My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 74 Part 3

"Great!"  

The group was very enthusiastic upon hearing Huo Shu’s plan: "Leaving aside other things, making bows and arrows is no difficult task."  

"Every man from the Northern Territory knows how to make a couple of bows. Uncle Fan’s craftsmanship was once unmatched in the surrounding villages, this would be perfect for him!"  

At this, a smile finally appeared on Uncle Fan’s face: "In the Northern Territory, most people know this craft, so we wouldn’t stand out much. But in Tongzhou, it could actually be useful."  

Huo Shou also chimed in happily: "When A-Liang (Ji Wenliang) and I were wandering around Tongzhou, we noticed there aren’t many bow workshops. If we opened one, we’d surely get business."  

Seeing that no one had any objections, Huo Shu nodded: "Then tomorrow, we’ll go to town to tidy up the place. Uncle Fan and A-Shou will go purchase materials for bows and arrows, while the rest clean up the shop."  

"Alright, sounds good."  

Having made the decision, Huo Shu didn’t hide it from the family during dinner and informed everyone.  

Ji Yangzong was also pleased and suggested they check his private mountain for wood and bamboo, which could save them a lot on costs.  

At night, after washing up, Ji Taoyu lay on the bed in thin undergarments, his legs propped up.  

He flipped through a medical book, but his mind was on Huo Shu.  

"Why didn’t we think of opening a bow workshop earlier? We were only focused on using the shop for storage."  

Ji Taoyu said: "If we had planned ahead, we could’ve considered the location when choosing the shop."  

"For other businesses, location would matter. But since there aren’t many bow workshops in Tongzhou—just a handful, once people know there’s another one, they’ll naturally come to take a look."  

Ji Taoyu thought about it and agreed.  

After all, this wasn’t like teahouses or taverns, which were everywhere and had to compete for customers.  

Some businesses in prime locations still did poorly—location was one thing, but reputation and quality were what really mattered.  

Besides, this was a family operation, so labor costs weren’t a concern. Bows and arrows wouldn’t spoil if they didn’t sell quickly, so the pressure to turn a profit wasn’t urgent.  

The more Ji Taoyu thought about it, the more fitting it seemed. Before, they had been fixated on just finding a place to store goods and hadn’t considered this idea at all.  

"Hey, the folks from the Northern Territory aren’t just good at making bows, they’re also skilled in horseback archery."  

Ji Taoyu said: "If we only sell bows, it feels like we’re not making full use of their talents."  

He propped his chin on his hand and looked at Huo Shu: "What if they also taught horseback archery? I suddenly remember A-Pan telling me before that hiring instructors for horseback archery in town is expensive, and good teachers are scarce. Most available are just independent tutors with no formal establishment."  ."  

"Students in academies are required to master the Six Arts, and horseback archery is essential. If our bow workshop could offer lessons, wouldn’t the students naturally become customers for bows too? We could earn twice the money." 

[The six classical arts required of scholars: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, mathematics]  

 

His eyes lit up: "And we already have horses!"  

Huo Shu’s brow twitched, this actually had some merit.  

"But teaching horseback archery requires space. The shop alone won’t be enough."  

Ji Taoyu said: "That’s the biggest drawback."  

Huo Shu frowned: "We could go to town and see if there’s any suitable land for sale."  

Seeing that Huo Shu was seriously considering it, Ji Taoyu quickly added: "The reason there are so few horseback archery instructors in Tongzhou is also that there aren’t many places to practice. Aside from scholars who need to learn the Six Arts, there probably aren’t many other customers."  

"Buying a plot of land in town won’t be cheap. It’d take a long time just to recoup the cost."  

Huo Shu, however, said: "It’s fine."  

The financial gains from operating a horseback archery range were merely the visible advantage. More importantly, such an establishment would allow them to assemble capable men without drawing suspicion from local officials.

Huo Shu's initial plan had been simpler - just opening an archery shop where the steady flow of customers would provide opportunities to build connections and collect information.

After learning about the You family’s situation and the new prefect today, he realized that if not for Ji Yangzong’s position as village head—which gave him slightly more access to news—they’d be as uninformed as any other farmer toiling in the fields.  

Though Ji Yangzong could get some information, most of his time was spent in the village. His official visits to the prefectural yamen were rare occasions, spaced months apart.

Countless developments and whispered rumors never reached their ears.

The times were uncertain, and peace hung by a thread. Having survived years in the battle-scarred Northern Territory, Huo Shu possessed a soldier's keen nose for brewing trouble.

Tongzhou's bustling markets and lively streets might suggest prosperity, but Huo Shu saw through the facade - beneath the veneer of commerce and comfort, tensions simmered. He had to prepare in advance.  

To that end, he needed two things: first, a steady flow of information to anticipate any crisis, and second, a ready force that could be mobilized at a moment’s notice if trouble arose.  

If nothing happened, all the better. But if something did, having manpower would be a huge advantage.  

"Opening a horseback archery range is a good idea."  

He was just considering how to recruit capable people—using archery and horseback riding as a pretext would allow him to connect with skilled individuals.  

After discussing it for a while, the two decided to go to town first thing the next morning.