This was a ludicrous notion, which even he couldn’t believe.
Even so, facts spoke louder than words. He couldn’t think of anyone who would play such a prank on him, and the only explanation he could come up with was transmigration.
He distinctly remembered sleeping in his opulent 20-square-meter bedroom the night before, yet he awoke in such a run-down farmyard. If this was a joke played on him, the expense would be too high.
Anyway, it was impossible to find such a run-down farmyard in the city these days…
My room is larger than this entire farmyard!
While Zhou SHU was lamenting, a slew of disorganized memories slammed into his mind out of nowhere.
This unexpected occurrence caused Zhou SHU to groan, squat down, and hug his head with both hands.
After a long time, the swelling pain in his head subsided, and his eyes regained clarity.
Great Xia… Forging Division…
Zhou SHU ruminated on the memories that surfaced in his mind, gaining a general understanding of his predicament.
The predecessor of this body was someone who also went by the name Zhou SHU. He had turned 18 this year, and three generations of his ancestors had been craftsmen from Great Xia’s Forging Division, which was in charge of forging weapons.
His grandfather and father had died as a result of exhaustion in their earlier years. Thus, when he turned 18, he immediately inherited his father’s profession and became an apprentice in the Forging Division. In the end, he, like his ancestors, died of exhaustion, benefiting this transmigration, Zhou SHU.
“Forger, don’t they just forge metal?”
Zhou SHU assessed his current living situation while rummaging through the memories.
The small yard he was currently in was the residence provided to the craftsmen by the Ministry of the Forging Division. Although three generations of his predecessor’s ancestors worked directly for the Ministry of State, they were unable to obtain even a house in the imperial capital of Great Xia.
Zhou SHU’s predecessor’s savings had further been used up when he attempted to treat his parents’ illnesses before they died.
In other words, this small farmyard was his current self’s only safe refuge.
At the very least, I have a place to put my feet and won’t end up on the streets… Zhou SHU consoled himself.
It was difficult to stay in the empire’s capital.
Having a place to stay was already thought of to be a plus.
This farmyard was only 20 square meters. Aside from a run-down bedroom, there was a shed in the corner that appeared to house a smithy. The smithy was the only way his predecessor could make a living.
The Forging Division was brutal, and the craftsmen slept and worked in the same place.
As expected, as the lowest of the low, you are a sucker waiting to be played, regardless of where you are. Zhou SHU sighed.
The Forging Division treated their forgers well, relatively speaking. Even the lowest-level underlings, such as Zhou SHU, were provided with food and lodging, as well as half a tale of silver monthly.
But the workload was too intense.
Using Zhou SHU’s current situation as an example, the Forging Division required Forging Apprentices to hand over 100 weapons every month. This meant that he had to forge at least three weapons per day on average to complete the task. Otherwise, whipping and punishment were in store for him.
His predecessor was well-educated and had begun learning how to forge at a young age. Despite this, he still needed four to six hours to forge a weapon.
Forging three weapons took an average of 14 to 16 hours, and that was assuming everything went smoothly.
In reality, achieving a success rate of 100 percent in forging was impossible. When the forging failed, he had to restart. As a result, he worked nearly 16 hours per day!
Therefore, aside from eating and sleeping, he had to work nonstop every day to finish the task on time.
With this level of workload, it was no wonder that his predecessor had become exhausted to the point of death.
Am I going to die from exhaustion after having just transmigrated? Zhou SHU felt like crying but, didn’t have any tears. He believed that if he continued to work in this manner, he would die within a month.
It appears the only way to survive is to figure out how to become an official Forging Master.
Zhou SHU pondered.
He had signed a contract with the Forging Division, so he couldn’t leave. But the Forging Division had its method of advancement.
He was a Forging Apprentice. He was at the lowest level, similar to a body. Official Forging Master was the rank above Forging Apprentice.
Forging Masters were already members of the Forging Division’s technical staff, and they were not treated in the same way that Forging Apprentices were.
They could live in proper houses with a kitchen and a toilet. Their pay was also significantly higher than that of Forging Apprentices. Most importantly, their workload was less demanding than that of Forging Apprentices.
As Forging Masters, they completed the task if they handed in 30 weapons every month.
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