Chapter Twenty: Jin Bao’er!

“Young master, I’m afraid I cannot accept this commission!”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“This patterned steel is far too precious. My family is poor—I have nothing to offer as collateral, nor can I find anyone to vouch for me.”

The smith’s face was filled with embarrassment. In the forging trade, there was an unwritten rule: when a customer brought rare or valuable materials, the blacksmith must offer collateral of equal value, or else find a guarantor. This was to prevent the smith from absconding with the costly material, leaving the customer at a great loss.

Ordinary materials were manageable for Gold the Smith, but this patterned steel was worth over a thousand strings of cash, while all his possessions combined wouldn’t even amount to twenty. Collateral was impossible. As for the neighbors, each was poorer than the next; some could barely afford food, and none could guarantee such a significant deal.

“Master Gold, you worry too much. As they say, if you trust a man, you use him; if you doubt him, you don’t. Since I sought you out, I trust both your skill and your character. There's no need for collateral—just take the patterned steel.”

Li Zhao was not only clever but also had a keen eye for people. Gold the Smith, despite his own poverty, would still help neighbors in greater need. Such generosity proved he was trustworthy. Besides, Li Zhao wasn’t familiar with the collateral custom, and if Gold had greedy intentions, he would not have brought it up—he’d simply take the steel and disappear. The fact he mentioned it meant he had no designs on it.

“Thank you, young master, for your trust, but the rule is an ancestral one. I cannot break it.”

“Rules are dead, people are alive. What harm in a little flexibility?”

“No, absolutely not!”

“You can, just this once. As for wages, name your price—I won’t haggle.”

Li Zhao insisted, but Gold the Smith stubbornly refused. The two went back and forth.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the courtyard. Someone shouted, “Brother Gold, something terrible has happened! Your child has fallen from a height and is badly hurt—come quickly!”

“Brother Yang, how’s my child?”

“One arm seems broken. You must do something, hurry!”

A middle-aged man rushed in, holding a seven or eight-year-old child in his arms. The child’s face was grimy and his body frail; his right arm was twisted unnaturally, his body trembling with pain, but he gritted his teeth and did not cry.

This was Gold the Smith’s child, who had fallen while playing outside the village, injuring his right arm. Luckily, Carpenter Yang had passed by and brought him home at once. Carpenter Yang lived in Azure Luan Village too, and was Gold’s sworn brother—they called each other brothers.

“Bao’er, are you all right?”

“Brother Gold, let’s take Bao’er to the doctor now—if we delay, it could be serious!”

“Sigh, our family…sigh!”

Watching his own child suffer, Gold the Smith paced like an ant on a hot pan, helpless.

Azure Luan Village was full of poor folk who could barely eat, let alone seek medical treatment. When sick or injured, they could only grit their teeth and endure. If they survived, it was fate’s gift; if not, they’d meet the King of Hell and hope for a better family in their next life.

“Papa, it’s nothing. Bao’er doesn’t hurt.”

The child was brave, comforting his father.

But the sweat on his face and constant trembling betrayed the truth: he was in agony.

“Master Gold, let me take a look.”

“Young master?”

“I know a bit about treating injuries. Perhaps I can help.”

“Thank you! If you heal Bao’er, I’ll bow to you in gratitude!”

Li Zhao had learned some medicine during his time as a soldier, training in remote forests where injuries were common. He knelt and carefully examined the child.

Feeling along the arm, he found the bone was intact—only the right shoulder was dislocated, and the muscles strained. With his skill, he could treat it, though it would be painful and some medicine was needed.

“Master Gold, bring a towel, heat some water, and prepare a basin.”

“Yes, at once.”

The courtyard had no ink or paper, nor could any be borrowed nearby, so Li Zhao used a piece of charcoal to write a prescription on a scrap of cloth.

“White Bun, go to the nearest pharmacy and buy these herbs—be quick!”

“Yes, master!”

“Little one, your name is Gold Bao’er? Hold on, I’ll fix your shoulder for you!”

The towel that arrived was filthy, so Li Zhao tossed it aside and used his own outer garment, folding it for the child to bite, lest the pain make him bite his tongue.

He gently massaged Bao’er’s shoulder, and with a faint ‘crack,’ the dislocated bone was set. He washed the arm with hot water to relax the tense muscles, then massaged to improve circulation.

Shoulder dislocation was excruciating—most grown men couldn’t bear it. Yet Bao’er, tears streaming down his face, uttered not a sound. Li Zhao was impressed; such a strong child would surely grow into a robust man.

White Bun soon returned with the herbs, which were ground into a paste and applied to Bao’er’s shoulder, then wrapped in white gauze to relieve bruising and pain.

After the treatment, Bao’er’s pain eased, and his pale face regained some color. He tentatively moved his arm; while full movement wasn’t possible, he could lift it slightly, proving the injury was healed.

“All right, don’t move it or get it wet. Just rest for a while and you’ll be fine. You’re too thin, though—you need some good food.”

“Thank you, big brother!”

“Ha, good child, no need to thank me!”

Such a brave and sensible child truly won one’s heart. Li Zhao patted Bao’er’s head, wishing he had such a little brother himself. It would be fun to play together every day.

On the other side, seeing Bao’er safe, Gold the Smith finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Li Zhao as if steeling himself for something.

“Your great kindness must be repaid. I will craft these weapons for you with utmost care, and not take a single coin. As for collateral, please take Bao’er with you.”

“What? Take the child?”

“Yes. Bao’er is my heart and soul, more precious than my own life. I offer her as collateral.”

“No, absolutely not!”

Using a child as collateral, Li Zhao was reluctant, but Gold the Smith insisted. If he did not take the child, Gold would refuse to forge the weapons. Helpless, Li Zhao agreed.

Besides, Bao’er needed time to recover from her dislocated shoulder, and Azure Luan Village was no place for convalescence. It was better to take her home to care for her—a good deed.

“Master Gold, how long will it take to craft these weapons?”

“To reply, young master: forging, tempering, sharpening—each step requires utmost care. It will take about a month.”

“Good, then I’ll care for Bao’er for a month. Rest assured, I’ll make sure she grows healthy and strong!”

“In that case, I entrust my daughter to you!”

“Daughter…? Where is your daughter?”

Li Zhao was puzzled, looking around the courtyard. No little girl was in sight—only Bao’er. Could it be…?

He pulled the child over for a closer look: willow brows, almond eyes, cherry lips—it really was a little girl. Earlier, her face was too dirty and her clothes shabby, and her brave manner had misled him.

This was troublesome. Taking a boy home was nothing, but a girl—even a young one—was improper. Boys and girls should not mix!

Li Zhao wanted to back out, but in this era, a man’s word was as binding as four horses; breaking a promise was shameful and would stain his honor.

What to do? Children are usually attached to home—if Bao’er refused to leave, it wouldn’t be his fault.

“Bao’er, would you like to go to a strange place and stay with strangers for a while, all alone? Your father can’t come.”

Li Zhao grinned, feigning the big bad wolf, hoping to scare her.

Bao’er said nothing, but ran into the house.

Good, he thought—she’s a little girl after all, brave but still timid and attached to home.

No—she came out again, carrying a small bundle of her things, and happily said goodbye to her father and uncle, without a hint of reluctance.

He was defeated. Faced with such a fearless child, Li Zhao had no choice but to leave ten strings of cash as a deposit, promising thirty more upon completion, and took Bao’er away from Azure Luan Village.

He didn’t hurry home, but stopped at a market to buy axes, hammers, saws, planes, squares—a pile of tools, along with fine wood and bamboo.

Some things could be commissioned, but others were best made by hand. As the old saying goes, “A nation’s sharpest tools should never be shown to outsiders.”