The new house was well-built, with all the furniture and bedding fully prepared. Since they were already there, they decided to simply stay for two days and treat it as a short break.
After all, the place was quite close to the castle, and any ingredients they needed could be delivered from there. Wei Wei got the urge to cook herself, and naturally, no one would refuse such a treat. Not just Felix and his sister— even the servants and coachmen who came along had the good fortune of tasting her max-level chef skills.
Of course, though they called it a rest, in reality, there were still plenty of things to handle aside from the change in accommodations, so there wasn't much time to relax.
Moreover, since the lords had relocated temporarily, the people from the castle had to shuttle back and forth to report official business, which was inconvenient. So after just two days, they had no choice but to return.
After returning, Felix began organizing a hunting party to head into the woods.
Spring was always the breeding season for wild animals, but with the forest food supply not yet as plentiful as in summer or fall, creatures like wild boars would often venture out toward human settlements in search of food. They would not only ruin crops but could also harm people. As the lord of the land, Felix had a duty to drive out dangerous beasts from his territory, so regular hunts were a necessity.
This was his first hunt of the year, and it happened to be around the same time last year when he had discovered Wei Wei in the forest.
"I wonder if we'll stumble across another treasure this time," Felix joked with Wei Wei before departure. "I'm looking forward to what we'll find."
Wei Wei's expression darkened as she helped him into his armor. "Don't tell me you plan to bring back another person?"
Felix hurriedly swore, "Of course not. I have you, and that's enough. Don't be mad."
He knew very well that his wife was extremely conservative in such matters—not something to joke about lightly.
Seeing his anxious face, Wei Wei suddenly burst into laughter. "I was teasing you. But remember—if you dare bring back anyone you shouldn't, you can sleep in the next room."
Determined not to be separated from his wife, Felix quickly swore he wouldn't.
Once he left their private quarters, the count who was firmly under his wife's control immediately regained his usual authority and dignity, leading his team into the forest with full confidence and pride.
After sending off the hunting party, Wei Wei turned back toward the castle to handle affairs.
She summoned Qin, who wasn't in class at the moment, and asked, "How are those children doing with their studies lately?"
"You can tell some kids have less aptitude for learning, but everyone's working very hard."
Not every child was naturally suited for academic learning. Even though over two hundred children were being educated together, their progress varied greatly.
They had been bought over three months ago. Aside from some delays during travel, the past two months had been packed with daily lessons. The most gifted children had already mastered the most commonly used words and could read and write independently. They also had a strong grasp of basic arithmetic. As for the less gifted, while they could manage reading and memorization to some degree, they struggled with math—barely scraping by in addition and subtraction, but making frequent mistakes with multiplication and division.
It wasn't that they were stupid. Despite the content seeming simple, for kids who had never studied before, mastering it all in such a short time was no easy feat. Qin believed even she might not have learned so quickly under the same conditions.
Wei Wei walked over to the window, pulled back the curtains, and looked out. From here, she could see a group of kids busily working in the yard below.
Compared to the first time she had seen them, they now looked much more like children their age—cheerful and lively, but still well-behaved and hardworking.
Had they been older, their personalities would have been more set in stone, making them harder to manage. A group of older children gathered together could easily stir up trouble. But these kids were mostly between seven or eight to twelve or thirteen, and that made a big difference.
Though some of the purchased children had minor issues, there were no major vices among them. Thanks to the guidance of Father Matthew and Qin, even those small flaws had mostly been corrected. Being so young, their habits hadn't yet solidified, making them much easier to teach than adults.
Of course, Wei Wei found them easier to manage largely because most of them were girls. Girls matured faster than boys and were more aware of their circumstances. They knew that if the count hadn't purchased them, they would likely have been sold into prostitution. This awareness made them especially obedient and willing to be disciplined.
As for the remaining boys, most were orphans, and it was these self-reliant boys who had the most minor behavioral problems. But it was also their street smarts that had helped them survive. Unlike kids with parents, they understood better how to please adults to get by, so they often behaved even more enthusiastically.
Hidden behind the curtain, Wei Wei observed the children for a while. Though no one was directly supervising them, and the yard was noisy with laughter (audible even from several floors up), every child was still doing their work.
Wei Wei thought about their current tasks. The sugar beets she had bought in the capital were nearly processed. Once those were done, the kids' current job would be finished. She needed to find something new for them to do.
Qin stood behind her when she suddenly heard Wei Wei ask, "Didn't Felix assign soldiers to train them earlier? How are they doing?"
"The boys are learning eagerly, while the girls are more lukewarm about it. But a few girls are performing just as well as the boys," Qin replied quickly.
She knew the count planned to train some of the girls as female swordfighters to protect Wei Wei, so she paid close attention to this.
Wei Wei nodded. "Have the soldiers keep an eye out. If there are any with real talent, gather them and increase their training. We'll develop them in that direction."
Wei Wei had no intention of supporting these children indefinitely. Given the limited education level of the time, being able to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic was already more than enough. She had bought them to be useful—not to run a charity.
Returning to her desk—which Felix had set up right beside his so they could handle affairs together—she pulled out a sheet of paper from the drawer and handed it to Qin.
"Do you think, with their progress, they'd be able to fill out this form?"
Qin took a look. It was a printed form titled "Population Registration Form" at the top, with dozens of fields below—name, age, physical traits, address, date of birth, marital status, family situation, education level, and even special skills.
Qin had never seen many of these fields before. It was so detailed it left her speechless. If it weren't for the example form already filled out, she might not even have understood what it was at first glance.
Qin asked, "Madam, what is this for?"
Wei Wei tilted her chin up. "It says right there—population registration. Since we're giving out sweets, I figured we might as well take this opportunity to do a proper census of Sardinson County."
Sardinson County technically already had population records, but they were heavily falsified. That's because more registered people meant more tax. The poll tax, in particular, was charged per person, even for newborns. But with child mortality rates so high, many parents didn't bother registering their children at all. They'd hide them until they were older, then register them.
This kind of underreporting happened everywhere, especially among free citizens. Nobles didn't like to investigate too hard—if they fined or enslaved those caught, other free citizens might flee their lands. Any noble with foresight knew better than to stir the pot. Usually, they'd turn a blind eye, so long as the back taxes were paid when registration finally happened.
Originally, neither Wei Wei nor Felix knew this. But when Sardinson Castle began recruiting free citizens, all had to register. Since family size affected land allotment, many previously unreported children were suddenly brought in. When the steward cross-referenced the old data and found discrepancies, he realized there were suddenly more people. Since he hadn't been in charge of past registrations, he came to Felix to ask whether to collect the back taxes.
Felix didn't go after the taxes, but he wasn't about to ignore the fact that so many people weren't on the books.
So Wei Wei, referencing census forms from the modern world, created this simplified version and decided to conduct a proper census.
She asked again, "So? Do you think the kids can fill this out?"
Qin carefully went through the contents again, then nodded. "They should be able to. They've already learned most of the commonly used vocabulary, so they can handle it."
Wei Wei let out a breath of relief. She had been worried about where to find so many literate people if the children couldn't do it.
"Take the forms and teach them how to fill them out. I'll post a notice soon. They'll need to travel around to help register everyone."
This was meant to make things easier for the locals, many of whom lived far from the castle. It would be a hassle to make them come in themselves.
Instead, she planned to organize transport and send teams of children with escorts to visit each village and have the village chiefs help organize the registrations.
She added a reminder: "There are only a few dozen villages and towns in Sardinson County. Divide the kids into groups—the older ones with the younger ones, the better students with the weaker ones. That way, they can look out for each other."
Even with guards, the children—especially the girls—would feel safer with a partner in unfamiliar places.
"Understood." Qin nodded, then hesitated. "Madam, do we have enough paper for this? The kids still write a bit messy. I'm worried they'll ruin the forms."
"We have plenty," Wei Wei reassured her. "Even if they mess some up, it's fine—we've got more."
All the paper was produced at their paper mill. Initially, they didn't have one, but after Penny and the gardener's children learned how to make paper, they passed the task on. The two eldest of the gardener's children now ran the mill, which eventually expanded into a proper workshop staffed with more workers. Felix found the paper more practical than parchment, so they'd stopped buying that altogether.
Once the internal demand was met, the next step was to expand and sell paper externally.
So, forms were no issue—they could print as many as needed.
Qin asked, "Can I take a few extra sheets? I want them to practice."
Wei Wei was already prepared. She pulled out a stack from the drawer. "Let them fill out their information."
After all, serfs would be included in the census too.
She had even prepared the public notice—it just needed to be posted.
And so, the next day, a new announcement appeared in Dingle Town.
Announcements from the lord were always of great concern to the people. In the past, they feared tax increases or new labor obligations. But now, they looked forward to notices from the castle.
So the moment a soldier posted the notice, townsfolk gathered and asked eagerly, "Is it a job posting? Who's hiring?"
Ever since the new count took over, job announcements had become a common sight.
The soldier, who was sent to explain the notice, replied, "No job this time. The count is conducting a population census. Every household must register—no hiding people. If anyone misses this chance and registers later, there will be penalties."
Hearing this, the once-cheerful crowd fell silent.
Even in a town this close to the castle, there were unregistered people.
After a long silence, someone finally asked, "Is this because the poll tax is going up?"
That only deepened the gloom.
The soldier quickly clarified, "No, Madam Wei said she was touched by the wedding gifts everyone gave. She wants to give each person a present in return. But since the number of newly registered free citizens doesn't match older records, the count decided to register everyone while handing out the gifts."
So it was the gifts that got them into this mess?
People's expressions darkened. If others found out, they'd probably be hated for it.
No one even bothered to ask what the gift was anymore.
The soldier continued with the most important part: "Don't worry. The count said anyone who wasn't registered before won't have to pay back taxes. From now on, just pay on time. Also, the poll tax is being adjusted—children under seven pay nothing, those under fifteen pay half, and only those over fifteen pay the full amount."
The entire crowd erupted in shock.
Someone shouted, "You mean we don't have to pay?"
The soldier repeated loudly, "Under seven—no tax. Under fifteen—half. Fifteen and up—unchanged."
Unbelievable! A tax break?
Still skeptical, someone muttered, "You're not lying, are you? Why would the count give up all that money?"
The soldier snorted. "Does the count look like he's short on cash?"
Sardinson had plenty of money-makers now. What's a bit of poll tax?
He had once reacted the same way—disbelief. He had read the notice over and over before accepting it.
He pointed to a line on the notice. "Here—it says so right here. Anyone who can read can see for themselves."
Someone outside the crowd shouted, "I can read! Let me in!"
Everyone made way.
The man didn't seem local, dressed like a traveling merchant. He read the notice and repeated the contents aloud.
It was exactly as the soldier said.
"Oh my god! They're cutting the poll tax?"
What kind of benevolent lord was this? No one had ever heard of tax cuts before—especially for poll tax!
Even the most doubtful were now convinced.
Some people immediately rushed home, shouting, "The count is cutting taxes! The count is cutting taxes!" Their cries drew curious looks and more people toward the notice board.
Those who stayed kept peppering the soldier with questions—when would the registration begin? They looked like they couldn't wait to sign up.
"Calm down! The count will send people around soon. Don't crowd me—hey, move aside! I still have to post notices in other towns!"
But the area around the notice board was packed, with everyone too excited to budge. Finally, the town mayor arrived to rescue the poor soldier.
Census registration used to be a feared event. It meant fines if unregistered kids were discovered. But now, with younger kids either tax-exempt or paying less, what was there to fear?
Many even looked at their under-fifteen children and hoped the registrars would come quickly—so they could save a bunch on taxes.
Meanwhile, after two days of hunting, Felix returned with a string of game.
Spring wasn't ideal for hunting—animals were still recovering from harsh winters and were lean with poor-quality hides. Felix mainly aimed to drive away dangerous creatures like wild boars, while harmless ones were spared to breed for future hunts.
This time, he brought back a few wild boars and a nest of rabbits.
All the wild boars were dead except one pregnant sow, heavily bound and close to giving birth.
Seeing it, Wei Wei was reminded of the young wild boars Felix had brought back the year before. The large ones had been slaughtered, while the smaller ones had been raised. She wondered if they were still around.
"All the sows are still alive, raised with the domestic pigs. Most are about to give birth. The boars got too aggressive as they grew, so we just slaughtered them," Felix explained.
Thinking back, Wei Wei realized they had eaten quite a bit of wild boar recently—she had assumed Felix had hunted it all.
"Why didn't you castrate them? Castrated pigs are calmer, taste better, and fatten up more easily."
She said it casually, but every man around her visibly winced, feeling an imaginary knife at their groins.
Even Felix found his wife's words terrifying at times.
Wei Wei bent down to examine the rabbits, tied up and resting in a sack. They were European hares—larger than regular rabbits, with grey-yellow fur, not particularly cute. Judging from their sizes, it seemed like a mother rabbit with her babies, likely just weaned.
Looking at them, the first thing that popped into Wei Wei's head was: *"How can something so cute be eaten?"*
But cute or not, rabbit meat was delicious.
She thought about various rabbit recipes and was just about to suggest raising them for food when she noticed the strange expressions on everyone's faces.
"What?" she asked innocently.
Felix hesitated, then said, "You… want to raise that wild sow?"
"Of course. Look how big her belly is—she'll have lots of piglets. Isn't that why you brought her back?"
They had intended to roast her for a feast later. But Felix didn't say that.
"So… the male piglets will be castrated?"
Just saying the word made him wince.
Wei Wei nodded. "Yes, wild boars are aggressive. Better to fatten them up. Also, if there are any other young boars in the pigsty, castrate them too. Castrated pork doesn't have that gamey smell—it tastes great."
At this point in history, pork wasn't commonly found on noble tables because of its strong odor. It was mostly peasant fare.
And European pigs back then weren't like modern breeds. They were smaller, with lingering tusks and sharp teeth. Male pigs sometimes hurt people during mating season. Castration made them more manageable.
Wei Wei planned to research the procedure, and then find someone with a steady hand to try it—maybe a skilled cook.
Based on her tone, it sounded like she planned to castrate all the males.
The knights around her looked even more disturbed.
The countess was ruthless—issuing such cruel orders so calmly.
And the count himself? Truly brave. Marrying such a terrifying woman—wasn't he afraid that if he angered her, she might one day "cut" him too?
Their sympathetic glances made Felix suddenly suspect—maybe all those threats Wei Wei had made before… were serious after all.