Chapter 23: Blacksmith Li's Workshop

Four or five loafers were sauntering down the street toward them. They casually grabbed fruit from the stalls and ate it without paying, while the vendors, though seething with anger, dared not say a word.

"Big Brother, let's go. They didn't really do anything to me," Tian Xi'er whispered.

That was still molesting a civilian woman! Verbal harassment was a form of sexual harassment!

These bastards were truly asking for death, daring to harass someone under his protection!

Lin Feng, accompanied by an equally indignant Liu Xi, marched straight toward the hoodlums. The leader of the gang saw the two approaching and was just about to twist his face in a sneer to lash out.

"Bang!"

Lin Feng’s left fist suddenly shot out, slamming heavily into the man's face, while his right foot delivered a flying kick to the abdomen of the thug standing next to him. Both men let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.

At this point, Liu Xi joined the fray. Like tigers descending from the mountains into a flock of sheep, the two moved with ruthless precision. Every blow targeted a vital point, ending the conflict in a single strike. The thugs, having never encountered such agile and vicious opponents, were instantly terrified. Not daring to stand back up, they curled on the ground, wailing and feigning death.

Lin Feng roared, "Get lost!"

As if granted a divine decree, the leader scrambled up, and he and his cohorts fled in a chaotic, crawling mess.

The surrounding villagers applauded Lin Feng and Liu Xi like heroes; clearly, they had long suffered under the bullying of these thugs. Tian Xi'er looked on with pure admiration. Although she had seen Lin Feng fight before, this was nothing like the time he had used a big stick to whack someone’s backside.

Lin Feng waved his hand with a swagger and returned to his stall. Xiao Die asked worriedly, "Big Brother, what if they don't give up and come back for us?"

"If they dare to show their faces again, I guarantee next time I'll beat them so hard even their own parents won't recognize them!"

No one understood these types of thugs better than Lin Feng. They were only capable of bullying honest, simple-minded folk. Of course, there were exceptions—if they had their own territory or business, they were a step above, and they would fight tooth and nail to protect their turf. However, they would still tuck their tails when they met someone even more ruthless.

Fighting poison with poison and violence with violence was the best way to handle them. Lin Feng had plenty of experience; many of the notorious thugs in the alleys of Chu Capital had been straightened out by him, and they wouldn't even dare breathe loudly when they saw him.

The entire scene had been observed by a man and a woman on the second floor of a nearby building.

The man chuckled. "That fellow has some real skills. It wasn't the chaotic brawling of street hoodlums, nor was it just flashy, empty movements. It looked like techniques for killing on the battlefield—no wasted motion, every strike precise and ruthless."

The woman nodded. She looked at the candied hawthorns glistening seductively in the sunlight, then back at the man. She hadn't expected to find someone so extraordinary in a remote, rural town. She stood up, picked up the sword from the table, and said, "Let's go. It's time to head out."

Perhaps because Lin Feng’s thrashing of the thugs had won the admiration of the townspeople, he managed to sell not just his candied hawthorns, but also a good portion of the ten pounds of spiced peanuts he had brought, with only half a bag remaining. By noon, they were able to pack up and head back.

"Little sister, can your sweetheart’s family cast large iron pots?" Lin Feng asked.

"Brother Lin, I told you, he's not my..." Tian Xi'er’s expression dimmed, likely recalling the events of the previous night.

"You have to face what you have to face. It must be resolved. Let's go, we’ll take a look at Li He’s blacksmith shop."

Tian Xi'er was slightly stunned. She realized Brother Lin must have heard the argument at her house the night before. Sighing, she felt a sense of chaos and helplessness.

The four of them left the town and went to the neighboring village to the blacksmith shop, which had "Li's Blacksmith Shop" written over the door. An elderly man was hammering away at a piece of red-hot iron.

"Uncle Li!" Tian Xi'er called out to the old man.

When the old man saw it was Tian Xi'er, his face lit up. "Ah, Xi'er is here! Li He is inside studying!" He shouted loudly, "Li He! Xi'er is here!"

Behind the shop was their living quarters. A refined and clean-looking young man quickly ran out, looking at Tian Xi'er with joy. "You came at the perfect time. I just bought some pastries from Pingxiang Bakery in town. Come, have some."

It was clear that Li He was deeply interested in Tian Xi'er, though her expression remained indifferent—a classic case of the falling flower having affection, while the flowing water remained uninterested.

"Li He, this is Brother Lin, Xiao Die, and Liu Xi."

Li He finally looked at the three of them and bowed politely. "Brother Lin, Sister Xi'er speaks of you often."

*Why does she talk about me so often?* Lin Feng smiled. "Brother Li He, I’m looking to have a few large iron pots made. Is that possible?"

Li He turned to the old man. "Father, Brother Lin needs some large iron pots."

Old Man Li wiped the sweat from his face, put the cooled iron back into the furnace, and smiled. "I have a few ready-made ones here. Take a look and see if they work for you."

Lin Feng walked into the shop, and Old Man Li brought over a few pots from the corner. Lin Feng examined them carefully; they were thick and heavy, and the surfaces were reasonably smooth. For a small blacksmith shop, these were quite good.

Lin Feng selected four pots—three large and one small. For his next venture, a food stall, he would need at least three stoves, so a single pot wouldn't suffice. He needed one for boiling, one for stewing, and one for stir-frying. Looking around the shop, he saw that most of the items were standard farm tools.

"Uncle Li, can you forge an iron sword?"

"No problem."

"What about a bow and arrows?"

"What does Young Master Lin need a bow and arrows for?"

"Hunting."

"While the authorities don't forbid the crafting of bows and arrows, I haven't done it much and fear I might not do a good job. However, I do have a bow here that was left behind by a traveler over two years ago. He never came back for it, so he likely doesn't want it. There are only five arrows, but I can certainly make more for you."

As he spoke, Old Man Li retrieved a bow from the corner. Lin Feng inspected it closely. The bow body was made of water buffalo horn, uniform in length and thickness. The inner side was bonded with high-quality fish maw glue, the layers tightly sealed, and it was wrapped with cow tendon threads. It was, surprisingly, an exquisitely crafted and sturdy bow.

"Uncle Li, I’ll take this bow. Add the iron pots, the sword, and thirty arrows—tell me the price."

"Four taels of silver should be enough."

This bow alone was worth at least four taels, and the pots and sword were worth at least two. Ironware was not cheap in this era, so four taels was a very fair price. Perhaps Old Man Li didn't know the true value of the bow, or perhaps he felt it wasn't worth much since it was left behind. Or, more likely, he gave a low price because Lin Feng was a friend of Tian Xi'er—it was clear the old man thought very highly of her.

And why wouldn't he? Tian Xi'er was not only beautiful but also intelligent, literate, and skilled at needlework. She stood out not just in this village, but even in the county seat.