bdsm-fiction Chapter 19: Douluo Tradition, Swinging the Great Hammer
Chapter 19: Douluo Tradition, Swinging the Great Hammer
Huo Yuhao snapped out of his daze and composed himself.
He did not show the timidity of a child, but instead took a step forward and slowly walked forward, stopping a little distance away from the fire.
"Hello, Uncle."
He greeted her politely, his voice clear and bright, "I'm not here to have anything made. I wanted to ask if your blacksmith shop is hiring apprentices? Or... do you need any odd jobs to help out?"
Upon hearing this, not only was the burly man who had just asked the question stunned, but even the blacksmith next to him, who had been busy clamping the iron blank and controlling the heat, stopped what he was doing.
The two of them looked at the boy in front of them at the same time. He was only up to their waist and looked to be at most six or seven years old.
Hiring apprentices? Looking for assistants?
The two looked at each other and saw the same astonishment and amusement in each other's eyes.
This little kid probably can't even lift a hammer, right?
What can you possibly do here? More likely, you'll just cause trouble!
"Little kid," the burly man who had just asked the question grinned, "how old are you? Do you know what blacksmithing is? It's not a joke, it's hot, tiring, and dangerous."
Huo Yuhao had anticipated this reaction. He wasn't discouraged, but said earnestly, "Uncle, can I give it a try? I just want to earn some money to help support my family."
His clothes were already worn out, and his face, which still had a childish look but was full of seriousness, made the two blacksmiths feel a little moved, thinking that perhaps... his family was really not doing well.
The burly man didn't refuse outright. After thinking for a moment, he pointed to the large bellows in the corner and said, "See that bellows? When forging iron, controlling the heat is the most crucial thing."
"If you really want to try, go and pull that bellows ten times to get the fire going and let me see."
"Remember, be steady, be even, and don't be chaotic."
This bellows isn't easy to operate; even an adult would find it difficult. He said this to discourage Huo Yuhao from trying.
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
He knew his chance had come. Without saying much, he simply nodded and said, "Okay!"
He walked up to the enormous bellows, which was almost taller than him, took a deep breath, and gripped the bellows lever with both hands. The wood felt rough to the touch and was rather heavy.
He didn't immediately pull with brute force, but first lowered his waist and sat down, firmly rooting his feet to the ground, straightening his spine, and slightly tensing the muscles in his arms.
At the same time, he quietly activated a wisp of soul power to better coordinate the strength of his entire body and enhance stability.
"Hey!"
With a low shout, Huo Yuhao exerted force with both arms, steadily and evenly pulling the bellows lever backward!
"Whoosh!" With the influx of wind, the flames inside the furnace shot upwards, becoming even brighter and hotter!
One, two, three...
Huo Yuhao's movements were not fast, but each pull was extremely stable and the force was even.
The bellows emitted a regular and powerful "whoosh... hiss... whoosh... hiss..." sound, and the fire in the furnace burned steadily and vigorously, with the temperature rising significantly.
The two blacksmiths stared wide-eyed, never expecting that Huo Yuhao could actually pull it.
After pulling up the ten times, Huo Yuhao was neither red-faced nor out of breath.
He released the lever, stood up straight, and said with bright eyes, "Uncle, I'm done."
The burly man looked at the steady, blazing flames in the furnace, then at the boy in front of him, whose breathing was calm.
"Alright! Kid, that's interesting! You're quite strong, and you're pretty steady too!"
He patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder: "How about this, you stay and try it out first. Come every morning, mainly to operate the bellows, tidy up the tools, clean up, and see how we do the work."
"I'll provide you with lunch, and every month... I'll give you five Gintama coins as pocket money, how about that?"
"If you do a good job, I'll teach you some real skills later!"
This treatment was considered quite good for a handyman in Xilai City.
It's clear that this man is kind-hearted and willing to take in a six-year-old child, even if it's just to do odd jobs, provide a meal, and give him some pocket money.
But most of them were clearly motivated by goodwill and pity, and probably didn't really expect to be able to help in any substantial way.
However, Huo Yuhao came here not just for the five silver soul coins of pocket money and lunch each month.
He was doing it to make money. While pumping the bellows and cleaning were good starting points, the progress was too slow and the returns were too low.
He needs to prove his worth, to prove that he is not just a "little kid" who needs to be taken care of.
Therefore, Huo Yuhao made a move at this moment.
His gaze swept across the room and landed on a slightly smaller iron hammer on the tool rack next to him.
Amid the questioning gazes of his two masters, Huo Yuhao walked straight over and reached out his small hand to grasp the wooden handle of the iron hammer, which seemed a bit too large for him.
It feels heavy in your hand; the hammerhead is made of solid wrought iron and is quite heavy.
He gripped the handle with both hands, suddenly exerted force from his core, tensed his calf muscles, gripped the ground with his heels, and his whole body was like a taut bowstring.
"Hey!"
A clear yet powerful shout burst forth from his throat!
Under the incredulous and astonished gazes of the two blacksmiths, the little boy, who only reached their waists, actually lifted the iron hammer above his head with incredible stability!
Immediately afterward, before they could recover from their shock, Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the still-hot, dark red iron blank on the anvil.
With arms leading the waist, the power of the whole body is twisted into a rope and transmitted with a roar along the hammer handle!
boom! ! !
A solid, loud bang suddenly exploded inside the blacksmith's shop!
Sparks burst forth from the point where the hammer and anvil struck, illuminating Huo Yuhao's focused and calm face!
The iron blank on the anvil visibly dented and deformed under the hammer blow!
After the first blow, Huo Yuhao did not pause at all. His movements were smooth and fluid. Using the recoil from the first blow, he twisted his waist and swung the hammer again!
boom! boom! boom!
One, two, three!
The rhythmic hammering sounds, like war drums, echoed continuously in the small blacksmith shop!
Each hammer blow was accompanied by a shower of sparks and a clear deformation of the iron billet!
The two chefs were completely dumbfounded, their mouths agape, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets!
How...how is this possible?!
A six-year-old child?!
Swinging an adult-sized iron hammer?!
And... the force?! The stability?! The rhythm of the continuous pounding?!
They were blacksmiths themselves, so they knew the ins and outs best!
Those few blows just now, whether it was the force of the hammer blows, the precision of the landing point, or the coordination and stability of the body when exerting force, although the movements seemed a bit rusty, were already no less than those of an old blacksmith who had been doing it for many years!
In fact, Huo Yuhao had taken a shortcut. Under Han Tianyi's tutelage, although he was young, his physique had already surpassed that of an ordinary adult.
Moreover, his martial soul is the Spirit Eye. His observation just now was not for nothing. He was just replicating the actions of his two masters!
Huo Yuhao struck the iron ingot seven or eight times in succession, then slowly reduced his strength, and with the last blow, he gently tapped it to stabilize it.
Then, he gripped the hammer handle with both hands and gently placed the hammer back in its original position, his movements still steady.
After doing all this, he turned around and faced the two blacksmiths who were still in a petrified state.
"Uncle, I think I'm capable of being a blacksmith!"
He's here to make money; how much can you get paid for pumping the bellows and doing odd jobs?
The two burly men snapped out of their daze, exchanged a glance, and saw the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.
After a long pause, the burly man who had spoken earlier finally managed to squeeze out a few words: "You...you're a Soul Master?!"
In his view, this was almost the only reasonable explanation.
If a child of only six years old did not possess the power to temper his body and enhance his strength, how could he possibly have done what he did just now!
Huo Yuhao met the other person's gaze and nodded slightly.
"hiss!"
Upon confirmation, the burly man couldn't help but gasp, and his gaze towards Huo Yuhao completely changed.
At such a young age... he's already a Soul Master?!
What kind of talent is that?!
Such a child has a limitless future!
Befriending a Soul Master with exceptional talent is definitely a profitable "business"!
In a flash, the burly man's shock vanished, replaced by a more enthusiastic and even somewhat solemn smile.
He then introduced himself: "My name is Wu Ming, and this is my younger brother, Wu Xing. I don't know your name yet, young man?"
"My name is Huo Yuhao!"
Wu Ming thought for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do! Brother Huo, if you're willing to work for me, the basic salary will be ten gold soul coins per month!"
Ten gold soul coins, that's dozens of times more than the previous five silver soul coins!
In a small place like Xilai City, this is definitely a considerable income.
"Of course!" Master Wu quickly added, his tone enthusiastic: "This is just the base salary! Our blacksmith shop mainly relies on the number of jobs we take to make a living."
"From now on, I'll give you extra commission for every qualified ironware you forge that you sell! The more you work, the more you earn! What do you think?"
Huo Yuhao readily nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Wu! This is a great deal! I'm very satisfied!"
"Okay! Okay! It's settled then!"
When Master Wu saw Huo Yuhao agree, his smile widened even more: "Then... Brother Huo, will you come to work tomorrow morning? We'll start work at seven in the morning."
"Okay, Uncle Wu! I'll be there at seven o'clock sharp tomorrow!" Huo Yuhao agreed readily.
With the matter settled, Huo Yuhao felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.
Having found a well-paying job, my mother no longer has to worry about making a living and can rest and recuperate in peace.
He was eager to tell his mother the good news, to make her happy and put her mind at ease.
Huo Yuhao bid farewell to the two men, "Uncle Wu, Uncle Li, I'm heading back now! See you tomorrow!"
Wu Ming quickly replied, "Okay, be careful on the road!"
Huo Yuhao turned around, feeling relaxed and joyful, and started running towards the small courtyard where he and his mother rented.