King of Mercenaries - Chapter 25: The Sandals "Artifact"

After the establishment of the mercenary group, Marin first went to Vienna to report. This is also normal. Although this is a messy medieval period, it is nothing to carry a weapon by yourself or a few people. But if you want to carry a weapon with eighty people, you will definitely be annihilated as a robber without reporting. Officials in Vienna also apparently knew that the emperor would definitely expand the army in the future. Therefore, he did not reject Marin. However, after he issued a certificate to Marin, he asked Marin to accept the supervision of the local sheriff in the place where he was stationed, and he must not rob the local people. Otherwise, it will be regarded as banditry, leading to the annihilation of the army.

In order to prove the legitimacy of the mercenary group, Marin paid a huge sum of 1 mark and a 5 mark bribe, and obtained a documentary certificate issued by Vienna to prove the legitimacy of its mercenary group. Then, Marin officially played the flag – Hoffmann Mercenary. After obtaining legal status, Marin began preparations for training. The first is the choice of location. It is impossible for Vienna. It is a national capital. It does not say that there are many rules here. Just because of the high price, it was first ruled out by Marin. He saved himself to support 80 strong men. If he was in Vienna with high prices, he had to go bankrupt. At the beginning, he chose the Vienna Woods in the west of Vienna and the northern foothills of the Alps. This forest is very large, with thousands of square kilometers, relatively quiet, suitable for military camps. However, when Marin was ready to camp, he was driven away by the defender. It turns out that the Vienna Forest is the hunting ground of the Habsburg royal family. It belongs to the royal garden. The ordinary people are not allowed to enter and approach. In particular, Marin and his small army, and it is even closer. Because they are afraid that Marin will assassinate the royal family members who are hunting here.

In desperation, Marin continued to go west with everyone and came to a small town called Robach. To the south is the Alps and there are forests nearby. In addition to low prices, Marin also considered hunting in the mountains, getting some meat, and at the same time reducing the cost of living. Not only that, but after entering Italy, it is sure to climb the Alps. Moreover, there are many mountains on the Italian peninsula, Marin brings everyone here, and there is also the meaning of exercising the ability to climb the mountains.

In the long march, Marin was depressed and found that many people’s shoes were worn out because of walking. However, they are not willing to buy a new shoe. Why? It turns out that European shoes, in this era, are mainly leather shoes and wooden shoes. The sole of the leather shoe is made of multiple layers of cowhide or pigskin, and the body is also leather. This kind of shoes feels good and is very strong. But the problem is that leather is expensive. A pair of leather shoes, the price is up to 3 shillings. Ordinary people’s salary is only 2 Fini. In other words, a pair of leather shoes, it takes 18 days of ordinary people’s work. As for the wooden shoes, these shoes are much cheaper, but in some cases they are not practical. Wooden shoes, walking the plains is good, once you take the rugged stone mountain road, the soles break in minutes. Of the 80 people recruited by Marin, 50 were wearing relatively cheap wooden shoes. But this kind of shoes, on the way to Marlin with them on the road, because some mountain roads have been taken, so that the shoes of more than 20 people have broken. As usual, they should buy new shoes. However, this community is coming to the poor ghosts who are eager to eat and eat. Where can I buy new shoes? At this time, Marin suddenly remembered the magical skills of the old man who studied in the countryside many years ago, when he was in the countryside, heaving shoes.

Straw shoes are one of the ultimate inventions of ancient Chinese people. It looks unremarkable, but it is very important. Ancient Chinese people, although richer than ancient Europeans, but shoes, are also more expensive products. For example, with a multi-layered cloth bottom shoes, many ordinary people can do it themselves, but the shoes are ordinary people, and they are decent shoes. Only when you are away from home or visiting relatives, you need to be decent. Only put on the shoes of the “thousandth floor”.

But when you work in the field, you wear shoes or rafts, it is simply looking for abuse. Because, when working, the feet often work hard. If it is a raft, it is easy to break. And the shoes, can not stand the toss. Therefore, the wise Chinese ancestors thought of a good way – weaving shoes with grass. The sandals are breathable, lightweight, soft, non-slip, and extremely low cost. Because the grass shoes is also affordable to the poor, and can be replaced frequently. For example, the Red Army took a 25,000-mile long march. If you wear shoes, you don’t know how many pairs of shoes you break when you run. That cost is simply unacceptable. The grass shoes are different. You can make sandals on the spot by pulling the tough grass from the roadside. Moreover, the grass shoes have a special advantage, not only because they are worn out, but can be replaced at any time. Moreover, the sandals are not slippery, which can avoid the accidental fall of the mountain when the mountain road is taken, causing unnecessary death and injury. The wooden shoes are the least suitable for walking the mountain. As for leather shoes, it is too luxurious to use to walk the mountain.

The practical use of sandals makes it an important position in the history of China. For example, the famous Liu Bei in the Three Kingdoms was a woven straw shoes seller and maker. What makes Marin strange is that there seems to be no straw weaving technology in Europe. Many serfs are too poor to buy wooden shoes. Even if you buy a relatively cheap wooden shoes, you can wear them when you go out to visit friends or go to church. And usually labor is mostly barefoot. It’s fine to walk barefoot in the field. It’s okay to walk on the Roman Avenue. If you want to take the mountain road, you will definitely not be able to. Walking barefoot is afraid of slipping, and I am afraid that the stone will poke. But wearing wooden shoes and walking the mountain road is easy to break the bottom, wearing leather shoes is too luxurious. Marin’s 80 poor men, except 10 people are wearing leather shoes. The other 70 people, 50 people are wearing wooden shoes. As for the remaining 20 people, it is simply walking barefoot.

For this, Marin really can’t stand it. So, after arriving in a village and setting up a tent, Marin did not hurry to train, but let everyone get a lot of grass stems and began to teach them to make straw shoes…

“Mallin, can grass be used for shoes?” A group of European countrymen are very surprised.

However, they saw with their own eyes that under the skillful weaving of Marin, the grass stems were first smashed into fine straw ropes, which were then braided into soles and shoes…

This scene makes everyone feel amazing and everyone is amazed.

After trying on the marlin-woven sandals, everyone felt very comfortable. Marlin woven sandals, which belong to the winter version, are thick and cold-proof. At the moment it is winter, wearing thick sandals, can effectively resist the cold. Moreover, even thick sandals are more breathable. It’s warm and breathable, and it feels great to wear.

But what made Marin depressed was that he taught 86 men (including his 6 followers) to make straw shoes. Can teach for two days, and finally learned, only 8 people, including Kohler…

As for the eight people who are so “given”, or because these seven people (except Kohler) used to be tailor apprentices or shoemakers, they were dismissed because of poor talent. But even so, their level of weaving is enough to make straw shoes.

In desperation, Marin arranged the eight men to make straw shoes for everyone’s needs. After training, there must be a cross-country run. High-intensity training, too much wear on the shoes, only enough sand shoes to spare, can survive. In the past, when Marin watched the war movie, one or two pairs of spare sandals were hung on the backpack of our army. The liberation shoes were created only after liberation. Before the liberation, millions of our army, all of them were wearing grass shoes to fight. To this end, Marin announced that the eight “technicians” who would make straw shoes, eat more meals when eating, can eat more than others, and meat is also preferred to them. And Marin’s mercenary group, everyone has replaced the lightweight and comfortable, and low-cost sandals. Even those who wear leather shoes have changed into sandals. Because the shoes are precious, if they wear out in training, they will lose more. The sandals are really cheap, even if they are worn out, they don’t feel bad. It can be said that for the army with a weak family, cheap and practical sandals are definitely a rare “artifact”.