Chapter Seven: Entering the Mountains Together

Wu Laoliu possessed the particular reticence of a middle-aged man, and his purpose in seeking out Zhao Hengyi was somewhat self-serving, leaving him at a loss for words.

“Uncle Six, what brings you here? I was just about to look for you!”

Zhao Hengyi set down the items on his back inside the house and greeted the former sole hunter of Yushu Bay with great enthusiasm. “I went up the mountain two days ago, had a stroke of luck, and bagged quite a bit of game. I wanted to ask you for a favor—let’s head into the mountains together from now on, so you can look after me!”

Wu Laoliu managed a somewhat awkward smile, but his expression gradually relaxed and he became much more at ease. The truth was, he had come to see Zhao Hengyi entirely because his wife had pressured him into it. As the only hunter in Yushu Bay, Wu Laoliu’s forays into the mountains rarely yielded much; in three trips, he would return empty-handed at least once or twice. But Zhao Hengyi, on his very first outing, caught three rabbits and a pheasant, which was a blow to Wu Laoliu’s pride. His wife, a woman with a sharp tongue, had scolded him for two days straight, forcing Wu Laoliu to swallow his pride and come to Zhao Hengyi.

Wu Laoliu wanted to ask Zhao Hengyi what methods he’d used to be so successful his first time in the mountains. But like Zhang Daniu before him, Wu Laoliu knew full well that such skills—enough to feed a family—were not something even a fool would share lightly. Zhao Hengyi might be simple-minded, but he would never reveal his secrets.

He’d only come because his wife had forced his hand, more for show than for hope, never expecting that before he could even speak, Zhao Hengyi would propose they go hunting together.

“Hengyi, it’s not what you think, your aunt just—” Wu Laoliu began. As an old hunter, Wu Laoliu was sure that if he could watch Zhao Hengyi hunt, he’d surely learn his technique. But to take a man’s livelihood in this way felt unconscionable.

“What are you saying, Uncle Six? The Daqing Mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, thick with forests and undergrowth. I only got lucky the other day and came back safely. If I want to go hunting again, I wouldn’t dare without you by my side!” Zhao Hengyi still wore his cheerful grin. “Or do you think I’m too much of a fool to be worth looking after?”

“I wouldn’t say that at all… Alright, from now on, we’ll head into the mountains together!” Wu Laoliu, not good with words, couldn’t outtalk Zhao Hengyi, and curious to learn his hunting skills, finally agreed, albeit with some embarrassment.

As Wu Laoliu’s figure receded, Miao Xiaoyu questioned her husband, puzzled, “If you go hunting with Uncle Six, won’t he just learn your skills?”

“Hunting skills are no big secret. There’s plenty of game in the Daqing Mountains—could we possibly corner it all ourselves?” Zhao Hengyi replied truthfully. Even if Wu Laoliu hadn’t come to him, he’d have sought Wu Laoliu out himself. “With Uncle Six along, we’ll be able to bring back even more game in the future!”

The Miao family had fallen on hard times, but they’d once been the largest cloth merchants in Dang County. Miao Xiaoyu, raised amid business talk, quickly understood her husband’s thinking, and felt all the more that he was a man destined for great things.

Though she’d stayed home these past two days caring for her younger sisters, the village women had often come by for a chat. Miao Xiaoyu had heard all about the reputation of “Fool Hengyi,” but to her, her husband was anything but foolish—he was simply wise enough to play the fool.

As for Liu Shuang, that local troublemaker, just as her husband had predicted, after his failed attempt the previous night he hadn’t returned home, but had instead fled from Yushu Bay in the dark. The village chief and several elders were looking for him now.

Her husband’s foresight was uncanny!

The two rabbits and pheasant had sold for a good price. Zhao Hengyi had bought grain, spinning supplies, and even several pieces of high-quality pig iron and ore for smelting.

The crossbow he and Zhang Daniu had previously made was still too crude; its power fell short of Zhao Hengyi’s expectations. Encountering a wild beast in the Daqing Mountains, he’d hardly be able to protect himself.

He cooked a thick porridge, stewing yesterday’s rabbit meat with the newly purchased wheat, making a large pot so the whole family no longer needed to argue over a meager bowl.

The six little sisters chattered and squabbled even at the table, even fighting for seats closest to their brother-in-law. Smiling, Zhao Hengyi patted each of their heads, soothing them into quiet.

After the meal, Zhao Hengyi took the pig iron and ore to the forge, intending to upgrade Zhang Daniu’s furnace once more.

Unlike last time, Zhang Daniu, now formally his apprentice, enthusiastically helped with the modifications. In truth, to produce truly fine iron, or even steel, the small forge in the smithy could never suffice, no matter how much it was upgraded. In the state of Great Yan, the only method Zhao Hengyi could think of was to construct a blast furnace.

However, building a usable blast furnace was a challenge even for the county magistrate of Dang County. For now, he had to settle for cruder methods: raising the furnace temperature and gradually adding different ores during forging, removing impurities—an inefficient but necessary process to obtain the materials he needed.

In the past few days, Zhang Daniu hadn’t been idle. Under Zhao Hengyi’s guidance, he’d prepared many crossbow parts in advance. With the crucial iron strip forged, the new crossbow could be assembled.

Throughout the process of upgrading the furnace and forging the precious iron strip, Zhao Hengyi hid nothing, explaining every step in detail using language Zhang Daniu could easily grasp.

Zhang Daniu was honest and earnest, but not stupid. He knew well that his master was imparting genuine skills. As he learned and memorized every step, he silently vowed to repay his master’s kindness for the rest of his life.

In such crude conditions, forging a suitable iron strip took considerable time, and by the time it was finished, dawn was breaking.

The second crossbow was not only more refined in appearance but had a tremendous increase in power. After testing its strength, Zhao Hengyi was well satisfied; at fifty meters, it could easily pierce a human body.

He sent Zhang Daniu, exhausted from working all night, home to rest, then began preparing for the next trip into the mountains.

It wasn’t that Zhao Hengyi never tired, but he was convinced that Liu Shuang would return eventually. One can be a thief for a thousand days, but who can guard against a thief for a thousand days?

He needed to be fully prepared so that the next time Liu Shuang showed his face in the village, he would never dare trouble them again.

As for Miao Xiaoyu, perhaps she truly was a bringer of luck. If she hadn’t cried alone that night, he wouldn’t have woken up, and Liu Shuang would have succeeded, burning the entire family alive in their thatched hut.

He hoped that on this next trip into the mountains, her good fortune would continue to protect him.

With the new crossbow in hand, he could now hunt game he’d previously dared not pursue. What would he bring back this time?