Chapter 64: Mission Completed Early

The next day, Liu Heming got up early and checked his right arm. It felt fine.

Even though he had swung the hammer many times yesterday, his arm didn’t feel uncomfortable. He thought it was thanks to practicing the pot skill, which helped him get used to such hard work.

The System might be unreliable, but when it did work, it helped a lot. He loaded the Bear Kids into the vehicle again and headed straight to John’s place.

When the Bear Kids saw they were back at the annoying place, they looked a bit bored.

“Alright, I just couldn’t leave you two alone at home. Wait here, I’ll get you some snacks so you won’t be too bored,” Liu Heming said helplessly to the two Bear Cubs.

“Dexter, I thought you wouldn’t come today,” John said as he walked out of the repair shop.

“I’m really into blacksmithing now. I wish I could make a finished horseshoe today,” Liu Heming said with a laugh.

“OK, let’s try to make the horseshoe this afternoon. But if you want to keep making small things you like, you’ll need to practice often,” John said with a smile and a nod.

He was really happy that Liu Heming came. He had thought it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing yesterday and almost called him.

Hearing this, Liu Heming felt thrilled. He had just said it casually and was prepared for it to take a few days. Now it seemed John was really helpful.

He went to Anderson’s shop and bought some honey and bread as snacks for the Bear Cubs. As long as they had food, they would be happy.

Back at John’s, Liu Heming strictly followed John’s guidance to start making the horseshoe.

It was the same iron bar from yesterday, but John threw it into the small furnace to heat the middle part.

“We need to make the horseshoe U-shaped, so we have to hammer this part first. Otherwise, it might break,” John explained.

“Your horseshoe is easier because there’s no size requirement. If it were for a real horse, we’d have to measure first. A horseshoe is like a horse’s shoe. If it doesn’t fit, it won’t protect the hoof and could even be a burden.”

Liu Heming nodded. He understood that.

This time, he put on goggles because he would be hammering hot metal. Liu Heming felt a little excited, not just because of the mission but because of the blacksmithing itself.

Making something was fun. Liu Heming thought a bit more—maybe he could make a kitchen knife and a pot like those commonly used in China someday. A good knife makes cutting easier, and a big pot makes stew taste better.

John took out the heated iron bar and hammered it a few times to show Liu Heming how. Then he left the rest to him.

Hammering hot metal was different from yesterday’s practice. It was hot, and Liu Heming started sweating after just a short while.

John decided to let him make the horseshoe today because he learned fast. Interest needs to be nurtured—what if Liu Heming lost interest? Where would he find another blacksmithing buddy? Besides, this horseshoe had no size requirements, so no adjustments were needed, making it very easy to make.

After Liu Heming hammered the iron bar several times, John finally approved. It was time to shape it into a U.

This required using the tip of the anvil. John warned Liu Heming to hit accurately. Otherwise, even with strong left-hand strength, the iron bar could fly off.

The first few hits were fine, but just as Liu Heming started to relax, he hit a bit off. Luckily, it wasn’t too far off, and the bar just fell to the ground. Still, it scared him, and he became more careful afterward.

“Sizzle.”

John pulled the iron bar out of the water bucket and nodded with satisfaction. “This curve is good enough. Now we need to groove the horseshoe so we can nail it to the hoof and keep it in place. After grooving and punching holes, we’ll polish it a bit, and your horseshoe will be done.”

“That simple?” Liu Heming asked with a smile.

“Of course it’s simple. With quick heating equipment, a skilled blacksmith can make one in less than half an hour, even with size requirements,” John said seriously.

“Yours is a gift for Alex, so no size is needed—it just has to look nice. But the polishing will take some time. I’ll give you some sandpaper, and I have a polisher here.”

“Oh, if you’re interested, you can leave a mark on your horseshoe. Every time you finish one, you can add your own symbol. It’ll give you a sense of achievement.”

To be honest, hearing this made Liu Heming really tempted.

“John, is it hard to make such a mark?” Liu Heming asked.

“It depends on your design. Today, let’s make the horseshoe first, and we can work on the mark slowly,” John said with a smile and a nod.

Just then, the horseshoe in the furnace heated up. To save time, they heated the whole thing. John handed Liu Heming a long, pointed hammer that looked like a small axe.

“Place it where you want to make the groove and hit it hard,” John said.

Liu Heming nodded, set the small hammer in place, and struck it firmly with the hammer in his right hand. When he removed the small hammer, a shallow groove was left.

After this, Liu Heming got the hang of it. When the horseshoe cooled, he put it back in the furnace, heated it until red, and took it out again. After a few tries, the groove in the middle of the horseshoe was done.

Then John brought out a slightly longer iron nail. “This is for punching holes. Be careful to line it up with the hole in the anvil, or you’ll hit it crooked.”

Liu Heming felt excited. Once these holes were punched, his mission would be complete, and he could try the Lucky Grand Draw again.

This was an incredible draw. If the sweet potato was that amazing, getting some special crops might help him pay off his debts in a year or two.

As he expected, it wasn’t right after punching the holes, but after he pulled the punched horseshoe out of the water, that he heard the System’s voice in his ear.