Chapter 105: Radiance

Bao Ning was a light sleeper; she woke up in less than an hour. Rolling over, she heard a faint muttering coming from the doorway.

Thinking she was mishearing things, she listened closely—it was real. Sitting up and draping the quilt over her shoulders, she called out to Pei Yuan, “A-Yuan, are you in the room? What’s going on? It sounds like we have a mouse; bring the trap from the woodshed!”

Wei Meng stood at the door in crimson embarrassment. “It’s not a mouse, it’s me!”

“General Wei?” Bao Ning got out of bed, puzzled. After tidying her clothes, she stepped into the main room and found Wei Meng standing at the threshold with a thick piece of firewood strapped to his back. Pei Yuan stood nearby, arms crossed, watching with casual amusement. A-Mian was chewing grass with a crooked mouth, and the two dogs were staring at the intruder. Bao Ning was more confused than ever.

She scanned Wei Meng’s get-up, and a spark of realization hit her—she suddenly remembered the idiom “carrying thorns to plead for mercy.”

Was he here to apologize for his slip of the tongue this morning? Bao Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Wei Meng’s thunderous voice:

“Hey! Look at this sheep! How can it be so handsome? So transcendent! It doesn’t look like a mortal sheep at all; it’s more like a celestial beast! What kind of goddess could raise such an extraordinary sheep! And look at this dog! Its golden fur is like a majestic lion’s mane, its temperament so noble—it looks like a general capable of leading ten thousand troops! I am in awe!”

Bao Ning followed Wei Meng’s finger to look at the bewildered, chubby A-Mian and the golden dog, Ah-Huang.

“Oh! And this Pekingese…” Wei Meng continued, pointing at Jixiang.

“It’s a Tibetan Mastiff,” Pei Yuan corrected.

“Ah, this Mastiff!” Wei Meng gritted his teeth as he improvised. “Its body is powerful and robust, its spirit wild and untamed! Though she is a female, she is a hero among dogs, a true Mulan—Wei Meng is filled with respect!”

What on earth is he talking about? Bao Ning was speechless, staring at him blankly.

Having finished his praise, Wei Meng suddenly turned, strode toward the grape trellis, and quickly returned with a bowl of soy milk.

As if drinking wine, he threw his head back and drained it in one gulp, then bellowed, “Heaven above! I, Wei Meng, have walked the earth for nearly thirty years, yet I have never tasted such divine milk! It is nectar and ambrosia! I feel like the Jade Emperor himself, floating among the clouds, about to ascend to heaven! Heavens, what kind of miraculous lady could possibly…”

Pei Yuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It was the first time he had seen Wei Meng in such a ridiculous state of nonsensical babbling; he found it immensely satisfying.

“General Wei!” Bao Ning interrupted, unable to take it anymore. “What exactly do you want?”

Wei Meng stopped awkwardly and asked cautiously, “Little Madame, are you… still angry?”

“I’m not angry…” Bao Ning frowned, sighing helplessly. “General Wei, take that wood off your back first. Let’s talk inside.”

Relief flooded Wei Meng’s face. He nodded repeatedly, turned his back to let Pei Yuan untie the thorns, and rushed into the room.

Bao Ning poured him a cup of tea. “Please, General Wei.”

Wei Meng sat down with a constrained smile. He watched Bao Ning take her seat and took a performative sip of tea before asking impatiently, “Little Madame, have you heard of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow?”

Bao Ning nodded. “I have. I’ve even made one for fun.”

The moment she said that, Wei Meng’s eyes lit up like a thief’s. Pei Yuan, unable to stand it, kicked him under the table. Wei Meng asked, “Can I see it?”

“Wait a moment.” Bao Ning nodded and went to fetch it. She soon returned with a small wooden crossbow about two palms long. “Is this it?”

Handing it to him, she explained, “I saw the diagrams in the General’s military books a few days ago and found them interesting, so I tried making one. It was just for fun, so it’s not precise. I used blunt wooden arrowheads so it wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Wei Meng was nearly moved to tears of joy. “This is exactly it!”

Looking at Bao Ning now, he felt as if she were sitting there radiating light. He had previously thought she was just a pretty, useless “vase,” but now he realized how wrong he had been—this Little Madame was a hidden master! It occurred to him that only a woman like Bao Ning could truly stand by Pei Yuan’s side; she possessed the skill to command respect, making her worthy of a high position. They were a perfect match.

Wei Meng and Pei Yuan exchanged a look. He swallowed hard and whispered to Bao Ning, “Can you make one… that can kill?”

Bao Ning nearly choked on her tea, staring at him in a daze.

Pei Yuan glared at Wei Meng, rebuking his recklessness, then patiently explained the entire situation to Bao Ning. She understood, but her expression remained hesitant; she wasn’t entirely confident.

She certainly had a natural talent. Diagrams that looked like indecipherable codes to others were clear and orderly to her—things she could build as soon as she laid hands on them. For some gadgets, she only needed to play with them once to replicate them almost exactly. But she had never tried making a weapon.

A weapon wasn’t like a child’s toy; it needed to be sturdier and capable of explosive power. This wasn’t something that could be solved with simple carpentry.

Under Wei Meng’s expectant gaze, Bao Ning steeled herself. “I can try.”

“That’s wonderful!” Wei Meng exclaimed. “I need ten of them in three days!”

Bao Ning was shocked. “That’s impossible!”

“Why wouldn’t it be!” Wei Meng said gruffly. “How do you know it’s impossible without trying!” Then, he shamelessly called out to her, “Great-Grandmother, you absolutely must help! If you do, you’ll be saving my life.”

Wei Meng beat his chest. “From now on, I, Wei Meng, will serve you wholeheartedly. I am at your beck and call—if you tell me to go east, I won’t dare go west! In my life, I respect two types of people: brave warriors on the battlefield and masters of craftsmanship. If you finish these, I will call you Great-Grandmother every single day…”

Before he could finish, Pei Yuan grabbed him by the collar and hauled him out, kicking him out the door.

Bao Ning rubbed the rim of her cup, looking at the returning Pei Yuan with unease. “Can I really do it?”

Pei Yuan took her hand in his, kneading it gently as he spoke warmly. “Wei Meng is right—you won’t know unless you try. But don’t pressure yourself. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work; treat it as a simple experiment. There are no consequences if you fail; I’ll handle everything. If you succeed, well, you’ll just have an extra great-grandson to serve you.”

Bao Ning laughed. “I don’t want a grandson that big and old!”

“It might be nice to have him.” Pei Yuan affectionately pinched Bao Ning’s nose, teasing her. “He’s sturdy, he can haul water and chop wood, and he’s a smooth talker—did you see how well he flattered you just now?”

Bao Ning said, “Then I’ll… give it a try?”

“Is your body up to it?” Pei Yuan looked at her face with concern, his hand reaching toward her skirt. “Does it still hurt? It’s my fault for being too rough last night…”

“Enough! Don’t say another word!” Bao Ning stopped him in a fit of shy indignation.

Pei Yuan grinned. “I’ll be gentle next time. I actually learned some techniques from those little books… nine shallow, one deep; three shallow, one deep—I’ve mastered them all…”

Bao Ning stood up and chased him out of the room.

Pei Yuan watched the door slam shut in front of him. Rubbing his nose, he headed to the kitchen to make sweet rice ball soup for Bao Ning. She was exhausted and wouldn’t get a proper rest today; making some of her favorite rose-flavored rice balls might cheer her up. As he lit the fire to boil the water, Wei Meng heard the noise and came in, voluntarily washing the dishes.

The room was silent, save for the two large men moving about the small kitchen.

Pei Yuan shot him a sidelong glance, stirring the rice balls in the pot with a smirk. “I didn’t expect you to be so willing to lower your status.”

“What of it? A great man knows when to yield and when to stand tall.” Wei Meng waved it off. “Never mind Great-Grandmother—if she asked, I’d call her Great Immortal.”

“Besides,” Wei Meng’s eyes gleamed with sharp focus, “I truly admire the Little Madame. My hands are clumsy, so I respect those with such skill. I was even thinking: if every infantryman could be equipped with such a powerful crossbow, wouldn’t we be invincible in an ambush?”

“Actually, I’ve always wondered,” Pei Yuan didn’t take the bait, keeping his head down as he spoke calmly. “With your skills and your brains, why settle for being a nameless adjutant under me? If you had joined a prominent lord and worked all these years, you might have been titled a marquis by now.”

“I have vision,” Wei Meng’s voice turned serious as he scrubbed the bowls with a rhythmic clatter. “Besides, you saved my life.”

Pei Yuan said, “That was years ago. Whatever debt you owed has long been paid.”

“I always thought you were good at reading people, so why are you being so stupid now?” Wei Meng let out a sharp “tss” and looked at Pei Yuan. “Do you really think I walk with you for fame or wealth? That’s looking down on me. Let’s be blunt: I assist you simply because I find you someone I can talk to. Living with my head on the line is exciting, but it’s also comfortable… And this wife you married? I think she’s truly great.”

“How so?” Pei Yuan asked. “Because she can make a repeating crossbow?”

“It’s the bowl of soy milk,” Wei Meng said. “It reminded me of my mother.”

When a wanderer is away from home, even the hardiest heart can’t help but feel homesick. The mention of such a heavy topic cast a brief shadow of melancholy over the room.

After a moment, Pei Yuan asked, “So… does that make me your father?”

“What a load of crap!” Wei Meng laughed in spite of himself. “You really are a vulgar man!”

The dishes were done. He opened the steamer, popped two cold dumplings into his mouth, and shook his head. “People grow in the shade but live for the sun. Life is hard enough; happiness isn’t easy to come by, so you have to cherish it.”

Those words… Pei Yuan looked up at Wei Meng’s blue left eye.

Wei Meng raised an eyebrow and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Pei Yuan had never asked about Wei Meng’s past—or perhaps he had and Wei Meng hadn’t answered, so he had stopped asking. But today, he felt a sudden surge of curiosity. Wei Meng didn’t seem like just an unmannered bandit from the mountains; he likely had a story no one knew.

Much later, Pei Yuan would learn that when Wei Meng said he didn’t seek fame or wealth, it wasn’t a lie. His identity, from the moment of his birth, had already placed him at the very peak of status.

The pot of rice balls was ready. He scooped them into a bowl and sliced some pickled mustard greens.

Having finished, Pei Yuan flexed his fingers, feeling an aching fatigue spread through his body and a sharp pain in his joints. Stepping outside, he saw that it was indeed raining.

Pei Yuan carried the bowl back to the room just as Bao Ning was about to step out. She had noticed the rain on the window and, worried about his health, pushed open the door just as he was ducking inside. “Time for the piglet to eat.”

The scent of roses softened Bao Ning’s heart. Seeing the raindrops on Pei Yuan’s forehead, she stood on her tiptoes to wipe them away and asked softly, “You’re in a lot of pain, aren’t you?”

“I’m alright.” Pei Yuan pulled her to the table to sit. “Eat. I love watching you eat; you look like a little spotted pig. Seeing you eat with such gusto makes all my ailments disappear.”

Bao Ning was displeased. “Who are you calling a pig?”

“A little spotted pig,” Pei Yuan corrected, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “A pig sounds gruff, but a little spotted pig is cute.”

“It’s the same thing—it’s still a pig.” Bao Ning scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and smilingly fed it to Pei Yuan. “Eat up, you big clumsy donkey.”

“…” Pei Yuan swallowed the bitter fruit of his own words. He didn’t bicker with her as usual today, but instead smiled warmly and rubbed her head.

Bao Ning wasn’t used to this side of him. She felt more comfortable when he was overbearing; he seemed too fragile like this. Her heart ached for him, and she wanted to protect him.

They shared the bowl of rice balls. After eating, Bao Ning urged him to lie down, but he refused, choosing to stay by her side at the table.

The table was covered in wood shavings and a messy pile of tools. Bao Ning had already crafted a prototype of the crossbow, but she didn’t know how to string it. She lacked the strength to pull the string taut, so Pei Yuan helped her. After stringing it and polishing it for nearly an hour, it seemed a success. Bao Ning used a plain hairpin as a bolt, placed it in the quiver, and eagerly tried to pull the bow. But before she could reach full draw, the crossbow let out a creaking sound, followed by a loud snap as it shattered, sending components clattering across the floor.

Bao Ning was shocked and disappointed. Pei Yuan comforted her, “It’s nothing. You can’t get fat on a single bite; it’s a process. We’ll find the cause and try again.”

Bao Ning bolstered her spirits, thinking back to where it went wrong. The crossbow shattered because the wood wasn’t bonded well enough. She had used fish bladder glue, but it clearly wasn’t strong enough to withstand the tension of the string. She came up with an idea: she found some short, thin iron nails, intending to use them to fix the wood firmly. After another hour, she finished. This time she didn’t dare test it herself and let Pei Yuan do it.

Pei Yuan pulled the string, and the hairpin flew out like a flash. Bao Ning’s eyes lit up, but before she could cheer, she saw that the pin hadn’t flown straight—it veered off, landing more than three feet away from the intended target.

Bao Ning was utterly dejected. It was past dinner time, and after all this work, it still wasn’t right.

She was frustrated by her own perceived incompetence and worried about Pei Yuan’s body; he was clearly forcing himself to stay awake for her. She wanted to finish quickly, but felt powerless.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.” Pei Yuan examined the small crossbow over and over. Realizing the issue, he pointed it out to her. “You can’t use nails. Nails will warp the wood. Look at it against the light; the bow is already curved.”

“Then what do we do…” Bao Ning buried her head in Pei Yuan’s chest. She kept her eyes closed, muttering as she searched for a solution, her palms sweating.

Almost simultaneously, Bao Ning looked up and spoke at the same time as Pei Yuan: “Use a mortise and tenon joint!”

The mortise and tenon structure was complex, with interlocking parts that required a blueprint. Pei Yuan lit two thick candles and sat by her side, handing her the wooden ruler. The rain outside had been falling for a long time; at first, he could use his internal energy to suppress the pain, but now his wrists were shaking. Maintaining a neutral expression, he gripped his right wrist with his left hand, his voice steady as he conversed with her.

By the time the new crossbow was finished, it was late at night. The two thick candles had burned down to the height of a finger. Bao Ning squinted one eye, stood at the doorway, and aimed at the courtyard gate.

Her heart pounded. The moment the bolt left the string, her eyes widened. She watched the hairpin fly with rapid precision in the intended direction, sinking three-tenths into the courtyard wall. Only then did she let out a massive sigh of relief.

“A-Yuan, I succeeded, didn’t I?” Bao Ning reached back to grab his sleeve, her voice filled with excitement. “I really did it, didn’t I?!”

Pei Yuan smiled and hugged her from behind. He said yes, his face buried in the crook of her neck, but he could finally no longer hold it in and let out a heavy, ragged cough.

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