Looking at the vegetable garden that had been completely devastated and left in shambles by the small animals, it would have been absolutely strange if Jasmine did not feel a surge of anger.
To make matters worse, when the small animals arrived, she and her people could not take the initiative to go out and counterattack because it was simply too dark outside. Therefore, she decided that those daring, large-galled beasts must be made to taste the formidable power of human intellect.
Who knew, perhaps if the traps were set successfully, their castle might even be able to enjoy an additional meal of fresh meat, thereby improving their otherwise simple and meager diet.
For Jasmine, who had to support such a large group of people, the pressure of food supplies always weighed heavily on her mind; she hated that she could not think of enough ways to produce more food.
"But this is not urgent; you go and call the other slaves, and take your wooden bowls down to the kitchen to receive today's breakfast."
The Dwarf brothers suppressed the restlessness and curiosity in their hearts, hurriedly saying yes and running off to call everyone else.
When they received the tofu pudding for breakfast, the Dwarf brothers and the other slaves were all staring with wide eyes in astonishment.
This white, soft substance, quivering gently in the bowl and still emitting spiraling plumes of hot steam - did people of lowly slave status like them truly have the qualifications to taste such a thing?
Sugar in this world was a very precious commodity, and even Jasmine herself did not have much in reserve; naturally, she would not be so extravagant as to put sugar into the tofu pudding prepared for the slaves.
However, she still instructed the female chef to prepare a large bowl of salt water, diluted it, and then poured it over the pudding, at least allowing the slaves to taste a bit of rich, savory saltiness.
"This thing can actually be swallowed down into the stomach without even chewing?" The old Butler was still full of anticipation for the new dish; he scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth, feeling the softness melting at the tip of his tongue. He praised the tofu pudding to Jasmine in every possible way, praising it to the point that Jasmine herself became slightly suspicious as to whether it was the same substance she knew.
"As long as everyone likes it, that is fine; eat it while it is hot to warm your stomachs." Jasmine was also very satisfied with this bowl of piping hot tofu pudding; although it was not the familiar sweet taste, eating it with a little salt was not bad at all, and it was very suitable for the chilly morning.
She waved her hand generously and ordered the female chef: "From now on, prepare tofu pudding for everyone for breakfast; it saves beans and also fills the stomach."
The slaves standing nearby heard Jasmine's words and could not help but cheer softly, their eyes looking at Jasmine filled with overflowing gratitude.
The slaves did not know how many times they had already uttered this exclamation: the new Lord who had arrived was truly a rare, kind-hearted, and benevolent person.
After enjoying breakfast, it was already quite late, and Jasmine wiped her mouth with great satisfaction.
Thinking that cooking bean porridge directly for the slaves was not very economical, she told the chef to take out some more beans to make bean sprouts.
Usually, one catty of beans could produce eight to ten catties of bean sprouts. Even if the quality of beans in the castle was not good, making four or five catties would be enough. In this way, she could increase the amount of food for the slaves and add a little fiber to replace vegetables.
Having gone through the tofu pudding incident last time, the chef now had absolute trust in the strange ideas of the new Lord.
After all, they had eaten beans for so many years in the past, yet they never knew that soaking the beans until soft, grinding them into soy milk, and then solidifying them into tofu pudding could increase the amount of food several times over, and that the flavor could be so delicious.
Hearing that mysterious alchemy products were used in the process made the chef, although not really understanding it, feel that it was very formidable and admirable.
Now that the Lord wanted to make bean sprouts, saying they had to be incubated in the dark and watered frequently, the chef immediately and seriously followed Jasmine's instructions without deviating by a single millimeter.
Even if there was something she did not understand, as long as she opened her mouth to ask, the Lord would gently answer her.
This finally made the chef no longer feel too tense in front of Jasmine; occasionally, she could even exchange a few sentences with Jasmine about kitchen matters.
If it were the time of the previous Lord, this would have been nearly impossible; if a slave opened their mouth, they would be beaten.
It must be said that Jasmine's appearance had more or less created a certain influence on the people in the territory.
Moreover, over time, this influence would become greater and greater, like a fresh breeze blowing into this gloomy castle.
As a person who grew up in times of peace, Jasmine did not like this cruel slavery system.
Although she currently did not have the ability to change anything temporarily, later on, she would not allow slaves to exist in her territory.
As for the current slaves, when she found the opportunity, Jasmine would also let them return to being free citizens, living their own lives.
After confirming that there was nothing else in the kitchen that needed her reminders, Jasmine left.
She still had to go and guide the Dwarves in researching how to make traps; if they were fast, who knew, perhaps they could be used this very night, timely stopping those destructive pests.
However, right from the start, they encountered a major difficulty.
Looking all over the castle, they actually could not find any suitable tools for crafting. The tools that the slaves used to level the ground and build the perimeter walls were all wood or stones found around the area, which were extremely primitive.
Jasmine had not been knighted, so she did not have the qualifications to wear a sword.
This world did not have the concept of valuing men over women; as long as a woman had enough ability, she could participate in the struggle for status.
To become a Knight, one had to participate in an assessment examination, and a person with the qualifications to become a Knight could not rely on identity and status to obtain it; even the most powerful King of the Kingdom was not allowed to intervene.
Although she was a girl, Jasmine's ability was not bad, and was even very outstanding, but it was a pity that she did not have the opportunity to participate in any assessment examinations.
When the old King was still alive, he could not bear to let Jasmine go and take those Knight assessments that were dangerous to one's life, fearing that with a single slip-up, his precious daughter would break an arm or a leg, or leave a scar on that beautiful face.
Waiting until the old King passed away, the new King was even less likely to let Jasmine become a Knight with martial power.
So at this moment, Jasmine actually could not take out a single weapon that was sharp enough to whittle wooden stakes.
The only things that could be used were the knives and forks used for cutting bread daily, and the large bone-chopping knife used to process bones in the kitchen.
Knives and forks used for eating naturally could not be used to whittle hard objects; Jasmine could only endure the resentful and heartbroken gaze of the chef and borrow that single bone-chopping knife to take outside, promising to return it intact.
Although the bone-chopping knife was large and heavy, and not very handy, causing wrist fatigue if held for a long time, having a metal tool made the subsequent trap-making much easier than using grinding stones.
Jasmine dug a few pits in places where the soil was soft and there were many animal footprints, filling them with sharpened wooden stakes at the bottom. The sharp points faced upward threateningly. The top was covered with thatch and dry leaves for camouflage; this simple trap was considered complete, and looking at the surface, it was no different from ordinary ground.
The snare traps were a bit more troublesome because they did not know the size of the animals in the wilderness; they needed to make the ropes as strong as possible to ensure they would not break.
Fortunately, the castle had kept a few thick ropes previously used to secure the castle's drawbridge. Although they were a bit old, they were very durable, and it was just the right time to take them out and use them.
However, even so, the Dwarf brothers huffed and puffed, sweating profusely for more than half a day before they finished setting up the snare trap with its complex trigger mechanism.