Chapter 52: The Youth Zhang Zheng

Xingnong thought that the two old men wouldn’t finish fighting for a while, so she picked up a branch, left a line of words on the ground, and went down the mountain.

A quarter of an hour later, one with a sparse beard, the other with messy hair, the two looked around: “Where’s my precious disciple?”

“Where’s my beloved disciple?”

Old Master Tang searched for a while before seeing the words on the ground: “Master, I have something to do and went down the mountain first. I’m moving tomorrow, so I won’t be coming up the mountain for now.”

Old Master Kong came closer.

Old Master Tang immediately used his foot to wipe away the last few words, leaving only the words “Master, I have something to do and went down the mountain first.”

He looked at Old Master Kong triumphantly: “Look, this is the message my disciple left for me! She called me Master!”

Old Master Kong: “Wrong, this is what my disciple wrote to me!”

It didn’t mention any names, so if he said it was for him, it was for him? Hmph!

Old Master Tang said proudly: “Written to you, do you know what she wrote?”

He wiped it away so quickly, he definitely couldn’t see it.

Old Master Kong gave him a white look, he had seen the words “moving”.

But moving? Old Master Kong’s mind stirred, moving must involve a lot of people! Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to announce his identity and let everyone know who he was?

Old Master Kong made up his mind to arrive early. He gave Old Master Tang a white look: “Isn’t it just something like going down the mountain first?”

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and went down the mountain!

He had to go back to the academy and ask Shen Xinghui where his family lived and when they were moving. He needed to prepare.

Old Master Tang had no time to pay attention to him either. He had to ask his eldest disciple to investigate which village his precious disciple was from. Tomorrow, he would prepare a grand gift and go down the mountain to help her with her housewarming.

~

After Xingnong went down the mountain, she went straight into the city with her back basket.

She had a lot to do in the city today. She had to change the name on the land deed, and tomorrow she would move. She had to go to the bookstore to write storybooks and earn a ten taels deposit to buy furniture. She also had to go to the restaurant to see if the cook had been hired. Last time, she left the address of Plum Blossom Village. Even though she was moving tomorrow, she had to tell the other party that her contact information had changed.

Today was market day, and there were quite a few people going in and out of the city on the road. Those who were coming out of the city to go home were all discussing the imperial selection.

A burst of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

“Giddy up!”

“Giddy up!”

There were carriages and horses coming and going on the official road, but rarely so fast.

Xingnong looked back and saw three horses approaching at a very fast speed.

Everyone turned their heads to look, and they saw a woman in red whipping her horse and flying towards them.

Behind her, there were two black-clad guards, one on the left and one on the right.

Such people were obviously not to be messed with.

Pedestrians and carriages consciously moved aside to make way.

Those who could ride horses were either rich or noble, and to be able to ride so fast near the city gate with guards behind them was a symbol of power. No one dared to provoke them.

Soon, the three horses came closer.

As the woman in red passed by Xingnong, a gust of wind swept by, kicking up countless dust.

Then the horse behind her passed by, also kicking up dust.

As the last horse passed by, the black-clad guard suddenly whipped his horsewhip, speeding up. The long whip hit a young man’s carrying pole with a “crack”.

The young man was so frightened that he subconsciously dodged to the side with his carrying pole, but he accidentally stepped on a stone and twisted his ankle. He lost his balance and fell towards the field by the roadside.

The porcelain in the carrying pole also made a crisp clinking sound.

Hearing the sound, Xingnong turned around and quickly grabbed his carrying pole with one hand and his arm with the other, stabilizing his body.

After Zhang Zheng steadied himself, the expression on his face relaxed, and he smiled gratefully at Xingnong: “Thank you, Big Sister.”

The young man looked only fourteen or fifteen years old, with delicate and handsome features, but his skin was somewhat pale. His white robe was slightly loose, making him look somewhat frail.

He glanced at the three horses that had gone away. At this time, the three horses happened to enter the city, and they entered the city directly on horseback without even needing to be checked.

“You’re welcome,” Xingnong also glanced in the direction of the city gate and replied indifferently.

Behind the two was a middle-aged woman carrying a child on her back. She was also carrying a load of chicken cages, which contained many fluffy chicks.

She said, “Young man, is this your first time carrying a load? Next time, you have to carry the pole vertically and stand to the side. Don’t carry it horizontally, like me, not horizontally like this. If you carry it horizontally like that, you’ll block those people’s way and risk getting into trouble!”

As she spoke, she demonstrated.

✿✿✿

Just now, when the last whip hit something, those people didn’t even bother to look back.

“It’s my first time carrying, I’m not very good at it. Thank you for reminding me, Auntie.”

“You’re welcome. Check if your things are broken!” The woman was also frightened just now. After reminding him, she hurried into the city to sell her chickens.

Zhang Zheng put down his carrying pole, brushed aside the straw, and checked the porcelain in the basket.

These porcelains were all bowls. He was going to sell them at the market. Fortunately, they were not broken.

After checking, he found that Xingnong had already walked away. He thought that if she hadn’t helped him, all these porcelains would have been broken.

He quickly picked up his carrying pole and hurried after her: “Big Sister, please wait!”

Xingnong looked back.

Zhang Zheng, carrying his load, came up to Xingnong, swaying.

Xingnong stopped.

Zhang Zheng put down his carrying pole, flipped open the thick straw and the porcelain on top, and took out a small wooden box from the bottom. He opened it, revealing ten bowls stacked together inside.

“Thank you for your help just now, Big Sister. These bowls are made by me. It’s a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won’t dislike them.”

Xingnong glanced at the bowls in his hand. They were bluish-white, exquisite, crystal clear, and the porcelain body was extremely thin.

This was a treasure among shadow-blue glazes.

He made them?

Xingnong looked at him: “You made these?”

“Yes, my grandfather said they weren’t well made, but these are the best I can do. I hope you won’t dislike them, Big Sister.” The boy’s eyes flashed with disappointment as he said this.

Xingnong glanced at the porcelain in the basket, and every single one of them was good!

She shook her head, “No need. They’re too valuable.”

“They’re not expensive. They’re not worth any silver. I made them myself.”

Xingnong had originally planned to find a random porcelain workshop to make a few oil-saving lamps. Hearing this, she took out a piece of paper from her bosom: “Can you make this?”

Xingnong had redrawn this diagram, and the lines were clear and concise.

There were no patterns or design, just the simplest oil-saving lamp shaped like a small bowl.

Zhang Zheng took it and looked at the porcelain on the drawing, a little uncertain, “This is an oil lamp? But why is there a hole here? Is the inside hollow?”

People in the world loved to use bronze to make oil lamps. They had never seen porcelain ones.

“This is an oil-saving lamp. The hole is for injecting water. Can you make it?”

Oil-saving lamp? Injecting water? Zhang Zheng immediately thought of the mystery behind it.

He even thought of what kind of porcelain clay to use to try it out, which could save even more oil. Several beautifully shaped oil-saving lamps appeared in his mind.

He was a little eager to try it out and couldn’t wait to go home and give it a shot, “Big Sister, I can make it, but it will take a few days. How can I give it to you when it’s done?”

Xingnong thought for a moment: “Where is your family’s porcelain kiln?”

She would need to buy some vases, flower pots, and bottles in the future.

More and more oil-saving lamps appeared in Zhang Zheng’s mind. He said in a slightly hurried tone, “My family is in Lower Kiln Village, but I can’t let my grandfather know that I’m selling things. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come out. Where does your family live, Big Sister? I’ll send it to you when I’m done.”

He had secretly taken these porcelains out to sell. This was his first time, and if his grandfather found out, he would be in trouble.

Xingnong knew that there were many kilns in Lower Kiln Village, mostly for firing bricks and tiles. The porcelain from Upper Kiln Village was famous.

The two villages were not far from Peach Blossom Village, only separated by a mountain.

Xingnong: “The end of Peach Blossom Village. My surname is Shen.”

“I know where Peach Blossom Village is. I’ll send it to you, Big Sister, when it’s done. I’ll give you these things as a gift. Thank you for helping me just now! I’ll go back and make the oil-saving lamps for you now, otherwise I’ll forget!”

After saying that, he dropped his carrying pole on the ground and ran away in a hurry.

Xingnong: “…”

At this time, a carriage stopped beside Xingnong. The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face.