As they left the Blacksmith Shop, Liu Jin was chattering nonstop like a sparrow, one moment praising Wufu for being inscrutable, and the next criticizing the Iron Lady for being surly and standoffish as though she were owed several million taels, complaining about her lack of business acumen.
Wufu laughed, "Liu Jin, in this world, anyone with real talent is bound to have some pride. We shouldn’t criticize them. Besides, as long as the merchandise is truly good, it doesn’t matter what kind of temperament the seller has."
Liu Jin immediately adopted an attitude of eager learning, "You are right to teach me, Miss."
"You are still young. It’s fine to be expressive now, but when you grow up, you’ll have to learn to be patient and restrained."
Liu Jin nodded earnestly, "Please teach me more, Miss."
"I can teach you, but how much you learn is up to your own understanding!" Wufu said with a smile as she ruffled his hair.
The corner of Liu Jin’s mouth twitched slightly. This was just like the lady, either pinching his face or ruffling his hair. Really, he was no longer a child.
"Come on, let’s go to the Cloth Shop. Autumn is coming. We should buy some fabric to make clothes," Wufu proposed another destination.
When they reached the Cloth Shop, Wufu bought three bolts of fine fabric and then strolled through the grocery store to buy some snacks and other items before returning to the inn.
She told Liu Jin to rest in the room while she went to ask the innkeeper about Lady Li.
It turned out that Lady Li was the only daughter of Li’s Blacksmith Shop, and her father, Li Youcai, was a widely renowned blacksmith. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a son, but his daughter showed talent from a young age, so he passed on his skills to her.
Lady Li was born sturdy and robust, with dark skin and a strong build like a man’s, which led to some ruffians calling her a tomboy. That’s why she had a bit of a temper and could be fierce.
But, despite her temper, she had fully mastered her father’s skills, and the items she made were of excellent quality. When she was twenty, her father succumbed to a sudden and severe illness. It wasn’t until she was twenty-five that she married, and her husband came into the marriage through the practice of "yùzhào," where the groom moves into the bride’s family.
Her husband, Young Master Duan, was a foreigner who loved studying weapon design and was enthralled by arms creation. He admired Lady Li’s blacksmithing skills and thus joined the Li Family.
The couple complemented each other, with one designing and the other forging. They worked well together and were very affectionate towards each other, and the weapons they produced were excellent as a result.
Yet, Young Master Duan had a frail constitution and was in poor health, surviving on nourishing medicinal herbs. Therefore, the products of Li’s Blacksmith Shop were priced quite high. But since the quality was unmatched, the locals were willing to pay the premium.
No wonder Lady Li was so anxious about Young Master Duan.
Wufu was just casually inquiring and, with nothing else pressing, returned to her room. Before it got dark, she sent Liu Jin to the nearby bun shop to buy some steamed buns to fill their stomachs. They rested for the night without further event.
The next morning, Wufu and her company checked out of the inn after breakfast. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, they decided to buy two boxes of mooncakes to take back.
Beyond that, she visited a jewelry store but didn’t buy anything. She just checked out the styles and ended up being looked down upon by the clerk.
Leaving the jewelry store, the two of them bought some buns to eat on the road as they left the city.
Little did they expect, upon reaching the city outskirts, to find a crowd gathered, buzzing with conversation, and they could faintly hear the sounds of a woman wailing loudly.
"Miss, should I go see what happened?" Liu Jin was always curious and immediately ran towards the commotion.
Wufu wanted to call him back, but the boy was quick on his feet. Shaking her head, she followed him.
Behind them, someone hurriedly jogged over. She turned to look and saw a group of Yamen Runners approaching, her brow furrowing involuntarily.