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Chapter 38 – Learning Words
Zhao Hai didn’t want to know what was happening outside the grass hut. He believed that Maylin and the others would sort things out. He was just so tired, he wanted to take a proper rest.
Zhao Hai immediately rested on the bed after putting a bedsheet over it. It took him less than a few minutes to fall asleep. This was due to the Water Of Void. He wouldn’t be able to stand it if he exerted himself a little more, not to mention the hectic situation he had been through today.
The slaves outside the grass hut rested as well, since they now had this chance after what had happened. They had nothing to say when what they were sleeping on were soft bedsheets, which were much better than dried grass. It didn’t take long for the whole space to enter a state of tranquility. Even Blockhead and Rockhead, who were keeping watch at the grass hut’s door, had nodded off on the ground.
Maylin and the others woke up after more than 2 hours. Maylin tiptoed to the front of the grass hut and peeked into the door at Zhao Hai. After noticing that Zhao Hai was sleeping soundly, she closed the door quietly and looked at the slaves. Some of them had woken up and sat there without any idea as to what to do.
Although Maylin could teach them, she didn’t do so right now. If she did, they would make sounds, and she didn’t want to wake Zhao Hai up with the sounds they would make.
Maylin noticed that the radishes which had been planted before she had fallen asleep had now started to sprout. This surprised her a lot, as this was the first time she was seeing how plants in the space would grow. This was simply too fast.
Maylin couldn’t resist crouching down next to the sprouting radishes. The sprouts were very healthy, and the condition of the soil was excellent. Just one look was enough to know that it was a very healthy environment.
Another person doing the same thing was Meg, who was crouching next to Maylin. She asked in a low volume, “Granny, why are these magic radishes growing so quickly? I heard that these were very hard to plant. How are they so simple here?”
Maylin smiled, “Young master told me already, that crops planted here have greatly shortened maturity times. I just didn’t expect it to be this short.”
“What you call magic radishes are simply called radishes in my space. It’s the lowest level crop. One season every 8 hours.” Zhao Hai’s voice came leisurely.
Maylin and Meg turned around and saw that Zhao Hai had come out, and was standing behind them. Maylin stood up hurriedly and asked, “Is what you’re saying true, young master? These magic radishes can really grow for a season every 8 hours?”
Zhao Hai nodded and pointed at the growing corn plants, “See that corn? Their evaluation in the space is higher than radishes. From planting to maturity, they take 14 hours of time.”
Maylin and Meg couldn’t help but look at where Zhao Hai was pointing. The corn was still growing right now, and the leaves were dark green. They appeared to be growing strong.
Zhao Hai spoke to Maylin, “There’s enough food in the space right now. It’s best that we stay here for a while longer. It will spare us from running into those monsters when we get out.”
Maylin nodded, “Yes, you are right, young master. We don’t have to worry about food in the space, and it will not rain. Everyone can just sleep on the ground using bedsheets. It won’t matter just to live here for a few days.”
Zhao Hai looked around and saw that the slaves had woken up. They were watching him with respect. He sighed and said, “Teach them to read, granny Maylin. I’ll go and make some large stoves with Blockhead. We’ll use them to cook.”
Cooking for more than 100 people wasn’t an easy matter. Zhao Hai had put everything in the underground storage into the space, but he needed large stoves in order to cook for the slaves. Since there weren’t a lot of things in the space, he could only make simple ones.
Maylin glanced at the slaves and said, “Let them do it, young master. After all, it only takes a little bit of time, so just bring the things out. How can we let you do everything by yourself?”
Zhao Hai could only nod his head after glancing at the slaves. If he let those slaves learn words while he went to build a stove, the slaves would be too frightened to learn anything.
Once Maylin saw Zhao Hai give a nod, she immediately let the slaves dig some holes. It was a good thing that everything had been stored into the storage; right now, they didn’t lack any tools.
It didn’t actually require a lot of stove holes to be dug in order to make food for more than 100 people. Just about 10 holes was enough. The pots they used were military ones with supports at the bottom, which had been specifically chosen by Greene and the others. They had known that they would have to prepare a lot of such pots, both to use along the trip to Black Wastelands, and for the slaves to use them.
Actually, a lot of slave owners had all used these kinds of large pots, due to them being the simplest kind. No matter where the slaves would work, one such pot would only require 2 people to carry, and food could then be cooked on the spot. A lot of time had been saved this way.
10 large pots were soon set up, but they couldn’t be used yet. Zhao Hai had to wait for the corn to mature in order to have firewood. Otherwise, they could only burn the timber. The timber was good stuff. It would be a real pity to see it burned.
Zhao Hai and the others lacked a lot of things right now, and they didn’t know when Greene would come back. They could sell the radishes on hand for gold coins only after Greene came back before being able to buy wood materials. Zhao Hai didn’t want to waste the timber currently on hand.
Zhao Hai glanced at the pots, then at the slaves, and spoke to Maylin, “Granny Maylin, there are still 2 hours until the corn matures. Teach everyone to learn some words during this time. I’m going into the hut for a rest.”
Maylin nodded, and Zhao Hai went into the grass hut. She spoke to the slaves, “Everyone, don’t rush. In just about 2 hours, that corn will be ripe, and then we can eat. Everyone learn from me in these 2 hours…”
Before she even finished, the slaves murmured. Slaves couldn’t learn; this was common knowledge on the continent. No slave owner owner taught their slaves words, so for the slaves, knowing about words was a sacred matter. Now that they heard Maylin saying she was going to teach them words, all of them felt very surprised.
Maylin said, “Quiet.”
The slaves went quiet immediately, and every single one of them was looking at Maylin in excitement. Maylin then said, “We Buda family are different from the other noble families. Young master is a benevolent person. I have just received his permission to do this. If anyone learns well and a lot, young master will remove that person’s slave status. Do you understand?”
The slaves became even more worked up. It was good enough that Zhao Hai let them learn words. With the removal of their slave status on top of that, it was like free pancakes out of nowhere, with someone telling the slaves ‘if you eat a lot, I can even throw in a bonus’. Where else could the slaves get this offer?
Maylin said as she looked at them, “Because our means are limited, I can only teach everyone some simple words. In these 2 hours, I will teach everyone 10 words, but you must know how to read and write them.” As she finished, she held some pieces of blank paper and writing brushes, and she then taught them how to read the written words, and how to write them.
The didn’t have a blackboard right now, so Maylin could only use the papers. Due to so many people needing to look, each paper could only have one large word, so that those sitting further back could see them.
Meg was at Maylin’s side, watching these people learning seriously, including Ju and An. Ju and An had both been civilians before, but their family had never had the money to pay for their learning expenses, so the 2 of them had never learned before. How could they let go of the chance to do so right now?
Meg had been to a school of the empire, but for nobles. She had discovered that the slaves were completely different from the students in the school. The noble students at school thought of going to school as a form of torture, and they would have no energy when learning. Every single one of them couldn’t be any happier when school hours were over, and they wished that they would be able to play at home everyday. Adam had been such a person before.
These slaves were a totally different story. When they were learning, they were very driven and focused, fearing that they wouldn’t be able to remember. Because they had nothing to write with, they used their fingers to make motions on the ground. That seriousness moved Meg deeply.
Blockhead and Rockhead looked at these people as well. Although they hadn’t been smart in the past, they had learned some words due to their adoption into the family. However, they hadn’t been as serious as the slaves were. There were 3 reasons; the 1st was because they had been little, the 2nd was because they weren’t smart enough and needed a lot of practice, and the 3rd was because learning was too easy to come by for them.
When things come too easily, people often don’t know how to treasure them. They had been just like that as they had learned with Adam. Adam himself hadn’t been a smart person either. Even though he had been a little cleverer than the twins, he had disliked learning very much, and so he had to learn the same thing several times as well. Just like that, the twins had somehow managed to learn the words. After the twins had brightened up, they had felt somewhat ashamed when looking at the slaves.
Maylin saw this, and she suddenly understood how correct Zhao Hai’s decision was. If these slaves didn’t learn, there would be no culture. Their ability to help Buda family would be very limited. But if they learned, then they would be a greater help, and now, what Buda family needed was every single one of its members to give it their all, in order to restore the family’s glory. That was why Maylin was teaching very seriously.
Thanks for the chapter
ty for the chap
You got slaves, and you’ll make them into allies, eh.