As Yan Xiaobao entered the blacksmith shop, a smile appeared on his lips. He quickly noticed the diligent woman swinging her hammer. Rhythmic strikes resonated elegantly from the hard metal.
"Sorry to trouble you, Miss," Yan Xiaobao said in a playful voice, causing Cou Ling to look up.
Initially, she was a bit annoyed by being interrupted, but upon noticing it was Yan Xiaobao, her face broke into a smile. She laughed as she placed the metal into a bucket of water.
"Yan!" she exclaimed, wiping her forehead with a cloth laid at the side of the anvil. "What brings you here?" she asked curiously. Though they were friends, Yan Xiaobao and Cou Ling typically only met when one needed something from the other.
