Chapter Thirty: How Could That Be?

More than four hundred young women, wives, and elderly matrons of Zhang Village were busy transforming powdered black powder into granulated black powder, working with fervent enthusiasm.

"Sir, the speed at which Factory Manager Bao and his team produce gunpowder is too slow; we have to stop and wait for them every so often," said seventeen-year-old Yang Dani, a guard in the inner courtyard of Zhang Chen's estate.

Yang Dani was a native of Zhang Village, one of six in her family, including three younger siblings. Her parents were both in poor health, and their family was so impoverished they often struggled to put food on the table. However, the standing Zhang Village Militia received three meals a day, trained daily, and enjoyed meat with every meal. Unable to get enough to eat at home, Yang Dani had hoped to join the militia to earn those three daily meals. When she went to sign up, she happened to run into Zhang Chen. At the time, the militia was not accepting women, but upon learning of her situation, Zhang Chen hired her as a guard for his inner courtyard.

Currently, there were only a dozen people in the inner courtyard, and since her duties as a guard were light, Yang Dani took it upon herself to help with chores. Having been accustomed to farm work and housework at home, she was not one to sit idle. A few hours earlier, Xia Hua had taken the other women of the household to seek refuge in Fushan County, but Yang Dani, unwilling to flee, had stayed behind to help. With manpower in short supply, Zhang Chen had put her in charge of leading the women of the village in processing the gunpowder.

"No need to rush. Work slowly, Dani, and keep a close watch on fire safety," Zhang Chen said with a smile. Bao Wulin and his men had to crush saltpeter and refine it, then crush sulfur and extract it, and finally mix the saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal in specific proportions; naturally, their progress was slow.

"We are forbidden from bringing fire-starters into the workshop, and I have strictly prohibited smoking and open flames. I am watching them closely, sir, so please rest assured," Yang Dani replied, giving Zhang Chen a crisp, standard military salute. A few days prior, Zhang Chen had taught the military salute of the 21st-century Chinese People's Army to Zhang Da'an and Zhang Er'an. The two men had then taught the salute to the militia members during training, and by now, most of the people in Zhang Village had learned it.

"Work hard, comrades! Once we repel the pirates, I will issue bonuses to everyone," Zhang Chen encouraged the women. Amidst their laughter and playful cheering, he left the gunpowder workshop and headed to the improvised hand-grenade workshop.

"Sir, this pile is four thousand five hundred units," said Yao Guangsheng, the supervisor of the grenade workshop. "We should be able to produce over six thousand by nightfall." It was currently the start of the You hour (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM), and Zhang Chen was satisfied with their progress.

At 7:15 PM, Qi Dazhi, the thousand-man commander of the Qishan Battalion, arrived at Zhang Village on horseback with one hundred of his personal retainers. At that moment, Zhang Chen was collecting cloth bags donated by the villagers. The militia lacked standard military haversacks, and with the battle imminent, Zhang Chen had to borrow bags from the villagers to carry the grenades.

"Uncle Qi, select all the bags that can hold five or six grenades," Zhang Chen said, tugging at the straps the villagers had rushed to sew onto the bags. "They worked so hard to add these straps as requested—what wonderful people they are!"

Handing the work over to Qi Guoshu, Zhang Chen welcomed Qi Dazhi and invited him into the front courtyard parlor. "Brother Qi, I am about to face a battle. Have you come to support Zhang Village?"

"This afternoon, we captured two pirates. Upon interrogation, we learned that the Zhifu Island pirates plan to raid Zhang Village tonight. It seems you are already aware. The world has grown increasingly chaotic these years; bandits, pirates, and marauders are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. Everyone must look to their own defense." Qi Dazhi took a sip of water. "The magistrate is your father-in-law, yet he wouldn't dare move the thousand militia troops from the county seat to Zhang Village. Similarly, we in the Qishan Battalion dare not act rashly. We must all pray for our own safety. When the pirates attack my battalion, I would not expect rescue from your village, brother."

"Old Qi, let me clarify: Old Tian—Tian Xuewen—is no longer my father-in-law." Zhang Chen showed him the formal separation agreement written in Tian Xuewen’s own hand. He laughed, "Thinking the pirates or sea bandits would kill me tonight, Old Tian was afraid his second daughter, Tian Yachun, would become a widow. He wrote this in advance to cast me, his son-in-law, aside."

"That can't be right. Tian Xuewen would never voluntarily write a separation agreement. And you, brat—you know the Zhifu Island pirates and the Futou Village sea bandits are attacking tonight, yet you don't run? This is abnormal!" Qi Dazhi chided him. "You must have been eager for him to write it, and the magistrate must have fallen for your trick. Most importantly, do you really have the confidence to repel both the Zhifu Island pirates and the Futou Village sea bandits? That is impossible!"

"Bandits, robbers, pirates—they are all nothing but paper tigers," Zhang Chen said with a smile. "Just wait. By next autumn at the latest, our Zhang Village will have wiped out every bandit and pirate in Fushan County and its surrounding waters."

"A lofty ambition, Brother Zhang!" Qi Dazhi didn't believe a word of it. He cursed inwardly, thinking that empty boasting was useless. *Boy, if you can just survive tonight's attack, that will be enough!*

"Brother Qi, Old Qi, something feels off. There might be a conspiracy." Zhang Chen stroked his chin, then touched his nose. "The Zhifu Island pirates and the Futou Village sea bandits are shouting from the rooftops that they will attack Zhang Village tonight. Brother Qi, could they be using a feint? Could the true target of the Zhifu Island pirates actually be your Qishan Battalion?"

"Unlikely. Pirates never act without the prospect of gain. Today, the Qingzhou Trading House delivered over ten ships of supplies to you. To be honest, not just the pirates—even I am envious," Qi Dazhi scolded him. "To purchase ten ships of goods at once, you really are wealthy, brat!"

"I don't have that kind of silver. It's all on credit. Including the goods delivered to the Futou Village pier, I’m eighty thousand taels in debt." Zhang Chen cursed Zhu Weijin under his breath. "I only intended to buy seventy thousand taels' worth, but after a final count, I discovered they had shipped one hundred and fifty thousand taels' worth. The Princess said I could pay later, so I gritted my teeth and accepted the cargo. This is a classic case of forced buying and selling by the Qingzhou Trading House."

"Don't play coy," Qi Dazhi scoffed. "Who else has ever been allowed to run up a tab at the Prince of Heng’s Qingzhou Trading House? Who would even dare?" Qi Dazhi wondered to himself if Princess Zhu Weijin had taken a liking to this little bastard, Zhang Chen.

After treating Qi Dazhi to a lavish dinner, Zhang Chen watched him depart with his hundred retainers. Zhang Chen remained calm and unhurried. Could he truly have the confidence to repel the pirates? It seemed impossible!