chsdbacks #454 - Labor is the most noble
#454 - Labor is the most noble
Sallett was lucky; the Insula apartment he was in was right next to the official residence street, which was perpendicular to Central Avenue.
Looking up at the old Elven-style Insula apartment, he felt as if he had returned to a thousand years ago.
Unlike those old Insulas, the Insula apartments in the nearby blocks were all newly built, as could be distinguished from their beige walls.
The mortar made from dissolved white sandstone was different from the old volcanic ash mortar, not to mention the distinctive dark orange tile roof.
Rapid Falls City also had three- or four-story buildings, but they were different from this, being detached houses. Sallett had never seen this courtyard layout with a '回' shape before.
The sound of his wooden-soled leather shoes stepping on the hard paving stones made Sallett subconsciously look down, and he was surprised once again.
Unlike Rapid Falls City or Jeanne Fort, or even any city Sallett had ever seen, the roads here were divided into sidewalks and roadways, with a total width of about three 'xun' (6 meters).
The sidewalks on both sides were about three 'zhou' (1.5 meters) wide, and the roadway in the center was one and a half 'xun' (3 meters).
People could set up stalls and walk on the sidewalks on both sides, while the roadway in the middle was for animals, and animals were not allowed on the sidewalks.
The sidewalks were paved with stone bricks, while the roadway was the common rammed earth road, but it was slightly raised in the middle to facilitate rainwater and sewage flowing into the drainage ditch.
On both sides of the dirt road were open-air drainage channels made of stone scraps, half a meter deep, covered with temporary fir hollow boards.
This was Witt's renovation of the Insula drainage system, presumably to prepare for the rainy season in August and September.
On the periphery of each Insula apartment, there was a well-built external dry toilet, and there would be special night soil workers to empty the feces, process them into agricultural fertilizer, and sell them to the countryside.
Being caught defecating or urinating anywhere on the sidewalk would not only result in a fine but even corporal punishment.
These open-air drainage channels would go all the way along the gate of the Insula into the courtyard, which was also a drainage ditch along the cloister.
The residents living in the Insula apartments had to pour their domestic sewage, such as water from bathing and washing their faces, into the drainage channels.
At this time, there was naturally no such thing as separating rainwater and sewage; it was always directly discharged into the sewage pool together, and then directly discharged into the nearby Pala River, and finally into the swamp lake outside.
According to Bolitz, there were nine Insulas in this block, housing 80-100 households, and the head of the hundred households, or the block chief, lived in the most central Insula.
It was said to reflect the "equality" in the Holy Path, even though everyone might not be of the same class, they lived in similar conditions.
Ensuring that no matter what their income, the Papal Palace provided everyone with a place to live.
Of course, the Pope lived in the Mechanical Palace, which did not seem to conform to the concept of "equality", but there was a profound reason behind it.
The ownership of the Mechanical Palace belonged to the Holy Father and all believers, and everyone equally owned the Mechanical Palace, but Horn and the Holy Virgins had the right to use it.
Although it was a mansion, it ultimately belonged to the believers. Holy Grandson's noble character of not leaving any assets was admirable.
"Speaking of which, Sir Bolitz, I have always had a question, what exactly is that Holy Path?" Sallett couldn't help but ask Bolitz, recalling the various different things he had seen along the way.
"First of all, I want to correct you on one point." Bolitz raised a finger, "Outside, you call me 'Sir', I won't argue with you, but once you enter Autumn Dusk Island, what do you call me?"
Remembering the rules that the monks said in Jeanne Fort, Sallett suddenly realized: "Fellow believer, ah no, Mister."
"You're not stupid, you can call me Fellow Believer Mister, but I can't afford the title of 'Sir'." Bolitz slowly led the group to the door, turned around amidst the curious gazes of other citizens, "The Holy Path, what exactly is it? It is also a topic currently being discussed by the Papal Palace, a topic that ordinary believers cannot even touch.
But the purpose of the Holy Path, I can tell you, is to save the world.
This world is heading towards the abyss, it is the coming of the millennium catastrophe, and the purpose of the Holy Path is to save it, to save our world, and to delay the coming of the Final Judgment.
You can regard the Holy Path as the 'True Gospel' born from the 'Former Gospel' and 'Later Gospel'. The specific manifestation, you turn around and look behind you."
The two hundred or so refugees from Rapid Falls City turned around, and before them was the Official Residence Square.
The Official Residence Square was also a large construction site at the moment, and the Great Truth Cathedral, the City Hall, the Watchman's Hall, and the Red Mill Theater were all submerged in the rising dust.
Even the square itself was still under construction.
But from the prototype, it could be roughly seen that this was a rectangular square, and in the center of the square was a huge statue, which Sallett guessed was Holy Grandson himself.
The statue was surrounded by red floor tiles, forming a square, and at the four corners of the square stood four gilded stone pillars.
"Look, those are the Four Pillars of the Holy Path: Civilization, Universal Love, Equality, and Freedom. The core of the Holy Path is in the very center—Labor.
We believe that only labor can create value, only labor can change the world, and labor is a person's vocation and instinct.
It's just that the devil's exploitation has distorted labor, which is why it is painful.
When you come to Autumn Dusk Island, remember one sentence: unlike those nobles who gain without working and exploit, in the territory of the Holy Salvation Papal State, labor is the noblest!"
Labor is the noblest?
Blinking his eyes, looking at the four stone pillars, Sallett felt something blocking his throat, making him unable to speak.
For a long time, a saying has been popular in the territory of the empire that there are three kinds of people in this world: swordsmen, book readers, and cultivators.
Both swordsmen and book readers have always believed that labor is the most lowly, and its main purpose is to support the former two.
Whether swordsmen or book readers, they all believe that a man should either exploit or plunder, and honestly cultivating the land is what the most stupid and cowardly people do.
And artisans are regarded as a kind of cultivators, although they are proud of their labor achievements and the efforts they put in.
They usually secretly discuss the knights' meanness, inability to plan far ahead, and inability to understand their achievements and efforts.
But this idea has not been recognized by the nobles, but is regarded as a matter of course, as if the artisans owe them.
Clearly creating most of the wealth in society, but not getting the respect they deserve, this is the most unwilling part of the artisans' hearts.
Is there really a place in this world where labor is the noblest?
Just as Sallett was stunned, Bolitz had already led them to the gate of the Insula assigned to them, and took out a circle of keys from his satchel.
"Pay attention to the numbers and patterns on the keys, your ten-household head will take you to identify the rooms one by one, don't lose the keys, it's at your own expense to replace the door locks."
Standing behind Bolitz, the ten-household head, a lame old soldier with a face full of horizontal flesh, supported himself with a crutch, showed the gear medal on his collar, and nodded with a straight face to the refugees present.
"Mr. Bolitz." A refugee raised his hand and shouted, "When are we going to work?"
"Don't worry, these three days you can first adapt to the local climate and atmosphere, and then someone will come to find you." Bolitz said without looking back while explaining something to the ten-household head.
"Then Mr. Bolitz, are there guilds here?"
"Didn't I say that someone will come to find you later? What are you doing going to the guild?" Bolitz turned his head, "There are guilds on Autumn Dusk Island, but the president of the guild is not elected by you, but is appointed by the mayor of the City Hall.
The town is currently short of houses, and there is no place for you to build a guild hall, so don't get any wrong ideas."
After explaining the roster and matters to the old soldier with kind words and a good attitude, Bolitz whistled and pointed out 8 families and several single men, including Sallett.
"You will live in this room." After explaining to Sallett and others, Bolitz waved to the remaining refugees, "The rest of you don't move, I'll take you to the next place later."
Turning his head again, Bolitz cleared his throat and finally said: "These few days, read the rules and laws and understand them clearly.
Remember not to go out and wander around tomorrow afternoon, the Pope is expected to arrive tomorrow, maybe he will inspect and meet you, don't forget."