A shirtless burly man walked out of the room next to him and said in a stiff tone: "Who's looking for me?"
The big man not only looks strong, but also has a loud voice.
When Yang Yuan saw the big man, he cupped his hands and said, "I'm still here, Blacksmith Zhao."
"It's you! What's wrong? I brought the money this time." Blacksmith Yang glanced at Yang Yuan, and finally his eyes fell on Liu Heng not far away.
Yang Yuan looked at Liu Heng involuntarily.
At this time, Liu Heng retracted his gaze from the ironware in the shop, turned around, and said with a smile: "Master Zhao, I came here because of the firecrackers."
The first time he was called master by a guest, Blacksmith Zhao was startled. Feeling the respect of the other party, he said: "Come in with me!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the house next to him, followed by Liu Heng and Yang Yuan.
After passing through a door, Liu Heng discovered that this room could only be regarded as a passing room. The back was connected to the backyard. There was a well in the middle of the yard, and the sound of tinkling iron came from the backyard.
Blacksmith Zhao did not take Liu Heng to the backyard, but sat down at a wooden table in the living room.
"Rumi gun!"
Liu Heng's eyes lit up and he walked over quickly.
Hanging on two wooden wedges on the wall was a firecracker about six feet long.
The machine, the medicine pool, the faucet... including the steel knife at the end of the bed, everything is so eye-catching.
"It seems that this little brother is also a person who knows things." Blacksmith Zhao turned his back to the wall with the gun hanging, picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a glass of water.
Coming to the wall, Liu Heng gently touched the gun body with his hand and said softly: "It weighs seven kilograms and is six feet long. This is the Lumi gun developed by Lord Zhao Shizhen in the 26th year of Wanli."
"It seems that you really know the goods. I didn't know about the flower stand that I came here before." Blacksmith Zhao glanced at Yang Yuan aside, "I have also seen the things. I told you the price last time. There is no room for negotiation. Decide for yourself whether you want it or not. .”
"Yes, as long as the quality is good, we can have as many as we want." Liu Heng couldn't put it down and touched the Lumi gun on the wall. Even in the forty-seventh year of Wanli, this thing was still the strongest fire gun in the Ming Dynasty.
Blacksmith Zhao said with a proud look on his face: "Don't worry, the quality of the products produced by my Zhao family's blacksmith shop will never be reduced even if there is a problem. Even if it breaks my sign."
Liu Heng reluctantly looked away from the Lumi gun, turned his head and said to Yang Yuan: "Prepare fifty taels of silver, which is the deposit for twenty fire guns."
After hearing this, Yang Yuan walked to the wooden table and took out three ingots of silver ingots from his arms. Two ingots worth twenty taels and one ingot worth ten taels were placed on the table and pushed to Blacksmith Zhao.
Blacksmith Zhao took the silver and called his apprentice to weigh it on a scale. After confirming that the fifty taels were correct, he asked his apprentice to put it away.
"The blacksmith shop will pick up the goods in a month." Blacksmith Zhao, who had received the silver, was obviously in a good mood, and his informal smile melted a little.
"It's too long." Liu Heng shook his head and said, "I'll come to pick up the goods in half a month. I don't want the steel knife at the end of the bed. Give it to me with lead bullets or steel balls. If you have gunpowder, prepare some. Don't worry about the quantity. If you have I will pay you as much silver as you want."
Blacksmith Zhao shook his head, "The time is too short. It takes a lot of time to drill the barrel. If the barrel is not drilled well, the entire gun will be useless."
"Twenty days." Liu Heng stretched out two fingers and said, "You also need to prepare enough gunpowder and lead bullets for me. If it can be completed in twenty days, I am willing to pay fifty yuan more for each fire gun."
Blacksmith Zhao frowned and pondered for a while, then said: "The lead bullets are easy to say, the quantity of gunpowder is not too much, gunpowder is available in the iron factory, you can buy it from the iron factory."
Liu Heng smiled and said: "Yes, but for the time being, I still need your help, Master Zhao, to prepare more."
"That's no problem. I'll make money just like selling you gunpowder." Blacksmith Zhao pointed to the teapot at hand and said, "Would you two like some tea?"
"No need, we have other things to do, so we'll take our leave now. We'll come back in twenty days." Liu Heng has other things to do. Now that the fire gun matter has been resolved, there is no need to stay.
"Let me see you two off." Blacksmith Zhao stood up.
"Don't bother Master Zhao to send it off. We can just walk a few steps ourselves." Liu Heng bowed his hand to Blacksmith Zhao.
"Then I won't send you off, Zhao. Let's go slowly." Seeing Liu Heng and the others about to walk out, Tiejiang Zhao suddenly said, "Are you two going to Chen Dafu?"
After hearing this, Liu Heng suddenly stopped his stepping leg, turned around slowly, and said with a smile: "I don't quite understand what Master Zhao means."
Blacksmith Zhao said: "For the sake of you calling me Master Zhao a few times, whether you go to find Chen Dafu or not, I have a piece of advice."
Liu Heng smiled and said: "Master Zhao, it doesn't matter if you say so."
Zhao Tiejiang said: "Chen Dafu is nothing, he is just a poor man, but behind him is the Xu family. You two may not know it. In Lingqiu, even the county magistrate has to show courtesy to the Xu family."
"Thank you, Master Zhao, for the tip. I'll remember it." Liu Heng didn't say to go to Chen Dafu or not to go. He turned around and left the blacksmith shop with Yang Yuan.
After the two of them left, Blacksmith Zhao sat back on his seat and poured himself a cup of cold boiled water from the teapot.
At this time, the blacksmith shop boy who was guarding the front shop came back to the hallway and said: "Second uncle, those two people are not good people at first glance. Why should we sell them firecrackers? This thing is a murder weapon. Ordinary people I won’t buy it, and even if I buy it, I may not be able to use it.”
Blacksmith Zhao frowned and said with dissatisfaction: "How many times have I told you that if your second uncle is not in the blacksmith shop, you must call me master."
"Yes, I understand, Master." The blacksmith shop boy shrank his neck.
Blacksmith Zhao said: "Whether they are good people or not has nothing to do with us. They give us money and we sell their things. As for what they do with these things, it has nothing to do with us. Our names are not engraved on the firecrackers, and the government can't find us. Come here."
………………
Most of the people living in Dongcheng are poor people, while Xicheng is where the wealthy people in Lingqiu live. The county government is in Xicheng, and the best restaurant in Lingqiu County is also in Xicheng.
Liu Heng rode a horse and walked on the streets of Xicheng. Compared with the roads paved with coal ash and slag in Dongcheng, the roads in Xicheng were made of connected bluestones. The sewers on both sides were often cleaned, so there was no smell.
Compared with Dongcheng, Xicheng seems to have become a different place.
Across a street from Dongcheng to Xicheng is the Yamen. Continuing along the main road is the iconic Drum Tower. There are many shops on both sides of the street, such as rouge and gouache, cloth shops, and porcelain shops... all of which are famous. Things that people often use.
The heat of the dog days started relatively early, and it was impossible to stay under the scorching sun. The two officers guarding the yamen gate all hid under the shade of a tree to enjoy the shade.
Liu Heng rode up to the notice board in front of the Yamen. There was a huge notice posted on it with white paper, occupying most of the notice board.
The content on the notice was not complicated. It just said that Tiancheng Guards wiped out a group of bandits. The bandit leader and several important leaders were also beheaded. Among the names of the beheaded anti-leaders were his and Li Shuheng's names. It said According to the official seal of the inspector.
After seeing the content on the notice, Liu Heng smiled and said, "Let's go back to Dongcheng."
The restaurant was on another street, and with the sound of horse hooves, Liu Heng disappeared from the street in front of the Yamen.
