Chapter 81 Could it truly be a time of peace and prosperity...?
Yamada didn't really take Qinghe Ancient Town seriously at first.
It was just an ordinary, run-down tourist attraction; if the deal fell through, so be it. His deep impression of Qinghe Ancient Town stemmed purely from the fact that the craftsmen there insisted that the peacock-blue glazed tiles made by Jingye were not peacock blue, but peacock green.
He even went so far as to claim that he could restore the true peacock blue.
If it weren't for this incident, Yamada would have forgotten about Qinghe Ancient Town long ago.
After its setback at Qinghe Ancient Town, Jingye quickly secured a large contract with a scenic area in a neighboring province, essentially meeting its annual revenue target. However, Yamada was an ambitious man. Leveraging this large scenic area contract, he began promoting Jingye's other ordinary glazed tiles and flat tiles in the residential building market of the Jiangnan region.
This was also the strategy set by Jingye at the time: to use peacock blue glazed tiles to promote the high-end market, build a reputation, and then leverage that reputation to sell other more profitable mass-market products.
After all, anyone who hears that this company has restored the royal glazed tiles that were lost for a hundred years and has even partnered with such a famous scenic spot as XXX will look at them with more respect.
Using this strategy, Jingye performed very well in the second half of the year, until Qinghe Ancient Town gradually made its own name.
Because of that live stream showcasing the "King of Mortise and Tenon Joints," Qinghe Ancient Town was featured on national television and went viral online, instantly gaining international attention. Many scenic spots and ancient building projects also took notice, naturally focusing on the glazed tiles used in its construction.
Whether something is good or bad, an expert like Lin Rong can tell at a glance.
As a result, Jingye frequently encountered such questions when negotiating with clients:
"Are your glazed tiles better or the glazed tiles of Qinghe Ancient Town?"
"Can the glaze achieve the same effect as theirs?"
Some customers even directly ask: "You say yours is peacock blue glazed tile, but Qinghe Ancient Town says the color is wrong. So is it true or not?"
Yamada then realized that the little incident had become a major obstacle for Jingye's entry into the Chinese glazed tile market.
In the north, Jingye had to deal with a host of glass manufacturers in Jiexiu, while in the south, the ancient town of Qinghe emerged.
Yamada hung up the phone, squinted, and tapped the table, raising his awareness of Qinghe Ancient Town to a new level.
No, he felt he needed to go there himself.
Lin Rong, who stayed in Qinghe City, saw that Yamada had come in person, so he quickly went to greet him and then accompanied Yamada on a tour of Qinghe Ancient Town, carefully examining the buildings with glazed tiles.
Yamada stayed below Qinghelou and Huanyinge for a long time.
The glazed animal figures and emerald green glazed tiles of Qinghe Tower, and the phoenix-shaped roof ornaments that combine glazed tiles and glazed roof tiles in Huanyin Pavilion...
After reading it, Yamada sighed, "Chinese culture is indeed ancient and profound; I have to admire it. Even we at Jingye draw nourishment from traditional Chinese culture."
Lin Rong gave an awkward but polite smile after hearing this, while inwardly he was full of complaints.
Yamada sat down on a bench by the lake, leaning on his cane, and looked around. "This town is quite well-built, but it lacks the tempering of time and is still a bit new. If it still exists a few hundred years from now, it might become a classical and elegant place."
Just like Kyoto, Japan, which is his favorite city.
Jingye also started its business in Kyoto.
“However,” Yamada scoffed, “most scenic area managers in China are short-sighted and focused on quick profits…”
Let alone hundreds of years, it might not even last a few decades.
How many old places have been destroyed and replaced by factories and densely packed modern houses?
Not every place can become Kyoto.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore," he turned to Lin Rong and switched to Japanese, "Lin-kun, how's the investigation you asked me to do going?"
If he was initially only slightly wary of Qinghe Ancient Town, his vigilance increased dramatically after arriving in person. This place is indeed not to be underestimated.
Moreover, he had a gut feeling that if he let things go unchecked, he would definitely regret it later. This intuition had played a significant role when he was desperately climbing the ladder of success.
Yamada chose to believe it again this time.
Lin Rong respectfully replied, "Mr. Yamada, I have already inquired. They do indeed fire their own kiln, located in a village about ten kilometers from here. The kiln masters are the two I met before."
He paused for a moment, then said, “However, Mr. Yamada, please rest assured. They claim they will be able to fire genuine peacock blue glazed tiles, but they haven’t succeeded yet. In my opinion, they simply don’t have the capability to do it.”
Lin Rong knew that in order to achieve this color, Jingye specially invited several chemistry professors and teachers specializing in pottery to the university to tackle the technical challenges. It took several years and a lot of money to finally succeed.
He made a special trip to the kiln factory in Qinghe Ancient Town. Although he couldn't go inside, it was clearly a very backward small workshop with few people. There were just two master craftsmen and some workers recruited from outside and the village.
With this kind of scale, how can they compete with Jingye?
Yamada's face immediately darkened: "Lin-kun, you're really confused. If they can produce such high-quality emerald green under these conditions, then there must be someone capable among them."
Lin Rong was speechless. That makes sense.
“But the peacock blue ones didn’t burn out…” he stammered, then immediately shut up after seeing Yamada’s expression. “Then, Mr. Yamada, what do you think we should do next?”
Yamada stroked the end of his cane, pondering for a moment: "Let's observe closely for now. I need the latest information, not the common, readily available stuff that everyone knows about. Lin-kun, do you understand what I mean?"
Lin Rong nodded vigorously: "I understand, Mr. Yamada!"
For the next two days, Yamada stayed in Anping County and went to the tile kiln in Meishan Village with Lin Rong. However, although the tile kiln was small, it was not a place that outsiders could just enter. Seeing this, the two had no choice but to leave.
Yamada quickly returned to Shanghai, where the Jingye China Company was located, while Lin Rong stayed in Anping County for a week, meeting with some people before leaving.
After they left, Qinghe City experienced its biggest cold wave of the year.
"Due to the continued influence of strong cold air, the eastern part of our province is about to experience a significant snowfall and cold wave..."
Zhu Cong was lying in bed playing on his phone when he heard the weather forecast. He paused for half a minute before quickly getting up from the sofa.
It's going to snow!
Without a second thought, he opened the "Qinghe Ancient Town" mini-program, bought two-day tickets, then booked a high-speed rail ticket from his city to Qinghe City, and a hotel in Anping County. All of this was done in one go, taking only twenty minutes.
"Dad, Mom, I'm going to Qinghe City tomorrow!"
The voices of the two elderly people came from the kitchen: "It's so cold, why did you go outside?"
Zhu Cong chuckled: "If it weren't cold, I would have stayed home. The weather forecast says it's going to snow, so I'm going to Qinghe Ancient Town to see if I can take some pictures of the snow scene."
He's into photography.
I originally planned to go during the Chinese New Year, but since it's going to snow, I'll definitely have to make a trip.
Father Zhu asked loudly, "Is it that ancient town where phoenixes fly in the sky?"
Zhu Cong: "...Yes!"
Ever since his father saw various videos of fireworks and flying figures in Qinghe Ancient Town some time ago, he remembered that the characteristic of Qinghe Ancient Town was "people and phoenixes flying in the sky".
He suspected his dad wanted to go too, so he offered, "Should I buy you a ticket too? Let's go as a family. It's been years since we've seen snow. But we have to agree on three things: it'll be a bit cold, so you're not allowed to complain."
Zhu Cong is the kind of young person who is quite willing to take his parents out for fun. However, his dad is a bit of a complainer and nitpicker, which, although not a big problem, can be really annoying at times, and the two of them often bicker when they're out.
Mr. Zhu's loud voice rang out again: "What's there to complain about? If it weren't cold, why would it snow? Come to think of it, it really hasn't snowed much in this area for many years..."
Zhu Cong: "And you're not allowed to nitpick about anything else."
Mr. Zhu was a little unhappy and wanted to raise his voice, but his wife slapped him, and he immediately lost his temper, saying resentfully, "Fine, I won't complain."
Hearing them say that, Zhu Cong decided to give his father one last chance.
If he keeps nagging, he'll never take him out to play again, and he'll only take his mother with him.
The family of three got up early the next day and took a one-and-a-half-hour high-speed train to Qinghe City. Right across the street from the train station were tourist buses to Anping County; it only took another forty-minute ride to reach Qinghe Ancient Town.
Mr. Zhu habitually said, "Why is it so troublesome..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly tried to smooth things over: "But it's alright, only forty minutes or so, it's acceptable."
Zhu's mother chuckled, and Zhu Cong also twitched the corners of his mouth.
However, he found that his father truly took his words to heart for the rest of the day and didn't complain much anymore. Of course, it could also be because Qinghe Ancient Town is genuinely beautiful and fun, and its various facilities are very well-designed, leaving his father with nothing to complain about.
For example, elderly people don't want to eat in scenic areas because they think it's too expensive.
He felt his dad's complaints were about to burst out, but when he looked, a bowl of beef noodles cost eighteen yuan and a box of chestnut cakes cost twenty yuan, which was even more affordable than the prices in their downtown shopping district.
So, he immediately fell silent.
For example, his dad hates queuing for a table at restaurants. In his words, "Is there no other food in the world? Will eating anything else kill you? Is this the only place we have to queue for?"
But! After eating at Song Sao Fish Restaurant, he paused for a moment, then muttered, "No wonder there's a queue, it really does taste better."
Then he asked Zhu Cong if he could come back to eat the next day.
In short, the Zhu family had a great time in Qinghe Ancient Town that day, but Zhu Cong was still a little disappointed because it didn't snow. He didn't wake up until the early morning the next day, slightly dry from the heating in his hotel room, and glanced out the window.
He jumped out of bed instantly.
It's snowing!
"It's snowing..." Lu Xiaoqi pushed open the window, exhaled a puff of white steam, her fingers were a little shivering from the cold, but a joyful smile appeared on her face.
She could already imagine how beautiful Qinghe Ancient Town would be after a snowfall.
My phone screen kept lighting up with WeChat messages popping up. My colleagues were discussing various measures to prepare for the snow. Since the weather forecast predicted snow, reservations for Qinghe Ancient Town had actually increased, indicating a large influx of tourists wanting to see the snow. The departments responsible for frontline operations were also on high alert.
Lu Xiaoqi closed the window, changed into a down jacket, hat, and gloves, and went out fully armed.
Just then, Xiao Meiyun and Lu Xuejun ran into them, as they were also heading out.
"What are you going to do today?" she asked her parents with a smile.
Ever since they decided to buy that piece of land to build a residential complex, they haven't gone out to look at houses or shops anymore. They just stay in the ancient town every day. There are canteens and fish restaurants for meals, and they can also watch plays, do handicrafts, and take walks. They live a leisurely life.
"I went to Huanyin Pavilion today, and Master Zhu is putting on a new play again." Xiao Meiyun has also fallen in love with listening to opera, and is especially fond of the fun of tipping. "I'm going to learn embroidery in Zone 5 this afternoon. I haven't finished the one I did last time."
Lu Xuejun: "Your mom has rediscovered the joy she used to enjoy doing cross-stitch."
Xiao Meiyun was once obsessed with cross-stitch for a period of time. At that time, the walls of her home were covered with her works, including several versions of the classic "Harmony in the family brings prosperity to all".
Lu Xiaoqi: "...That's good, better than playing mahjong. But Ms. Xiao, please take it easy, don't ruin your eyesight with all that embroidery."
I feel like she needs to expand into projects that can get people moving.
After saying goodbye to her parents, Lu Xiaoqi encountered Zhang Ying and Xiang San Niang, who were also fully armed, after leaving the house.
Xiang San Niang was going to learn carpentry today but didn't need to face tourists, so she wore a regular down jacket, looking no different from any other young woman walking on the street. Zhang Ying, on the other hand, was going to work at Guanmai Hall, so she wore a winter uniform T-shirt with the same color scheme and style, but thicker and with a padded jacket. The collar and cuffs were trimmed with fluffy rabbit fur, making her look quite adorable.
Zhang Ying was wearing close-fitting thermal underwear and a wool sweater underneath, and she didn't feel cold at all. She had just been remarking to Xiang San Niang that this was probably the warmest and most comfortable winter she had ever had since she was born.
Not only are the clothes warm, but there are also various convenient heating devices, and there is heating in the room.
Lu Xiaoqi told them that the heating in the north is what you call real heating, and you only need to wear a T-shirt when you go inside. The two girls stared with wide eyes, unable to imagine such a scene.
All three of them wanted to have breakfast at the canteen, and none of them wanted to take the boat; they preferred to walk around the ancient town and enjoy the snow scenery.
The snow probably started falling around midnight last night, and a thick layer has accumulated on the rooftops and streets. Many cleaning staff and workers are already shoveling snow to prepare for opening at nine o'clock.
The ancient water town has been completely transformed by this unexpected gift.
The landscape was covered in silver, and the scene was exceptionally serene and beautiful.
Scattered pieces of thin ice float on the surface of the river, like scattered pieces of jade, making the water appear even more azure and clear.
Arched bridges span the river, their stone steps covered in snow like a thick white velvet carpet. The snow on the bridge roofs is the smoothest and most flawless, with only the stone lions on the railings sporting comical white hats, looking utterly endearing.
Lu Xiaoqi heard a manager shouting through a loudspeaker: "Everyone, just sweep the snow off the road. Don't touch the snow on the railings. Let's create a little surprise for the tourists."
She chuckled and silently gave the cleaning department an extra point in her mind.
The attention to detail is quite good. Commendable!
When we reached Zone Two, a shop selling steamed buns was already open. Half of the door had been removed, and warm yellow light and rising steam eagerly poured out, carrying the sweet aroma of soy milk, steamed buns, and glutinous rice cakes, creating a small, warm mist in the crisp air. The shop owner, bundled up tightly, peeked out, glanced at the sky, then at the people busily shoveling snow on the road, warmed his hands with his breath, and began moving steaming steamers and stoves outside.
"Good morning, Mr. Zheng," Lu Xiaoqi greeted him cheerfully.
This Ms. Zheng makes truly exceptional handmade buns, especially the three-ingredient buns, which she loves. Sometimes she'll have someone buy a few to eat with soy milk—why doesn't she buy them herself? Because Ms. Zheng refuses to accept payment once she sees it's her.
Sure enough, when Boss Zheng saw it was her, he insisted on stuffing two steamed buns into her hands: "What's a few buns worth? If Miss Lu is going to pay, I won't dare to stay in Qinghe Ancient Town any longer."
He originally ran a breakfast shop in a small city in Jiangsu Province. His skills were good, and business was usually good. However, he offended a local bully who made it impossible for him to open his shop. At this time, people from the Qinghe Ancient Town Investment Promotion Department came to him, and what followed was a natural progression.
Mr. Zheng originally only intended to come here to hide away for a year before returning home, but he has now given up on that idea. This place is so great! There are many tourists, and business is good every day. Moreover, since the ancient town only opens at nine o'clock, he doesn't have to get up at two or three o'clock to make steamed buns, and he can sell them all day long. In addition, the ancient town operators are very thoughtful and friendly.
He's already decided to stay here and not leave!
Lu Xiaoqi couldn't refuse his hospitality, so she decided to stop at his shop for breakfast instead of going to the cafeteria. She could also chat with Boss Zheng and the others to get a feel for their real thoughts.
She bid farewell to San Niang and Zhang Ying.
When they parted, Lu Xiaoqi remembered something and asked Zhang Ying, "How are your father and uncle? The kiln should be closed for the holidays soon, it's almost Chinese New Year."
Zhang Ying sighed: "My father said it will take another two days before this batch of kilns is opened."
Lu Xiaoqi nodded: "Just tell him. There's no need to put too much pressure on him. Just try a few more times and take it slow."
Previously, Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erlang were very confident that they could recreate the lost peacock blue glazed tiles, but now, six months later, there has been little progress. There has been a lot of discussion online, and even now that Qinghe Ancient Town has opened and the architectural effects have exceeded everyone's expectations, people still bring it up from time to time.
It is said that the two Zhang brothers have been so worried that they have been staying at the kiln for a month and haven't gone home.
Lu Xiaoqi was worried that they were under a heavy psychological burden, but she was powerless to help. This was no longer something that could be resolved by simply saying it didn't matter if they couldn't burn it; it had become an obsession and a knot in the hearts of the two brothers.
The two of them wouldn't give up until they burned it.
She finished her breakfast slowly, chatting with Boss Zheng as she ate. Just as she was leaving, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu, who had just entered the ancient town, came in from outside.
Mr. Zhu: "This is the place. I wanted to eat here as soon as I smelled it yesterday."
But he didn't order it because he had already eaten breakfast. Today, he deliberately skipped the breakfast prepared by the hotel just for the aroma of these steamed buns.
"I'd like a basket of xiaolongbao, two san ding bao, two osmanthus cakes, and two cups of soy milk," Mr. Zhu said, turning to his wife. "Should we order some for our son too?"
Zhu's mother shook her head: "No need, he's busy taking pictures right now and won't be here for a while. Don't let him get cold. Let's eat slowly and wait for him."
Mr. Zhu: "That works too."
Lu Xiaoqi smiled after hearing this.
She slowly strolled outside. The area connecting Zone 1 and Zone 2 had a river with three bridges, offering a beautiful view. Sure enough, the best spots were already packed with people. The experienced photographers, despite the cold and the inconvenience of their gloves (which they'd removed), and their hands red with cold, refused to put down their long lenses and tripods.
After all, Qinghe Ancient Town after a snowfall is like a fairyland.
Lu Xiaoqi walked past them, glanced casually at the viewfinder in the camera a few times, and left satisfied.
It seems that in the next few days, Qinghe Ancient Town will once again be the subject of a wave of amazing photos online.
Before the Spring Festival, everything was quiet online and offline, with no hot topics. This snow really came at the perfect time.
......
"How are you? Are you cold?"
"Actually, it's not too bad, not as cold as you imagine." On the city gate tower of the ancient town, the dancer playing the role of a flying apsara stepped down from the wire and smiled. Immediately, someone put a down jacket on her and handed her a hot water bottle.
The dancer was a young woman in her early twenties, holding a hot water bottle and chattering: "The heat pack is so warm on my body, and I'm also wearing a close-fitting flesh-colored thermal undershirt, so only my arms are a little cold."
Li Guinian glared at her: "Alright, alright, your face is all white from the cold. Don't you know your own body? Hurry up and drink some hot water to warm yourself up."
The dancer chuckled, obediently unscrewed her thermos, took a sip of hot water, and said, "Lord Li, don't be mean to me. We didn't have hand warmers or thermal underwear before, but we still danced outside the main hall in our gauze dresses."
It's much better now.
Li Guinian packed up his zither and nodded: "Compared to the others, this side is naturally better."
He didn't actually need to attend the opening ceremony in person, but he quite enjoyed being there. He liked seeing the excited expressions on the tourists' faces up close, and even more so, the anticipation and joy on their faces, as if a new and wonderful day was about to begin.
After descending from the city gate, he didn't even change his clothes. He walked leisurely through the ancient town with his zither in his arms, looking very dashing. This attracted many people to take out their cameras to take pictures, and some little girls even asked for photos with him.
Li Guinian never refused.
He is quite popular online now, and many girls even come specifically to bump into him.
Of course, he is also very principled; apart from taking photos, he never agrees to anything else, such as adding someone on WeChat.
Upon arriving at the teahouse in Zone Two, Wang Wei entered a private room on the second floor, where he was already waiting for him. The room was warm and inviting. Wang Wei leaned back in a chair adorned with cushions, holding a book in his hand. Hot tea and several kinds of morning tea pastries were laid out on the table.
He's been reading here these past few days, mostly history books. In his own words, when he gets too engrossed in reading, he looks up through the glass window at the bustling crowds on the street outside, and feels like he's back in the real world.
I put down my book and ate my morning tea while watching the tourists below. There were young men and women, wrapped in thick down jackets, wearing woolen hats and scarves, enthusiastically taking pictures with their phones, or chatting and laughing while holding a cup of hot milk tea, or parents and elderly people carefully holding their children's hands.
“I think I understand what you mean,” Wang Wei suddenly said to Li Guinian.
Li Guinian was still eating Dingsheng cake and didn't react for a moment: "Huh?"
Wang Wei smiled, his voice calm, like an observer: "I've heard that these tourists are just ordinary people here. But look at them, their clothes are so thick and bright, their faces are rosy, and they seem carefree."
He picked up the white porcelain teacup in front of him, took a sip of the clear tea, and unlike Li Guinian, Wang Wei fell in love with this clear tea after drinking it once.
"Thinking back to our time, even during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, which were hailed as a golden age, how many ordinary people in the East and West Markets of Chang'an could afford such thick cotton-padded clothes in the dead of winter? It was common to see people with hands and feet turning blue from the cold, struggling for a few coins. It was not uncommon for the poor to freeze to death by the roadside after a heavy snowfall."
The elegant room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint laughter of tourists coming from outside the window, filtered through the snow.
The smug smile on Li Guinian's face faded a bit: "I heard a poem here written by a poet from our time, who was later than you and me, named Bai Juyi."
He casually touched the zither and immediately composed a melody and sang: "The charcoal seller, cutting firewood and burning charcoal in the southern mountains, his face covered in dust and soot, his temples gray and his ten fingers black..."
The people downstairs who heard the music all looked up curiously.
After listening to his recitation, Wang Wei exclaimed, "This Bai Juyi is indeed a poet of great talent."
Li Guinian nodded: "This person's 'Song of Everlasting Regret' is even more superb. It's just a pity that we didn't meet in the same era. Let's not talk about that for now. We actually saw a scene like the one in 'The Charcoal Seller' back then, but we didn't take it to heart."
Back then in the palace, with warm chambers filled with incense and the constant playing of string and wind instruments, and singing and dancing, how could they ever cast their gaze toward the other world beyond the many palace walls?
Li Guinian was awakened by the An Lushan Rebellion and spent several months here, witnessing different social operating models, which allowed him to vaguely understand many things.
Wang Wei smiled after hearing his words, with a hint of self-deprecation: "So, I understand why you like it here."
So this is what the world can be like!
It's almost like the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming.
At the same time, Huang Daopo was also strolling around Qinghe Ancient Town. She had taken off her Taoist robes early and put on a down jacket. She felt warmth emanating from her body, a warmth she had never felt before.
Although she and Wang Wei hadn't spoken, they had been doing the same thing for the past few days: observing the tourists in the ancient town. However, being an expert in weaving, her eyes were far more discerning than the average person's, and she was involuntarily drawn to the clothes worn by these tourists.
Thick and warm down jackets, metallic fabrics, tightly woven yet lightweight and warm cashmere wool, and even the special waterproof work clothes worn by cleaners... Here, the clothes worn by the most ordinary people are made with more materials and with more solid workmanship than those worn by many middle-class families at that time.
She had traveled to so many places, but this place was the only one that exceeded her expectations.
"Could it be that we have truly arrived in a peaceful and prosperous era? A paradise on earth?" Huang Daopo muttered.
......
The Guanmai Hall was very busy all day. In addition to patients who had made appointments in advance, several tourists were also brought in because they slipped and fell on the wet floor.
After assisting the doctors with their treatment, Zhang Ying said somewhat apologetically, "Then I'll be going now?"
She took half a day off as soon as she arrived this morning because her mother and she were a little worried about her father and uncle in Meishan Village due to the heavy snow, so they wanted to leave work early to check on them.
"Go ahead, it's alright." The interns waved their hands.
The young woman works very hard, so it's normal for her to take time off.
After leaving Guanmaitang, Zhang Ying bought two jin of chestnut cakes and two jin of rice cakes at a pastry shop in Zone 2 and headed to Meishan Village.
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