Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Yuwan Tower is magnificent...
Yuwanlou was a magnificent building, even the tables and chairs were filled with the aura of wealth. The first-floor lobby was filled with a variety of high-end exhibits, and the perimeter of the lobby was packed with customers.
The second floor was occupied by scattered seats, where various local gentry and wealthy people sat. The waiters serving tea and water were all young and pretty women in uniform.
The third floor was a private room, so Jiang Wan couldn't see what was going on inside.
She struggled to squeeze through the crowd, found a clerk, identified herself and asked to see the owner.
After waiting for a while, the clerk replied that the shopkeeper was busy and asked her to sit on the second floor for a while. As an apology, the shopkeeper also offered her tea, water, and fruits.
It doesn't look like he has any grudge against the Jiang family.
Jiang Wan was even more confused, but looking at the crowds of people jostling around her, she followed the clerk up to the second floor and sat down.
As the cymbals rang out, the noisy crowd quieted down, and a man in his forties, dressed in a long robe, walked into the center of the exhibition hall.
It was none other than the legendary creator of “Liuguang Yuwan”, Master Liu Guangliu.
When Master Liu introduced his new works, Jiang Wan realized that today was Yuwanlou's annual new product exhibition.
The importance of the exhibition to Yuwanlou is equivalent to that of 618 to JD.com and Double Eleven to Xixi.
No wonder so many people flocked here. It was estimated that many of them were fans of Yuwanlou, who had come from all over the Great Zhou.
There was just one thing Jiang Wan couldn't understand. Previous exhibitions had always been held in major cities like Lin'an, Kuaiji, Luoyang, and Xijing. While Dunhuang Prefecture was also a county capital, its economic benefits lagged far behind those aforementioned cities.
Inside the exhibition hall, Liu Guang discussed his connection to Dunhuang Prefecture. He explained that Yuwanlou originated in Dunhuang, that the prefect had given him special treatment, and that Dunhuang was his hometown no matter what.
But as a businessman himself, Jiang Wan was very sure that he was holding a new product exhibition in Dunhuang Mansion not out of so-called nostalgia for his hometown.
It can't be directed at her.
Jiang Wan was cracking melon seeds while admiring the exhibits when she unexpectedly met Liu Guang's inquiring gaze.
When their eyes met, Liu Guang smiled strangely, which made her feel cold on the back.
"Actually, I came to Dunhuang for another important reason," he said, bowing slightly to Jiang Wan on the second floor. "I heard there's a girl named Jiang in Dunhuang County who invented the technique of colored glaze. Miss Jiang, I asked someone to buy your celadon. The colored glaze is so beautiful, so I've always wanted to learn from you in person."
Liu Guang changed the subject: "Celadon experts and enthusiasts from all over the country are gathered here now. Why don't we take this opportunity to have some discussions?"
Jiang Wan looked at him from afar, stroking the teacup slowly with her index finger, thinking, oh no, he really is coming for her.
If she didn't accept the competition, it would mean she was admitting she wasn't as good as Yu Wan Lou. Originally, this wasn't a big deal. It wasn't shameful for a young girl who had just started making porcelain to be unable to compete with Liu Guang, who was at the top of the celadon industry.
But from then on, Jiang's shop's position in the celadon industry would forever be inferior to Yuwanlou. It would then be even easier for Yuwanlou to steal her business.
If you win, that's fine. If you lose, the result will be the same as above.
Under the gazes of the entire building, Jiang Wan nodded politely, "Okay. It's an honor for me to learn from Master Liu. How do you plan to compete?"
Seeing Jiang Wan wasn't panicking at all, Liu Guang's eyes flashed with surprise. He then said, "How about we each make a porcelain piece within five days, with the material cost under thirty taels of silver? We'll auction it off in five days, and whoever sells it for the highest price will be the winner. How about that?"
Jiang An was sitting next to Jiang Wan. After hearing this, he punched the table and was about to argue with Liu Guang.
Jiang Wan held his brother's shoulder and said loudly, "Master, your method is not bad, but Yuwanlou has many supporters. If the winner is determined by the auction price, I'm afraid your victory will be unfair."
"Well, Miss Jiang has a point," Liu Guang said slowly, as if thinking. "Then let's bid blindly. This way, the guests won't know who made the porcelain. It's always fair."
Many spectators in the building were whispering.
"Why is Master Liu so picky about this little girl?"
"That's right. If you want to compete, at least find a professional master. Bullying a little girl is nothing."
Anyone knowledgeable could see that while this comparison seemed fair, it wasn't. Jiang's shop focused on affordable porcelain, while Yuwanlou focused on high-end porcelain. Using thirty taels of silver as the cost and comparing auction prices clearly favored Liu Guang.
Jiang Wan also understood this principle, but he couldn't say it out loud, otherwise he would be admitting that he couldn't make high-end porcelain.
Although she started out with affordable porcelain, in order to expand the market to Lin'an and help He Wanrong, her high-end porcelain must not lag behind.
"That's great," Jiang Wan ignored his brother's worried look and nodded.
Liu Guang grinned, "Miss Jiang is truly generous. But since it's a competition, there has to be something interesting going on. If you win, I'm willing to give you the entire Yuwan Tower and never touch celadon again."
Jiang Wan gritted her teeth. As a fellow veteran, she certainly understood the purpose of this move.
Betting requires equality. His bet meant Jiang Wan had to stake all of the Jiang family's shops, an unwritten rule within the industry. Jiang Wan had already agreed to the competition and couldn't go back on his word.
In the eyes of the spectators, Liu Guang was betting Yuwanlou against Jiang's shop, which was a big bet against a small one, and Jiang Wan was at an advantage, so they did not think that this competition was bullying her.
In order to restore her reputation, she was also asked to give away all her assets and stop making porcelain.
Is he so sure that he will win?
Jiang Wan sneered, "Alright. If I lose, I'll naturally give up all my wealth and never make celadon again."
"I will be here in five days to wait for your masterpiece." She bowed politely to Liu Guang and left leisurely.
Leaving behind the whispers of the customers: "Do you think this little girl can win?"
"Of course we can't win. Yuwanlou is the leading brand in the celadon industry."
"But I think she's quite calm. Is she prepared for this?"
"No matter how much preparation you have, it's useless. She makes affordable porcelain. For high-end porcelain, you have to rely on Master Liu."
"Oh, what a pity! I was originally quite optimistic about the Jiang Family Shop, but who would have thought it would be targeted by Yuwanlou. Now it's going to be acquired."
…
After leaving Yuwan Tower, Jiang An eagerly grabbed his sister's hand: "Little sister, why did you agree to this? If we lose, our shop will be gone! That Liu Guang obviously has bad intentions, you..."
Jiang Wan interrupted him: "Yes, but why would he bet on Yuwan Tower to suppress me? Have you ever thought about it, brother?"
Jiang An was stunned.
"Preparing for the new product exhibition will take at least two weeks. This suggests that Yuwanlou's hostility isn't new," Jiang Wan analyzed. "I have a feeling this isn't simple; it's likely more than just commercial competition. I need to make celadon these next few days, so I'd like to ask my brother to visit the county governor and ask him to investigate."
"Okay, but..."
"Don't worry, brother," Jiang Wan said confidently, shaking his hair. "Your sister has never lost, has she?"
It was almost midnight when they returned to the Jiang family shop. The shop was closed. Wang Da was leaning on a chair and taking a nap, while two or three shop assistants were chatting while sorting the porcelain.
Seeing Jiang Wan coming over, Wang Da immediately perked up: "Master, I just heard someone say that you are going to compete with Master Liu from Yuwan Tower. Is that true?"
Jiang Wan nodded. "Well, prepare two things for me. One is limestone, which can be bought in the West Market; the other is feldspar, which is not available locally, so we need to go to Mobei County."
Wang Da took the notebook and wrote it down, saying, "Is it for the competition in five days? A round trip to Mobei takes three days. If I leave now, I won't be back until the evening of the 14th. But the auction will be on the evening of the 15th. Will you be able to make it in time, Master?"
Jiang Wan: "That's enough, just go."
Wang Da nodded and asked curiously, "I've never heard that feldspar can be used to make porcelain. Master, what new ideas do you have?"
Jiang Wan smiled and patted him on the back: "I have a lot of new ideas."
After Wang Da left, she closed her eyes and turned on the system.
There are 132 points left in the system.
Jiang Wan first entered the master course interface, entered the keyword "celadon craft", and quickly found her target.
"Detailed Explanation of the Production Process of Linglong Porcelain", the price is 80 points.
Linglong porcelain is a porcelain product in which "linglong eyes" are carved into the body of the porcelain using tools such as chisels. These small holes are then filled with a special transparent glaze, forming translucent bright holes after firing.
In the past, this exquisite porcelain was known as "porcelain inlaid with glass".
And as far as she knew, exquisite porcelain had not yet appeared in this time and space. If this craft was used well, the effect would be amazing.
As an antique expert, she had studied the formula for transparent glazes in her previous life, focusing on four main ingredients: feldspar, limestone, quartz, and kaolin. The latter two were common raw materials for making glazes, while the first two were responsible for the transparency.
In particular, the amount of feldspar used is closely related to the transparency of the glaze.
After purchasing the detailed explanation of the production process of Linglong porcelain, Jiang Wan bought two special carving knives from the tool box according to the requirements of the book, spending a total of 40 points.
This leaves her with 12 points.
Jiang Wan painfully shut down the system. A month ago, she still had 500 points, but now they were almost gone.
Fortunately, if she wins the competition, she can annex Yuwanlou's business, so that the Jiang family shop can reach the average daily income of 300 taels, and her business can quickly spread across the country. Whether it is He Wanrong's retrial of the case or Aigu's fight for the crown prince, she can provide some financial support.
All in all, these points are worth spending.
After comforting himself, Jiang Wan calmed down and began to study the making of Linglong porcelain and looked through many celadon patterns.
It is not difficult to make, and is roughly similar to ordinary celadon. Only the raw material ratio of the transparent glaze requires many attempts to achieve the best effect.
But she hadn't decided on the porcelain or pattern yet. Liu Guang was a leading master in the celadon industry, so his craftsmanship was impeccable. Furthermore, Yuwanlou released new products every year, so Liu Guang was undoubtedly innovative.
The most troublesome thing is that he gambled the entire Yuwan Tower, so he must have come well prepared, but Jiang Wan only had five days.
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