sbdcsierra Chapter 338: May We Gather Often
Chapter 338: May We Gather Often
Zhang Xueming and Gong Yuanzheng were able to work together despite their different opinions, and both sides were quite satisfied.
Soon, Hua Gongzi brought people to deliver what Zhang Xueming wanted.
I cleared out a corner of this casting site, put up a screen, and created a cozy little world.
"This is probably the most comfortable trial in the history of Hua Palace." Hua Gongzi muttered softly.
Glancing at the stone tablet standing not far from the lava spring, he reminded Gong Yuanzheng with a guilty conscience: "Yuanzheng, you'd better read the words on the tablet first."
After saying this, he quickly slipped away, fearing that he would be beaten.
In fact, Gong Yuanzheng and Zhang Xueming checked the stone tablet as soon as they came in. There were only two lines of words engraved on the tablet: sacrifice to important people, forge an unparalleled blade.
Not to mention Zhang Xueming, even Gong Yuanzheng showed no emotion after watching it.
It's just nonsense, why take it seriously?
After realizing that this was the reason why Zhang Xueming said those words to Hua Gongzi outside the cave, he couldn't help but spit out contemptuously: [Senior Hua Gong, who erected this monument, must have been too close to the meteorite, and his brain must have been poisoned. He couldn't even find a good excuse to test human nature. Just like what you said, Zhao Zhao, can the importance of a personal guard be compared to that of a loved one and a sweetheart? Bullshit.]
Zhang Xueming nodded: [Of course not. Even if the words on the stele are true, if they let their important people sacrifice themselves just to forge the so-called "unparalleled blade", can they still be considered human? If the trial finds such a ruthless person, would they dare to let him go back to the front mountain? I'm afraid they will have to kill him on the spot to prevent him from causing trouble for the palace.]
You can ignore the nonsense temptation, but the knife still needs to be forged.
Gong Yuanzheng had always ordered parts from Shang Palace before, but this was his first time forging iron himself. However, with Zhang Xueming, a master of the fourth-level casting technique, it was difficult for him to make mistakes.
Neither of them cared much about the fact that the lava spring had just melted the alienated people and was going to be used to smelt materials again.
The Zheng Palace suffered a tragedy ten years ago. After it was cleaned up, Gong Yuanzheng still continues to live there.
The same is true for the Lava Fountain.
It just so happened that Zhang Xueming wanted to experiment with a certain alloy material, so he took out the recipe and while selecting the materials, he explained to Gong Yuanzheng the properties and advantages and disadvantages of various materials.
He gave up the thousand-year-old black iron sword blank given directly by Hua Gong, started from scratch, and worked twice as hard.
It took a whole day and a night just to melt the materials and cast the knife blank.
As soon as the knife blank was completed, Zhang Xueming and Gong Yuanzheng ignored the rule that they were not allowed to leave the cave during the trial, and returned to their residence in Hua Palace to bathe and change clothes.
Zhang Xueming was not flustered when he saw Elder Hua. He even asked with a smile, "Grandpa Hua, have you eaten yet? If not, come eat with us."
Elder Hua stared: "Is the sword for the expedition ready?"
Gong Yuanzheng blinked and said, "We don't want a pure black iron blade blank, so we'll choose a new material to cast. The new blade blank is now buried in the slag to cool down. Let's go out and eat before we go forging."
Elder Hua was aroused by his words: "Choose new materials to cast the blade blank? The five remaining blades in the Blade Tomb were all made of thousand-year-old black iron. You can choose the materials yourself and make sure the finished product doesn't break with just one cut."
"Absolutely not. Zhao Zhao made the mix herself." Gong Yuanzheng puffed out his chest, looking proud. "Maybe your knives will break when the time comes."
Hearing his confident words, Elder Hua couldn't help but feel a little bit of anticipation.
It was not a good time to ask for details at this time, so I had to suppress my curiosity and asked the kitchen to prepare the mushroom pot as Zhang Xueming requested.
People in the back mountain do not value material desires and live a simple life.
It was Zhang Xueming and Gong Yuanzheng who came. Gong Shangjiao had someone deliver the ingredients prepared by Zhenggong's kitchen to them for three meals a day. Xue Chongzi also lent Hua Gong the recipes that Zhang Xueming gave him and Xue Gongzi, and only then did they eat and drink well.
Shabu-shabu is the most popular way of eating, it is convenient and delicious.
"Grandpa Hua, don't you want to ask Mr. Hua to come with you?" Zhang Xueming asked politely, "Have Xue Zhongzi and Mr. Xue gone home?"
"They went to play cards."
Elder Hua didn't want to care about that heartless son at all.
Not long after being beaten, he was jumping around and playing with his friends again. His heart was so big that it gave people a headache.
Fortunately, the marriage has been decided, and his wife will take care of him from now on, so he doesn't have to worry anymore.
Elder Hua followed the two children and ate heartily, sweating profusely.
By the time Mr. Hua and the Xuegong duo smelled the aroma and came over, Elder Hua and the other three had already put noodles into the soup.
"Okay, Dad, you guys enjoyed the meal without me!" Young Master Hua complained angrily. He sat down next to Elder Hua, snatched his bowl and chopsticks and went to get the noodles.
Elder Hua’s fists were clenched.
Ever since the father and son talked it out, Mr. Hua completely let himself go in front of him. He said he was afraid of his father, but his behavior was completely the opposite. He came to tease him every now and then, and Elder Hua wanted to prepare a stick to deal with him.
Seeing that a family war was about to break out, Zhang Xueming and Gong Yuanzheng didn't care about not having enough food, and quickly pulled the Xuegong duo away to the pavilion outside to have snacks with hot tea.
The four of them bit into the richly stuffed tea cakes, listened to the roars and fighting sounds coming from the house in the distance, and laughed secretly.
"Xiaohua and the eldest lady's wedding date has been set, the fifth day of February." Xue Chongzi said.
"Isn't it too rushed?" Zhang Xueming calculated the time, less than half a month. With only a few dozen embroiderers in the needlework room, could the wedding dress be made in time?
There are so many features of the palace gate that I’m too lazy to complain about them.
Gong Yuanzheng naturally picked up a salted egg yolk-filled tea cake and placed it on the plate in front of Zhang Xueming. He then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped off the flour on the corner of her mouth, saying, "If the eldest sister doesn't want to, no one can force her."
That's true. Zhang Xueming nodded in agreement.
"The Shang Palace has already begun to be decorated. When your trials are over, the Hua Palace will also be decorated in red."
Xue Chongzi was accustomed to Gong Yuanzheng's behavior of taking care of Zhang Xueming like a child, and was quite happy that the two young people he valued had a good relationship.
"What's important is not the ceremony, but the fact that two people have found a companion from now on and can live a good life in the future. That's better than anything else."
Master Xue interrupted with a smile: "Daxue has good news to tell you. His Snow Burial Heart Sutra has been improved."
Xue Zhongzi glared at him and said, "We agreed to wait until the expedition is over and we hold a celebration banquet for him before we talk about it."
Gong Yuanzheng was a little at a loss: "Celebration banquet? It's just a three-domain trial. My brother didn't have it at that time..."
Zhang Xueming interrupted him with a smile: "That's great! Ayuan successfully passed the three-domain trial, let's celebrate once. The twenty-ninth day of the first lunar month is my brother's birthday, let's celebrate again. On the fifth day of the second lunar month, my eldest sister got married, and on the ninth day of the second lunar month it is Ayuan's birthday again... In half a month, we can have four big meals!"
After hearing this, Xue Chongzi and Xue Gongzi smiled happily.
Gong Yuanzheng reacted and couldn't help but laugh. It would be nice to have a big meal together under various pretexts. "By the way, when are Brother Xue and Xiaoxue's birthdays? It would be great if we could celebrate together."
Xue Chongzi and Xue Gongzi both shook their heads. They were orphans of the Xue family, with outstanding talents, and were sent to the Snow Palace at a very young age.
"Then you can look up a good day in the almanac and celebrate together every year."
Zhang Xueming didn't think this was a problem. The Zhang family had adopted quite a few war orphans, and they could pick their own names after learning to read, and they could also decide their own birthdays.
"It's the same in my hometown. Even if you don't know your birthday, you still have to set a date to celebrate. Otherwise, except for the New Year's Day, you will have one less big meal and one less gift than others, which is a big loss."
Everyone laughed because what she said was so funny.
The sun is shining and the smiles are beautiful.
Xue Chongzi suddenly felt very fortunate that Zhang Xueming helped him find the problem with the Snow Burial Heart Sutra. He could imprint this scene firmly in his memory and never lose it.