Chapter 286
Fan Xiaoxiao turned around.
Gu Zhongtai lowered his head and took her hand: "Didn't I give you a knife as a betrothal gift?"
"When the time comes, you should kill this faithless man who doesn't keep his word."
The girl laughed in exasperation, then raised her hand and punched him lightly: "What do you mean by 'die'? Wouldn't it be too easy for you to die so quickly?"
After all that commotion, Fan Xiaoxiao felt much better.
Think about it, every era has its own way of life.
She couldn't selfishly judge her sister and brother-in-law by her own standards.
Ultimately, there are only so many changes that can be made.
Fan Xiaoxiao can only do what she can.
...
...
In the following days, news drifted to Qingzhou like snowflakes.
Everyone was very anxious.
After all, the war has been going on for more than just a day or two.
The vast prefecture had finally begun to show signs of peace and prosperity, but then Governor Yu Cheng was defeated and wounded.
Almost everyone was worried that this place might be swallowed up by the imperial army or some other bad rebel forces.
Only Fan Xiaoxiao remained calm.
The area around Qingzhou City is mountainous, which means it is rich in mineral resources.
Furthermore, given the favor of sending Bai Chaoyan over, Xiahou, that man who clearly distinguishes between public and private matters, at least spoke to Yu Cheng about it.
With the two strongest support characters, Xiahou and Gu Zhongtai, speaking up, where in Qingzhou City could they not borrow a force?
So, without much effort, a trade route to Qingshan Village was built.
"Qingshan Village" is where Fan Xiaoxiao and Gu Zhongtai got married.
It was named this because of its dense forests and location at the end of the Tianshan Mountains.
In this way, the long road connecting Tianshan Village, Qingshan Village, and Qingzhou City was connected.
I believe it won't be long.
Qingzhou City alone could build a formidable cavalry force. They could even produce Qingzhou swords with their own logo!
"Iron ore and salt ore are the most important things right now. Everything else can wait." Fan Xiaoxiao approved the last note, gave a few more instructions to the workers, and then ended her work for the day.
To be honest, it's really tiring.
Who would have thought that the original food enthusiast, who only needed to cook well, was actually just a food lover?
Now, not only do they have to continue making all kinds of delicious food and running taverns and restaurants, they are also forced to do business with the military.
She immediately took the completed drawings to find Master Lu.
The old man has recently become interested in studying the quenching chain method, which is a great development for someone who has been using ancient methods to forge weapons for decades.
The novel quenching method not only piqued his interest but also fueled his enthusiasm for improvement.
Although Fan Xiaoxiao proposed this new idea, she was not a blacksmith by trade.
Improving such things often relies more on craftsmen.
Especially skilled old craftsmen like Master Lu.
"Master Lu, are you there?" Fan Xiaoxiao pulled back the black curtain outside the blacksmith's shop.
The heat inside hit me.
The apprentices had all left, leaving only Master Lu by the iron-casting furnace.
"It's Xiao'er." He picked up a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face. "I know you're usually busy, what's wrong today..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
Fan Xiaoxiao smiled and took out a wine bottle and a tied oil paper package from behind her back.
She shook her head slightly: "I had some free time today, and I happened to dig up a jar of good wine. So, I just had to ask you, Master Lu, to bring it over."
"Haha, you're so thoughtful, girl." Master Lu laughed heartily, turned down the fire, took off his leather apron to protect against sparks, and walked to the stone table next to him.
"The place is simple, girl, please make yourself at home."
"Yes." Fan Xiaoxiao responded, went over and knocked off the clay seal on the wine pot, then unwrapped the roast chicken wrapped in oil paper and pushed it over: "Young Master Ji sent a capable person to open a branch store with me. This crispy roast chicken sells the best, so I brought one for you to try."
Master Lu praised her cooking highly, saying that her skills had improved even further.
Fan Xiaoxiao remained silent.
After Master Lu had drunk a few cups of wine, he asked with a smile, "Xiao girl, you're always so thorough in your work. This wine and meat are good, but you've come to see me now, there must be something you want to tell me?"
Master Lu has always been naturally interested in the craft, and even if Fan Xiaoxiao doesn't bring these things, he will still be interested in new things.
"Hehe." Fan Xiaoxiao touched her nose, not embarrassed at all, and smiled as she took out the blueprints from her pocket.
"A long knife for chopping melons and vegetables, would you be interested in studying it, sir?"
"Oh?" Even though Master Lu was still somewhat drunk, his expression immediately became serious.
To say it's like chopping melons and cutting vegetables is just an understatement.
In fact, this knife has quite a history.
This world is fictional, and the Great Zhou Dynasty is not even known to correspond to any real dynasty.
The first thing that came to Fan Xiaoxiao's mind was the Zhou Dynasty founded by the female emperor during the Tang Dynasty.
Although the dynasty was short-lived, it was an integral part of the prosperous Tang Dynasty system.
The most famous standard-issue sword that Fan Xiaoxiao had ever heard of was the Mo Dao from the Tang Dynasty.
This sword was renowned throughout the Tang Dynasty.
It is neither a broadsword nor a single-edged sword, yet its power is boundless, often overwhelming even several people.
Even when encountering Northern Barbarian cavalry, they could still cut down the riders and the horses' legs.
It also has a blood groove for easy bleeding, and with the addition of the tempering chain technique, it would be even more powerful.
However, she didn't know much about it; she had only seen what it looked like and heard some of the principles behind it.
At most, a vague template can be proposed, but the actual creation requires the joint efforts of the user and the creator.
But when Fan Xiaoxiao showed the simple drawing to Master Lu, he immediately became interested.
The way he looked at Fan Xiaoxiao was also different from usual.
If Master Lu used to regard Fan Xiaoxiao as a cute junior, after improving the forging technique, he would regard her as a gifted genius.
Now, Master Lu's gaze held even more respect, almost regarding her as a peer!
Fan Xiaoxiao wasn't sure if the old man was satisfied with this look, and she was still a little uneasy.
He quickly replied, "Master Lu, this is just a somewhat immature idea, but I believe it will definitely work!"
The reason it is considered immature is that she did not fully understand it, and she herself could not even guarantee whether there were any errors or omissions in the drawing.
However, the fact that the Mo Dao, a powerful weapon in the military, could become a major weapon in the army and be widely deployed during the Tang Dynasty clearly shows that its reputation was well-deserved.
That was proven in countless battles.
"You're being too modest, girl."
Master Lu said, "Based on my many years of experience in forging weapons, this knife is definitely usable, and it will be very useful."
Seeing that he showed no dissatisfaction and did not feel that she was showing off her limited knowledge, Fan Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief.
He smiled and nodded, "Since Master Lu says so, then we will definitely be able to create a good sample."
She stood up: "But I plan to mass-produce these."
Master Lu was somewhat surprised: "Oh? What does Lady Xiao want to do?"
Fan Xiaoxiao didn't hide anything: "Since we've decided to go into the military business, we'll be buying and selling stirrups, saddles, and warhorses, so weapons will naturally have to be added as well."
(End of this chapter)
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