Chapter Ten: The Hunting Party

What does it mean to multiply the productivity of an entire industry by eight? Zhao Hengyi wasn’t sure what kind of storm this would stir up in the Great Yan Kingdom, but he remembered vividly how the inventor of the spinning jenny had his machine destroyed and his home smashed by furious textile workers.

Miao Xiaoyu, who had suffered greatly from such things, snatched the hatchet from Zhao Hengyi’s hand and quickly obliterated the simple lines drawn in the earth.

Her own family had been ruined merely by a weaving machine that improved efficiency by half, and now her husband’s invention promised to boost productivity eightfold—what disaster might that bring?

Gazing at the terrified Miao Xiaoyu before him, Zhao Hengyi sighed inwardly and could only comfort her with gentle words.

Whatever the case, all doubts between the two had been swept away; Miao Xiaoyu now admired her husband even more deeply.

Her father had built their family fortune with a single loom, spending a lifetime struggling in the cloth trade, exhausting himself through countless experiments and investing much silver, only to barely double efficiency.

Yet her husband, after seeing her spin and weave for the first time, immediately devised a way to increase output eightfold—her husband was a genius!

Perhaps, as he’d told her sisters, he really was a celestial being come down to earth, not just spinning tales to amuse children.

Faced with Miao Xiaoyu’s adoring gaze, Zhao Hengyi was speechless. This was only with eight spindles; the spinning jenny, at its peak, could be fitted with eighty!

To build the spinning jenny would certainly entail risks, but perhaps it wasn’t as terrifying as Miao Xiaoyu imagined.

The Liang family’s pressure on Miao Xiaoyu had only lasted during the immediate aftermath of her family’s downfall; in the past two years, she hadn’t seen anyone from the Liang family.

Perhaps they had given up. If he just helped her modify a single loom for secret use at home, it should pose no problem.

Since leaving the county jail in Dangyang, Zhao Hengyi had forgotten one thing: once something began, it was hard to stop.

After comforting Miao Xiaoyu, Zhao Hengyi called his sisters into the house. Unexpectedly, the six little ones, who had already weathered life’s storms early, even if they didn’t know what had happened, understood that their eldest sister and brother-in-law had quarreled.

Precociously sensitive, the six gathered around Zhao Hengyi, childishly consoling their brother-in-law, scolding their big sister, filling Zhao Hengyi’s heart with joy and making Miao Xiaoyu snort in frustration.

Traitors!

The next morning, Zhao Hengyi and Old Wu took the thirteen young men they had selected to the county town to sell game.

The bountiful harvest from the latest foray into the mountains had everyone walking tall, buying plenty of grain, their faces bright with happiness.

Old Wu even brought along two pushcarts, both piled high with food.

Zhao Hengyi deliberately involved the thirteen young men in selling the game. Having lived two lifetimes, he knew that no matter how eloquently you spoke, nothing motivated people more than seeing tangible benefits for themselves.

He also purchased more iron ore and pig iron, but improving steel quality further was now beyond the abilities of Zhang Daniu’s smithy.

Fortunately, the current crossbows were powerful enough. Zhao Hengyi set himself a small goal: to equip all the young hunters with suitable crossbows as soon as possible.

Returning to Elm Grove Bay amid lively chatter, they drew countless envious glances.

The lowest ranks of society are always practical; whoever brings real benefits and tangible gains will be celebrated and supported.

Riding the momentum of selling game, Zhao Hengyi announced that the hunting team would enter the mountains at dawn the next day, planning to stay three days in the Great Green Mountains.

Those eligible for the hunting team were so excited they couldn’t sleep at night. Whatever they might gain, Zhao Hengyi had already promised to bring enough food—two hearty meals a day.

In Elm Grove Bay, this was exceptional treatment.

Even in busy farming seasons, ordinary families ate only two meals a day, usually porridge made from wild herbs and grass seeds, with only a trace of grain.

If there was no work in the fields, many families managed just one thin meal of grass seed and wild greens.

True grain was reserved for New Year’s Eve, likely the only time in the year they could enjoy a proper meal.

Zhao Hengyi took this expedition very seriously, even making another new crossbow.

The entire village regarded the trip as a significant event; Sixth Aunt volunteered to stay with Miao Xiaoyu every night, accompanied by Sun Xiuying from Liu Shuang’s family.

Since the failed attempt to burn Zhao Hengyi’s thatched hut, Liu Shuang had vanished from Elm Grove Bay, whereabouts unknown.

The village chief and elders solemnly promised that if Liu Shuang dared return, they would properly punish the rascal and give Zhao Hengyi justice.

On the eve of departure, Zhao Hengyi used carpenter’s tools bought in the county town to make simple modifications to Miao Xiaoyu’s loom. Creating a true spinning jenny wouldn’t be easy, but the improved loom now doubled its efficiency.

Bathed in morning sunlight, Zhao Hengyi and Old Wu led the hunting team into the Great Green Mountains.

Along the way, the three crossbows became the team’s most prized possessions.

Under Zhao Hengyi’s arrangement, every member could take turns practicing with the crossbows. Though talent varied, by journey’s end, all could handle the weapon proficiently.

The one who caught Zhao Hengyi’s attention most was a youth named Wang Erhu, whose exceptional marksmanship enabled him to hit any target within twenty meters in a short time.

Thanks to his rare talent, Wang Erhu was granted use of the earliest crossbow.

Though crude and ugly, with lesser range and power than the newer crossbows wielded by Zhao Hengyi and Old Wu, it still made Wang Erhu the star among his peers.

Young men are competitive by nature, and with tangible rewards at stake, Wang Erhu’s example spurred everyone to practice even during rest periods.

Zhao Hengyi took the opportunity to teach them, having them train with a heavy stone suspended beneath the crossbow. After three days of hunting, every wrist was red and swollen, yet their spirits soared.

Keeping the team excited was simple: let them see a steady stream of game captured by their own hands.

On the third evening, villagers crowded the trail at the southern slope of the Great Green Mountains, as if to hold a grand ceremony.

At sunset, the hunting team returned. The crowd whispered with anticipation, no one knowing whether those who went into the mountains had managed to find game, or if their luck would hold again.