The candlelight flickered, and Meng Yuxiu's gaze towards Chang Lili was different from before. It was no longer the indifferent or even disdainful look he used to have, but rather he looked directly at her with admiration in his eyes.
"I never expected that a woman who frequents brothels would know far more about weapons than I do."
And so, Meng Yuxiu’s gaze lingered on Chang Lili for a long time. She refused to get up, feeling that something was off about what he had said.
She said with dissatisfaction, "I was just trying to help you out of kindness. Besides, didn't you already investigate my background? Or do you think there are some things you haven't found out?"
Meng Yuxiu was amused by her: "I didn't think that way. I just think you're much smarter than I imagined."
Chang Lili immediately raised her head and puffed out her chest, saying matter-of-factly, "That's right, you were blind to my greatness before."
Meng Yuxiu did not refute.
Thinking of Meng Yuxiu, such an important person, praising her that night, Chang Lili sat in the courtyard doing chores, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
About a month has passed since then, and Chang Lili's injuries have almost healed.
"Lili, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you to rest in the house and not do these things? Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, how can you do these things?" The mother-in-law rushed over anxiously, saying in a panic.
Chang Lili helplessly let her mother-in-law take the broom from her hand. She knew she was her mother-in-law's darling, but she felt that her mother-in-law's concern this time was particularly exaggerated.
She was probably frightened by the way she looked after being rescued, and she quickly comforted her mother-in-law.
Just then, a maid came to inform Chang Lili that the general wanted to see her.
Chang Lili kept thinking about the strange dagger and was eager to ask Meng Yuxiu about it, but she pretended to be reserved.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Lili, the general is a good man. If it weren't for the general sending people to bring you nourishing soups that help your wounds heal these past few days, how could your wounds have healed so well without leaving a single scar? Go see the general and thank him properly." The mother-in-law glared at her, pretending to be angry.
"Alright then." Chang Lili reluctantly followed the maid, but as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, her pace quickened uncontrollably.
In the study, Meng Yuxiu had a solemn expression, as if he had something on his mind, and his gaze was deep.
At the maid's prompting, Chang Lili pushed open the door and entered, only to see Meng Yuxiu alone in the study.
"I had people try to build that weapon based on the sketch you drew last time, but they failed many times," Meng Yuxiu said dejectedly.
"You had someone make it?" Chang Lili asked excitedly. "You actually went and made this weapon."
"If we don't actually do it, isn't it just empty talk?" Meng Yuxiu said half-jokingly.
Chang Lili was even more excited. In the past, she would just tinker and make some insignificant little things with crude materials and tools. When Meng Yuxiu wanted to make something, it would definitely be a grand event with a lot of money.
She couldn't help but rub her hands together in anticipation.
Meng Yuxiu looked at her, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong with you...?"
"Since you've tried so many times without success, why don't you let me give it a try?" She looked at Meng Yuxiu expectantly.
Meng Yuxiu was already preparing to close the net, but his face showed a surprised expression: "What? You, a woman, actually want to forge swords and blacksmiths?"
Chang Lili's face darkened. She knew that these jobs were done by men, and if a woman like her did them, it would certainly be considered inappropriate by others.
"Don't look down on us women. I can spot the weapon that even you couldn't!" she said, displeased.
“Of course I didn’t mean that. I just think that girls definitely wouldn’t want to do that kind of dirty and tiring work,” Meng Yuxiu immediately waved his hand and said, “I would be more than happy if you were willing to do it yourself.”
Being praised so generously made Chang Lili a little smug. Coupled with her strong interest, she had long forgotten her mother-in-law's admonitions from childhood.
Meng Yuxiu led her out of the general's mansion and to a courtyard far from the bustling city. The courtyard looked quite old, and the gate was tightly closed.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, one is greeted by a wave of heat and the sounds of hammering and banging.
The courtyard was filled with all sorts of ironware, and several burly men with bare arms and faces covered in grime were sweating profusely as they hammered red-hot iron sheets.
Looking further in, you can see a blacksmith's fork in the house to the east, with red-hot charcoal hissing and sparking, and a chimney connected to the roof, belching out thick smoke.
The burly men in the courtyard didn't think much of Meng Yuxiu entering, assuming he was familiar with him. But when they suddenly saw a bright-eyed, white-toothed girl following behind him, they were all startled.
They hurriedly dropped what they were doing and grabbed their clothes. Those who didn't have time to put on their clothes simply used them to cover their bare arms. Although they were all men, Chang Lili wasn't shy, but they were so embarrassed.
Chang Lili covered her mouth, trying her best not to laugh. One of the men blushed and said, "General, why... did you bring a little girl with you? You didn't even tell us."
Meng Yuxiu raised an eyebrow: "You guys are usually so capable, how come you were all wiped out by a little girl?"
Chang Lili paid little attention to them anymore; her gaze had already been drawn to the subway machines.
She saw a pile of half-finished daggers, stacked into a small mountain. She guessed that these were probably the failed attempts from the past month. She picked up one and examined it closely.
"This dagger is far too crudely made. The blade is really... indescribable." Chang Lili looked at the chipped blade and couldn't help but sigh and shake her head.
The burly men took the opportunity to put on their clothes and said defiantly, "What do you know, little girl? Blacksmithing is never a one-time success. It's called 'one general's success... ten thousand... ten thousand... ten thousand what's it again?'"
He turned to ask someone nearby.
Chang Lili shook her head again: "You don't have a single blade that's even presentable. I guarantee I can fight better than this."
These words made all the burly men present lose their composure, and they all wanted to get closer to question this unknown young girl with blond hair, asking who gave her the courage to speak so arrogantly.
Meng Yuxiu stopped them, saying, "She is the one who drew the sketches for this weapon."
The burly men's expressions changed. When they saw the sketch, they were all amazed and admired the person immensely. After all, their general was already someone they respected, but someone could do what their general could do, and that person was a woman.
“Her name is Chang Lili. I will entrust this weapon to her forging. You will all be her assistants during this period,” Meng Yuxiu said.
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