Leah has hardly had a good night's sleep in the past month. She spends almost all the time she can squeeze out on weaving silk scarves.

Although Luo Ning said that it doesn’t matter even if it can’t be completed.

But as a servant, if Leah fails to complete the task and disappoints the lord, it would be her dereliction of duty.

Although it was the first time for her to handle silk, a special kind of silk thread, she was fortunate to be able to use her many years of experience in weaving wool and linen cloth for reference and utilization. In the first half of the month, she had completed the spinning and dyeing of silk.

A large part of the second half of the month was spent on weaving. Although the silk thread broke countless times due to her unfamiliarity with handling, she became more and more proficient with the accumulation of experience.

Finally, on the 9th, the weaving of the first piece of silk cloth was completed.

The appearance of this light blue cloth was of great significance to Roning, so he came to see it in person.

It is very light and soft to the touch. It is very comfortable and skin-friendly when held in the hand. When you put it on the tip of your nose and breathe, you can feel its good breathability and smoothness. The feeling is completely different from that of wool cloth.

Just by the first impression, he knew that silk would also be a high-end product in this world.

With the cloth, it would be much easier for Leah to make the scarf, and she would definitely be able to finish it before Ronin left Wushan Castle on the 14th.

At this time, in the tailor shop outside the Hillwood Castle, Leah was busy while Tom was eating lunch nearby.

He habitually takes off his mask at home.

"Mother, in two days I will go to Wushan Castle with the Lord and Guard Officer McKen to celebrate Marquis Lulans' birthday. I heard from George and the others that Wushan Castle is super luxurious. I didn't expect that I would have the chance to go in!"

The last time Wharton and George accompanied Roning to Wushan Fort, they talked a lot about the delicious food and the prosperous scenery there. Tom was very yearning for it.

"Then you must cherish this opportunity and serve the Lord well on the way!"

Leah glanced at her son without stopping her work: "Lord Ronin is a good lord. We can all live a good life following him."

“That’s it!”

Tom firmly believed it, "But I can't celebrate the New Year with you this year."

“These are all small things.”

Leah didn't care about it. "I'm familiar with many people in the castle. The lord has also arranged three apprentices for me. You don't have to worry about me. Just do your best to complete the tasks assigned to you by the lord."

As she spoke, she picked up the scarf that was almost finished and held it before the light to examine it carefully, sighing in her heart at the silk thread.

"Since the Lord came to Shanlin Town, the roads in the town have become cleaner, people are no longer frozen to death in winter, farming has become easier, and even the vegetable yield has increased this year..."

"And there is this magical thread that the adults discovered. His vision, ability, and profound knowledge are beyond our reach!"

Leah looked at her son seriously and emphasized again: "Tom, you must follow Lord Ronin carefully!"

"I see. You've said it three or four times in such a short while."

Tom smiled and said, "In fact, it's not just me. All the extraordinary people are following Lord Roning unswervingly!"

There are actually many people like Tom and his mother.

Every servant in the castle and their families were singing praises to the merits of their lord.

After all, Shanlin Town is not very big, so there are many praises for him. In addition, Roning has indeed brought changes to Shanlin Town, so people's admiration for Roning has become stronger and stronger.

This change was gradual and Roning didn't feel it deeply. He just followed his own feelings.

At this moment, he was in the porcelain workshop firing the first kiln of porcelain with potter Jim.

Inside the porcelain kiln, flames leap, warm and dazzling.

They surge in the furnace, gradually raising the temperature inside.

The glazed porcelain blanks have long been placed in the kiln chamber. As the temperature rises, the surface of these porcelain blanks is undergoing earth-shaking changes.

It was the first time to fire porcelain and no one had any experience.

The firing lasted for more than ten hours, and after several hours of cooling, it was not until the evening of the next day that it was time to open the kiln.

In order to witness the birth of porcelain with his own eyes, Luo Ning opened the furnace door himself, and at this time there was still a faint breeze of hot air blowing towards his face.

The porcelain bowl that has been tempered by the fierce fire is now lying quietly in the kiln room.

When Roning saw the mirror-smooth surface, a bright smile appeared on his face. The luster was very similar to what he remembered.

"My Lord, how is it?"

Jim and the three apprentices standing by were also very anxious to know the result. There were bloodshot in their eyes. In order to avoid any accidents, the three of them had not slept much until now.

Roning reached out and took out the porcelain bowl. Jim and others held their breath.

Is this the porcelain that the lord is talking about?

Judging from the appearance alone, it is much more advanced than ordinary pottery.

Pottery is generally simple, rough and rustic, but the porcelain held in the lord's hand is so smooth and delicate, like crystal.

Done?

Luo Ning turned the porcelain bowl around and looked at it, and the smile on his face froze for a moment.

There is an area on the back of the porcelain bowl that appears to be not fully fired. The glaze looks dull and the structure is unfamiliar. It is obviously an unqualified product.

Roning handed the porcelain bowl in his hand to Jim, and then took out the remaining few from the kiln room, all of which were raw-fired.

So overall, this firing attempt failed.

It’s not that simple after all.

Jim and the others looked at the porcelain bowl carefully. Although they were still amazed at its beauty, they could also see that the lord was not very satisfied with the result.

Finally, Jim mustered up the courage to ask, "My Lord, have you failed?"

Luo Ning pondered for a while, and seeing that everyone's expressions were a little solemn, he realized that he was too serious, so he smiled to ease the relaxed atmosphere.

“Although today’s firing is not completely successful, it cannot be said to be a failure. We have already succeeded for the most part, and the next step is just to keep trying and improving.”

Luo Ning pointed to the unsintered part of the porcelain bowl and said, "I guess it's because the kiln temperature is not high enough."

He walked around the kiln from front to back and from left to right.

"We need to improve the kiln. First, we need to burn bricks and use bricks to build the kiln. We can no longer use mud blocks like we do now. Then, when building the kiln, we need to increase the thickness of the insulation layer to reduce heat loss."

“Secondly, add a grate to the combustion chamber to hold up the wood and allow ventilation underneath, increasing air flow and improving the combustion rate of the fuel.”

Although Jim and others did not understand many of the words Roning said, but considering the context, they could fully understand the lord's purpose - to increase the temperature in the kiln.

"Your Excellency, you know so much." They couldn't help but admire.

Although Jim is a real potter, his knowledge is nothing compared to Roning. In front of Roning, he is like an apprentice.

Luo Ning smiled and said, "Knowing a lot doesn't necessarily mean you can do it. The exploration and experimentation are still up to you. Although we failed this time, as long as we learn from our experience, we will succeed one day."

He patted Jim on the shoulder and said, "I'm going out soon, so I'll leave the firing of the porcelain to you. Don't feel bad about the kaolin and other materials, just use them when necessary, and it doesn't matter if they are wasted."

Jim felt a heavy weight on his shoulders and a lot of pressure, but he also knew that this was an opportunity.

"Don't worry, sir. Jim will definitely work hard to live up to your expectations!"

I'm back home. I'm burying a grave today. I'll probably update later in the evening.

(End of this chapter)