Chapter 137

137 Preparing
Li Yu smiled and said, “Uncle, I’m here to get you to make something.” As she spoke, she took out the blueprint and handed it to Carpenter Chen. “This is called a catapult. I want to place it at the entrance of the village and the low mountain to deal with those bandits. I’ll have to trouble you to help me make it quickly.”
“Let me see.” Carpenter Chen took the blueprint and looked at it for a while before pointing at it and asking, “Xiaoyu, what are these two things and what is this long one for?”
Li Yu pointed at the blueprint and explained, “The long one is a lever long arm. The small yoke at the top of the long arm is used to carry stones and shoot them out. The short one is called a lever short arm. The large yoke at the top of the short arm is filled with stones to act as a sink.”
After hearing this, Carpenter Chen thought for a moment. “I understand. It’s not difficult to make this thing. Hardwood and iron sheet. My family has bull tendons, rhododendrons, and wood. Go back and prepare a few long ropes that are stronger. Then, look for the old village chief and ask him to make a few cauldrons according to your instructions.”
“Alright, I’ll go now.” Li Yu turned around and went to the old village chief to get him to weave a few round felts the size of dustpans. The old village chief nodded. “Got it. Go busy yourself. I’ll make the bamboo felt at your Uncle Carpenter’s house.”
When Zhou Jia arrived at the village, he told the long-term workers about the situation last night and said to them, “The government has already closed the city gates and doesn’t care about our lives anymore. If the bandits gather more people, they will definitely kill us all once the village is broken. Only by working together can we survive.”
Foreman Lin Dashan bowed to Zhou Jia and said, “Mr. Zhou, feel free to instruct us. We would not have a stable life without you taking us in.”
The other dozen or so workers also said, “That’s right! Mr. Zhou, just instruct us. We know what’s good for us.”
Zhou Jia cupped his hands at them. “Thank you, everyone. Then come with me to pick up the stones and transport them to the village entrance and the two short mountain passes.”
“Okay, we’re on our way.”
Zhou Jia brought the workers down the mountain and carried the stones to the village entrance. When Chen Yaozu saw this, he said to Zhou Jia, “Mr. Zhou, you’re a scholar. How can I let you do these things? Just go back and rest and leave it to me.” As Chen Yaozu spoke, he pushed Zhou Jia back.
Zhou Jia smiled. “Uncle Chen, these things are not difficult. I can’t just watch everyone be busy and not do anything!”
Seeing that Zhou Jia insisted on going, Chen Yaohui could only let go. “You have to be careful not to hurt yourself.”
“Okay, I’ll take note. Thank you.”
Brother Yang led Yang Chun through the cold for five to six days and arrived at a forest called Wild Boar Ridge a hundred miles away from Tongzhou City. He entered the mountain and found a group of bandits gathered there.
Brother Yang found the bandit boss of Wild Boar Ridge. The boss was actually the third-in-charge of Clear Wind Ridge, Lone Wolf.
Lone Wolf looked at Brother Yang with mockery in his eyes. “Didn’t you build another stronghold? Why do you have the time to see me?”
Brother Yang bowed to Lone Wolf and said, “Brother, many of my brothers died when I encountered a powerful enemy. Please help me by selling me a few bows.”
Lone Wolf looked at Brother Yang and thought to himself, What an ungrateful dog. He was unwilling to be my second-in-command. Now that he’s here to beg me, I have to extort him.
Lone Wolf made up his mind and said slowly, “The bow is not cheap. As long as you can afford it, I will sell it!”
When Brother Yang saw Lone Wolf’s eyes darting around, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to buy the bow without paying a high price today. He bowed to Brother Yang and said, “Big Brother, as long as you sell the bow to me, give me a number. I’ll pay even if I have to sell everything.”
Lone Wolf smiled sinisterly at Brother Yang and raised three fingers. “I’ll give you four bows for this number.”
Brother Yang chuckled. “Big Brother, do you mean thirty taels?”
“Pfft,” Lone Wolf spat at him. “You’re so shameless. You can’t even buy one for thirty taels of silver during the Taiping Era. A bow is three hundred taels of silver, and an arrow is twenty taels of silver. I’ll give you fifty at most.”
Brother Yang estimated the money in his bag and smiled. “Yes, why not? I want four bows. Brother, prepare 50 arrows for me.”
“Alright, I’ll get someone to get it for you.” Lone Wolf touched his chin and looked at Brother Yang, thinking to himself that it had only been two months, and Brother Yang had already gotten so much money. It seemed that there were many rich people in Tongzhou.
“Yang Changkun, Tongzhou looks good! You’ve only been there for a few days! You’ve already earned so much money?”
Seeing Lone Wolf’s sarcastic look, Brother Yang handed over the silver and said with a smile, “Big Brother, it’s all the silver that everyone gathered. They took out their life savings just to take revenge.”
Lone Wolf counted the silver and laughed out loud. “Revenge? You’re still looking for revenge? Then I’m afraid there are countless people looking for you to take revenge!
“This… this…” Brother Yang smiled awkwardly. At this moment, Lone Wolf’s subordinate took out the bow and arrows. Lone Wolf waved at Brother Yang and said, “Take them and leave! Don’t come again. My eyes hurt when I see you.”
“Thank you, Big Brother. I’ll take my leave.” Brother Yang did not care about Lone Wolf’s disdainful expression at all. He picked up his bow and arrows and went down the mountain with Yang Chun.
Li Yu brought Carpenter Chen to make three catapults. The larger one was placed at the village entrance.
The people of the village had all arrived. Someone pulled down the lever and put the lid on the big stone in the kiln. Then he sealed the stone in the kiln with a rope. Next, he pulled down the lever and put the stone into the sling with his long arms. He let go of the sinking of the rope and the stone in the sling at the top of his long arms flew out like a cannonball and hit the open ground outside the village.
“It did fly out,” everyone cheered.
“Sister, you’re really amazing.” Li Qing looked at Li Yu proudly. Li Yu blushed and said awkwardly, “It’s not that I’m amazing, but the person who taught me is amazing.”
When everything was ready, the villagers felt much more at ease. After a few days, they did not see any bandits coming to harass the village. The villagers’ tense hearts also relaxed. Some villagers even let down their guard.
That evening, when Li Yu arrived at the village entrance, she saw Chun Sheng and He Tiezhu, who were supposed to be patrolling in front of the village entrance, sleeping by the fire in the shed. Li Yu woke them up. “Chun Sheng, Tiezhu, weren’t you patrolling? Why are you asleep?”
He Tiezhu lowered his head and did not dare to look at Li Yu. Chun Sheng glanced at Li Yu and smiled indifferently. “Xiaoyu, look, they haven’t been here for so many days. I don’t think they dare to come. Even if they come, Brother Zhao Cai and the others are still guarding the village!”
Seeing that he didn’t care, Li Yu turned around and left. She returned to the village and found Chen Yaohui. She said to Chen Yaohui worriedly, “Uncle, you have to tell everyone not to let their guard down. Otherwise, something big will happen.”
Chen Yaohui comforted Li Yu. “Xiaoyu, don’t worry too much. Half a month has passed. They suffered so many casualties last time. I think they must be afraid of us and don’t dare to come.”
When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Chen Yaohui was still the same as before. He was too carefree and didn’t know the viciousness of the human heart.