Chapter 100

The next morning, everyone got up. The incident of Han Tong being caught the previous night had begun to stir in the city. When Zhang Han and the Sun family cousins led their horses out, the streets and alleys were filled with people talking in groups, discussing the matter intensely.

These ordinary people did not know much about the inside story. Most of what they said was nonsense, and it was only good for a laugh.

Zhang Han still had to return to the ironworks that day. He had agreed to meet the Sun family cousins in the afternoon at the Dongshan Association's ironworks, bringing some skilled workers to help transform the blast furnace.

Although the guild had not yet been officially established, it would take a few days, Zhang Han, who had been in this era for a long time, knew that the ancients generally valued trust. There would certainly be some who broke their promises, but the Sun family cousins would definitely not be among them. They had said they would join the guild and would not go back on their word. Besides, the furnace technology was not high-end, and Zhang Han still had many details to improve. Of course, he felt that his greatest strength was in institutional innovation. In any case, Zhang Han was confident that his ironworks would maintain a leading level and that its production would be equivalent to the total production of all other ironworks in Lingqiu within a few months to a year.

A person with confidence naturally becomes very strong in their heart. At least in the eyes of the Sun family cousins, this young master Zhang Han possessed strong confidence and extreme composure, as if nothing was a concern to him.

The more so, the more he would be respected and trusted by others.

The group parted ways at a fork in the road. The dew on the shrubs by the roadside seemed to have turned into frost. The Mid-Autumn Festival in this era was much colder than in later times, especially in northern Shanxi, where winters were particularly harsh. The White Dew solar term had already passed, and the weather was getting colder day by day. Seeing the frost, Zhang Han felt a sense of urgency.

...

Sun Anle and Sun Jingtong, along with their followers, took another path. The Dongshan Association's ironworks was about ten miles away from the Yusheng Ironworks. If it were a main road, a fast horse could make it in half an hour, but they were traveling on a winding mountain path, some sections of which were narrow trails made by people and horses. Occasionally, loose rocks would slide down from the mountains... because there were mountain people walking on the paths above, stepping on the rocks and causing them to fall.

Some sections were completely cut out with axes, making them flatter, but the width was insufficient, and it would be dangerous for two horses to ride side by side.

On such a road, it would take more than two hours to travel ten miles of mountain path. This was on a clear day; on a rainy day, it would be best to stay at home and not go out.

Each ironworks relied on a road that could accommodate large carts. The number of ironworks was limited, mainly due to the roads. It was easy to open a mine and smelt iron in the mountains, but the challenge was transporting the refined iron. The farther the road, the higher the transportation cost. Adding two fen of silver per catty of iron, the annual profit would be eaten up by transportation costs.

"Jingtong, when Master Zhang comes over later and teaches us the new iron smelting method, we might be able to pay off some of our debts by the end of the year. Perhaps our Dongshan Association can still survive."

Sun Jingtong, half a horse's length behind his uncle, smiled and said, "Second Uncle, are you reminding me to respect Master Zhang more?"

Sun Anle was silent for a moment, then nodded in front, "Yes, he may be young, not even of age, but can we match his demeanor? When he stands there, he naturally becomes the center of attention. Who has old Li ever respected? Even Han Tong didn't respect anyone, but last night, he was thoroughly convinced by this young Master Zhang... Look at his guards, though only five or six, their presence and gaze show that they have been through battles. That's killing aura. Can we find such guards in Lingqiu?"

"Second Uncle..." Sun Jingtong laughed, "If I didn't respect him, would I have agreed to join his guild and recognize him as the leader? I was just angry last night. I've been practicing martial arts since I could walk. Now, ordinary people can't get close to me, and I'm good at riding and archery. Even the border army's soldiers are not as good as me. He said something about the northern barbarians attacking, which is a joke..."

"Anyway, you need to change your temper!"

"Yes, yes, but you should take care of Yuniang first..."

Sun Jingtong's "check" left Sun Anle speechless. He was almost as wide as he was tall, with a large head and huge eyes. His appearance was not particularly impressive. Yuniang looked like her mother, with a delicate face and fair skin. Her eyes were like Sun Anle's, large and watery, with a hint of wildness that occasionally flashed in them. At under sixteen, she had a natural charm, and she was a beautiful girl who was praised wherever she went. Sun Anle loved her like a pearl, and he couldn't bear to discipline her harshly.

By the time they returned to the ironworks, it was almost noon. Sun Anle and Sun Jingtong didn't have time to eat lunch. They called the shareholders who had the right to participate and recounted the events of the previous day in detail.

Hearing that Han Tong had been set up and caught, everyone wished they could buy fireworks to celebrate, though they only said it in jest. However, the smiles on their faces were genuine.

Han Tong was a person who was deeply hated. Few people in Lingqiu would be unhappy to hear that he would be executed. The tenants and miners of the Han family might not be able to keep many of them. For so many years, Han Tong had used threats and intimidation to make people work for the Han family, causing many deaths. This made people fear his tyranny and dare not quit their jobs and leave. Now that Han Tong had fallen, many would likely leave immediately.

Sun Anle, holding a bowl of hot tea, said, "In any case, things will be much better from now on..."

"Regarding the guild, that's the general idea." Sun Jingtong then explained the Lingqiu Iron and Steel Guild, a new concept that took a long time for everyone to understand.

The Dongshan Association had always been run by the Sun family cousins, and the other shareholders had no objections. Many had met Zhang Han and were impressed by his strength and capabilities.

"So, it's settled."

The discussion took about an hour, and everyone only had some snacks and tea to fill their stomachs. Matters concerning the survival of the ironworks were too important to be neglected.

Everything went smoothly, and Sun Anle's tense nerves relaxed. Seeing his wife, Gu Shi, refilling his water, he suddenly remembered something and said, "Why haven't I seen Yuniang all morning?"

"Indeed," Sun Jingtong interjected, "If it were any other day, Yuniang would be the loudest one here. She's being unusually quiet today?"

Gu Shi looked puzzled and said, "She said she was going to the back mountain to shoot a rabbit to welcome you two. It's strange that she hasn't returned yet."

"This girl, the older she gets, the more trouble she is."

Sun Anle shook his head. He couldn't control her, and as long as she didn't go too far, he would let her be.

As for danger, there was no need to worry too much. Sun Yuniang, though not a master, was skilled in archery. She always took a few people with her, and no one within a few dozen miles didn't know the Dongshan Association's young miss. No one would dare to have any ideas about Yuniang.

"Let's continue," Sun Anle said, sipping his water. "Before Master Zhang arrives, we need to discuss the details of our cooperation. In the future, the Dongshan Association will follow his lead, and we need to set the rules in advance."

...

Zhang Han left the ironworks around three in the afternoon, just after the hour of Shen. Before leaving, he specially met with Sun Yao and Tang Wangzong.

"Sun Yao, take good care of yourself. I heard you have great strength. Do you always choose the heaviest logs to carry?"

Sun Yao's dark face showed a hint of embarrassment. He stammered, "I just have a bit more strength than others, nothing special..."

Zhang Han smiled, "How much more strength do you have?"

"Those big logs, others need two people to carry and still struggle. If I'm well-fed, I can carry dozens of them in a day..."

"Remarkable, truly a mighty warrior."

Zhang Han was deeply impressed. Each of those big logs must weigh over 300 pounds, and they were not easy to carry. Carrying dozens of them in a day required immense strength.

Sun Yao, who was dark and lean, had only his arms looking strong, but he possessed extraordinary strength.

Such a strong person was actually exhausting their life. There were also many strong people in the Ming army. Zhang Han had seen one in Xinping Fort, a relative of Lai Tongxin, a battalion commander. He was well-fed and had a secret method to enhance his strength, but his strength was not as great as Sun Yao's. This time, he had found a treasure.

"Strength is a small matter," Zhang Han said gently, "Seeing something suspicious and investigating it, discovering something wrong, that's intelligence. Being brave enough to face the enemy, that's courage. Being loyal and dedicated to your master and the ironworks, that's loyalty. Sun Yao, you are a capable leader."

"Master, you flatter me..."

"Doesn't seem like it."

Everyone laughed, and Sun Yao also laughed, his smile filled with pride.

Being praised by the master, Sun Yao felt that his injury was worth it.

But Zhang Han had more to say. He turned to Cai Jiu and the ironworks' accountant and instructed, "Give Sun Yao 200 taels of silver. He was injured while working for the ironworks, and he is both loyal and brave. We cannot be stingy. The rewards and bonuses we should give must be given..."

"Ah?"

"Master?"

Cai Jiu instinctively said "ah," and the accountant thought he had heard wrong. He asked a question and then checked his ears.

Sun Yao was also stunned, and the people listening were almost petrified.

Zhang Han would certainly reward, and from the master's kindness to the miners, it was clear that he was a generous and righteous master. Sun Yao had been injured for the ironworks, and although Zhang Han had other plans, Sun Yao had accidentally done a good deed. The ironworks people knew he would receive a reward, but no one expected the reward to be so large.