You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 106 Breeding Farm

Roman spent seven days in the livestock shed.

He would sometimes chat with Yaki and listen to Yaki talk about things on the eastern plateau.

With the barbarian army besieging the city, the highland inhabitants suffered greatly. Their army was repeatedly defeated and forced to retreat to the rocky highlands, where they could only rely on the terrain to defend the city.

Vast swathes of land were lost, mountains and rivers were shattered, and countless villages and towns burned fiercely under the iron hooves of barbarians.

The people of the plateau all hoped that their king would rise up at this moment and lead them to fight against those brutal barbarians.

But the king merely appealed for help, issued a decree to conquer, and ordered nobles from all over the country to spontaneously gather and fight against the barbarians.

He dared not personally lead the expedition, spending his days in Eagle City drinking fine wine, indulging in women, and watching entertainers perform, as if those horse urine, white meat, and clowns were more important than his subjects and his land.

Roman could hear the suppressed resentment in Yaki's voice.

He made no further comment, simply listening silently.

Apart from that, Roman did no different things from the servants here.

Every day, they shovel manure, feed the animals, and harvest pasture.

He was just more professional and serious than all of them. Because of his better physical fitness, Roman could do the work of three people by himself, which reduced their burden a lot.

Until the prompt came from "The Tale of Life".

……

[Level 2 Breeding: 1/380]

[Milestone Unlocked: Postpartum Caregiver for Sows]

[Postpartum Caregiver for Sows: Earn 500 Primogems]

……

That day, Roman summoned all the construction workers in Sig.

Roman said to them, “I want you to build me a chicken coop, a pigsty, and a sheepfold.”

"Didn't we already have livestock sheds?" a seasoned and skilled bricklayer asked.

This man played a crucial role in the construction of the livestock sheds and residential areas, and he communicated with Roman the most. Unlike the other workers who kept their distance from Roman, he was very close to the lord before him.

Roman glanced at him. "The livestock shed isn't for them to live in."

His original intention in building the livestock shed was for oxen and draft horses to live in, so the space was very high, spacious and bright.

Later, the poultry and livestock delayed his plans. There was no one to take care of them, and it was troublesome to take care of them, so he slaughtered all the chickens, ducks and geese, and put the pigs and sheep into the livestock shed.

But this is only a temporary measure; now we need to get everything back on track.

Roman needed large quantities of pork, mutton, eggs, and dairy products to feed his invincible army.

But what you get from hunting is just a drop in the ocean.

Based on an average daily consumption of 1 pound of meat per person, 150 soldiers would consume 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of meat per month. With the expansion of the army, the demand would be even greater.

Only large-scale farming can support such a massive consumption.

Designing specialized farms and enclosures based on the size and growth environment of each type of poultry and livestock is essential for Roman.

He also needs to breed, crossbreed, select the best, and castrate to cultivate the best varieties.

Without breed improvement, there's no point in talking about breeding!

Domestic pigs in this era would grow to a maximum of a little over 100 jin (50 kg), while pigs in the northern regions would only weigh a pitiful 30 to 50 jin (15-25 kg) to reach adulthood. Although they were called domestic pigs, they were actually more like pet pigs.

It absolutely needs to be drastically improved!

Roman designed special architectural plans for chicken coops, sheep pens, and pig pens.

The construction workers were quickly astonished to discover that all the livestock farms were larger than this most spacious barn!
Despite their shock, they did not disobey Roman's orders.

Because Roman would pay them wages.

They were craftsmen, unlike those lowly farmers, and they wouldn't work for Roman for free. They had received two commissions when he built the livestock shed and the brick house last time.

Roman didn't like to pay them by the day; he preferred to settle accounts uniformly.

The three farms were completed within two months.

These thirty-odd construction workers would receive a total of 10 gold coins as payment. The reason the construction period was so short was that Roman discovered he could collect the labor from the paving team in ten days.

In fact, while he was gaining experience at the livestock shed, Roman was quite surprised by the performance of the road paving team.

He underestimated the efficiency of those stupid... guys!

After he gave the order, the laborers made great progress, averaging ten kilometers of road repair per day, and at the fastest they laid twenty kilometers – the main force walked directly across.

Because the terrain within that twenty-mile width is a plain, mostly consisting of sparse grassland or wasteland.

There's no need to repair any natural terrain that a horse-drawn carriage can pass through.

They were like a gluttonous snake, devouring all the bushes and trees along the way.

Today, they are heading towards the coal mine.

That stretch of road, twenty or thirty kilometers long, is nothing to them; they expect to finish it the day after tomorrow.

The biggest problem now is actually the food supply.

Roman told them to sleep in the wilderness and not to come back until they finished.

Recently, he has been sending three specially made horse-drawn carriages every day, each carrying 1,000 catties of grain, accompanied by the cooks from the main kitchen, to dig pits and cook meals on the spot.

After all, in the latter half of the journey, a round trip would take seven or eight hours.

He was originally supposed to finish in 20 days, but now it's almost done in half a month.

At that time, Roman will have plenty of manpower again. After all, road construction requires everyone to participate, but mining does not require as many people.

This gave Roman the confidence to build three farms within two months.

Roman gestured and said to them, "Take a good look at these construction drawings and try to understand their structure. I don't want you to be at a loss when it comes time to start construction."

“We understand, Mr. Roman.”

The construction workers, carrying the thick stack of parchment, bowed slightly and then took their leave.

Even if the pay is less, they will not refuse Roman's task.

The main benefit is that it can improve one's professional skills in the process.

This is a skill that can be passed down to future generations.

After they left, Roman said to Yaki, "You're quite good. Start here for now, and I'll put you in charge of all the farms in a while. Get ready."

After observing him for several days, Roman believed that this patient and meticulous young man could help him manage his future farm.

Upon hearing this, Yaki was at a loss for words.

Isn't this too much of an appointment?

When he was on the eastern plateau, he was just an ordinary herdsman's child, and a cripple at that; nobody respected him. His younger brother already had a wife, but he remained all alone.

When the barbarians invaded, his family didn't have time to take him with them when they fled, and he felt that they regarded him as a burden.

Now he is about to manage all the farms?
Although he didn't know the exact size of those farms, he was clear about how much Roman valued them, perhaps even more than the managers.

Yaki wanted to suggest that he find someone else, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

He lowered his head, his expression sorrowful, his heart filled with sadness and self-loathing. "Mr. Roman, I am just a cripple."

"Raise your head!" Upon hearing this, Yaki subconsciously looked at Roman, only to see those highly focused crimson eyes, like two burning rubies, radiating a dazzling and piercing light!

How beautiful. The thought crossed Yaki's mind. His appearance, however, was less than pleasing; his disheveled black hair and the scarlet marks on his face resembled cheap rouge.

He looked at him with a solemn expression, as if he were awarding a medal to someone else. Yaki felt a sense of shame and fear; he was unworthy of any medal and instinctively lowered his head again.

"Why belittle yourself! So what if you're lame? Is this your fate? I don't think so! Even if it is your fate, you should stand up like a man and kick it aside! Anyone who dares to look down on you, I'll show them what respect is!"

"Don't be afraid! Look me in the eye! Inferiority and cowardice should not belong to you! My apostle, just wait, I will find a way to mend your broken bones so that you can stand tall like other people on the plateau. Don't embarrass me then!"

The powerful words were like sharp swords, piercing through the years of gloom that had accumulated deep within Yaki's heart. He suddenly burst into tears, like a lost lamb finding its way home. He couldn't suppress the intense emotions surging up in waves, rushing into the depths of his brain, accompanied by a torrent of tears.

Roman opened his arms and embraced him gently. He didn't mind Aki's limp and hunchback, his background, his disheveled hair like a beggar's, or the stench he had picked up from spending so much time in the livestock shed.

He simply embraced his apostle gently, patting his back with his right hand to soothe his wounded heart.

(End of this chapter)