Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 1119: Chapter 1025: Peaceful Country Life

Rochefort noticed the others still hesitating and raised the watering scoop for fertilizer again: “Buy the ’Flying Car’ today and get this for free, it’s very useful!”

Well, actually, the farmers buying the car tomorrow could also get the scoop, but he would pretend to have trouble and say he violated company rules, asking the other party not to tell anyone.

Soon, two more farmers from well-off families expressed their intention to buy one.

Then the group loaded the purchased briquettes onto their wheelbarrows and, under the envious gaze of the crowd, leisurely pushed them home.

That evening, Rochefort stayed at the home of a small noble in the village, Elvigne.

He sold only four wheelbarrows today, which was far from enough.

He had mortgaged his shares in the coal company to become the agent of the “All-Purpose Flying Car” in the south of Reims.

If he couldn’t sell 200 wheelbarrows each month, he would incur losses.

The next day, Rochefort came to the front of the Church again to sell wheelbarrows, but he found it was very lively today, as if there was a wedding taking place.

At 3 PM, the bell rang from inside the Church.

This usually signified that the couple had pledged their vows before the altar, and the Priest had given them his blessings, completing the first step of the wedding.

Indeed, accompanied by the sounds of organ, trumpet, and lute, a young man of about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a brand-new double-breasted coat and navy blue trousers, led a rather robust horse out from the Church.

The bride on the horse was about the same age, wearing a white long dress, shyly waving and greeting the villagers.

According to custom, they would tour around the village, scattering wheat grains and petals along the way to attract children to pick them up. Of course, wealthier families would also scatter some coins.

As the bridal procession passed by Rochefort’s stall, the bridegroom’s father hurriedly walked over to the chubby little man, respectfully bowing and appearing somewhat nervous, “Honored Lord Rochefort, I am from Leon’s house. Well, today my son Domi is getting married, may we have the honor of inviting you to attend the wedding banquet?”

He heard from his second son, who came to buy briquettes yesterday, about Lord Rochefort. If Domi’s wedding could have a noble lord from Paris attend, it would be a very prestigious affair.

Rochefort glanced at the wedding procession of at least sixty or seventy people not far away, then smiled and nodded, “It is my honor, Mr. Leon. Please accept my most sincere blessings for the newlyweds.

“Oh, I imagine there will be many tables and chairs, wine barrels, and other items needing to be moved at the wedding. I can lend you two All-Purpose Flying Cars. I hope they can be of help.”

Leon hastily waved his hand, “Oh, how could we accept such a favor?”

Rochefort, however, instructed his attendants to deliver three wheelbarrows to Leon’s house without allowing refusal.

By 5 PM, in the open area in front of Leon’s house, a long dining table assembled from dozens of tables was set up, covered with colorful tablecloths. fr\(e)ew(e)b.(n)o (v)(e)l.com

Leon’s neighbors pushed several barrels of wine over with wheelbarrows. As soon as the barrels were placed on the table, hundreds of villagers gathered, loudly offering blessings to the newlyweds while picking up cups to pour wine.

Before long, the newlyweds returned after touring the village, and Domi Leon lifted his wife from the saddle. Neighbors who came to help immediately began setting plates of stewed meat, soup, sausage, and bread on the table.

Meanwhile, Leon personally led the family’s horse into the stable, tying the rope while saying, “Sophie, old fellow, you can start eating oats now.”

This was not the family’s original old horse.

Old Sophie had died of old age two years ago; this was her daughter, even sturdier than her in her younger days.

In recent years, the village had taken out loans to buy water pumps, greatly improving irrigation of the fields.

Additionally, the agricultural service consulting company taught everyone to build compost pits and encouraged the use of phosphate rock, which increased his family’s grain yield by a full 30% over before.

Meanwhile, after the abolition of the tax farmers system, all kinds of miscellaneous taxes disappeared as well.

Now, he only needed to pay the basic land tax and agricultural tax collected by the tax bureau, plus the Church’s tithe, amounting to less than half of what taxes used to be a few years ago.

With income now exceeding outgoings, his family could save 25 to 30 francs each year.

As early as the spring before last, he paid off all his family’s debts and then saved up to buy back the foal that Old Sophie had given birth to from Lord Elvigne.

He and his wife both believed that the name Sophie had brought luck to the family, so they named the new horse Sophie too.

The wedding banquet was considered quite lavish for such a small village, with all the wine and food available without limit, allowing the villagers who came to celebrate to eat and drink as they pleased.

Moreover, from the all-cotton new clothes that Domi and his wife wore, made in Lyon, it was clear that Leon’s family was indeed in good financial condition.

Rochefort watched with satisfaction as the wheelbarrows he had lent out played a huge role, transporting loads of dirty dishes back into the house and bringing out barrels of wine.

This advertising effect was better than shouting for a month.

As darkness fell, bonfires were lit beside the dining table.

Full villagers began to sing and dance around the fires, while others chatted loudly, “I heard from Mr. Prelco that next month something called ’potash fertilizer’ is coming, which can boost yields even further.”

Prelco was the head of the agricultural service consulting company in this village.

“Really? Did he say the price?”

“It seems to be a bit cheaper than phosphate rock, but there doesn’t seem to be much of it…”

A literate farmer chimed in, “I saw in the newspaper that it’s being shipped from Germany, from a newly opened mine, so there should be more available in the future.”

“Frank, what are you talking about? That’s a French mine, not German.”

“Oh, damn, I’ve had too much to drink, it is indeed ours, no mistake.”

“Has anyone heard about the parish bank’s plan to lend money for buying a steam mill?”

Still, it was Frank speaking, “I know that; a set costs 4,500 francs. Divided among everyone, each household needs to contribute more than 30 francs.”

“But it will make grinding flour much cheaper in the future, and we can even earn some money by grinding for neighboring villages.”

“Oh, most likely, other villages will buy them too…”

“Just 30 francs, with a ten-year repayment plan, it’s only 3 francs a year. The mill tax used to be 15 francs a year.”

“My family had to pay 18 francs…”

Leon’s family wine couldn’t be considered good wine, at least in Rochefort’s opinion, but amidst such a lively and cheerful atmosphere, he still found himself slightly tipsy.

The next day, the sales of his “All-Purpose Flying Car” began to increase as expected—the villagers who attended the wedding feast all saw how useful it was.

Five days later, Rochefort, with a sales record of 38 wheelbarrows, was preparing to leave Meidion Village.

As his carriage passed by Leon’s house, he was drawn by the sound of a fierce quarrel coming from inside.

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