The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 29 What a waste
After reviewing the past, I found that this blacksmith's blacksmithing skills should be okay, but his creative skills are a bit off.

Putting aside creativity, if you want to build something, he should be able to create it. Why are you still unemployed?
Wen Gu had already learned from He Da that this was the only blacksmith left in the county town.

For such a scarce talent, several civilian forces in the city actually ignored it and let it remain idle until now?

What a waste!

Wen Gu pondered over it, but didn't show it on his face. He asked, "Would you like to sell this iron?"

Yu the blacksmith didn't hesitate: "I'm not selling it. I need it at home."

When cooking food, you can heat the iron and use it directly. Even if you don’t use it to iron clothes, it has other uses, and can even be used as a weapon.

I don’t sell irons, but I can sell other things.

Thinking about the food Wen Gu had just taken out, Yu the blacksmith said, "There's also a small shovel. If you want it, you can exchange it with the paper bag just now."

"What kind of shovel?" Wen Gu asked.

Blacksmith Yu's gaze shifted slightly, not daring to look directly at him.

"It's a... um... incense tool, but now it can also be used for digging."

Nowadays, many people like to play with incense, and incense culture is flourishing.

Before the world became chaotic, a merchant ordered a set of incense tools from him, which was a size larger than the popular ones at that time.

They usually use incense spoons, incense clips and the like, or have already replaced them. This thing is left as a spare.

However, he had no experience in making this kind of elegant and exquisite little gadget, so there was a slight deviation when he made it for the first time.

Blacksmith Yu quickly brought the things over.

It's a bit like a smaller soldering iron.

"Is this the ash from the incense burner?" Wen Gu searched the memory in his mind.

"Yes, it's the one that presses incense ash. It's just a little bigger, but it can be used!" said blacksmith Yu.

It does look a bit similar, but it has none of the elegance of incense. Instead, it carries a rough murderous aura, the kind that can torture people when burned.

Yu the blacksmith said nothing.

When he first created it, he discovered problems and wanted to change it, but the world suddenly became chaotic and he had no time to worry about it.

Zhou Shan took the oversized incense ash press and frowned.

It's too small to be used as a weapon, and it's not even very useful as a spatula. It might as well be carved out of wood.

"It's okay to use as a small shovel to dig herbs," he said.

"Yes, you can dig things up." Blacksmith Yu's voice was a little tense. He looked at them, worried that they wouldn't be able to sell them.

Wen Gu nodded: "Alright, let's continue heading north. The weather is getting colder, and we'll need harder tools to dig things out of the ground."

Upon hearing this, Yu the blacksmith asked, "Are you going north too?"

"That's right," Wen Gu said. "I heard from He Da that Magistrate Tan also told you about seeking refuge in the north before he left."

"Yes." Yu the blacksmith said this and then said nothing else, just staring at the small paper bag in Wen Gu's hand.

When Wen Gu mentioned He Da, he observed the blacksmith's expression.

Yu the blacksmith's reaction was very calm.

It seems that He Da is neither a well-known good person nor a well-known bad person in the county. He is just an unknown person.

Wen Gu and Zhou Shan whispered a few words, and instead of handing over the small paper bag, they took out a large paper bag and opened it.

Blacksmith Yu's eyes widened.

There was also some movement in the house behind him.

Zhou Shan, who was standing next to him, tightened his grip on the knife and looked defensive.

Wen Gu didn't look inside the house, but with a sincere look in his eyes, he said slowly, "We want this incense stick. Besides, there's something else I want to ask."

Blacksmith Yu took a deep breath, and with difficulty moved his eyes away from the paper bag, he said, "Ask."

"We're passing through here on our way north to visit relatives, but we're not familiar with the route..."

Wen Gu handed the big paper bag to his cousin, and he took out a notebook and charcoal pencil and asked the blacksmith about the distribution of villages and towns around the county and the current situation, which places should be avoided and which places are safer.

The original county magistrate had already planned to leave and would undoubtedly gather more information. Yu the blacksmith had more contact with the government and knew more. Yu the blacksmith did know quite a bit. He glanced at the large paper bag and quickly told Wen Gu what he knew.

These did not need to be kept secret. He had been thinking about these things over the past few days, so he remembered them clearly and spoke about them very fluently.

Wen Gu noticed this detail and tentatively interrupted to ask a few questions, to which Yu the blacksmith quickly replied. It wasn't a fabrication.

After asking all the questions he wanted to know, Wen Gu handed the big paper bag to Yu the blacksmith.

Yu the blacksmith took the large paper bag, felt the texture of the food in his hand, paused, and asked, "Are you going north to visit relatives?"

Wen Gu said casually, "Yes, my uncle is a military attaché in the north. We fled there, so at least we have a place to stay."

Yu the blacksmith, whose ancestors had been military officers, immediately felt a sense of familiarity.

He chatted with Wen Gu for a few more words. Wen Gu heard that Yu the blacksmith had also wanted to leave with Magistrate Tan.

I don't know why I'm still here.

Although he didn't know what the inside story was, there was no resentment in the blacksmith's eyes when he mentioned it.

Wen Gu also mentioned the sanitation situation in the county town.

Zhou Shan was also worried about this. He had originally planned to have the blacksmith repair the axe, but now it seemed that the fuel was insufficient and the furnace could not be opened.

"In that case, let's leave as soon as possible." Zhou Shan urged.

Wen Gu nodded. "This city is even more dangerous than outside. Garbage is everywhere. Even if there's no evil plague, there might be another epidemic."

He earnestly advised the blacksmith: "Try to reduce going out, and when you go out, be sure to cover yourself with a towel, and be careful about what you put in your mouth!"

Zhou Shan commented on the civilian forces in the city: "They are ignorant rats who can't distinguish between the important and the unimportant. They are not going to amount to anything!"

Blacksmith Yu looked at Zhou Shan with a wooden face.

He has a lot of contact with government officials, and his words and actions have an official flavor.

Wen Gu didn't say anything more, only revealing that it was He Da who brought them into the city this time.

After Wen Gu and the other two left, a young man came out of the house. He looked somewhat like Yu the blacksmith, but was thinner.

This is the second son of the Yu family, the younger brother of Yu the blacksmith.

Yu the blacksmith handed him the paper bag filled with grain and said, "Finally, we have some income."

Yu Er's face did not relax: "Brother, it's not a good idea for us to continue to be idle here."

Yu the blacksmith was also worried.

Half a month ago, the county magistrate left with some people, and several major civil forces in the city began to fight among themselves.

They did try to win over him as the only blacksmith, but now that group of people were busy fighting among themselves and had no intention of starting the furnace. He had no work to do and could not get any supplies.

So now Yu the blacksmith is still waiting for that group of people to come to a decision before he can get the job.

But when will those forces be able to fight to a conclusion?
We have been waiting for too long and our family has run out of food. We can’t hold on any longer.

During this period, all the food at home was exchanged for ironware, and the price was severely bargained down.

But the ironware in the house will soon be used up.

"The city is becoming more and more dangerous. How about we follow them north? He has relatives who are officials in the north!" Yu Er said.

Yu the blacksmith was also tempted. His family had wanted to leave before, but the family next door was possessed and went crazy. At the time, he was working at the county office, and his wife and daughter were at home. His brother was injured while trying to protect his family and was bedridden for several days, so he missed the main force's move.

Yu Er pondered for a moment and said, "We still need to find out who brought them here. I'll go ask him later."

On the other side, He Da was talking to his younger brother in the room.

"Brother, come here, I'll give you a surprise!"

He took out the book he had brought back.

"You used to love that Confucian classic, with annotations by great figures, and it was almost burned today! Luckily, I was quick!"

Some families had no firewood to make a fire and were afraid to go out to chop wood, so they burned the books at home.

There are too many such people.

"I also met a very kind-hearted scholar today..."

　Adjust the outline and wait for me to add more!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)