After finishing writing, she put down the charcoal stick, picked up the "secret recipe," walked to the door, and shouted outside, "I...I've remembered something! I've written it down!"

A moment later, Supervisor Wang came running back, panting, with a hint of excitement on his face. He snatched the paper from Jiang Chan's hand, glared at her with his eyes that couldn't read many characters, and pretended to scan it: "Hmm? It's written clearly?"

“Write…write it clearly…” Jiang Chan lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. “You…you should quickly send it to the head manager…” Her voice was full of fear and eagerness to please.

Wang, the foreman, looked at the crooked writing and the conspicuous circle on the paper, and snorted with satisfaction, "You know what's good for you!" He carefully folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket, then warned Jiang Chan fiercely, "Stay put! Wait for the head manager's message! If you dare to play any tricks..." He made a throat-slitting gesture, turned around and ran away.

Jiang Chan watched his retreating figure, her eyes icy. She walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and carefully rinsed the glaze and mineral powder off her hands. The icy water stimulated her skin, making her even more alert.

In Zhao Kui's spacious room, even the sandalwood incense couldn't mask the greasy smell emanating from him. He was pacing restlessly, the deadline for the tribute porcelain project weighing heavily on his mind.

Supervisor Wang rushed in like a lapdog, holding the yellow paper in both hands, his face full of fawning smiles: "Manager! Manager! It's done! That brat has written down the secret recipe!"

"What?!" Zhao Kui turned around abruptly, his fat face instantly glowing with wild joy. He snatched the paper and greedily scanned the writing on it.

When he saw the words "large amount of potassium feldspar powder", "three to five times more", and "primer", he was so excited that the fat on his face trembled and his small eyes gleamed!

"Hahahaha! Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me!" Zhao Kui laughed wildly, patting Supervisor Wang's shoulder hard. "Wang San! Well done! I will reward you handsomely!" He held the light piece of paper as if he were holding a mountain of gold and silver.

"Quick! Summon all the kiln owners and craftsmen! Immediately! Right now!" Zhao Kui waved his arms, spittle flying everywhere. "Tell them! I've got the Su family's secret recipe! I'm going to open a large kiln! Fire tribute porcelain! Use the best porcelain clay, the best cobalt! Follow this secret recipe, add plenty of starter! Fire! Fire the finest sky-blue glaze porcelain! I'm going to open their eyes!"

The order spread like wildfire throughout the workshop. The craftsmen were urgently summoned, and as they looked at the yellow paper in the head manager's hand, which was said to be the Su family's secret recipe, they discussed it amongst themselves, their faces showing both excitement and doubt.

A middle-aged craftsman, Manager Sun, who was dressed in a slightly better short jacket than the average craftsman and had a goatee, squeezed to the front. He was the second-in-command of the workshop and knew some technical skills.

He frowned and cautiously began, "Manager... this secret recipe... isn't there too much of this catalyst? With so much potassium feldspar powder, I'm afraid the glaze might... might become unstable. I've never done this before..."

Zhao Kui was in high spirits when his enthusiasm was dampened, and he immediately flew into a rage, spitting all over Steward Sun's face. "What do you know! This is the Su family's secret recipe! Do you understand what a secret recipe is? The old man has kept it hidden for so many years, is that normal? You know more about kiln firing than Master Su? Do it according to what's written here! Add! Double the amount!"

Manager Sun stumbled back a step after being reprimanded, his face flushing red and then pale. He stared at the paper in Zhao Kui's hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions—resentment, doubt, but mostly anger that he dared not speak out. He opened his mouth, but ultimately dared not say anything more.

Supervisor Wang stood smugly behind Zhao Kui, like a rooster that had won a fight, glancing sideways at Steward Sun.

"What are you all standing there for?! Get to work!" Zhao Kui roared.

The craftsmen dared not question any further and immediately got to work. The best porcelain clay was sifted out, the purest cobalt blue pigment was ground, and large amounts of potassium feldspar powder were poured into the huge glaze pool and stirred as if it were free. One by one, the carefully shaped thin-walled porcelain blanks were cautiously immersed in the somewhat murky and grayish glaze, coating them with a thick layer of glaze.

The kiln fire was lit! The roaring flames illuminated half the sky. The enormous kiln, like a silent behemoth, began to heat up. An atmosphere of tension and anticipation filled the workshop.

Zhao Kui stood not far from the kiln entrance, his fat face reflecting the firelight, his eyes fixed on the kiln door, where a greedy flame burned, as if he could already see the scene of the flawless, priceless sky-blue glazed tribute porcelain being produced.

Jiang Chan remained locked in her dilapidated courtyard. She sat on the cold earthen bed, and through the narrow cracks in the window, she could vaguely see the firelight reflected from the direction of the kiln in the distance, and hear the noisy voices coming from the workshop.

She sat quietly, her face expressionless. The oilcloth-wrapped book, "The Record of Celadon Glaze Variations," lay pressed tightly against her chest, like a cold piece of iron.

The fire is burning. The kiln is heating up. The trap has been set. All she needs to do is wait quietly.