With nearly 300 remaining life points, Ye Ming could do more. He could exchange them for more seeds for modern crops.
This way, he could invest in more industries and earn more life points.
After work today, the villagers of Qingshi Village were all very happy, except for Wang Dajiao and He Chunhua's family.
"Erniu, what's the matter with you all so happy today?"
Sun Erniu looked at He Chunhua with a displeased face. Everyone in the village knew that He Chunhua was Wang Dajiao's lackey.
If she hadn't often tipped off Wang Dajiao, would Wang Dajiao and her two idiots have gone to Mingge'er's house to cause trouble today?
"Aunt He, this is none of your business, right?"
"Daya, I'm talking to your parents, what does it have to do with you?"
"Aunt He, my Daya is right, it's none of your business. Daya, let's go."
He Chunhua glared at the two of them in dissatisfaction and wanted to say something, but they didn't give her a chance.
"Hmph, even without you telling me, I know it. It must have been that idiot who cooked something."
"He's even given you a raise."
"No, I have to get my husband and son to work for Ye Ming."
As for this time, He Chunhua didn't plan to tell Wang Da Jiao.
She still owed her two bowls of rice porridge, and she'd been kicked out the last time she went.
Just thinking about it made her angry!
After Yang Xiong buried his mother that night, he gulped down the medicine Ye Ming had given him.
The next morning, he was awakened by a cold wind and miraculously felt his cold had healed!
He hadn't expected a tiny pill from Ye Ming to cure a near-fatal cold. This only solidified Yang Xiong's resolve to work like a slave for Ye Ming.
...
Qingshi Village, kiln.
"Ming'er, are people really buying the things you asked me to make?"
"Yes, Ming'er, I've never seen porcelain like this before."
The others thought the vases and wine bottles looked normal. But the bumpy ones were a little confusing.
"I'm going to distill it, so I can use it for making wine later."
The two exclaimed, "Brother Ming, you can make wine too?"
Ye Ming's face lit up with pride. "Of course, I know a lot more besides making wine."
Unfortunately, the two didn't quite believe Ye Ming's words, mainly because he had been a fool for over a decade.
Now that he'd become enlightened and was lucky enough to have a kiln, it was already a great achievement.
"Then what are you doing with that brush and that clay base?"
"Oh, I'm making blue and white porcelain again."
Originally, Ye Ming had only planned to make white porcelain, but this morning's special offer happened to have found glazing materials.
Plus, the system rewards skills not only with books but also directly instills them into his brain.
So, applying glazes was a breeze for Ye Ming.
"What is blue and white porcelain?"
"You'll know once it's fired."
"By the way, Brother Qiang, take Uncle Erniu and the others who know how to build houses."
"Get some bricks and build a factory nearby. We can all eat there from now on. Otherwise, my small yard won't fit it all."
Liu Qiang nodded. Ye Ming's words made sense.
Besides, it would be inconvenient to eat if it rained.
"By the way, Uncle Wang Cheng, everyone in the village has come to work now. These few kilns won't be enough. Pick a few experienced people and open a few more kilns to make some tiles."
"We'll try to have everyone in the village live in red brick and tile houses by the end of this year!"
"Okay, I'll find a few smart people and teach them how to fire the kilns."
After arranging the work, Ye Ming continued painting his blue and white porcelain.
These were valuable treasures that fetched high prices.
He planned to take them to the nearby Liuzhou County, which had a more developed economy than Qingshui County.
It would be less affected by the war, and the opportunities for profit were greater.
Most importantly, it wasn't far from Qingshui County.
Driving a horse-drawn carriage, the round trip would take about a day and a night.
However, he still had to establish himself in Qingshui County; taking too big a step could easily lead to injury.
If Qingshui County proved too much, he'd consider heading to Liuzhou.
"Ming'er, a strong man has come to the village and wants to see you."
"I saw a murderous look on his face and knew he wasn't someone to be trifled with, so I came to inform you."
Ye Ming thought it must be Yang Xiong.
"Well, Liu's wife, tell him to come see me."
"Okay, Ming'er, I'll bring him to you right away."
Yang Xiong was soon brought over by Liu Wangshi. He stared at the porcelain kiln in front of him, a momentary daze. But upon seeing Ye Ming, he knelt.
"For saving my life, benefactor, I, Yang Xiong, am willing to serve you like a slave for the rest of my life."
He had saved Yang Xiong because of his sturdy build and the scars on his body.
He must be a martial artist, and he thought if he could tame him, he could protect Xiaorong when he was away. So he didn't feel too much discomfort with Yang Xiong's words.
"Get up! I'm not looking for you to be a slave. Tell me what you did before. I'll find you some work."
Yang Xiong, a straightforward man who didn't mince words, simply told Ye Ming his life story.
"My benefactor, I'm from Yangjia Village outside Liangzhou City."
"I served as a soldier for a few years and have some martial arts skills."
"Later, because I offended a powerful figure, I was stripped of my soldiering duties and have to farm with my wife and children."
"These past few days, the rebels in Liangzhou City have been forcibly conscripting soldiers and demanding food."
"In search of a way out, I fled to Qingshui County with my wife, children, and mother."
"You saw them on the way here. My wife and mother are already dead. If it weren't for your help, my family wouldn't have survived last night."
Yang Xiong's words gave Ye Ming a general idea of his situation.
If what he said was true, then Yang Xiong was indeed a good man.
However, his character needed further scrutiny. After all, he was a little uneasy about putting Xiaorong's life in the hands of someone other than Ye Ming.
"Okay, how's your health?"
"Thanks to you, benefactor, I'm all better after taking the magic medicine, and I have strength back."
"Okay, then go see Liu Qiang later and have him find you a job. Work for me to pay off your debt. As for your household registration?"
"The new magistrate of Qingshui County hasn't arrived yet, so I can't show up."
Just kidding.
Ye Ming didn't even dare to enter Qingshui County casually, so there was no way around the household registration.
"Benefactor, I don't want household registration. I'm willing to work like a slave for you."
"What about your daughter? Do you want her to be a slave for the rest of her life?"
Yang Xiong hesitated when he mentioned his daughter. He naturally wanted her to be free and happy.
But then he remembered that he had sold his daughter to Ye Ming yesterday.
"My benefactor, I'm a rough man and can't say anything nice."
"I think you're a good person. Xiaohui is lucky to be with you. There's nothing wrong with being your slave. Anyway, you gave my life and my daughter's life..."
Awesome, you're really awesome. I've never seen anyone volunteer to be a slave.
Ye Ming had nothing to say about this.
"Okay, then go find Liu Qiang, the one over there in white clothes who looks a bit bookish."
"He'll arrange a job for you."
"I'll find you a place to live later."