Chapter 10, The Culinary Skills of Madam Xu

It was only after getting started that I realized the craftsmanship and such were not very difficult to achieve; the only thing that is truly challenging is patience

The thick sole is composed of six layers of wolf skin, which are firmly nailed together with tightly woven hemp rope. A layer of wild boar skin, stripped of its bristles, wraps around the outside. A piece of hard wood is affixed to both the heel and the forefoot, ensuring that even when stepping in water, the interior remains dry

The prey of autumn is quite fat, and Yunlang has rendered a substantial amount of lard, among which wild boar fat is the most abundant

Every time Yunlang stepped on the newly formed icicles in his big leather shoes, Taizai's expression would become extremely unpleasant

The knife made by Yunlang collided with the dagger crafted by Madam Xu several times before transforming into a short saw

The dagger given by Dazai is certainly not the poisoned sword used by Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin

First, there were two large beds, with thick wooden legs. Even if Yunlang and the tiger slept on the same bed, there was no concern about the bed collapsing.

This is a pile of aged rice, which has likely been stored for a long time. Next to it, there are some unhulled grains, which have lost their golden color and turned somewhat dull yellow. After Yunlang rubs it open, the grains inside are far superior to these aged rice grains outside.

For example, salt is one such case

If General Meng Tian had such a set of garments, how difficult would it be to drive the Xiongnu savages thousands of miles away? Why would the king resort to sending the common people across the land to build the Great Wall, resulting in countless white bones throughout the realm, leading to the cries of the foxes in Yuyang and a rebellion across the world

Now, sleeping has truly become a pleasure for Yunlang, as he no longer has to argue with that woman in his dreams throughout the night. His body has received a complete rest, and each morning represents a new journey for Yunlang

This is a skill that a sensible child must master; after satisfying the desire to show off, one must understand the importance of sharing, otherwise it will invite resentment from many people

Before the industrial production of salt, it was always a precious commodity, let alone in this primitive era

One must view the world from a dual perspective. These shoes, aside from their unbearably ugly appearance, also possess commendable qualities such as warmth, comfort, and sturdiness.

Winter is approaching, and one only needs to look at the thick frost flowers on the red leaves to understand how cold this winter will be

In fact, Yunlang ultimately transformed that short knife into a saw, which was very suitable for cutting wood

Whenever the Great Qin is mentioned, the Grand Chancellor will shed tears and feel sorrowful for an entire night

It is so sharp that the wolf skin, which used to require great effort to pierce with that large needle, now resembles a piece of paper in front of the newly made awl. Even the six-layered wolf skin sole is no longer an obstacle for Yunlang in making shoes when faced with the awl

Looking at Yun Lang's gloomy expression, Dazai laughed maniacally. Only after seeing the anger appear on Yun Lang's face did he take out a short knife wrapped in shark skin from the stone house and throw it to Yun Lang

The tiger naturally does not have the habit of urinating in a jar. Watching Yunlang chase the tiger across the mountains and fields in search of tiger urine, Tai Zai couldn't help but smile.

The tiger now completely avoids approaching Taizai, always preferring to stay close to Yunlang. Unless absolutely necessary, it will never come near Taizai.

The heated red cones were inserted into the urine, and after a foul-smelling steam dissipated, six dark cones appeared before Yunlang

Later, a huge wooden rack was added. Yun Lang spent an entire day stacking all the bamboo slips and wooden tablets on it, intending to organize these bamboo slips and wooden tablets chronologically. This was not something that could be accomplished in a short period of time

According to him, the Hu clothing and mounted archery were learned from the barbarians by King Wuling of Zhao, which did not conform to the dress requirements of the five great officials. Fortunately, the cavalry of the Qin also wore such trousers, so he believed that his noble rank would at least allow him to hold the position of a subordinate general in the army, and wearing such attire would not be considered a violation.

After entering winter, Yunlang's every day has been incredibly fulfilling, and the stone house is also undergoing gradual changes

Dazai possesses a peculiar ability, which is that whenever Yunlang makes a request, he is always able to fulfill it effortlessly and with apparent ease

It is evident that he also very much desires a pair

Just as an employee wishes to reason with their boss, if they succeed in their argument, their unfortunate moment will inevitably arrive

Forging a piece of stubborn iron requires patience. A palm-sized piece of iron has been folded over thirty times under Yunlang's hammer, and those beautiful patterns have gradually begun to emerge. Now, what remains is shaping and quenching.

However, Dazai brought Yunlang a full leather bag of salt all at once, and it was the finest refined salt, as white as frost

Stored in a jar that is half a person's height, sufficient for two people to eat for more than half a year

The tiger skin in winter shines with a golden luster, akin to satin. However, Yunlang still needs to teach this fellow not to casually lick him with his tongue, as this guy's tongue is covered in barbs, and a single lick feels as uncomfortable as being rubbed with sandpaper

What surprised him was that Yun Lang was consciously collecting urine, not only his own but also that of tigers

Yellow rice is actually very delicious, and it becomes truly perfect when topped with mushroom meat soup

Yunlang naturally would not argue with Dazai, primarily because he truly could not bear to see Dazai's pale, frozen backside.

The knife has become somewhat bent, which is a result of thermal expansion and contraction. The blade, however, inevitably experiences bending backward due to thermal expansion and contraction, and the edge cannot withstand the tension, resulting in more than ten fine cracks.

Yunlang tightly gripped the exquisite dagger wrapped in shark skin with both hands, glaring resentfully at Taizai

After showing off for a while, Yun Lang began to make winter clothing and shoes for Taizai

On the outer wall of the stone house, there hangs a wall full of cured meat, all of which has been diligently caught by the tiger. After being salted by Yunlang, it has become their provisions for the winter

Especially after the straps were added, they resembled the safety shoes that Yunlang had seen before

The quenched awl is indeed a remarkable tool, and the indifferent Dazai took the three longest ones, preparing to wield them as weapons

Dazai smiled faintly and pointed to the dagger in Yunlang's hand, saying: "I had long prepared this for you, but seeing that you wanted to forge one yourself, I didn't want to force you. It's not too late to give it to you now."

Slowly immerse the heated blade into the water

The dagger that Dazai tossed to Yunlang, with its double-edged blade glinting coldly, was clearly not an auspicious object. It is also unknown what materials Madam Xu added to the dagger that reacted with copper, ultimately transforming it into a hard alloy

An ugly short knife appeared before Dazai, and he was not surprised by this outcome. After all, for Yunlang's frail body, achieving this level was already much stronger than that of an ordinary craftsman

The excited Yunlang spent the entire day piercing things with a awl, and pierced everything without exception

As winter was approaching, Yunlang discovered some neem trees in the woods. After stripping the bark and drying it, he boiled it into a medicinal soup and washed the tiger thoroughly with the neem bark juice seven or eight times, ultimately eliminating the parasites on its body

Just like the current Tiger King, after sorrowfully gnawing on a bone devoid of meat, he contentedly lay by the fire pit, nuzzling with the doe.

The indifferent path: "This is the short sword made by Madam Xu, which is surely superior to the broken dagger you forged."

Yunlang's craftsmanship is lacking; he has only witnessed the forging process of the Xinjiang Yingjisha knife and possesses merely a small amount of knowledge required for forging

Snowflakes were drifting outside the stone house, and Yun Lang was meticulously selecting the edible portions from a pile of moldy white rice.

The cold mountain spring water is indeed a good choice. Yunlang was unsure whether the carbon in his knife was suitable for quenching in water. Although there was a significant chance of cracks occurring, he ultimately fetched the mountain spring water using a ceramic pot

At this time, the State of Zhao had already been defeated by the Qin general Wang Jian a year ago. Lady Xu, who was in a state of panic like a lost dog, bound herself and entered Xianyang, willing to serve as a craftsman slave for the rest of her life in exchange for the survival of her family

Regarding the shoes, he did not say a word and happily put them on under Yun Lang's direction

Material factors are the decisive elements that determine people's inclinations and allegiances

Yunlang naturally has countless profound truths to share, however, he does not intend to discuss them with Taizai, as speaking of them could be fatal

Since then, the Qin Palace has had many powerful tools

The doe naturally cannot continue to stay in the clean stone house, as it has not learned to refrain from defecating everywhere despite being taught countless times.

A short knife cannot be tempered with urine, although there is no particular issue with it. However, this short knife will serve as Yun Lang's tool for earning a living for a long time to come. While tempering with urine is acceptable, using a knife tempered with urine for eating is quite disgusting.

After the black outer skin was worn away, it was already shaped after Yunlang attached the wooden handle

Yunlang's shoes have been completed, and words such as unattractive, ugly, and awkward can all be used to describe this pair of shoes

At first, Dazai was very resistant to the idea of wearing pants. However, after being unable to withstand Yunlang's insistence, he reluctantly tried wearing them once, and as a result, he never took them off again.

Having traversed mountains and valleys for many years, he understands the numerous benefits that a good pair of shoes can bring him

Yunlang made the pants very long, so that Dazai could tuck the pant legs into his shoes. After tightening the shoelaces, the pants and shoes became one entity, preventing even the strongest cold wind from getting in

From Dazai's account, it is known that after Jing Ke's failed assassination of the King of Qin, Madam Xu, who was far away in the State of Zhao, did not escape culpability

In the cold winter, sleeping on the same bed as a tiger is not only safe but also very warm

After spending a day in the mountains flaunting the garments made for him by Yunlang, the returning Chancellor could not stop praising this outfit

Loyal subjects like Dazai are likely few in this world. The First Emperor lies in his tomb not far ahead, and it is uncertain whether he senses anything. If he truly has a spirit, upon hearing that there are still those who remain loyal to the fallen Qin Empire even after his death, Yunlang believes he would be proud for ten thousand years

Eating three bowls in a row, both scholars and slaves would feel completely satisfied