With virtue

Nothing happened along the way. Although we often encountered other travelers, they were mostly ordinary people or peddlers, and nothing serious happened.

By afternoon, the children were exhausted. Only Wang Haiting was still managing to walk on his own. The other two children had fallen asleep from exhaustion and were being carried by Chen Wanchuan on a carrying pole, one on each side.

Chen Wanchuan, this peddler, truly lived up to his reputation as someone who had traveled all over the country; he was indeed quite strong. Despite carrying his goods and two children, he chatted and laughed with ease.

When faced with Zhao Yunshu's question, he laughed and said, "When you're out in the world, you can't be like a country bumpkin who knows nothing. I used to be in the army, so I have a few ways to build up my strength. Two kids are nothing!"

Zhao Yunshu nodded, her opinion of Chen Wanchuan rising even higher. This peddler might seem slick, but he was a reliable person at heart—he dared to turn back to rescue people last night, and today he carried two children for half a day through the mountains; he was truly impressive.

He was about to say a few polite words when Wang Haiting suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

As we were talking, we arrived in Quyang, and we could see the smoke from the kilns on the horizon from a great distance.

"Uncle, look over there." Wang Haiting pointed to the horizon.

Zhao Yunshu followed his hand and looked up. On the distant horizon, several gray-white plumes of smoke were rising straight up into the air before being slowly dispersed by the wind.

This is clearly not cooking smoke; cooking smoke isn't this thick. It's kiln smoke—once the kiln fire is lit, it burns for days and nights, constantly sending plumes of smoke into the sky that can be seen from miles away.

"We've arrived." Chen Wanchuan also saw it and laughed, "The kiln fire in Quyang is a sight to behold in Dingzhou. You can watch the smoke during the day and the fire at night. It's even more spectacular when you come after dark—half the mountain is red, like a volcano crater."

The kiln is mainly made of charcoal and coke. It takes at least a day from the moment the fire is started at the kiln head to the moment the fire is lit and the entire kiln is fired. During this time, smoke and fire are continuously discharged from the sparse windows at the tail of the kiln from morning to night, which is why it is such a magnificent sight.

Chen Wanchuan walked forward happily. In fact, Ding kiln porcelain was also one of the goods he wanted. When Ding kiln porcelain was transported to the Wu County area, the price would increase dozens of times!

However, at this moment, the peddler suddenly remembered something and said to Wang Haiting, "When we get to the kiln, talk less and keep a close eye on things."

Wang Haiting blinked: "Why?"

"Because there are many rules and taboos associated with firing kilns," Chen Wanchuan said. "In the kiln-firing business, we worship the fire god and respect the kiln god. We have to offer sacrifices before opening the kiln, and women can't enter when loading it. You don't understand any of this. If you say something wrong and violate someone's taboo, they might not say anything, but they'll remember you. We're here to ask for a favor, understand?"

Wang Haiting listened and nodded seriously: "I understand, I'll listen to Uncle Chen."

Chen Wanchuan turned to Zhao Yunshu and said, "Daoist, when we get to the kiln, don't say much. Just say that Monk Yuanmeng introduced us, hand over the letter, and see how they respond."

Zhao Yunshu smiled and said, "Don't worry."

After rounding the last mountain pass, the Ding kiln suddenly comes into view.

The kiln site was built on the hillside, stretching for two or three miles. From a distance, it didn't look like a kiln site, but rather like a small town built against the mountain.

Dozens of kilns of various sizes are arranged in a staggered pattern, some of which are burning, with plumes of smoke rising straight into the air from the chimneys on the top of the kilns.

Near the foot of the mountain are several rows of sheds and workshops, with people coming and going in an endless stream. Halfway up the mountain are rows of wooden racks for drying porcelain blanks, which are filled with half-dried porcelain blanks, covering half of the hillside in a white blanket, looking from a distance like snow that has not yet melted.

The air was filled with a mixed smell—pine wood, earth, glaze, and wood ash piled up beside the kiln. The smell was not pleasant, and the children all looked miserable.

As the group approached the entrance to the kiln, they were stopped by a kiln worker who was guarding the gate.

The kiln worker, shirtless with a towel draped over his shoulder, his skin tanned dark and shiny by the kiln fire, shouted from afar, "Who goes there? This is a restricted area of ​​the kiln; no unauthorized personnel allowed!"

As he spoke, he strode forward and waved his hand as if to drive them away.

Beside him, two men dressed in short jackets but carrying waist knives glanced at him sideways, clearly from the governor's residence.

Ding ware was a cash cow, and the military governor couldn't just leave it there.

Just as Chen Wanchuan was about to step forward to speak, Zhao Yunshu took out the letter from his bosom and handed it over, saying, "We are from Dingzhou City. A Master Yuanmeng has written a letter of introduction here. Please pass it on."

Upon hearing the words "Fulfilling Dreams," the kiln worker's impatience vanished considerably. He took the letter with both hands, glanced at it from both sides, and asked, "An introduction from Master Yuanmeng?"

He opened the letter with some skepticism and scanned a few lines—he might not actually be able to read, but the letter was stamped with a deep red cinnabar seal, the inscription of which was an eight-petaled lotus.

Upon seeing the seal, the kiln worker had no further doubts. He hurriedly folded the letter and handed it back, bowing and saying, "Please wait a moment, I'll go and report to the foreman right away." With that, he turned and ran deeper into the kiln, his pace more than ten times faster than when he came.

The two men with waist knives stopped looking over and just kept guarding.

Before long, an elderly craftsman, well over fifty years old, strode down the slope.

The old man was thin, with gray hair and beard. He wore a coarse brown blouse covered in mud, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing two arms with prominent veins.

He walked with large, hurried strides, followed by several young craftsmen.

The old man approached and sized Zhao Yunshu up and down, his gaze lingering on the faded old Taoist robe. Without showing any disdain, he simply asked, "Master, where is Master Yuanmeng's letter of introduction?"

Zhao Yunshu handed over the letter, which the old man took, read the contents, which described Master Zhou's situation, glanced at the seal, and then returned the letter to him as is, his actions more respectful than those of the kiln worker.

He cupped his hands and said, "My surname is Sun, and my given name is Shouxin. I am the foreman of this Quyang kiln. Since you gentlemen were introduced by Master Yuanmeng, you are not outsiders. I hope you will forgive my rudeness earlier."

Zhao Yunshu bowed and returned the greeting, saying, "Chief Sun, you are too kind. We apologize for our intrusion in visiting you."

Sun Shouxin waved his hand, stepped aside to make way, and gestured for him to follow: "Daoist, there's no need for such formalities. Please come with me."

He then turned to a young craftsman behind him and instructed, "Go and prepare the guest shed on the east side, brew a pot of good tea, and bring some snacks."

The craftsman responded and ran off. Sun Shouxin then said to another craftsman, "Go and see if Master Zhou is here. If he is, tell him that an old friend has come to visit."

Just then, shouts rang out again outside.

"Let us in!"

"Please, please let us in—!"

Chen Wanchuan frowned and looked outside: "They are refugees."