied to him with the promise of getting rid of slavery, and then slowly used communism to reform, then in order to attract these workers, before they clearly showed their banner, they had to provide them with better welfare, and the house was always a plot that everyone could not avoid.

Confirming that the workers needed this, and that their troops needed a fixed place to live, the matter of building a house was put on the agenda. The Elena factory has a supporting town, which was originally a worker's dormitory and some basic living facilities. Later, the surrounding landlords also built houses in the town, and the merchants also discovered the place, and gradually it became prosperous. After all, if the steam engine in the entire province of Engspan breaks, it basically has to be sent here for repair.

Gastens gathered everyone and renovated the town's former workers' quarters to make it easier to live in. After that, he made preparations for building a house and made an announcement to the public.

All serfs in the Elena Plains were given freeman status as long as they worked in the factory for a week, and the production regiment of the three guards was to defend their rights with steam rifles. The announcement was made, and it immediately caused a storm on the plains of Elena, and on the same day a dozen serfs who had received the news ran into the factory, and Gastens told them and his soldiers to do the preliminary work of building the house. As for the landlords who followed behind, Gastens kept them all out.

"You have only two choices, first, hand over your serf contract a week later, and we will buy it at the pre-war price. The serfs will also be sent back to help you work, and you will have to do the same as before, just eat and drink from them. Second, you are making trouble here and do not cooperate with us. When the week comes, we will come to your house ourselves and get the serf contract from your house. But when the time comes, if there is any conflict or hurt someone, don't blame us for being rude! ”

According to Gastens, Zinke led a part of the troops to block the door and told the landlords what Gastens meant. They were silent or cursed, but no one dared to confront them head-on. The men stayed at the factory gate for more than two hours and then left. After that, there were far fewer people who fled to the factory.

"It must be controlled by the landlords, our own serfs who enter the factory are not good at leaving the factory, as soon as they go out, they may be targeted, it is difficult to say whether they can come back alive, no one believes in us, and they are naturally reluctant to come."

Ivan, Zink, and a group of company commanders from Gastens, and several leaders of the Gulasco union brought up the matter during a meeting with Gastens in the evening. The system of councils was also proposed by Gastens, and every night when there was something to do, the representatives of all sides would sit together and talk for a while.

"It's okay, at first, that's right, after a week we have completed the change of status of the first batch of slaves, those people will naturally know how to choose."

Gastens didn't have much pressure. Now that he has decided to put down roots here, and has thighs behind him to protect him from the wind and rain, he doesn't mind being tougher. It doesn't matter what those landlords think, what matters is whether their small stall can function.

On the fifth day of arriving on the Plains of Elena, revenge from Count Red Eridley finally appeared. The convoy carrying rifle parts to the Elena factory was passing through the Johor Bahru Pass from the east side when it was suddenly shut down by a group of builders. According to the builders, they are from the city hall of Moon and are responsible for repairing the road at the pass in the late winter, and the repair time required is one month.

A month, for Gastens, who is now racing against time, really has to wait for the parts to arrive in a month, and everything is delayed. As soon as he heard about this, he called four companies and a team of more than 400 people and went straight to the pass.

"Head, what are we going to do this time? Would you like to talk to Lord Yarrow Ross? ”

Zink walked beside Gastens and asked in a whisper. Lacking horses, Gastens marched on foot with his team.

"I've asked Klaus Schunel to speak, and he said his and won't delay us."

Klaus Schunel was the liaison officer left behind by Yarrow Ross, and by the way acted as an observer, and he would make suggestions if Gastens was too out of line in some way. Gastens found him annoying, so he drove him back to Van Ensten on the pretext of reporting the situation.

"Head, this must be the ghost of that Count Elidry, what should we do when we go?" , Ivan walked on the right side of Gastens, and the steam pack on his back had begun to charge.

"What should be done, wartime economy, ensuring production is the first priority, and those who don't open their eyes will all be turned over for me."

"Good!"

Ivan and Zinke responded in unison, a look of obvious excitement on their faces. After being away from the front line for so long, they are used to seeing blood, and they have some desire to vent after holding it for a long time.

When we arrived at the pass, the situation was clear at a glance. Someone blocked the pass with a large tree that had been lowered and a stone that had been erected. The motorcade carrying parts stopped east of the pass, and dozens of people dressed in town hall costumes were lazily repairing the road behind a large tree.

Gastens's team attracted the attention of both sides, and someone on the other side of the convoy began to run towards it. Two or three of the town hall personnel who were blocking the way also came out, and walked slowly towards Gastens's team.

"Do as you just said."

Gastens gave a low order, and Ivan and Sink nodded, holding their rifles in both hands diagonally, with the muzzle facing outward, and took two steps forward, blocking the three men who were walking towards them.

"A few military masters, we are building roads, I don't know-"

The leader of the three was respectful and wore glasses, and looked a lot like an official. But Ivan was not in the mood to listen to him, and before the other party could finish his first sentence, he smashed the butt of a rifle into the man's face, smashing him to the ground.

"Delay the wartime economy, hinder factory production, arrest me!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers behind them could no longer hold back, and they rushed up, tied up the staff, moved the trees, and moved the rocks. It took less than half an hour to clear the road at the pass. The long-awaited convoy followed Gastens's team past the pass and began to advance towards the Elena factory.

Eddie Warren, who disappeared at some point, appeared next to Gastens, who looked at him and asked softly.

"Did you find someone?"

"I found it, sure enough, on the mountain south of the pass, I arrested all three people."

"Well, let's take it back together."

Before approaching the pass, Gastens arranged for Eddie Warren to take a small group of people to look around the pass to see if anyone was peeping. If this construction was really what the Count of Eridri meant, then there must have been someone around to observe the situation and report it to the higher-ups. And as a result, Eddie Warren really caught the other party's mouse.

The rest is just waiting for the other party's next move.

Solving this small problem, Gastens began to organize factory production, and the first Elliot rifle soon rolled off the assembly line, and Gastens tried it at a makeshift shooting range outside the factory, which basically met the design requirements. He produced a hundred in small batches, arranged two companies, and sent them to the front as quickly as possible.

Immediately afterwards, the mayor of the city of Moon, Scandi Eridri, paid a visit. Gastens greeted him at the pass, chatted with Scandi Eridri all the way, showed him around the factory, dined together, and invited him into the office for a detailed conversation.

"Major Gastens, I'm here to get back to our town hall officer, Pip Matthias, and his construction team. I heard that when they were building a road at the pass, they were caught by you, I wonder if it is convenient? ”

Scandi's attitude is generally good, although the Plains of Elena falls under the jurisdiction of the city of Moon. But Scandi is clearly well-cultivated, with just the right amount of modesty in his attitude and tone.

"Pip Matthias?" , Gastens turned his head sideways and asked Ivan behind him.

"It's the one who led the way that day."

"Oh, it's him, okay, Mr. Mayor wants to take it away, then take it away." Gastens had an attitude of indifference.

"The problem is not here, Mr. Gastens," Scandi still smiled, "Mr. Matthias was injured in the line of duty, and was illegally detained by you. Even if it is a wartime economy, your factories do not have a wartime economic production license and cannot be included in the wartime economic protection list. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to do that? ”

"We don't have a wartime license?" Gastens pretended to be surprised, "You just saw it, we produce rifles!" Who would dare to make such a fucking thing without a license? ”

"Major Gastens, I know you have come back from the front, but you also have to cooperate with us, if you don't have a production license, we have the right to stop your pyroxene and food supply, and we can even convict you of sabotaging production, if you really want to force that part, it's not good for both of us, right?"

"Yo? The mayor still has so much power? ”

Gastens pretended to be surprised, and the expression on his face was pompous and contrived.

"I still have this ability. After all, it's my job to maintain the stability and security of the city of Moon, isn't it? ”

Scandi Eridri smiled reservedly, although he despised the nouveau riche in front of him in his heart, but the good cultivation of the nobles made him cleverly hide his contempt in his heart.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it."

Gastens relaxed, leaned back and waved lazily.

"Ivan, send off!"