The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

The sky over Hulu Bay seemed brighter than elsewhere.

In just over a month since Wang Zhonghua and his group returned from the deep mountains, this once desolate river bend has quietly transformed.

The smoke from the distillery was the first to rise. Every day before dawn, the huge stills began to billow and exhale clouds of steam, spreading the rich aroma of sorghum and wheat for miles around. Passing travelers and merchants, walking along the official road to the banks of Laomentan, could smell the intoxicating aroma of the liquor from afar—the unique scent of "Zui Baxian" (Drunken Eight Immortals), now one of the most sought-after commodities in Chenzhou Prefecture. The cart tracks in front of the distillery grew deeper day by day, and every day before dawn, liquor merchants from all over lined up to wait, the scene as bustling as a market.

"Make way, make way! Today's quota is all booked!" Lu Fusheng, the manager of the distillery, stood at the door, shouting to shoo away the casual customers who still wanted to squeeze in, but his face couldn't hide the smile lines. Behind him, a dozen or so strong young men were busy in the steamy workshop, some adding firewood, some fetching wine, the rising steam blurring their faces, but it couldn't hide their energy.

If you walk half a mile along the newly built bluestone path behind the winery, you will find the "Sanshenglu" restaurant, which was recently opened.

Though called a "hu" (庐), it was actually several neatly arranged tiled houses, built in a staggered pattern according to the terrain. The courtyard was filled with various medicinal herbs drying in the sun: yellow forsythia, white platycodon, and red goji berries, creating a colorful picture under the spring sunshine. The aroma of herbs and wine mingled in the air, creating a strange harmony.

"Sister Xinyi, is the dosage of this Astragalus membranaceus correct?"

Qin Tiehua leaned against the soft couch in the corridor, her once pale face now increasingly rosy. She was holding a small scale, carefully weighing the medicinal herbs that Liu Xinyi had handed her. Her body was recovering rapidly from her injury, and Liu Jueming forbade her from doing too much work, let alone swinging a hammer to forge steel. So she pestered Liu Xinyi to teach her to identify the medicinal herbs, saying that she "couldn't eat and stay for free." At first, Liu Xinyi declined, but seeing her stubbornness, she let her do some light work.

Liu Xinyi leaned over to take a look and smiled, "Sister's hands are very steady, not a penny off." As she spoke, she took the astragalus and poured it into the medicine grinder next to her, and added, "Aunt Shen brought chicken soup again today. Grandpa said you can drink more of it, it's the best for replenishing your vital energy."

A blush rose on Qin Tiehua's face, whether from embarrassment or improved complexion, it was hard to tell: "Aunt Shen comes every day, I don't know how to thank her."

"What are you thanking me for?" Liu Xinyi said while grinding the herbs. "Aunt Shen said that you helped her young master, which is to say you saved her whole family. In my opinion, everyone in Hulu Bay remembers you well, sister. Yesterday, when I went to Lüjiachang to get my medicine hoe, I heard Madam Lü mention that she wanted to come and see you, but Master Lü stopped her, saying that when you are feeling better, she will personally cook braised pork knuckle for you."

Qin Tiehua smiled faintly, but a glint of tears welled in her eyes. These past few days, though confined to her bed, she had been enveloped in warmth every day—Aunt Shen's chicken soup, Madam Yao's rice porridge, the wildflowers Wang Xiangjun would slip into her hand each day after school, and the gentle, meticulous Xinyi sister before her, who changed her bandages, prepared her medicine, and kept her company. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, she would think that taking that arrow felt like a blessing.

"What are you thinking about now?" Liu Xinyi gently touched her hand when she saw her lost in thought.

"I miss..." Qin Tiehua came back to his senses, looked at the medicinal herbs spread out in the courtyard, and said softly, "I miss days like this, they're so good."

Liu Xinyi followed her gaze. The sunlight was perfect, the aroma of medicine was strong, and in the distance, she could faintly hear the noise from the distillery and the clanging of hammers from the blacksmith's shop. A smile curved her lips, and her eyes were gentle: "Things will get better in the future. Grandpa said that when you're fully recovered, he'll teach us how to make pills and ointments. Then, sister, help me, and we'll make this 'Three Lives Cottage' big, so that patients from all around can afford medical treatment and get medicine."

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, came from afar. Liu Xinyi laughed and said, "Those few bandits had their hands and feet severed. Grandpa and I treated them with our knives. It's their good fortune that they can scream so loudly. Later, I'll go and try out Young Master Wang's 'new medical technique' on them."

The "new medical techniques" are, of course, the surgical techniques suggested by Wang Zhonghua, such as amputation, bandaging, bone setting, and blood exchange (transfusion).

"Okay." Qin Tiehua grasped her hand, their slender yet firm hands clasped together.

Further east from Sanshenglu, past a newly turned field, lies "Lüjiachang".

This was a plot of land specially set aside by Lü Sanjun at Wang Zhonghua's request, where a row of brightly lit blacksmith shops was built. A awning stood in front of the shops, under which were displayed newly forged farm tools—hoes, sickles, and plowshares—made under Shen Kuo's guidance, gleaming and much more exquisite and sturdy than the items found in ordinary blacksmith shops. Farmers from far and wide came to try them out, and everyone praised them highly, saying the hoes were easy to use and the plowshares went deep into the soil. Word spread quickly, and Lüjiachang's reputation spread far and wide.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

The furnace was blazing, and several shirtless men were wielding sledgehammers, sweat dripping down their backs and sizzling as it hit the hot anvil.

The foreman was Old Qin, and the one who directed and recorded the events was Shen Kuo.

Since his daughter's injury, he had been somewhat distracted from the Laoyashan mine, spending more time at the blacksmith shop. It wasn't that he didn't care about the ore, but Wang Zhonghua had said something that reassured him: "Uncle Qin, Tiehua was injured because of me; from now on, her affairs are my affairs. Don't worry, we can deal with the mine matter slowly. First, focus on getting better and taking care of the family."

Old Qin didn't say anything, but patted Wang Zhonghua's shoulder heavily. He then turned around and, with a few apprentices, started to run the blacksmith shop. Every day, the clanging and hammering of iron produced farm tools, a livelihood, and a new hope.

"Uncle Qin, shouldn't we change the water used to quench the plowshare?" a young apprentice asked, wiping his sweat.

Shen Kuo bent down, his gaze fixed on the red-hot iron.

The furnace fire cast flickering shadows on his face, and beads of sweat trickled down his temples, but he remained oblivious. The iron tongs hung steadily in mid-air, motionless—he was watching, observing the quality of the iron, the intensity of the heat, and what kind of object this piece of iron would become after hundreds and thousands of hammerings.

He stared so intently, as if only this ball of fire and this piece of iron remained in the world. Outside, there was the bustling river work, the coming and going of laborers, and the ceaselessly flowing waters of the Da Yi River, but all of that was irrelevant to him. In his eyes, there was only the iron that was cooling, changing, and taking shape.

After a long pause, he nodded.

"Change it. Use fresh water from Laomentan. The water has to be good for the iron to be good."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as certain as if he were stating a truth. The pliers still held the piece of iron firmly, and his gaze remained fixed on it. It was as if, after saying those words, he wanted to continue watching, to see the iron truly become the shape he desired.

The aromas of wine, herbs, and the sizzling of iron intertwine to create the unique atmosphere of the Lüjiachang, Laomentan, Wangjiagang, and Huluwan areas. The once desolate river bend is now bustling with people and mules. Some come to buy wine, some to seek medical treatment, some to order farm tools, and others simply to join the excitement—they've heard of a young man who can brew miraculous wine, of an old hermit who has lived in seclusion in the mountains for decades, and of iron tools here that are even better than those in the county town.

The news spread like wildfire, flying over Laomentan, over Shangshui County, into Chenzhou Prefecture, and into the ears of certain people.

That afternoon, a slightly worn blue sedan chair, surrounded by several yamen runners, slowly came to a stop in front of the Lü family manor.

The sedan curtain was lifted, and a "big shot" dressed as an official stepped out.

He didn't go into the mansion immediately, but instead stood with his hands behind his back on a high place, gazing for a moment at Hulu Bay, where smoke curled from chimneys and voices could be faintly heard. That once barren beach was now steaming with a vibrant heat, like a pot of water just boiled, bubbling and gurgling.

The man watched for a long time, a smile of inscrutable meaning appearing on his lips, before turning around and stepping into the Lü residence.

Since the Battle of Hulu Bay, the "Hidden Arrow" has become famous. After Wang Zhonghua made contact with General Di Qing, the Wang family's status in Chenzhou has changed dramatically.

Lu Sanjun increasingly regarded Wang Zhonghua as an equal partner, and even a "hidden dragon" who required his full investment. With a wave of his hand, he not only officially transferred the promised five-mile southwest threshing ground and nearly a hundred acres of surrounding land to Wang Zhonghua, but also mobilized the resources of the Lu family to help him build a brand-new "Wang Family Manor" on Wangjiagang, which is adjacent to the Lu Family Manor and near Laomentan.

While the manor couldn't match the extravagant luxury and ornate carvings of the Lü family's estate, it still possessed a rigorous layout and imposing presence. High stone walls lined the courtyard, with watchtowers at each corner, giving it the appearance of a fortified stronghold. The manor comprised three courtyards: the front courtyard served as a reception area and guard post; the central courtyard was the family's living quarters, spacious and bright; and the rear courtyard housed workshops, storerooms, and stables. All construction materials and labor were fully supported by the Lü family, with Qin Tiedan and the core members of the "Brotherhood" overseeing the work day and night, contributing significantly to the project.

Father Wang Zhuacai remained taciturn, pacing around the newly built manor with his hands behind his back all day. Looking at the solid high walls, the heavy wooden doors, and the increasingly full grain and silk in the storerooms, his pale, beardless face rarely showed any joy, and a layer of unyielding worry often settled between his brows.