Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 277 Rattan Armor
They chatted all the way until they reached Bailiu Village. Zhao Zhen ordered Tian Lei to unload the cloth from the cart and arranged for Song Qian and his men to rest for the night before leaving tomorrow.

That night, they killed a pig, sent half to Song Qian, and stewed the remaining half in a big pot. After the heroes had a full meal, they returned to the camp to rest.

Zhao Zhen also returned to the main hall. When Ji Xuan saw him, she asked, "My husband, how did you get so much water cotton cloth? Do you have any gun cotton cloth?"

Zhao Zhen said, "I sold a few giant clam bracelets to the Song brothers and sisters in exchange for these water cotton cloths. I don't have any gun cotton cloths. It's just the right time for you to buy some clothes since the weather is getting hot. I'll leave 150 pieces at home, Qingwan, you can use them."

Ji Qingwan said, "My husband, this water cotton cloth is best for summer wear. Send ten pieces from my parents-in-law. Make a few pieces for the three sisters Wang Wang and Li Yao at home."

Zhao Zhen said, "Madam, please make the decision."

Ji Xuan said, "Hanji Township grows the most cotton, and water cotton cloth is also a rare commodity. It would be great if we could get some gun cotton cloth."

Zhao Zhen said: "There will be a deal later. Let's see if the Song brothers and sisters are willing to trade for the guncotton cloth."

Ji Xuan said, "Husband, let me negotiate the deal next time. I'll make sure they get some good cotton fabrics."

Zhao Zhen said: "In that case, I will have to trouble Madam Xuan."

Ji Xuan said, "Don't worry, my husband. I'm on top of it. I've collected a lot of good things in the past half month. I went to the Liu family last time. Of the four things my husband mentioned, leeks, asparagus, gourds, and strawberries, only the gourd has been able to breed a different species."

"The gourds in his family are very hard, and the water ladles made from them are not easy to break, so they are quite popular. When she saw me asking about it, she gave me a dozen gourds and said, 'This hard gourd is only thirty cents each. Since you are interested, I will give you a few gourds. Go back and dig them up. There are seeds inside. Find a vegetable plot and plant them. I will give you as many gourds as you want.' Take them back to the fantasy world, and you will be able to plant them after a while."

"I thought my husband had collected some gourd vines, so I asked her if she had any stronger ones. I never thought that Madam Liu would actually take out two sacks of vines, but they were not gourd vines, but cucumber vines, which were very flexible. She said that these two bags of cucumber vines were harvested in one year. Unfortunately, there were no more later. The melon seeds she planted were just ordinary ones."

"I can't take it for nothing, so I'll leave you 60 taels of silver. When I get back, I'll let two of the imperial guards pull it apart, but they can't break it. My husband can take a look tomorrow to see if it's useful. If it is, I'll ask Madam Liu to ask the vegetable farmers I know if they have any more."

Zhao Zhen said, "Madam, have you seen the armor that Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi are wearing? It is woven with green jade gourd vines. Although it is not fireproof, it is often used on water."

Ji Xuan said, "No wonder, nowadays the army mostly uses iron armor, followed by leather armor, cotton armor, and then paper armor, but rattan armor is rare, so this vine is not valued. Now I heard from my husband that this rattan armor is suitable for the navy. It is light on the boat and can jump into the water even if it is on fire."

"My husband, would you like to take it and have a look? This vine is now placed in the backyard room."

Zhao Zhen said, "We've been traveling all day and I'm very tired. It won't be too late to go tomorrow." After saying that, he asked everyone to go and rest, and Zhao Zhen also went back to his room with Ji Qingwan to rest.

Early the next morning, Zhao Zhen, who had rested all night, cheered himself up and started practicing boxing in the yard with his wives and concubines.

During this time, Song Qian came to the mansion and said a few words, then led the convoy away from Bailiu Village.

After breakfast, Zhao Zhen said to Ji Qingwan, "Madam, I bought two sets of cooking utensils from the Song brothers and sisters. Send one set to the kitchen in the back for use."

Ji Qingwan said: "My husband, these treasures obtained from the misty world in the tomb cannot be cleaned in this way. They must be boiled and soaked for three days with peach leaves, reeds, white grass, mugwort, mulberry leaves, dogwood, orchids, and willow leaves before they can be used again."

Zhao Zhen said: "In this case, let's also deal with the gold and silver [Linzhi Wraps] that we brought back yesterday."

Ji Qingwan said: "Don't worry, my husband, I will make arrangements. I don't know how long you will have."

"The fantasy world is still relatively stable now, so we have to stay here for another five to seven days. There's nothing happening in Bailiu Village now, so we'll go back to the county and stay there for a few days. I want to catch up with some classmates." Zhao Zhen replied.

After hearing what Zhao Zhen said, Ji Qingwan said happily: "In that case, how about I give the order to pack up and leave in the afternoon?"

Zhao Zhen nodded and looked at the newly bought cucumber vines first. They were as flexible as the jade gourd vines. Zhao Zhen nodded with satisfaction and said to Ji Xuan, "Madam, these vines are really good. These two bags can make seven or eight first-level vine armors. I wonder what other good materials Madam has collected?"

Ji Xuan said: "The rest are all kept in the house in the city. They are nothing more than some ore, iron, grass, sand and soil found in the mountains and fields. My husband will know when he goes there. I also bought a piece of dazzling iron in the past few days. This iron is as high as the fifth grade, but it is a little small, only the size of my fist." As she said this, she stretched out her fist to measure it.

Zhao Zhen said, "These fifth-tier treasures are rare. Madam, you are able to receive them. It seems that your shop has become famous."

Ji Xuan said, "It's all thanks to the four-bearded carp produced in my husband's fantasy world. Many people came to buy it, and that's why we became famous. My family buys precious materials, regardless of the size of the use, and gradually became known. In addition, the beds made of poplar wood are also very popular. Because they don't breed fleas and the price is low, many wealthy families buy them for their servants. With these special products that others don't have, we can easily gain a foothold."

"I see that your fantasy world can also forge advanced weapons. If you can get some advanced weapons and put them in the shop, I'm sure it will attract a lot of mercenaries. I've heard treasure hunters who come to sell treasures complain several times that they don't have good things for scavengers in the mountains. The advanced weapons in the weapon shop are expensive and not suitable for use in the mountains. It would be great if we could have good hunting knives and hunting forks."

Zhao Zhen said, "Madam, don't worry. When I get back, I'll ask the blacksmith to make some hunting knives and hunting forks made of 30-50-grade fine iron."

As they talked, the two walked out of the backyard. Ji Xuan went to help Ji Qingwan pack her luggage, while Zhao Zhen went to the training ground behind the village to practice martial arts with Liu Tang and other heroes.

During the break, Zhao Zhen said to everyone that they would go to the county town in the afternoon and take a look at the scenery in the county town in the next few days.

Everyone was delighted when they heard this. Ruan Xiaoqi said, "Sir, we have been there many times, but we will not go there this time. We will still lead the soldiers in the village."

Zhao Zhen said, "In a few days, you two brothers will follow us back to Liangshan County. I don't know when you will come back. This time, Song Wan and Du Qian will take over your place. You two can take the other brothers to visit the county."

Ruan Xiaowu heard this and said, "What the great lord said is true. This county is more prosperous than the state capital. Xiaoqi and I will be your guides and accompany you on a tour."

After noon, the group rode to the county town. After arranging a place to stay, Zhao Zhen took out gold and silver and asked the Ruan brothers to take Liu Tang and others to stroll around the county town.

In the next few days, the Ruan brothers took everyone to wander around and tried all kinds of food and drinks in the county. Zhao Zhen also took this opportunity to chat with a few good classmates and county officials at the wine table. This exchange helped Zhao Zhen close a few deals.

The first one was that the brothers Guo Kaiwen and Guo Kaiwu saw the Longtunkou Bailiancuojin Pudao used by Zhao Xiang, and they also wanted to buy two from Zhao Zhen, and they prepared 1500 catties of second-level meteorite iron, and the two offered 3000 strings of cash for the labor cost. Zhao Zhen saw it, and it was hard to refuse. It only took Tang Long three to five days to make two Pudaos, which was a good deal. For Guo Kaiwen and the others, it was acceptable. One catty of meteorite iron cost about 2000 strings of cash, so two swords plus the labor cost only cost strings of cash. You should know that second-level weapons generally cost more than strings of cash.

When Li Tianyou and the others saw this, they all thought that Guo Kaiwen and the other two had taken advantage of them, but they had to pay for the banquet. Although they had graduated for more than half a year, the friendship between classmates was still there, and after drinking three glasses of wine, everyone naturally started chatting.

Li Tianyou saw that Zhao Zhen was able to forge weapons, so he asked, "Zhao Erlang, since you can forge weapons, I wonder if you can make armor? We don't want the full body armor used in the army, we want the light inner armor."

Zhao Zhen pondered and said, "Brother, what do you want the inner armor for? Aren't you just maintaining order in the city now?"

Li Tianyou said: "Hey, maintaining order is a trivial matter all day long. Either stalls are not allowed here, or there are congestion there. Not to mention being bored, for me, the career level advancement is slow. I still want to join the thief-catching team, so I want to find a piece of inner armor for self-defense."

Zhao Zhen said: "I have indeed recruited a new armor craftsman. Do you have the materials?"

Li Tianyou said awkwardly: "I have only been thinking about this recently, so I haven't prepared anything yet. Brother, the fantasy world is rich in resources, I wonder if there are any suitable materials?"

Zhao Zhen said, "I do have two green water python skins, one level, one level, and a few level three skins. Which one do you want, brother?"

After hearing this, Li Tianyou hurriedly asked, "I wonder how is the defense?"

Zhao Zhen said: "A single first-level snake skin can protect against thirty-level swords, and a second-level one can protect against a hundred-level swords. Stacking two layers together will have a better effect."

"I wonder how much this second-level snakeskin armor would cost me?"

Zhao Zhen said, "This second-level leather armor is rare on the market, and one piece costs at least 3000 strings of cash. What you want is the inner armor, which only protects the torso and does not use much material. I don't have many of this second-level green water python skin, so how about 1500 strings of cash for it?"

Li Tianyou said: "In this case, I am taking advantage. Today, the Guo brothers are treating us, and tomorrow I will prepare a banquet."

Guo Kaiwen said: "Then it's settled. My two brothers will attend the banquet on time tomorrow."

Li Tianyou asked, "Why, don't you two want to make two good armors?"

Guo Kai said: "Firstly, my brother and I have asked for a lot of weapons from home. Secondly, the army has its own armor for self-defense. Although it is heavy, it is not conspicuous, which is just right for the two of us. There is no rush to change this armor."

Zhao Zhen said: "If you need anything in the future, you can come to me. If there are any green water python skins left, I will never refuse."

After hearing this, the two stood up and drank a cup with Zhao Zhen. "Don't worry, Zhao Erlang. Since you have a craftsman who can make armor, we will see if we can find the precious materials. When the time comes, we may have to trouble you again."

Zhao Zhen said, "That's not true. We have been classmates for ten years. I will not stand idly by if I can help. Besides, you have also paid for the work. If you have any extra precious materials, you can also send them to my residence. My wife is buying them now."

Li Tianyou asked, "What do you buy in your shop? What do you sell?"

Lu Zhuocheng said, "Li Dalang, it seems that you, the captain of the police, are not well-informed. Haven't you heard that there is a shop near the South Market that sells spirit fish, poplar wood beds, boxwood ornaments, and bone-carved peonies?"

Li Tianyou said, "I've heard about it from my colleagues before, but I never thought it was Zhao Erlang's shop."

Lu Zhuocheng said, "He now accepts all kinds of materials, even those of inferior species. A few days ago, his wife asked me where she could find tough vines."

Zhao Zhen also said: "After all, we are new and don't have a stable customer base. That's why we accept all the materials we can get, regardless of whether they are good or bad, as long as the price is right."

Li Tianyou asked, "Zhao Erlang, what do you want the vines for? Do you want to weave a rattan basket?"

Zhao Zhen said: "I want to weave rattan armor. Brother, do you know where to get this tough rattan armor?"

Li Tianyou said: "Zhao Erlang, although this rattan armor can protect against blades and arrows, it is very easy to ignite. If it encounters a fire attack, it will inevitably cause heavy losses, and the gains will not outweigh the losses."

Zhao Zhen said: "Of course I know that this rattan armor is afraid of fire, so I will be more careful on the battlefield. This rattan armor costs less, and its defense is not inferior to leather armor. It can be regarded as a rare good armor."

Li Tianyou said, "I do know of one place. Last month, I went to Zhangwafang Village in the north of the city on business. I saw quite a few in his village. You can go and have a look. Many people there brought baskets of pineapples. These baskets are much stronger than those in other places."

Zhao Zhen was delighted and said, "Thank you, brother. I will go to Zhangwafang Village tomorrow to see if it is suitable."

On the second day, Zhao Zhen wanted to ask Lu Zhuocheng to go with him, but Lu Zhuocheng took a temporary deal and went to look at the goods. Zhao Zhen had no choice but to take Hu Sanniang, Ji Minghan, Ji Mingdan and the three sisters Black Ant, and under the protection of six imperial guards, they asked their way to Zhangwafang Village in the north of the city.

Arriving at Zhangwafang Village, Zhao Zhen saw that many people had piled up many vines in front of their houses. He found the village head Zhang Jian, and after greeting him, he said, "Zhang, I am Zhao Zhen, the new village head of Bailiu Village, Lvliu Township. Yesterday, I heard from my brother Li Tianyou, the constable, that you have many vines here. I came here today to see if there are any that can be used. I plan to buy some."

Zhang Jian heard this and said, "I do have a lot of rattan here. Farmers often use it to weave baskets in their spare time, and it can also supplement their family income. I wonder how many rattans Zhao Lizheng wants?"

Zhao Zhen was disappointed after hearing what Zhang Jian said. He wanted vines, and this vine was probably not suitable. Zhao Zhen said, "My village was newly built not long ago, and I want to weave some vine armor for protection. I wonder if Zhang Lizheng has any suitable ones here?"

Zhang Jian heard this and laughed, "Brother, although this rattan is tough and can be used to weave baskets, it cannot be used directly to make armor."

Zhao Zhen was greatly disappointed when he heard this. He was about to say a few polite words to say goodbye, but Zhang Jian's words made Zhao Zhen return with great success.

(End of this chapter)