undercurrent

"Gu Family Stove" has been open for half a month.

The crisp sound of hammering became a constant at the west end of the village. Gu Tieshan, shirtless, had his bronze skin glistening in the firelight, his muscles bulging with each swing of the hammer. He was a man of few words, but his craftsmanship was superb. Whether repairing farm tools or forging simple machetes and iron pots, his work was sturdy and durable, and his prices were fair, gradually earning him a good reputation.

Shen Lanjun presented herself as gentle and diligent. She cultivated a small vegetable garden, raised a few chickens, and often chatted with the women in her neighborhood while holding her child. She learned to sew shoe soles and make Northeastern sauerkraut. She didn't talk much, but she always had a gentle smile on her face. Her occasional words of concern always touched people's hearts, and she quickly integrated into the women's circle in the village.

However, beneath this seemingly peaceful daily routine, two pairs of eyes remain on high alert.

That afternoon, an elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a faded long gown, slowly strolled to the entrance of "Gu Family Forge" leaning on a cane. He watched Gu Tieshan forge a red-hot iron bar, his gaze calm.

Gu Tieshan stopped hammering, wiped his face with the towel draped around his neck, and looked at the old man.

"Is there something you need, sir?"

The old man smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice, "My name is Chen. I teach a few children to read in the village. I heard that Master Gu's skills are superb, so I came to take a look." His eyes swept over the several farm tools that had been made and were ready to be picked up on the chopping block, and he praised, "The heat and strength are just right. Master Gu's skills are not what ordinary rural blacksmiths can have."

These words, though seemingly casual, carried a subtle hint of inquiry.

Gu Tieshan remained expressionless, stuffed the iron bar he was holding with the tongs back into the furnace, and said indifferently, "Just trying to make a living, practice makes perfect."

Mr. Chen didn't delve into the matter further. Instead, he looked at Shen Lanjun, who was sitting under the locust tree in the courtyard mending clothes, and the child in her arms who was learning to speak. He sighed and said, "In these chaotic times, it is fate that you have been able to settle down here and raise your young child. Your wife is gentle and elegant, and Master Gu is very fortunate."

Shen Lanjun raised her head, gave Mr. Chen a perfectly timed, slightly shy smile, nodded slightly, and then lowered her head again, like an ordinary woman who was not good at talking to a strange man.

After chatting for a few more minutes about the local customs and traditions, Mr. Chen slowly left, leaning on his cane.

After he left, Gu Tieshan continued hammering, the sound as steady as ever. Shen Lanjun's needlework also didn't stop, but both of them knew in their hearts that this old Mr. Chen was definitely not just a simple schoolteacher. His seemingly cloudy old eyes held a clear understanding of the ways of the world.

One day, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old rushed into the yard like a gust of wind, almost bumping into a stack of hoes that had just been made. He had dark skin, a strong body, and bright, piercing eyes.

"Uncle Gu! My name is Zhao Xiaoshuan!" The boy scratched his head, a little embarrassed, but his eyes were fixed on the muscles bulging on Gu Tieshan's arm and the heavy hammer, full of admiration. "You're really good at blacksmithing! Much better than that old blacksmith Wang in the village! Can I...can I learn blacksmithing from you?"

Gu Tieshan glanced at him, said nothing, and handed him a firewood knife that had just been quenched and was still a little hot to the touch: "Take this, go to the riverbank and try it out, cut a piece of wood and bring it back."

Zhao Xiaoshuan was stunned for a moment, then excitedly took the machete, let out a shout, and rushed out of the yard.

Shen Lanjun watched from the side, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of her lips. This Zhao Xiaoshuan is simple-minded and a promising talent; if he can be guided onto the right path, he might be useful.

Besides those who come to us on their own initiative, there are also some figures lurking in the shadows.

When Shen Lanjun went to the only well in the village to fetch water, she could always sense several faint gazes. Sometimes it was an idle man squatting in the corner sunbathing, his eyes wandering around; sometimes it was Hao Rende, the shopkeeper of "Furui Grocery Store," sitting at the entrance, dressed in a decent silk shirt and holding a water pipe.

The "Furui General Store" was the most "impressive" shop in the village, selling things like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, matches, and kerosene, and also buying mountain goods and hides. The shopkeeper, Hao Rende, always had a smile on his face, but Shen Lanjun keenly noticed that his fingers, which were used to operate the abacus, were exceptionally fair and nimble, unlike the hands that were usually used for farm work. Moreover, there were occasionally unfamiliar footprints in rubber-soled shoes in the backyard of the shop.

When she went to the grocery store to buy salt, Hao Rende smiled warmly: "Mrs. Gu is here. What would you like? Ah, with all this war and chaos, you must have suffered a lot on your way from the south, right?"

Shen Lanjun lowered her eyes, gently patting the child in her arms, her tone filled with lingering fear and relief: "Yes, it was almost... Luckily, we met the head of the household, which saved our lives. Now we only hope to live a peaceful life with the help of the village head and all the villagers."

She acted perfectly like an ordinary woman who depended on her husband and longed for stability.

At night, the oil lamp flickered dimly.

The child was asleep, and Xiu Niang and Shuanzi also went to rest. Gu Tieshan was wiping his large sword, which he never parted with, while Shen Lanjun quietly summarized everything she had observed during the day under the lamplight.

"Mr. Chen seems to be referring to someone, but his identity is questionable and requires further observation."

"Zhao Xiaoshuan is simple and honest with a high degree of potential."

"Furui Grocery Store, Hao Rende, is highly suspicious. Unfamiliar faces are often seen coming and going in the store, and there may be something fishy going on in the backyard."

“Two fur merchants from inside the Great Wall have recently arrived at the east end of the village, and they are acting rather suspiciously.”

“The garrison commander, Zhao Shouren, had close ties with Hao Rende.”

Gu Tieshan listened quietly, carefully wiping the cold blade with a piece of oiled chamois leather. Only after Shen Lanjun finished speaking did he open his mouth, his voice low: "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. This village is a whirlpool."

Shen Lanjun nodded and blew out the oil lamp. In the darkness, her gaze was as clear as a star.

"Since we're here, let's stir up the waters even more. Only in muddy waters can we catch the fish we want."

Beneath the calm surface of Linjiang Village, undercurrents are already stirring. And the ripples stirred up by the "Gu Family Stove," like a pebble thrown into the water, are quietly spreading.