What are the shortcomings that can be exchanged for a better outcome? I'm lacking everything!

Chapter 4 Encountering Evil Spirits and Gods, Broken Porcelain in the Kiln

A folk porcelain kiln?!

Master Xu's words struck Bu Che like a thunderbolt, leaving him somewhat taken aback and surprised.

Unexpectedly, Master Xu would recommend him to visit the folk porcelain kilns.

Isn't it said that most folk porcelain kilns are illegal kilns?

They treat human life like dirt, trampling on it at will, and exploiting labor to the death. It's much harder and more dangerous than working in official porcelain kilns!

Master Xu, with his pipe in his mouth, seemed to notice the astonishment in Bu Che's eyes.

"There is no essential difference between folk kilns and official kilns; the only difference is that one is established and managed by the government, while the other is established and managed by powerful families."

"However, it is too difficult to become a formal employee in the official kiln and learn something from it. It is not only because of the fierce competition, but also because the internal power structure of the official kiln is layered and the requirements for apprentices are too strict. If you are a kid with fifty coins in your pocket... going to the official kiln will probably result in being eaten up without even bones left."

"You were eliminated in the first round of screening simply because you didn't have enough money to bribe your way out."

Old Xu sat in the snow, his pipe smoldering in the hazy smoke. He tilted his head back, his dry hair catching a few snowflakes.

He gazed at the snowflakes fluttering in the wind and snow, his voice seemingly filled with nostalgia and reminiscence.

"For folk kilns... the competition isn't as fierce. Although they might be more corrupt than the official kilns, at least they give you a chance. If you want to be corrupted, you have to enter a folk kiln."

"Most importantly, as long as you are willing to work hard, you will have a chance to get ahead... If you are really talented, the families that run the folk kilns will really support you."

"If it's an official kiln, they'll consider your background, and with your background... even if you're talented, they'll still think there are people more talented than you."

Master Xu exhaled a ring of smoke, which seemed to rise against the current and catch a few snowflakes.

Bu Che sat on the wooden stump, listening thoughtfully.

"Master Xu, I'll do as you say, I'll go to the folk kiln."

Without much hesitation, Bu Che spoke.

"Hey kid...aren't you afraid I'll sell you out?"

Master Xu paused, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and then let out a hoarse laugh.

"Selling... how much peace money can you get? It's better for Master Xu to take a trade route..." Bu Che laughed as well.

In this day and age, the life of someone like him who only knows how to work hard is worth very little.

Master Xu glanced at Bu Che and said, "You've got some self-awareness, kid. You got tricked by your family, but it's cleared your head a lot. That's a good thing."

"People should learn from their mistakes."

"You're right," Bu Che said with a smile.

Master Xu continued smoking, exhaling several puffs of smoke before saying, "With your qualifications, even if you go to a folk kiln, it will be very difficult... unless you have practiced martial arts beforehand, or possess the talent to become a porcelain master."

"Therefore, you have to take the unconventional path that ordinary people dare not take."

Bu Che's eyes narrowed, he held his breath, and listened carefully.

The sounds of wind and snow seemed to have been stripped from my ears, leaving only the sound of Xu Ye inhaling the smoke from his tobacco pipe and the rustling of the burning tobacco.

Accompanied by the sound of exhaled smoke, a sentence was slowly uttered, echoing in the ear.

"Once you go to a folk porcelain kiln, you should immediately apply to the 'Broken Porcelain Workshop.' If you're lucky, you can learn a skill and survive."

"Once we've established a firm foothold, we can figure out a way to remove 'Broken Porcelain Workshop' from our operations."

"This is the way out I'm showing you."

"I'll say this calmly," Xu said, then stopped talking and stood up, brushing the snow off his clothes.

"I've shown you a way to survive. Whether you want to take it or not is up to you. In this world, you have to fight to survive, kid."

Before the stunned Bu Che could react, Master Xu threw down a sentence and walked to the front of the caravan. He arrived at the shrine of the spirits and worshipped the spirits by kowtowing and offering incense.

Then, the sound of gongs echoed through the snow-capped mountains.

"Rest time over, time to get back on the road."

……

……

During the rest of the journey, Bu Che did not see Master Xu again.

Perhaps the way out has already been pointed out, or perhaps their fate has run its course.

He tightened his tattered cotton coat and, during another rest, found a bare tree with little snow and leaned against it to rest.

However, as if a strange feeling of palpitation was swirling in his heart, Bu Che, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked in the direction from which the palpitation came.

At a distance of about ten zhang, the wind and snow howled, and in the distance, a figure with a blurred face, wearing a bright red official robe, stood quietly in the wind and snow, holding a gold ingot in one hand and a jade in the other, as if staring straight at Bu Che.

"grass!"

Bu Che suddenly woke up, his back covered in cold sweat.

Looking closely, I found that the spot was empty.

"A hallucination?"

"Am I being targeted? Or is it some kind of evil spirit or malevolent intent?"

Bu Che swallowed hard, a chill enveloping his entire body, and he was no longer sleepy at all.

Fortunately, the caravan was about to reach Tianmu County, and Bu Che was able to hold on.

Due to the heavy snow, the caravan's progress was much slower than usual, but it eventually made its way through the snow and arrived at Tianmu County.

Tianmu County is located in Ning'an Prefecture, which is under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan East Circuit. It is one of the few prosperous counties in Ning'an Prefecture.

Because the Ghost and God Kiln Caves in Tianmu City are rich in a kind of original kiln porcelain stone called "Yunmu Stone", which can make the fired ghost and god porcelain statues more resilient and more efficient in receiving the thoughts of ghosts and gods. It is said that the highest grade porcelain statues fired with Yunmu Stone can carry and integrate the thoughts of eighth-grade ghosts and gods!

Therefore, these porcelain statues of ghosts and gods, fired in the original kiln, became best-selling porcelain statues in Ning'an Prefecture, attracting many merchant caravans from the prefectural city and other prefectures to Tianmu City.

When the caravan arrived in Tianmu County, it was allowed to pass by the soldiers and enter the city. Bu Che felt that the wind and snow in the sky had lessened a lot.

The cacophony of voices finally gave him a sense of hope.

He made a special trip to see Master Xu, but Master Xu simply waved his hand and said, "Young man, we'll meet again if fate allows."

"There are more than a dozen folk porcelain kilns in Tianmu County, each supported by a large or small family. But I suggest you go to the folk porcelain kiln supported by the three major families in the city."

"The Xue family, the Zhou family, and the Xiao family are the three major aristocratic families in Tianmu City. It's best not to go to other small workshops. Keep your eyes open and be careful."

"I hope... you can survive."

Master Xu tapped Bu Che's head with his pipe, then turned and left.

Bu Che tightened his backpack, turned around, and walked in a street different from the one Xu Ye was heading in.

The snow on the streets of Tianmu City was cleared and swept away by designated personnel, but the ground bricks and stones remained wet and slippery.

Bu Che walked cautiously for a while, then felt hungry and found a noodle stall nearby to fill his stomach.

Although the situation was urgent, and although he only had fifty coins for safety, he couldn't just starve to death, could he?

I spent two coins to eat a bowl of hot Yangchun noodles, drinking every last drop of the soup. Only when I felt my blood rushing to my head and my body warm did I finally pay and leave, completely satisfied.

Moreover, while eating noodles, Bu Che also inquired about the three major folk porcelain kilns from the noodle stall owner.

"Outer City of Tianmu, on Seli Street, the Xue family's porcelain kiln is always hiring..."

After eating the noodles, Bu Che had the energy and didn't waste any time. He strode off, breaking through the wind and snow, towards the location he had found out.

Upon arriving at Seli Street, the imposing and grand gate of the Xue family immediately came into view.

Black tiles, upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, tall gates, and two lifelike white porcelain stone lions at the entrance.

In addition, on both sides of the entrance, there were two ghost and spirit shrines arranged on each side!

Inside are two brand-new, flawless white porcelain statues of angry-looking demons and gods, surrounded by swirling smoke, as if they were carrying the thoughts of ghosts and gods!

This must be a wealthy family!

luxury!

Bu Che couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. At the side door, there was a short queue, which was where people registered to find work.

Without much hesitation, Bu Che quickly joined the queue and waited.

Not long after, it was his turn.

At the side entrance, a long wooden table was set up, piled high with documents. A man dressed in a brocade silk robe sat upright, his muscular physique making the brocade silk robe bulge conspicuously.

"Name, are you willing to practice martial arts? What kind of job are you interested in?"

The man held a wolf-hair brush, bowed his head and wrote, his voice flat and formulaic.

Bu Che took a deep breath, remembering the path to survival that Master Xu had pointed out, and with a gamble in mind, he spoke in a deep voice.

"My name is Bu Che. I have never practiced martial arts. I wish to become an apprentice at your esteemed residence's 'Broken Porcelain Workshop'."

The words had barely left his lips.

The man who was writing furiously suddenly stopped writing with his brush, raised his face in surprise to look at Bu Che, and even raised his voice a little.

"You...are you going to the Broken Porcelain Shop?"