On the second day of March, the weather was fine.
Tu Dazhu was wearing a brand new blue cloth dress. The fabric was hand-selected by Liu Waner, and the stitching was fine. He stood at the door of Qin's shop, not knowing where to put his hands, with a silly smile on his face.
"Brother Qin, I, are my clothes okay?" He turned around, his movements as stiff as a log.
Qin Tiexin looked him over and nodded. "Very good."
It's really good. The clothes fit him well and the person is in good spirits. But his face is too tight due to nervousness, and his smile is unnatural.
Zhou Cang came out of the house on crutches, holding a red cloth bag in his hand. "Dazhu, take this."
Tu Dazhu took it and it was heavy. When he opened it, he saw that it was a set of brand-new blacksmithing tools - hammer, pliers, and files, all made of fine iron, with the word "Butcher" engraved on the handle.
"Teacher..." Tu Dazhu's eyes are a little red.
"When you have a family, you are an adult." Zhou Cang patted him on the shoulder, "Live a good life."
Liu Waner also came, wearing that light red dress with a small red flower on her hair. She saluted Qin Tiexin and Zhou Cang, and said softly, "Big Brother Qin, Teacher Zhou."
Qin Tiexin nodded and said nothing more.
The wedding was simple. Two tables were set up in the newly purchased courtyard of Tu Dazhu, and a few people from the shop were invited, as well as relatives of Liu Waner's mother's family. The dishes were cooked by the chef, including four meat and four vegetables, including fish and meat.
Zhou Cang was sitting at the main table, watching Tu Dazhu toast from table to table. The boy was so nervous that his hands were shaking and some of the wine spilled.
"Slow down." Qin Tiexin whispered.
"Eh, eh!" Tu Dazhu nodded repeatedly, raised his head and drank the wine, choking and coughing.
Liu Waner pursed her lips and smiled beside her, patting his back gently.
Zhou Cang looked at it and smiled, "This kid is lucky."
After dinner, they chatted about the wedding for a while, and then it got dark. Qin Tiexin and Zhou Cang returned to the shop, and the courtyard suddenly became quiet.
The moonlight shines in the yard, and the shadow of the old locust tree casts mottled shadows on the ground.
Qin Tiexin stood in the yard for a while and then went back to the house to sleep.
***
Tu Dazhu After moving out, there was one less person in the shop, and it suddenly became deserted.
During the day, Tu Dazhu still came to the shop to help. But he really didn't have the talent for blacksmithing - he had the strength, but he couldn't control the heat and force. When he hammered, it was either too light and the iron material did not deform, or it was too heavy and the forged shape was distorted.
After trying several times, Qin Tiexin said, "Please help me pull the bellows."
Tu Dazhu was a little frustrated, but still nodded. "Okay."
He stayed by the stove, blowing and blowing the bellows, and the firelight made his face flush. He occasionally handed over tools and moved iron materials, but he was very diligent.
This happened for half a month.
At noon that day, two people came outside the shop, wearing official uniforms of the Yamen.
"Is Tu Dazhu here?" the leader of the police asked.
Qin Tiexin put down the hammer. "What's going on?"
The police officer handed over his hand. "County Magistrate Wang please."
Tu Dazhu came out of the backyard with soot on his hands. "Looking for me?"
"Yes." said the policeman, "The county magistrate knows your status as Northern Army retired from the army and wants to see you."
Tu Dazhu looked at Qin Tiexin. Qin Tiexin nodded. "Go ahead."
Tu Dazhu washed his hands and followed.
When he came back in the evening, his expression was complicated.
"How to say?" Qin Tiexin asked.
Tu Dazhu rubbed his hands. "The county magistrate said... that the county government was in need of a catcher, and asked me if I would like to go. He said that I have good skills, and it was Northern Army who retired. I am familiar with swords and guns, and can control the situation. He also said that he would recommend him to the top..."
"Good thing." Qin Tiexin said.
"But Brother Qin," Tu Dazhu said anxiously, "I'm here to join you. This shop is in need of manpower, how can I leave?"
Qin Tiexin looked at him. "There are me and the teacher in the shop, and Zhou Nan. It's the right way for you to be the head catcher."
"But..."
"No but." Qin Tiexin interrupted him, "Go and do your best."
Tu Dazhu opened his mouth and finally lowered his head. "... Okay."
After a few days, the appointment was made. Tu Dazhu officially became the head catcher of Ink City county government, with a monthly salary of two taels of silver, plus subsidies. He received the first salary and used it all to buy meat and wine, and set up a table in the shop.
"Brother Qin, teacher, I'd like to toast you with this drink." Tu Dazhu held the wine, his eye circles a little red, "Without you, I, Tu Dazhu, wouldn't know where I would be hanging around now."
Qin Tiexin raised his glass, touched it with him, and drank it in one gulp.
The wine is very spicy and burns my throat.
***
A few weeks later, the two men in black who took Zhao Xuan away that night came.
This time they did not wear black clothes, but changed into ordinary blue cloth clothes, but the cold temperament was still there. In the evening, just as the shop was about to close, the two walked in.
Qin Tiexin was packing up his tools. When he looked up and saw them, the hammer in his hand paused.
"Qin Tiexin?" the leader asked. His voice was still the same, with no fluctuation.
"It's me." Qin Tiexin put down the hammer.
"Zhao Xuan's matter is settled." The man said directly, "According to the rules, I will abandon my cultivation and be assigned to serve in the mine for ten years. I will not trouble you again in the future."
To put it simply, it is like saying that someone who committed a crime was sent to a border guard.
Qin Tiexin nodded. "Thank you for letting me know."
The man glanced at him and his eyes stayed on his face for a moment. "You are good. It is rare to be able to resist Law Technique that night."
After saying that, the two turned around and left as simply as they came.
After they walked away, Zhou Cang came out of the back room, frowning. "The two people just now..."
"The one who took Zhao Xuan away last time." Qin Tiexin said.
Zhou Cang was silent for a while and lowered his voice. "What they said was 'abolition of cultivation'..."
"Teacher," Qin Tiexin interrupted him, "Some things are better not to know than to know."
Zhou Cang was stunned, nodded, and stopped asking.
***
The next day, Mr. Xue came.
She didn't bring many people with her, just a maid accompanying her, carrying a big gift box. She was wearing plain clothes and had a decent smile on her face.
"Master Qin, Master Zhou." She saluted with a very low posture.
Qin Tiexin put down what he was doing. "Is something wrong?"
Mrs. Xue asked the maid to put the gift box on the table, "A little thought is not enough to show respect."
When the gift box was opened, it contained fine fine iron and several complete pieces of leather, all of which were good for blacksmithing.
Qin Tiexin glanced at it. "What do you mean?"
Mr. Xue smiled and said, "Master Qin, a wise man doesn't tell secrets. He brought it upon himself for what happened to Zhao Ming, and we know it in our hearts. One of the reasons why I came here today is to apologize, and the other is to discuss something with Master Qin."
"Say."
"That elixir," Mr. Xue looked at Qin Tiexin, "Is an important thing to Heavenly Craft Workshop. We are willing to pay 10,000 taels of silver and ask Master Qin to return it."
Qin Tiexin's expression remained unchanged. "What kind of elixir? I've never seen it before."
Mr. Xue paused, and his smile remained unchanged, "Master Qin said he has never seen it, so he has never seen it. But please accept these gifts as a token of Heavenly Craft Workshop's gratitude. In the future, we will not make mistakes. If there are any complicated repair orders that Heavenly Craft Workshop cannot handle, you can also refer them to Master Qin."
The words were beautifully spoken and the posture was low enough.
Qin Tiexin was silent for a moment and nodded. "Take the gift away. Order referral, okay."
Ms. Xue didn't insist and asked the maid to put away the gift box. After saying a few words, she said goodbye and left.
After she left, Zhou Cang came out of the back room. "This woman is not simple."
"Yeah." Qin Tiexin responded.
"You believe her when she says she's going to expose it or not mention it?" Zhou Cang asked.
"I don't believe it," Qin Tiexin said, "But right now she won't move."
"Why?"
"Something happened to the Zhao family. She needs to stabilize Heavenly Craft Workshop." Qin Tiexin picked up the hammer again, "It will be difficult for the Xue family to cause trouble at this time."
Zhou Cang nodded. "You understand."
Qin Tiexin said nothing and hit the iron material with a hammer.
The jingle sounded and sparks flew.
***
The days pass day by day.
The shop's business is stable, and Zhou Nan is learning faster and faster. This child is worthy of being from a carpenter's family, with skillful hands and careful attention. Qin Tiexin taught him how to recognize the temperature of fire, how to see the color of iron, and how to use the force and angle of hammering down. He learned all of them seriously.
An eleven-year-old child can already make some simple small objects - nails, door knockers, and knives. Although he is still immature, he already has a look.
Zhou Cang's prosthetic limbs have become more and more familiar with use. Qin Tiexin has adjusted it several times, added soft pads, and modified the joints. Now Zhou Cang can stand for a long time while ironing, and his legs will not hurt. Although he cannot work for as long as before, he can do some repair work and give Zhou Nan some guidance, which is more than enough.
Qin Tiexin Looking at these, I slowly felt confident.
At night, he often took out the map of Lin Feng and looked at it. He had memorized the route from Ink City to the northwest. It had to pass through three mountains, two rivers, a desert, and finally the Jueling Mountains.
The road is long and difficult to walk.
But he has to go.
Not only for Illustrated Catalog of Ten Thousand Artifacts's mission, not only to see what the higher "Qi Dao" is like. But also because I promised Lin Feng to send the sword back.
And that premonition - Lin Feng might not be dead.
This idea has no basis, it is just a feeling. Just like when you are forging iron, you can tell by the feel of the iron that the iron is not fully burned.
***
One night in April, Zhou Cang came to see Qin Tiexin for a drink.
The two of them were sitting in the courtyard, with a plate of peanuts and a pot of shochu.
"Do you want to leave?" Zhou Cang took a sip of wine and asked directly.
Qin Tiexin did not deny. "Yeah."
"When?"
"It will take a while," Qin Tiexin said, "When Zhou Nan becomes more proficient, and when the shop is completely stable."
Zhou Cang nodded and poured himself another glass. "Tiexin, this shop is your root, but when your wings get hard, you will always fly higher. The crafts your master and I taught you are not meant to make you trapped here."
Qin Tiexin Silence.
"Go." Zhou Cang said, "Go and see what the real 'Qi Dao' is like. With me and Nanzi, the shop can't collapse. Dazhu is in the Yamen and can take care of it."
"Teacher..."
"Don't say those things about mother-in-law and mother-in-law." Zhou Cang waved his hand, "I have lived for most of my life and I can see clearly that you are not a creature in the pond. This Ink City is too small to accommodate you."
The two drank a few more drinks.
The moonlight shines coolly in the courtyard.
***
Another month has passed.
In early May, the weather became warmer. The locust trees in the shop had new leaves and were green.
Zhou Nan can already make ordinary kitchen knives and farm tools independently. Although it is not as good as Qin Tiexin, the knife edge is sharp and durable, and it is completely enough for ordinary people.
Zhou Cang stood by the fire for longer and longer, and sometimes he could grab the hammer and hit a few gadgets himself. His legs and feet became more agile, and he felt more energetic.
Tu Dazhu did a good job in the Yamen. He solved a few small cases, caught a few thieves, and gained a reputation among the neighbors. He often came to the shop, sometimes bringing snacks made by Liu Waner, and sometimes just sitting and talking about interesting things in the Yamen.
Everything is on track.
Qin Tiexin Looking at these, I knew it was time.
On the fifth day of May, he packed his things. He took five hundred taels of silver notes with him, and left the remaining money for Zhou Cang and Zhou Nan. Edgeless Saber wrapped it in cloth and carried it on his back. Lin Feng's sword was wrapped tightly in oilcloth and tied around his waist. The dry food, water bag, fire seal, and map were all checked one by one.
Early morning on the sixth day of May.
It's not bright yet, and the east is glowing fish-belly white.
Qin Tiexin was carrying his luggage and standing at the door of the shop. Zhou Cang, Zhou Nan, and Tu Dazhu all came and stood in front of him.
"Just send it here." Qin Tiexin said.
Tu Dazhu's eyes were red. "Brother Qin, do you really want to leave?"
"Yeah." Qin Tiexin patted him on the shoulder, "Be a good catcher and treat Wan'er well."
"I know!" Tu Dazhu nodded vigorously.
Zhou Nan bit his lip and said nothing. This child is sensible and knows that he cannot keep him.
Zhou Cang leaned on a cane and looked at him. "Be careful on the road."
"Yes." Qin Tiexin nodded, "Teacher, I'll leave the shop to you."
"Don't worry."
Qin Tiexin looked at the three of them again. "No matter what the future holds, I will definitely come back to see you every five years."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the city gate.
Steady steps, step by step.
The morning light gradually brightened, shining on his broad back. The luggage was heavy, and the knife and sword swayed gently by his side with his steps.
He didn't look back.
The city gate opened, and the soldiers guarding the city yawned. Qin Tiexin handed over the road guide. The soldiers took a look and waved to let him go.
After leaving the city, we set foot on the official road to the northwest.
The road is still long.
Qin Tiexin adjusted the position of the bag and continued walking forward.
Behind him, the outline of Ink City gradually blurred in the morning fog.
Ahead, mountains stretch, leading to an unknown world.
He took a deep breath and quickened his pace.
(Volume 2, end)