Baoning slept lightly during her afternoon nap and woke up in less than half an hour. She turned over and heard a murmur at the door.

Baoning thought she had misheard, but after careful listening, she really heard it. She sat up and put the quilt on her shoulders, and called Pei Yuan loudly: "A Yuan, are you in the house? What's going on? It seems that there are mice in our house. Bring the mousetrap from the firewood room!"

Wei Meng stood at the door in embarrassment: "It's not a mouse, it's me!"

"General Wei?" Baoning looked down in confusion. She tidied her clothes and went out of the inner room. She found Wei Meng standing at the door of the main house with a thick firewood on his back. Pei Yuan stood by with his arms crossed and watched leisurely. A Mian chewed grass with his mouth tilted, and the two dogs were also staring at him. Baoning was even more confused.

She looked at Wei Meng's outfit, and suddenly an idea came to her mind.

He was not here to apologize for his slip of the tongue this morning, was he? Bao Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She opened her mouth and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Wei Meng's thunderous voice: "Hey! Look at this sheep, how come it is so handsome! So extraordinary, it doesn't look like a mortal sheep, but rather like a fairy sheep. What kind of fairy can raise such an extraordinary sheep! Hey! And this dog, look at its golden hair, like a mighty lion, with an outstanding temperament, like a general who can lead thousands of troops, which makes me sigh!"

Bao Ning followed Wei Meng's finger and looked at the fat Ah Mian and Ah Huang who looked confused.

"Oh! And this lion dog..." Wei Meng said, pointing at Jixiang.

Pei Yuan said, "It's a mastiff."

"Ah, this mastiff, it," Wei Meng gritted his teeth and continued, "It has a strong body and a wild temperament! Although it is a female dog, it is actually a hero among female dogs, a heroine, which makes Wei Meng admire it!"

What is this talking about? Baoning couldn't respond and stared at him blankly. After speaking

, Wei Meng suddenly turned around and walked quickly under the grape vines, and soon returned with the syrup.

He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp as if he was drinking wine, and then shouted: "Oh my God, I, Wei Meng, have been walking in the world for almost thirty years, and I have never tasted such good wine, it is simply like jade dew. I feel like the Jade Emperor, floating in the clouds and about to ascend to heaven! Oh my God, what kind of wonderful woman can..."

Pei Yuan could not help laughing. It was the first time he saw Wei Meng talking nonsense in such an ugly state, and he felt extremely happy.

"General Wei!" Bao Ning interrupted him unbearably, "What on earth is the matter with you?"

Wei Meng stopped talking in embarrassment and asked cautiously: "Young Madam, are you still angry?"

"I'm not angry anymore..." Bao Ning frowned and said helplessly, "General Wei, please unload the firewood behind you first, and we'll go inside and talk."

Wei Meng showed a look of joy on his face, and responded repeatedly. He turned his back to let Pei Yuan remove the reed branches, and then hurried into the house.

Bao Ning poured him a cup of tea: "General Wei, please have some."

Wei Meng smiled awkwardly. He watched Bao Ning sit down, pretended to take a sip of tea, and then asked impatiently: "Madam, have you heard of the Zhuge Liannu?"

Bao Ning nodded and said: "Yes, I have heard of it. I have tried it before." After

she finished speaking, Wei Meng's eyes lit up like a thief. Pei Yuan couldn't stand it and kicked him secretly. Wei Meng asked: "Can I take a look?"

"Wait a minute." Bao Ning nodded and got up to look for it. She quickly came back with a small wooden crossbow arrow that was two palms long: "Is this it?"

Baoning handed it to him and explained: "I saw the pattern in the general's military book a few days ago, and I thought it was very interesting, so I tried it. It was just for fun, not very delicate, and the blunt wooden arrowhead was used, so it couldn't hurt anyone."

Wei Meng almost cried with joy: "This is it!"

Now he looked at Baoning and felt that she was just sitting there glowing. Originally thought that she was just a vase that looked good but was useless, but now I know that I was wrong, this young lady is so hidden! Wei Meng thought again, it was only because of Baoning that she could be with Pei Yuan in the future, she had the ability to be respected, so she could take on a high position, and they were a good match.

Wei Meng and Pei Yuan looked at each other, he swallowed his saliva, and whispered to Bao Ning: "Can you make something that can kill people?"

Bao Ning choked on his tea and stared at him in a daze.

Pei Yuan glared at Wei Meng, blaming him for his recklessness, and then patiently explained the whole thing to Bao Ning from beginning to end. Bao Ning understood, but looked hesitant and not very sure.

She really has a talent in this area. Those drawings that are as complicated as hieroglyphics in the eyes of ordinary people are clearly organized in her eyes, and they are things that can be easily made. Even for some small gadgets, she only needs to play with them and take a look, and it won't take much time to imitate a basically the same one. But she has never tried to make weapons.

Weapons are not like children's toys. They need to be stronger and able to unleash powerful power. This is not something that can be achieved by simple carpentry work.

Facing Wei Meng's expectant eyes, Bao Ning said with gritted teeth: "I can try."

"That's great!" Wei Meng said, "Ten in three days!"

Bao Ning was shocked: "How is that possible!"

Wei Meng said in a rough voice: "Why not! How do you know it's impossible if you don't try!" After that, he shamelessly called Bao Ning: "Grandma, you must help! If you help, you will save my life."

Wei Meng patted his chest and said, "From now on, I, Wei Meng, will serve you wholeheartedly and do whatever you want. If you tell me to go east, I dare not go west! The people I, Wei Meng, admire most in my life are, first, the warriors on the battlefield, and second, the craftsmen with superb skills. If you do it well, I will call you every day..."

Before he finished speaking, Pei Yuan pulled him by the collar and kicked him out of the door.

Bao Ning stroked the wall of the cup, and looked at Pei Yuan who came back with some anxiety: "Can I do it?"

Pei Yuan held her hand in his palm, kneading it, and said softly: "Wei Meng is right. How can you fail if you don't try. But don't put pressure on yourself. It doesn't matter if you can't do it. Just treat it as a simple attempt. There will be no consequences if you fail. I will take care of it for you. If you succeed, you will have a great-grandson to serve you."

Bao Ning laughed: "I don't want a grandson that big and old!"

"It's good to have one." Pei Yuan scratched Bao Ning's nose affectionately and teased him, "He is strong, can carry water and chop wood, and has a sweet mouth. Look how much he brags just now."

Bao Ning said: "Then I will... try?"

"Are you okay?" Pei Yuan looked at her face anxiously, and tried to reach under her skirt, "Does it still hurt? Blame me for being too hard last night..."

"Okay, stop talking!" Bao Ning stopped him in anger.

Pei Yuan smiled, "I'll be gentler next time. Actually, I learned some skills from that little book, nine shallow and one deep, three shallow and one deep, I learned them all..."

Bao Ning stood up and drove him out.

Pei Yuan watched the door slam shut in front of him, rubbed his nose, and went to the kitchen to cook sugar dumplings for Bao Ning. She was exhausted, and she didn't get a good rest today, so he cooked some rose dumplings that she loved to eat so that she would be happier when she ate them. He lit a fire to boil water, and Wei Meng came in after hearing the sound, and washed the dishes unconsciously.

The room was silent. Two grown men were walking around in the small kitchen.

Pei Yuan glanced at him, stirring the dumplings in the pot with a half-smile: "I didn't expect you to be so humble."

"That's nothing, a real man can bend and stretch." Wei Meng waved his hand, "Don't mention Grandma, if she opens her mouth, I will also call her Immortal Ancestor."

"Besides," Wei Meng's eyes were shining, "I really admire the young lady. I am clumsy, but I admire such capable people. I even think, if every infantryman can be equipped with such a powerful crossbow, wouldn't they be invincible in ambushing?"

"In fact, I have always been puzzled." Pei Yuan did not respond to his words, lowered his head, and said lightly, "You are so good at fighting and smart, why do you have to be inferior to me and be an unknown adjutant. If you join the wise master and work hard for so many years, you may have been granted a title of nobility."

"I have good taste." Wei Meng's voice became more serious, rubbing the bowl with a crackling sound, "Besides, you saved my life."

Pei Yuan said: "It's been many years, and the favor has been repaid long ago."

"I always thought you were good at guessing people's hearts, why are you so stupid now." Wei Meng hissed, looked at Pei Yuan and said, "Do you really think that I am walking with you because of fame and fortune? You look down on me too much. Let me be frank with you today, I support you, but I just think I have something to talk about with you. It's exciting to have your head hanging on your waist, but it's also comfortable... And the wife you married, I think she is really good now."

"Why?" Pei Yuan asked, "Because she can make a crossbow?"

"It was that bowl of porridge." Wei Meng said, "It reminded me of my mother." When

a son is away from home, even the most hard-hearted person will inevitably miss his mother. When such a heavy topic was mentioned, the atmosphere was silent for a moment.

After a pause, Pei Yuan asked: "Then, I am your father?"

"What nonsense!" Wei Meng laughed angrily, "You are such a vulgar person!"

After washing the bowl, he opened the basket and pinched two cold dumplings and put them in his mouth, shaking his head and saying: "Humans, grow up in the shade and face the sun. It is so difficult to live. It is not easy to be happy. We must cherish it."

What he said... Pei Yuan looked up at Wei Meng's blue left eye.

Wei Meng raised his eyebrows and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Pei Yuan never asked about Wei Meng's past, or maybe he did, but he didn't say it, and he didn't ask again later. But today, he suddenly became curious. Wei Meng seemed to be more than just a mountain bandit who didn't know etiquette or family education. He might have a story that was unknown to others.

Later, Pei Yuan realized that Wei Meng was not talking nonsense when he said he didn't pursue fame and fortune. His identity had been at the top of fame since he was born.

...

After cooking a pot of dumplings, he took them out and put them in a bowl, and then cut some mustard greens.

After doing everything, Pei Yuan moved his fingers and felt sore all over. The joints of his bones ached. He went outside and saw that it was raining.

...

Pei Yuan walked into the house with the bowl, and Bao Ning happened to go out. She just noticed the raindrops on the window paper, and was worried about Pei Yuan's body. She pushed open the door and he just came in: "It's time for the piglet to eat."

Baoning smelled the fragrance of roses, and her heart softened. She saw the water on Pei Yuan's forehead, tiptoed to wipe it off for him, and asked softly: "Does it feel uncomfortable?"

"It's okay." Pei Yuan pulled her to the table and sat down, "You eat, I love watching you eat, like a little flower pig. When I see you eating so happily, all my illnesses are cured."

Baoning was unhappy: "Who do you say is the flower pig?"

"It's the little flower pig." Pei Yuan corrected her and hooked the hair scattered around her ears, "Flower pig sounds rough, but the little flower pig is cute."

"They are all the same, they are all pigs." Baoning scooped up a spoonful and blew it, then smiled and put it into Pei Yuan's mouth, "For you, big stupid donkey."

"..." Pei Yuan ate the bitter fruit of his own actions. Today, he did not argue with Bao Ning like before. He smiled gently and rubbed her head.

Bao Ning was not used to Pei Yuan like this. He still made her feel comfortable when he was arrogant. This was too fragile. She felt distressed and wanted to protect him.

A bowl of glutinous rice balls, half for each of them. After eating, Bao Ning urged Pei Yuan to lie down, but he refused and stayed with her at the table.

The table was covered with wood chips and things were scattered in a mess. Bao Ning had already made a prototype of the crossbow, but she didn't know how to string it. She was not strong enough to tighten the string, so Pei Yuan helped her. After stringing it, he polished it for another half an hour, and it seemed to be successful. Bao Ning took a hairpin to make an arrow, put it in the quiver, and tried to draw the bow, but before she could draw it fully, the crossbow arrow made a creaking sound, and then it broke apart with a snap, and the parts scattered all over the floor.

Bao Ning was shocked and disappointed. Pei Yuan comforted her: "It's nothing. You can't get fat in one bite. There must be a process. Let's find the reason and try again."

Bao Ning encouraged herself and recalled what went wrong. The crossbow broke because the wood blocks were not glued well enough. She used fish maw glue, but it didn't work and couldn't withstand the tension of the string. Bao Ning thought of a way. She found a short and thin iron nail and wanted to use it to fix the wood firmly. After more than half an hour, she was done. This time she didn't dare to try it herself and let Pei do it.

Pei Yuan pulled the string, and the hairpin shot out like flying. Baoning's eyes lit up, and he was about to cheer, but found that the hairpin did not go out straight at all, it was deflected, and the final landing point was more than three feet different from expected.

Baoning was extremely frustrated. It was almost past dinner time. She had been working on it for so long, but it still didn't work.

Baoning was anxious about her incompetence. She was also worried about Pei Yuan's health. He had been forcing himself to accompany her. Baoning wanted to do it quickly, but was powerless.

"Don't worry, let's think of a way." Pei Yuan looked at the small crossbow over and over, understood, and pointed to Bao Ning, "You can't use nails, nails will deform the wood, you look at the light, the bow string has bent."

"What should we do..." Bao Ning buried her head in Pei Yuan's arms, she closed her eyes and muttered, thinking of a way, her palms were sweating.

Almost at the same time, Bao Ning raised her head and said at the same time as Pei Yuan: "Use mortise and tenon structure!"

Mortise and tenon are too complicated, intertwined, and we have to draw a blueprint first. Pei Yuan lit two thick candles, sat beside Bao Ning to accompany her, and handed her a wooden ruler. It has been raining outside for too long. At the beginning, he could suppress the pain with his internal force, but now his wrists are shaking. Pei Yuan remained calm, holding his right wrist with his left hand, and spoke to Bao Ning in a calm voice.

By the time the new crossbow was made, it was already late at night, and the two thick candles had burned down to only the height of a finger. Bao Ning narrowed one eye, stood at the door, and shot an arrow at the courtyard gate.

Her heart was beating fast. The moment the arrow was released from the string, she opened her eyes wide, until she saw the hairpin flying towards the courtyard wall in the expected direction, three-quarters into the wall, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"A Yuan, I succeeded, didn't I?" Bao Ning reached back and grabbed Pei Yuan's sleeve, and asked excitedly, "I really did it, didn't I?!"

Pei Yuan smiled and hugged her from behind, saying yes, burying his face in her neck, and finally couldn't help coughing heavily.