Gang fights, referring to fights and group brawls involving lethal weapons, were considered extremely serious crimes in the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, punishable by death after review.
When the news was brought back to the clinic and passed on to the Hairpin Courtyard, the children pursed their lips and looked towards Fang Heng.
Fang San glared, "Why are you all looking at me? Although I've been training the servants in martial arts, it really is just training, I haven't been involved in any fights or brawls."
Besides, several chopping knives - a dozen clashes and the blades would roll. What kind of brawl could that manage?
But others wouldn't see it that way.
As soon as Fang Heng had weapons in hand and there were casualties, it would be considered gang violence, a crime that could land him in jail or even get him sentenced to death.
Xu Mo's expression was solemn, "Second brother, where did you buy the chopping knives?"
Zheng Ruqian was startled, "I just bought them at the blacksmith's shop, I said I had nine people at home who needed to chop firewood..."
The Dayu Dynasty had very strict control over iron implements. Chopping knives, kitchen knives, hoes, and picks were among the few iron implements that could be registered and purchased for home use.
Hoes and picks were necessities for farming, while chopping knives and kitchen knives were necessities for eating.
Of course, most importantly, their quality was generally ordinary.
Chopping knives were sharp, but only for cutting wood. Against human bones, or the equally sharp chopping knife of an opponent, the result would only be mutually dulled blades.
The sharp blades that could appear on the battlefield generally had extremely broad spines, sharp edges, and sturdy, solid bodies that could pierce enemy armor and clash like new.
Knives like chopping knives would inevitably be scrapped if they encountered danger.
That was why Fang Heng had been so angry that he chased Zheng Ruqian down two streets with the chopping knives.
"Eldest brother means that Prefect He found out about second brother buying the chopping knives, and he will use this matter to make trouble?" Chang Yan stepped forward and hit the nail on the head.
Xu Mo nodded slightly.
Everyone's focus returned to Fang San.
"Then should we get rid of the chopping knives?" Fang Heng spoke with great reluctance on his face.
Although he complained about the chopping knives, after all they were blades. As long as they were carefully maintained and used, the feel would always be better than a staff.
"We can get rid of this batch of chopping knives, but we can't be without knives forever." Fang Heng said heavily.
A good weapon could double or even quadruple the power of one's original skill.
The chopping knives were already a concession. If they went back to using staffs again, half a year of training would be almost wasted.
Moreover, if Prefect He wanted to make trouble over the knives, and they got rid of the knives, then one day if Prefect He wanted to make trouble over the workshop, would they get rid of the workshop?
Or get rid of their own loved ones?
"We can't get rid of the knives." Xu Mo made a final decision, his tone ringing.
Fang Heng heaved a long sigh of relief, but soon worried again, "If we don't get rid of the knives, what can we do if we fall into Prefect He's trap?"
Xu Mo didn't speak, shifting his gaze to Chang Yan.
Although he wasn't clear about the origins of his fifth younger brother, this kid had a kind of adept comfort with scheming and deceit. Asking him would surely be right.
"Hmm..." Chang Yan pondered for a while, "Don't throw away the knives, don't worry about anything, just keep living life."
The Hairpin Courtyard children were all stunned.
Jiang Sheng was the youngest, and although he was a little confused, he still couldn't help but ask, "Then what if third brother encounters a trap? Are we just abandoning third brother?"
Of course that was impossible.
Chang Yan curled up the corners of his lips like a little fox, "Eldest brother should ask Brother Fufeng for nine knives, but they must be unsharpened ones that look similar to the chopping knives."
It was only considered gang violence with sharpened blades. With unsharpened blades it would at most be considered a group brawl at most.
Xu Mo understood.
But he still had some doubts, "You go in and out of the Wang family often, why didn't you just mention it to Fufeng? Why do I have to specially go find him?"
To this, Chang Yan cocked his head with a smile, declining to answer.
There were traces left in this world for doing things openly - for example, Zheng Ruqian buying the knives would surely have registered at the government office.
But some things were better done quietly.
Such as Wen Zhiyun opening a clinic - he came and went from the clinic covertly every day, avoiding attention, before sneaking back to the Hairpin Courtyard.
And finding Wang Fufeng to purchase these nine unsharpened long blades, secretly without anyone knowing.
In daily life, Fang Heng would train the servants using the chopping knives.
And occasionally when the situation was more severe, they would secretly get familiar with the weight of the unsharpened long blades.
Just like this they peacefully lived for over half a month.
At this time the green beans in Xieyang County were just right - not too old or too young, they could be prepared to go into the pot for drying.
Zheng Ruqian himself wanted to process them in Xieyang County before transporting them elsewhere, but met with opposition from all the siblings in Hairpin Courtyard.
Especially little Jiang Sheng, who stood with hands on hips yelling, "Second brother, you're so silly! The workshop in the city only makes ten catties of sausages a day, the aunties are so bored they're cracking melon seeds, why don't you just take the beans to the city workshop to dry them? Do we really need to open a workshop in Xieyang County?"
Furthermore, what were the tariffs for bringing in fresh beans versus dried beans into the city?
Comparing the two, Zheng Ruqian conceded defeat and let Da Dashan take the younger brothers to transport the beans to the city workshop.
Now the only thing needing attention was how to completely preserve the fresh beans for five days.
This wasn't too difficult.
Zhang Xianglian stepped forward, "I didn't go into town often before, just occasionally for a few days' worth of vegetables. Wrapping the beans tightly in waste paper can preserve them for at least five days."
Why say that practical life knowledge is more important than anything?
Zheng Ruqian felt reassured. He asked Xu Mo to collect some waste paper from the Prefectural Academy, and officially began transporting the beans. Even Wang Xiaosong joined in, busying about delightedly.
It seemed they had all forgotten there was still a Prefect watching them like a tiger eyeing its prey.
Fortunately Xu Mo and Chang Yan remained increasingly vigilant.
There's a saying - it's always calm before a storm.
They couldn't relax just because of a brief period of calm. On the contrary, they should be even more worried that the storm to come would be even more violent.
At the end of the eighth month, the hottest time of the year.
Xu Mo was in class at the Prefectural Academy, Wen Zhiyun had gone to the clinic to take pulses, Zheng Ruqian was making deliveries everywhere, even Chang Yan had gone to the Wang family to help handle affairs.
Only Fang Heng was at home with the servants and Jiang Sheng busy in the Hairpin Courtyard.
At this time the rotten sausage could no longer be saved just by fanning. Jiang Sheng gritted her teeth and stamped her foot, simply stopping sausage production to focus on drying beans.
She also helped weigh and test the beans' dryness, exceptionally busy. Suddenly there was a clanging din from outside.
It sounded like people fighting, shouting, and even screaming.
Jiang Sheng was frightened and poked her head out of the workshop. She saw Fang Heng frowning, about to go check it out.
"Third brother, don't," the little girl had an inexplicable feeling of dread, and hurriedly reached out to stop him, "Don't go."
Fang Heng paused, also somewhat hesitant.
If it was a trap outside, they could choose not to go, of course not going was best.
But just then, a miserable cry came from the courtyard gate, "Third brother..."
It was Chang Yan.
