Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Kato Nobutaka of Atsuta was quite pleased, hiring a boat to haul it away, though he only took the bundled ones. Five thousand bundles, which came to about 150 kan. After deducting the cost of hiring people, it was less than 100 kan.

If a horse carries people or goods today, it will eat about 25 catties of alfalfa hay. A bundle of alfalfa, if carefully calculated, is enough for a horse to eat for two and a half days. It's really not much. After Kato Nobutaka took it away, Shichibei also sent 500 bundles to Ohashi Castle. He sent 200 bundles to Murai Sadakatsu's family and 500 bundles to Sakuma Nobumori's family.

Afterwards, a few scattered horse owners in the town also bought several hundred bundles, and the rest had to be left in the house to be used as winter feed for their own horses.

Well, in the end, only ninety strings of cash were left. It took two months of work.

Even these ninety strings of cash are enough to make Ayi and the others happy. The alfalfa can be harvested again this year, but not again after that, because no fertilizer has been applied. The leek roots have all withered; how can we expect to harvest leeks next year? It can only rest.

The dowry money for at least five younger sisters has been scraped together. After the second harvest this year, the profits will be used to level the land, buy plows, use horse-drawn plows, and build up soil for drainage. At the very least, the roots of thatch and reeds that compete with alfalfa for nutrients in the field must be roughly turned over to avoid affecting the growth of alfalfa.

If we replant next year, we can harvest three crops a year. Then we can ferment the fish manure, which is a simple version of phosphate fertilizer, and the yield can be increased even further.

Of course, all of this costs money, and there's no rushing it.

"Master, I think we could try planting barnyard grass on the land on the island," an old fellow suggested, seeing Shichibei calculating his earnings.

"Barnyard grass?" That's right. Nowadays, barnyard grass is not considered a noxious weed. In fact, there are large areas of land in regions like Oshu and Ushu that are dedicated to growing barnyard grass.

Not only do farmers eat it, but it can also be used as concentrated feed for cattle and horses. After all, barnyard grass is also a type of grass. Farmers plant upland rice where rice cannot be grown, and barnyard grass where the accumulated temperature is relatively insufficient. When there are no better options, farmers will always find ways to choose the best crop.

Plant some plants that you are familiar with, that you can eat, and that will yield some harvest.

"Next year, let's harvest one crop of alfalfa this year first." Shichibei was also hesitant to suddenly try crops he was unfamiliar with, which was a "bad habit" of small-scale farmers, or rather, owners of small-scale means of production.

Of course, this "inherent flaw" is a term used by foreigners in theory and does not apply to the situation of ordinary Asian people.

"The sandy land is only suitable for growing alfalfa and barnyard grass; it's not really suitable for growing anything else." Since they were just chatting, the old man sat down next to Shichibei.

"We can grow melons, haha." Shichibei thought to himself, "The people of Omi even grow melons, so we can grow a few for ourselves too."

“You’re right.” The old man clapped his hands, agreeing with Shichibei.

"Actually..." Shichibei remembered that well-developed, well-drained, and easy-to-irrigate sandy loam soil could grow a lot of things.

13. Sanhao Repairman has died suddenly.

On the same patch of sandy land, planting barnyard grass is more profitable than planting alfalfa. This is because barnyard grass can be fed not only to cattle and horses but also to humans. Feeding humans allows it to be sold at a higher price, even during famines.

By the same token, planting something more expensive than barnyard grass would certainly yield more money.

But what's more valuable than barnyard grass? That's a difficult question. Besides remembering that melons and watermelons were suitable, Shichibei also remembered that in his previous life in Tianjin, a type of green radish was grown, which was also cultivated in sandy soil.

In addition, it seems that peanuts are also grown in sandy soil. If it's all clay soil, peanuts won't grow well. Loose soil allows the peanut root system to develop, resulting in more peanuts being grown.

It's a pity that peanuts have definitely not been introduced to Japan yet. It's hard to say whether they've even been introduced to China, otherwise growing peanuts would be an excellent business.

Lying flat on the tatami mat, Shichibei was still thinking about this. His old friend was right; growing high-value crops was far better than toiling away at alfalfa.

To be fair, in some respects, merchants are more innovative in their thinking than farmers. This is probably one of the reasons why the bourgeoisie replaced the landlord class as the new trendsetters of the era.

Unfortunately, after thinking all night, Shichibei still couldn't come up with any serious ideas. He had no choice but to get up and get ready for bed. Making and taking off the quilt every day was such a hassle; thankfully, this was something Shichibei didn't have to do himself.

Just as they were having breakfast, someone came over to borrow a horse. When business is open, you have to put down your chopsticks when customers come in. Shichibei quickly wiped his mouth and, along with his assistant, led the horse to the man.

Seeing that the man seemed quite anxious, Shichibei instinctively asked what was wrong and why he was in such a hurry. Although the man was anxious, he was not flustered and only said that two major events had occurred in the Kinai region.

The Sanhao Repairman died suddenly!

Luoyang announced the expulsion of Ban Tianlian.

That's definitely a big deal. One of the advantages of working in the transportation industry is that, as a segment of the national logistics network, you receive certain information quite quickly.

It is said that only thirteen days after Oda Nobunaga died at Honno-ji Temple, the Ando clan learned of the great upheaval in the Kinai region. This was entirely due to the Thirteen Minato, which the Ando clan controlled, and the constant flow of trading ships traveling north.

The messenger, having taken the horse, galloped towards Komakiyama Castle. He was clearly there to inform Oda Nobunaga that Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Rokkaku Yoshikata were enemies, making Miyoshi, in a sense, half an ally of Oda Nobunaga. After all, Nobunaga and Azai Nagamasa were allies through marriage; killing Miyoshi's nephew Saito Tatsuoki meant he was going after Rokkaku Yoshikata.

After washing his hands in the horse's water bucket, Shichibei sat down to eat. Miyoshi Nagayoshi's sudden death had absolutely nothing to do with him. As for Kyoto's expulsion of Christians, he had even less to do with that. Shichibei had always kept his distance from all superstitious and ghostly things. "You can believe what you want, just don't ask me for anything."

If you try to impose your religious beliefs on me, then I'm sorry, but I'm going to attack you.

After handing the money to Ai, Shichibei prepared to continue working on the sandbar. The shop's business had been honed over decades, even centuries, so Shichibei's presence or absence made no difference. The only reason Shichibei was needed was for the Tsushima clan to hold meetings and for the Oda clan to conscript men for service.

In those days, failing to serve was a serious crime. For example, Hōki Nanjō Mototsugu suffered a stroke and became paralyzed, so Toyotomi Hideyoshi could only send his younger brother, Ogamo Motokiyo, to serve. This almost angered Hideyoshi, and he was stripped of his fiefdom.

Another, even more famous one, is Date Masamune, who failed to appear when summoned during the Battle of Odawara, instead going to see Hideyoshi in white robes and a short sword. Of course, this was just a gesture; Hideyoshi would never actually order him to commit seppuku.

Without needing to instruct the shop on anything, Shichibei, accompanied by two assistants, boarded a boat on the sandbar. Then he discovered another problem: someone had come and cut down the alfalfa that hadn't been harvested in the nooks and crannies.

Sigh, it's really the same throughout history and across the world.

Normally, someone takes care of the land, so this doesn't happen. But this time, the main parts have been harvested, leaving only the scraps and edges, which no one was looking at, so naturally someone came to "pick them up."

Forget it, it's not a big deal. Besides, there's no way to control this kind of thing. Going to court over a bunch of grass? Or even setting up an ambush in the middle of the night? That's all absurd.

Well, it seems there really was such a thing during the Warring States period. The Date clan cut grass for the Soma clan's horses and then got beaten up by the Soma clan.

I'm not here today to prevent any theft. The main reason is about planting other crops, which I mentioned yesterday. If we're going to plant them properly, we need to cultivate them carefully and cultivate them properly.

Earthen embankments need to be built to prevent the spread of muddy water, keep the sandy soil dry, and create suitable growing conditions for plants. Then, ditches and sluice gates need to be dug for irrigation. Plants that prefer sandy soil often require a sophisticated irrigation system to ensure water supply at each stage of their growth.

The brothers Naoie and Tadaya Ukita were probably also farming at this time. And during the lean season, they would go hungry for two days a month. Naoie later died of stomach cancer, which was said to be related to the fact that he often went hungry in his youth.

If even the governor of Bizen can farm, then of course I can too.

It's just an experimental field, it doesn't need to be too big, two mu (approximately 0.16 acres) will suffice. However, once it's actually planted, a thatched shed will be needed. We'll see if we can recruit two farmers to cultivate the land on the sandbar, which would be convenient for planting and also provide night watch.

By the way, those who believe in the Ikko-shu (One Path Sect) should not follow it.

Who knows if he'll just run off to Nagashima in a couple of years and then turn Oda Nobunaga's sword upside down. It's one thing if you want to die, but don't let Nobunaga, who'd rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, come and burn down my sandbar pasture.

Meanwhile, Christians expelled from the Yamashiro area, including many artisans, prepared to flee to Matsunaga Hisahide, who also practiced Christianity. Others fled to Takayama Yushō in Settsu or Sakai in Izumi, places that were also tolerant of Christianity.

Takayama Tomoteru was the father of Takayama Shigetomo. Takayama Shigetomo has been blessed in later generations, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be canonized and become a patron saint of the Japanese Catholic Church.

After Miyoshi Nagayoshi's sudden death, the Miyoshi Triumvirate, who were trying to take control of the Miyoshi family, and Matsunaga Hisahide, who shared the same goal, became complete adversaries.

In fact, the struggle between the two sides had been going on for a long time. After the deaths of Miyoshi Sanekyu and Sogo Kazumi, important figures in the family, the central power of the Miyoshi family was vacant, and the struggle had been going on for more than a day or two.

Given their antagonism, the Miyoshi Triumvirate, who held considerable influence in Settsu, Kawachi, and Yamashiro, would certainly not allow skilled Christian townspeople to flee to Matsunaga Hisahide's territory.

They sent troops everywhere to plunder and capture these Christian townspeople, intending to force them to go to their own territories or sell them to towns and villages in need.

14. The people of Christchurch request placement.

After building a small dike on the sandbar, Shichibei set about recruiting two farming households. It was easy to recruit them; after all, Nobunaga was currently locked in a tug-of-war with Nobukiyo. Since it wasn't harvest time yet, neither side could mobilize a large force for a joint battle.

Thus, situations arose where Nobunaga would lead his retainers to set fires one day, and Nobukiyo would lead his close associates to steal cattle the next.

Don't laugh. Do you think the daimyo of the Sengoku period spent their days in their castles, pointing fingers and gesturing wildly? It wasn't uncommon for daimyo to engage in petty theft when necessary. Hosokawa Fujitaka even said that one year when he was fighting and ran out of food, he stole wheat straw from the homes of civilians in the war zone to cook.

No, this can't be called stealing. Those are enemy-occupied areas; to put it more bluntly, it's called disrupting the enemy's sustainable combat capability.

The back-and-forth struggle between the two sides has lasted for almost a year, and many people in the middle area have fled. At this time, recruiting two farming households, especially those from Owari, is not a difficult task.

It will cost a few coins to build them two thatched huts. The roofs can be thatched, but the walls still need to be made of wood; it's worth the expense. Shichibei has already come up with an excuse: who knows, someone might get jealous and come to cut our alfalfa in the middle of the night.

How about hiring two farmers to watch over the land, and then relocating one farmer who is already harvesting the land, so that they can help and supervise each other?

Ai, clutching the key to the money box, stared at Shichibei for a long time before handing it over. She was probably confirming that Shichibei really intended to build thatched huts for the two farmers they had recruited; after all, Owari wasn't a particularly cold place, and a thatched hut would suffice.

As he fiddled with his keys and watched Ai count the money in bunches, Shichibei inexplicably felt a pang of guilt, like he was doing something wrong. He was doing something legitimate, so why did he feel guilty?

Outrageous.

"Master, there's something urgent to discuss in town." A shop assistant ran in when the money was halfway through being counted.

"Taxes again!" Shichibei and Ai exclaimed in unison, nearly startling the young man at the door.

"what?"

"Ai, you continue." Shichibei had no choice but to stand up and go to the meeting.

The matter of repairing the thatched hut has been agreed upon; it can be built as soon as there's money, and it'll be quick. Once the meeting is over and the money is collected, Shichibei will hire someone to build it. Ai responded and told Shichibei to go to the meeting.

He rushed to the town hall but didn't see Horita Uma. That meant he wasn't there to deliver Oda Nobunaga's military orders, which was good; it was good that he wasn't there to collect taxes.

Once everyone was seated, Mr. Itō, who was chairing the meeting, announced the matters to be discussed that day. It was news from Ōminato's side that two ships carrying Christian townspeople were arriving, and Tsushima was asking if they were willing to accept them.

Don't ask why the town of Ominato doesn't accept it, because Ominato's full name is Ise Grand Shrine Monmae Ominato.

They prospered because they were backed by the Ise Grand Shrine, and they were the leaders of Japanese Shintoism. How could they possibly accept Christians?

The people of Tsushima also have a faith in the Ox-Headed King, so they certainly wouldn't be too happy to accept those Christian townspeople. Today is just a formality to get a response to Ominato.

After Mr. Ito finished speaking, let the Tsushima people vote.

No one was willing to take them in, so they were asked to continue their journey by boat to another place.

A representative from the Christian townspeople, who had come with the representatives of the Ōminato contingent, was very anxious upon seeing the resolution and hurriedly asked if their ships could stop temporarily for a few days. Their reasons were twofold: first, to replenish their food and water, and second, to seek the understanding of the local lord, Oda Nobunaga.

Perhaps Oda Nobunaga would like to place them somewhere?

Putting everything else aside, this town representative believed he possessed a very impressive skill—gun forging.

Conservative daimyo might not be willing to accept them, but having heard that Oda Nobunaga was a very unconventional person, he might value their skills and be willing to accept them and settle them in Oda's territory.

The man pleaded earnestly, and what he said made some sense. Ito, the owner who chaired the meeting, consulted everyone present, and after some consideration, they agreed to allow them to stop temporarily for ten days.

If you don't get Oda Nobunaga's permission within ten days, then forget it and please leave.

That's a result, the Tsushima clan made their decision. Shichibei was quite curious about the gunsmith, but he couldn't handle such a thing himself, and besides, the gunsmith was religious, so it was easy for him to bring bad luck; it was better not to touch it.

The ship arrived the next day, but Shichibei was supervising the construction of the thatched huts on the sandbar, so I didn't see him. When I got home, I heard that Nobunaga's chief clerk, Sasa Narimasa, had come to take the representatives of the Christian townspeople to Komakiyama Castle.

That's definitely Nobunaga's style; he acts so quickly, he just does what he says he'll do.

The importance attached to firearms might actually have granted these people residency in Owari. However, it's unknown where Nobunaga ultimately placed them; they certainly wouldn't have been placed in Tsushima or Atsuta, as these are all areas in front of shrines.

Two days later, Nobunaga's letter arrived at Tsushima.

Craftsmen skilled in arquebus manufacturing, along with their close relatives, are permitted to enter Owari and temporarily settle near Komakiyama Castle. The people of Tsushima are not allowed to prevent the arquebus craftsmen from landing and must sell them all necessary supplies to ensure they can begin manufacturing arquebuses immediately upon arrival at Komakiyama.

Indeed, it was Nobunaga's style; Shichibei treated it as just news. But after hearing the news, he heard that of the two ships of Christian townspeople, only one ship was allowed to go ashore, while the others, who couldn't build arquebuses, only received permission to resupply on Tsushima Island.

You can go wherever you want, and you can even go ashore to buy food and water in the future, but you are not allowed to stay overnight in Tsushima Town.

This is more like Nobunaga's style: using people like piling up firewood. If you are useful to Nobunaga, he will win you over with money and gifts. Once you are no longer useful and don't know when to leave, Nobunaga will show no mercy and simply kick you out.

Many of the townspeople were probably relatives or friends, and this separation would likely be their last. As for why they didn't pretend to be gunsmiths and go ashore together? Nobunaga had someone watching you work on the gun barrels, and if you couldn't get it working, that person would immediately draw their sword and kill you.

Perhaps things got a bit heated, because someone pointed to the sandbar at the mouth of the river outside the town and asked if they could be allowed to build shacks on the sandbar since no one lives there.

This question stumped Sassa Narimasa, so he ordered someone to bring in any member of the Tsushima clan for questioning. He learned that the sandbar had been owned by the Motokawa family of the Michichuden clan in the town, just a few months prior.