Two Realms: A cartload of rice arrived at the end of the Ming Dynasty

A 28-pound modern recurve bow was tested by Sun Lu and Zhou Ren in turn, and in the end, they both fell in love with this light and powerful recurve bow.

According to Zhou Ren, Ming Dynasty bows during this period were divided into two types: the Xiaoshao bow and the Kaiyuan bow.

The small bows used by these soldiers who were stationed to defend against Japanese pirates were relatively flexible, small in size, short in range, and easy to carry, making them suitable for fighting in the narrow alleys of coastal towns with many mountains.

Another type of bow, the Kaiyuan Bow, also known as the Dashao Bow, is more powerful and larger in size. It was usually issued by the imperial court to the border troops and cavalry of the Nine Garrisons.

The modern recurve bow that Zhu Shiting brought is closer to the Kaiyuan bow in both design and power.

Considering that its entry-level tension is suitable for beginners and girls, Zhu Shiting thought for a moment and then gave it to Sun Lu to use first.

"Thank you for bestowing this bow, Immortal!"

After obtaining the immortal bow, Sun Lu's mood improved considerably. She happily practiced with the dozen or so carbon steel arrows in the woods.

Zhou Ren watched from the side with some envy. In his eyes, this black bow was neither gold nor jade, and it was extremely easy to draw. Although it was not as good as the Kaiyuan Bow, which could shoot a hundred paces, it was still a rare and excellent bow in the south.

After all, the bow-making skills of the common people in Wenzhou Prefecture were very sparse, and most of the officials and soldiers in the prefecture still used soft bamboo bows.

A superior bow like the Kaiyuan Bow requires bamboo core and ox horn, mulberry and elm wood for the tip, and ox horn and hardwood for the bow tip. It goes through a series of processes, including "splitting the trunk in winter, treating the horn in spring, treating the sinew in summer, combining the materials in autumn, and fixing the body in winter". The production time alone takes about a year.

Such a precious bow could easily fetch dozens of taels of silver in the county town at the foot of the mountain!

This is an irresistible temptation for martial artists who love weapons and wielding spears.

Seeing how much he coveted the recurve bow, Zhu Shiting reassured him before leaving, "Zhou Ren, this immortal bow isn't anything rare in Heaven. Next time I come, I'll bring you an even more powerful one. Just make sure you can't pull it."

Zhou Ren was deeply moved upon hearing this. He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect between master and servant, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Immortal. I have no way to repay you. From now on, my life belongs to you, Immortal!"

Seeing this, Zhu Shiting smiled slightly, exchanged a few words with the two, glanced at the bustling construction site of Jiyun Village, and then teleported back in a flash.

Seeing that the immortal had returned to Heaven, Zhou Ren approached Sun Lu with a grin and said, "Sister Sun, I see you've been practicing for quite a while now. Why don't you let me try out this immortal bow? It's been a long time since I practiced archery, and my martial arts skills have become quite rusty."

"No! The immortals said this bow was a gift to me. If you want to practice with a bow, Brother Zhou, you can use this small bow of mine."

Sun Lu, acting as if she were protecting her cub, hid the recurve bow behind her back and adopted an uncompromising stance.

In her eyes, this was the first celestial bow bestowed by the immortals, and it was specifically given to her by name. There were also traces of the immortals' use on it, so Sun Lu was naturally unwilling to share such a celestial object with anyone.

Seeing this, Zhou Ren could only chuckle awkwardly a few times, pick up his well-worn small bow, and secretly start practicing against the tree target in the distance.

However, his eyes kept glancing at the black recurve bow in Sun Lu's hand, his longing for it barely concealed.

……

Modern time and space.

When Zhu Shiting was teleported back, he glanced at the time and saw that it was already past 4 p.m.

Without lingering in the factory warehouse, they drove to the farmers' market in Qianyang Town, spent over 300 yuan to buy several kilograms of crabs and mantis shrimp to take home for their mother to cook.

"Shiting, why did you buy so many groceries again?"

"We can't possibly finish all the meat in the fridge!"

Li Yuan felt sorry for her son's wasteful spending and complained a few times.

"Mom, the fishing ban in the East China Sea will end in two months, and then we won't be able to eat seafood anymore. I've landed a big order these past few days, and I'd like to try it again."

Zhu Shiting, shameless as ever, threw the two large plastic bags into the kitchen sink.

Seeing this, Li Yuan muttered a few times, "If you want to eat seafood, you have to go buy it in the morning! If you wait until the afternoon, where will you find any fresh seafood at the market?"

Although the mother complained, she was very efficient at dealing with these small fry.

As ordinary people living in the eastern coastal areas of southern China, we often have a few seafood dishes on our daily meals. These include things like clams, tofu fish, small yellow croaker, and razor clams.

Crabs and mantis shrimp, which have shells, are relatively expensive in the market, especially right after the Lunar New Year, when good crabs and mantis shrimp can cost over 100 yuan per kilogram.

Normally, when I want to eat seafood, it's usually around September, right after the fishing ban ends and when the seafood harvest is plentiful and the prices are relatively good, that I'll buy a few pounds.

After all, this meal would cost several hundred yuan, and few small families in ordinary towns could afford such a large expenditure.

"Mom! Make me some salt and pepper mantis shrimp, and just steam the crab."

Zhu Shiting listened to his mother's complaints and returned to his room on the second floor with a grin.

He now has tens of millions in his bank account and spends money lavishly. Besides improving the lives of the villagers in Jiyun Village, his first thought is to raise his own material conditions to a higher level.

If you have money but don't spend it on your family, then isn't that money wasted?

Of course, while his mother was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, Zhu Shiting opened his computer and searched for recurve bow wholesalers on Alibaba.

Although Ruixian Mall has a wide variety of goods, most of them are for daily necessities, such as shoes, clothing and home furnishings, and there are shops and stalls everywhere.

However, after searching the entire mall, Zhu Shiting couldn't find a single store selling this niche sports equipment. After thinking for a while, he decided to search online for similar wholesalers.

After asking several Alibaba sellers and comparing the prices of these fiberglass recurve bows, Zhu Shiting finally placed an order for 200 bare bows at 33 yuan each.

The sports equipment seller, seeing that he placed so many orders at once, even called to inquire about the situation and ask if he had placed the wrong order quantity.

After all, online shopping scammers and professional counterfeit hunters who play the "refund only" game have been rampant on the internet recently, and those in e-commerce are afraid of encountering unfamiliar customers who suddenly place large orders.

Once subsequent shipments are sent, buyers either sue for counterfeiting or offer refunds without returning the goods, impacting the business of the online store.

Zhu Shiting answered the phone and chatted with the wholesale seller for a few minutes. He made up a reason and said that he was doing takeout export. He even sent over his business license, which convinced the other party to ship the goods to him without worry.

"Business is really tough these days. Even running an e-commerce business is a constant source of anxiety," Zhu Shiting thought to himself after hanging up the phone.

If it weren't for the support of the late Ming Dynasty era, he probably wouldn't have recklessly rushed into starting a business.