novelraw Chapter 26: You Even Want This Kind of Trash?
Chapter 26: You Even Want This Kind of Trash?
Chapter 26: You Even Want This Kind of Trash?
Apart from selling books, the bookshop also sold stationery.
The "fifth treasure of the study," the paper knife, which was openly displayed, had either been confiscated or used for other purposes.
Only those that were inconspicuous, tucked away between the pages of books, might have been missed.
In folk use, a multi-tool small knife could be used to cut paper and open letters, and also serve as a bookmark. Its blade was relatively blunt, making accidental injury unlikely.
The one Wen Gu fished out from the furnace slag, judging by its design, originally had a tassel attached, which had burned away with the book in the furnace.
Tools made of beast bone and bamboo and wood had turned to ash or deformed, leaving only those made of copper and iron.
Wen Gu came here hoping to find a hidden gem.
Noble and influential families and wealthy families leaned more towards elegant "study rooms that do not hide steel blades," using precious materials like jade, gemstones, and ivory instead of copper and iron. Even when copper and iron were used, they were inlaid with gemstones.
However, here, finding a copper or iron book knife was already considered good. This was what Wen Gu wanted anyway – practicality.Only one relatively intact book knife was found among the furnace slag.
Fishing further, there were two more with metal blades and wooden handles. The handles had burned away, leaving only finger-length knife pieces. Wen Gu collected these too.
Little Liu could use them when setting up traps.
County Lieutenant Zhou had no interest in such items. Having experienced hunger himself, and with his family having met their fate while searching for food, he, like Little Liu, valued food-related items more.
Besides things that could be eaten, there were also cooking utensils.
Upon entering each courtyard, County Lieutenant Zhou would first check for food and any cast-off iron or copper pots.
Unfortunately, not a single one was found. Either they were taken by the original owners or collected by factions that had passed through.
Only a few teacups, rice bowls, and spoons were found.
Fortunately, the grain bricks from the grain merchant's home could alleviate their frustration.
However, there were too many grain bricks in the grain merchant's home. They only had one mule cart and one ox cart, and they also had to carry other supplies, so they couldn't load all the grain that had been made into bricks.
It was also unrealistic for each person to carry a sack of bricks on their journey.
They first pried off all the grain bricks.
Leaving them on the wall might lead to them being gnawed by rats.
If they couldn't take them all at once, the remainder would be stored somewhere, perhaps for a chance to retrieve them later.
The grain merchant's residence had been searched multiple times. Regardless of which faction passed through, their first targets would always be the grain stores and pharmacies.
"Leaving them here is not appropriate."
County Lieutenant Zhou carefully considered the residences in the town and chose an unremarkable courtyard. There was a small storeroom there with intact doors and windows. They would build a wall inside it. The intact grain bricks, when stored together, would not be conspicuous. If someone pushed open the door, their first impression would be that the storeroom had long been emptied.
With the doors and windows closed, it would be difficult for rats to get in.
Wen Gu also marked it in his notebook.
A notebook was dedicated to drawing maps. Information was scarce in this era, and without navigation, much of the work had to be done by oneself.
They returned to the grain merchant's residence and would rest here for the night before setting off in the morning.
County Lieutenant Zhou chopped some firewood. Looking at the axe in his hand, he worried, "If this axe breaks, I don't know if I can find a replacement."
If the axe blade was just blunt or chipped, it would be easy to fix. But if the blade was severely damaged, it would require heating and forging. They didn't have the conditions for that now.
Wen Gu was also thinking about this.
Ironware entered the civilian market, and blacksmith shops could be found in some small towns and remote counties.
Of course, these were not the highly skilled blacksmiths with established positions who forged military weapons and armor.
Ordinary blacksmiths only made civilian tools.
Don't expect to find those highly skilled talents; they would have long been snatched up by various factions. Wen Gu didn't have high demands; finding an ordinary one would suffice. If weapons couldn't be made, at least household tools could be crafted, right?
The problem was where to find such a person.
Where were the blacksmith shops and blacksmiths?
The axe was a trivial matter; he wanted to make other things as well.
After a brief rest, they continued heading north.
The small town by the river ferry crossing became silent again.
Inside the grain merchant's courtyard, a layer of the inner wall had been pried off. In a certain room, the wooden window frames and pillars were covered in dense dots, as if made by a sharp tool.
Wen Gu and his group, carrying the newly pried grain bricks and many grain powders packed in oil paper, followed the planned route north.
After several more days of travel, they had crossed the provincial border and entered another province.
Under the current dynasty's provincial and county system, Little Liu and County Lieutenant Zhou's hometowns belonged to a different province than the place they had now set foot in.
Due to transportation limitations, ordinary people rarely traveled far in this era. It was only because of his official duties that Zhou Shan had traveled more and knew more than others.
Now that they had left their home province and were outside familiar territory, County Lieutenant Zhou could offer little advice.
He was very familiar with the area within a county town and had heard about the surroundings, but beyond that, he was completely in the dark.
In an unfamiliar place, it was difficult to choose a route. Wen Gu considered recruiting a few more locals to join their team.
They still didn't have enough people!
As they moved further north, the competition for survival would become fiercer. They needed to recruit more talented individuals to make things easier in the future.
"I wonder if there are any survivors locally."
Not long after, Wen Gu saw signs of trees being cut by humans.
In addition, there were also the remains of evil creatures that had been slain, likely from about half a month ago, with clean sword strokes.
Wen Gu told everyone to pay attention.
Without maps, they could only judge the distribution of towns and villages based on terrain, landforms, and roads.
The area they were passing through should be close to a county town or a once-prosperous small town.
If it was a county town, they would choose to bypass it.
Most county towns they had encountered along the way had become monster lairs.
Ma Tuaner in the sky gave the first warning.
A moment later, they encountered a person.
He was out cutting firewood, seemingly alone, carrying a back basket, holding a woodcutter's axe, and wrapped in plain, drab cloth. His face was covered, so his appearance was unclear, but he looked quite young.
Although he was just cutting firewood, he gave off a cunning and untrustworthy impression.
Zhou Shan, brandishing his saber, called out to the person, maintaining a safe distance that made both parties feel at ease.
Wen Gu listened to the conversation between the two men and observed this local.
According to his own introduction, his surname was He, and he was the eldest in his family; everyone around him called him He Da.
Surname plus birth order was a common way of naming.
He Da used to be a villager from a village outside the county town. When the world fell into chaos, he moved into the town.
Ahead lay the Feng County Town, where there were still quite a few survivors.
If they had arrived half a month earlier, there would have been more people in the county town.
This wasn't because of heavy casualties in the past half-month, but rather because County Magistrate Tan of Feng County had left with many people half a month ago, heading north.
A year ago, when the world began to fall into chaos, County Magistrate Tan and his officials guarded the town, protecting many people and preventing it from becoming a monster's lair like other counties.
However, in the latter half of this year, shortly after the weather turned cold, County Magistrate Tan prepared to lead people away.
This County Magistrate Tan had also advised them, stating that this place was not safe and that there was more life in the north.
However, for commoners, the risk of leaving was greater than staying.
Therefore, half a month ago, County Magistrate Tan gathered his men, cleared out the surrounding evil creatures, and then led the people who wished to follow him north. The remaining people stayed in the city.
Wen Gu listened attentively and couldn't help but think:
Some county magistrates are so foolish they drag everyone to their deaths, while others can protect a county town and discern the general trend of events, acting decisively.
Not from a noble family, yet possessing such ability.
A great talent!
It was a shame they were a step too late to meet the magistrate.
Wen Gu sighed again.
Alas, even if they could meet, with his current lack of fame and connections, such influential figures were proud and might not even deign to look at him.
County Magistrate Tan, was it?
He made a mental note.
Perhaps they would meet again in the northern lands.
Up ahead, He Da was also feeling troubled. He had come out to cut firewood only to encounter officials.
Although Zhou Shan didn't explicitly say it, He Da could guess from their conversation that the person holding the saber in front of him was a former official.
It was then that Zhou Shan finally introduced himself.
Upon hearing that he was a county lieutenant, He Da quickly put down his back basket full of firewood, bowed, and forced a smile, "This humble one greets County Lieutenant Zhou!"
Seeing the other person's reaction, Zhou Shan knew what his former profession might have been.
This He Da was likely a loafer before, without a fixed occupation, running errands for people in town for rewards. He was young but already possessed the slickness of the marketplace. His legs were definitely quick.
Was the heavy back basket put down for a bow?
No!
It was to be ready to flee at any moment!
Wen Gu, however, glanced at He Da's back basket.
Inside, there was a carefully paper-wrapped, square object. As the back basket was set down, the firewood shifted, and the paper wrapping opened slightly.
After seeing it clearly, Wen Gu raised an eyebrow slightly.
After observing for a while longer, and when the conversation ahead was nearing its end, Wen Gu alighted from the donkey cart.
His steps were graceful and steady, his demeanor solemn and humble.
His gaze was clear and friendly.
Although he wore plain, narrow-sleeved clothes, his bearing and temperament caused He Da, who had been wary of Zhou Shan, to shift his attention instantly.
Looking at Wen Gu, He Da suddenly recalled the elegant scholars with already achieved merits he had seen at the academy in the past.
While He Da could handle an imposing, martial official like County Lieutenant Zhou with flexibility, facing this refined scholar, he visibly became more reserved.
Daoist Master Qingyi beside him: "..."
Here we go again!
This "dog scholar" was putting on a show again!
Daoist Master Qingyi looked at He Da, then at Wen Gu, his face twitching.
No way!
No way!
You even want this kind of trash?