Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

"What a fine knife! What a fine knife!"

Li Chengwen praised repeatedly and patted Shen Chu on the shoulder.

"You're quite something, kid! Your skills are truly impressive; you actually managed to forge a weapon like that!"

"Not at all, it's all thanks to the excellent materials you provided, young master, and Master Sun's guidance that this piece of silver-patterned meteorite iron has lived up to its potential!"

Shen Chu smiled and declined, saying he would keep his achievements and fame hidden.

"I love your temper!"

Li Chengwen liked it more and more as he looked at it, and played with it for a long time without putting it down, before reluctantly sheathing the sword.

He then pulled out a few silver ingots from his sleeve and stuffed them into Shen Chu's hand: "This is a reward for you, take it! Don't think it's too little, once the government's order is completed, I'll give you a bigger bonus!"

Shen Chu declined a couple of times, but then accepted the money.

He couldn't help but ask another question: "Young Master, why did you suddenly decide to practice martial arts?"

Li Chengwen looked somewhat uncomfortable after being asked this question. He stammered a couple of times, and finally sighed.

He then plopped down on the stone bench next to him and muttered, "It's all because of my dad. Tell me, why does my dad always favor the second son? I did a pretty good job on this business trip, but he still sided with the second son the moment he turned around. As for Zhao Dezhu's matter, it was three hundred taels of silver, and he just said to let it go. If I had made such a big mistake, he would have given me a good scolding."

Upon hearing "Zhao Dezhu's three hundred taels of silver," Shen Chu's expression immediately became somewhat strange.

After all, that money is currently kept under his bed.

Li Chengwen was looking down and didn't see Shen Chu's expression, so his words became increasingly aggrieved:

"After thinking about it for a while, I think it might be because I'm fat. My second son is good-looking and has a good figure; he looks good in anything. When he stands in front of my dad, he looks pleasing to the eye. As for me, when I stand there, I'm like a wall."

He looked up at Shen Chu, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said, "So I was thinking, if I could lose weight, would my dad like me a little more?"

After listening, Shen Chu remained silent for a moment, then said, "Young Master, do you want to hear the truth?"

Li Chengwen was taken aback: "You tell me."

"I dare not presume to know what the master is thinking."

Shen Chu said slowly,

"But in my opinion, whether a person deserves respect is not about what they look like or what clothes they wear, but about what they do and what responsibilities they shoulder. The fact that you closed such a big deal this time is a testament to your real ability. The fact that you personally came to the factory to supervise the work, raised wages for everyone, and promised generous rewards to complete the order is also a testament to your real sense of responsibility. These things are far more important than whether you are thin or not."

After listening, Li Chengwen stared at Shen Chu blankly for a while, then suddenly grinned and patted Shen Chu's shoulder heavily: "You little rascal, you know how to talk. Fine, for that, I'll skip one steamed bun this morning!"

Shen Chu glanced at the stone table again.

Good guy,

This breakfast was indeed substantial.

A huge bowl of porridge, served with eight steamed buns?

Whether you eat one more or one less, it won't make a big difference!

Shen Chu then proceeded to explain a series of facts about carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins to Li Chengwen, leaving him completely confused.

Does wanting to lose weight mean eating more meat and less rice?

Seeing that Li Chengwen was still skeptical, Shen Chu chuckled and said, "Young Master, try my method for a while. You won't lose anything anyway."

"OK!"

Li Chengwen thought about it and realized that eating meat was indeed much more comfortable than drinking porridge or eating steamed buns. His originally bitter face now showed more smiles.

Seeing that Li Chengwen was in a good mood, Shen Chu took the opportunity to ask for leave.

"Ask for leave?"

Li Chengwen was taken aback again. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

Shen Chu nodded, having already prepared her explanation: "To be honest, young master, I fled from a famine in the next county. I've been away for some time now and want to go back to my hometown, Wangchuan County, to see if anyone is still alive."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengwen didn't think much of it and readily waved his hand:

"Yes, that makes sense. We've been away for so long, it's time to go back and check on things. Okay, I approve! When are you leaving?"

Just as Shen Chu was about to reply, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. A steward rushed in, holding a letter, and panted, "Young Master! Young Master! News has arrived from Qingyang County!"

Li Chengwen took the letter, opened it, and frowned slightly.

Seeing that he looked strange, Shen Chu asked, "Young Master, what's wrong?"

Li Chengwen handed him the letter and sighed, "The government has temporarily increased the order amount. The original order of five hundred swords has now tripled, and the first batch will consist of 1,500 standard long swords, with the production schedule remaining unchanged."

Shen Chu took the letter and glanced at it, her heart sinking.

1,500 knives, with the same production time, means the knife-forging workshop needs to complete three times the workload in the same amount of time.

With the current manpower and resources, this task is far too difficult to complete!

Li Chengwen paced back and forth in the room, then suddenly stomped his foot: "Gather everyone in the courtyard! I need to call a meeting!"

Fifteen minutes later, the forging yard was filled with people.

Standing on the steps, Li Chengwen glanced at the people below and announced loudly, "Gentlemen, news has just arrived from Qingyang County that the order has increased. The first batch is not five hundred, but one thousand five hundred!"

An uproar immediately erupted below, with people exchanging bewildered glances and whispering amongst themselves.

Li Chengwen raised his hand to quell the noise and continued:

"I know everyone feels the time is tight and the task is heavy. But this is also a great opportunity for our forging workshop to shine! If we can secure this order, the Li family's reputation will be firmly established in Qingyang County! At that time, I, Li Chengwen, will definitely not treat everyone unfairly. Not only will your wages double, but there will also be a generous reward after the order is completed! Are you all willing to work with me to get this job done?!"

Although his words weren't particularly impassioned, the determination and sincerity in his tone still resonated with some people.

Several experienced craftsmen were the first to respond: "Since the young master has said so, what else is there to say? Let's get to work!"

"Yes! Let's do it!"

However, many people looked hesitant and whispered among themselves.

After all, manpower shortages, material shortages, and tight deadlines are all real problems.

Shen Chu stood in the crowd, her heart filled with hesitation.

He had already decided to take advantage of this leave of absence to run away.

The shadow of the Red Lotus Sect always loomed over my heart.

Although Zhao Dezhu is dead, the banner leader has not yet emerged. Li Jiwu and Liu Shi are not good people either. If they continue to stay in the Li family, the risks will only increase.