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Liang Shi got up early in the morning. Yao Lei, half asleep, asked her where she was going. Liang Shi said she had a fever and asked in the group where she could get an IV drip. Only President Li replied that he would take her there...
Yao Lei had intended to show some sisterly affection, but her eyelids were too heavy: "President Li is reliable. If he's here with me, then I'll continue sleeping!"
Liang Shi came downstairs wearing a small Evelyn bag slung across her shoulder, showing no signs of illness whatsoever. The moment she saw Li Junqian, she had the urge to go upstairs and change her clothes.
Both of them coincidentally wore brown tones.
Liang Shi awkwardly gripped his bag strap: "Um, what a coincidence, we're both wearing..."
Someone shamelessly blurted out, "A telepathic connection?"
Liang Shi rolled his eyes: "Let's go!"
On the way to take the cable car down the mountain, Li Junqian bought a lot of breakfast. Liang Shi ate while asking, "Are we really going to Jingdezhen?"
Li Junqian handed her a card and pointed to the corner of her mouth: "Or should I lie to you and go to a hotel?"
He was probably deeply influenced by her, and Li Junqian was known for his sharp tongue, so he actually made a dirty joke at her!
Luckily, they were the only two people in the cable car early in the morning. Liang Shi rolled his eyes at him without hesitation: "You're crazy!"
The journey from Wuyuan to Jingdezhen wasn't far. We stopped for a while on the way to buy some local specialties, but we arrived around 10 a.m. Our destination was a pottery shop with a rather shabby storefront. Liang Shi frowned slightly. Pottery shops were everywhere in Jingdezhen, so why did Li Junqian choose such a 'shabby shop'?
The old door panel had the words "Please enter if you are making clay" painted on it. The style was really outdated. If Liang Shi had passed by here, he would have just walked right past it.
Liang Shi followed behind Li Junqian: "Are you sure you came here?"
As she followed him through a dimly lit, short corridor, the sky suddenly brightened. It turned out to be a small courtyard house, with all sorts of porcelain displayed along the four corridors. They were all styles and colors she had never seen before.
There were several pottery wheels in the main room, and an old man with gray hair was sitting inside. His hands were covered in clay, so he must have been sitting in front of the pottery wheel for a long time. He moved his hands casually a few times, and a vase shape appeared. He seemed dissatisfied with the work and simply shaped it into a ball. When he saw them come in, the serious expression on his face instantly brightened up.
"Junqian, it's been a long time. You've come all this way, don't bring anything, it's too formal. And who is this?"
Li Junqian casually placed his hand behind Liang Shi's waist, and Liang Shi was thus pushed forward.
"Old Xu Boliang is an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Jingdezhen handmade porcelain making techniques. Old Xu, this is my friend, Liang Shi."
Liang Shi bowed very politely: "Hello, Mr. Xu!"
Old Xu led the two on a tour of the courtyard and some porcelain pieces, giving them a thorough explanation. Liang Shi gained a lot and also developed a deep respect for the older generation of craftsmen.
It is truly admirable to dedicate one's life to something one loves.
"Junqian, it's been a long time since you've been here since your father passed away. How about you sit down and get a feel for it? Xiao Liang, come and try it out with me."
Liang Shi had never worked with clay before; her expertise was limited to playing with mud. But since she was already there, and with a master craftsman beside her, it shouldn't be too difficult, right? Unfortunately, Liang Shi overestimated herself. Her hands and brain weren't coordinated; she had planned to make a cup, but her hand trembled and it turned into a bowl…
Looking at Li Junqian next to me, he casually did it, and after so long, the back of his hand was still quite clean and tidy...
"Xiao Liang, don't be discouraged. The first time is never perfect. Come on, I'll teach you. When you're drilling, hold the blank with both hands, overlap your thumbs, feel the blank to find the center, and then slowly press down..."
If it weren't for the master craftsman's guidance and hands-on assistance, Liang Shi probably would have only made a clay ball. The mug was taking shape, and while waiting to dry, Liang Shi washed his hands. When he returned, he saw Li Junqian organizing the tools.
Wearing an apron and sitting there properly, Liang Shi felt shocked again. A serious man is indeed particularly handsome.
“Junqian is very skilled and quick to learn, but he doesn’t have the ambition for it. Otherwise, I would have definitely taken him as my apprentice back then. Xiaotao has made lunch, go and eat first.”
Liang Shi had known for a long time that this man excelled at everything he did, because he was exceptionally talented: "I'll go call him."
Old Xu had a habit of taking a midday nap. After finishing his meal, he went back to his room. Liang Shi helped Old Xu's apprentice, Xiao Tao, clean up the dishes. When she came out of the kitchen, she saw Li Junqian squatting in the yard, teasing a cat. The cat seemed unafraid of strangers, openly exposing its belly and meowing at Li Junqian. But as soon as she approached, the cat became alert and even ran away.
Liang Shi was speechless: "I didn't do anything, so how did the cat run away?"
Li Junqian got up and washed his hands at the tap in the yard: "Your aura is too strong, it scared it away."
"Get lost. By the way, about the perfume bottle, you want Old Xu to make it?"
Li Junqian pointed to two reclining chairs in the courtyard: "Let's go chat over there."
No wonder courtyard houses in Beijing are so expensive; there's a reason for it. Each family has its own private courtyard, undisturbed by anyone, with birdsong and bright sunshine. It's truly delightful to live like this, 'sitting in a well and looking at the sky' every day.
"Although Master Xu is only one of the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and is not well-known outside, he is a household name in this industry and in Jingdezhen. In the past, it was unimaginable how many people lined up at his door to become his apprentices. However, now there are more ways to spread traditional culture and more young people are working in this industry. Master Xu stopped accepting apprentices several years ago, and now Xiao Tao is following him."
“This time, I would like to ask Mr. Xu to create a perfume bottle design based on the fragrance, meaning, and characteristics of the perfume. I had this idea when you suggested using ceramics to make the bottle for the collaboration between Fanning and ceramic intangible cultural heritage. Of course, the collaboration will be a limited edition and we do not plan to mass-produce it. If Mr. Xu is required to personally fire these perfume bottles, each one will be a special edition. I would like to give back to Fanning’s customers in some way. Of course, this is on the premise that Mr. Xu can agree.”
Liang Shi wasn't from a sales background, but in this environment, he had a general understanding of sales tactics. Li Junqian's words stemmed from three reasons: his passion for the perfume business, his desire for innovation, and also his concern for Fanning. What sales model could both boost the sales of Fanning products and promote the perfume?
“If it’s not mass production, then I think five hundred bottles will be enough. As for Old Xu, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Look at the area near the main hall in this corridor; the ceramics there have some novel designs, but you can tell they’re made with great skill. You can tell it’s Old Xu’s work. And look at the ceramics we just came in; they’re all very conventional. This shows that although Old Xu is old, he’s still keeping up with the times and is open to innovation. Wait until he finishes his afternoon nap, then you can have a good talk with him. There shouldn’t be any problems.”
Li Junqian hadn't expected her to notice so much: "Thank you for your kind words. The sun is shining, perfect for a midday nap."
Liang Shi turned his head to the side and saw that he had his eyes closed, so he didn't say anything more.
A fallen leaf landed on Liang Shi's forehead, and the slight sensation of falling woke her up. The recliner next to her was empty. Liang Shi looked around and just then, Xiao Tao brought over some washed strawberries.
"They're in the study. Have some fruit!"
Liang Shi stood up and said thank you.
"Um, have you been here long?"
Xiao Tao isn't tall, but she's very pretty, and at first glance, she doesn't look like someone who works in this line of work.
Xiao Tao smiled and shook her head: "I've only been here for a little over a year."
"It's rare to see young people so dedicated to what they love."
Xiao Tao shook her head again: "Sister Liang, no, ceramics is not my favorite thing. It's just that sitting there making ceramics makes me feel at ease, and Grandpa Xu is very good to me, so I'm determined to stay here."
“That’s still quite remarkable. Those…” Liang Shi pointed to the ceramic works in front of the main hall: “These look very new, they’re your creations, right? Or rather, works that you and Xu [illegible] completed together?”
Xiao Tao shook her head and then nodded: "I only offered some of my ideas while Mr. Xu was working on it, which may be different from his usual creations. Sister Liang, you are really amazing."
Liang Shi was simply good at observing: "Traditional culture must be passed down, but it must also dare to innovate in order to continue from generation to generation. Xiao Tao, I think you can do it!"
Xiao Tao blushed at the praise: "Sister Liang, the unglazed porcelain you made this morning still needs to dry for a few more days. Mr. Li just said that you have to go back this afternoon, so you can tell me what colors you want or what patterns you want to use, and I will send them to you by express delivery after they are fired!"
Making a simple ceramic cup takes so long; this work requires a lot of patience. Moreover, the whole process requires not only patience, but also focus and unwavering confidence.
Li Junqian and Old Xu emerged from the study smiling, and Liang Shi knew it was all settled. In the taxi back to the city, Li Junqian didn't mention the perfume bottle at all; he really knew how to keep things to himself!
Liang Shi couldn't help but ask, "Did Old Master Xu agree to the perfume bottle thing?"
Someone looked down at their phone and said, "Hmm."
Liang Shi was speechless: "Then why didn't you say so?"
Li Junqian looked at her and said, "You said there's no problem, and there really isn't."
Liang Shi ignored the man and looked out the window to calm his urge to kill him.
“I left the perfume to Mr. Xu, but he said that he would work with Xiao Tao to complete the creative work. Xiao Tao will take over Mr. Xu’s role in communicating with us about this matter. I just created a WeChat group. You and Xiao Tao will be the main liaisons for Fan Ning’s side. The contract will be finalized after all the details are settled.”
Director Liang logged on: "Okay, Mr. Li."
Bagua Liang Shi went online: "By the way, who is this Xiao Tao? Why does Old Master Xu value her so much? Is she very capable?"
"After her parents passed away unexpectedly, Xiao Tao became depressed. She was diagnosed with severe depression at the hospital. Mr. Xu knew Xiao Tao's parents and treated her like his own granddaughter. He took her as his apprentice, and her condition improved."
No wonder Xiaotao said she felt at ease when making ceramics; that's what she meant.
"Li Junqian, I suddenly feel that Xiaotao and I are quite alike. If it weren't for your father, I might have become depressed too. Qingming Festival is coming soon, shall we go visit your uncle together then?"
Li Junqian turned his head to look at her and happened to see a tear slide down her cheek, which pained him. Even if he was pushed away, he wanted to hold her hand, and he did, but she didn't push him away.
"good."
It was already five o'clock when they returned to Huangling in Wuyuan. The rapeseed flowers under the setting sun were bathed in a golden glow, indescribably beautiful. As soon as Liang Shi got back to his room, Yao Lei grabbed him and touched his forehead several times: "What kind of IV drip were you on? You're only getting back now! We thought you were on a date with President Li! You don't look sick at all. The IV drip really seems to be working!"
Liang Shi's heart skipped a beat, but he chuckled and laughed it off: "President Li is out of touch with reality, and I've been abroad for so long that I'm not familiar with the domestic medical system, so it took quite a while to get the IV drip started. And to make matters worse, the car President Li rented broke down... It was really unlucky, so I got back late. By the way, what are the plans for tonight? I'm starving, I could eat a whole cow!"
"There's nothing planned for dinner, but the people in the next room have arranged to play cards tonight. Are you going?"
Liang Shi quickly sent a message to Li Junqian on his phone, reminding him that their stories had to be consistent, otherwise they would be exposed!
"I won't go. Secretary Zhou asked me to come to her place tonight..."
"Okay, let's go eat first."
At 7 p.m., Liang Shi went to Zhou Yun's place. Sure enough, it was where the boss lived. The environment was more than twice as good as hers. There was even a hot spring. However, she didn't bring her swimsuit, so she couldn't enjoy it!
"Gu Feng and President Li are still having dinner. They've also made plans to play mahjong after dinner, but I know absolutely nothing about that. He suggested we go to a hot spring, and thankfully he agreed. At least I have some private time now. If you don't want to go to a hot spring, how about we watch a movie?"
Zhou Yun invited her to lie down on the bed, and Liang Shi pointed at the bed and raised an eyebrow: "Helen, seeing this bed makes me think of you and President Gu..."
Before she could finish speaking, a pillow was thrown at her. Liang Shi hadn't expected Zhou Yun to have such 'hands-on skills'!
"You're so agitated, does that mean President Gu went on a rampage yesterday?"
To everyone's surprise, Zhou Yun got out of bed, grabbed her hand, and examined it from left to right, looking like she knew everything: "There are no needle marks on the back of your hand, which means you didn't get an IV drip. And seeing how energetic you are, the fever was probably just a cover-up, right? You and President Li went on a date alone? Last night in the alley was so exciting, did you two go down the mountain and find a hotel today...?"
Liang Shi hadn't expected Zhou Yun to be so quick-witted and have such a vivid imagination! He quickly covered her mouth with his hand: "Don't talk nonsense, Mr. Li and I are completely innocent! I did lie about being on an IV drip, but we went out for work, you'll find out later. You absolutely mustn't tell anyone about this!"
Zhou Yun pointed to the bed: "Don't worry, I'm not one to gossip. And you can rest assured, the sheets are perfectly clean!"
Liang Shi reluctantly sat down. Halfway through the movie, Liang Shi couldn't help but ask, "Helen, I'm still quite curious about Mr. Gu's skills in bed..."
Zhou Yun retorted, not to be outdone: "And Mr. Li's skills in bed..."
Liang Shi surrendered: "I'll shut up, I won't ask anymore. Let's watch the movie!"
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