Li Moru stared at the old man in front of him with a serious face, his expression was very serious, and he said word by word: "No, there must be a sword immortal in the world, if not, then I am the future sword immortal." ”

But this time. The old man didn't laugh at him for the first time, but asked again why they had come to the blacksmith's shop.

Zhang Fugui told the old man what Li Moru had done in the back mountain before, and then said that he was afraid that Li Moru would not be able to drown in the pool that day. That's why I decided to save my rations and bring him to the blacksmith's shop.

The old man's surname is Yang, because he is very old, basically no one in the town calls him by his name directly, they all like to call him Lao Yangtou, and after a long time, the old man is used to calling him so

After Lao Yang heard what Zhang Fugui said, his expression became strange, his eyes were confused, and the wrinkles on his face were crowded together again, and he asked Li Moru: "Boy, did you really see the blue sword light?"

Li Moru didn't react to how Old Yang Tou suddenly became weird, but replied lightly: "Yes, it's the blue sword light, what's so deceitful about this." ”

The wrinkles that the old man was huddled together instantly stretched out, and he laughed and said, "Okay, I thought that Old Man Mo could only be a teacher in his life, but I didn't expect it." ”

He laughed as he spoke, causing the two children to take two steps away from him and hide in the direction of the door, for fear that the old man was crazy, and if he was really crazy, the two of them would run away.

The old man asked Zhang Fugui, who was licking the end of the pastry in his hand, and said, "Little fat man, you came to me to fight with the sword, do you know the price of iron? I'm afraid that you won't be enough to starve to death next month!"

Zhang Fugui approached Lao Yangtou's side, looked up at him, and asked in a low voice, "How much does it cost?"

Lao Yang Tou said: "In this way, seeing that you are children, I will give you a discount according to the price I made before to build a sword, and only charge you a hundred taels of silver." ”

After Zhang Fugui heard this number, his mouth grew wide, his face was incredible, and he hurriedly asked: "Why don't you go and rob it?" One hundred taels of silver, you live in a dream, are you, really, it's easy to deceive when we are children?"

As he spoke, he was about to pull Li Moru out, and Lao Yangtou's daughter was also surprised, Lao Yangtou had not cast swords for many years, if he really forged swords, let alone a thousand taels, tens of thousands of taels might be fought for, but she looked at her father's expression and didn't want to be joking, could he really prepare this child to cast swords?

Lao Yang put his hands behind his back, bent his waist, and said with a smile: "Expensive, do you know that the sword I cast is made of special iron, and with continuous quenching and refining, the cost price alone is seventy or eighty taels of silver, not to mention the need for a lot of time and energy and the damage to the materials after the failure to build, so let me tell you, even if it is 10,000 taels, 100,000 taels, others don't want to take away a sword I really cast from me, you are too expensive." ”

Li Moru grabbed Zhang Fugui, froze around, and asked the woman, "Sister, is what he said true?"

The woman replied: "One hundred thousand taels is a bit exaggerated, but many years ago, there were really people who came to ask for a sword with fifty thousand taels of silver, but my father did not agree, my father said that he would no longer forge swords in this life, and I don't know what happened to him today, how could he make an exception for you." ”

When he heard 50,000 taels, Zhang Fugui's face immediately changed, "Obediently, 50,000 taels, I haven't added so much money in my life, don't talk about me, I'm afraid my old man hasn't seen it, you two must lie to me, if you have so much money, why are you still striking iron here, you must be fooling children." ”

The woman smiled: "There are many lifestyles in the world, and everyone likes a different way of life, and this does not change because of more money and less money." ”

Zhang Fugui pulled Li Moru and was about to go outside, he said to Li Moru: "Moru, let's go, one hundred taels, even if I don't eat or drink for a year, I can't save it, let's forget it!"

Li Moru still froze in place, staring blankly at the old man in front of him with a stiff waist, he didn't speak for a long time, until the old man was about to turn around, he asked timidly: "Master Yang, that, I want to take the sword, but I don't have that much money now, can I take credit first?" I'll pay you back when the time comes." ”

The corner of the old man's mouth once again appeared that strange smile, and the old man said: "It is definitely impossible to pay on credit, I have never heard of the blacksmith shop on credit, so let's give you an idea, you worship me as a teacher, you follow me to learn to make iron, I will count you two times a month, you will be an apprentice with me for four years, and I will give you a sword for nothing." ”

The old man looked at Zhang Fugui and was about to persuade Li Moru, and said: "I advise you to think clearly, the man surnamed Zhao who came to my house to strike iron was originally set for fifteen years, he came at the age of twenty, and there are still five years to get a sword, and it is not what I cast now, it is the sword I cast before." ”

Zhang Fugui asked: "What is the difference between the sword you cast before and the sword you cast now, besides, you are old now, the sword you cast when you were young must be better, of course it is a little more expensive, you are only afraid that you don't even have the strength to lift the hammer now, and what are you saying about casting a sword, I think you just want to trick our family Moru into working for you." ”

Saying that, he still turned around and was about to pull Li Moru away, Old Man Yang was naturally not very happy when he heard a child say this, and said: "You little rabbit cub, you know a fart, the technique of forging a sword is naturally the longer the time to cast the sword, the better the technology gradually, and the water in this ancient town is much better than the water in other places, and the sword will naturally be much better." ”

Listening, Zhang Fugui hurriedly said: "You have no basis for what you say, unless you first cast a sword for our family Moru, you can only agree to this matter." ”

Lao Yang's eyes rolled, and he always felt that something was wrong, and said: "Love do you want to get out, let me tell you, after this village, there will be no such shop, how many people knelt on the ground and begged me at the beginning did not have this kind of opportunity, now you are good, don't give it away for nothing." ”

Zhang Fugui was ready to continue bargaining, and said: "In this way, see if you can reduce it, four years is too long, two years is good, three years at most, no more, we Moru is so young and handsome, three years is already a long time for him." ”

Li Moru grabbed Zhang Fugui, who was paying back for him, and said, "Enough is rich." He looked at Lao Yang Tou again and said, "I promise you, four years will be four years." ”

Zhang Fugui muttered in a low voice: "Moru, you are stupid, four years, a long time, aren't you afraid that this old man is lying to you? Don't talk about bargaining when doing business, at least you have to inspect the goods!"

The old Yang Tou on the side couldn't listen to it anymore, and said impatiently: "Say, little fat man, how are you going to inspect the goods?"

Zhang Fugui said: "At least let us see if you can afford to hold a hammer and forge a sword! Otherwise, at your age, who knows if you can still forge a sword." ”

Old man Yang was really a little impatient, and said: "Okay, okay, okay! I'm really afraid of you, so I'll let you open your eyes today." ”

Old man Yang walked to the side of the sword-casting furnace, Zhang Fugui pulled Li Moru and rushed over there, and the woman also followed curiously, after all, she hadn't seen the old man do it himself for many years, remembering that those who asked for swords saw the old man casting swords, she still remembers it clearly.

I saw the old man take out his hands from behind his back, his legs slightly bent to lower his center of gravity, holding a sledgehammer in one hand and nothing in the other.

Zhang Fugui thought to himself, could it be that the old man was ready to dance such a big hammer with one hand? Don't pull it, how could it be possible, those young people are all two-handed, let alone him.

He was a little worried that Lao Yang Tou would hurt himself like this, so he hurriedly said: "You better use your hands, don't hurt the waist for a while." ”

Lao Yang Tou ignored him, his left hand first lifted his breath, and then slowly stopped, and then, his body moved a little, and he stood on two feet, only to hear a bang, and before he saw when the hammer got up, the hammer had already smashed on the piece of iron.

Then there were several crisp crashing sounds scattered in the air, Zhang Fugui's eyes widened, he opened his mouth wide, he couldn't believe the scene in front of him, he even wondered if Lao Yang Tou was a young man pretending, but when he saw the wrinkles on Lao Yang Tou's face, he dispelled this idea.

Li Moru was also shocked when he saw this scene, he guessed that Lao Yang Tou would definitely be martial arts, otherwise it would be impossible to lift such a heavy hammer with one hand and swing it at such a fast speed.

After Lao Yang put down the hammer, his previously tense whole body relaxed again, and then with his hands behind his back, he asked, "What else do you have to say now?"

Zhang Fugui combed his thumb and said with a frightened expression: "I have nothing to say, I am convinced, I am convinced." ”

Old Yang turned his head to look at Li Moru and asked, "What about you, do you have anything else to say?" ”

Li Moru swallowed a mouthful of saliva and hurriedly replied, "I don't have anything more to say." ”

The woman on the side said, "Then you don't call the master quickly." ”

With a bang, Li Moru instantly knelt down, kowtowed to Lao Yang's head three times, and called: "The master is above, please accept the disciple's worship." ”

Old Yang Tou smiled: "You kid, you're quite clever." ”

In order to take care of Li Moru's schooling, he asked Li Moru to come to the blacksmith shop in the afternoon, and gave him a day off every five days, and walked to the room with satisfaction after speaking.

It's almost time, and the place where Mr. Mo is in the west has been dyed red by the setting sun, and the twilight is approaching, and the birds are returning to their nests.

The door of Lao Yangtou's blacksmith shop has also become yellow, and Li Moru pulled Zhang Fugui and prepared to go home.

The afterglow of the setting sun swayed in the river in front of the blacksmith shop, as comfortable as an old man swaying on a rattan chair, looking at the figures of the two children in the distance, Lao Yang Tou showed a pleased smile by the window.

The woman asked him, "What's wrong with my father today, why did he suddenly have such a big nature to take this child as an apprentice, and he agreed to cast a sword for him himself." ”

Lao Yang Tou looked at the sunset in the west, hung on the side of the mountain and showed half of his face, and said with a smile: "I just want to see if there are really sword immortals in this world." ”

"The child is ignorant, why are you still serious, Dad?"

"Perhaps, but even then, I want to see what a young man who walks with my sword on his back can make waves on the rivers and lakes. ”

The shadow in the distance gradually disappeared, and Li Moru and the others had already crossed the arched bridge and walked on the way home.

The sunset was very quiet on the tiles, Li Moru jumped while walking, and on the way home for the two, Zhang Fugui told him: "Moru, don't tell others about Lao Yang's hammer today." ”

Li Moru was a little puzzled, why did Zhang Fugui change? What strange things he encountered on weekdays, he couldn't wait to publicize them everywhere, for fear that people wouldn't know, how could he persuade himself not to spread this matter today?

Li Moru reached out and touched his forehead, and said, "You don't have a fever either?"

Zhang Fugui took his hand away and asked, "Li Moru, what are you doing?"

"On weekdays, don't you always walk the streets and alleys to talk about any strange things you encounter? And you often have to make up stories when you don't have a story, why have you changed today?"

Zhang Fugui pouted, glanced at him and said: "You know a fart, on weekdays, it's because those things are worthless, and if you say it, you will say it, but today is different, don't you know that the more precious things are, the more they should be hidden?"

"Oh?

Zhang Fugui said to Li Moru with a cliché: "You are stupid, if the value of a thing is high, it is natural that the fewer people who know it, the better, as the old saying goes, if you are not afraid of thieves stealing, you are afraid of thieves." ”

"Besides, if you tell this matter, there will be more people looking for Lao Yang Tou to apprentice at that time, and your apprentice will be worthless, and you won't be able to get any good swords at that time, so your sword won't be so valuable. ”

Li Moru nodded and said that Zhang Fugui was very reasonable, but he always felt that Zhang Fugui had other intentions, so he approached Zhang Fugui and asked, "Fugui, to be honest, are you greedy for my sword and want to sell it to me when the time comes?"

Zhang Fugui put his hand on Li Moru's waist and said with a flattering face: "Nonsense, am I Zhang Fugui such a person?"

Li Moru nodded and said, "Yes, I feel that you can do it." ”

Zhang Fugui raised his head with his chest, patted his chest and said: "I, Zhang Fugui, will never do that kind of thing to be sorry for my brother in my life." ”

Then he leaned into Li Moru's ear and said: "Moru, second brother, think about it, the sword cast by Lao Yang Tou is so valuable, when you learn it, you can also cast a sword, when the time comes, I have a brother like you, are you still worried about a good sword?"

Li Moru patted his head and said, "I just found out, Zhang Fugui, you can, you play very well with this abacus, much better than Qingshan's father, you are putting a long line to catch big fish, right?"