Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 56 Reunion with Benwei

  The visitor wore a big hat and walked into the stables where the officers were tethering their horses. After inquiring about the name of Winters Montagne all the way, I was guided to Winters' side.

   Winters didn't know the face, but the person called him by his last name.

   "You are M. Montagne?"

   "Do I know you?" Winters became wary.

   "I am a friend of Ben Venuto, and I have a message for him."

   Hearing Ben Venuto's name, Winters hurriedly led the visitor to a deserted place outside the stable.

  According to the cripple, a group of Monta people were digging three feet to find Benwei, but this friend directly reported Benwei's name in front of others.

   "What message, say it." Winters couldn't help reminding the other party: "Someone is looking for your friend, don't mention his name casually. If someone who has a heart hears this name, follow you to find him."

"No, the Monta people are so powerful. I have helped deliver a lot of letters, and I have never made a mistake." The Ben Venuto messenger considered himself experienced, and was quite disapproving of Winters' reminder. .

   Seeing the disapproving smile of the messenger, Winters roared in his heart: "The Vine people have no sense of keeping secrets at all!"

  There are countless military operations in this world that have deceived the enemy's spies and scouts, but they have finally failed because of the shepherds and woodcutter's tips.

   Never underestimate the intelligence capabilities of the masses, this was an important lesson Winters learned in his war history class.

   But talking to the messenger obviously didn't make any sense, and Winters asked directly: "What news did he ask you to bring me?"

   "Benwei said he is fine and safe now, so you don't need to worry about him. He will come to you when the storm is over."

   "Where does he live now?" Winters thought.

  The messenger answered without hesitation: "Just live in my house."

  …

  Two hours later, in a small courtyard on the edge of a small village on the outskirts of the city, Ben Venuto was chopping wood.

   His shirt was hanging aside, shirtless, and his upper body was tanned from working on the dock all the year round. He is not fat, nor does he have that kind of strong tendon meat, and he looks lean. But when he swung the axe, others could see the power contained in this body from the sinews of the Coiled Dragon that appeared on his body.

  Benwei is in charge of swinging the axe, and when the axe is raised and dropped, it is split in two. Another little boy was in charge of placing the sawn logs on the stakes. The two people have a clear division of labor and are skilled in cooperation. The chopped firewood has been neatly coded into a wall under the eaves.

   "Benwei, look who I brought you." The courtyard door was pushed open with a creak, and the happy voice of the owner of this small courtyard came.

   Following the messenger, Winters came in with a horse.

   "Why are you here?" Ben Wei's surprise was beyond words.

  Winters strode up to a bear hug: "It's a long story."

  Benwei's messenger and the owner of this small courtyard warmly greeted the mother-in-law of the family to prepare food and drink for Winters. Although the Vine people are not good at conspiracy, they are generous and hospitable, loyal to family and friends.

   Most of the residents of this small village were Wan people who escaped the war and fled to Veneta more than 20 years ago. It is no wonder that Ben Venuto is hiding here.

   "You're the only one here?" Winters asked. No matter how you look at this small yard, Benwei's family can't live in it.

   "My brother and I live here." Benwei moved a stool for Winters and said plainly: "The old people have all been sent to relatives in other places."

  The two sat under the shade of the tree in the corner of the small courtyard. The owner of the courtyard called his son into the room and avoided it kindly. Only Winters and Benwei were left in the courtyard in front of the house.

   It just rained last night. After the sun came out, the stagnant water was dried a little bit, and the outside was humid and hot like a steamer. Under the mottled tree shadow, Benwei held a large jug and poured water for Winters.

   "You're actually not safe here at all. This friend is a very good person, but also a very bad messenger. He's too careless. Your enemy can easily find you." Winters got straight to the point.

There was no time to greet each other. Winters checked the defense measures of this small courtyard from the perspective of an officer: "The walls of this courtyard are too low, it is still on the edge of this village, and there is not even a dog. Someone touches you and What about your brother?"

Benwei handed the water glass to Winters: "It's okay, the Vine people in this village are all related to my family. As long as there is a face in the village, I can get the news immediately. With their protection, I am very safe, rest assured. Bar."

"The safer you think you are, the more dangerous you are." Winters was most afraid of Benwei being paralyzed by this false sense of security: "This small yard is not in the village, but on the edge of the village. If it were me Bring people, fast in and out, the people in the village will not have time to react."

  Benway said with a smile: "Don't think too much about those Monta people. Whether they are Monta people or Paratus people, they are actually just like us Vine people, they are just a group of dockers with a little strength."

   "The more you think about it, the more dangerous it is," Winters said worriedly.

   "Okay, then my brother and I will live in the innermost house in the village." Benwei didn't really care.

   Winters sighed, the client is not in a hurry, and it is useless for others to be in a hurry, but at least it will be safer to live in another house. He added: "It's better to change places every day so people can't figure out where you are."

   "Okay, okay." Ben Wei reluctantly dealt with Winters.

   The two of them were silent for a while, only to hear the toads in the small pond outside the yard chirping non-stop.

   "I heard about the dock." It was Winters who spoke first: "When do you need to work on the dock and form a gang?"

Benwei leaned lightly on the tree trunk and looked into the distance, and said, "It hasn't been a few years, anyway, when my dad was working on the pier, it wasn't like this... In fact, in the final analysis, it's for the sake of robbing a job. Over the years, more and more people have poured into Hailan. The more you do, the more difficult the work at the dock is, but you can do it if you have the strength, so the competition is getting more and more fierce. Maliciously lowering the price is all light, and it is common to maim people in the alley. People have to stick together."

"You are creating an oppressor for yourself, this kind of..." Winters bit his lip and didn't know which word to use: "...gang, organization, society, whatever you want to call it. Although now it's just to avoid bullying. , but it will definitely deteriorate in the future and become a monster that uses violence to **** your blood."

"Yes, there are already signs of this." Ben Wei laughed at himself and said, "But after the dock was divided into several sites, the malicious price reduction between the porters was ended. Outsiders are not allowed to go to the dock to grab work. , the porters earn more money. Even the order of the hooligans is better than no order."

"Forget it, why did the two of us talk so far? This is something that the customs has to worry about, and it has nothing to do with me." Winters restrained his smile and asked Benwei seriously: "What do you Wann people think about this time? Closing? Are you going to hide forever? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Benwei laughed and patted Winters on the shoulder: "It's okay, you take this too seriously, this is not a war between two countries. The Monta people have loud thunder, little rain, and loud shouting, in fact, for the sake of Take up more space. I won't have to hide when this thing calms down."

   Winters frowned and said, "As far as I know, the Monta people have bought a lot of real guys and a dozen arquebuses. They really want revenge."

  According to the cripple, usually only sticks are used in wharf fights, and no edged weapons are used, let alone muskets.

  The dock workers are not soldiers. Fighting is nothing more than robbing, not killing people. The lame thinks that the Monta people are here for real this time, and the purpose is not simple. It is very likely that they want to make a big blow to the other two groups and monopolize the dock.

"Don't worry, we also have guns. In fact, taking guns out is just to scare people, and they don't contain lead." Ben Wei angrily punched himself in the thigh: "These Monta people have something wrong in their minds! They are dead. Blame it on us Wan people, and insist that it was my family who killed them, really..."

   "Uh, isn't it really you and your brother who moved hands?" Winters suddenly found a blind spot.

  Although the Varnes did not admit it, both Cripple, Field, Moritz and Winters believed that Benway and his brothers had killed the leader of the Monta.

  Because...it's so reasonable. There are nearly 200 homicides in the city every year, of which vendettas account for a third.

   Enemies meet, draw swords and stab each other, it is a very common thing in Hailan City.

   Revenge is the simplest emotion of human beings, and the culture of revenge is a culture shared by all human beings. While the law relegated the power of vengeance to the ruling class, in the "Wild Lands" south of the Shady Mountains, blood vengeance was still held in high esteem by the majority.

   Ben Venuto avenged and murdered his uncle. Although he violated the law, the citizens of Ocean Blue City would still cheer him on.

   But just now, just a few seconds ago, this was not what Benwei meant.

   "Of course not!" Ben Wei's tone was extremely helpless: "I did plan to avenge my uncle with my younger brothers, but Da Scar's death really has nothing to do with us. Sigh."

   "Not you?"

"certainly."

   "Not your brother?"

   "The night Da Scar died, my whole family was watching for my uncle. It must not have been done by my younger brothers."

   "Then what..."

Benwei sighed: "This is the biggest problem. Everyone thinks that my family killed the big scar for revenge. Not only the Monta people, but the Vahn people also believe in this, even my distant relatives. Thinking like that, no matter how I explain it, it's useless."

   There was no need for Benway to lie to Winters, especially about this. Because although Winters originally thought it was Ben Wei's hand, he was still on Ben Wei's side, and Ben Wei understood this.

   So since Benvenuto said it wasn't him who killed the Monta man, in Winters' view, it really wasn't his hand.

   "Then isn't this going to turn into a bad debt?"

  Benwei snorted: "Actually it doesn't matter. Even if Da Scar doesn't die, I will avenge my uncle. It doesn't really make a difference if I come back and forth, but it saves me trouble."

   "It's a big difference!" Winters was anxious: "If this matter falls on your head, you will be sentenced to exile if you don't mention it."

"It's not my fault." Benway grinned. "My neighbors are all my witnesses. It's precisely because the sheriff can't get me up and send me to trial that Montaigne thinks so urgently. Get revenge on me. And I didn't do this in the first place, and I will never admit it."

   "Is there anything I can help?" Winters asked. "Anything."

   "It's alright, I don't lack anything now, I don't have to go to work yet, it's alright."

Winters looked Benway in the eyes and said solemnly, "If you didn't save me at the dock that day, I would have drowned, and I owe you my life. Any...anything I can do, as long as you speak. ,friend."

  The word "any", Winters bites especially hard.

Benway understood what Winters meant, and he punched Winters' knee with a smile: "Do we still need to talk about repayment? Speaking of which, I really have something I want to ask you to do."

"you say."

   "Is your workshop still there?"

   "Still, my little uncle is in charge now."

   "Can you help me get an apprenticeship?" Ben Wei asked a little awkwardly.

   "Of course! I promise, my uncle will definitely agree." Winters said, patting his chest.

"It's not that I want to be an apprentice, I want my third brother to be an apprentice." Ben Wei quickly explained: "He also studied Lu You and graduated this year, but unfortunately he can't go to Guitucheng. I don't want him to work at the wharf. If you can guarantee him to be an apprentice, it would be even better."

   The skilled handicraftsmen are the middle-income class in this society. They rely on technology to make money. They are neither dependent on the sky like farmers, nor criticized and scorned like the merchant class. It is the envy of most purely manual workers.

   But handicraftsmen are not what they want to be. In Veneta, associations of all walks of life have monopolized the access qualifications of all industries by paying a lot of taxes since ancient times.

   A person who only knows how to work as a carpenter cannot be a carpenter. At most, he can only make some furniture for his own home. Only full members of a carpenter's guild can openly sell woodwork and provide woodworking services to others.

   The same is true for other industries.

   In this way, artisans limit the number of people entering the market and avoid excessive competition. In fact, not only handicrafts, but also merchants did the same thing through commercial guilds.

If you want to become a full member of the guild, you need to become an apprentice of a full member first. After five to seven years of apprenticeship, you can automatically become a full member of the guild with the tools given by your master when you are an apprentice. .

   The apprenticeship period is extremely difficult, because many craftsmen have extremely bad tempers, advocate stick education, and are often beaten and scolded, and the apprentices have no wages. But it's a surefire way to break into a lucrative industry that many don't want.

   "Otherwise, you can go to my workshop too. The work on the dock is very hurtful and can't be done for a lifetime." Winters is sincerely thinking of Benwei. Ben Wei is the same age as him, nineteen years old this year, it is not too late to be an apprentice at this age.

   "I won't go." Ben Weidan said with a smile: "The apprentice has no wages, and I still have a big family. It's enough to have my brother to be an apprentice. I'm just worried that this kid can't bear the hardships of being an apprentice."

"Don't worry, I'll ask Giovanni to take care of your brother." Winters remembered something serious: "By the way, I have something to ask you. You were there the day the pier was sunk, right? "

   "Present."

   "The person who bombed and sank the trestle was not a man in black robe, but dressed like a dock worker. Do you have an impression?"

   Benwei sneered and nodded: "Of course I have an impression, it's the Monta people."

   According to the archives of the Bologna Criminal Court, in 1660 there were nearly 150 murders in Bologna, the dead. And the social ethos of the 16th century is more advocating of pleasure and grievance than the 17th century... Thanks to the book friends who voted for the recommendation before, thanks to the book friend 20181013204343295 for the recommendation vote, thanks to the book friend Yan Yunsan for the recommendation vote, thanks to the book friend 20200306210032266 for the recommendation Tickets, thank you all. It's late today, and I've only written more than 4,000 words since I sat at seven o'clock.

   (end of this chapter)