290 、 The Ordinary World
What was Hunter Ackerman's proposal? Hunter seemed to be the smartest of Randt's three sons. He had thought of a possibility in advance. If Aesop really had some tricks up his sleeves to make the Citizens' Assembly decide that he was Aesop Ackerman, then the manor and manor would be taken away, and their plan to buy a merchant ship would be ruined.
To prevent this "worst case" scenario, he asked the Citizens' Assembly to decide on another matter if Aesop's identity was confirmed — compensation for the manor and manor for the past 60 years.
Aesop's father, Sainz Ackerman, was killed in an accident. The manor and manor would be abandoned if no one took care of it. Moreover, the manor had been renovated several times before it could be preserved until now. Maintaining the manor had not been profitable in recent years, and it had become a burden in times of war. Otherwise, the family would not have thought of selling the manor and manor to engage in more profitable trade.
If Hunter had really made such a request, Aesop could have objected. For example, the manor that Randt's family had lived in, and the income from the manor should be enough to pay for the manor and manor. Otherwise, they would not owe each other anything. This matter was complicated, but from a logical point of view, the Randt family had contributed a lot to Aesop's return after 60 years. If Aesop was rich, it would not be a problem for him to make appropriate compensation.
So Hunter wanted to take the opportunity of the Citizens' Assembly to apply for a ruling — should Aesop compensate the Randt family?
But the result was out of Hunter's expectation. Aesop did get back the manor and manor, which originally belonged to him. But Aesop did not come to fight for the manor. He gave the three brothers such precious gifts in public, which were far more valuable than the manor and manor. If the second proposal was thrown out in public, Hunter would become the laughing stock of the whole city of Meduri. So he quickly withdrew his request.
Since Hunt had given up on his request, Thales did not say what the second proposal was. Aesop, on the other hand, knew what it was. Naturally, he could guess what it was, but he did not ask. After the meeting, Aesop settled down in his hometown. He got along very well with his cousin and three nephews, and they often visited each other and had a good time.
Aesop lived in the old house. Reid often invited his brother to his house, and his three nephews often visited Aesop's house. Aesop was a kind elder who treated his three nephews very well.
Reid's eldest son was a military officer. He was hot-tempered and impulsive. Aesop often talked to him about marching and fighting, telling him that war strategies and judgment of the situation were far more important to a commander than being hot-blooded and impulsive. Reid's second son was a merchant, and he was the one who bought the ship. Doing business was Aesop's specialty, so he often talked to him about how to do business, and not blindly calculating for profit.
As for his youngest nephew, Will, he was only 16 years old this year, the exact same age that Aesop had left his hometown. His features also bore a striking resemblance to Aesop in his youth, and he was Aesop's favorite junior. He even told his cousin to let Weir come over when he was free, stay with him, and help him manage the shop. In other words, Weir would be his successor in the future. Reid was naturally happy, and Weir liked to come over to his uncle's side.
Now that Aesop had taken back the manor and the house, why was there still a shop? This matter also had something to do with Weir. It was not without reason that Aesop liked him the most. Among the assets left behind by Aesop's father, there was a shop in Meduri. Aesop's father was originally a merchant. The shop was later inherited by Reid, who sold his assets to start a business, and the first thing he sold was the shop. Aesop did not mention it again.
But Weir took the initiative to tell Aesop that other than the manor and the manor, there was also a shop in the city that he should have inherited. It was not far from the manor, and it had been sold not long ago. When Weir told his uncle, he bought the shop with his own money, and returned it to Aesop with his uncle's name on the deed.
Aesop accepted his nephew's' gift ', and handed the shop over to Weir to manage. Some of Hunt's goods were also sold in Meduri, so of course, they were handed over to this shop. Aesop's days were very leisurely, and he would go to the city square to chat with people when he had nothing to do. He became good friends with the sage called Thales.
Aesop also often went to sit in the shop, doing business at the counter like an ordinary worker. That was his old profession from decades ago, and now that he was back in it, he felt very close and happy.
The old manor was naturally renovated, and it was very comfortable to live in. Amon and the craftsmen he hired personally renovated it. Needless to say, the craftsmen who worked with Amon did not notice anything unusual. They only felt that the coachman was very hardworking and capable. Master Aesop really knew how to hire people!
When he was renovating the house, Amon asked Aesop if he should leave another symbol to hide since the location of the original symbol of the Patron had been exposed. But Aesop said there was no need, so the original steps in front of the door were not moved, but the stone slab was restored to its original state. The stone slab with Hermes's scepter carved on the back was still in place, and there was no other symbol of the patron hidden in the newly renovated manor.
Aesop believed in Amon as the one and only god. To him, the scepter carved on the stone slab was just a traditional hidden decoration, to be kept in place to preserve memories. But he did not believe in Hermes, so there was no need for him to do anything else.
With Aesop's age and experience, he had already reached a state where he did not need to be moved by anything. He could do whatever he wanted and be at peace with himself. He knew who Amon was, but he still watched as Amon repaired his manor like an ordinary craftsman. It was Amon's own request, so he did not interfere. Anyway, he happened to need someone to repair the house, and Aesop did not care whether the person who repaired the house was a god or not, as long as Amon was a qualified craftsman.
If someone in the know saw this scene, they might think that Aesop was being disrespectful to the god, but Aesop knew very well how to get along with this god. Amon must have come to the human world to seek proof, and since he did so, it was the process of seeking proof. Aesop did not know what he could do for the god, but this was his help to the god.
After the house was repaired, Aesop did not need to take a carriage to live in the city, and Amon, the "coachman", was "unemployed". But he made another request to Aesop, hoping to take care of the manor. Aesop asked in private, "My god, why do you want to take care of my manor?"
Amon smiled and said, "It seems that I was destined to be a blacksmith and a miner since I was born. If it had not been for the changes later, I might have been one for the rest of my life. But later, I became a hunter in the mountains, a guard of the temple, a general commanding the army, and your driver, but I have never been a farmer. "
Aesop did not say anything more and directly handed over the management of the farm to Amon. He only told Amon how he wanted to run the farm and what crops he wanted to grow. In the eyes of others, Aesop treated his old partner who had returned to his hometown with great generosity and trust. When he did not need a coachman, he handed the farm over to Amon.
Amon was still called Amon, and no one would think that he was the god of Eygut. They just regarded him as a mortal with the same name as a foreign god. There were many things to worry about in running a farm. Aesop's farm was half flat and half sloping, and most of the crops originally planted were olives. Olive oil was the most important product and export of the city-states of the Yaron League.
But Aesop changed the crops and planted grapes on the sloping land to make wine. He even built his own wine cellar on the farm and planted wheat on the flat land. The fertile plains near the city-state of Miduli were limited, and the yield of wheat on many lands was not high. People would rather import wheat than grow their own, but Aesop did the opposite.
It would take at least a year or two to see a good harvest if he changed the crops. Medanzo also asked Amon in private, "My god, you escorted Aesop back to his homeland and now fulfill his wish. Do you want to accompany Aesop to the end of his life by staying here? "
Amon shook his head and said, "This is not for Aesop. He has the company of his family in his hometown and is living a good life. This is what he wants, not what the gods have given him. Without me, he could have hired better farmers to take care of the grange. As the god he believes in, there is no need for me to stay here. Even if I am far away in heaven, I can still hear his prayers and calls.
I came to the human world to seek my own confirmation. I am here to deal with people and observe what they think. Everything is done by me and happens naturally. This is not the same as looking at the human world from heaven. The experience along the way, including the drama we saw in Yalun City and what Aesop did, are all inspiring me. "
Since Amon said so, Medanzo naturally stayed in Aesop's house. Gods and level nine oracles would not care about a year or two. In the eyes of others, Medanzo and Amon were both followers that Aesop brought back to his hometown. Medanzo was a handsome and majestic warrior. To be able to escort Aesop all the way back to Medulla, he was obviously not weak. He might even be a supreme warrior. With him around, naturally, no one dared to cause trouble for Aesop.
After Aesop handed the grange to Amon, he no longer asked about it. Every day, other than going to the city square to find Thales or to chat with the others, he would talk to Wale in the shops about everything under the sun. Wale did not quite understand one thing and deliberately asked, "My dear uncle, running a farm is naturally not as profitable as doing business, but it does not matter if you like it. After all, it is preserving the ancestral land. You grow grapes to make wine. If the wine is good, it is also a good business, but growing wheat is obviously not as good as growing olives. "
Aesop smiled and said, "Wait and see, it will not take long for you to understand. Now the conflict between the Yalun Alliance and the Gebados Alliance on the Heaton Peninsula is getting more and more intense. The Kingdom of Macedonia in the north is rising, and the Potsdam Empire is still unwilling to accept defeat. In this situation, can the Yalun Alliance maintain its position as the hegemon of trade for a long time?
Once the sea lines of communication are cut off, or the focus of trade shifts, what will happen to the Midulla City, which lacks products? When your second brother does business, whose money can he make? Everyone is growing olives. If the olive oil cannot be shipped out because of the war, what will the result be? I have talked to your brother about the recent strategic situation, mainly military, but I am still the owner of the grange, and naturally have my own considerations. "
While Aesop was talking to his nephew, a young man walked into the shop. He was wearing a short-sleeved tunic and holding a willow branch. He looked very delicate. Aesop stood up and greeted him, "Sir, may I ask what you want to buy?"
The young man smiled and shook his head, "I am just looking for a grocery store in the city, and I came in to see if there is anything I need."
Aesop waved his hand, "Then you can look around."
The young man looked at the goods on the shelves, and suddenly pointed to the most exquisite statue on the back of the shop, and asked, "How much is Zeus selling here?"
Aesop replied politely, "Not Zeus, but the statue of Zeus. The one you pointed to is selling for two silver coins."
The young man asked with a smile, "The great Zeus is the father of the Olympian gods. Can this solemn statue be put on the shelves like ordinary goods? Can the faith in the gods be traded with money? Shopkeeper, please answer this question, otherwise, how can you sell the statue and earn your profit in the name of the gods? "
The young man's question was very interesting, and it sounded like he was looking for trouble. But this was the territory of the Yaron League, and there were often all kinds of sages or wise men having similar debates in the city's temple square, so Aesop was not surprised. It seemed that the young man was a wandering sage who was passing by, and he was asking the shopkeeper who sold the statue.
Aesop replied unhurriedly, "I have been to many countries in the continent, such as Eygut, where statues cannot be sold openly, or it will be regarded as a blasphemy against the gods. But the statue did not fall from the sky, and if the government or the people wanted to build a statue, they had to hire craftsmen to carve and paint it, and this would be paid.
The faith here is more tolerant, and people have closer feelings for the gods. If you are willing to pay for this statue instead of using the money to go to the tavern for a drink, this proves that you are willing to pay for your faith. The money is not earned by the gods, but paid to the craftsmen who carved the statue, the coachman who transported the statue, and the shop that sold the statue.
If you think that you are buying a god, then two silver coins is indeed blasphemy. You can give Zeus a price yourself, but in fact, no one can afford it! All we have is the starry sky above our heads and the faith in our hearts. Worldly possessions are a way of expression, so I would like to ask you, how much are you willing to pay for such a statue? "
The young man was slightly stunned, as if he did not expect such an answer from Aesop. He changed the topic and pointed to the statue of Hera next to Zeus. "So how much is this statue for?"
Hera was the legendary wife of Zeus. Her statue was a painted work of stone carving. She wore a crown decorated with peacock feathers and a bright long dress. Her figure was plump, and her face was dignified. She looked radiant. Aesop replied, "It costs four silver coins."
The young man was surprised. "These two statues are made of the same material and are of the same size. Why is Hera's statue twice as expensive as the statue of the father of the gods?"
Aesop explained calmly, "This is a statue of a goddess. The crown and clothes are much more complicated, and the craftsmen have to spend twice as much time to carve it carefully. If they are not careful, they can easily damage it, so the whole stone will be useless. That's why it is more expensive."
The young man nodded, then pointed to the bottom of the wooden shelf and asked, "Then the statue of Hermes, the patron of the city of Medusa and also the patron of merchants, is about the same size as the previous two statues. The carving is also very beautiful. I like it very much. How much are you going to sell it for?"
At this moment, Amon's voice suddenly sounded in Aesop's soul. "The young man in front of you is the god Hermes himself. He came from Olympus, and he came directly from the altar of the city's temple."
Amon was far away in the vineyard, but he noticed the situation and secretly reminded Aesop. Aesop did not show any strange expression when he heard Amon's voice. He said calmly to Hermes, "Are you talking about this statue? If you pay six silver coins for the two statues just now, this will be a bonus, and the shop will give you a discount. "
Hermes's smile froze for a moment, and then he asked, "I think this statue is not bad. Aren't you going to sell it for more?"
Aesop was still smiling. "This is just a statue, and it's worth so much. It's the real deal. I don't want to cheat you."
Hermes frowned slightly. "Old man, do you know who I am?"
Aesop replied, "You are a customer who came to ask about the price. I am the owner of the shop."
The young man turned around and walked out of the shop without saying a word. Will, who had been standing at the side, felt a little strange. Then, Amon's voice rang in Aesop's soul again. "Aesop, I want to say thank you! You have given me the best inspiration for the problem I have been thinking about. "
… …
Why did Amon thank Aesop? Perhaps only the god himself knew. And what was Hermes's purpose in coming here? Perhaps only that deity could understand this in his heart.
In the meeting of the citizens of the city, Hermes had once given an oracle at the request of the people. "People of Miduria, the old man in front of you has returned from a foreign land. He has not received the light of the gods there, so the gods will not prove his identity. He needs to prove it himself."
And the way Aesop proved his identity was to lift the hidden mark of Hermes's scepter in the old house, and when the house was rebuilt, he put the stone slab back untouched. Hermes was clear about Aesop's faith, and Aesop also expressed his own faith. This silent dialogue between gods and mortals was equal.
When Hermes came to the human world and appeared in front of Aesop, whether he said his name and identity or not, Aesop would treat him as a customer who came to ask about the price. The goods in the shop were sold as they were, and Aesop did not disrespect this customer. And Amon watched this scene, understood the cause and effect, and also had his own understanding.
… …
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