Chapter 54 "If I'm not here, then you..."
Chapter 54 "If I weren't here, would you not have turned back?"
Throughout the spring, Li Yue was extremely busy.
In late spring and early summer, the factory finally fired a decent set of celadon Ru ware. It was a set of bowls and cups, with a crisp crackling sound, a color like the blue sky during a misty rain, and cracks like perfect cicada wings.
Although I've seen many genuine Ru ware pieces, I can tell at a glance that it's still far from perfect, but this is already the best set.
The uncle breathed a sigh of relief and said that at least there was an explanation.
Li Yue's days were very fulfilling. In the blink of an eye, summer was almost over, and her uncle's two pieces of genuine Ru porcelain were almost polished to a patina.
Once, Li Yue asked her martial uncle out of curiosity, "Where did you get these two fragments?"
My uncle said, "My grandfather had it."
"I know, but how did your grandfather get it? Is it a family heirloom?"
He said, "Not exactly. According to him, others dug them up from the ground. He was making porcelain, and he immediately recognized their extraordinary quality, so he took them from them."
Li Yue clicked her tongue in surprise: "You can just dig them up like that?"
The senior apprentice's eyes held a deeper meaning: "Who knows what we might dig up if we just throw a shovel down here?"
Li Yue paused for a moment, then quietly said, "I understand."
"Unfortunately, porcelain is fragile."
Li Yue said, "Even fragments are antiques."
I vaguely remember that when the Mawangdui Han tombs were being excavated, a tomb robber's hole was discovered. The tomb robbers from the Tang Dynasty took a porcelain bowl in to drink water and left the bowl behind when they left. As a result, that bowl became an antique porcelain bowl from the Tang Dynasty.
My uncle said, "I only found out it was Ru ware because the color and cracks of the broken bowl were so beautiful. It's something unique to our area." He smiled and said, "I'm not afraid to admit it, but when I look at that piece of sky-blue glaze for a long time, I always imagine a gentle girl wearing a light blue dress and with eyes that look like they're filled with mist."
Li Yue: "..."
“They all call me crazy, and I accept it. All I want to do in this life is restore it. So I plunged in headfirst and never came out.”
Li Yue said, "What would you do if you could never recreate something exactly the same in your lifetime?"
He laughed: "It's normal that it can't be completely replicated. Times have changed, many raw materials are different now, and even the air is different. But if you can fire something similar, it means that the craft hasn't been lost, which is a good result."
“That’s true,” Li Yue said. “By the way, Uncle-Master, do you still collect agate stones?”
"I didn't pick any up. Doesn't the factory sell agate? I don't need to go through that trouble. Most of what I picked up were just stones anyway."
Li Yue asked curiously, "Do you still use your family's kiln?"
"Yes, we're planning to fire a kiln of porcelain. We'll soon have another mouth to feed, and if we can sell some of it, it'll help supplement our household income."
Li Yue immediately said, "Uncle-Master, how about I go help out on Sunday? I'll be free on Sunday anyway."
He frowned: "Aren't you getting enough rest at home?"
"I mainly wanted to see your kiln."
"It's a rather small kiln, there's not much to see."
"I'll stop by your neighborhood while I'm at it."
The uncle said helplessly, "Whatever you want. Let Battalion Commander Ling take you there. I usually go home on Saturday nights."
"Okay, sure."
Upon learning that Li Yue was going to visit her martial uncle's family, Ling Jianwei, who happened to be free on Sunday, said nonchalantly, "Go ahead."
Sunday was market day in the nearby commune, and the journey to her uncle's house would involve passing through the market. After breakfast, Li Yue and Ling Jianwei parked their car at the market, bought some things, and Li Yue stopped in front of the glutinous rice wine stall.
Ling Jianwei rubbed his forehead.
Li Yue said, "I'll buy a few cans and eat them slowly."
Ling Jianwei said quietly, "Eat slowly, do you mean slowly finish one can within an hour? Or all of it?"
Li Yue ignored him and held up four fingers to the stall owner: "I want four cans."
As the car drove along the uneven dirt road, Li Yue sniffed: "The sweet wine smells so good. I only opened one cap, and the whole car smells of sweet wine."
The man driving said weakly, "Eat if you want."
"I was just saying, I don't actually want to eat it. I'm going to my uncle's house later."
Several villagers were standing under the old locust tree in Yuanjiazhuang, chatting when the jeep stopped and they asked for directions.
The enthusiastic villagers helped them find their way, and Li Yue and Ling Jianwei thanked them repeatedly.
Finally arriving at her uncle's courtyard, Li Yue got out of the car and took out some things from the back seat, similar to what she had done when she visited her master's house last time: fruit, meat, and wine.
Yuan Qiren's wife, who was heavily pregnant, came to greet them and called out, "Old Yuan, they're here."
Yuan Qiren was throwing clay in the outhouse, his hands still unwashed, when he came out as he answered. His parents had killed a chicken and were plucking its feathers, and there were three other children watching them timidly.
Their yard was very large, and the wood-fired kiln was located in the yard. Above it was a tall shed where stacks of timber and empty saggars used to hold the blanks during firing were piled up.
Li Yue handed the things in her hands directly to her martial uncle, then walked to the small wood-fired kiln and said, "This wood-fired kiln is quite small and exquisite."
Yuan Qiren said, "Private kilns don't need to be too big."
Ling Jianwei asked, "How high a temperature can it be heated?"
"Generally, it's 1400. The temperature is highest at the entrance and gradually decreases as you go in. Ru porcelain doesn't require a high temperature, around 1000 is enough, and it's usually placed in the middle."
Ling Jianwei carefully examined the inside and outside, and Li Yue smiled and said, "Are you planning to build your own kiln once the research is complete?"
He countered, "Don't you want to build it?"
Li Yue said, "I'd like to, but I'm not in a hurry."
Her idea was that since it was a special period in recent years, it was impossible to build it. Perhaps when the reform and opening up was implemented, her parents would be able to return to China and contact her. If they had money, she wanted to seek their help.
If they have forgotten that they have a daughter in the country, or if they don't have money, that doesn't matter. She can earn the money herself and build another kiln.
Yuan's father invited them into the house and brought out some red dates and peanuts grown at home, saying simply, "There's not much to offer in the countryside, so please try the peanuts."
Li Yue politely thanked them and chatted with them for a while in the house, also looking at the various crackled Ru porcelain pieces fired by her master.
Later, when she had nothing to do, Li Yue rolled up her sleeves and sat in front of the potter's wheel in the workshop to help her master make bowls.
The bowls and plates used by the villagers were made of low-quality clay and had ordinary glaze. My uncle said, "If we made them well and sold them at a high price, no one in the countryside would buy them."
Ling Jianwei stood aside watching her focused expression, not caring at all about the mud splattered on her face, and couldn't help but let out a deep breath.
Around 12 o'clock, Yuan's parents said they were going to eat, and Li Yue went to wash her hands. Ling Jianwei, who was beside her, helped her wash the mud off her face: "You're all dirty, like a puppy."
Li Yue looked up and grinned at him.
The uncle's wife kept looking them over.
After finishing their meal, the village party secretary heard the news and felt that since someone from the military had come, he should at least come and meet him.
Ling Jianwei stayed inside talking to them. When Li Yue saw that her sister-in-law, who was heavily pregnant, was about to wash the dishes, she said, "Let me help you."
Her mother-in-law came over and said, "Let me do it. How can we let the guests wash the dishes?"
So Li Yue and she stood outside for a while.
She looked Li Yue up and down and said in a simple and unadorned way, "You are really good-looking and you are a perfect match for Battalion Commander Ling."
"I've also heard Lao Yuan mention you, saying that you're also fascinated by those bottles and jars."
“When it comes to being obsessed, no one can compare to him,” Li Yue said with a smile.
“Yes, I had heard of him before I married him. My family didn’t approve at the time, but I thought he had a skill and that I wouldn’t be bad off with him, so I married him.” As she spoke, she asked Li Yue, “What about you? Did you only start liking these things after you came here?”
Li Yue shook her head: "No, I came here because I really like it."
The other person nodded: "You like making porcelain?"
Li Yue found her to be simple and honest, so she answered very frankly: "Strictly speaking, I came here because I like Ru porcelain."
"Oh, I see," she said. "Let me see if the water has boiled yet."
“I’ll do it,” Li Yue said.
She carried the boiled water into the house to serve them tea and refill their water supply.
The village party secretary said, "Our village was established at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Maybe some of our ancestors made Ru porcelain, which is why Qi Ren is so fascinated by it."
Yuan Qiren laughed and said, "It's ingrained in my bones."
"I heard that several Ru porcelain factories are now resuming production, but I've never been very satisfied with the county's name. It would be better if it were still called Ruzhou."
They continued chatting, and Li Yue went out to relieve herself.
Soon after, she washed her hands, returned to the doorway, and exchanged a glance with Ling Jianwei. She noticed that Ling Jianwei's gaze was somewhat sharp, and her expression was rather strange.
It looks like he's been stimulated by something.
Li Yue thought he wanted to leave, so she said, "Why don't we go back first?"
Ling Jianwei glanced at her watch; it was almost four o'clock, time to go.
As they got up to say goodbye, Yuan's parents gave them some peanuts and dried red dates and saw them off to their car.
The car slowly drove along the dirt road back, kicking up clouds of dust. Li Yue sensed that something was off. The man's jaw was clenched, just like when he went to see her that day when she came home late.
She thought he was a little tired and wanted to talk, but she yawned. He looked over and smiled, "Sleepy?"
"kind of."
"Take a nap first."
"good."
It seems there's nothing wrong; she's probably overthinking it.
Li Yue was really tired and slept soundly during the bumpy ride. Ling Jianwei woke her up when the car arrived at the family compound.
After bringing those things home, Li Jinqiu's wife said, "Battalion Commander Ling, you're finally back."
"What's wrong?"
"The regimental commander wants to see you and asks you to go to his house."
Ling Jianwei put down her things and went to the regimental commander's house. Li Yue tidied up and looked at the few jars of sweet wine. She couldn't resist and was about to open them when Ling Jianwei returned and stared at her hand keenly.
Li Yue silently put down the sweet wine, then chuckled and asked, "Do you want some?"
Ling Jianwei was speechless: "Don't eat yet, let's go to the regimental commander's house for dinner later."
"Me too?"
He nodded: "I thought it was something serious, but it turns out it's just about eating."
"Why are you suddenly inviting us to dinner?" Li Yue asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing. The commander's wife came back from her hometown and brought some local specialties. She invited us to come over and sit for a while."
Today was truly a day of good fortune. Ling Jianwei had two drinks with the group leader, while Li Yue, who was craving sweet wine, didn't eat much.
When she returned, Ling Jianwei made her stir-fried green peppers and eggs to take to the factory the next day. She then sat at the dining table and opened a bottle of sweet wine…
Ling Jianwei turned to look at her. Li Yue took a sip of sweet wine and smiled at him: "Want some? It tastes as sweet as ever."
He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately went back to cooking.
Li Yue took a few sips of sweet wine, then went to wash her hair and take a bath.
While Ling Jianwei was drying her hair, she sat at the table and continued to eat sweet wine.
"Don't drink a whole bottle at once."
"No, I'll eat half, and I'll eat the other half tomorrow."
The man looked down at her satisfied expression and closed his deep eyes briefly.
Many times, he wanted to ask about something he had kept in his heart for a long time, but he always held back the words.
He kept convincing himself that it didn't matter, even if it were true, so what?
But perhaps he drank at the regimental commander's house tonight, and the effects of the alcohol kicked in.
After taking a shower, I walked into the room and saw her sitting on the bed. Her pretty face was slightly flushed, and her dry hair was spread out. Her whole face was so delicious, like a tempting peach.
The man's heart stirred, and he walked over, pinched her chin, and leaned down to bite her rosy lips.
The kiss was deep, and the bite hurt a little.
Li Yue smelled a faint scent of alcohol and thought he seemed to be intoxicated.
But he has a good alcohol tolerance and didn't drink much just now, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to help her cook.
She didn't mind the slight taste of alcohol; a little alcohol can enhance the mood, and she had just had some sweet wine. They were both in high spirits, so wasn't that wonderful? So, Li Yue took the initiative to sit on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and responding passionately with a kiss.
His kisses can be gentle or passionate.
But tonight he seemed to have a domineering side, his lips and tongues entwined, holding her tongue in his mouth and sucking until her tongue root went numb.
She liked that kind of kiss too.
Amidst their passionate kisses, the man's large hands roamed, pushing her clothes up, and Li Yue also pulled off the towel covering him.
However, the moment he held her and placed her on the bed, the man opened his eyes and stared into hers. His gaze was so sharp, mixed with a hint of confusion, that Li Yue was stunned.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He suddenly left, sat up, casually draped the bath towel over his body, his bare arms revealing smooth and beautiful muscle lines in his arms and abdomen.
As if afraid he would leave, Li Yue grabbed his arm, sat up, and hugged him.
"What's wrong with you? You've been acting strange ever since we left the Yuan family."
He turned to look at her: "You sensed it?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "I'm not stupid."
"What's wrong?" She started rubbing her face against his neck, like an uneasy cat.
He held her shoulders, cupped her face, and finally gently pinched her chin, his dark eyes fixed on her: "Moon—"
Li Yue: "Hmm?"
The man took a deep breath, his expression still serious: "I have a question, and I'll only ask it once. Whatever your answer, I'll believe it."
Li Yue's heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled involuntarily: "What's the problem?"
Seeing her silent and trembling appearance, the man couldn't help but soften his heart and thought about giving up. Even if she had another man in her heart, wasn't his initial thought that he would still bring her to his side first?
However, he never expected that what she had in her heart was not a man, but something else entirely.
The man's prominent Adam's apple bobbed: "You sent me that telegram because of Ru porcelain, and came here with me?"
The question was so direct that Li Yue panicked. He knew it was his uncle's wife who had said it.
He seemed to see right through her: "Don't blame others. I've had my suspicions about this for a long time, but I just didn't want to face it."
Seeing how dedicated she was to her work, and how she loved Ru Ci more than him, he began to have doubts. But countless times, he convinced himself that it didn't matter; even if she had ideals and pursuits, she was still his wife.
However, if the doubts weighing on our minds are not resolved now, they may become even greater hidden dangers.
Li Yue felt flustered and looked into his eyes with a hint of fear. She made a sound, but subconsciously shook her head.
"So," the man lowered his gaze, then chuckled softly, his voice carrying a distinct chill, "if I weren't here, you wouldn't have turned back?"
Seeing his dejected state, Li Yue felt as if her heart had been struck a heavy blow, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, but at the same time she tightly hugged him.
"No, no," she cried out sadly, her voice muffled against his neck.
This was the truth at first.
But at this moment, she felt that it wasn't like that.
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com