Military Equipment

"Wait."

Just as Li Yi and the others were about to leave, Li Erniu called out to them.

His expression was grave. After pondering for a moment, he seemed to finally make up his mind.

"Xiaoyi, wait for me a moment."

With that, Li Erniu dragged a long object wrapped in thick cloth out from beneath the bed.

He blew the dust off it and opened it, revealing a black-lacquered bow that gleamed brightly.

"Brother Erniu, this bow?"

Li Yi's heart skipped a beat. He recognized it. It was a black-lacquered bow that only government soldiers were permitted to carry. Though the world was in chaos now and controls were not as strict, it was still exceedingly difficult for ordinary people to buy such a bow.

Li Yi had originally planned to try his luck in the county town and see if he could buy one like it.

If that failed, he would buy a hemp-backed bow, the preferred choice of hunters.

"Xiaoyi, this bow was left behind by my elder brother. He wanted me to earn merit and make a name for myself, but with this body of mine now..."

A trace of reluctance flashed through Li Erniu's eyes, but in the end, he still handed it to Li Yi. "Take it. Only in your hands can it serve its greatest purpose."

Li Yi did not reach out. The bow was precious, but the sentiment behind it was even heavier.

"Brother Erniu, this is far too valuable. I can't take it. Besides, Big Dog left this for you."

"Enough nonsense. Take it."

Li Erniu stepped forward, grabbed Li Yi's hand, and firmly pressed the bow into it. "This is from my heart. You have to take it. I only have one request: hurry up and have a son. I absolutely cannot let those people feast on an heirless household!"

Hearing that, Liu Fang lowered her head shyly.

Li Yi hesitated for a moment. Seeing the extraordinary determination in Li Erniu's eyes, he nodded solemnly.

Only then did the wrinkles on Li Erniu's face ease.

Li Yi picked up the bow and examined it closely.

Just from the texture beneath his fingers, he could tell it was a fine thing.

He now had the strength of three shi. Ordinary bows truly were not worth looking at, while this bowstring was taut and utterly unmoving. The bow limbs slowly bent in his hands without a single creak, carrying only a deep, muted sense of power ready to burst forth.

With this bow, he would surely be able to bring his skill into full play.

After chatting with Li Erniu for a while, the two of them were driven out by him.

In his words, rather than keeping a cripple company and chatting, they might as well hurry home and make a baby.

Having a child early to carry on his family's incense was the proper business.

On the way back, Liu Fang kept her head lowered, her little face burning red.

They were nearly home when she finally asked, "Yi... Brother Yi, are we still going to the county town now?"

Li Yi nodded. "Let's go home first. After lunch, I'll head to the county town and buy some arrows."

"Alright."

When they returned home, Li Yue had already begun smoking the pork.

Li Yi walked over. "Little sister, let me help you."

Li Yue immediately revealed a sweet smile. Li Xin, whose body had not yet recovered enough for him to move about conveniently, could only watch from the side.

The three siblings' faces were filled with happy smiles, and that atmosphere spread to Liu Fang as well.

Compared to the stifling oppression at Li Erniu's house, she preferred Li Yi's home.

After lunch, Li Yi took out some copper coins and gave them to Li Yue.

"Yueyue, take Xiaoxin to the neighboring village and buy some salt."

The lack of salt at home was truly hard for Li Yi to bear. More importantly, only when his younger brother and sister were gone could he get down to business.

Li Yue agreed without another word and left the house with Li Xin.

After the two left, only Li Yi and Liu Fang remained in the house.

Liu Fang sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the corner of her clothes as she secretly glanced up at him.

Li Yi was wiping down that new bow, his hands stroking the patterns on its limbs, his expression focused and calm. The sun outside was high overhead, making the roots of her ears burn even hotter.

She bit her lip and suddenly asked softly, "Brother Yi, your brother and sister have both gone out. How about... how about you rest for a while?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she hastily lowered her head, her fingers tightening around her collar.

Li Yi set down the bow and looked at the shy woman before him. Her lightly flushed face, paired with the faintly visible skin beneath her clothes, gave off endless charm from head to toe.

Li Erniu's request also echoed in his ears.

"Xiaofang, you're beautiful."

"Brother Yi..." Before she could finish speaking, her red lips were sealed.

The whole room was filled with spring!

Happy times were not short-lived.

In the blink of an eye, nearly an hour had passed.

Li Yi leaned against the headboard, one arm around Liu Fang, looking somewhat helpless.

Still not enough. By rights, after my body has been strengthened so much, it should have lasted at least several hours. Looks like the environment still limited my performance. I'll have to move into a larger house someday.

At that moment, Liu Fang, lying in Li Yi's arms, suddenly asked a question.

"Brother Yi, was that person last night sent by Wang Dagui?"

"That's right. Are you afraid?"

Li Yi stroked Liu Fang's head. Some things had to be laid out in the open eventually.

Liu Fang nodded, then shook her head.

"With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

A smile flashed across Li Yi's face, and his gaze grew even firmer.

Though he had not been in this world for long, there were already things here he wanted to protect.

He withdrew his hand, rose, and put on his clothes.

"Rest at home for a while. I'm going to make a trip to the county town."

"Alright. Be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine!"

Li Yi then left the house. It was inconvenient to carry a bow and arrows into town, so he only brought the small knife he used for skinning.

He hurried along the entire way, taking more than half an hour to reach the town.

Li Yi headed straight for the most famous blacksmith shop in town. All kinds of weapons and farm tools were displayed inside, while the clanging of hammering iron rang out from behind the shop.

The one who received him was the blacksmith shop's proprietor, a lean old man.

Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids slightly. When he saw someone entering, he quickly rose to greet him.

"Esteemed customer, what would you like to buy?"

Li Yi looked at the dazzling array of bows on the walls. The most eye-catching were several horn bows hanging high in the center, their surfaces carrying a warm golden sheen. They truly were fine bows, but one look told him he could not afford them.

His gaze swept past them without lingering and finally settled on a row of arrows in the corner.

Li Erniu had given him a fine bow, so naturally it needed fine arrows.

"Shopkeeper, how much are these arrows?"

A sharp glint flashed through the shopkeeper's eyes as he lowered his voice. "Esteemed customer, you have a good eye. These are arrows that came out of the border army. Their heads are forged from refined iron, and their fletching comes from wild geese. They fly exceptionally steadily and pack quite a punch. Even a thick-skinned black bear couldn't withstand them."

As he spoke, he pulled out an arrow and handed it to Li Yi.

After inspecting it carefully, Li Yi nodded. "These arrows are indeed good."

The shopkeeper smiled. "I usually sell them for one hundred copper coins each. A full quiver has twelve arrows. I'll give you the lot for one tael of silver."

Li Yi considered it. Fine bows needed fine arrows. They were expensive, but they were worth the price.

After his Archery skill had leveled up, its new effect was armor-piercing. Together with these arrows, Li Yi believed that if he encountered that wild boar again, he would definitely be able to subdue it with ease.

Li Yi did not haggle. He then selected some ordinary arrowheads as well, to prepare for unexpected needs.

As the shopkeeper packed Li Yi's purchases, Li Yi casually asked, "Shopkeeper, do you know Wang Dagui?"

At the mention of Wang Dagui, the shopkeeper's face immediately filled with disgust.

"How could I not know him? That fellow is a notorious ruffian in our county. He relies on his connections to swagger around like a fox borrowing a tiger's might every day. Sigh, who knows how many respectable families he has ruined, leaving them shattered and scattered..."

The shopkeeper went on and on, but Li Yi picked out the most important point: Wang Dagui liked drinking tea, and he went to the teahouse on the neighboring street every day.

Only after listening to the shopkeeper ramble on for quite a while did Li Yi leave the blacksmith shop.

He did not hurry home. Instead, he turned and went to the grain shop next door to buy some food.

The bow had been a gift from Li Erniu. After buying the arrows, he still had quite a bit of money left.

He needed to stock up on more food. Otherwise, once he left, what would his younger brother and sister have to eat?