Chapter 23: The First Kiln

Wanli was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, his limbs stretched comfortably, seemingly relaxed and leisurely, but in fact, there was no place in his body that was not tense, including the heart muscle and cranial nerves.

He didn't know whether to admire or hate Sima Nan.

He originally felt that his tricks were very effective—wasn't Sima Nan going to send all sorts of killers to deal with him? He hung himself in the center of the field under the sun, and if anyone wanted to move him, he must also stand in front of everyone, because Sima Nan has not yet had the conditions to shoot a black gun and stab in the back, so this is the best defensive strategy.

However, Sima Nan is worthy of being an old traitor, and he actually appeared generously and lived next door to him, making him like a thorn in his back, and he was highly nervous, but he was helpless.

Sima Nan was now a legitimate businessman, and he had come to Hongqing Town to investigate whether it was possible to cooperate in the porcelain-related business. His appearance immediately overshadowed the aura on Wanli's body, after all, real business is much better than simple publicity, so now Wanli not only feels that there is a knife hanging above his head, which will fall at any time, but his plan to find out the news has also been ruined. The people in the town all sharpened their heads and drilled to Sima Nan, how could there be anyone to accompany him. is not only a rich man, but also has a long-sleeved daughter who is good at dancing, and his attraction immediately drops to zero.

Moreover, Sima Nan just did it directly to himself, but he didn't move, just stared at him. This made him hate the root of his teeth, and he felt a little too strong to use it. He understood that Sima Nan was trying to torture him mentally, and felt that Sima Nan's behavior of liking to make things simple and complicated was somewhat psychopathic, and he also knew that things were by no means that simple, and Sima Nan had other reasons for doing so.

Sima Nan wanted him to choose. If he was afraid of all this and secretly left because he couldn't bear this psychological pressure, Sima Nan would not stop him, but if he insisted on helping Ruan Zhan, then he would not be polite!

Therefore, before the time of the final showdown, he was not worried about his safety, because he concluded that Sima Nan would not move him at the moment, because he was afraid that his death would arouse Ruan Zhan's ferocity and force a person to be urgent, and he would exert a huge amount of energy, which was not what Sima Nan was happy to see. In fact, he felt that Sima Nan was a little taboo about Ruan Zhan, and he never wanted to fight with Ruan Zhan.

If he leaves, Ruan Zhan will lose an important helper, if he stays, in Sima Nan's eyes, he is the best bait, now he is only monitoring him, and when he is fat, the time is ripe to kill the flag!

Sima Nan has always used everything that can be used, and he wants to use it to the maximum limit and squeeze the greatest value! To him, it is like a hunter to his prey, to surround but not kill!

What is he going to do? Time is pressing, he has to find out the truth of the matter as soon as possible, and he has to save his life, and of course, try not to let Sima Nan guess what he did!

In the past two days, he has been doing 'social and interviewing' activities, and it is not without results. First of all, he inquired about the fact that there was indeed a major incident in Hongqing Town, which was in a village under the town. Although the adults in the town were secretive about what the village was and what happened, he hadn't figured it out yet, but he thought that it must have happened ten years ago by calculating the time of the information he obtained.

Secondly, based on this time, he consulted some of the publicly available information and learned that the current leaders of the town, including the mayor and the missing officials, had been in power ten years ago.

Third, among the missing people, except for those officials who are the absolute descendants of the town mayor, the parents of several other young people used to be the heads of the town back then, even the beautiful reporter Liu Hong and the camera reporter Zuo De in the provincial capital. It's fun that way, because there's a thread that connects all the people who have fallen into the empty city. Now it's just a matter of finding this thread and pulling out the whole thing that has been buried for ten years.

Most of the people who came to him on their own initiative to do free publicity in the newspaper were the middle and upper class people in Hongqing Town, and perhaps he should have inquired about the ordinary people in the lower classes, although when he occasionally did this, he found that the people seemed to be more frightened and did not want to say it, but it may be right to work in this direction.

In the end, the owner of the shop was a bit eccentric, always observing him, and saying a lot of strange things. The owner said that he didn't look like a rich man, it was not cost-effective to stay in a hotel for a long time, and the unit might not reimburse him, so it was better to rent a private house. According to common sense, no shopkeeper would say this, this person is either very kind, or there is something, but he does not dare to say it clearly.

He tried to investigate, but the boss didn't leak a drop of water when he spoke and did things, and he couldn't find out at all, but he said that the houses in the west of the town were quite cheap, and it was recommended to go and see them.

Also, the person who has been hiding behind the incident, the feng shui gentleman surnamed Long, has never found out the news. But this man is a god-like being to the people in the town, and Wanli always feels that he has something to do with these resentful events.

He lay on the bed for a long time, ostensibly taking a nap, but he was thinking about what he would do next, and finally decided to make a move to repair the plank road and secretly cross Chen Cang.

Didn't Sima Nan stare at him? He let the old fox stare at him. He would wander around town during the day, using the invisibility charm to get rid of those who were staring at him all day when people weren't ready, and then he would be free to do his thing, and at night he would come back and sleep next door to the enemy. As far as he knew, Sima Nan was moody, and the people around him and his subordinates were afraid of him, so as long as he let the people who followed him chase him for a while, and then find a way to let these lackeys find him before returning to the hotel in the evening, I believe that those people would never take the initiative to report his whereabouts in the middle of the period of time unknown. The lackeys are just eating with each other, how can they be as loyal to each other as he and Ruan Zhan.

He couldn't shrink the bloodwood sword, but it was inconvenient to carry it on his body, and he didn't feel at ease when he hid it. So he simply used Xiao Xia's method to buy a fishing rod, put the sword in the fishing rod box, and then put the charm left by Ruan Zhan into it, and carried it with him every day. In addition, he also prepared some ordinary self-defense weapons for himself, so that whether people or ghosts attack him, as long as Sima Nan does not send boss-level figures, he is not afraid.

After this plan is made, Wanli will take action in the afternoon. He first entered one of the busiest malls in town, then hid himself in the toilet and left the stalkers waiting there, while he himself ran to the town to inquire about the situation. Of course, the 'poor' will see the toilet door open a little, but no one comes out.

He felt that the shopkeeper had hints at him, so he went directly to Zhenxi.

The development of a place, whether it is a big city, a town or a village, will not be very balanced, some places will be richer, and some places will be poorer. Although Hongqing Town is the richest man in the province, most of the people living in the west of the town are ordinary people, not very rich, rich and powerful. Because most people do not have their own business, or the business is not big, so the house is relatively dilapidated, originally because the town's financial resources are all to support the construction of a new town, the infrastructure construction of the old town has been relatively backward, and the west of the town has to add a new word. The dirt road is narrow and potholes, and the houses on both sides are also low bungalows.

After a few conversations, Wanli found that the people here yearn for the new town more than people in other places, because the quality of life there will be significantly improved, so they are more grateful to the leaders of the town in awe, and for fear of startling the snake, Wanli does not dare to ask openly, so it is even more difficult to inquire about the situation.

When he was at a loss, Wanli suddenly remembered that on the first day he came to town, the old man Feng Niang who had lost his son he met also lived here, and he promised to help her treat her illness, but he couldn't find time to visit. Since he was here this time, he decided to pay a visit. According to his judgment, the people around Feng Niang are very kind, and it would be better if he could meet the middle-aged woman who spoke straightforwardly and did not hide it, maybe he could insert willows unintentionally.

He took out the notepad on his body, looked at the address, and made sure that no one was following him, so he found Feng Niang's house.

Although the houses here are dilapidated, they are all small houses with independent courtyards, and they are not as crowded as in the city. Feng Niang's house is at the end of an alley, very narrow, only two people can pass side by side, and because there are no street lights, it is estimated that it will be very dark after dark.

Fortunately, the one who took the turn to take care of Feng Niang this time was the middle-aged woman I met last time.

"I really have a fate with this provincial gentleman!" She was very happy and hurriedly let Wanli to the yard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard gate, Wan Li saw Feng Niang sitting on a small bench in the shade of the courtyard. She was not as exuberant as she had met on the street that day, but she was calm and calm, even with a little serenity, and her clothes and hair were neat, as if she were a mother waiting for her children to come home from work, and after doing the work in her hands, she looked up at the courtyard gate.

As soon as Wanli came in, she saw it, and a gentle, timid smile bloomed on her face, and she clearly remembered Wanli. This proves that her mind is not very confused, her memory is fine, and the possibility of healing is a little more likely. He judged it from the point of view of a doctor, and then came closer, trying to see what the old man had been wiping on his hand.

It is porcelain.

Under the big clean towel, the old man carefully and gently rubbed a piece of porcelain, and beside him was a wooden box with a lid, and after each one was wiped, the old man carefully put them in the box, took out another one, and then carefully closed the lid.

Is it an antique?

Wan Li squatted down thinking about it, letting the old man's gaze stay on his face, "Feng Niang, can I take a look at your baby?" He asked.

The old man looked up at Wan Li, but did not speak, but showed a tacit smile.

Wan Li gently opened the lid of the box, and saw that although the box was large, there were only four pieces of porcelain inside, a pair of vases and a pair of bowls and plates. These porcelains shocked Wan Li, although he knew that the porcelain in Hongqing Town was very famous, and the price of the best porcelain was quite high, but these four things were still so beautiful that he was a little surprised.

There are no fancy colors and patterns, just snow-like white, and there are some smooth ripples in the appearance, which is very rhythmic to the touch. The material of porcelain is very thin, and the pale red flowers bloom in white, as if they are soaked out of the inside, as natural and soft, making the whole thing look extremely exquisite, although Wan Li does not understand porcelain, but also understands that these things are fine.

"These things are Feng Niang's treasures, no one is allowed to touch them, it's not okay to get close at all, today I am willing to let you pick it up and look at it, it can be seen that Mr. You are a good person, Feng Niang also understands it in her heart!" The middle-aged woman said in amazement.

"These porcelains are so beautiful, are they antiques?" Wanli looked at Feng Niang, but he was asking the middle-aged woman.

"No, it's from the first kiln."

"The first kiln?" Wanli was a little confused.

"Oh, you're from the provinces, I don't know."

The middle-aged woman patiently explained, "In the past, almost no one in our town could fire porcelain, and even those who could burn kilns burned bricks or coarse porcelain tiles and sold them to the people in their own town. But later, Mayor Yuan, when he was only the deputy mayor, spent a lot of money to invite an old man with ancestral craftsmanship to teach this precious technique, and changed the former brick-burning kiln into today's porcelain factory. ”

"How long ago was that?"

"It's only ten years—no, eleven years." The middle-aged woman said, "In the past, our town was so poor, and many people had to go to other counties to find errands if they wanted to support their families. Later, with this porcelain factory, a large number of workers were recruited, and then several other factories were set up with the money from this factory, so that everyone had a way to live and did not have to leave their hometowns. If this porcelain factory had been opened earlier, Feng Yongzi would not have had to leave his wife to be a son-in-law for others, and he would not have been-alas, people's lives are destined! ”

"After talking for a long time, is this first kiln the first kiln to be opened?"

"No, there is one of the kilns of our town government, and the rest are all the business of those 'capable people' in the town." The middle-aged woman snorted through her nostrils, looking a little disdainful, "Those small kilns can't produce good goods from the porcelain factory at all, but they deceive people who don't know how to do it and only look at fame." A true connoisseur will not buy their stuff. I heard that a few days ago, a big newspaper reporter from a big city came to the town, and all these people ran away to get out of business, just to get into the newspaper and publicize it for free. My family is honest, and I refuse to open a private kiln to deceive people, otherwise I can have a little surplus. But I live like this to be steady, and I don't make that kind of money, and I feel comfortable—"

Wan Li didn't dare to say that the so-called 'reporter' was himself, but just smiled cooperatively. This woman is kind-hearted and decent, but she talks endlessly, and a sentence can lead her to a cart of words, and she can talk farther and farther, and answer the wrong question, so he has to interrupt her when she is taking a breath.

"Does that mean 'first kiln' is the only kiln?" He patiently reverted to the topic and asked again.

The middle-aged woman was stunned for a moment, obviously forgetting the original question, "No." Sir, you still don't understand that the first kiln is the first batch of porcelain produced after the kiln was opened. ”

"I see, it's beautiful!" Wan Li sighed and went to see the white porcelain again.

"In fact, most of what came out of the first kiln was bricks." The middle-aged woman said proudly, as if it was a secret, "Mayor Yuan has been personally leading his subordinates to repeatedly experiment in the kiln since he knew the secret recipe of the kiln, and he has not come out for two weeks. To be on the safe side, most of the first kiln was brick, with only a small amount of porcelain. However, I heard that these porcelains have a little quality problem, and the mayor said that it is a pity that they are all smashed in order to maintain a good reputation. But let's talk privately—" she suddenly leaned in and lowered her voice, "and then I don't know who it was, but I probably thought it was such a waste of things, so I poured out a few of them and sold them." ”

"Sold to whom?" Wanli hurriedly asked, feeling a flash of inspiration in his mind, feeling that he had grasped something uncertain.

"I don't know that, I've heard of that." The middle-aged woman was stunned for a moment, "I don't understand how a crazy lady can have this baby, and there are four of them at once." Now this is worth a lot, if you want to sell it, Feng Niang can hire a servant to wait. One of the first workers in my family was a porcelain factory, and he had studied it before, and he said that this was indeed the first kiln thing. Alas, Feng Niang is so old, if she hadn't met us well-wishers, she might have been deceived into taking away these four pieces of porcelain. ”

"You just said that your husband was the first batch of workers in the kiln, so was he present when the first things came out of the kiln?" Miles continue to go deeper.

"Didn't I just say that? When the first kiln came out, it was made by the mayor himself. Although most of the bricks were smashed, just a little porcelain was smashed, but the experiment was successful. The workers who have been recruited since then have only been the ones who have been working in my family. I heard that that was also for secrecy. Although we are the only ones who produce that kind of clay, if the craftsmanship is leaked, it will not be able to keep this business. The workers in the factory also do their own thing, and no one can fully know the secret recipe! ”

Wanli didn't have the heart to listen to her talk about the things in the factory, he only cared about the situation in the first kiln, so he asked, "Who were the people who were locked up in the kiln with the mayor to do experiments at that time?" ”

"Who are they?" The middle-aged woman glanced at Wan Li and felt that he looked smart on the outside, but his brain was really a little unbright, "Of course it's all heads, will it let us ordinary people know that secret recipe?" The mayor of the town took his men to experiment, and he didn't come out for two weeks! ”

"Really responsible." Wan Li turned his brain, "Who are the specifics, sister-in-law doesn't know, right?" ”

"The whole town knows about this, and they are the gods of wealth who bring benefits to everyone!" The middle-aged woman shouted, not knowing whether to praise or curse, and then counted the names of those people.

She said that a person's name, Wanli's heart seemed to be caught by something, because those people were the few who were imprisoned in the new town, or their father's generation. Another official surnamed Sun, who died not long after he came out of the kiln, was not on his list, but he remembered that the shopkeeper was precisely surnamed Sun.

Coincidental? Or is there a problem?

"It may be that the credit for finding a financial road for our town is too great, and these people have been promoted later!" The middle-aged woman summed it up.

"What about the bricks? Won't it be smashed too? ”

"No, it was said to be commemorative, and it was piled up in the excavation pit next to the kiln, and later used to build a new town."