Free Web NovelChapter 2095: Chapter 1532: Husband Sets Sail for California
The promises a man makes when he’s intoxicated are clearly unreliable. The next day, Loshanda slept until noon before getting up with a sore back from the animal skin bed. Meanwhile, Purple Sable was sitting by the hearth, looking healthy, carefully gluing feathers to the Feather Crown, with a covered clay pot simmering nearby. He watched silently for a while until the woman noticed he was awake, picked up the clay pot by the hearth, and handed it to him along with a wooden spoon.
"Los! Drink soup."
"What soup?"
"Venison stew with potatoes!"
Loshand took the clay pot, opened it and sniffed, immediately feeling his appetite ignite. He scooped out a couple of spoonfuls, chewing the mushy cured venison, and asked.
"Did you eat?"
"I did... Is it good?"
"It’s delicious... Yeah, best with a bit more chili!..."
Thinking of this, Loshanda searched his unfamiliar home for the pot containing chili. When he opened it, he found that although there was still some residual spicy flavor, it mostly had a fresh aroma.
"Where’s the chili?"
"All eaten. What’s inside is ’Arctic Thyme’, do you want to add it?"
"Hmm? Arctic Thyme? Let me try... No way. This stuff isn’t spicy, doesn’t have enough flavor!"
The ’Arctic Thyme’ the woman spoke of was the only aromatic seasoning on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Arctic thyme. But Loshanda, normally not picky, suddenly became fussy in front of the woman, craving something with more flavor. He scratched his head for a while, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he went out barefoot.
"Boots!"
"It’s not cold. I’m robust enough!"
The resilient Loshanda dashed out of the tent and returned shortly, hugging a jar. He shook the jar in a show-off manner and asked Purple Sable with a smile.
"Sable! Do you know what’s inside here?"
"Ah? What is it?"
"Good stuff! Got it from the Japanese down south! It’s already planted at Kutadai Port, grows really fast, spicy and tasty!... Yes, maybe it can be planted here too! I’ll have the Japanese farmers hurry to plant some in the field, so it’ll be reserved for you to eat in the future..."
Loshanda cheerfully opened the clay-sealed jar with force, then the tent was filled with a sour aroma. Purple Sable sniffed, wrinkled her nose, and asked disdainfully.
"What’s this smell? Smells like something dogs would eat..."
"Ah?! This is sour radish! Spicy, it’s really delicious! You should try it!..."
"I don’t eat it!..."
"Hey! Don’t believe me? Try it! Look, I’m eating it..."
"You’re not allowed to kiss me today!..."
"Ah! Try it! It’s going to be planted later here too!..."
"Ow! Ow ow!"
"Ah Gou out!"
"See, even the dog loves it!"
"..." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Though sour radish indeed had a strong smell, it was spicy when eaten, not actually bad. Purple Sable showed disgust while eating the same pot of sour radish venison potato soup with Loshanda. After she finished, she thought for a while and seriously asked.
"Can this ’radish’ be planted here too?..."
"Yes! It should work! This stuff grows really fast, it’s ready in just over two months. Here it gets warmer from June to August, the radish should grow! Additionally, like potatoes, its roots and stems are eaten, even if snow comes early, it’s just a matter of how much grows, there won’t be crop failure..."
"Hmm... Then, keep more seeds, I’ll plant some with the tribespeople. If it grows, I’ll send some over to Grandmother and Father." "
"Alright!..."
Loshanda nodded with a smile, having introduced a new crop to the vast Ice and Snow Island besides the potato. Of course, he knew in his heart that neither potatoes nor radishes could turn the Mountain Part and Rokube of this icy island from migrating reindeer herders into completely settled farmers. The harsh climate on this peninsula had long limited agricultural cultivation, making the yield of field crops really scarce!
If, before the Kingdom arrived, Kamchatka Peninsula’s tribes had a limit of one or two thousand people swaying with the cold waves, then after the Kingdom brought potatoes, radishes, a large amount of salt for preserved meat, and a small unstable amount of coal, Kamchatka’s tribal population limit might slowly surpass two thousand, and reliably survive the harsh winter. But it could never double to over four thousand.
Compared to that, the Ainu Maoshili Island mentioned by Japanese people, with its warmer climate, had a broad foundation for potato planting, with a capacity of up to tens of thousands of tribespeople. Including Maoshili Island’s coal and iron mines, and the food supply from Southern Japanese Land, and the ’gigantic fishing grounds’ in the East as prophesied by Your Majesty... If fully developed, it could even support a million population, having the real foundation for establishing a country!
"Chief Divine bless! But although Maoshili Island is good, Zuwaro High Priest also tried many times to keep me on the Western Sea Continent... After all, I must achieve accomplishments, return to the Kingdom of the Lake, marry a Mexica Noble Lady, and join the Priest Elder Council... right?..."
Looking at his simple Shandan wife, her clear eyes, and the way she sipped soup, Loshanda felt a bit disordered inside. He ate a few more spoonfuls of soup, dropped the spoon, and smilingly said to Purple Sable.
"In four days, the fleet is going to set sail! I’ll go check on those two horses, the pair of cattle... Also, inspect the fresh water and food on board. Although a month’s worth of food and water should be sufficient, we must prepare two months’ supply in case of unexpected drift!"...
"Yes! Los, go ahead! Tribe and fleet matters must be prioritized... What do you want for dinner? I’ll make it for you..."
"Dinner?... I’ll be eating with the Samurais tonight! You make something yourself at home..."
"Oh! Then I’ll wait for you to come back."
"I might not return... Hmm, okay!"
Loshanda looked at the expectant face of the Purple Sable and couldn’t help but change his tone. Then, he put on his boots, donned the ritual robe, and hurriedly left the tent. The Purple Sable watched her husband’s departing figure, put down the spoon in her hand, and stared somewhere in a daze. Afterward, she picked up the half-completed feather crown, and clumsily yet seriously resumed sticking the feathers.
Four days passed by swiftly. Loshanda spent one day inspecting the "cattle and horses" and "food and water," and two days meeting with the tribe chieftains. On the fourth day, he met with the Great Chief Mukun from the Mountain Part, from morning until dusk. Then, his father-in-law Mukun left hastily with a firm migration agreement and the kingdom’s gift of "two hundred pounds of salt and fifty iron axes and iron spears," rushing back to the Mountain Part to report to the grandmother.
On this day, in the final hour of the sixteen-hour daylight, Loshanda gathered everyone for a bonfire dinner. Then, all stood before the stone altar, sincerely praying to the setting sun and the distant Chief Divine, hoping for smooth sailing and a safe passage through the Divine Initiation Archipelago to the Northern Continent!
"Hoo!..."
As the crowd dispersed, Loshanda, somewhat weary, returned "home" with the Purple Sable. He sat cross-legged by the hearth, searching through his garments until he found the last stash of tobacco leaves.
"Hiss..."
The tobacco leaves gradually vanished in the fire, relaxing his tense nerves. Loshanda stared silently at the bonfire, as the Purple Sable continued to work on the feather crown beside him. After a long while, Loshanda took a deep drag of the smoke, looked at the busy Purple Sable, and spoke.
"Sable, I’m setting off tomorrow."
"Ah... oh!"
The Purple Sable nodded, not looking at her husband, still engrossed in her task.
"..."
Loshanda paused, watching his wife attentively making the feather crown, feeling irritable again. After a moment, he tugged his hair and spoke without context.
"Sable!"
"Lo?"
"The sea’s fate is uncertain; it depends on the Chief Divine’s will. If I don’t return from this voyage... you should remarry."
"...?"
The Purple Sable paused, putting down the feather crown. She looked at her husband’s face; he nodded and then sheepishly looked away. After a long time, the Purple Sable softly replied "Oh!" and resumed sticking bird feathers.
"...?"
Seeing her calm response, Loshanda was dumbfounded, a blaze rising within him. What did that "Oh!" mean? Did this foolish woman understand? Loshanda might perish at sea, or he might succeed and stay in the Kingdom of the Lake, marry another noble lady, and never return! Yet his first wife, his first woman, merely replied "Oh"?
"Chief Divine, stop sticking!"
Loshanda gritted his teeth, frustrated and agitated like a Husky. He stood, went behind his wife, and embraced her fiercely. His fiery gaze roamed within her fur robe, seeing the silk short clothes underneath and that vivid breastplate, growling low like a dog.
"Sable!"
"Ah?..."
"I want you!... Give me a child!..."
"Ha?..."
The Purple Sable reached out, carefully placing the feather crown in a corner. Then, she turned, looking into her husband’s intense eyes, and like petting a big dog, she ruffled his hair.
"Lo... what is it with you today? You’re all hurried like Ah Gou..."
"...!" freeweɓnovel.cøm
This action seemed like provocation, igniting the man entirely. With force, the man tugged down the woman’s fur robe, while she clumsily undid the buttons of the silk clothes. But soon, the man stopped her, speaking muffledly.
"No! Don’t take off the silk clothes!"
"Ah?"
"And don’t extinguish the lamp!"
"Ah?"
"I want to look at you... remember you..."
"...!"
The young woman struggled, pulling down the beast-skin curtain, making nothing visible outside. Then, she turned around, like steering a sled, attempting to tame the eager Husky. But this time, she no longer held reins, nor was she flawless...
The rainy night passed. The next day was windy and sunny, a good day for sailing. Loshanda wore the new short feather crown, standing solemnly at the bow of the Ocean Shielding Ship. All the samurai, sailors, craftsmen, and livestock were in place. He looked at the infinite blue and white Eastern Great Sea, taking a deep breath, and shouting with all his strength. The entire fleet echoed his prayer.
"Chief Divine bless, favorable wind and water!"
"Chief Divine bless, favorable wind and water!"
"Sail to the East, pass through the Divine Initiation Archipelago!"
"Sail to the East, pass through the Divine Initiation Archipelago!"
"Set sail!!..."
"Set sail!!"
The wind roared, the two Ocean Shielding Ships filled with wind, accelerating and slowly disappearing at the eastern horizon. The Purple Sable watched for a long time from the shore. Only when the fleet vanished completely, and her husband was gone, did she quietly wipe her eyes and turn towards the potato field. She wanted to see when the tribe’s newly planted radishes would sprout; this was a matter to hold dear!~~
