Owari Yumeki Golden Day

Yes, there were seven or eight people from Kawamura's family, more than a dozen servants, and the younger ones were indeed Ai's childhood sweethearts. Logically, she and Shichibei were also childhood friends.

All right, Shichibei asked about the account with Boss Ito, and it wasn't much. They were all part of the Tsushima clan, not individual customers, so they could settle monthly. It was pure and simple business trust.

It was almost the end of the month, and they sent a clerk over to confirm the horse money. They would then send someone else to deliver it. A trainee clerk's job was essentially this kind of errand-running. For something as important as delivering money, it had to be done by the store's head of staff—the manager on duty, or the store manager.

Scratching his head, Shichibei realized that he had his strengths: he wasn't bald. While he couldn't call himself a man with beautiful hair, at least it could cover his scalp perfectly.

Add one point.

With a chuckle, Shichibei went inside to drink some water. Ai was settling accounts with someone up front, so it was naturally Aci who brought Shichibei some water. Shichibei, having nothing else to do, asked Aci if he knew Xiaozhu.

This question stumped Ah Ci. After a moment's thought, she said that Xiao Zhu had indeed been coming quite often in the past two years. But it was mainly to reconcile accounts, which had to be done every month before they could be closed.

After hearing this, Shichibei asked Aci, "How much do you know about this Xiaozhu?" Aci just shook his head, saying that he only knew that he was a waiter in Boss Ito's shop. He knew his name, but he had no impression of anything else.

Well……

Never mind. Shichibei finished his water and didn't ask any more questions. Perhaps he was just being overly suspicious. He still had to check on the alfalfa field tomorrow. The important thing was to finish his meal and go to bed early.

Well, Shichibei can’t control how many meals others eat, but we have to eat three meals ourselves.

After waiting and waiting, a month finally passed. As expected, much of the alfalfa near the water didn't sprout. Only in the well-drained central sandbar area did a large amount of alfalfa germinate and grow. This large amount, however, is relative to today's per-acre yield; it's completely different from the large amount five hundred years from now.

For example, one mu of wheat might not even yield 2,000 kilograms, let alone 5,000 or 8,000 kilograms. This is still wet, and after it's harvested and dried in the fields for three to five days, even 600 kilograms is questionable.

How many bundles can be made from 600 kilograms of hay? Ten bundles.

How many bundles are there on a thousand mu of land? Only ten thousand.

If any time traveler saw this, he would probably laugh out loud on the spot, shouting that it was a shame for time travelers and that there was nothing worse than this.

How much is a bunch of grass worth? Thirty coins. A pair of straw sandals costs a dozen or twenty coins. After all, they are "handicrafts" with the added value of labor. But a bunch of grass is different. It's worth the price of a whole alfalfa.

The key point is that people have to be hired to cut and bundle the crops, and then ship them to Atsuta, Ohashi, or other towns within the Owari Territory for sale. They earn money purely from shouting, or in other words, hard labor.

Kato Nobunaga of Atsuta was delighted, however, and hired a boat to haul it off himself, though of course he only took the bundles. Five thousand bundles, that only amounted to 150 kan. After deducting the cost of hiring the boatmen, it was still less than 100 kan.

If a horse was carrying people or goods today, it would eat about 25 pounds of alfalfa hay. A bundle of alfalfa, if calculated carefully, would be enough for a horse to eat for two and a half days. It wasn't much. After Kato Nobunaga took the bundle away, Shichibei sent another 500 bundles to Ohashi Castle. He also sent 200 bundles to Murai Sadakatsu's household and 500 to Sakuma Nobumori's household.

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

Well, in the end, only ninety strings of cash were left, and I was busy for two months.

Even these ninety strings of cash were enough to make Ai and the others happy. They could harvest one more crop of alfalfa this year, but not after that because they hadn't applied fertilizer. The chive roots were already rotten, so how could they be expected to produce chives next year? They could only rest.

At least the dowries of five younger sisters had been pooled together. After the second harvest this year, the profits would be used to level the land, buy plows, use horses for plowing, and build up soil and drain water. At the very least, the thatch and reed roots that competed with the alfalfa for nutrients had to be roughly turned over to prevent them from affecting its growth.

By reseeding the crops next year, you can harvest three crops a year. Then, you can use fermented fish fertilizer, a simple version of phosphate fertilizer, to increase the yield.

Of course, this all costs money, so there’s no rush.

"Boss, I think we can try growing barnyard grass on the land on the island." An old friend saw Shichibei calculating the accounts and offered a suggestion.

"Echinochloa?" That's right. Nowadays, echinococcinea is not a malignant weed. There are even large tracts of land dedicated to growing echinococcinea in areas such as Oshu and Ushu.

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 grass. Upland rice is grown in areas where rice cannot be grown, and barnyard grass is grown in areas with relatively low accumulated temperatures. In the absence of a better choice, farmers will always find a way to plant the best.

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

"Let's do it next year. Let's just harvest a season of alfalfa this year." Shichibei didn't dare to suddenly try crops he was not familiar with. This was the "bad habit" of small self-cultivating farmers, or owners of small-scale means of production.

Of course, this "bad nature" is something that foreigners use in theory, and it does not apply to the situation of ordinary Asian people.

"The sandy land can only be used to grow alfalfa and barnyard grass. It's not suitable for growing anything else." Anyway, the old friend sat down next to Shichibei to chat.

"We can grow melons, haha." Shichibei thought that people in Omi also grow melons, so we can also grow a few for ourselves to eat.

"You're right." The old friend clapped his hands and said that what Shichibei said was right.

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

13. Sanhao Repairman has died suddenly

On the same sandy land, growing barnyard grass can earn more money than growing alfalfa. This is because barnyard grass can be eaten not only by cattle and horses, but also by humans. When eaten by humans, it can be sold at a high price, even during famine.

By analogy, if you plant something more valuable than weeds, you will definitely earn more money.

But what's more valuable than barnyard grass? That's a difficult question. Besides melons and watermelons, Shichibei also remembers that in his previous life, in Tianjin, they grew a kind of green radish, also cultivated in sandy soil.

In addition, peanuts seem to grow well in sandy soil. If the soil is all clay, peanuts will not grow well. The looser the soil, the more developed the root system of peanuts will be, and more peanuts will grow.

Sadly, peanuts have definitely not yet been introduced to Japan. It's hard to say whether they've made it to China, as otherwise, growing peanuts would be a lucrative business.

Lying flat on the couch, Shichibei was still thinking about this: his old friend was right; growing high-value crops would be far better than the hard work of growing alfalfa.

It's true that merchants, in some respects, tend to be more active than farmers. This is probably one of the reasons why the bourgeoisie replaced the landlord class as the new trendsetters of the era.

Sadly, after thinking all night, Shichibei couldn't come up with any serious ideas. He had no choice but to get up and clean up the bed. Making and tidying up the bed every day was such a hassle, but thankfully, Shichibei didn't have to do it himself.

While he was eating breakfast, someone came over to borrow a horse. If you're open for business, you have to put down your chopsticks. Shichibei quickly wiped his mouth and went with his waiter to lead the man's horse.

Seeing that the man was quite anxious, Shichibei instinctively asked what was going on. The man was anxious, but he was not panicking. He just said that two major events had happened in Kinai.

The good repairman died suddenly!

Luoyang announced the expulsion of Ban Tianlian.

That is indeed a big deal. This is the good thing about working in the transportation industry. As the undertaker of a certain section of national logistics, you can receive certain information quite quickly.

It is said that just thirteen days after Oda Nobunaga's death at Honnoji Temple, the Ando clan learned of the dramatic changes in Kinai. This was entirely due to the constant flow of trading ships from the north to the Sansanminato, which the Ando clan controlled.

With his horse in hand, the man galloped towards Komakiyama Castle. This was clearly to inform Oda Nobunaga. Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Rokkaku Yoshitaka were enemies, which meant that Miyoshi was somewhat of an ally of Oda Nobunaga. After all, Nobunaga and Asai Nagamasa were allied by marriage, and after killing his nephew Saito Tatsuoki, he would go after Rokkaku Yoshitaka.

After washing his hands in the horse water bucket, Shichibei sat down to eat. Miyoshi Nagayoshi's sudden death had nothing to do with him. Kyoto's expulsion of Christians certainly had nothing to do with him. Shichibei always kept a distance from superstitious things. Believe in your own things, and don't make demands on me.

If you use your religious beliefs to demand something from me, I'm sorry, but I will attack you.

After handing the money to Ai, Shichibei prepared to return to work on the sandbar. The business in the shop had been established for decades, even centuries, so it didn't matter whether Shichibei was there or not. The reason Shichibei was needed at the head of the business was simply because the Tsushima clan needed a man to attend meetings, and the Oda clan needed a man to serve in the military.

In those days, failing to be called up for military service was a serious crime. For example, Hoki Nanjo Mototsugu suffered a stroke and became paralyzed. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi called up the army, he could only send his younger brother Koga Motokiyo. This almost angered Hideyoshi and he was stripped of his title.

Another one is more famous. When Date Masamune was not summoned to the Battle of Odawara, he went to meet Hideyoshi with a white short sword. Of course, this was just a gesture, and Hideyoshi would never really let him commit seppuku.

Without needing to instruct the shop, Shichibei, along with two of his staff, boarded a boat and sailed to the sandbar. Then he discovered another problem: someone had come and harvested the uncut alfalfa in the corners.

Well, it’s really the same in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad.

Normally, there were people tidying up the fields, so this didn't happen. This time, the main part of the fields had been harvested, leaving only the edges and scraps, and since no one was looking at them, someone naturally came to "pick them up."

Forget it, it's not a big deal. Besides, there's no way to deal with this kind of thing. Going to court over a bunch of straw? Or even setting up an ambush in the middle of the night? Neither is right.

Well, but it seems that this really happened during the Warring States Period. The Date family went to cut grass for the Soma family's horses, and then were beaten by the Soma family.

I'm not here today to prevent any thieves from harvesting crops. I'm here mainly to talk about planting other crops, as I mentioned yesterday. If you really want to grow them well, you have to plow and open them well.

Earthen dikes must be built to prevent the spread of mud and water, ensuring the dryness of the sandy soil and creating suitable conditions for plant growth. Ditches and sluices are then constructed to facilitate subsequent irrigation. Plants that prefer sandy soil often require a comprehensive irrigation system to ensure water availability at all stages of their growth.

The brothers Ukita Naoie and Ukita Tadashi were probably working in the fields around this time. During the lean season, they often went hungry for two days a month. Naoie later died of stomach cancer, which is said to have been caused by his frequent hunger in his youth.

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

It's just a test plot, it doesn't need to be too large, a couple of acres will do. However, if we actually start planting, we'll still need to build a thatched shed. Let's see if we can recruit two farmers to farm on the sandbar, which would be convenient for planting and provide nighttime surveillance.

By the way, those who believe in the Ikko sect are not welcome.

Who knows if he'll just run off to Nagashima in two years and anoint Oda Nobunaga's sword? It's fine if you're seeking death yourself, but Nobunaga, who would rather kill someone by mistake than let them go, comes and burns down my sandbar pasture.

At the same time, Christians expelled from Yamashiro, including many craftsmen, were preparing to flee to the Christian home of Matsunaga Hisahide, though others fled to Takayama Tomoteru in Settsu or Sakai in Izumi, which were also tolerant of Christianity.

Takayama Tomoteru is the father of Takayama Shigetomo. Takayama Shigetomo has been beatified in later generations. If nothing unexpected happens, Takayama Shigetomo will be canonized and will become the patron saint of Japanese Catholicism in the future.

After Miyoshi Nagayoshi's sudden death, the Miyoshi Three, who tried to take control of the Miyoshi family, came into full conflict with Matsunaga Hisahide, who also had the same goal.

In fact, the struggle between the two sides had already begun. After the deaths of the important figures in the family, Miyoshi Saneki and Togo Ichizune, the central power of the Miyoshi family became vacant, and the struggle had been going on for a long time.

Since they were in opposition, the Miyoshi Three, who had some influence in Settsu, Kawachi and Yamashiro, would certainly not allow the skilled Christian townspeople to flee to Matsunaga Hisahide's territory.

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

14. Christians seek resettlement

After building a small dike on the sandbar, Shichibei set out to recruit two farmers. It was easy to recruit, considering Nobunaga was already locked in a stalemate with Nobukiyo. Since the autumn harvest hadn't arrived yet, neither side could mobilize large numbers of troops for battle.

So it happened that today Nobunaga brought his small followers to set fire, and tomorrow Nobumasa brought his attendants to steal cattle.

Don't laugh. Do you think the Warring States daimyo spent their days sitting in their castles criticizing Fang Qiu? It wasn't uncommon for daimyo to steal when necessary. Hosokawa Fujitaka even recounted how he was away fighting one year, starving for food, and stole wheat straw from civilians in the war zone to cook.

No, that can't be called stealing. That's all enemy territory. To put it more broadly, it's called destroying the enemy's sustainable combat capability.

The two sides had been fighting back and forth for almost a year, and many people in the middle area had fled. At this time, recruiting two farmers, especially from Owari, was not difficult.

We'll have to spend a few kan to build them two thatched huts. The roofs can be made of thatch, but the walls still need to be made of wood. It's okay to spend whatever it takes. Shichibei has already thought of an excuse; who knows, someone might get jealous and come cut our alfalfa in the middle of the night.

Can we hire two farmers to watch over the crops and relocate one farmer who is already mowing the land, so that they can help and supervise each other?

Ai, holding the cashbox key, stared at Shichibei for a long moment before handing him the key. He was probably trying to confirm that Shichibei really wanted to build thatched huts for the two farmers he had recruited. Owari wasn't a very cold place anyway, so a thatched hut would be enough.

Fumbling with the keys and watching Ai counting the money one by one, Shichibei felt a bit guilty. He was clearly doing the right thing, so why did he feel guilty?

Outrageous.

"Boss, there's something urgent to discuss in the town." When he was halfway through counting the money, a waiter ran in.

"Another tax!" Shichibei and Ai said in unison, almost scaring the boy at the door.

"what?"

"Ayi, please continue." Shichibei had no choice but to stand up and go to the meeting first.

The hut had already been agreed upon. It could be built quickly if the money was available. After the meeting, Shichibei would come back with the money and hire someone to build it. Ai agreed, telling Shichibei to just go to the meeting.

I hurried to the town hall, but didn't see Hotta Uma. That meant he wasn't delivering Oda Nobunaga's military orders. Great, if he wasn't here to collect taxes, that was a good thing.

After everyone was seated, Mr. Ito, the chairperson, announced the day's discussion: a message from Ominato regarding two ships of Christian townspeople and whether Tsushima was willing to accept them.

Don’t ask why the large town of Ominato didn’t accept it, because the full name of Ominato is Ise Jingu Shrine Monzen Ominato.

They were built and prospered with the support of Ise Grand Shrine. They are the leaders of Japanese Shintoism. How could they possibly accept Christians?

Tsushima also has a faith in the Bull-Headed God, and they're certainly not keen on accepting Christian townspeople. Today, we're just going through the motions to discuss things so we can get back to Ominato.

After Boss Ito finished speaking, the people of Tsushima took a vote.

No one was willing to accept them, so they were asked to continue their journey by boat elsewhere.

A representative of the Christian townspeople, who had come with the other representatives from Ominato, was extremely anxious upon seeing the resolution and hurriedly asked if their ship could temporarily dock for a few days, firstly to replenish food and water, and secondly to seek the understanding of the local lord, Oda Nobunaga.

Perhaps Oda Nobunaga would like to place them somewhere?

Apart from anything else, this townsman representative thought he had a very powerful skill - cannon forging.

The conservative daimyo may not be willing to accept them, but when they hear that Oda Nobunaga is a person with a very unique style of doing things, they may value their skills and be willing to accept them and settle them in Oda's territory.

The man pleaded earnestly, and his words made some sense. Mr. Ito, who was chairing the meeting, consulted everyone present, and after some consideration, they decided to allow them to dock temporarily for ten days.

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

The Tsushima clan reached a decision, which was a conclusion. Shichibei was quite curious about the iron cannon craftsman, but he couldn't handle it himself, and since he was a religious person, it was likely to bring bad luck, so it was best not to touch it.

The next day, when the ship arrived, Shichibei was on the sandbar supervising the construction of the thatched hut, so he didn't see it. When he returned home, he heard that Nobunaga's horse-waisted scribe, Sasa Narimasa, had come to take the representatives of the Christian townspeople to Komakiyama Castle.

This is indeed Nobunaga's style. He acts very quickly and does what he says.

Given Nobunaga's emphasis on arquebuses, it's possible that these people were granted residency in Owari. It's unclear where Nobunaga ultimately placed them, but it certainly wasn't in Tsushima or Atsuta, as these were both gatehouses of the shrine.

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

Craftsmen who could make teppo, along with their immediate family members, were permitted to enter Owari and temporarily settle at the foot of Komakiyama Castle. The Tsushima people were not to prevent the teppo craftsmen from disembarking, and were to sell them everything they needed to ensure they could begin crafting teppo immediately upon arrival at Komakiyama.

It was indeed Nobunaga's style, and Shichibei just took it as a piece of news. But after hearing the news, he also heard that only one of the two ships of Christian townspeople was allowed to go ashore, and the others, who did not know how to build iron cannons, only received a written permission to resupply at Tsushima.

You can go wherever you like, and you can 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. He employs people like heaping firewood. If you are useful to Nobunaga, he will try to win you over by giving you money and things. But when you are no longer useful and don't know how to leave on your own, Nobunaga will kick you out without any mercy.

Many of the townspeople were likely relatives or friends, and after this separation, there was probably no chance of seeing each other again. As for why not just pretend to be a tempo-smith and go ashore together? Nobunaga would have someone watch you forge the tempo-barrel. If you couldn't fire it, he would immediately draw his sword and chop you down.

Perhaps the situation was getting a bit tense, so someone pointed to the sandbar at the mouth of the Machigai River and asked if anyone lived there. Could they be allowed to build a shed and live there?

This question stumped Sasa Narimasa, who ordered someone to bring in any of the Tsushima clan for questioning. He learned that the sandbar had an owner, a few months earlier, who was the Michuden Matou Kawamura family of Honmachi.