Starting Off With A Blacksmith Workshop

Chapter 2: The Blacksmith Shop Back At Home

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Zhenhua slept exceptionally soundly. This was the best sleep he had had since the incident.

By the time he woke up again and listened to the car radio, he was back at Paji City. He’d be in the station in half an hour.

Li Zhenhua dragged his luggage out of the train station. Soon, he found the carpool he had been waiting for.

At this moment, there were already three passengers in the car, waiting for him alone. The driver placed Li Zhenhua’s luggage in the trunk and started the car after everyone was seated.

Li Zhenhua knew that as long as there was nothing on the way, he would be able to return to the home of painting and calligraphy in Jiangbei Water City in an hour or so. A feeling of nostalgia emerged.

More than an hour later, the taxi arrived at a township below the hometown of painting and calligraphy.

The roads on the township had been in disrepair for years. There were pits everywhere, and the car was carefully driven by the driver to avoid the big and small pits.

The driver finally followed Li’s directions and pulled up in front of a gate on a township street. Li removed his luggage from the car.

The driver turned the car around and said to him before leaving, “Brother, I’ve lost money on this job.

If I knew how hard it was to get around here, I wouldn’t have made this trip no matter what.

I think you can forget about cars if you live here. Get a motorcycle.”

After saying that, the driver drove away. He wanted to take a shortcut, but this road was not suitable for the driver to do that.

Li Zhenhua stood at the door of his house and looked up at the plaque — Old Li Blacksmith Shop.

He shook his head to himself, as if on cue.

He fumbled his house key out of his bag, unlocked the door and went in.

He looked at the various iron farming tools on the shelves in the room. There were shovels, sickles, and hoes.

Li Zhenhua came in and put away the luggage. He opened all the windows and began to ventilate, allowing the musty smell of a room that had been unoccupied for a long time to dissipate as quickly as possible.

Li Zhenhua pushed open the door in the room that led to the courtyard at the back. He walked out into the courtyard and looked around at everything that was familiar but also somewhat unfamiliar.

In one corner of the courtyard was a stove built with fire-resistant bricks. A large blower was attached to the stove.

Not far from the stove was a C41-75 model electric air forging hammer.

This was also what he had advocated buying and the first upgrade to the old blacksmith’s shop.

Beside the air-hammers was a kiln-stand, and beside it were many hammers of various weights.

Looking at these, Li Zhenhua couldn’t help but think of the figures who had been busy beside these devices when his grandfather was still alive.

At that time, whenever he was free, he would take a sledgehammer and play a steel symphony with Grandpa’s small hammer.

However, if he wanted to see his grandfather again now, he might only be able to see him in a hundred years. Li Zhenhua touched these equipment and thought of his grandfather.

As he ran his hand over the various equipment, the tears that had welled up in his eyes finally flowed. Li Zhenhua took a rag from the yard and wet it, wiping the dust off the equipment one by one.

By the time he’d finished wiping the equipment, it was dark outside.

Li Zhenhua washed his hands and went out. As for his front door, it was not even locked. Everyone in this town was familiar with him, and no one would steal from someone else’s house.

Li Zhenhua only took a few steps before he arrived at a supermarket. He took a bucket and a packet of instant noodles from the supermarket. Of course, he couldn’t miss the instant noodles partner. He took the items and went to the cashier at the door.

“Sixth Aunt, calculate how much it is!”

Li Zhenhua reminded the lady boss, who was already engrossed in watching dramas, to settle scores with him.

The lady boss finally looked up when she heard someone. She was surprised to see Li Zhenhua in front of her.

“Zhenhua is back? It’s not the new year, so why are you back?”

The lady boss spoke, but her hands were not slow at all. They worked on the calculator.

“That’ll be seven yuan.”

“I’ll came back because I graduated. I’ll also get a bottle of water. Ten bucks exactly. Sweep it for you.”

Li Zhenhua scanned ten dollars with his phone and took a bottle of iced black tea from the shelf at the side.

After saying that, he thought to himself, “Quiting school can probably also be considered graduation.”

With that, Li Zhenhua took his things and walked out of the supermarket, returning home.

After eating, he continued to clean up. He had to clean up a room that was liveable, right? He took the cloth and rushed to the second floor.

After tidying up a room, Li Zhenhua finally had a place to stay. Even though he had slept on the train, he could still sleep now.

The next morning, Li Zhenhua woke up early.

He got up, dressed, and continued to clean what he hadn’t finished the day before. At the door on the first floor, he opened it, picked up the big broom, and began to sweep the ground in front of it.

After opening the door, Li Zhenhua felt that there were especially many people outside today, and there was a trend of more people.

He took out his phone and looked at the third day of the lunar calendar. This dispelled his doubts. It seemed that he had caught a big episode today.

Li Zhenhua didn’t care. He continued sweeping the floor. Just as he returned to his room, he saw someone walk in and look around at the items on the shelves on the first floor.

‘Boss, get me a sickle.’

The person who came in was dressed like an old farmer. After glancing around, he also saw what he wanted behind Li Zhenhua’s counter.

Li Zhenhua did not expect that business would come knocking when he opened the door. However, he did not intend to sell the goods.

“Sir, I’m not open.”

“Not open for business? Is it not for sale?

‘What’s wrong with you, child? There’s a sickle on the shelf behind you. I need a sickle too.

‘Give it to me and I’ll pay you, the deal would be done.’

You have the time to tell me you’re not open for business. I’ve already bought all the sickles.”

When the old farmer heard this, he ignored what Li Zhenhua said and started scolding him.

Li Zhenhua could only smile bitterly. He turned around and took a sickle from the shelf behind.

“Master, let me make this clear first. This sickle was previously made by my grandfather.

It’s been there for two or three years. If there’s a quality problem with it, you can always come to me for a refund. It’s 15 yuan each.”

Li Zhenhua handed the sickle to the old farmer as he spoke.

The old farmer was no slouch. He pulled out 20 yuan and tossed it on the counter.

Then he took the sickle.

“Hua boy, now that each sickle is 20 yuan, you can’t sell it at the same price as before.

I know your things. They’re durable and of good quality. They’ll be fine.”

With that, the old farmer took the sickle and went out the door. Li Zhenhua hurried out from behind the counter and pulled down the shutter with the iron hook.

He had no intention of selling it. If he didn’t close the shop in time for the general fair, there would be countless people like that old farmer.

If there were more of these, he would be forced to open for business.

However, as soon as he closed the door, Li Zhenhua felt dizzy.

There was a mechanical sound.

“Ding, lab activating…”