Chapter 31

A month had passed in the blink of an eye, and today was the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and Chen Qing continued to practice archery on horseback as usual.

Twenty days ago, he had broken through the limitations of crossbow shooting, found the feel of horseback archery, and entered the first level of mastery, marked by earning four drum beats from Xu Ning. Xu Ning had him aim for the head, and he no longer missed, achieving the ability to shoot accurately as soon as he saw the target.

For the past twenty days, he had been diligently practicing horseback archery, both to solidify his skills and to break through to the second level of mastery.

For a beginner, it would be a pipe dream to master horseback archery in one or two months.

But Chen Qing was different. He had excellent riding skills, sharp eyesight, steady shooting, and great strength, and his accuracy was impeccable. He possessed all the qualities needed to become an outstanding horseback archer.

What Chen Qing needed to do now was to integrate these excellent qualities, like assembling a machine, with the most critical step being the fine-tuning.

With repeated practice, success would eventually come naturally.

Chen Qing galloped his horse, drew his bow horizontally, and shot an arrow that flew like lightning. A hundred paces away, a soldier was running in a trench with a wooden dummy target. "Crack!" The arrow hit the target dead center, and the force almost made the soldier drop the target.

The soldier's mouth dropped open. "Wow, another one right in the forehead. That's the second one."

He didn't dare look up, as another arrow was coming. The soldier continued to run with the wooden dummy target.

At this moment, Chen Qing switched to holding the bow in his right hand and pulling the string with his left, and shot another arrow while galloping. This time, he didn't hit the forehead but the left cheek of the wooden dummy.

The soldier waved his hand and shouted, "Third arrow, left cheek!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Xu Ning struck the small drum four times from the side of the field.

Chen Qing rode up and smiled. "Master, since I've completed shooting with both hands, shouldn't it count as four and a half drum beats?"

Xu Ning shook his head. "It's precisely because you've completed shooting with both hands that it counts as four drum beats. To earn four and a half drum beats, you need to change the target. The wooden dummy is too large and moves too slowly."

After a pause, Xu Ning continued, "You've been at the four drum beat level for twenty days but haven't broken through to five drum beats. You should know where the gap lies, right?"

Chen Qing nodded silently. He still couldn't shoot from the heart; he always needed to aim, even if it was for a brief moment.

"Master, how do you think I can break through?"

Xu Ning thought for a moment and said, "I've been considering this for a few days. I think the problem is with the target. The wooden dummy is too large and moves too slowly, making it too easy for you to shoot. I've already asked my apprentice to prepare a new target for you to try tomorrow, to force you to break through."

...

Not far away, eight hundred new recruits were still practicing their horse stances. Each soldier was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of shorts, squatting on the ground with their bodies and thighs forming a right angle, their fists clenched in front of their chests, and a heavy stone hanging from their legs.

After a month of intense practice, each soldier's horse stance was solid, and their stamina and balance had greatly improved with the nightly runs.

According to the plan, they would start practicing with long spears after the New Year. With solid horse stances, ample stamina, and proficient spear techniques, the army's combat effectiveness would significantly increase, even capable of facing the Jurchen cavalry in single combat.

At this moment, Yang Yuanqing walked over, somewhat embarrassed. "Don't forget the banquet tonight, Commander!"

Chen Qing smiled. "Don't worry! I won't forget such a big event."

...

Tonight was Yang Yuanqing's wedding. As his superior, Chen Qing naturally had to show his support.

He had money, as Zhang Jun had rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver, but Chen Qing was a bit conflicted about whether to give money or a gift for the wedding in the Song Dynasty.

He consulted Zhao Xiaoyi.

Zhao Xiaoyi grinned. "You can give either money or a gift. If you give a gift, the recipient might not know its value and won't know how to reciprocate, so giving money is more practical for small households, and everyone is happy."

"How much money should I give?"

"For small households, a few hundred coins, for better-off families, one or two strings of coins, and for wealthy households, at least ten strings of coins for a wedding. For the nobility, anything less than a hundred strings of coins would be embarrassing.

Also, it depends on your relationship with the recipient. For example, we can give Yang Deputy Commander three or five hundred coins, as we weren't invited, so a token contribution is enough. But if we were invited, we should give at least two or three strings of coins."

"What do you think I should give as a gift?"

Zhao Xiaoyi thought for a moment and said, "I think the Commander should give both money and a gift. Money is for the social obligation, and the gift is a token of your heart. As a social obligation, the Commander should follow the rules and give the appropriate amount of money, but as a personal favor, the Commander should also give a gift, which has a different meaning."

"That makes sense!"

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Giving weapons for a wedding isn't very auspicious. Jewelry or jade would be more appropriate."

"The most famous jewelry shop in the county is called Shi Zhu Pu, the one where Liu Wu's son works."

Mentioning Liu Wu's son, Chen Qing felt a bit melancholic. He had met the young man a few days ago and told him about his father Liu Wu's deeds.

The young apprentice didn't show any excitement, but he set out in the snow the same day to find his father's remains. Zhao Xiaoyi had drawn him a rough map and given him a few taels of silver.

"That's the place!"

Zhao Xiaoyi pointed to a small shop next to the entertainment district entrance, with a cart parked in front, blocking the door.

The shop's door was small, with no counter, and a small sign read, "Wang's Shi Zhu Pu." The shop looked very low-key.

In times of war, being low-key could prevent looting by the Jurchen soldiers.

"Is Aunt Wang here?"

Zhao Xiaoyi pushed the door open with a grin. "I've brought you a big customer!"

Chen Qing suddenly realized something. Zhao Xiaoyi was likely a rascal or a smooth-talking broker in the past, always up to no good, which is why his family had sent him to join the army with his uncle Liu Wu.

The hall was slightly dim, and by the window, a middle-aged woman was introducing jewelry to two young girls.

Zhao Xiaoyi didn't knock and pushed the door open, startling the three women.

The middle-aged woman recognized Zhao Xiaoyi, put her hands on her hips, and frowned. "It's you, you little monkey! Trying to steal my pearls again?"

"Aunt Wang, you're underestimating me! I'm now a respected Song army deputy commander, and I have money. I don't need your little pearls anymore."

Zhao Xiaoyi pointed to Chen Qing behind him. "This is our Commander, here to buy something. Bring out your best goods; he won't shortchange you."

Hearing it was the Commander, the middle-aged woman immediately put on a smile. "Oh, it's General Chen. Please wait a moment, I'll get the best goods!"

The best goods, of course, weren't displayed in the hall but were kept in the back room.

The middle-aged woman turned and left.

Chen Qing walked to the window and noticed the two girls, who appeared to be sisters. One was about fifteen or sixteen, and the other was much younger, around eight or nine.

The older girl, perhaps due to her age, looked somewhat frail, wearing a slightly worn light blue robe, with a single-ring hairstyle and a copper hairpin.

She had long, slender eyebrows, an oval face, and a delicate mouth, looking very refined, though her complexion was a bit pale, and her eyes lacked brightness.

Seeing Chen Qing standing nearby, she felt nervous, clutched the small brocade bag in her hand, and lowered her long eyelashes, avoiding eye contact with Chen Qing.

Despite her frail appearance, she had a good demeanor, quiet and elegant, clearly from a wealthy or official family.

This was the first young woman Chen Qing had seen up close since coming to the Song Dynasty, and she was a graceful and intelligent lady, though her physique was somewhat delicate.

The younger sister was completely different, with big, bright eyes and a rosy, apple-like face. She had a double-ring hairstyle and wore a green fur-lined jacket, exuding boundless energy, likely very mischievous as a child.

She looked Chen Qing up and down, her black, gem-like eyes sparkling, and asked, "Big brother, are you here to buy jewelry?"

The older girl was startled and quickly pulled her sister. "Little sister, don't talk nonsense!"

"Big sister, Aunt Wang gave us too low a price. If we show it to the big brother, maybe we can get a better price."

"Azhu, let's come back tomorrow!"

The older girl, unable to sit still, tried to pull her sister away, but in her panic, the small brocade bag in her hand fell to the ground, and a gold hairpin rolled out.

The younger sister picked up the gold hairpin and handed it to Chen Qing, grinning. "Big brother, if you like it, we can negotiate the price!"

The older girl, unable to stop her sister, was so frightened that her legs gave out, and she sat down.

The younger sister's innocence and liveliness made Chen Qing chuckle. He took the gold hairpin and examined it closely. It was a long, elegant phoenix hairpin made of pure gold, with a Wei-Jin style, each feather intricately detailed, and the phoenix eyes set with rubies, making it very lifelike. It was clearly an old piece, not new.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, and though Chen Qing wasn't an expert in jewelry, he could tell it was a valuable heirloom.

At that moment, footsteps were heard in the corridor, and the middle-aged woman returned.

The older girl mustered the courage to ask Chen Qing, "General, Aunt Wang is back. Can you return the gold hairpin to me?"

Chen Qing smiled. "I quite like this phoenix hairpin. How much do you want for it?"

"General, it's not about the money."

The older girl bit her lip, unsure how to explain. Selling something in someone else's shop could offend the owner, didn't he understand?

The younger sister's eyes twinkled. "My sister wants thirty strings of coins, but if you like it, twenty-nine strings will do."

The older girl stomped her foot in frustration. "Azhu, please don't say any more. Aunt Wang will be angry!"

The middle-aged woman laughed. "Miss Xiao, I won't be angry. It's not that Aunt Wang is deliberately underpricing you. Now, jewelry is sold as pure gold, and no one buys jewelry. I'm already giving you the market price without making a profit. If you go to a money shop, they'll give you at most fifteen strings of coins."

Chen Qing now understood the older girl's concern about offending Aunt Wang. Despite her young age, she was quite savvy.

"Miss, don't misunderstand. I'm buying this for a gift. I quite like this gold hairpin and want to keep it for myself. How about twenty-nine strings of coins, as your sister suggested?"

"Okay!"

The younger sister clapped her hands in delight, shaking her sister's hand. "Big sister, agree! No one else wants to buy it."

The older girl knew this was a rare opportunity. Her gold hairpin weighed one tael, and the market price for one tael of gold was twenty strings of coins. But ordinary people couldn't afford twenty strings of coins and had to sell to money shops or pawnshops, which offered much less, sometimes only ten strings of coins.

Aunt Wang was kind, offering the market price of twenty strings of coins, but this was a family heirloom passed down from the Southern Dynasty, worth five hundred strings of coins during the Xuanhe period, according to her father.

But now, in troubled times, her father needed to raise money quickly to leave Linyou County. The general's offer of twenty-nine strings of coins was indeed very generous.

The older girl sighed, looking at the gold hairpin with longing. "Thank you, General."

Chen Qing took out a silver ingot and handed it to her. "This silver ingot is a bit more than six taels, so no need for change. Take it."

The younger sister held the silver ingot with her small hands, grinning. "Thank you, big brother! Wow, the silver is so heavy!"

The older girl quickly gave Chen Qing a deep bow and pulled her sister away, flustered.