Chapter 8

Those who heard the story felt uneasy. Zhang Ke stared blankly at the sled and the big yellow dog with its tongue out, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He couldn't help but start to doubt his supposedly perfect plan!

Zhang Ke was worried, but Qiao Fu was overjoyed. He grabbed a large cloth bag and said with a smile, "Brother Ke, there are three fox skins, two deer skins, and one wolf skin in here. They're all quite good. The merchants in Yizhou are stingy and didn't want to sell them."

Zhang Ke moved closer and touched the skins. They were indeed soft and smooth. But when he looked further into the bag, he frowned.

"What is this?"

"Old clothes, Brother Ke, didn't you ask us to find them?" Qiao Fu said, pulling out a few pieces. Zhang Ke pinched his nose and took them, unfolding them to see that they were patched with large and small patches, the original colors indiscernible. The strong smell hit his nose, and there were even a few moth holes in the cuffs and collars.

"Brother, I think only beggars would want these. If you were a Tartar, would you be willing to trade your fur coat for them?"

Qiao Fu was taken aback, scratching his head and saying, "Brother Ke, we worked hard to get these. Can we make do with them?"

"No, absolutely not. We've come all this way, and we need to be able to sell them. Carrying garbage is a waste of effort!"

The Qiao brothers were dumbfounded, their faces red with embarrassment as they looked at the pile of rags. Qiao Gui lowered his head and said, "It's our fault, we couldn't even do this simple task."

"Ke, it's not their fault, it's your idea that's bad!" Shen Shi, holding the homespun cloth, and Xiao Xue, holding the shoe soles, came out of the house.

Shen Shi placed the items on the sled and said, "Ke, you've been so smart these past few days, how could you be so confused now? These are all poor families. A piece of clothing is passed down from the oldest to the youngest, patched and mended. Look at the children, they're all in rags! Besides, everyone knows about our conflict with the Wan family. If they give us their good clothes, it would be like opposing the Wans."

Shen Shi's words made Zhang Ke realize the truth. His mother was right.

Zhang Ke hurriedly bowed to Qiao Gui and Qiao Fu, saying apologetically, "It's my fault for not thinking it through. I wronged you."

Qiao Gui smiled, "We're all in this together. But these clothes won't do. Can we still make up the twenty taels of silver?"

Shen Shi laughed, "Ke, we have quite a few old clothes too. They were all bought by your father. Though old, they have no patches. Xiao Xue and I have washed and packed them into a large bag over the past two days."

"Great!" Zhang Ke's face lit up. In fact, he wasn't just thinking about paying off the debt. If that were the case, the iron stove would have been enough. Zhang Ke was preparing to make his first big profit. Without money, nothing could be done, and the more items, the better.

"Mother, are these all the clothes?" Zhang Ke's eyes widened as he looked at the pile of clothes.

Shen Shi nodded and sighed, "That deadbeat always spent money recklessly. He bought a lot of things."

Her tone was reproachful, but the smile on her lips betrayed her feelings. That deadbeat father was still capable!

Shen Shi looked at the pile and sighed, "The old must go to make way for the new. Take them all, and save yourself the trouble!"

She led the way, and Xiao Xue and Hui'er helped pack everything into a large bag. They added the shoe soles, cloth, and the skins Qiao Gui and Qiao Fu brought, all placed on the first sled.

Shen Shi then pulled Zhang Ke over and wrapped him up tightly in a thick cotton jacket, pants, a dogskin hat, and felt boots. In a moment, he looked almost the same as the Qiao brothers.

"Mother, this is too thick!"

"Thicker is better, it shows someone cares. You're going on a long journey, take this money too!"

Shen Shi stuffed the silver from the blacksmith into Zhang Ke's arms. Zhang Ke didn't refuse, carefully putting it away and checking it several times. This was all their assets.

"Mother, while I'm away, you and Xiao Xue should stay at Uncle Qiao's. The Wan family isn't good, and you need to be careful. I'll be back in ten days at most, and everything will be fine!"

Shen Shi nodded reluctantly, "Ke, you're going on your first long journey. I can't help but worry!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and her deep concern made Zhang Ke pretend to be nonchalant. He smiled, "A man of ambition has his sights set far and wide. I don't even consider a small place like Guangning. Wait for our good news. Mother, Xiao Xue, Hui'er, I'm off!"

"Take care, Brother Ke!" Xiao Xue's eyes were filled with tears.

Zhang Ke strode into the courtyard and smiled at the Qiao brothers, "Let's go to Uncle Liu's house and take some small items with us."

"Uncle Liu the blacksmith?" Qiao Fu asked in surprise, "Brother Ke, you're amazing. Uncle Liu's skills are well-known. What did you have him make?"

Zhang Ke laughed, "Ha ha ha, it's a secret. You'll see when we get there."

The three of them drove the dog sled out of the house, and at the street corner, Zhang Ke suddenly turned back. His mother was standing at the door, Xiao Xue and Hui'er clinging to each other, their eyes full of care and reluctance, all focused on him. A warm current welled up in his heart, and his eyes stung with tears.

"Such a wimp, I've already crossed over, and I'm still so weak!"

Zhang Ke hardened his heart, turned, and left with the Qiao brothers. Dacheng Fort wasn't large, and they soon arrived at Uncle Liu's house in the east gate.

Curiosity drove Qiao Fu to the front, and he shouted from a distance, "Uncle Liu, I'm here! Are you home?"

He shouted a few times, but no one answered. Qiao Fu jumped into the yard and pushed open the door.

"Uncle Liu, what did you make for Brother Ke? Let me see first..."

Before he could finish, Qiao Fu looked inside and screamed, rolling and crawling out.

"Bad news, big brother, Brother Ke, it's bad! Uncle Liu and his family are dead!"

Qiao Fu ran to Zhang Ke and the others, crying and saying urgently, "Quick, find Doctor Zhou. There might still be a chance. I think it was Wan Baiquan. What a black heart! Uncle Liu was such a good person. When we have money, we must burn paper for him, so he can wear gold and silver and have three wives and four concubines..."

He wailed, and Zhang Ke was also shocked. He couldn't forget the honest man who had brought him silver that morning. If Uncle Liu was really murdered, he would seek revenge, even at the cost of his life!

Just as Zhang Ke was about to react, his expression suddenly changed.

Qiao Fu was still talking, "Brother Ke, I'm serious. I'll burn three hundred young girls for Uncle Liu!"

"Cough, no need, save it for your father!"

An old voice came from behind, scaring Qiao Fu so much that he jumped three feet high. He turned to see Uncle Liu in a tattered cotton jacket, frowning. His face changed rapidly, like a dye shop, and it was quite a sight!

"What? Are you a ghost?"

"Brat, I'm alive and well. No need for your filial piety!"

Qiao Fu said in surprise, "I clearly saw you lying next to the stove. Wasn't that you?"

Uncle Liu snorted, "I've been working non-stop with the kids for the past few days, and I just fell asleep when I heard your yelling!"

Qiao Fu finally understood what had happened, scratched his head, and laughed, "Misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"

Qiao Gui and Zhang Ke couldn't hold back their laughter and burst out laughing.

"Uncle Liu, I caused you trouble!" Zhang Ke knew Uncle Liu was just tired and said apologetically.

Uncle Liu didn't mind, grabbed Zhang Ke, and his weathered face broke into a smile.

"Nephew, come in, and I'll surprise you!"

Following Uncle Liu into the room, the floor was littered with hammers and molds, and the corner was stacked with pine wood. The main area had a forge and bellows. Three blackened boys stood in a row, their eyes bloodshot and crusty. They rubbed their eyes and smiled when they saw Zhang Ke enter.

"Hmph, good-for-nothing brats, just know how to grin."

Qiao Fu couldn't wait and said to the Liu brothers, "Big Brother Shi, show me the treasures, let me see!"

The eldest Liu brother nodded and said, "Right away, right away!"

He quickly brought out a black stove from the adjacent empty room and placed it in front of everyone. Uncle Liu's face was full of pride as he said, "Nephew, take a look. Is it good?"

The stove was cylindrical, heavy in hand, weighing about ten pounds. The surface was somewhat rough, but for the current level, it was quite good. It was to be sold to the Mongols, so it didn't need to be too intricate.

Compared to the stoves of this era, the biggest feature of Zhang Ke's design was the addition of a grate. The grate was a layer between the firebox and the bottom, with gaps to let the ashes fall and improve air circulation, making the combustion more efficient. There were also two handles on the top for placing a grill, making it very convenient and exactly as Zhang Ke had designed.

This is it!

Zhang Ke smiled satisfactorily, "Uncle Liu's skills are top-notch."

"Ha ha ha, skills aside, the key is your good design. The drawings were detailed, and it didn't take much effort!" Uncle Liu squatted in front of the stove and pointed inside, "Especially the grate, it's light and flexible, saving over three pounds of iron, reducing costs, and increasing the space in the firebox. It heats water and cooks food quickly. I bet the Mongols will love it, and I want to keep one for myself."

Qiao Fu was already interested in the stove and, hearing Uncle Liu's words, knelt down to examine it closely.

"Brother Ke, how did you come up with this? It's so clever and convenient. We can take one on our hunts, and it will be much easier!"

Seeing Qiao Fu's excitement, Qiao Gui coughed, "Second brother, you want everything. We don't know how many there are yet. Selling them for money is the priority."

"Right, let's get the silver. Uncle Liu, how many did you make?"

"He he he, come and see for yourself!"

Zhang Ke was very curious and followed Uncle Liu to the adjacent room. On a large bed, there were piles of stoves, at least twenty or more. Qiao Fu's eyes widened, and he asked in shock, "Uncle Liu, did you make these in three days? Are you pulling our leg?"

Uncle Liu laughed, "It's not me who's pulling your leg, it's Zhang Er! If it weren't for his idea to divide the work, we wouldn't have finished so quickly. I was responsible for melting the iron, the eldest made the molds, the second poured the iron, and the third made the grills. We four worked day and night for three days, completing what would normally take half a month! With this idea, we can sell more plows and sickles next spring!"

Craftsmen value their skills the most. Division of labor, while common in the future, was very advanced in the Ming Dynasty. The Liu family looked at Zhang Ke with a different respect, almost like a half-teacher.

"Second nephew, with your guidance, these stoves are yours for free!"

The Liu family was helping him, and Zhang Ke wouldn't take advantage of them. He quickly said, "Uncle Liu, I'll need your help in the future. If you give them to me, I won't have the face to ask you for help next time!"

Uncle Liu was slightly taken aback and said with a smile, "Second nephew, you're a good person. I wish you a smooth journey and hope you make a lot of money to spite Wan Baiquan!"

Everyone laughed and helped move the stoves out. Uncle Liu had made nineteen stoves, and after removing three with cracks, there were sixteen left, weighing over a hundred pounds. One sled couldn't carry them all, so they had to use both. Qiao Gui carried the clothes, and Zhang Ke carried the provisions and beef jerky.

Qiao Fu pushed the sled, and amidst the shouting and barking, the simplest of trade caravans set off in a chaotic manner.

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