Chapter 63: Improving the Crossbow for Brother Xiaoyongi
Translator: 549690339
He wanted to protect her, just as he did when they were children.
He helped her chase off the bully in the village, telling him that no one could pick on his sister.
He helped her pick sour jujubes from the tree and told her that as her brother, he should be the one doing dangerous things.
He quarreled with the village children for teasing her as an unwanted wild child, stating that she had a family and she was his sister.
Mrs. Xu snapped out of her thoughts and suddenly told her son, “Alright, I won’t stop you anymore. You can join the army. As long as you rember that you must bring the young mistress back ho in the future, I believe you won’t behave recklessly and will follow the rules.”
“Mother?” Xu Zhengyong spun around, staring at Mrs. Xu in surprise.
Rember, you’re not just joining the army to protect our country and seek fa and fortune; it’s also for our family. You have a mother worrying about you and a sister waiting for you to bring her ho after you’ve accomplished sothing,” Mrs. Xu advised.
“Mother, don’t worry, I’ll rember! I’ll keep it all in mind!” Xu Zhengyong promised firmly.
Then Xu Zhengyong turned to his father.
Xu Zhushan didn’t really mind. He’d go along with whatever his wife decided. Besides, he thought his son’s idea was a good one, and he supported it.
Wei Ruo quietly looked away, not wanting her wet nurse and others to see her reddened eyes.
Really, wasn’t she the sort who hardly ever cried? And why were her eyes red now?
She should be smiling happily at such a ti, not teary-eyed!
It was annoying, but she just couldn’t help it…
After returning from Four Treasure House, Wei Ruo dragged Xiui into her store-room.
“Miss, what are you looking for?” Xiui wanted to help but didn’t know where to start.
“I’m not sure what specific materials I need. I can only look for things that might be useful. Brother Xiaoyong is joining the army, so I need to prepare so defensive items for him,” Wei Ruo said.
Although she openly supported Brother Xiaoyong’s ambition, she was privately worried about his safety.”
Therefore she wanted to prepare so useful things for Brother Xiaoyong before he joined the army.”
That’s right! Let help you look for so hard materials!” Xiui understood Wei Ruo’s intention and imdiately joined the search.
Suddenly, Wei Ruo stopped.
Xiui asked, “What’s wrong, Miss?”
Wei Ruo replied, “I thought of the crossbow.”
“Crossbow?”
“Brother Xiaoyong is joining the city guard against the Japanese pirates. If I could upgrade so of the weapons in the army, wouldn’t that be indirectly protecting Brother Xiaoyong?”
Xiui said, “Definitely.”
You continue to search for any hard materials in the items I brought. I need to go back to my room,” Wei Ruo said.
Back in her room, Wei Ruo brought out paper and a pen, and started attempting to draw blueprints.
If she could design a detachable arrow container, similar to a bullet clip, to be mounted directly on a crossbow, then in theory, it would increase the crossbow’s firing rate.”
Xiui failed to find anything useful in the store-room. When she returned to the room, she saw the blueprints that Wei Ruo was drawing.
“Miss, what is this? Is it a crossbow?”
“Yes, it is a crossbow. I held and tried it while visiting the training field last ti. It wasn’t that effective. I felt that if it could be improved, it would have greater power. But I wasn’t interested in managing Wei Family’s matters, so I took no action. Now that Brother Xiaoyong is joining the army, I thought of this. If I can’t make effective armor for the ti being, then I’ll make so even more powerful weapons. Offense is the best defense.”
That would be great; as long as we’re strong enough, the enemy can’t harm Brother Xiaoyong!” Xiui said happily.
“Yes, and I plan to let Brother Xiaoyong take the final blueprint to earn rit.” Just joining the army, Brother Xiaoyong could only be an ordinary soldier. If he has so small credits, even if he can’t be promoted, he would at least leave an impression on his superiors.
“Miss, it’s a good idea, but at first glance, Brother Xiaoyong is not the sort of person who would be able to design such a sophisticated thing. If anyone asks, his cover will be blown.”
Silly ii, I didn’t ask him to say he designed it himself. He could just say that it was designed by a wise man and he obtained it from him. As for who the wise man is and where he cos from, there are tons of remote mountains and forests. If not, he can say it’s a travelling old man without a fixed residence who disappeared after leaving behind the blueprint.”
“Miss is really clever!”
“ii, I need to find a skilled carpenter to help put this into practice. I can’t do everything just by drawing; it needs to be done alongside physical testing.”
“Uncle Xu may be able to help. I rember he used to be a carpenter,” Xiui reminded.
“Okay, once I finish this draft, I’ll ask Uncle Xu about it.”
Wei Ruo was very serious about this. She shut herself in the room until Mrs.
Yun sent soone to urge her to eat. Only then did she co out.
After she ca out, she handed the blueprint to Xiui and asked her to send
it to Four Treasure House for Uncle Xu imdiately.
The situation was urgent. Once Brother Xiaoyong registered to enlist, he could be drafted into the army at any ti. She had no ti to delay.
When Xiui returned, she brought back Xu Zhushan’s response. Xu Zhushan had never attempted to make sothing similar before so he couldn’t guarantee success, but he would try to follow Wei Ruo’s blueprint overnight. Regardless of success or failure, he would respond to Wei Ruo via a carrier pigeon the next morning.
The next morning, the carrier pigeon arrived as promised. Xu Zhushan had made a prototype according to Wei Ruo’s instructions, but he also proposed so improvents based on his carpentry experience.
Wei Ruo, taking the improvents into account, began drawing the second version of the blueprint.
After three days of back and forth adjustnts, on the fourth day when she received Uncle Xu’s reply, she finally got the perfect answer.
The crossbow Wei Ruo wanted was made.
Wei Ruo was satisfied with it. But she didn’t stop there; she needed to quickly prepare dicine for Xu Zhengyong, who would be joining the army soon.
Everyone around Wei Ruo could feel her busyness, including those in the Bamboo Courtyard.
Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo who ca to eat and drink at the Bamboo Courtyard today, “You seem to be especially busy lately.”
“Right, I’m busy making dicine,” Wei Ruo half answered, half concealed.
She had no choice, she still didn’t want too many people to know about her wet nurse’s affairs, not even Wei Jinyi. For now, it needed to remain a secret.
“By the way, Wei Jinyi, do you know any way to get the herb Angelica dahurica in a short ti?” Wei Ruo asked.
Angelica dahurica is one of the ingredients for the golden sore dicine. Because of the ongoing warfare, Angelica dahurica has beco extrely scarce in Xmgshan county. All the pharmacies in the city were short of this herb.
Wei Jinyi asked, “Is it urgent?”
Wei Ruo said, “I’m making a backup dicine for a friend who’s leaving soon.
It’s pretty urgent.”
Wei Jinyi asked, “A friend?”
For so reason, Wei Jinyi had the feeling that Wei Ruo’s friend was a man.
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