Half Right

Shen Chu glanced over,

and Zhao Dezhu's close associates naturally got meat and vegetables,

while the masters who were being pushed aside ate food that was truly hard to describe,

In his previous life, Shen Chu had been short on money for a while and had eaten cheap, bare-bones meals for some time. What these masters were eating was about the same as those meals,

but these masters did physical labor. How could they get by on such meager food alone?

They either had to spend their own money to supplement their meals,

or slack off a little while working. But then Zhao Dezhu would dock their pay!

Looking at the masters in the courtyard, gathered in small groups and whispering among themselves, Shen Chu couldn't help but sigh inwardly,

Wherever there are people, there's bound to be a world of intrigue.

Zhao Dezhu looked simple and honest, with a harmless smile on his face, but he was an absolute master at workplace politics.

Divide and win people over, push dissenters to the margins, boil the frog slowly...

He had gotten every step just right, avoiding any fierce backlash while steadily chipping away at the others' power.

In a later age, he'd probably have made a fine boss,

and even if he couldn't be a boss, he'd make a fine dog for one.

If Shen Chu hadn't had Master Sun's backing, Zhao Dezhu would probably have set his sights on him, too.

As he thought about it, he chewed on the braised pork in his mouth and suddenly felt a little sorry for Li Chengwen.

That foolish young man was probably walking along some trade route with Master Li at that very moment, full of excitement. He thought this was the beginning of a thaw in their father-son relationship, and that his good days were finally about to begin,

but he had no idea that someone had already been quietly emptying out his own backyard.

When he came back and found that most of the masters in the Sword-Forging Courtyard had gone over to Zhao Dezhu and Li Jiwu, who knew if that smile would still stay on his chubby face?

"Don't think too much about it, Xiao Shen." Master Sun sighed, then patted him on the shoulder.

"We draw our wages from the Li Family. As long as we forge our blades properly and do our jobs honestly, Zhao Dezhu won't do anything to us."

"Yeah."

Shen Chu nodded and stopped dwelling on it.

That evening, the Sword-Forging Courtyard put out its fires and wrapped up for the day.

Shen Chu was tidying up the tools on his workbench when Zhao Dezhu came over with his hands behind his back and a beaming smile.

"Brother Shen, finished work?"

What's this fellow doing here?

Though Shen Chu gave nothing away, he nodded at Zhao Dezhu and smiled amiably. Inside, he was already on guard.

"Some of the brothers from the courtyard and I are getting together tonight. If you're free, Brother Shen, why don't you come join us?"

Looking at Zhao Dezhu's smiling face, Shen Chu couldn't help sighing inwardly.

All he wanted was to forge iron and practice his skills in peace. He had no interest in getting caught up in the fight over the family fortune between the elder and younger brothers.

He remembered Master Sun's instructions from earlier, then politely declined. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Manager Zhao. I really appreciate it. It's just that Master Sun said we still have to forge another batch of blades tonight, so I'm afraid..."

Zhao Dezhu glanced at the extinguished forge. How could he not know Shen Chu was making an excuse?

He wasn't annoyed. He only chuckled. "Of course, of course. If Master Sun gave you an order, then the work comes first."

With that, he didn't wait for Shen Chu to reply. He turned around and strolled away with his hands behind his back.

Zhao Dezhu then went around to the other forges and said the same thing to the others.

Unlike Shen Chu, those men readily agreed, thanking Zhao Dezhu again and again.

Beaming, Zhao Dezhu greeted them all, then turned to leave.

Before going, he looked over at Shen Chu once more.

Shen Chu was still tidying his workbench without hurrying.

Inside Zhao Dezhu's room,

several low stools were set around a small square table.

On the table sat a plate of peanuts, a dish of roast chicken, a platter of braised beef, and a steaming basin of fish-head and tofu stew,

along with two jars of fine liquor.

The men who had accepted the invitation looked at the spread, swallowing without even realizing it.

To be honest, the dishes weren't especially lavish,

but for these bladesmiths, who usually pinched every penny, this was a rare feast.

"Come on, what are you all standing around for? Sit down!"

Zhao Dezhu greeted everyone with a broad smile. He popped open the liquor jars and filled everyone's cups.

After a few rounds, the conversation began to flow.

A burly man picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing a couple of times, he said with heartfelt gratitude, "Brother Zhao, honestly, if you hadn't put in a good word with the Second Young Master and kept me on, I'd probably have been sent packing by now. You don't know how hard I used to work in the courtyard—harder than an ox—and after a month, I still didn't earn enough to buy my mother two doses of medicine. Since I started following you, the work's gotten easier and the pay's gone up. Last month, my mother even got to eat a hen to build up her strength!"

A tall, lanky man beside him nodded again and again, raising his cup to Zhao Dezhu. "You can say that again! I worked in the courtyard for two years and couldn't even earn the title of a full-fledged bladesmith. Brother Zhao raised my pay by half a grade as soon as he arrived. These days, my wife even smiles when she sees me! I drink to you!"

Another, younger fellow quickly chimed in. "Brother Zhao, my father's legs are bad, and I'm the only breadwinner in the family. We used to live hand to mouth; we couldn't even afford a pound of meat for New Year. Thanks to you, I finally bought some good medicinal plasters for my father this month and took home three pounds of meat! My father told me to make sure I thanked you properly!"

Listening to everyone offer their thanks, one after another, Zhao Dezhu kept a warm smile on his face.

He took a sip from his cup, then waved his hand. "Don't say that. I came from a poor family, too. I couldn't even get enough to eat when I was a child, so I know how hard life can be. People like us weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths. If we want to survive and live well, we can only help one another."

Then he set down his cup and looked around at everyone seated at the table. "Since I, Zhao Dezhu, have become a minor manager, I have to live up to everyone's trust. I can't promise to make you all rich, but I'll do everything I can to make sure our poor brothers have enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and money for medicine when someone at home gets sick. That's my greatest wish."

His words were so heartfelt that everyone present was moved.

The scarred man slammed his hand on the table, his eyes reddening. "Brother Zhao! With those words, my life is yours! From now on, if you tell me to go east, I won't take a single step west!"

The tall, lanky man also jumped to his feet, overcome with excitement. "That's right! Don't worry, Brother Zhao. We'll all listen to you from now on!"

The quick-witted young fellow's eyes shifted. Then, with a hint of flattery in his voice, he said, "Brother Zhao, from now on, we'll serve you and the Second Young Master faithfully!"

At that, Zhao Dezhu's smile didn't change, but he gently shook his head and pointed at the young fellow, correcting him with a chuckle. "Ah, you're only half right!"