[Infrastructure] After being mistaken for a god

In the spring of the new year, Ishtar's farm was busy, and the serfs were preparing to sow.

In the winter that just passed, everyone in the entire farm lived very comfortably——

The serfs raised more cattle and sheep than before, all relying on the alfalfa grown in the previously fallow fields, which ensured that these livestock had enough forage in winter.

Cattle, sheep and livestock can be fed without being killed in a hurry, and there is also a lot of milk and goat milk produced.Amotu of Ishtar's family made cheese from excess cow and goat milk, and sold it again, which immediately brought him another income.

In addition to the high frequency of beef and mutton on the dinner table, there are also a lot of vegetables such as beans and turnips.

Whether it is the serfs on the farm or the craftsmen in the workshop, everyone feels that their life is better than before.

The reason, the serfs and craftsmen agreed, was that Miss Ishta recovered from her illness.

This hot-tempered lady seemed to have a kind of magic power, and her decisions were proved to be completely correct afterwards.

With Ms. Ishta around, the serfs and craftsmen felt that they had direction and ambition, and if they did what the lady said, as long as they worked hard, they would definitely be rewarded.

This is how it is now, and the serfs are doing what the lady said, replanting wheat on the fields that had been fallowed for alfalfa and beans last year.

Those fields that were planted with wheat last year will be "fallowed" this year.The serfs who have tasted the sweetness have already made up their minds - this piece of land can be planted with alfalfa, there are beans left there, and there is an empty piece over there, let's grow turnips and vegetables!

Soon, the fields of the entire farm were filled with various crops, and green sprouts grew.

When a neighbor passes by, he will ask: "Hey, the land in your farm has grown very well this year."

The serfs have also learned to help their masters to keep a low profile and be humble: "Where is it?"

However, gradually, they also discovered that the crops in the field seemed to be growing better than in previous years.

"Normal—hasn't this just been fallow?" said a Valdu casually.

But more than a dozen Vardus were crowded in last year's fallow fields, squatting, staring at the wheat seedlings poking out of the soil, saying, "No, it's not normal—the wheat seedlings growing from the fields just fallowed before, All good!"

"Is it good to plant seedlings?" Valdu, who said "normal" earlier, asked whether they had luck and met good seeds.

But Bo An, who was in charge of managing the warehouse, said suspiciously: "Among the seeds that have gone down, some of them are the seeds left over from the year before last, and they were planted last year. Didn't they grow so well?"

We discussed it for a while, but failed to reach a conclusion, so we had to give up.But not long after, rumors spread in the farm, saying that the farm is blessed by the gods, and whatever is planted and what grows, the crops will naturally grow well.

Yi Nan also heard this kind of statement, couldn't help but smile, turned around and found Bo An, and said solemnly: "As long as you keep the fallow fields and don't forget to plant alfalfa and beans on the fallow fields, I think the gods will continue to do so in the future." Bless our farm."

Boan suddenly realized: So it turns out that this way you can get the blessing of the gods.

He was very grateful to Miss Ishta for her reminder—after all, it is the noble Avell who can know these mysteries related to the gods.

Not long after, Abu, the middleman who was in charge of the business of Ishtar’s workshop, hurried back from Babylon——

He heard bad news in Babylon: someone wanted to poach him.

And as soon as he rushed back to the workshop near Uruk, he saw this scene: several merchants from Babylon gathered around the entrance of the workshop, hoping to obtain supplies from this glass workshop.

As the housekeeper, Boan, Miss Daista came forward and said politely: "I'm sorry, everyone, we have already signed a contract with the middleman Abu, and he is our exclusive agent. We are within the contract period and will not Abandon Abu and make a contract with everyone."

As for those local agents, those who used to ask the glass workshop for sky-high prices have already been turned away, and they couldn't even enter the workshop.

At this time, Bo An saw the "general agent" Abu squeezed into the workshop, and said loudly: "Our exclusive agent has returned. If you need any goods, you can talk to him directly."

Since the merchants from Babylon couldn't say that Action Workshop signed another contract with them, they could only turn their heads to deal with Abu.

"The most shrewd and capable agent in Uruk, we urgently need [-] goblets. Can we see that our buyer has frequent contacts with the royal family..."

"We want bead curtains, bead curtains, solid color ones and colorful ones, [-] curtains each, cash in silver, buy out directly..."

At this time, Abu had already practiced very well, and he calmly said to everyone: "Everyone, I am not negligent. The order of the workshop has already been scheduled for three months. Now I want the goods here, but the workshop really can't get them. You may as well come to me. Come here to register, order the goods, and we will see when we can arrange for you."

Those merchants from Babylon were about to grit their teeth: they were ashamed to mention the pitiful appearance of this young middleman when he approached them last year.

But now they have hooked up with the president of the jewelry guild and signed a contract to supply the royal family, which is not what it used to be.In addition, Abu acted prudently, without reproach, no one could find fault with him.

"But if you are really in a hurry to get the goods," Abu changed the subject, "and if you are sincere about the price, let's look at the existing inventory and maybe we can discuss it."

He didn't say anything to death, and left some room for it, and immediately let these jewelers go up one after another, watching them raise their prices one by one...

No way, the glass workshop (now the jewelry workshop has been renamed the glass workshop) business is so hot.

That night, Boan and the craftsmen hosted a banquet for Abu.After drinking one or two cups of local home-brewed beer and tasting some familiar local food, Abu unexpectedly received an invitation from Miss Ishta to meet her in the inner courtyard.

Abu was so panicked that he even dropped the handkerchief on the ground, wiped his mouth ten times, and washed his hands ten times before he bravely followed Apu to see Miss Ishtar.

When Yinan saw Abu, he thanked him as usual.

But Abu wiped the sweat from his brow, and said respectfully: "Actually, I thank you. I believe you have met countless middlemen who are smarter than me during this period of time. You have always insisted on the contract, Never give up on me..."

Speaking of this, Abu was a little bit at a loss for words. He had been thinking over and over again: He Abu, He Dehe Neng, was able to win the favor of Miss Ishtar.

Yinan opened his eyes curiously: "But you signed a contract with the workshop? Could you still disregard business ethics and destroy the contract?"

The current contracts are all recorded on clay tablets, so Yi Nan didn't say "tear up", but said "smash it".

Abu sighed, but quickly explained to the lady with a smile: "Actually, in Babylon, there are not a few people who have disputes because of breaking the contract arbitrarily. In front of the palace of the king of Babylon, people go there every day to demand Come and judge."

After hearing this, Yinan silently kept this message in his heart: It turns out that in this era, the binding force of the "contract" is not as strong as in the previous Gilgamesh era, and it is even less powerful than in the Dumuz era. Faith is directly linked.

Since the binding force of morality and contract can no longer withstand the temptation of interests, how did the king of Babylon think of using the form of law to restrain his people?

After thinking for a while, Yinan quickly returned to the topic.She smiled at Abu and said, "Actually, the workshop and you share the same disease."

Abu was extremely surprised. He never expected that a noble Avell like Miss Ishta would have the same troubles as himself.

Abu is indeed a smart guy, he thought for a while, and immediately realized that Miss Ishta's "sympathy for each other" should refer to the craftsmen in the workshop.

Since he is in danger of being "poached" by other middlemen, Ishtar's workshop is also in danger of being "poached" by other workshops.

"Before the new year, I signed a five-year long contract with all the craftsmen."

Yinan told Abu.

"Five years?" Abu felt that the time limit was not long at all, "Only five years? I think you should at least sign a lifetime contract with them!"

"A lifetime is too long," Yi Nan smiled. "After five years, if they want to leave the workshop and start their own business, I will have no objection."

"But at that time, I believed that the vicinity of Uruk had already gained a chance of revival because of 'glass', and the people living here would live better because of this industry."

Yi Nan didn't want to keep all these craftsmen in the workshop for a lifetime.

After five years of running-in, some craftsmen went out to set up their own businesses, while others stayed behind.Competition instead drives the craft forward, and the fledgling industry continues to grow.

But Abu didn't think so far. He just heard that Miss Ishta was thinking about the livelihood of people in the whole area, so he was very moved.

"I invited you here today, and I also want you to do me a favor. Please help me release the news about the five-year contract to those workshops and customers who want to poach my craftsmen."

"Five years later, they will naturally be able to show their talents and come to me to recruit people with good conditions."

"But in the past few years, the technology is still half-mature. I don't want the workshop to be easily disturbed."

Abu understood completely, and greeted Yinan deeply, and then retreated with Apu.

Although Yinan said modestly that the glass-making technology of the craftsmen here is still in the "semi-mature stage", but nearly a year has passed, and the output of the glass workshop has changed from what it used to be.

They are still making two categories of products: one type of beads, beads of various colors, solid colors, colorful ones, and even colored ones—one color inside another color, ring by ring, set together.

Most of these beads are made into bead curtains, and some are also made into beads for embellishment on jewelry.

This product is especially popular because of its reasonable price.Rich people buy lots and lots of beads to decorate their homes; poor people who could not afford jewelry can now wear a cheap but very fancy bead to decorate themselves.

Another type of product, which is also obsessed with from top to bottom in Babylon - glass.

This is also the first product ordered by the royal family.It is said that Hammurabi, the king of Babylon, ordered that all the cups in the royal tableware be replaced by glass.

After Yinan heard the news, he thought: the goblet is too small, it is very suitable for wine, but I am afraid it is not suitable for beer.So she led a glass craftsman to make a round flat bottom mug with a handle cast in a mold.

As soon as these two products came out, Babylon's high-end wine utensils market was basically monopolized by glass workshops.

It is said that when the king showed the glass wine set at the royal banquet for the first time, all the guests were overwhelmed by it, vying to pour beer and wine into the glass - all the guests were so drunk that day that the glass was thrown away. It was broken a lot.The royal family can only order another batch of wine utensils from the workshop, and only dare to hold another banquet after the goods are delivered.

It is difficult for people to explain why this kind of transparent vessel has such a great magical power-after all, the king had a crystal cup before, and the king rarely used it, let alone took it out for all the guests to use.

But when they heard about the cost of the cup, people had no doubts.

Crystal cups are absolutely not as practical as glass cups—just watch the royal family banquet to know that it doesn’t hurt to smash a glass cup, and it can even be collected and recycled and handed over to workshops for “re-creation”; crystal cups are absolutely worthless Can't do that.

Therefore, the royal family got acquainted with the middleman Abu through the help of the president of the jewelry guild, and obtained a stable supply of goods through Abu.

Even the servants of the royal family, the Mushichennu, have become familiar with this utensil that is popular in Babylon—the king sometimes gives gifts, and will give the Mushichennu the used glass.Anyway, the royal family is constantly buying new and better goods from Abramovich.

On this day, a Mushchinnu in the royal palace of Babylon happily received a goblet from the king.

These glasses were neatly packed in a wooden box, and the bottom of the box was also padded with woolen cushions to protect the fragile utensils well.This Mushchenu was very proud: the glasses had only been used once, so they were brand new.

He took home this gift as a present, to the delight of his vain lady.

Just as he was thinking, someone behind him suddenly called his name: "Gujialana!"

From the sound, Gu Jialan knew that the person who came was Herod, the court official in the palace and the celebrity in front of King Hammurabi.He quickly turned around and went back to say hello, "Lord Herod."

Herod, who was wearing a black robe, walked slowly, saw the box in Gugalana's hand, and asked politely, "Is this a precious glass gifted by the king?"

When Gu Jialan heard the word "precious" from Herod's mouth, he was immediately elated, thinking that the celebrity in front of the king could speak.

He nodded again and again: "Yes. The rewards from the king are naturally rare and famous."

Who would have thought that Herod would mention something: "I heard that your wife was born in Uruk?"

Gujalana responded, "Yes? Lord Herod, what's the matter?"

Herod said: "When I went on a tour with the king, I passed by Uruk on the way back. I saw a jewelry workshop there."

"The glassware that is so popular in Babylon these days is produced by that jewelry workshop—by the way, it has been converted into a glass workshop."

Gu Jialan was very curious, nodded and said: "I heard that my sister-in-law seems to have a workshop. But she is a little girl, how can she know how to run a business? If the workshop can still be opened, it should be good." ?”

Herod let out an "oh" and made a gesture to walk away.Before leaving, he casually asked Gu Jialana: "Then Ling Yue, do you recognize Lord Yerta of Uruk and Lady Xerxes of Eridu?"

Gu Jialan changed color immediately: I thought, could it be true?The "losing money" workshop in the wife's mouth actually produced the glassware that is now popular in Babylon?

——How much money do you have to make?

Herod was still waiting for his reply, but Gugalana could only reluctantly reply: "This...I, I don't know very well, I forgot..."

What kind of person do you have to do to forget the Yue family's name?

However, Herod seemed to accept Gugalana's words very naturally, said "Oh", and turned to leave, leaving his lonely and withdrawn back as usual.

With the help of her handmaiden, Apu, Inan tries on her new clothes and jewelry.

What she is trying to put on now is a kind of Sumerian women's clothing called "Pala dress".This kind of clothing is quite peculiar: it is neither a robe nor a skirt - it wraps the wearer's body with a piece of cloth at the neck, chest and waist respectively, and there are two skirts with high slits below the waist .

Inan wearing this "Para outfit", his slender neck was tightly wrapped by the cloth, but his snow-white shoulders, two arms and a large part of his back were all exposed.As long as she takes a step, those two long and beautiful legs will be exposed from the slits of the skirt.

This 18th century BC clothes are so sexy and open?

Yi Nan wore this "Para outfit" and turned around in front of Apu.

A Pu, the innocent little maid, clapped her hands vigorously and applauded Yi Nan loudly.

"Miss, Apu has never seen an Avelu who looks better in a para suit than you."

Yi Nan pursed his lips slightly: She also likes——

As a woman, you should be so generous and beautiful.

Apu hurriedly took out all kinds of jewelry and continued to dress Yi Nan: a headdress made of gold leaves, arm and ankle rings made of gold, earrings made of ruby, a necklace made of lapis lazuli...

Inan returned to Uruk in the Gilgamesh era in a trance. At that time, the girl's house was known as the "jewelry shelf" and "jewelry window" at home. Every woman was proud of being able to wear the most and most exquisite jewelry. .

It seems that the original Sumerian custom of wearing jewelry has not changed a bit even after thousands of years.

At this moment, Bo An's wife came in and begged Yi Nan: "Miss Ishtar, outside...someone is begging to see you..."

Yi Nan noticed that she hesitated to speak, and asked with concern, "Who wants to see me?"

Boan's wife said hesitantly, "It's not from our neighborhood, it seems to be from Babylon."

"From Babylon?" Apu interjected curiously, "Could it be another middleman for glassware?"

"No, not a businessman," Boan's wife shook her head, "the man is wearing a black robe, it seems to be... seems to be a ceremony officer."

"Herod?" Inan was slightly surprised.

The Herod who coldly asserted that "Babylon is not suitable for you" has returned to Uruk from Babylon to find her?

Yi Nan decisively said to the two women beside him, "Go, go and have a look."

She was wearing this palla dress and complicated and slightly cumbersome jewelry. She walked out of the small courtyard where she lived and went to the courtyard where she received guests at home.

The person who came was not Herod, but a ceremony official who wore the same black robe as Herod—and he didn’t have Herod’s self-control. When the ceremony official saw Inan, he put his hand on his heart and gasped loudly. , as if he would die soon.

"Miss Ishta, I'm not flattering you, I just want to say that you are so beautiful."

Bo An, who had been accompanying the ceremony officer before, was also a little stunned - he had never seen his own lady dressed up like this to meet guests.

"It's mainly your beauty—"

The ceremonial officer continued, "The clothes on your body are in the style of the Sumerians in the past, and they are a bit outdated. And the jewelry you wear is also quite old-but you are so beautiful, so beautiful ...Ah, it's so beautiful that I can't describe it..."

Yi Nan thought to himself, compared to the ability to explain the intention of coming "straight to the point", this official of ceremonies is still far behind Herod.

So she very politely asked the other party to express their intentions.

"Miss Ishtar, I have come to inform you of something important—"

"Your sister, Miss Aligal, complained to King Hammurabi's ceremonial officer that you embezzled her property."

Yi Nan narrowed his eyes slightly, and thought: Here we come——

Behind her, the Boan couple and Apu opened their eyes wide: "Miss Aligal? Didn't Miss Aligal get married long ago?"

Aligal is Miss Ishtar's sister who is married but never pays any attention to her sister.

"Is she married? I don't know." The professional ability of this ceremony officer seemed to be far inferior to that of Herod.

"In short, Miss Aligal claims that she has been living in Babylon. Miss Ishtar did not send anyone to report the funeral when her father and mother passed away..."

"Nonsense, nonsense!" As the butler, Bo An blushed.

When the master and wife were seriously ill and passed away, it was he who arranged for people to go to Babylon.But Aligal never came back to bid farewell to his parents.

The ceremonial officer didn't care what the butler was muttering, but just stated the facts:

"Therefore, as an older maiden, she was due to inherit the family farm and workshop."

"Miss Ishta, do you have any objections to these?" the ceremony officer asked routinely.

"Of course I have."

"Oh, of course you have objections!" The ceremony official looked clear, "In the matter of fighting for inheritance, no one will stand still, right?"

"However, if you have any objections, please go to Babylon and find the ceremonial officer who handles Miss Eligal's inheritance complaint. All of Mrs. Sith's property will be transferred to Ms. Aligar's name."

The ceremonial officer left after finishing speaking, and he did not forget to appreciate Miss Ishta's perfect dress and appearance before leaving.

After the ritual officer left, the Boan couple and Apu both woke up from the astonishment and started to be indignant at the same time:

"What's going on, miss?"

"In the past, when the farm was dilapidated, the workshop was unable to make ends meet, and was losing money all the time, why did she never pay attention to us?"

"That's right, everyone's life is getting better now, but the young lady thinks she's going to grab the property with Miss Ishtar?"

Yi Nan couldn't help laughing happily.

Apu was very worried: Is Miss Ishta scared out of her wits?

"No, no, I'm not stupid!" Yi Nan smiled happily, "I'm just lamenting Miss Aligar... Oh no, my sister! You're so smart, I simply said that I've never been married..."

This not only preserves the identity of "Avelu", but also restores the inheritance rights of "unmarried daughters", and because she is the eldest daughter, she has the right to inherit all the inheritance, leaving nothing to her younger sister.

Yi Nan raised the corner of his mouth and whispered, "That guy is really right..."

The Bo'an couple and Apu looked at each other, but they didn't know who "that guy" Yi Nan was talking about.

Yi Nan remembered Daniel's words: Your goal is Babylon, and various social factors will naturally push you to go to Babylon.

Now, these social factors have finally appeared.