The next morning, after breakfast, Mu Lianrong arrived with her two daughters-in-law.
Watching the group of people leave in the carriage, Xiao Yunying stretched her back. These past two days, there have only been four adults left at home, so she doesn't need to cook so many meals.
Luo Sheng asked, "When will you go up the mountain to gather snow fungus? I'll go with you."
Xiao Yunying refused outright: "No need, there are still guests at home, you should stay and look after the house."
The mountain is overgrown with weeds and teeming with snakes, insects, and rodents this season, so she's not going there.
Luo Sheng said, "I'm worried about you going up the mountain alone."
A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Xiao Yunying's heart.
She frowned slightly, looking Luo Sheng up and down: "You care about me a lot?"
Given Luo Sheng's personality, he shouldn't be so concerned about himself.
Does she like me? Or does she have ulterior motives?
Luo Sheng did not deny it: "You are my wife, so of course I care."
Xiao Yunying was taken aback by his blunt words and hadn't figured out how to respond when Luo Sheng added, "I might have to leave here next month to take care of some business in the capital. My mother and children will need your help for a while."
Xiao Yunying pursed her lips, speechless.
It turns out that he only cares about her because he needs her help to take care of the Luo family. I almost became narcissistic.
"Okay, I understand. When are you leaving next month? How long will you be gone? And... is it dangerous?"
Luo Sheng said, "We'll depart in the middle of the month, and we don't know how long we'll be gone. I'll send people to protect this place, so you don't need to worry about anything else."
Xiao Yunying knew that Luo Sheng was downplaying the main issue; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent people to protect this area.
"Then you should be careful."
"good."
I gave a dry, perfunctory instruction, but then felt it was a bit too early to say it now, as there were still more than two weeks until the middle of next month.
"I'll go check on the vegetable garden, then head straight up the mountain. I should be back before noon. You can go in now."
Luo Sheng could tell she didn't want him to come along: "Okay."
Xiao Yunying first took a stroll in the vegetable garden, and then went to see Dai Jincai, who was still recovering from his injuries.
The door was wide open, and Xiao Yunying saw him wiping a crossbow bolt inside the room, so she knocked on the door.
When Dai Jincai saw who it was, he hurriedly tried to get up, but Xiao Yunying went in and stopped him: "Just sit down, you don't need to get up."
Dai Jincai smiled sheepishly: "Boss, my leg is much better now, and I'll be able to work again in a couple of days."
Xiao Yunying sat down opposite him: "What's the rush? I'm not here to urge you to work. Your leg is broken, so don't overexert yourself. It's not too late to start working after you've fully recovered, or you might develop a chronic condition."
Dai Jincai said gratefully, "The master is kind-hearted and willing to use good medicine for me..."
"Stop." Xiao Yunying interrupted him: "How many times have I told you? In my eyes, money is far less important than human life. Besides, you were injured while protecting Xin'er. Don't say such things again."
She looked at the small crossbow on the table, picked it up and examined it: "Where did this small crossbow come from?"
Dai Jincai replied, "Brother Wei Xun gave it to me yesterday, telling me to keep it under the seat of the carriage. He also gave me a dagger to carry with me at all times, just in case."
Xiao Yunying took a crossbow bolt and tried to attach it, which startled Dai Jincai, who said nervously, "Master, be careful. This crossbow is very powerful. Don't aim it at your face."
Xiao Yunying stood up: "I know, I'll go try it in the yard."
She went into the courtyard and shot an arrow at the ground in the distance.
The firing range was quite long, and the arrow penetrated two points into the ground.
Xiao Yunying pulled the arrow from the ground and weighed the small crossbow in her hand.
The small crossbow made of solid wood is not light; if it were a normal-sized crossbow, it would be even heavier.
She had seen articles about crossbows before, and out of curiosity, she took a few more glances at them.
The crossbow, a weapon that originated from the bow but became more advanced than the bow, was described by the ancients as "a crossbow held horizontally by the arm, with a mechanism and pivot."
The biggest difference between a bow and a crossbow is that a bow is entirely controlled by hand, and once fully drawn, it is fired and cannot be held for long. A crossbow, on the other hand, relies on a mechanical device to separate the drawing of the bowstring from the firing, allowing the bowstring to be held open for a longer period of time and the firing to be delayed.
Moreover, crossbows are more suitable for women who are not strong in the arms.
The downsides are that it's a bit heavier than a bow, and loading crossbow bolts is slower than loading bow bolts.
She took the small crossbow back to Dai Jincai's room and put it back on the table: "It's quite powerful, be careful when using it, don't hurt yourself."
He then took out a paper packet from his pocket: "These are the painkillers I gave you before. You'll need to have your splints removed and your dressing changed in a couple of days. Take one beforehand, and it won't hurt as much."
"Thank you for remembering my injury, boss."
"Take good care of yourself, I'm leaving now."
After reading Dai Jincai's story, Xiao Yunying headed towards Xishan. Along the way, she encountered villagers who surrounded her and asked about Luo Sheng, but she brushed them off with trivial words.
Once they reached the foot of West Mountain, they couldn't help but complain, "Luo Sheng has been back for so long, and they're still asking about the Luo family. They're all so gossipy."
Although I'm quite gossipy myself.
But she only listens when others tell her; she never inquires about things that aren't told to her.
Reaching the overgrown area, Xiao Yunying looked back to make sure no one was around before slipping into the supermarket.
I picked up textbooks and novels from the book section and lay on the bed on the third floor to read them.
When I got tired of reading, I got up and rubbed my eyes. Remembering that Luo Sheng had said he would be leaving in the middle of next month, I got out of bed, took my pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and sat down at the table.
According to the introductions I read before, there was a significant difference between the earliest crossbows and the later improved crossbows.
Xiao Yunying tried hard to recall the introduction and drew several exploded diagrams of the improved crossbow. She added a sight for aiming and changed the crossbow from firing one shot to firing three arrows in quick succession, ensuring a longer range and greater accuracy.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
