Beard Smith, Jr., a young prospective blacksmith, stood outside his door, watching Isabel ride away on her shiny black horse. At this time, a ripple rippled in his heart: "If I had followed the advice of those gentlemen or Yoman to go to the south for education, perhaps the lady would have had a different opinion of me." ”

"Even if there would be a big difference between me and her identity, probably she wouldn't completely reject a yoman who pursued her like a knight?"

"No, my life must not stop at the level of Yoman. I want more education, more wealth, or at least the life of a wealthy merchant in the town. ”

But what kind of life did the merchants of the towns live? And the same as the knight's family? Or is it closer to the aristocratic way of life? ”

When old Beard came out of the drawing-room, he found that his son was not working by the fire, but was standing by the side of the road outside the door, thinking about something. This time, the elder Beard surprisingly didn't yell at his son. Alone began the previous work of forging pig iron.

After hearing the sound of his father hammering pig iron, little Beard looked sideways at his father, who was already working, and hurried to his work. Old Beard put down the hammer and threw the piece of pig iron into the furnace.

Glancing at the piece of pig iron that was burning in the furnace, he stared at his son and said, "My child, I can see that you like Lady Isabel very much. What I want to say, though, is that you can only like her in your heart. ”

Little Beard looked at his father unconvinced, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Father, why do I only like her in my heart?" ”

"Son, because you're engaged."

"Father, but I don't like Nora, why do you and mother insist that I be with her?"

"Because I am a parent, I have a responsibility to guide family members, just as a priest has a responsibility to guide us." Beard Sr. showed parental authority in front of his son.

Little Beard did not hold on any longer, but silently took out the red-hot piece of pig iron from the stove with iron tongs, and placed it on the iron pier next to the stove to wait for his father and master to forge it.

After a few minutes, the iron hardened again, and little Beard put the iron back into the stove and simmered red. Old Beard took a few sips of the jug on the table on one side of the table, and then handed it to his son, saying, "Son,

Your mother didn't like me at first, but she married me. You know why? ”

After a few sips of water, little Beard said, "It's because of money and land, right?" ”

"Son, this is marriage. Well, as long as you and Nora finish the wedding ceremony before Christmas, I won't ask about anything else. ”

"Thank you, Father. Father, I would like to say a word to my lady: I will definitely go to the south to get more education and earn more money. ”

"Now? No problem. However, you are responsible for making the two swords that Ms. Isabel has ordered. ”

"Father, I will."

As soon as little Beard finished speaking, he immediately took off his gloves, took off his leather apron, and turned to run towards the backyard. In less than two minutes, he rode a bareback hybrid horse and galloped towards the road.

At this time, the sky was already clear, and a round of morning sun quietly rushed out of the horizon. The wide road leading to Nottingham Castle is filled with hired hands, farmers and vendors. The hustle and bustle of the road and the rising sun in winter heralds the most pleasant time of the day.

Anxious little Beard was riding his horse in the direction of Nottingham Castle when he saw from a distance what seemed to be something happening in the middle of the road, and many people were gathering to watch something.

When he stepped forward, little Beard jumped off his horse in amazement. Pushing aside a few onlookers, he walked up to the man with his back to him and saluted, "Lady Isabel, what happened?" ”

When Isabel heard the voice, she quickly turned her head and said with relief, "Thank God, little Beard, it was you." ”

"Fuck, stinky bitch, you still have a helper!" Standing directly in front of them, a man dressed as a farmer, eight or nine paces away from them, brandished an ordinary long sword in his hand and shouted.

Isabel hurriedly took a few steps forward and yelled, "Hey, what the hell is going on with you?" ”

After glancing at the two of them, the farmer quickly ran to an ox cart beside him, and took out a spear about 16.4 feet (5 meters) long from the open rectangular carriage behind him and returned to where he had been standing. He put his sword back into the scabbard at his waist, held the spear in both hands and pointed the tip of the spear to the two of them and shouted again, "Stinky woman, even if you two go together, I can kill you." ”

Isabel stared at the unreasonable farmer and felt like she was about to collapse. Little Beard, who was standing beside him, did not understand what was happening, but he bravely stood in front of Isabel and said to the farmer, "What do you want to do, lay down your arms!" ”

Isabel dodged to the right and sprang out from behind Beard Jr. When he drew his two short swords, he shouted to the farmer, "Bastard, do it! Quick, do it! ”

Emotionally stimulated, the farmer raised his spear and stabbed Isabel in the chest with a sharp prismatic head. At that moment, Isabel dodged to the right side and slid all the way down to the hilt of the opponent's spear and slid all the way down.

If the farmer with his left hand in front and his right hand behind does not let go of his spear handle, his left hand will first encounter the cross-cutting of the dagger until his left hand is cut in half from the tiger's mouth. Of course, if you don't want your hand to be hurt, just throw away the spear in your hand.

Fortunately, the farmer reacted in time, and just as the opponent's short sword was about to cut into his left hand, he threw away the spear. Just as he was about to pull out the long sword on his left waist, Isabel held the short sword in her right hand and pressed it against his neck.

"Don't move, bastard, if you want to die, I can send you to God at once." Isabel said coldly.

"Ma'am, why would this guy want to kill you?" Little Beard stepped forward and pointed the farmer's sword at the other man's face.

Next, Isabel stared at the farmer, who had been held hostage, and gave little Beard a rough account of what had happened. Just then, from the direction of Nottingham Castle came the rapid, muffled sound of horses' hooves.

As the onlookers were artificially separated from each other, the heavily armed Sir Augustine and two would-be knights of the guard strode into the circle, looked at the three men who were nervously facing each other, and shouted in a low voice, "Isabel, what are you doing?" Put down the sword! ”

When reinforcements arrived, Isabel remained motionless and threatened the farmer, saying, "If this bastard no longer wants to kill me, I'll lay down my arms!" ”

Augustine didn't even look at the dirty and black little Beard, he walked straight up to the farmer and said solemnly: "Idiot, you are a subject of the lord, why do you want to kill the lord's attendants? ”

The farmer looked at the appearance and dress of Augustine's three men, and said as if he had come to an enlightened state, "Because she said I was in her way." ”