Chapter 70 Chapter 70 After a good meal and a good drink,...
After having a good meal and a good drink, Jiang Wan took Chen Xi to the East Market.
As far as I could remember, the place the original owner went to most often when she went out shopping was the East Market. It was open 24/7, stocked with all sorts of goods, and was practically the most prosperous commercial district in all of Da Zhou.
Having been away from Lin'an for over half a year, many of the shops had moved, though the general layout remained the same. Jiang Wan found the ore field and picked out some iron and copper ore.
A bag of iron ore and a bag of copper ore cost a total of 150 copper coins. Jiang Wan couldn't help but sigh, as expected of Lin'an City, even the ore was so expensive.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, only the imperial merchants were allowed to open mines. After she had reorganized the industries in Qingjiangju, she would definitely work hard to become an imperial merchant.
Chen Xi stared at the two bags of ore curiously, with a thoughtful look on his face.
Jiang Wan smiled and patted her: "Guess what this ore is used for?"
"Hmm... Second Senior Brother said that Master added coral stone to the ordinary colorant to make the color of the celadon body brighter." Chen Xi asked, "Is this mineral also used to improve the color of the body?"
"Clever," Jiang Wan nodded. "But it's not about improving the body, it's about creating a colorful transparent glaze. Adding purified ore can also increase the hardness of the body."
The Celadon Body Improvement Manual listed four formulas for improving the body quality: purple clay, quartz, kaolin, and purified oxides. Previously, she had only used the first two, achieving 60% to 70% success.
She now had enough points to redeem an ore purification machine, which would achieve a 90% efficiency after adding purified oxides. As for kaolin, it was a soil unique to Lingnan. She planned to add kaolin once a specialized transportation system was established.
The method for making colored transparent glazes is documented in the previously redeemed "Detailed Explanation of the Linglong Porcelain Production Process." Simply add purified nonferrous metals to the colorless transparent glaze and adjust the metal concentration accordingly. The iron and copper ore you purchased this time can be used to create colored transparent glazes ranging from pink to red and orange-red.
Thinking of this, Jiang Wan closed his eyes and entered the system mall, and bought an ore purification machine worth 352 points.
After confirming she had 170 points remaining, she shut down the system. At the same time, she gained a miniature version of the purification machine, which could be enlarged to seven feet tall when in use.
Because it was a gift, it was inconvenient to bring a large porcelain piece. Furthermore, Wen Yuanbo had a certain aloofness about him, not only did he never form cliques at court, but he also refused to accept expensive items privately, preferring exquisite and novel things. Jiang Wan thought of making a celadon bracelet, hollowing out the red transparent glaze to replace the gemstone.
The celadon bracelet can be handed over to the craftsmen of Qingjiangju, but the colored transparent glaze is a new formula and the ratio of raw materials needs to be adjusted, so Jiang Wan plans to do it himself.
Back in the house, she first put the ore into the purifier for purification, and then found the previous transparent glaze material and mixed it well.
A quarter of an hour later, a gel-like transparent glaze gradually took shape, and the purified ore emerged from the furnace. Chen Xi took out the refined powder and whispered "Wow!"
"Master, look, what a beautiful color!"
Jiang Wan turned around and saw Chen Xi holding a small bowl in both hands. The bowl was filled with half a bowl of dark red powder. The particles were uniform and small, and the color was pure.
It is worthy of being a purification machine worth 352 points. The purification effect is good, and it also comes with follow-up treatment, and a bowl is given for free.
She took the small bowl, sprinkled a small amount of powder into the transparent glaze, and continued stirring.
Chen Xi squatted beside it, staring at the powder dissolving into the transparent glaze and slowly turning it light pink, his eyes gleaming with excitement, a bit like the state of elementary school students playing with slime (crystal mud) in his previous life.
Jiang Wan couldn't help but poke her pigtails and handed her the wooden pestle to stir: "You're almost fifteen, but you're still like a child."
Because she was unsure how much powder to add, she poured out only a little at a time, and continued to add it after it was completely melted into the transparent glaze and the color stabilized. She repeated this process more than a dozen times and finally adjusted it to the dark red color she wanted.
With the experience of carving lotus patterns, hollowing out the bracelet was much easier. By dusk, the hollowing and glazing were complete, and it only needed to dry overnight before being fired in the kiln.
The rest of the process can be left to the craftsmen. Jiang Wan took advantage of the free day to do two things.
First, they reviewed the former Yuwanlou's businesses in Lin'an. Yuwanlou had over eighty shops in the fourteen counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty, eight of which were in Lin'an. After the merger with Qingjiangju, Jiang Wan had already issued rectification orders for these shops. In addition to changes to shop names and decor, they also included adjustments to porcelain production methods and sales routes.
However, none of the eight shops in Lin'an responded to the progress of the rectification. After the antique appreciation banquet, she would have to go and check it out in person.
The second attempt was to contact the county magistrate's wife. She and He Wanrong had arrived in Lin'an in mid-April to celebrate her pregnant sister's birthday, and had since stayed at the Minister of Personnel's residence to help her with the pregnancy. Jiang Wan had written a letter inviting them out for a chat, but by the afternoon of the 9th, there had been no response.
In desperation, she asked Hua Qingzhi to visit them and see how they were doing.
Hua Qingzhi went to the Shangshu Mansion and came back with a worried look on her face:
"No, they said the Madam is ill and Miss He is attending to her, so she won't see anyone. I asked the servants to deliver your letter to the Madam's room, but it's still inconvenient to see anyone to reply."
She held her head and said, "I've already come to your house. If it's just a common illness, even if it's hard to walk, you should still be allowed to visit. This lady must be either seriously ill or disfigured, so she won't see anyone."
Jiang Wan's heart sank when he heard this.
Even if the county magistrate's wife couldn't see anyone, He Wanrong would definitely meet her. Although her letter contained only casual greetings, they both knew the purpose of their visit to the capital. Even if He Wanrong knew she was coming, she would have sent a letter explaining her current situation and reassured her.
This "inconvenience in meeting people" was probably not a reply from the lady herself, but the intention of the Shangshu Mansion. He Wanrong was probably under house arrest.
Did he offend someone, discover some secret, or was he framed by the murderer who falsely accused He Guogong?
Only by meeting He Wanrong in person can the mystery be solved.
Since the main way was blocked, she had to resort to some special methods, such as climbing over the wall at night.
Just as Jiang Wan began to think about where to safely climb over the wall, Hua Qingzhi interrupted her thoughts.
"Why are you daydreaming? I'm asking you a question," Hua Qingzhi asked angrily, "Do you need me to find a famous doctor for that lady?"
"Don't bother."
The situation was unclear, and Jiang Wan couldn't bring Hua Qingzhi into it anymore, so he changed the subject: "By the way, there's the Appreciation Banquet tomorrow, will you go?"
"Of course, how can I not go if you go?" She rubbed her hands expectantly when she mentioned the banquet. "My father scolded me when he heard that I spent eight hundred taels of silver on a teapot and bought shares in Qingjiangju. But guess what,"
She leaned closer, a smile on her face. "Dad fell in love with that teapot when he saw it, and he said that whoever could make it would become famous. To help you gain fame, the teapot will be exhibited tomorrow. He also said that if you encounter any difficulties in the capital, just come to him."
Jiang Wan expressed gratitude: "Thank you for your appreciation, Master. Jiang Wan will definitely repay you."
"You can tell me this in person tomorrow. By the way, what souvenirs have you prepared? Let me take a look for you." Hua Qingzhi looked around, trying to find some porcelain that could be used as a souvenir.
"It's just out of the oven, still cooling down." Jiang Wan jokingly nudged her, "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll satisfy Uncle."
At noon on May 10th, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.
Jiang Wan and Jiang An entered the Wenyuan Marquis's residence with their invitations. The reception room was filled with all sorts of rare treasures, and drinks were already prepared on the tables on both sides.
The banquet was packed with masters, and most of the invited craftsmen were afraid to act rashly, so they all arrived early. Therefore, when Jiang Wan and the others arrived, many craftsmen were already seated.
Hua Qingzhi was instructing the servants to serve the food when she saw Jiang Wan coming over. She immediately went forward and pulled her along: "Come, come, sit next to me."
Jiang Wan looked towards Hua Qingzhi's seat.
The main seat in the reception room, facing the main door, should be the seat of Wen Yuanbo. Hua Qingzhi's seat was diagonally behind Wen Yuanbo, also facing the living room, separated from the other craftsmen.
If I sit at the same table with her, I will stand out.
But Jiang Wan nodded without hesitation and sat down next to Hua Qingzhi.
Her first goal after arriving in Beijing was to establish a reputation. This would both help expand sales and earn the respect of the former Yuwanlou employees. Since Wen Yuanbo and Hua Qingzhi were intent on promoting her, how could she refuse their kindness?
As soon as they sat down, someone at the guest table complained: "Miss Hua Er, you are of noble status, how can you sit at the same table with a lowly person who was born a slave?"
Jiang Wan looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man with white hair and a long beard sitting at the head of the guest table. Although thin and small, his voice was penetrating, and his words sparked a flurry of discussion in the room.
Hua Qingzhi's eyes widened in anger. "Do I need you to tell me who I want to get close to? Besides, a craftsman's background is not important. The fact that Boss Jiang's exquisite porcelain can beat the famous Yuwanlou owner's is enough to prove her talent."
The old man stroked his beard and shook his head. "A convict is still a convict. No matter what they did, it's not something they can present publicly. Furthermore, with today's policies, it's incredibly difficult for a convict to escape slavery. She's a young girl, so she must have done a lot of vile things to escape slavery. Second Miss, I advise you to be careful in your friendships. Don't let such a lowly person lead you astray."
When he mentioned the word "lowbrow," his cloudy eyes flicked a casual glance at Jiang Wan. Although he didn't say it directly, it still made others imagine it.
Hua Qingzhi stuttered in anger: "Zhao Youtie, stop talking nonsense! She didn't..."
Jiang Wan gently patted the back of her hand and continued, "Although I, Jiang Wan, may not have the same qualifications as you, I am upright and honest. The government has records of how I escaped from the officialdom. Master Zhao, you can check it out. But Master, you keep calling me lowly, and I have a question."
She narrowed her eyes and stared at Zhao Youtie coldly: "I heard that before you became a blacksmith, you used to beg on the street and compete with dogs for food. I wonder if this is considered lowly?"
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