The Flood Controller's Wife

Chapter 5: A bow is just a bow

"Young mistress, your hair is so smooth after the gel treatment." Mingyu said one morning as she combed her young mistress's hair.

"We're running out of the ingredients for the gel. I will ask auntie to buy more at the market later."

"Hmm...There is no need. I'm getting bored. Lets go to the market and get it ourselves."

"Okay young mistress."

Weiying did not care much about her looks so Naima got him someone like Mingyu who knows how to dress him up and choose clothes for him. She was like an ancient stylist cum servant. She always knew how to make the young mistress look impeccably good.

"Young mistress, we should also get a new hairpin. These ones are out of style." Weiying gave Mingyu a strange look.

"Why bother? These ones work just fine."

"No noo young mistress you need to be more feminine and you can't lose out to the other ladies of your stature. Since Naima tasked me to help you with dressing up. You have to wear the latest fashion and look the best. I must turn you into a proper young lady. After all you are sixteen now. There will soon be suitors coming to court you. We have to marry you off to the best of the best young mistress."

*cough cough.. Hearing the word 'marriage' caused Weiying to choke on his tea. He spilled the tea all over and made a mess of his dress.

"Aisshh.. Young mistress, please be careful. Let us change into another dress!" She patted his back

Weiying could only comply. If he had said anything along the lines of 'he could not care less about his appearance', Mingyu would unfailingly start her lengthy lecture about 'the proper behavior of a young lady' which Weiying had grown so weary of having been told a million times. He just could not be bothered to argue with Mingyu anymore.

"Young mistress, you are so beautiful. No one would recognize that you were Yuxian at all."

"Wasn't I handsome as Yuxian?"

"Of course you are good looking as Yuxian young mistress. After all you are born with such good looks and beautiful skin. But you look the best as young mistress!"

Weiying shook his head and wondered why he even bothered asking the question.

The two left the house and headed for the market to shop. On the market, he saw a familiar figure walking toward a blacksmith shop. He wanted to call out 'Jiangsu!' but he stopped himself at the last minute, realizing that he was now the noble young daughter of the famous Minister Wei.

"Young mistress, who is he? Why are we following him?" Mingyu asked

Shh.. not so loud Mingyu.

He saw that Jiangsu was trying to get a new string for his bow.

The old blacksmith saw that and said: "young lad, why are you buying a new string for such old bow? Why not get a new one. I have many selections here. I even have the latest model covered in exotic calf skin."

"Don't bother old sire, it is for my young master. He had taken an unfortunate liking to this old bow of mine. He would not use a better one despite my pleadings."

Weiying almost let out a laugh. That fuddy duddy Lanzhan would actually be willing to use an old bow? This is the best joke ever! He had to see it for himself.

Weiying sneaked inside the training ground. There were no students there at that time of the day. He spotted a lone figure in white practicing his shots with a worn out bow. The shots fired were remarkable. However, the old bow could not bring out all his potential. Nevertheless, the boy kept trying diligently.

Weiying observed and he noticed that there was something wrong with the bow. The angle of the shots were almost slanted. The bow must have been out of alignment due to its old age. Lanzhan must be emotionally distracted to not notice that.

Lanzhan did not know this but Yubin and Yuwen was quite meticulous in taking care of their weapon so at the time of the competition he took Yuwen's bow without thinking knowing that it would work fine. However, Jiangsu was not as observant and detailed like the trained Yu brothers. Seeing Lanzhan using such a bow was painful to watch. And he could not take it anymore.

He went back to the market and bought a few more supplies before returning home. The next morning, Weiying had his servants brought in a log of a mulberry tree. Then he used a carving knife and began working on the wood in front of him. It was not the first time the young mistress indulge herself in a strange hobby or was doing something totally bizzare so the servants in the Wei manor quickly dismissed his mistress' behavior as something of a regular occurrence.

After working for half a day, the log finally took shape into a beautifully curved bow.

Young mistress are you making a bow?

Yubin, good thing you're here. Quick bring me your bow.

Yubin left the work room in the manor before coming back a few minutes later with his bow and arrow set. Weiying took Yubin's bow on one hand and the new bow on the other then straightened his arms to compare the weight of the two bows.

"Hmm.." he said before tossing Yubin's to the ground and continue carving the other one.

"Young mistress, let me do it for you instead."

"Naah I'm okay. I'm not letting you have all the fun." Weiying smirked.

"You can help me soak the calf hide."

A few more minutes pass by and Yubin was working on the calf hide on one side while Weiying trimmed the bow on another side.

Legend had it that the earliest bow was created by an ancient Chinese emperor or huangdi. He went hunting one day and was accidentally separated from his troops. A tiger appeared and his horse was agitated in fright throwing him to the ground. Luckily, he was quick enough to climb up a nearby mulberry tree. He watched in horror atop the tree as the tiger cruelly devoured his steed. The emperor stayed up the tree for a long time as the tiger patiently waited down below. To stay alive, he was forced to do something before he ran out of energy and ended up as the tiger's meal. He saw that the mulberry wood was supple. So he broke a branch and used his stone knife to carve the branch into the earliest bow known to man. Then he found some vines nearby and cut it to make some strings and tie it to the ends of the curved branch. Next, he saw some bamboo nearby so he cut a piece to make an arrow. With his bow and arrow, he shot the tiger in the eye. The tiger fled and our huangdi made his escape.

Since then, the bow and arrow that had saved huangdi's life became one of the required noble arts to be learned by nobles and persons of status. Everyone had to learn archery thus the art and skills or archery flourishes in the ancient kingdom.

After they tied some string into the bow, Yubin helped Weiying wrap the bow in calf hide. After the bow was properly covered, it looked much more refined. Weiying and Yubin went to the side garden that had been turned into Weiying's private training ground. He tried the new bow and compared it with Yubin's, then handed them for Yubin to try.

What do you think?

Hmm about right young mistress. But it does seem abit light.

Yes I think so too. It does need a bit of weight for strength. The calf hide would not add so much weight. Hmm maybe this would work. Weiying took off the beautiful new silver wristband that Mingyu had him buy in the market the day before from his hand. He twisted it open and wrapped it to the center of the bow creating a beautiful silver center to the bow.

Yubin just stared at the young mistress in awe and wondered if he should call her young master instead.

He tried the bow again and handed it for Yubin to try the second time. Satisfied with the results, they both walked away smiling happily.

"Why do you need a bow young mistress? Master will not allow to you to use it anyway."

"Oh it isn't for me Yubin ge."

"Is it not? Then may I ask who it is for?"

"For Lanzhan of course! I don't want to owe him for keeping his expensive bow."

"Ohh.. I see. That makes sense." Yubin nodded in agreement.