Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 137 The Thief Who Specializes in Stealing Copper Bells

"Little calf, you're going to scare your father to death!" Da Zhuang said, both angry and resentful.

“Brother Dazhuang, if you encounter any problems in the future, you must talk to the child properly. We want to solve the problem, not hurt each other.” Rong Wanyin said to Dazhuang earnestly. After speaking, she turned to Xiaoniu and said, “Xiaoniu, we have to face any problems. You can’t just run away on your own. How worried the adults will be. If your father still beats you, go to Grandpa Changle for help.”

Only then did Dazhuang seem to realize that he was wrong, and suddenly tears streamed down his face: "Dad was wrong, really wrong, Dad shouldn't have hit you."

"Dad!" Little Niu could no longer hold back and burst into tears in his father's arms.

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Having found the calf, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and headed down the mountain in groups. Wanyin and Mingzhang walked side by side at the back of the group. Yan Mingzhang said, "I didn't expect you to be so good at educating people."

Wanyin, flattered by the compliment, practically strutted with pride, saying smugly, "That's easy! My mother used to teach my father that way all the time. I just learned a few lines. And I haven't even used 30% of my skill yet!"

Mingzhang couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Wanyin's smug face.

Wan Yin said with slight annoyance, "Hey, what do you mean? You don't believe me?"

Mingzhang quickly suppressed his smile and said, "No, no, I just feel a little uncomfortable with you suddenly being so serious."

Wanyin rolled her eyes at him.

Yan Mingzhang laughed even harder.

At this moment, the burly man with the torch said, "Little Niu's father, it's just a lost copper bell. It's nothing serious. Look, my family lost our copper bell a few days ago too. It's normal for children to be forgetful."

Dazhuang nodded repeatedly.

A tall, thin man in front turned around and joined the conversation: "What, your copper bell is gone too? Mine is too! It's been over ten days~"

The remaining people echoed this sentiment, all saying that their families had lost their copper bells.

Although the copper bell wasn't cheap, it wasn't a particularly important item, so no one thought of reporting it to the authorities. But unexpectedly, a thief who specialized in stealing copper bells appeared.

Mingzhang listened quietly from behind the crowd, then turned to Xiao Mu and whispered, "Brother Xiao, tomorrow, register all the households in this area that have lost their copper bells. So many copper bells, this matter is probably not simple. How many blacksmith shops are there in town?"

Xiao Mu immediately understood. The copper bell was made of copper. If they had the technology to smelt it, they could melt it down and make copper coins. "Brother Chengxuan, all the blacksmith shops are listed. There are five in total. I will find them when I get back tonight."

Mingzhang continued, "I'll trouble Brother Xiao to accompany me tomorrow."

Xiao Mu laughed heartily, "Of course."

Wanyin squeezed between the two, her eyes shining: "What? Where to? I want to go too."

Both of them, as if coaxing a child, smiled and said in unison, "Okay, okay..."

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They had already visited all four blacksmith shops in the west and east of the city without any success. Now, only the Li family blacksmith shop in the south of the city remained. Although everyone was a little tired, they perked up, believing that this last shop would surely yield some results!

"Uncle!" Rong Wanyin approached with a smile and called out. A burly man with a fat head, greasy face, dark skin, a weathered look, and a thick beard angrily slammed down his work: "Who's the uncle! Who's the uncle! I'm only twenty! What are you calling me for?"

Rong Wanyin was startled, sticking out her tongue in fright, and apologized, "I'm sorry, big brother, I didn't look closely..."

The blacksmith angrily said to an old woman in the house, "Mother, see? What did I tell you? You can't inherit my father's craft. It's too grueling. I'm quitting! If I keep doing this, I won't be able to find a wife!"

The elderly woman inside was healthy and spry. She came out and slapped the big man on the back of the head: "You stubborn mule! What are you yelling about? You're scaring this young girl! You can't get a wife because you don't work hard enough! Get back to work, stop talking so much!"

The big man angrily picked up his tools again and got back to work.

After beating the burly man, the old woman turned around with a beaming smile: "I'm sorry, esteemed guests, I hope I didn't frighten you? My simple-minded son is a bit stubborn, but he's not a bad person at heart... I wonder what kind of ironware you esteemed guests would like to have made?"

Yan Mingzhang cupped his hands in greeting to Aunt Yun Zhao, then turned to the burly man and said, "Brother, we'd like to make two crossbows, small and palm-sized, but powerful enough for self-defense."

The burly man stroked his thick beard, his eyes instantly lighting up: "You've come to the right person. I'm best at doing..."

Before the burly man could finish speaking, the old woman stopped him with a look and whispered, "Don't cause trouble..."

The old lady said to Mingzhang, "Please forgive us, esteemed guests, but we are a small family and can only make farm tools. We really can't make bows and crossbows... Please leave!"

At this moment, Mo Yun and Chang Feng emerged from the alley behind them, gently shaking their heads. Yan Mingzhang then ended the conversation, saying, "Auntie, I'm sorry for being so abrupt. We'll take our leave now!"

Seeing the group leave, Old Mrs. Li pinched the big man's ear: "Itching for a fight again? I'm going to visit your Aunt Xiang in the next town tomorrow. Her son is getting married, and I'll be there to lend a hand. It'll probably take about half a month, so don't cause any trouble. Behave yourself!"

The burly man looked impatient, but couldn't show it, so he just said irritably, "I know, Mother..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The group went to a private room in a nearby teahouse to rest. Wanyin asked anxiously, "How did it go?"

Mo Yun said with a disappointed look, "Chang Feng and I both looked, but we couldn't find any tools for smelting copper."

"Is there a secret room?" Yan Mingzhang picked up a cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and asked.

"No," Changfeng shook his head and replied.

Xiao Mu, chin in hand, pondered, "Could we have made a mistake somewhere? It's okay, take your time, no rush, it's not a big deal. Let's have a good meal first, and then we'll think about it!"

Rong Wanyin's face immediately lit up with a smile: "I agree!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After dinner, it was already night. A bright moon hung high in the sky, and the bluestone path seemed to be covered with a light veil. Everyone was in a good mood after eating and drinking to their hearts' content. They chatted and laughed as they walked back. The cool breeze of the summer night made them feel refreshed, and a melodious and clear bell sound rang out.

Wan Yin closed her eyes, listening with enjoyment, her heart at peace: "So beautiful!"

Mingzhang looked at her with a smile, also enjoying this leisurely moment.

Xiao Mu's martial arts skills were superior to everyone else's, and he could see in the dark. He searched for the source of the sound in the darkness and pointed to a row of wind chimes hanging under the eaves not far away, saying, "Look, what's that?"