Song Gaoli’s eyebrows knitted together like two fuzzy caterpillars as he nudged Song Qiming’s arm with his elbow.
"Aren’t you going to stop her?"
To pay a hundred taels for something someone else didn't even want—no matter how you looked at it, it was a massive loss.
Song Qiming replied calmly, "My sister has her reasons for everything she does. If she says it’s worth it, then it’s worth it."
Song Gaoli pressed a hand to his forehead, falling silent in resignation. He shouldn't have even bothered asking; Song Qiming was a hopeless sister-follower. If it were snowing right now and Song Jinzhao claimed the snow was red, Qiming would probably just nod and ask whether she meant crimson or pink.
Scholar Zheng’s daughter saw a familiar carriage stop at the gate and turned back toward the house. "Father, Song Qiming is here."
When Song Jinzhao and the others had first returned before the New Year, they had come to pay their respects with gifts, riding in this exact same carriage.
Scholar Zheng stood up in confusion and walked toward the door, muttering to himself, "They’re supposed to head back to Anyang Prefecture tomorrow. Why have they come at this hour?"
Song Qiming walked in carrying a crate of mandarin oranges, bumping right into Scholar Zheng as he came out to greet them.
"I happened to be in town today when the docks opened for trade," Song Qiming explained. "I thought I’d pick up a few things to take back to Anyang and stop by to bring you some New Year’s gifts, Teacher."
Scholar Zheng looked at the crate of fresh oranges, which also contained two bottles of wine. "There’s no need to bring gifts next time. You only just sent some before the New Year."
Song Qiming set the crate down. "I still hold your earnest teachings close to my heart, Teacher. I bought these simply because I thought of you; please don't overthink it."
Outside, beneath a barren tree, Song Jinzhao lifted the carriage curtain. "Since we’re already here, why aren't you going in?"
Song Gaoli spread his hands and sighed. "I’d feel embarrassed going in empty-handed. I’ll pass."
Besides, he had already paid his respects before the New Year. It would only be awkward to go in now and be compared to Qiming.
Song Qiming didn't stay at the Zheng residence for long. After dropping off the gifts and chatting for a few moments, he stepped back out.
"All done, Sister. Shall we head to the blacksmith’s now?"
Song Jinzhao nodded.
"What are we going to the blacksmith’s for?" Song Gaoli asked.
As Song Qiming turned the horse around, he explained, "Sister is worried about the dangers we might face on the road back, so she ordered some extra weapons. We’re going to pick them up today."
The memory of the assassins they had encountered in Kaikang City flashed through Song Gaoli’s mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine. He had been so busy enjoying himself at home with food and drink over the past few days that he had completely forgotten about that ordeal.
The Life-Taking Gate, that underworld assassin organization, had accepted five thousand taels of silver to kill them. They certainly wouldn't give up easily.
Seeing his friend's fear, Song Qiming reached out and patted Song Gaoli’s shoulder to comfort him. "Don't worry, I’ll protect you."
"Or, I could find a merchant caravan or a security escort to take you back to the academy?"
Song Gaoli shook his head frantically. "Forget it. If I ran into danger while I was alone, I’d be truly helpless. No one would hear my cries for help."
It wasn't as if they hadn't encountered trouble on the road before the assassins showed up. The memory of those bloody, mangled corpses still made his skin crawl.
Sun Youli saw Song Jinzhao step down from the carriage. He set down his hammer and turned to retrieve a longsword from a rack.
"Two swords, one crossbow, three hidden sleeve-arrows, and the seventy-two iron needles you requested. Give them a look."
Song Jinzhao picked up one of the longswords and handed it to Song Qiming. "Try it out. See if the weight feels right."
The swords they had bought on the road previously had become too light for the siblings' growing strength. Moreover, since those had been bought in a hurry, the blades weren't nearly sharp enough.
To be safe, Song Jinzhao had specifically commissioned the blacksmith shop to forge two precious swords according to her exact requirements. While she couldn't claim they could slice through iron like butter, they were certainly sharp enough to kill without leaving a trace of blood on the blade.
Song Qiming gripped one of the longswords, first testing its weight; it was perfectly balanced and felt right in his hand.
With a sharp "shink," he drew the blade from its scabbard. Accompanied by the piercing, metallic ring of the unsheathing, Song Gaoli hurriedly covered his ears, almost as if he had seen sparks fly from the friction.
One listen to that sound was enough to know it was a masterpiece.
Song Jinzhao raised an eyebrow at the sound. She picked up the other longsword, drew it, and inspected it closely.
She looked up at Sun Youli with a nod of approval. "Master Sun, your forging skills have improved yet again."
Sun Youli grinned with pride, though he maintained a facade of humility. "It’s all thanks to my father’s excellent teaching. Besides, the raw iron recently sold by the government has been of high quality; otherwise, I couldn't have crafted such fine swords."
