The pigsty in Winterfell Town was completed, ten times larger than the one in Winterfell. Gevin, the pigsty manager, squatted on the ground, helping a sow give birth.
Catelyn held Rickon, watching the pigsty.
"Such a large pigsty, it's a waste! There are plenty of wild boars in Wolfswood. Building a pigsty to raise pigs? Eddard, I don't know what you're thinking."
Eddard chuckled. "My lady, so many people in Winterfell Town need to eat. Do you want to open up Wolfswood and let everyone hunt? That would be great, the wild boars in Wolfswood would be killed off quickly. The pigsty can provide food for the people."
Of course, Eddard had other uses for raising pigs, but he didn't want to share his plans with Catelyn just yet.
Gevin was recommended to serve in Winterfell by Greatjon. He was in his fifties, with a bald head, a short beard, and a round beer belly. He had a kind face. Not only was he good at treating pigs, but he could also cure the diseases of small animals like rabbits, chickens, ducks, and geese.
The sow squealed as she brought the piglets into the world. When Gevin brought the piglets over, Bran and Arya widened their eyes. Bran reached out to stroke a piglet, "How long will it take for a piglet to grow up?"
Gevin put the piglet on the ground, and it stumbled away.
"Ten months!"
Bran was surprised. "That fast? Pigs grow up so quickly!"
Gevin shrugged. "After ten months, they end up on people's tables, finishing their lives."
Arya said, dejectedly, "Do they have to be killed? They're such cute little pigs."
Gevin explained, "Some pigs can be kept as breeding stock to produce new piglets, but there aren't many of those."
In the distance, people from the Streamlands had brought three carts of salt. Eddard's salt depot plan was already bearing fruit. Salt from seaside depots had been arriving one after another, and a lot of it had already been stored in Winterfell's warehouses.
The vassals had agreed to invest in Eddard's salt depots, spending money to build watchtowers by the sea, station troops, and harvest sea salt because Eddard had promised that Winterfell would buy back the salt produced by the depots at market prices.
Winterfell's steward, Wyman Poole, counted the salt bags and began to pay the salt cart drivers with Silver Stags. The drivers thanked him repeatedly and ran to thank Eddard and Catelyn.
"My two sons are soldiers in the Streamlands' Salt Town, Lord Eddard," the man said, his voice filled with gratitude. "They get paid every day, and the Salt Town's earnings have made our lives better, and we can defend against the Ironborn. This is a gift from Winterfell."
Catelyn smiled, watching the cart driver leave, but her smile vanished.
"These salts are almost filling the warehouse. Are you planning to eat only salt this winter? Or do you want to starve us, and then pickle us?"
Eddard said, "I remember last winter, you were complaining that the salt price was too high."
"Yes, at that time, the salt price was too high, and Winterfell had chests of golden dragons, silver stags, and now you're buying so much salt with real gold and silver. Utterly stupid!"
Rickon started to cry, and Catelyn quickly soothed the child.
"You and that Braavosi, Klar, will bankrupt us. Winter is coming, but I'm afraid we'll starve before winter arrives."
Eddard said calmly, "Don't worry, you won't lose money selling these salts in White Harbor. Everyone needs salt."
Gevin came over. "My Lady, Lord Eddard is right. It's not just people who need salt; animals do too. Without salt, the pigs in the pigsty will get sick, and so will the warhorses. Animal husbandry can't do without salt."
Catelyn said, depressed, "If that's the case, then sell it quickly! I feel sick just seeing this salt." Catelyn took Rickon and left, followed by Bran and Arya.
Eddard turned to Gevin. "Besides pigs, what other animals have a short breeding cycle that we could raise?"
Gevin thought for a moment. "The shortest would be chickens. Rabbits are also good; a litter can produce many offspring. However, rabbits will dig holes. If Lord Eddard wants to raise them, the ground must be hardened, or they will dig their way out."
"No matter what we raise, I suggest to Lord Eddard that we prepare plenty of green fodder. Otherwise, when winter comes, and the ground is frozen, we won't be able to find leaves and grass to feed the livestock and poultry, and we can only watch them starve. When I used to raise pigs at House Umber, my pigs basically starved to death in the winter, although the meat from the starved pigs was still edible, it was a waste!"
Eddard suddenly understood that now, everywhere, there were green leaves and grass, which was perfect for storing fodder.
After returning to Winterfell, Eddard called Klar to his study.
"Klar, I plan to build pigsties, cattle sheds, and, most importantly, stables in Winterfell Town. All of these require green fodder. I want you to arrange for a sum of money and send people to buy leaves and grass. After they are collected, chop them into pieces and store them in the warehouse."
Klar smiled. "A good plan. The farmers should be happy; after all, the first step when they clear the wasteland is to pull weeds. But the problem is, Winterfell's warehouses are getting tighter and tighter, and many warehouses are full of salt."
Eddard said, "Take these salts to White Harbor to sell first. The King's Road will still be sending salt here constantly. Also, tell Maester Luwin to send a message to the Eastern Coast Lords. Have them take their salt directly to White Harbor and settle with Lord Wyman. Note it in Winterfell's accounts, and deduct it from White Harbor's taxes next month."
Now that the sea salt from the western coast was sufficient for Eddard to implement his plan, sending the salt from White Harbor, Oldtown, Widow's Watch, and Dreadfort to Winterfell for resale in White Harbor would only waste money on transportation costs.
Klar said, "Lord Eddard, your salt stockpiling plan is good, but there's a loophole. If, say, a vassal colludes with merchants to buy salt cheaply from the commoners and mix it into the salt stockpiles, profiting from the price difference, the salt stockpiling plan will become a bottomless pit."
Eddard thought for a moment, "The salt stockpile is to resist the Ironborn. I believe my vassals won't maliciously mix in salt from the commoners."
Klar smirked, "Lord Eddard, the salt stockpile lacks supervision. Who knows how much salt each stockpile actually produces? If it were me, I would use this loophole. Why not make money? Your vassals will inevitably find ways to profit from the salt stockpile."
Eddard said absentmindedly, "I'll pay attention to it."
Klar said, "Even if the salt is transported away, if we store a large amount of green fodder, the current warehouses won't be enough."
Eddard said, "You don't need to worry. The craftsmen have already started construction."
The stonemasons from the Vale of Arryn, sent by Jon Arryn, had arrived in Winterfell Town and joined the construction efforts in the North. The blacksmiths and craftsmen from King's Landing were still en route. Furthermore, Jon Arryn had generously sent three ships of high-quality stone, transported from the Three Sisters to White Harbor, and they were on their way to Winterfell Town.
To Eddard's delight, Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, after a long silence, had finally written back to Theon and sent ten blacksmith apprentices.
"Those blacksmith apprentices are useless," Mikken had complained at the time.
Eddard consoled him, "We should be grateful that Balon didn't send some doddering old men! Apprentices still have a chance to become blacksmiths, whereas old men only have the grave." Mikken then grumpily ordered the apprentices to forge horseshoes and sickles.
A few days later, the architect Towns, recommended by Jon Arryn, arrived along with the craftsmen from King's Landing.
Towns was handsome, twenty-eight years old, with black hair and eyes like a deep blue lake. He wore a brown-yellow linen shirt and a sky-blue cloak draped over his shoulders, adorned with stars. The crescent moon and falcon sigil of House Arryn was emblazoned on his chest.
"Lord Eddard, it's an honor to serve you. I am Towns Arryn. I have worked as an architect across the Narrow Sea for many years and had the privilege of designing many luxurious courtyards for the nobility of Valyria, Tyrosh, and Lys. The most famous brothel in Lys was designed by me."
Eddard sized up Towns, "You are of House Arryn? What's your relationship to Jon Arryn?"
Jon Arryn didn't mention Towns being related to House Arryn in the letter. Could Jon Arryn have recommended one of his own people to Eddard? However, Jon did mention in the letter that Towns often presented unrealistic plans to Robert in court, such as widening the King's Road, rebuilding Summerhall, and constructing a new city in King's Landing. Jon worried that Robert would be financially drained by this architect, which is why he sent Towns to the North.
If Eddard knew Towns was related to Jon Arryn, he would have written a letter to stop him from coming.
Towns paused, "I share the same surname as the Hand, that's the extent of our relationship. Lord Eddard, I'm not from the House Arryn of the Eyrie, but from the House Arryn of Seagull Town. I would love to be related to the Hand, but in reality, we're distant relatives."
Eddard finally felt relieved. The House Arryn of Seagull Town were distant relatives of the House Arryn of the Eyrie. Eddard often heard Jon Arryn mention it when he was Jon's ward in the Vale. There was a branch of their family settled in Seagull Town, who had become wealthy by marrying into merchant families, but they were looked down upon by other branches of House Arryn in the Vale, who believed that an eagle lowering itself to marry commoners was a disgrace.
Towns rubbed his hands together, "Lord Arryn, I see that Winterfell Town is bustling with activity, with houses being built everywhere. Are there any grand projects I could take on?"
Klar came over and sized up Towns. Towns pulled a blueprint from his sleeve.
"Lord Eddard, I had a preliminary idea on the way here. To expand the town, we must build more castles. We can use Winterfell as a foundation and build several more."
....
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