Yangzhou, also known as Guangling, is one of the nine ancient states. It has a long history and convenient water and land transportation. Willows hang down from the streets for thousands of steps and the sunset reflects the double cities. It is the most prosperous city in the world and it is often said that "Yangzhou is the most prosperous city in the world".
Although it is the coldest time of the year, the streets are still bustling with people and the vendors and shops are doing brisk business.
Li Shu sat in the sedan chair, wrapped in white fox fur, holding an embroidered hand warmer with a fat duck playing in the water. She looked out through the curtain of the sedan chair that Qin'er had opened. When she saw a blacksmith shop in front of her called "Longquan Scissors Shop", she pointed with her delicate hand and said to Qin'er in a tender voice, "Stop in front."
"Stop in front of the blacksmith shop." Qin'er lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and passed the message outside.
After delivering the message, Qin Er asked in confusion, "Miss, am I wrong? There are three shops in Yangzhou that the master gave to you as a dowry. The nearest one, Longshengxiang, is a hundred meters ahead."
"What's so worth looking at about those three shops? Just ask the accountant to check the accounts on time every year." Li Shu said nonchalantly.
"This blacksmith shop is noisy and messy, and there's nothing to see..." Qin'er said weakly, "The blacksmith shop is full of sweaty and rude men, so don't offend the young lady..."
"I am too lazy to even look at them, but Brother Zhu needs them. These sweaty rough men are very charming in Brother Zhu's eyes. Forget it, I tell you, you don't understand. Go call Wang Xiaoer."
Li Shu glanced at the blacksmith shop outside the sedan chair and spoke lazily to Qin'er. Halfway through her speech, she waved her hand and told Qin'er to call Wang Xiaoer over.
"Wang Xiaoer, Wang Xiaoer, come here quickly, the lady has something to talk to you about." Qin'er lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and called out.
Soon, the sedan stopped in front of the blacksmith shop, and Wang Xiaoer, who was following behind, trotted over.
"Miss, you are looking for me." Wang Xiaoer was standing outside the sedan chair with his back bent.
"Can you confirm that this 'Longquan Scissors Shop' is owned by the blacksmith you mentioned?"
Li Shu asked calmly across the sedan.
"Miss, yes. I asked someone to investigate carefully. This 'Longquan Scissors Shop' was opened by a man named Ou Zhige. It is said that Ou Zhige's ancestor was Ou Zhizi, who forged the 'Longquan' sword with Gan Jiang. However, by the time of Ou Zhige's generation, his ancestors' craftsmanship had long been lost. Ou Zhige was bent on carrying forward the glory of his ancestors, and learned the blacksmith's craft from his uncle in his youth. He was good at research and was hardworking, and soon he surpassed his master. The ironware he made is top-notch in Yangzhou City, and he is known as the 'No. 1 Blacksmith' in Yangzhou City." Wang Xiaoer bowed and replied in detail.
"If you are the 'No. 1 Blacksmith', why are you so poor that you open such a cramped scissors shop?"
Qin Er couldn't help but wonder.
Seeing that Li Shu did not stop him, Wang Xiaoer understood that the young lady also wanted to know the answer, so he replied in detail, "It's like this. First, Ou Zhige learned the craft from his uncle, but abandoned his cousin who had been engaged to him since childhood and married a farmer's daughter. His uncle was so angry that he announced that he would sever the master-apprentice relationship with him and said that he taught Ou Zhige to cast common iron tools such as kitchen knives, axes, hoes, swords, etc. If Ou Zhige still had any shame, he should not use these skills to make a living. Ou Zhige really never cast these common iron tools again, let alone sold a single one. Because his uncle taught him to cast too many iron tools, there were only a few types of iron tools such as scissors, so he opened this scissors shop to make a living. The scissors he cast were second to none in Yangzhou, and no one dared to claim to be the first. Secondly, Ou Zhige wanted to restore the glory of his ancestors, and he had been studying some strange iron tools, wanting to present them to the court to become a master like his ancestors who would be remembered in history, but..."
Having said this, Wang Xiaoer paused, his face looking a little embarrassed.
"But what?" Qin'er asked.
"But the iron tools he studied were too strange and too dangerous. Once, when he was experimenting with iron tools, he accidentally broke a leg. Moreover, he presented iron tools to the government several times. The government took it seriously the first time, but when he was verifying it on site, something went wrong and he burned down a government warehouse. And then there was no further news..."
Wang Xiaoer said with a little embarrassment.
"Is this still the number one blacksmith?" Qin'er rolled her eyes speechlessly.
"The strange iron tools he studied are actually firearms?" Li Shu's voice rang out in the sedan chair.
"Yes, Miss. He is researching things like 'Fire Crow Arrows' and 'Sky-shaking Thunder', mostly firearms."
Wang Xiaoer replied.
"That's him. Go tell him to give him 1,000 taels of silver every year and invite him to serve in the Zhejiang Army."
Li Shu gave the order, and directly used her money ability.
"Ah, one thousand taels... so much..." Qin'er said in surprise and distress.
"If he is useful to Brother Zhu, one thousand taels is as cheap as it can be." Li Shu said disapprovingly.
"Yes, Miss." Wang Xiaoer took the order and went to the shop. About a cup of tea later, Wang Xiaoer came back covered in dust.
"Ahem, young lady, I am incompetent and failed to do my job well. I went in and tried to persuade him, but Ou Zhige was like a stone in a toilet, smelly and hard. He threatened that he had no interest in forging ordinary weapons in the barracks, so he drove me out."
Wang Xiaoer came back to report in a dejected and unhappy manner.
"Didn't you tell him to give him one thousand taels of silver every year?" Qin'er opened her mouth wide in disbelief. How could his small scissors shop earn twenty taels of silver a year? Not even one thousand taels of silver.
"I said it." Wang Xiaoer said with a wry smile.
"Then increase it by another 1,000 taels of silver, to 2,000 taels of silver per year." Li Shu said disapprovingly.
"Two thousand taels... I hope I heard it right." Wang Xiaoer smacked his lips, thinking he had heard it wrong.
"It's just two thousand taels, and you can get one year's salary in advance. Go quickly." Li Shu urged impatiently.
Just smelling the charcoal fire here makes me feel nauseous.
"Yes, yes, I'll go right away." Wang Xiaoer nodded repeatedly and trotted into the scissors shop again.
This time he came out very quickly, obviously being pushed out by someone, staggering out of the shop.
"Ahem, Miss, I told him to give him two thousand taels of silver every year, and I could also pay him one year's salary in advance. He thought I was disturbing his research on ironware and kicked me out." Wang Xiaoer said with a look of grievance.
"You're so useless. Aren't you quite good at fighting?" Qin'er rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"He was too strong, I was caught off guard..." Wang Xiaoer tried to save his face.
"Give him these two pages and tell him I have the complete copy. If he wants to read it, just follow me."
Li Shu took out two pieces of paper, handed them to Qin'er, and motioned Qin'er to give them to Wang Xiaoer.
"Miss, two thousand taels of silver are not enough, but will these two pages of paper do..." Qin'er handed the paper to Wang Xiaoer, and after returning to the sedan chair, she couldn't bear it anymore and whispered to Li Shu.
"No, I'll just have someone knock him out and kidnap him..." Li Shu smiled slightly, covering her cherry lips with her delicate hands, and said softly, "Two pages of my ancestral Fire Dragon Sutra were stolen and someone was caught red-handed."