Chapter 1348: Chapter 1348

"Very good! The Chief Divine blesses, let’s do it this way then! Thank you, Priest Tuniao!"

"The Chief Divine blesses! Camp Commander Aitz, is there anything else the village needs to do?"

"Hmm... It might be a bit cold during the late autumn nights, pile more straw in the sheds and grain storage... Also, make sure our camp eats well tonight, we have to travel tomorrow!"

"Okay! The village has collected plenty, enough straw for warmth. This year’s harvest was good, plenty of pumpkins and bean puree!..."

The young village priest Tuniao smiled and nodded, about to turn and make arrangements. But before leaving, he thought of something and turned back to remind.

"Honorable Military Merit Nobility... the village latrine is located on the west side of the fields, there’s a row of dug pits... please inform the camp to leave fertilizer there... Also, next to the latrine is the compost pit, very deep and sticky, like a swamp. Be extremely careful not to fall in. If you do fall, don’t struggle, but shout for help to avoid drowning..."

"Uh!... Priest Tuniao, I understand!"

Hearing this, Woodpecker Aitz’s lips twitched, he reluctantly nodded. He knew the kingdom’s composting technology had been promoted by priests to various counties and villages. For these garrison villages, accumulated manure is precious wealth that must be collected by any means.

Near the Capital City Qinchongcan, many neighboring villages send people into the city each morning to dig manure from public latrines. More absurd, militia from city communities guard these public manure pits, charging farmers "fees" for manure. These fees are usually countryside produce, like a basket of pumpkins or corn, traded right at the manure pit...

Thinking about these, Woodpecker Aitz’s appetite became unsettled. But honestly, the promotion of composting technology, establishment of public latrines, and strict enforcement of hygiene teachings in the city indeed improved the city’s sanitation greatly.

"Farmers’ output comes from the fields... everything that can increase the harvest is the Chief Divine’s blessing!... A private manor wants more yield, but relying on the manure of dozens or hundreds isn’t effective. The Alliance has a method of burning and grinding bones for fertilizer, but bone sources are scarce, it takes too much labor and firewood, and isn’t very useful..."

"Right! Those stones brought back by southern merchant ships, said to be bird feces, have no odor at all. And the Divine Revelation Place grinds these stones and buries them in fields, surprisingly increasing yield by several percent!... Wonder when the kingdom can acquire them in large quantities... Chief Divine! Indeed, mysterious sea, these peculiar things are just like in myths..."

Woodpecker Aitz mused absent-mindedly while having dinner. The village meals were simple, consisting of three main foods: corn, pumpkins, beans, oh, and slightly sweet sweet potatoes.

As night fell, bonfires were lit. Food was brought out from the granary, and the aroma spread throughout the village. To feed one thousand hungry Tribal Warriors, at least a thousand to two thousand pounds of food is needed. Without oil, fatigued from marching, warriors commonly eat a pound of pumpkin bean puree per meal.

However, it seems these years’ garrisons indeed did well, field yields are sufficient. Villagers’ faces, though reluctantly sorry, show no desperate signs. Because, village’s stored grain is sufficient to last until next autumn’s harvest, and there’s a surplus. And these grains supplied to the army will be recorded by Priest Tuniao, offsetting some tribute transported to the county.

The kingdom’s garrison villages adopted the traditional collective community system. A village as a whole, or a "tribe." Villagers collectively farm using communal implements, harvest is stored for entire village use. Read full story at n0velfire.net

This tribal communal model is traditional in Central America’s tribes. Individual families can’t withstand harsh natural conditions alone, nor resist conflicts among scattered tribes. Even village children are raised collectively, taught by village elders or priests.

Of course, this traditional community isn’t a communal feast, and naturally has clear ranks. Village’s "Three Elders," village priest, garrison leader, militia captain are the first level, enjoying the best of everything. Second level includes village’s warriors, militia, hunters... these strong men can fight and hunt. Smart Priest Apprentices within second level are highest in status. Below are farming men, strong women, and weak elderly.

For collectively raised children, depends on village’s grain abundance to decide their treatment. Like now, with ample reserves, children eat well, even receive training from warriors and hunters to see if any good seedlings can be nurtured...

"Hmm? This village chief’s longhouse looks pretty decent!"

Woodpecker Aitz entered the longhouse, lit the hearth, placed dry firewood, warming and lighting the wooden house. He looked at the soft thick straw bed, covered with a Sisal mat, even had a coarse cloth blanket on top. And behind the wooden wall by the bed, was an empty shelf. Approaching carefully, observing scratches and ropes on it, he understood.

"Bow and Arrow... Bronze Axe... Leather Armor... this village’s garrison leader seems like a retired warrior of the kingdom. Yet these weapons armor... hmm, still wary of us!"

Understanding this, Woodpecker Aitz smiled wryly. Next, he looked at the shrine for divine reverence, inside was a stone-carved Chief Divine figure, surrounded by ritual cocoa beans, shells, bird feathers, centrally offering a silver Sun Amulet, fronted by a gray pottery incense burner.

The whole house had a faint pine scent. Woodpecker Aitz searched a while, noticing the freshly burnt pine resin in the incense burner before the divine sculpture. Judging by accumulated ash, it was evidently frequently prayed upon.

"Retired kingdom warrior, devout garrison leader, prosperous village life..."

Having examined these spots, Woodpecker Aitz understood the situation. He rubbed his tired legs, found leftover half pine resin, lit it, comfortably lying on the straw bed, covered in a soft cloth quilt.

"The Chief Divine witnesses! Trained militia with copper weapons, harvested communal fields, stacked field fertilizers, villagers able to eat well, village chief living in comfort... Of course, most importantly, grain-filled village granary!..."

"This is the kingdom’s prosperous garrison village, prosperity for commoners, prosperity from land!..."

"Hmm... Let me think how to chant this? Kingdom’s poets haven’t sung for commoners... "

"Got it!... Village granaries like green leaves, spread across wide fields, filled with harvested grains, like incense burners full of pine resin! Praise the Chief Divine and the Kingdom!"

"Haha! I’m truly a natural poet! I’ll dedicate this poem to the esteemed lord! ...But, missing a section, need three more complete verses... What to write?..."

Pine aroma gently burned, relaxing the mind. Bonfire calm, warming the body. Woodpecker Aitz pondered the unfinished poem, lying on the comfy straw bed, soon fell asleep. Tomorrow, he must be energetic, continue traveling. Particularly taking note upon reaching those Canine Descendant Tribes’ banners, wonder what they’ll be like...