Chapter 39 Chapter 39 There were wisps of smoke rising from the top of the stove...
Wisps of white smoke rose from the top of the stove. Looking through the stove door, the red flame inside was still not completely extinguished, reflecting the outline of the newly baked porcelain bowls.
If they touched it now, they would probably burn a layer of skin off. Jiang Wan and the other three were in no hurry to approach, but their eyes were already fixed on the porcelain bowl.
"Looks like it worked!" Chen Xi excitedly stretched his head to get a closer look. "The color seems to be darker."
Jiang Wan scratched her nose, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Look how anxious you are. What can you see now? Wait until it cools down and we'll take a closer look."
Chen Xi nodded obediently and pulled her sleeve.
The system-purchased combustion furnace had a built-in rapid cooling function, and after waiting for less than an incense stick, the porcelain bowl was ready to be removed. Wang Da took the bowl in his hands, a look of surprise on his face. As he handed it to Jiang Wan, he said, "It's indeed harder, and a lot lighter. It's amazing—Master, take a look."
Jiang Wan took it and weighed it in her hand, estimating it to be only about two-thirds of its original weight. Then, she bent her fingers and gently tapped the bottom of the bowl twice with her knuckles. Two dull "ding" sounds were heard, closely matching the description in the manual on the improved clay.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes as she placed the bowl in the display case. The bright sunlight reflected on the bowl, casting a warm, pleasing green hue.
When the sunlight completely illuminated the shop, Wang Da opened the door and welcomed the first group of customers of the day.
On the early mornings of the first lunar month, the wind in Xiaofangpan City was bitingly cold. Even the busiest commercial streets were usually teeming with pedestrians. But within the first two days of opening, the Jiang Family Shop was flooded with customers. Many residents yawned and crawled out of their beds at the crack of dawn, complaining about the cold weather while rubbing their hands and stamping their feet, waiting for the Jiang Family Shop to open, just to grab their desired porcelain.
As a result, the business of the breakfast shop next door also improved.
So, as soon as Wang Da opened the door, he was met with the overly enthusiastic smile of the breakfast shop owner, and could only smile back awkwardly and doubtfully. However, this awkwardness didn't last long. Diners sitting in the breakfast shop, foreign businessmen who had been waiting in the restaurant, and young men and women wrapped in cotton clothes standing on the street all rushed over, quickly blocking Wang Da's view.
Wang Da was in high spirits, concentrating on helping customers choose their products. Before he knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky. Customer flow, however, continued to increase, finally reaching its peak at 9:00 PM.
Many people bought porcelain but did not leave, waiting for today's window display.
Yesterday's tri-colored glaze was a first in the entire history of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In just one day, news of the Jiang family's creation of colored porcelain spread throughout the town, and even many well-informed buyers from Dunhuang County came to see this unprecedented colored porcelain.
Amidst expectant murmurs, Jiang Wan came to the window carrying the glaze blowing turntable.
"Dear guests, this time our shop is here to demonstrate the art of glazing colored porcelain. Our colored porcelain is now available for pre-order and will be delivered to your door. However, due to the complex production process and the wide variety of patterns, our shop has limited manpower, so customers who have placed orders for colored porcelain may need to wait patiently for a few days. I would like to thank everyone for their support." Jiang Wan bowed slightly, his clear voice penetrating the crowd.
She paused, then continued, "Before we show you the glazing, please take a look at this bowl in my hands. We've adjusted the formula for the bowl's base, adding several new ingredients to make it harder and more solid. This has improved the previous flaws of celadon, such as its fragility and easy discoloration."
Jiang Wan shifted the glazing tools in the display case and pushed the bowl forward, feeling the countless eager eyes fixed on it. Curious, inquisitive, delighted, eager to try... Even the lukewarm winter sun seemed to blaze a little hotter.
For more popular shops, the launch of a new product generally brings an increase in customer traffic, but the initial launch does not necessarily lead to a peak in orders. Customers usually wait and see, confirming that the new product is flawless before purchasing in large quantities.
The sales of Jiang Wan’s new products skyrocketed as soon as they were launched on the market. On the one hand, this was because she proved the quality of the new products on the spot. On the other hand, her good reputation also increased the trust of the residents of the small town in her.
However, this time, unlike before, the quality of the porcelain body had to be checked during daily use and could not be immediately verified. Therefore, Jiang Wan did not expect the new porcelain to bring in many sales. This window display was just a brief mention to give customers an idea.
Before saving up seventy taels of silver, I will mainly use the previous recipe.
Someone tentatively asked: "How much more expensive will the new porcelain be?"
"The price won't change. If everyone uses the new formula and finds it useful, all our porcelain will use this formula, but the price won't increase," Jiang Wan replied. "My original intention was to make affordable porcelain that ordinary people could afford. Whether I was setting up a stall before or now running a shop, no matter how much our shop grows in the future, this won't change."
"I have always been looking forward to the day when every household in our city can afford high-quality celadon."
After hearing this answer, many customers were briefly shocked, then slightly moved, so much so that the entire crowd fell into a rare silence. Most merchants are driven by profit. Whether it's innovating techniques, improving quality, or building service and reputation, the ultimate goal is customer satisfaction, or the small change in their pockets.
Who would have thought that a little girl who had just escaped from the shackles of a criminal slave and had a tattoo on her forehead, not only sold porcelain to make money, but also insisted on her dream of making celadon available to everyone?
"I'm ordering two new porcelain bowls!" A shout came from the silent crowd. Then, people inside and outside the shop also reacted and shouted:
“I’m ordering five!”
"Boss Jiang, can the porcelain basin use the new formula? I want to order a porcelain basin!"
…
Jiang Wan smiled faintly amidst the chorus of voices as she methodically guided the customers into the long queue. She then instructed Wang Er and Chen Xi to record the orders one by one. She herself turned to the glaze display in the window, continued blowing the glaze, and moved the turntable to make it easier for the queued customers to watch.
Two women were squeezed in the front row. The leading woman was wrapped in a thick cotton coat and scarf, revealing only her eyes. The young woman next to her was wearing a tight leather jacket with tight cuffs and a circle of yellow fur at the collar.
The woman whispered, "I never thought such an outstanding businessman could exist in such a small border town."
"Just a clever talker." The young woman said with disdain.
The woman shook her head disapprovingly. "It's not just sales talk that's making it sell so well right after it's launched. Sales skills, a good reputation, excellent quality, and an understanding of customer needs are all essential. You've always been the most knowledgeable about Central Plains porcelain. In your opinion, does her formula work?"
"I can't tell. If you're interested, just buy one and try it out." The young woman curled her lips.
"That's so boring," the woman said with a playful smile, whispering into the young woman's ear. The young woman nodded as she listened, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she looked at Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan seemed to sense something and looked up at her. Their eyes met, and the young woman snorted provocatively.
Jiang Wan's heart skipped a beat, but before he could react, he heard the young woman ask, "Can I see this new porcelain?"
It was a typical small-town accent. Jiang Wan studied her carefully, noting that her cheekbones were higher than those of the average small-town resident, her eyebrows were thick, and she was wearing a rather rare leather coat, made of fur from an unknown animal.
Jiang Wan frowned slightly, unsure of the other party's intentions. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she could only feign composure as she handed the bowl to him, observing it carefully as she said, "Of course."
The woman took the bowl with one hand, first looked at it in the sunlight, rubbed the edge of the bowl with her fingertips a few times, then showed a puzzled expression and knocked on the bottom of the bowl.
She lowered her head and thought for a moment, a hint of surprise in her eyes. When she looked up, her gaze met the woman who was wrapped in cotton clothes. When their eyes met, the woman nodded very lightly.
The young woman turned to Jiang Wan and read out the formula in a raised voice: "You added purple gold soil and quartz to the ordinary clay, right?"
Jiang Wan was stunned. Even as an antique connoisseur, he could only roughly identify the material type; specific identification required the use of instruments. To determine the clay formula simply by looking and touching, the other party must be a master in the porcelain industry.
And the woman next to him, though wearing only a simple cotton coat compared to her expensive leather jacket, was still around forty years old, yet her skin was smooth, fair, and wrinkle-free, a testament to her well-maintained appearance. Furthermore, the young woman's gaze, filled with admiration and respect, led Jiang Wan to surmise that this modestly dressed woman must be either wealthy or noble.
Most importantly, she had a strange feeling when she looked at the woman, the kind of feeling of meeting someone of her own kind.
The ruthlessness of a desperate fight, the stubborn determination to persevere, the ruthless indifference, all hidden beneath a gentle and smiling appearance. Everyone would think she was a kind and good person, but only when you became her opponent could you truly feel the murderous rage that would kill with a single blow.
Memories of his past life surged in his mind, and every cell in Jiang Wan's body tensed up as he quickly thought about the other party's intentions.
The young woman in leather jacket stood by the window, half-smiling, "But the purple gold clay doesn't strengthen the body. On the contrary, it makes it soft. Boss Jiang, there's a formula in your clay that I've never seen before. Could you tell me what it is?"
Jiang Wan took a deep breath.
Her clay only contained purple gold soil and quartz, with no other materials.
But there were many knowledgeable people in the shop, and the woman had already won the approval of most people by identifying two formulas with just her naked eyes. If Jiang Wanzhao honestly said there was no third formula, would she be able to gain their trust?
What exactly is this non-existent third formula? Or, in other words, what does the young woman want it to be?
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