As the ox cart moved forward, the smell of dust in the air became clearer and clearer. The trees on both sides of the road seem to be covered with a layer of ash not only the leaves, but also the trunks.

Seeing this, Ye Feng thought to himself, probably this is the pollution of ancient times. Anything else is not yet known, just look at the trees.

It's just that you don't have to think about it, there is definitely no relevant department to supervise this kind of behavior in this time and space. Fortunately, there should be very few people in the whole village like Taojia Village who are engaged in the firing industry.

Shinong industry and commerce, commerce ranked so low, and many dynasties pursued a policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, so commerce was naturally underdeveloped.

The Ye family originally came late, so they sat in the middle, and the good seats were occupied by those who came early. Qianyan didn't care about these things, because he was small and young, he squeezed to the front of the ox cart, looking forward to getting off.

In fact, Ye Feng also wanted to do this, and he didn't know how many hours the ox cart had been gone, he felt that his legs were uncomfortable, and he wanted to stretch.

However, the space in the car is too small.

But after all, he is older than Qianyan, and he is half an adult, and he is not easy to act willfully.

It's just that he didn't notice that there were couples watching him all the way after he got up from sleep. That gaze is so hot that it can melt people away.

And the woman even wanted to give up her position to Ye Feng for a while, so that he could stretch his legs. But seeing that the Ye family doted on him so much, after thinking about it, he couldn't help it.

Other people's children, what qualifications does she have to pamper them?

Fortunately, after about a stick of incense, as Ye said, near or far, gradually began to see one after another large and small caves.

When Ye Feng saw a towering banyan tree, the car full of people began to pack their bags and prepare to get out of the car.

Taking advantage of the fact that the crowd was moving, Ye took the opportunity to move to the front and dragged Qianyan with him.

This girl is too wild, but she doesn't know that the ox cart is a little unstable at the moment of parking, and if she is not careful, she will plant the whole person to get out of the car.

It was not until they reached the banyan tree that the ox cart came to a steady stop.

So, everyone got out of the car, took out their money bags, paid the money, and said to the coachman, "When to leave, still wait here", and so on, everyone dispersed, and went to the village to find their own destination.

When he got out of the car, Ye Feng only felt that his waist was sore and his legs were swollen, and after sitting in the car for so long, he really couldn't sit down.

It seems that whether it is ancient or modern, the phrase "to get rich, first build roads" can no longer be wrong. If this section of the road is easy to walk today, not to mention that you can save the travel time, even the comfort will be greatly improved.

Stretching his waist and kicking his legs, Ye Feng felt much more comfortable.

It's just that the air here is really not flattering, and it doesn't smell very pleasant. But it doesn't matter, they don't live here anyway, they just come here once in a while to get down to business.

Chen Jixing walked in front to lead the way, walking towards the cave he was familiar with.

Looking at his undoubted appearance, Ye Feng knew that Chen Jixing should go to the house he had been patronizing.

Many people are like this, and they will have their own preferences and choices when faced with goods of similar quality and price.

Ye Feng stomped his feet as he walked, because he always felt that his right leg was still numb. Chopping while walking, although it is like a pinprick, this can shorten the uncomfortable time a little.

As he walked further inside, Ye Feng felt as if he had suddenly entered another world. Pottery is mostly fired on a household basis, so every house has an open gate, and when you pass by, you can see a variety of pottery all over the garden.

In addition, some of the ones that have already been fired are set up in the shade, guarded by half-grown children, waiting for customers to come and choose.

Ye Feng originally wanted to go shopping and pick one, because it reminded him of the feeling of traveling. It's a pity that he knows that the time is tight and the task is heavy, so this time it will definitely not work.

Therefore, he only followed Chen Jixing and wanted to meet the firing master as soon as possible.

"Brother-in-law, where are we going, are we going to which house you often go to?" Ye Feng asked. To say that the place where this family lives is a little far away from the big banyan tree, I don't know how Chen Jixing found it.

"We went to Master Tao's house, not the one I often go to. The one I frequented was all about finished products, so the prices were relatively cheap. Today, we are going to the famous pottery master's house in the industry. His craftsmanship is excellent and is said to have been passed down for generations. ”

Afraid that Ye Feng hadn't understood what he meant, Chen Jixing continued to add: "Although every household in Taojia Village will fire pottery, only the craftsmanship of the master surnamed Tao has been passed down from generation to generation. The rest were moved in later. By the way, the head of the family we are going to is surnamed Tao, and his single name is one word, so you can call him Master Tao later. ”

It seems that this is a private order, Ye Feng thought in his heart, Chen Jixing really took care of this matter, and if he wanted to find it, he would find the best.

It's just that the name Master Tao is strange enough, he really wants to exhaust the clay?

I don't know why, Ye Feng thought of the ancient poem he learned in elementary school in his previous life, "The Potter".

After another quarter of an hour or so, Ye Feng saw a small farm yard from a distance. Like all the farmhouses along the way, the gate was wide open, and far away you could see the yard full of fired tiles and some molds that had not yet been fired.

And from the point of view of the type of utensils, most of them are kitchenware and the like.

When he got closer, he saw a middle-aged man with a slightly black and red face who was lowering his head and fiddling with the mold. He had just come out of the kiln, and his hair was covered with some dust, even on his eyebrows.

Perhaps hearing the footsteps of a few people, the middle-aged man raised his head slightly, glanced at a few people, smiled, said hello, and continued to fiddle with his mold.

Ye Feng realized that it was not so much middle-aged, but just vague.

Now it seems that there are probably about thirty people.

Just like Ye, when he went to work in the field, he looked like a person in his thirties and forties, but in fact he was not yet thirty years old. Hard work always makes people look old, and the years like to bully this type of people the most, because they often don't pay attention to grooming themselves.

As for those so-called people who do not look old, in addition to the natural beauty of the ingredients, most of them are the effect of money piled up. Pampering, health food, and a good mood account for these things, and people who want to come will be more or less younger.

"Master Tao, business is booming." Chen Jixing's front foot had not yet stepped into the door, but he took the lead in saying hello.

It seems that this is what Chen Jixing said about the indigenous pottery master of Taojia Village, who has exquisite firing skills that have been passed down from generation to generation.

When I got closer to Ye Feng, I found that this master surnamed Tao had a pair of big hands, perhaps because of his perennial work, his hands were covered with calluses, and his knuckles were abnormally protruding, but his face was a ball of harmony.

Although the feeling of that smile is a little philistine and shrewd, and a little stylized, it is not emotional, but it is not annoying.

Seeing several people entering the door one after another, Master Tao straightened up and said hello, it seemed that there was business coming to the door. He doesn't take the finished route here, and he doesn't live at the entrance of the village, so people who don't know him don't know here.

In other words, the purpose of Chen Jixing's coming today is naturally to customize some utensils privately.

I saw him raise his head from a pile of molds, and said with a smile on his face: "Brother Chen, I haven't seen you for a long time, how are you lately?" What needs to be fired this time? Tell me, I'll see if I can do it. ”

After speaking, he also smiled politely at the Ye family, Ye Feng, and Qianyan behind Chen Jixing. Ye Shi turned sideways slightly invisibly, and he didn't know whether it was a return salute or avoiding the direct gaze of the strange man.

Sure enough, it was a businessman, who not only greeted the other party, but also asked the other party about the purpose of coming here to avoid empty chat. And he didn't have a big package, saying something that he could do made Ye Feng's first impression of him very good.

Chen Jixing replied: "This time, in addition to buying twenty pottery bowls, there are indeed some new patterns that need to be fired. In this way, can Master Tao take the time to take a look? ”

Hearing this, Master Tao was a little surprised, and when he heard Chen Jixing's tone, he obviously brought a pattern. He is not familiar with Chen Jixing, he has only met once or twice, but it is just the natural sensitivity of a businessman that reminds him of it.

The people who came to him were people with ideas, and gradually the things he cooked were no longer limited to kitchen utensils and the like. It's just that there are almost no patterns like Chen Jixing who personally brought them.

Although most of the people who came to him wanted to make some unusual utensils, he didn't want this craft to be lost, so he insisted on taking orders for some kitchenware and even tiles. It's a pity, hey, so far, I'm still on my knees, and I don't know who this craft will pass on to a hundred years later.

Master Tao said: "The bowl is a trivial matter, I have a lot of samples in this yard, you choose, I will give you the kiln in the afternoon, you can pick it up tomorrow." Or, I have some ready-made ones in my house that you can pick and choose. If you like it, just take it away. ”

It seems that this pottery master is also flexible, prepared a variety of possibilities, and will not let the customer's choice be too single.

Compared with the previous ones, Ye Feng is more willing to buy here.

What's more, everyone discussed it before coming, this bowl should be ready-made, and you can use it when you take it home. The main purpose of coming here today is to make pots.

Chen Jixing said to Ye's: "You take a thousand words to choose a bowl, and we are here to talk about firing flower pots." ”

Hearing this, Ye brought a thousand words to choose the bowl.

Master Tao didn't care about the mud in his hand, and said sincerely: "Brother Chen, do you want to burn flower pots?" So what shape do you need for this pot? Are there any trick requirements? Also, how tall do you need to be? If you haven't thought about it, there are some molds in my backyard, if you are interested, you can go and see before making a decision. ”

Hearing Master Tao say this, Chen Jixing looked at Ye Feng and motioned for him to make up his own mind. He really didn't have any interest in patterns and patterns, and he really didn't have any ideas, so he didn't participate in the previous discussions and research.

But Ye Feng, as soon as he heard this Tao master speak, he knew that he was a professional, and it seemed that it was indeed as Chen Jixing said, he had fired flower pots on weekdays, because he said forward: "Master Tao, I do have some of my own ideas and plans, and I also brought the patterns here." But Master Tao, you just said that there are ready-made molds in the backyard, so take us to see it. If you have a favorite, you don't have to bother, just choose it directly. ”

If it doesn't work, then you can fire it according to your own type requirements and patterns. Besides, if you look at other people's stories, you might find something new.

"Little brother, please come here." Master Tao said. He made a gesture to Chen Jixing again, "Please here." He understood that the half-year-old man in front of him, who looked no more than ten years old, was the one who made the decision today.

Speaking of which, he naturally hoped that Ye Feng could find the flower pot he liked in his own mold, otherwise, it would be very time-consuming to remake the mold according to his own ideas.

Some people want to make unique utensils, but they don't want to spend that money.

After only a few steps, the three of them came to a room in the backyard.

This room is really very simple, but a few pillars have been erected, and a shed has been built with thatch on the top. The ground was filled with all kinds of molds, including all kinds of dishes, clay pots, teapots, teacups, and of course, the flower pots that Ye Feng wanted.

These molds are supposed to be made in a one-to-one ratio, so they are very realistic, but they are not fired.

There are many of these things, but it's a pity that after focusing on the flower pots, there is nothing I want.

The flower pots here are more or less similar to the one Chen Jixing bought in the grocery store before, they are all of that type, and without exception, there are no ventilation holes at the bottom.

Presumably, the aesthetic standards of this time and space are still different from modern times. Obviously, these flower pots are based on practicality, and Ye Feng's flower pots are based on good looks.

Although it is a bit troublesome, and the cost of not having a ready-made mold will be much larger, but it is good, if it is successfully made, it will be unique.

In modern times, it is often said that music knows no borders.

But in fact, people's pursuit of beauty has no borders.

After thinking about it, Ye Feng said directly to Master Tao: "I just took a closer look, these are not the flower pots I want. There are about four kinds of flower pots I need, master, do you have paper and pen here? ”

Master Tao looked at Ye Feng's serious face, and immediately became serious, he has always been a master who strives for perfection, and when he encounters new tricks, he often becomes very excited, because he said: "Yes, you wait, I'll go in and get it", while walking in the other direction.

It seems that it is the place where the daily life is.

After a while, Master Tao brought paper and pen.

The pen and ink are the most ordinary kind, and Ye Feng can't tell whether it's good or bad. However, this paper, Ye Feng knew that it was of inferior quality.

But it doesn't matter, he just wants to draw some of the simplest patterns and patterns, and the most important thing is to describe them in combination with language.

At that moment, he used stick figures to carefully flower the style, height and pattern of the flower pot he needed. At the same time, he pointed out and explained briefly one by one in words.

Although he has never made it, Master Tao is dealing with mud by urinating, and after the communication of patterns and words, he basically understands Ye Feng's needs and ideas.

He wasn't interested in the rectangular trapezoidal utensils that were as short as a bowl but had a large diameter, but when he saw the slender flower pot with a perfect arc that was somewhat similar to Fang Zun, he also thought it looked good.

In addition, there are some auspicious patterns, and I thought that if I could fire such a pot later, I would not worry about no market, and it would indeed look much better than the existing ones.

Of course, without exception, these patterns have a small hole at the bottom end.

Thinking that Ye Feng said that he was specially used to burn flower pots, he guessed that this small hole was probably used to dredge water.

Immediately, I began to admire Ye Feng's creativity. He had made a lot of pots before, but no one had ever come up with the idea.

He just thought so, but heard Ye Feng say: "The styles, words, and patterns of these new flower pots were all designed by me and my family, which took us a lot of energy and time, and they are useful to us, and we also ask Master Tao not to spread them." I'll tell you the truth, these pots are just my first try. If it is as I wish, I will burn more than a thousand! ”

Ye Feng didn't deceive him, he planned to carry out the cause of gardening to the end and become the pillar industry of Chenjia Village.

If there were a day, there would be thousands of pots needed.

"How many you need, brother, I'll write them down." Master Tao asked directly, with a serious face.

Ye Feng said, "This time, let's fire a hundred first." By the way, the hole at the bottom of the flower pot must not be forgotten by the troublesome master. Although the drawing was just drawn and he also explained, it was true that no one had done it, and he was afraid that Master Tao would forget.

Seeing that Master Tao seemed to be a little unhappy, thinking that it was because he had cut off his financial route, after thinking about it, Ye Feng said again: "Master Tao, although you can't pass on the style of this flower pot, I have a set of patterns about kitchen utensils for you here." These patterns are also thought out by me and my family, and today I have a fate, so I will send them to the master, and I wish you a prosperous business. ”

Master Tao was a little embarrassed when he saw that his mind was guessed by a kid, but when he heard Ye Feng say that there was a pattern, he immediately put that unhappiness behind him.

When you follow Ye Feng to the place just now, let Ye Feng draw it.

Ye Feng actually didn't want to paint, but seeing the other party's eager eyes, he thought about it, and felt that if he promised him a little benefit, maybe the other party would be more attentive when he burned the flower pot. It has been like this since ancient times, and people with some talents are somewhat arrogant.

After thinking about it, Ye Feng pretended to be distressed and said: "Master Tao, I won't tell you, these patterns and styles are all handed down from my family. I also hope that the master can make my flower pot look better. By the way, you see......"

As he spoke, Ye Feng drew a few common plate shapes in later generations, especially those used in banquets, thought about it, and drew several flower shapes that did not exist in this time and space, and explained them.

The more Master Tao looks, the happier he becomes, for this shape of plate, especially the detachable style, and these patterns will definitely look good.

And Ye Feng also suggested that he use white porcelain to make it.

When he thought about it, it was indeed the truth. The snow-white disk, with these patterns, is a work of art even just by looking at the plate.

If he can really make it, it will definitely be out of stock. Maybe he can also rely on this to become the first firing in Taojia Village.

At that moment, he was very grateful to Ye Feng.

However, what Ye Feng wants is not gratitude, what he wants is benefits.

To be honest, he didn't know how much benefit these patterns and ideas could bring to Master Tao, but it must have been hundreds or thousands of times the amount of silver he needed to pay today.

So, Ye Feng said a little cheekily: "Master Tao, this is handed down by my Ye family ancestor, I only told you one person, look, look at this ......"

Fortunately, this Tao master is not stupid, he has been doing business for many years, and this kind of comprehension is still there.

Seeing Ye Feng like this, he understood after a little thought, and after thinking about it, he said directly to Ye Feng, "Little brother, let's do it, the hundred flower pots you want to burn today plus the twenty pottery bowls you want to buy are free, do you fancy it?" ”

He knew in his heart that even so, he earned it.

Where is it so easy to innovate? In many cases, a generation may not be able to come up with new ideas.

Ye Feng then remembered that there was one more thing, so he hurriedly said: "Okay, yes, it's just Master Tao, I heard that you can also fire pottery people, is it true?" ”

To be honest, Ye Feng was all blind, and he had never heard of such a thing at all. He did hear Chen Jixing say that some masters in Taojia Village have this ability, but Chen Jixing never said that Master Tao would also.

Seeing Master Tao nodding, Ye Feng hurriedly said, "The terracotta figurines I need are not the kind of big ones, but they are small, they are ...... But can you make it as high as an egg? There are also some small clay figurines, chickens, pigs and whatever, which should be the same size. ”

After speaking, he looked at Master Tao with anticipation.

You know, these small objects can be the icing on the cake for bonsai.

Master Tao thought that Ye Feng wanted to make some excessive requests, but he didn't expect that what he liked was just to ask for some gadgets, and cats and dogs, and it was really a child's heart, because he said: "That's simple, you want a few, and when I fire the flower pot, I will fire it and give it to you by the way." ”

"That, that, the same ten, okay?" Ye Feng was a little embarrassed, blaming himself for not talking about firing pottery dolls in advance just now.

"No problem, I'm done, you can take it with you next time you come to pick up the pot." Master Tao said coolly.

These knick-knacks don't take a lot of work, but they just have to be pinched out and put in when the pottery is fired. It doesn't take up space, there are few materials, and the leftovers are enough, almost every household will do it, the difference is only that he does it more realistically, and others think it's just a thing, and they do it roughly.

The two talked for a while before heading out.

A big deal was negotiated.

Seeing this, Chen Jixing admired Ye Feng even more.

After discussing with the Ye family last night, he brought all the money from the flowers sold that day, because they also knew that it would not be cheap to fire flower pots, and Ye Feng would have to fire a hundred at once.

It's good now, what he didn't expect was that people just drew a few patterns and the shapes of a few plates for Master Tao, and Master Tao directly gave him a free order.

In the end, I asked for twenty pottery bowls and dozens of pottery dolls!

On the other side, Ye took Qianyan to choose a bowl in the courtyard, and Master Tao's wife, Ren, followed the whole process, introducing it while shopping.

The couple's business is doing well, and there are no in-laws at home, and life is good. The only regret is that she has been married for almost ten years, and she has not given birth to a boy and a girl at this age, so she is very enthusiastic about children, and she does not refuse to answer a thousand words of questions, which makes Ye have countless good feelings for her.

Qianyan, this girl, asked countless questions because of curiosity, and she was impatient to change ordinary people.

Ye originally wanted to take a second look, but thinking that Qianyan estimated that there would be countless questions popping up, so he hurriedly chose the two sets of twenty pottery bowls that he had fancied before.

Seeing that she had made a choice, Ren filled the bowl between the bowls with something similar to straw that had been prepared long ago, and tied it up again for Ye to carry.

When the three of them came out, Ye Feng had just finished talking.

Because the silver was on Chen Jixing, Ye said: "You wait first, I'll go out and let me take the silver." ”

Ren only smiled and said that he was not in a hurry.

As a result, as soon as Ye Shi went out with Qianyan, he saw Ye Feng and the three of them also walking out. I heard Ye Feng say again: "Then Master Tao, I will trouble you for your hard work in the next few days, and we will come back to pick it up in a month." ”

Master Tao solemnly agreed, sent the four of them to the door, and then went back with a happy face.

"The head of the house, why are you so happy, what's the happy thing?" Seeing Chen Jixing's family leaving, Ren asked curiously.

She didn't see where these people came from. When the daughter-in-law buys bowls, she doesn't buy the good and expensive ones she recommends, but only the cheap and affordable ones.

"Thanks to that little brother, I got a good idea, and if it succeeds, we will send it. Therefore I confiscate their silver today. Quick, come, I'll talk to you. ”

Ren is also from a homemade pottery family, although due to the rules of passing on men and not women, the technique has not been learned, but since childhood, she has been exposed to it since childhood, and she still understands the basic doorway with Master Tao over the years.

Seeing Master Tao excited like this, she was also very curious.

She wanted to see what good ideas a layman like Ye Feng could provide for her own men.

As a result, when Master Tao took the sketches given by Ye Feng and explained them one by one, her eyes were also golden. With a woman's natural aesthetics and intuition, she finally understood what her man meant when he said he was going to make it.

Immediately, the two began to discuss.