314

"Madam, I'm afraid this isn't appropriate. Making porcelain requires physical effort, and you're constantly working with dirt, never getting clean. It's not a job a woman can do." Although they had long known that Prosecutor Shi's wife had secured the position of kiln manager, the news that a woman was being chosen to make porcelain still made the kiln's masters feel uneasy. How could a woman handle such a dusty job?

Feng Jingjing glanced at the old man and said bluntly, "Since we work in the same porcelain kiln, don't call me Madam from now on. Call me Steward directly. As for the dirt and tiredness, don't worry about it. These women are all from fishing and farming families. It's common for them to take care of the elderly and the weak at home. They also burn firewood, cook, kill chickens and fish all day long. It's just porcelain clay, so it's already very clean."

These words almost choked the craftsman to death. Porcelain clay needs to be finely ground and washed with water, which is of course much cleaner than feces and urine. But even so, letting women make porcelain has never happened before, and they all felt awkward teaching them.

"Husband...Manager, this porcelain kiln is so hot that the kiln workers can't even wear clothes. It won't be appropriate if they squeeze together." Not giving up, the old man continued to persuade.

"That's fine. From now on, the clay modeling and painting workshops will be placed aside, with men and women working separately. When it's time to go to the kiln, you guys will be in charge." Feng Jingjing paused and continued, "We're hiring female workers this time because we want to refine the porcelain body. Don't worry, these girls will only learn how to model the porcelain body and paint it, and won't learn about the furnace temperature process. Moreover, even if they get married, they will stay here and work in our kiln their entire lives. They won't pass on their skills to anyone else."

The more sophisticated the craftsmanship of a porcelain kiln, the more secrets are kept. However, if it is just about shaping the porcelain body and drawing patterns, it is not a big deal. In this way, the apprentices can be taught more carefully.

Some people were tempted, and Feng Jingjing immediately added, "Our kiln will do the same as the embroidery workshop. If you train a skilled craftsman, you'll get a monthly salary increase of one level. If you train a master craftsman, there will be additional rewards. We're all members of the Red Flag Gang, and the leader won't treat you unfairly."

The artisans' biggest fear was that their apprentices would starve to death. Hearing Madam Feng's words, the atmosphere within them suddenly became buzzing. If that were true, it seemed there wouldn't be a need for apprentices to learn for seven or eight years before passing on their skills. Furthermore, with this approach, the porcelain kilns of the future would undoubtedly be much larger than they are today, rivaling the large and official kilns of Quanzhou.

With enough profit, everything else would be easy. Feng Jingjing appeased the group of craftsmen, then went to see the completed porcelain kiln, the various work sheds, and asked about the food before turning to where the female workers were.

A group of maids stood huddled together in the shed. Feng Jingjing swept her gaze over them all before saying, "You were chosen because you are all skilled and willing to endure hardship. You will stay in the porcelain kiln for a long time in the future, regardless of whether you get married or not. This is a job you can enjoy forever, so you must not make mistakes. If you are cunning and dishonest, it is best to leave as soon as possible."

Just this one sentence made many girls hold their breath and clench their fists. Cloth shops were becoming increasingly difficult to enter, and even though they couldn't sew, they still wanted to find a job that could pay the bills. The porcelain kiln was part of the gang's business, and one could work there for life. If it weren't for this, who would be willing to risk the infamy of working alongside men just to make a living?

Moreover, the porcelain kiln is managed by Madam Feng. Although they don't have any great abilities, they know that this is the person chosen by the gang leader himself. As long as she is there, they are not afraid of being bullied!

Looking at these girls with shining eyes, Feng Jingjing gently waved her hand: "Don't just stand there like idiots. Follow the masters and learn the skills."

"yes!"

She was answered by a resounding response. Though not entirely uniform, each one was filled with enthusiasm. Feng Jingjing nodded, and as she turned around, a slight smile played at the corner of her lips.

…

The porcelain kiln has officially opened, and it should have been a busy period for a while. After all, everything needs to be adjusted, and with so many new people, there will most likely be trouble.

However, the hired craftsmen were surprised to find that things weren't quite as they'd imagined. Every process had been planned and meticulously adjusted to their familiar procedures. Even the timing of serving food was well-organized, with no mess or confusion. The girls were eager to learn and were extremely obedient. After work, they kept the workshop immaculately clean, almost unbelievable.

This woman in charge is different from ordinary men. Who doesn't want to work comfortably? After a few days, a group of men adapted to this kind of life and worked harder to fire the kiln. After all, time waits for no one. They have to make fine porcelain comparable to the imperial kilns, so they have to study hard.

However, the porcelain kiln was good in every way, but there was one thing that made people dislike it. While the kiln was burning, suddenly a few guys couldn't sit still and jumped to the door, standing on tiptoe to look around.

"Get back here!" the master craftsman watching the furnace yelled, "She's just a whore, and she's hooked all your souls!"

After being scolded, the group reluctantly walked back, and a few of them winked and said, "Did you see that? Look at how she twisted her waist, hey!"

"I heard she also likes to draw that kind of style. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, she must be thinking..."

"If I spend some money, can I try it out?"

The master carpenter rolled his eyes and hit them one by one with an iron rod: "I told you to miss your wife! If this furnace burns out, I'll bury you all in the kiln!"

This brutal move caused a lot of ghosts and wolves to howl, and even those passing by outside could hear it.

Ah Hong ignored the others and came to the female workers' workshop. This was where the porcelain molds were made. The sound of the turntable was buzzing, and one porcelain mold after another was formed in those mud-covered hands.

Of course, there was no one saying dirty words here, but the female workers just glanced at her a few times and pretended not to see anything, and then went about their own business.

Ah Hong didn't care. She walked to her designated spot, wrapped her long black hair in a cloth, and began painting on the porcelain. Painting on porcelain was different from ordinary painting, and it wasn't easy to create intricate patterns right away. She had to learn from scratch, how to turn the wheel, how to control the brush pressure, and which glaze would produce which color. Few people were willing to teach her, and if she tried to learn from the master craftsmen, some would look at her with either lust or contempt.

But she didn't care. This was a place where she could sit and work. It was a good job where she could earn a living by her own hands and could do so for the rest of her life. For this, she didn't mind twisting her hair, let alone just taking a few glances and scolding.

As if no one was around, Ah Hong just held the brush, controlled the turntable under the porcelain body, and began to paint stroke by stroke.

After an unknown amount of time, she put down her brush and wanted to rub her aching shoulders. Suddenly, a timid voice came from beside her: "How did you draw this pattern?"

Ah Hong turned her head and saw a skinny girl with porcelain clay on her hands and mud on her face standing beside her. She didn't know how long she had been watching.

According to her temper, she should have sneered at the silly girl and dismissed her. However, seeing those eager eyes, Ah Hong swallowed all her words, picked up the brush again, and said coldly, "Look carefully, this pattern requires lifting the brush and controlling the speed of the turntable. You have to seize the opportunity..."

Her tone was a little cold and stiff, but she spoke with complete seriousness, without holding anything back.

Painting on porcelain is also painting. If she can do it well, she can also teach others.