After a long pause, he mustered his courage and said, "Building the kiln here is excellent. We can build dozens of kilns connected together from this location upwards. This way, we can avoid water accumulation when it rains, and when we start a fire, the fire can spread upwards step by step, which can save a lot of firewood."
His suggestion was similar to the ancient kiln designs that Lin Yinan had seen in ancient books.
Fearing that Lin Yinan might not understand, he explained in detail, "The kilns at the front, with their higher and lower heat, can hold small pottery. The warehouses further back are larger and can hold larger jars and urns."
After the man finished speaking, everyone looked at him, and the scene became quiet for a moment.
Lin Yinan's lips curved slightly. "What's your name?"
"My name is Wang Quan. My ancestors for five generations have been potters," Wang Quan said respectfully.
"Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Lord City Lord."
Lin Yinan looked at the dozen or so people standing to the side, who were looking at each other in bewilderment, and said, "Don't be discouraged. Work hard in the future, and I will not treat you all unfairly. Those who are capable will be given important positions."
"Yes," everyone responded in unison.
Wang Quan asked in a low voice, "Lord City Lord, have you found any suitable clay for pottery making?"
“Come with me.”
Lin Yinan led the group to the backyard of the county government office, a place where Yun Er used to test weapons, which was now empty.
She asked Qianwu and the guards to bring out the kaolin she had dug up.
"Wang Quan, what do you think of this soil? Is it suitable?"
Upon opening the bag and seeing the soil inside, Wang Quan's eyes lit up. He scooped some out, rubbed it in his palm, and then tasted it, as if savoring a delicacy.
After a long pause, he said, "This is top-quality clay! The porcelain made from it will also be of high quality."
Lin Yinan nodded, expressing his appreciation for Wang Quan's abilities. He then asked Qianwu to bring out the potter's wheel mold that Lin Qingxiang had made.
Most people, upon seeing it, would vaguely guess its purpose.
Lin Yinan's gaze swept over everyone, and he said with a solemn expression, "This is a potter's wheel mold. What follows is my test for you. Only those who complete it seriously will be allowed to stay."
Then she took out a blueprint and handed it to Wang Quan, asking, "How long does it take to fire a piece of porcelain like this?"
Everyone watched Wang Quan nervously.
Wang Quan swallowed hard, his mind racing with calculations.
"Three days! We can finish it in three days."
"You still need to build your own kiln?" Lin Yinan reminded him.
Since she offered a high salary, she didn't want to hire a bunch of incompetent people who needed her to be involved in everything.
She only occasionally provides some ideas, and the people below her just need to carry them out.
She wouldn't hire someone with poor execution skills.
Wang Quan asked, "Is it here?"
"Yes, you will all live here until you pass the test."
Wang Quan remained silent. He stepped forward, picked up a potter's wheel, and discovered that it could actually rotate.
"There are only ten molds here?"
"Yes, ten. Can you do that?"
The group was worried that Wang Quan would turn down such a good job for them, since the reward offered by the city lord was too tempting, and at the same time they were afraid that they would not be able to complete it within three days.
Just when everyone thought Wang Quan was about to refuse, he looked at Lin Yinan with a firm gaze.
"Great! We can definitely do it."
Next, Lin Yinan asked Lin Fu to take everyone down to settle in. He told Lin Fu to tell him the materials needed today so that he could find them. The assessment would officially begin tomorrow.
Lin Yinan only appeared on the first day, introduced the use of the potter's wheel and the porcelain he wanted to make, and then left.
For the next three days, Lin Fu, Qian Fu, and two guards took turns supervising the situation.
Su Yunzhi's injuries have gradually healed. When Yun Mo was at the county government office, he came to express his gratitude to Lin Yinan.
Lin Yinan smiled and accepted his thanks. She would have done the same for any other villager.
She has no romantic feelings for Su Yunzhi and hopes he won't misunderstand.
Three days later, Wang Quan and his men were about to unload the kiln they had built behind the county government office.
I made twelve simple white porcelain bottles. Two of them exploded when I opened the kiln. The remaining ten white porcelain bottles were not very finely made due to the limited materials I had. However, they were still more beautiful than ordinary pottery.
Lin Yinan was satisfied with the result.
Of the twelve people, she kept them all, with Wang Quan appointed as the general manager of the Longtan Kiln, overseeing all its affairs. He was paid five taels of silver a month, two taels more than the others.
After passing the assessment, Lin Yinan gave them two days off, after which they would begin construction of the kiln.
When Wang Quan got home, he was still walking unsteadily, and his wife thought he had been rejected.
"We can eat our fill by farming here. As for cooking skills, we can look for them another time when we have the chance."
"The city lord said I'll be the general manager of the Longtan Kiln from now on, and he'll give me five taels a month, with extra bonuses if the business is good. Honey, do you think I'm dreaming?" Wang Quan said blankly.
With a crash, Wang Quan's wife dropped the bowl she was holding onto the table. "Are you telling the truth?"
Wang Quan nodded. "I'm leaving early the day after tomorrow. I won't be able to come back until I'm on leave. There's work to do in the fields..."
Before he could finish speaking, his wife jumped up excitedly, grabbed Wang Quan's forehead, and gave him a big kiss.
"Don't worry about the things in the fields, the children and I can handle it."
"The children are all here!" Wang Quan chuckled sheepishly.
Wang Quan's ten-year-old son laughed and said, "Dad, I will help Mom with the chores."
Seeing this, the five children at the dinner table grinned at their parents, their father having made something of himself and was going to work as a manager in Longtan.
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