Peach Blossom Dyeing Jinge

Wutong Town was built in a valley between two peaks. The steep hillside covered most of the daylight, leaving only a winding mountain road.

The mountain road has been in disrepair for a long time, and the stones in some places have been worn bald, revealing potholes and hollows. There are occasional houses on both sides of the road, and every family has their doors closed. Abandoned, which ones are still inhabited.

The house in the tavern is slightly taller than the surrounding houses, with two floors, obviously it has not been repaired for many years, and the thatched roof trembles in the autumn wind.

The master and the apprentice tied the horse to the crooked neck tree, and stepped into the tavern one after another.

The old door was pushed open by Lu Dongqing, making a creaking sound, mixed with the voices in the room.

After the sound of the door stopped, the human voice also stopped.

There were 30 to [-] people in the room, each sitting around the table. When they saw someone entering the door, they stopped talking at the same time, and turned their eyes to the door.

Twenty or thirty gazes, each of which is very sharp, like the spikes of a hedgehog, gathered into a bunch from all directions and pierced the outsider's body.

Apparently, this place does not welcome strangers from afar.

The woman leaning against the counter started first, went around the tables and chairs, went to the door, and asked, "Are you two from outside?"

This person was dressed plainly, with faint wrinkles on his face, and holding an account book in his hand. He seemed to be the proprietress of a tavern.

Lu Dongqing said: "We are here to find someone."

When he talked with strangers, he was habitually cautious, and his tone could not help but be blunt, which seemed extraordinarily cold in this desolate countryside.

The landlady's face was not very good-looking, she looked him up and down, and asked, "Looking for someone? Who are you looking for?"

Seeing this, Lu Zhengqiu immediately stepped forward to take over the conversation, patted his apprentice on the shoulder, and added: "That's right, this kid has an uncle who I haven't seen for more than ten years. I heard that he was a prostitute in the porcelain kiln in Yushan." I will bring him to pay a visit to the handicrafts of glaze..." Seeing that the proprietress was still suspicious, she shrunk her neck and said, "Isn't this the downturn in the world outside, we really have nowhere to go..."

After speaking, he even shook his dusty sleeves.

The proprietress finally calmed down when she saw the falling dust, she probably believed the words just now, and regarded the two as homeless people who went to relatives.

She turned her head and pointed to the corner: "You two sit down first, I'll go warm up the water and warm you up."

The two nodded their thanks and sat down at a small table. Not long after, the proprietress brought a rusty copper pot and two faded thick bowls: "The shop has no wine or tea, only some mountain spring water. , at least it is clear, just drink it."

"That's enough, thank you, thank you." Lu Zhengqiu cupped his hands to express his thanks, then took up the clear bowl, poured it into his mouth, and sighed while swallowing, "Oh, I'm so thirsty, Dongqing, what are you doing here? , drink quickly."

"Oh." Seeing this, Lu Dongqing also imitated his master, picked up the tea bowl and poured it, and finally wiped it around his mouth with his sleeve randomly, and wiped the water all over his face.

The attitude of the two finally dispelled the doubts of others, and the twenty or thirty eyes in the room finally retracted their sheaths and ignored them.

Only the proprietress looked at the two of them and asked curiously, "Which porcelain kiln does the uncle you are looking for work in?"

Her tone was completely lacking in the vigilance she had just had, but rather a hint of concern.

Lu Zhengqiu put down the tea bowl, shook his head and said, "Oh, I'm ashamed to say, we haven't been in touch for a long time, and I don't know where he works, I only know that it's not far from Wutong Town. Hey, lady boss, how dare you ask this?" How many porcelain kilns are there nearby?"

The proprietress frowned, and sighed sadly: "Hey, it seems that you really don't understand the situation, let alone nearby, there are only three or five porcelain kilns still in operation in Yushan, and you can count them with your fingers. come over."

"How could this be?" Lu Zhengqiu asked in surprise, "Yushan porcelain is famous far and wide, and everyone in Yu Kingdom knows about it. Why did it decline so that there are only three or five families left?"

"Fame?" The proprietress shook her head, "Can fame be eaten? If you want to make good porcelain, you need good mud and water, and it takes time and effort. It's not a profitable job. The people here, For generations, our ancestors relied on mountains to eat mountains, and water to eat water. Who would have thought that the imperial court doubled the tax if they talked about it? The porcelain we fired and the stones we dug were all handed over to the officials. .”

Lu Zhengqiu had heard about the doubling of taxes for a long time, but it was the first time for Lu Dongqing to hear about it. He was very surprised and said, "There is such a thing?"

"Isn't that so?" The proprietress nodded, looking at him with pity, "My guy used to be a good quarryman, but then he broke his leg, so he had to stay at home and wash the dishes. .”

"But why is it Hayama?"

"Isn't it because nine years ago, there was a traitor... Sigh, it's useless to tell you, can we take care of things in the imperial city?" She leaned between the two of them, raising her finger Looking at the table by the window, he said in a low voice, "Did you see those masters? They are craftsmen in the porcelain kiln and they live in our town. Go and ask first."

"Thank you, lady boss, for your guidance." Lu Zhengqiu clasped his fists together.

"Don't thank me, it's not easy for anyone in this world." The proprietress waved at him, turned around and went to the back kitchen with the copper pot in her hand.

Lu Zhengqiu glanced at the table she was pointing at, and saw the group of craftsmen, there were about a dozen of them, some were strong men, some were stooped old men, and two girls with curly hair in men's shirts and trousers were tall, short, fat and thin. They are all different, but they all look tired.

He was going to have a chat and inquire about the situation, but when he was about to get up, Dongqing stopped him: "Master, I'll go this time."

Lu Zhengqiu turned his head, raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you still remember what we are here for?"

Lu Dongqing said: "Of course I remember."

Seeing his resolute expression, Lu Zhengqiu didn't stop him, nodded and said, "Go."

Lu Dongqing got up and walked to the table.

There is a hall between the two places, the back of the young man gradually walked away, stopped beside the group of people, nodded and bowed, with a humble posture, and chatted with the other party after a while.

Lu Zhengqiu watched from a distance, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this kid is quick to learn everything, even the skills of slick tongue and posturing are learned so quickly.

He is introverted by nature and not good at dealing with people, but in order to get news from strangers, he can disguise himself into another look.

What he wants to do, no matter how reluctantly, he can always do it, like a snail climbing a pole, his movements are clumsy and slow, not worth mentioning, but when you are not paying attention, he has already climbed to the top of the nine-foot pole.

As he grew older, this stubbornness not only did not decrease, but grew more vigorously in his body.

After a cup of tea, he turned back.

Judging by his expression, he probably asked something useful, his eyebrows stretched, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a complacent expression on his face, he looked at the master across the table with a pair of bright black eyes, and subconsciously tapped his fingers on the table.

He was like a hunting dog catching prey for the first time, eagerly wagging its tail, wanting to show off in front of Master.

Lu Zhengqiu couldn't bear to let him down, so he leaned forward cooperatively, crossed the narrow wooden table, and brought his ear to his mouth.

Unexpectedly, before Holly could speak, she was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Miss Boss! Is my braised pork still not ready—?"

The sound passed through the hall, loud and penetrating, like a thunderclap piercing the dull air.

The three cadenced words of braised pork fell into the broken bowl of clear soup and little water in front of everyone like a stone, stirring up thousands of waves.

Including Lu Dongqing, everyone's eyes were on the person who spoke.