Chapter 253: with translation of chapter title

After two months, the spring breeze arrived gently, the cold had not yet dissipated, the lingering warmth of their entwined necks deepened their attachment, making it hard to part even for a moment, impossible to separate even slightly.

Du Shanü merely inspected at the Yanwuchang for half a day......

The sleeve tip, unseen by others, was tugged lightly and slowly dozens of times.

At the twelfth time, Du Shanü couldn't help but sigh and say:

"It's not even dark yet, why are you in a hurry?"

"Never mind that she hasn't made it big yet; even if she did, in broad daylight she'd still have to do daytime work!"

After dozens of revisions, Leitie finally managed to produce the tread-ballista she'd ordered, and even made several new little gadgets; she naturally had to take a look, didn't she?

"How could there be any reason to spend all day clinging to Chinu in bed?"

Chinu felt a bit resentful, let out a soft hum, and said nothing.

Du Shanü had been tormented enough by him these days, her body badly weakened; she steeled herself and truly didn't soften her voice to coax him again, merely enduring the slight discomfort in her lower abdomen as she laboriously squatted down to fiddle with and adjust the combined tread-ballista before her—

(The attached diagram shows a modular combined ballista-transport device.)

This thing is the great weapon she had Leitie forge after drawing a stack of diagrams during a previous return to Cang Cheng.

Two months, exactly two months, facing countless difficulties and obstacles, after dozens of revisions to key points, she finally managed to produce the thing.

Before, capturing Cang Cheng and Dun Cheng had been a stroke of luck, but if they truly intended to raise an army, siege warfare would be unavoidable.

However, the south is full of mountains and waters, making large siege engines extremely hard to move, turning it into a major problem.

But, this kind of device before them is different!

On flat ground it assembles into a siege tread-ballista chariot; entering the mountains, on rugged mountain roads it directly disassembles into several small wooden oxen and flowing horses.

One device combines offensive firepower with rapid mountain transport of supplies, fixing the repeating ballista onto a cart, relying on treadles to fire simultaneously; during a charge it can quickly blanket an area, not only greatly reducing manpower but also inflicting astonishing casualties.

In the future, this thing will surely be put to great use.

Du Shanü tested the treadle switches several times, then crawled under the wooden ox and flowing horse to begin gauging its cargo capacity, then lay upon the chariot, pondering whether people could be hidden inside, and if intercepted, whether it could conveniently serve as a shield.

Chinu watched his wife master jumping up and down, and after a moment gritted his teeth:

"How can you say you'll just lie down when the ground is so dirty? At least order Ah Nu to fetch a cloth to spread first."

Du Shanü waved her hands repeatedly:

"No need, no need; a little dust is nothing compared to the hardships the soldiers endure."

This is no falsehood; after spring sowing, Chen Weifang and Yu Lve began frantic fundraising to recruit troops, and so far the two cities have enlisted nearly two thousand soldiers. The troops drill at the training ground, and from afar one can smell the strong odor of tired sweat and the bloody scent from scraped limbs during training.

Throughout history, there have rarely been victories won by clever tricks; most are the result of deep accumulation leading to sudden breakthrough.

Even when occasional wins come from the few overcoming the many, the required quick wit is not something ordinary people possess.

Therefore Du Shanü never felt she had made any great contribution; her drawings, no matter how exquisite or how much they reduced labor, would be nothing more than a cold lump of wood without craftsmen to build the devices or soldiers to use them—utterly useless.

If glory comes someday......

She will never keep it all to herself.

Du Shanü sighed inwardly, seated in the flowing horse's compartment, and asked:

"Is Leitie still in the workshop and hasn't come out today?"

The single-wheeled grain cart is meant for one operator; its interior is cramped, and after two circuits Chinu still couldn't squeeze in, his voice sounding a bit forlorn:

"Didn't the wife master just two days ago give him a drawing, saying that if gemstones were ground convex and placed in a bamboo tube, one could...... see far away?"

"Leitie delivered the tread-ballista this morning and then immediately went on nonstop to make the long-range device."

Upon Chinu's remark, Du Shanü barely managed to recall this matter——

Since Leitie moved to Dun Cheng, she has from time to time temporarily assigned him extra tasks, having him make various little gadgets.

And what Chinu mentioned is actually just a few days ago, when the miners gave Afang two nearly transparent companion stones while mining; such fine items are rare these days, Afang hated to use them, so she quickly sent them back to her; upon seeing them she suddenly remembered she lacked a telescope, and thus again ordered Leitie to make......

The busiest craftsman under heaven is undoubtedly none other than Leitie.

Du Shanü touched the tip of her nose, feeling a bit guilty, yet still asked:

"Then let him stay busy, but did he mention when he left how much silver this four‑wheel combined tread‑ballista cost?"

This was something Du Shanü had previously instructed him to pay attention to.

When examining devices, one must not only look at craftsmanship but also pay attention to the principal cost.

This matter concerns whether mass production can be approved; if the cost to produce one tread-ballista far exceeds its value, making it unaffordable and impossible to mass‑produce, then it would be futile effort.

Chinu today wore a raven‑blue straight robe, his attire simple and clean, yet every frown and smile carried a certain charm.

He suppressed his dissatisfaction and recalled:

"When he first rose from the bed, he somewhat forgot whether it was 189 taels or 198 taels...... but both were roughly around 200 taels."

"Ah Nu knows what the wife master is asking about—the tin shop has opened; perhaps because the locals truly have no money, he didn't expect to make a profit. However, the tinware sent to Qiongzhou sold quite well."

Over a little more than a month, including that first solitary box of tinware sent as a trial, they sent a total of seventeen boxes of hastily produced tinware toward Qiongzhou, all of which sold out completely.

But due to limitations in manpower, capital, time, and other factors, the profit had to be further compressed.

Especially, the greatest advantage of tinware is its low cost; originally the margin was thin, and having to ship it out for sale further squeezes the profit.

Thus, after a concrete calculation up to now, the earnings are actually not much—only......

"...... about three thousand taels."

Chinu propped his arm, his long fingers tapping intermittently on his ulna:

"This silver was diverted to fund recruitment; because it was too little, Afang thick‑skinnedly went to borrow five thousand taels privately in spring, which barely made ends meet."

"The commercial debts from last year that the city still hasn't repaid also remain considerable——"

"Li's grain shop: one thousand taels, used for state granaries and relief grain; Tongde Hall pharmacy: seven hundred twenty taels, exclusively for supplying medicine to the populace's injuries and illnesses and for free clinic drugs in the city; Zhang's charcoal shop: three hundred fifty taels, for the offices and all relay stations' year‑round heating fuel expenses; Xu's father‑and‑son iron workshop: owed five hundred taels, used to purchase ironware, implements of punishment, and flood‑control iron fittings repair; Zhou's shipping line: four hundred fifty taels, for official inspections, water‑borne cargo transport rental fees, including recent expenses for sending goods to Qiongzhou......"

As Chinu spoke on, Du Shanü's expression grew ever more bitter.

Finally, Chinu summed up a figure and said:

"At year's end the wife master brought back some silver from Cang Cheng, paid off a trifle, and now there remains...... altogether roughly seven thousand taels of silver."

Du Shanü faintly felt as if she saw her own soul drifting out of her body, and for a moment her face went stiff:

"... You might as well kill me."

How could one person stir up so much trouble...... Oh, no, how could one owe so much money!

How could Afang go and sacrifice her looks to borrow money for her!!

She will someday repay these debts with her life!!

Chinu saw his wife master's agonized expression and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

He is just the right age, just the right looks, so every time he rolls his eyes and looks, it seems like he's giving the wife master a flirtatious glance.

Chinu scolded:

"Pfft, money will always be there; saying this isn't unlucky...... So why don't you get off the carriage?"

"You've rolled around in dirt all over; if you don't go back and wash up properly, you won't be sleeping in bed tonight!"

Du Shanü felt dizzy and overwhelmed by that large sum of silver money; she didn't dare retort when scolded, and immediately agreed repeatedly and jumped down from the carriage.

But perhaps because she had been sitting too long in the cramped carriage, her limbs restricted, when she turned to get down she wasn't as nimble as before, and even staggered, almost kneeling directly on the ground.

Chinu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, held her up; seeing Du Shanü clutch her abdomen with one hand, sweat beading on her forehead, he instinctively cried out:

"Wife master......?"

"What's wrong with you?!"

?? Come on, come on!