Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

For several days in a row, there was no activity at the Qingqi Shop.

Wang Sheng, Zhang Neng, and others are very busy preparing for the upcoming peak season for maritime trade.

Wu Youcai was away on a business trip.

Shao Shuyi would sometimes try to help and do what he could, but Wang Sheng basically didn't let him get involved, only asking him to keep good accounts.

The reason why the shop was so busy was simple: more than 10,000 pieces of porcelain were being shipped from Chuzhou, and there was just too much to do.

On the evening of the 19th, upon learning that a ship carrying silk and cotton cloth belonging to the Zheng family was passing by the old locust tree and was about to return to Taicang overnight, Shao Shuyi was overjoyed and immediately asked the shopkeeper Wang Sheng for leave to return to his hometown of Zhangjing.

Actually, it doesn't really count as taking leave. The 20th is a rest day anyway, so I can do whatever I want with it.

Wang Sheng seemed preoccupied and undecided about something. However, upon hearing Shao Shuyi's request, he surprisingly relaxed his furrowed brows and readily agreed. He even sent someone to contact the ship's manager, asking them to give Shao Shuyi a ride.

The journey home needs no further explanation. When Shao Shuyi pushed open the gate to his courtyard, it was already late at night with the moon high in the sky.

Wang Huadu, carrying a gleaming anchor axe, had a serious expression on his face. But when he realized it was Shao Shuyi, he smiled and said, "I thought it was a petty thief. I was just about to test the axe."

Shao Shuyi gave him an annoyed look and said, "Don't hurt yourself."

Wang Huadu yawned and said nonchalantly, "Cheng Ji is here, fast asleep. I'm going to sleep too, make yourself at home."

Shao Shuyi chuckled silently. This fellow was quite the outsider, acting as if he were the host and Shao Shuyi the guest.

Wang and Cheng stayed in the west room where miscellaneous items were stored, while Shao Shuyi returned to his bedroom in the east room. After briefly reflecting on the events of the past few days and examining his gains and losses, he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, he heard a burst of laughter and noise in the courtyard.

He put on his robe, got up, and looked around. He noticed that Yu Yuan had also arrived, so he greeted him.

"Brother Shao." Yu Yuan bowed.

Shao Shuyi returned the greeting, but was somewhat surprised.

He couldn't quite remember if Yu Yuan had called him "Little Tiger" with the others last time. Why was he being addressed differently this time? The word "brother" not only carried a sense of intimacy but also a hint of respect.

Wang Huadu was holding an anchor axe and pretending to chop in the yard. Surprisingly, he actually had some technique to it, unlike a beginner who just wildly swung his axe.

It's unclear whether he learned it from Cheng Ji or already had some basic skills. Shao Shuyi leans towards the latter—of course, Wang Huadu's level doesn't seem to be that high. He is indeed a qualified executioner, but that's all he is.

Cheng Ji sat cross-legged on the ground, nodded to Shao Shuyi, and continued to fiddle with the bow.

Yu Yuan was holding a copper tube-like object, examining it closely. When Shao Shuyi looked over, he immediately said, "Brother Cheng brought this."

After saying that, he handed over the "copper pipe" in his hand.

Shao Shuyi took it and looked at it, exclaiming in surprise, "A musket?"

"A bronze musket." Cheng Ji stood up and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I heard it was made more than ten years ago. Dozens of them were issued to the Crossroads Army, but nobody liked to use them. They've just been sitting in the warehouse, letting them rot."

Shao Shuyi's expression was a mixture of joy and worry.

Isn't this just a primitive firearm?

He examined it closely; it was about 30 to 40 centimeters long, with a fuse door at the back leading directly to the powder chamber. He wondered if the propellant was ignited by a match.

There is also a handle at the bottom, which can be held in the hand after the wooden handle is attached.

The muzzle was fitted with a rusty iron band. Undoubtedly, it was for reinforcing the barrel; it was probably due to poor workmanship, a fear of the barrel exploding.

In short, this was a muzzle-loading smoothbore pistol, very rudimentary, but it already had the prototype of a firearm.

Needless to say, the accuracy is definitely very poor.

Their range is mostly unsatisfactory.

How powerful was it? It's hard to say, but Shao Shuyi guessed it wouldn't be able to penetrate soldiers wearing iron armor, especially since the Yuan Dynasty already had cotton armor.

This pistol is a bit of a waste; no wonder the Crusaders didn't like using it and left it to gather dust in the warehouse.

Cheng Ji seemed to understand this, and said apologetically, "Copper is still worth some money, but I can't sell it to you cheaply."

"Why sell me a musket?" Shao Shuyi asked with interest. "Aren't anchor axes, sickle axes, ring-handled swords, iron swords, spears, bows, and even armor more useful and easier to sell?"

Cheng Ji was silent for a moment, then finally told the truth: "No one is checking for handguns."

"Does your thousand-household unit have any bronze cannons?" Shao Shuyi asked.

"Yes." Cheng Ji nodded and said, "There were three in total, named 'Zhankou Cannon,' built in the third year of Zhishun (1332). One was blown up, one is missing, and now there is only one left. It was said that it could be used to defend the city, but it has never been used."

"Do other units also have guns and cannons?"

"As far as I know, very few."

Shao Shuyi understood.

To say that the Yuan army lacked firearms or did not emphasize their use would be unfair to them. However, to say that they used firearms as their primary conventional tactic is a gross exaggeration.

To put it bluntly, they were still in the exploratory stage of using firearms and didn't have any particularly "cool" muskets or cannons.

The brass pistol he was holding was more of a "toy" than a weapon; its use was too limited and it was utterly useless.

As for that so-called "cannon with a single blast of glass," it was probably just an enlarged version of a bronze hand cannon. Its range, power, and accuracy were all questionable, and it was indeed only suitable for defending cities. If such a thing were deployed in open field battles, it would most likely be laughed at—however, war is a catalyst for military tactics and techniques, and who knows what the future holds?

"I have no money on hand." Shao Shuyi regretfully stuffed the brass pistol back into Cheng Ji's hand, saying, "If you can wait until next month, I'll buy it from you."

"Take it for now." Cheng Ji pushed the pistol back, saying, "This thing is useless; no one will check. Just give me thirty strings of cash next month; it's no big deal."

Thirty strings of cash?! Shao Shuyi was taken aback, then realized that it was made of bronze, so it wasn't too expensive. However, he figured he could probably negotiate the price…

Regardless of his thoughts, Cheng Ji simply said, "Last time I talked about the maintenance of bows and arrows. Today I'm going to test you: how do you prevent moisture after the bow is unstrung?"

"Cover the bow with mutton fat or beef tallow; raw lacquer or tung oil may also be used," Shao Shuyi replied.

"What happens after you finish painting?"

"Place it in a bow bag, which should contain insect-repelling herbs."

"If the bow is already strung, how should it be hung?"

"Hang it vertically."

"How can it be hung if it's not wound?"

"Recurve suspension".

"Rainy days are not good for bows and arrows, but sometimes in urgent battles, they must be used. What should be done with the bowstring after use?"

"The string needs to be removed immediately and dried over a low fire."

"Bending over in winter makes one's posture brittle; what should be done?"

"Apply and soak with hot sesame oil."

……

The two exchanged questions and answers, and soon more than a dozen questions were posed.

Wang Hua, leaning on his anchor axe, stared in disbelief and muttered, "Little Tiger, when did your brain become so sharp?"

Yu Yuan's face showed admiration.

He was a scholar, quick-witted, and had a strong memory. He believed he could learn faster than Wang Huadu, but remembering so many things at once was not easy. Brother Shao was indeed impressive.

Cheng Ji was even more surprised.

These questions seem simple and uncomplicated, but you can never imagine how stupid some people can be. You teach them one minute and they forget it the next, and even if they manage to remember it, they often remember it in a jumbled mess.

Cheng Ji sometimes wondered if the soldiers in the army were so uneducated and slow-witted that they had to learn even simple methods of bow and arrow maintenance for a long time.

The boy in front of me remembered it after being taught only once. Such intelligence is rare. No wonder he can work as an accountant in Zheng's porcelain shop.

"I brought some commonly used skincare products with me today. Why don't you try them out?" Cheng Ji turned around, took out a package, and took out the items one by one.

Shao Shuyi hummed in agreement, then quickly walked to Wang Huadu's side and asked in a low voice, "How much money is left from last time?"

"It's all spent already," Wang Huadu said casually.

Seeing Shao Shuyi looking worried, he laughed and said, "Don't worry, I borrowed five strings of cash yesterday and bought some rice and noodles."

"From whom did you borrow it?" Shao Shuyi asked.

Wang Hua pointed at Yu Yuan and said, "That's him."

Yu Yuan had no idea what the two of them were talking about, and just chuckled awkwardly from afar.

"I'll return it to you in a bit," Shao Shuyi nodded and said.

"What do you mean, 'not yet paid back'?" Wang Huadu asked, somewhat displeased. "Just use it. If I ever go hungry, I'll come looking for you. We're brothers; you can't just abandon us, can you?"

Shao Shuyi smiled and said, "I was being petty. You're right, we're brothers, no need for words, we all remember each other."

"That's more like it." Wang Huadu patted Shao Shuyi on the shoulder, then looked at Yu Yuan and said, "Yu She is also one of our brothers."

Shao Shuyi nodded heavily.

Then he remembered something, leaned close to Wang Huadu's ear, and whispered, "If you have time, go to Liujiagang Wharf and find out about the next broker named Sun Chuan. See who he hangs out with on a daily basis."

"An enemy?" Wang Huadu tightened his grip on the anchor axe and asked.

"Don't do anything rash yet, just gather information first," Shao Shuyi quickly said. "It's okay if we can't find out anything, we can do it later."

"I'm going to work at the docks anyway, so there should be an opportunity," Wang Huadu said. "Loan sharks are never idle; they're always out and about. They're easy to find."

Shao Shuyi nodded slightly.

Yu Yuan had already run to Cheng Ji's side and helped him place the contents of the package on the ground one by one.

The "Practical Operation" class is about to begin.