Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 202

Outside, the carriage suddenly came to a stop. The driver respectfully called out, “Young master, young ladies, we’ve arrived.”

Yu Fuling stopped talking and glanced at Liu Ziqi. She and Yujiao were the first to step out of the carriage.

Gu Yun patted Liu Ziqi on the shoulder, for once speaking seriously. “If it really was Meng Qingshan who took Sister Sujian away, he definitely wouldn’t let her go hungry. Ziqi, don’t overthink it.”

Liu Ziqi nodded slightly and let out a soft sigh. “I’m fine. As long as Sujian is alive… that’s enough.”

Gu Yun didn’t actually think they’d be able to find Meng Qingshan, but after all these years of Liu Ziqi searching, he knew Ziqi had to go to Changkui and see for himself, no matter the outcome.

The two stepped off the carriage. Outside was a blacksmith’s forge. A shirtless, burly man was hammering iron. When he saw them enter, he put down his work and wiped the sweat from his face with the long towel draped around his neck.

A servant stepped forward to greet the blacksmith, who then gestured for Liu Ziqi and the others to sit at a low table nearby. He poured them some tea and asked, “What are you gentlemen and ladies looking to have made?”

Gu Yun handed over the blueprints. The blacksmith examined them, then pointed at the small forceps and surgical knife. “These I can make. As for the two curved needles, they’ll take more effort. The details are too fine, it might not be doable, but I’ll give it a try.”

Gu Yun asked, “How long will it take to finish these?”

The blacksmith replied, “Can’t say for sure until I try. Wrought iron isn’t easy to work with. I’ll have to start by making molds.”

He pointed at the surgical forceps and asked, “The tip here, is it curved?”

Everyone turned to look at Yu Jiao. She stood, picked up a piece of charcoal from beside the forge, and Yu Fuling pulled out a few sheets of rice paper from her sleeve, placing them on the table.

Yu Jiao wrote on the paper, “The forceps’ tip is slightly curved, with interlocking teeth.” She then sketched the fine tooth pattern beside it.

The blacksmith couldn’t read. He asked, “What did the young lady write?”

Gu Yun read it aloud for him. The blacksmith nodded in understanding.

Yu Jiao then pointed at the locking mechanism on the forceps and wrote, “There are interlocking teeth here as well.”

Hearing this, the blacksmith’s expression turned hesitant. He had thought the forceps would be the simplest to make, but the detailed parts turned out to be quite troublesome.

He had someone bring out beeswax and said, “I’ll make a model based on the drawing. Miss, please stay and guide me, see if it looks right.”

As he began carving the beeswax, he added, “These forceps need to be made in two separate halves like scissors. But the joint here wasn’t drawn in detail, I can’t tell how they’re supposed to connect.”

Only then did Yujiao realize she had underestimated the complexity. After a moment’s thought, she wrote, “Fix it with a rivet, like scissors.”

Over the next hour or so, the blacksmith carved the beeswax according to Yujiao’s guidance, making constant adjustments. He finally finished one half of the forceps.

With that experience, the second half came more easily. Once both halves were complete, he filled the molds with high-temperature resistant red clay, added cores, and left a small hole for pouring the iron.

Once finished, he placed the two molds in a cool corner of the workshop and explained to Yu Jiao, “The molds need to dry. After that, we’ll heat them in the kiln to melt out the wax and form the hollow cast. Only then can we pour in the molten iron.”

Yu Jiao gave a small nod. Using the same lost-wax method, the blacksmith also created a mold for the surgical knife.

Then came the two curved needles. These were actually easier to model than the forceps, but casting them would be the challenge.

The blacksmith grabbed a tree branch and whittled it into the shapes from the blueprints. With Yujiao’s help, he adjusted the subtle differences in the needle tips and marked the eye of the needle, pressing the pattern into red clay.

“The molds are carved now. Whether they’ll actually turn out like the drawings, that’s up to fate,” the blacksmith said, brushing beeswax shavings off his arms. “Young masters, young ladies, you can return for now. If the pieces are successful, I’ll send someone to inform Prefect Yang immediately.”

Crafting the molds took nearly two hours, and it was already past midnight.

Once back in the carriage, Liu Ziqi looked at Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling and asked, “Miss Yu, shall we have a meal at a restaurant?”

Neither Yu Jiao nor Yu Fuling had any objections. It was well past mealtime, and Yu Jiao had no desire to eat back at Yang’s residence, so she nodded.

Liu Ziqi instructed the coachman to head for Liuxiangju, the best restaurant in Qingzhou.

When they arrived, Gu Yun strode in and immediately asked for a private room. The waiter, seeing both Liu Ziqi and Gu Yun dressed in elegant, noble attire, bowed deeply with a smile. “Right this way, young masters and ladies. Upstairs, please.”

Inside the room, the waiter brought in tea and started to enthusiastically recommend dishes. “What would you like to eat? Our lotus-leaf chicken is—”

Gu Yun cut him off before he could finish. “Bring all your best dishes.”

He picked up the teapot, glanced at it, and sneered, “You dare serve this kind of tea to guests? Go get the best tea your kitchen has.”

The waiter could tell immediately that this customer was going to be difficult, and he treaded more carefully. With a quick bow and a smile, he picked up the teapot. “Right away, sir. I’ll change it at once.”

Yu Fuling, watching Gu Yun’s grandiose behavior, couldn’t help but feel that Liu Ziqi, in contrast, was much more agreeable.

Soon, the waiter returned with better tea. Gu Yun took one look at it and still wasn’t satisfied.

Liu Ziqi spoke up. “This isn’t the capital. If you want fine tea, wait until we’re back and drink to your heart’s content in your own residence.”

Only then did Gu Yun back off and stop making things difficult for the waiter.

But his peace didn’t last long. He turned his attention back to pestering Yu Jiao. “Little mute, if they can’t make those tools, does that mean you can’t fix General Xiao’s hand?”

Yu Jiao ignored him.

Gu Yun kept pressing, “I call you mute and you really act like one? Can’t you write it out for me if you can’t talk?”

Yu Jiao frowned, thinking this Marquis’s son was downright deranged, an absolute, textbook example of a spoiled, arrogant noble brat.

Liu Ziqi gave Gu Yun a sidelong glance. “Tone it down. Stop picking on the young lady.”

Gu Yun immediately fell silent, but muttered with displeasure, “Ziqi, why are you always taking her side?”

Just then, a knock came at the door. “Young masters, the food has arrived.”

The waiter pushed the door open and arranged the dishes on the table, smiling ingratiatingly. “Please enjoy.”

Yu Fuling saw that most of the food was heavy and rich. Summoning her courage, she asked, “Do you have any lighter dishes?”

The waiter quickly responded, “Of course! How about chilled bamboo shoots or tofu with cabbage?”

Yu Fuling looked at Yu Jiao, who gave a small nod. Seeing her sister still thinking about her well-being, Yu Jiao curved her lips into a smile.

“I’ll have the kitchen prepare those right away,” the waiter said.

Yu Fuling looked up at Liu Ziqi and softly explained, “My sister’s throat hurts. She can only eat lighter food.”