novelraw Chapter 28: Can You Do It?
Chapter 28: Can You Do It?
Chapter 28: Can You Do It?
He Da didn't care about County Lieutenant Zhou's opinion of him. Even in the past, officials and wealthy families rarely treated them well.
He hadn't cared then, and he cared even less now. However, he was more willing to talk with Wen Gu.
On the way to find the blacksmith, He Da introduced the blacksmith, who was surnamed Yu, to Wen Gu.
"When the world fell into chaos, his elders couldn't survive.
The Yu brothers, Yu Laoda, is a blacksmith. He's already married, his wife is surnamed Ma, and they have a daughter over seven years old.
Yu Lao'er is about my age. I've spoken with him a few times.
I met him when he was running errands for nobles in the county town."
In short, they were once street rats together.
"Did the Yu brothers ever have formal names?" Wen Gu asked."I think they were called… Yu Gang, Yu Tang?" He Da replied after some thought.
They usually just called them by their surname plus their order, as names were hard to remember.
Wen Gu praised, "Good names!"
He Da:?
Are these names good? They sound like fish tanks and fish ponds.
What's so good about them? Not as good as the "He Qiu" I gave myself!
He Da pouted and continued, "I heard their great-grandfathers were minor military officials. When County Magistrate Tan was here, he often summoned Yu Laoda to do tasks for him.
Yu Laoda is a quiet person, but he's tall and strong. He used to interact with officials a lot and built up quite a network.
Many people in the city used to serve as guards in his family, and they would give him face."
Therefore, even though the county yamen was short-handed, the folk forces in the city mostly tried to persuade and win them over rather than force them when they needed a blacksmith.
He Da was giving Wen Gu a heads-up, telling him to find Blacksmith Yu to do his business without resorting to coercion.
Wen Gu understood.
Officials who managed industries had seen all sorts of people. At a time like this, asking for their help wouldn't be achieved with small favors, and even less so with force.
After entering the city, foul odors wafted from all directions. Wen Gu and the others covered their faces with breathable, double-layered cloth masks, with a bit of herbal powder sprinkled in between.
Shops lining the streets were marked with mottled traces. Some were residual bloodstains, some were black scorch marks, and others were inexplicable, like thick scabs on the walls.
Higher up, broken arrows were stuck in the gaps between bricks. The arrow shafts had been snapped, and the missing parts were likely burned for firewood.
The arrowheads were stuck too deep to be removed. He Da told Wen Gu that iron arrowheads could be collected and exchanged with the government for food.
In unnoticed corners, there were severely rusted metal pieces. It was unknown what they were used for before; perhaps they fell off armor, or were from other tools, or maybe they were stained with blood and no one dared to pick them up.
The wooden doors, window frames, and building materials of the shops on both sides of the street had been dismantled; these would all be split for firewood. Some people were prying at brick walls, possibly dragging bricks and tiles from empty houses to reinforce their own courtyards for defense.
Several shops were reduced to just a remnant on the ground. Those out and about hurried along, eyes wary, startled by the slightest sound.
The roads were cluttered with debris and garbage, with only a narrow path cleared for walking. It was only because of the recent drop in temperature; if it were warmer, the various foul odors would be even stronger.
It was like a garbage dump. Even with the masks, the smell emanating from the accumulated waste could be detected.
"Has the street always been like this?" Wen Gu pointed at the scattered garbage and debris on the road and asked He Da.
"How could it be? It wasn't like this when our County Magistrate was here.
The Magistrate said that too much garbage accumulation could easily cause epidemics, so he always sent people to clean it up. However, half a month ago, those people left with the Magistrate, and the street became like this," He Da replied.
Wen Gu sighed and quickened his pace, saying to Zhou Shan beside him, "This place is not suitable for staying long. Let's finish our business and leave as soon as possible."
Zhou Shan, having dealt with minor epidemics when he was a county lieutenant, felt the same and said with a grave expression, "Yes! After leaving the city, we must change into clean clothes immediately." If the Daoist Master had any pills, it would be best to take a few herbal concoctions.
Even if they hadn't contracted the evil epidemic, they would need to guard against other diseases.
He Da observed the expressions of Wen Gu and County Lieutenant Zhou, lost in thought.
Not far ahead was the blacksmith's shop.
"It's here.
Past the shop is his house," He Da pointed out the location to Wen Gu and then left, eager to return. Wen Gu thanked him and didn't try to keep him.
He actually admired He Da; he saw the situation clearly, was willing to humble himself, and had a sharp mind—perfect for diplomacy and gathering information. He wouldn't rush; he'd sort out the blacksmith's business first.
When He Da returned, he passed through the same street, looked at the piled-up debris, and recalled the words of Scholar Weng and that County Lieutenant Zhou.
"Not suitable for staying long? Leave as soon as possible?"
Lost in thought, he ran to a large courtyard enclosed by bricks and stones.
This courtyard was seized by the people from their village after coming to the county town. At that time, they banded together to seize abandoned courtyards.
Of course, some families were still occupied, and weaker wealthy households suffered some grievances. Less than a third of the survivors from He Da's village remained, but by banding together, they could secure a decent place to stay.
The person with the most authority in this courtyard now was a woodcutter. His family had always been large, and the most survivors were from his family, including several young and strong men.
He Da's family was left with only him and his younger brother, who was just over ten years old. When the chaos erupted, his younger brother was studying at the county academy.
With Magistrate Tan overseeing the county town, the chaos was quickly quelled. However, his parents and second sister, who remained in the village, were not as lucky.
By the time he rushed back, it was too late.
He returned with a heavy heart.
A young man of similar age but looking thin was waiting in front of the house. The other handed He Da a lidded basket containing three large paper packets, which were Wen Gu's reward.
The guards usually watched He Da closely, so he never brought anything he found back himself. Seeing these three large paper packets, He Da's heavy mood lightened slightly.
Scholar Weng was truly a good person!
Meanwhile, Wen Gu and Zhou Shan arrived at the blacksmith's shop. When Magistrate Tan was in charge, he conscripted the city's artisans for work.
After Magistrate Tan left, they returned home. However, due to fuel shortages, the blacksmith's shop had long been closed.
The current dynasty's metallurgy industry was highly developed, with techniques capable of efficiently producing relatively high-quality steel. Wen Gu wondered about the skill of this blacksmith, Yu.
Passing by the shop and coming to Blacksmith Yu's doorstep, he knocked. The door was opened by a burly man.
He used to have a beard, but in the current situation, he had shaved it for convenience, though the shave was patchy. This was the Blacksmith Yu that He Da mentioned.
He looked wary. Wen Gu briefly stated his identity, observed the other's reaction, and took out a small paper packet filled with grain powder and opened it.
Blacksmith Yu quickly invited Wen Gu and the others inside and closed the door. However, both parties maintained a safe distance.
Wen Gu observed the small courtyard. Several large water vats were in the yard.
These were likely kept by the blacksmith's shop for fire prevention before. Now that the shop was closed, the water vats had been moved here.
Judging by the other's reaction, the Yu family's life was not going well. A small bag of grain had been enough to open the Yu family's door.
Things were fine when the magistrate was here; artisans were conscripted for work and paid appropriately. Now, they might have been out of food for half a month.
What was going on? Was Blacksmith Yu not getting any work? Was it due to technical reasons or something else?
Under a simple shed nearby, some tools were placed, likely transferred from the blacksmith's shop. Wen Gu spotted an object.
He pointed to a long-handled item with a branding iron-like front. Was this some form of private torture?
"What is this?"
"An iron," Blacksmith Yu replied in a low voice.
"The old style isn't suitable now. I think this one is very good; it can be used by heating it up, saving firewood."
Wen Gu was stunned.
An iron? What a retro idea! If you hadn't said so, I would have thought it was a branding iron used for torture! The irons of this era generally looked like spoons, so I had never seen one like this before.
Blacksmith Yu, seeing Wen Gu seemingly questioning his professionalism, asked, "Do you think it's any good?"
Wen Gu sincerely replied, "It's very 'xing'!" (A pun on "xing" meaning "good" and "xing" meaning "punishment/torture").
As expected of a seasoned professional who had worked for the government, you are the legendary "Xing Bu" (pun on "Can you do it?" and "Is it torture?") boss!
(End of Chapter)