The figure was rather clever.
For those present, it was just enough for them to take out without feeling distressed. Take Registrar Wang, for instance, who could accumulate a considerable fortune with little additions over time. đđŁđđ˛đ°đđđ§đ đ§đđ.đđđş
Song Jiyun smiled and whispered to the servant boy to refill her cup of tea.
Li Zixiu, however, looked at her with bright eyes and a mischievous smile, "Miss Song has been quiet since her arrival, and who knows what youâre thinking? Donât say later that we, your elders, have been bullying you!"
Song Jiyun replied with an unaffected smile, "What thoughts could I possibly have? With the elders present, Iâm merely delighted to find shade under a large tree. If thereâs anything inappropriate Iâve done, I hope the elders wonât take it to heart!"
She thought since Li Zixiu had set the stage, wouldnât it make her seem cowardly if she didnât sing a few lines?
She got up, smiling as she lifted the tea cup with both hands and raised it towards everyone, "A cup of pure tea to show my respect to the elders, may I ask for your continued guidance in the future!"
She didnât call herself "the junior," but placed herself on the same footing as the others present.
As a young girl, this might have seemed presumptuous, but as the person in charge of a kiln factory, this attitude was just right.
Old Master Yan, pleased, stroked his beard and nodded slightly, "Sit down! You still have much to learn indeed, a cup of tea is what you really owe us!" Then he turned to Old Master Guan, another kiln factory owner beside him, and said with a smile, "She is quite smart and sensible. Seeing her reminds me of our days as apprentices."
Old Master Guan thought for a moment and then laughed heartily in agreement, "We werenât even close to what she is at her age!"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly livened up with everyone chiming in, and in this way, they managed to move past the earlier topic.
Li Zixiu, his face darkening a bit, still focused on Song Jiyun and abruptly continued, "This must be your first visit to West Ridge Villa, right? Thanks to Registrar Wang, we have the privilege to gather here for industry matters. Miss Song must get accustomed to this."
Registrar Wang, the host, didnât speak, and neither did Old Master Yan, the oldest and most revered one, while he appeared unwarrantedly chirpy.
Song Jiyun turned her head, her gaze brimming with smiles as she slowly replied, "Indeed, it is my first time at West Ridge Villa. Although itâs just a glimpse of the whole, the scenery here truly lives up to its reputation, and the Little Snow Hall is exceptionally themed; however..."
Pausing for a moment and noticing that everyoneâs attention had turned to her, she continued with a smile, "It seems to me that the dishes, bowls, and cups in this hall should be white. I was curious, so I took a few extra glances."
The eyes of the crowd immediately fell upon the tea service.
Green Glaze blue and white porcelain.
The porcelain was delicate, the colors subtle, a clear mark of experts, fully representing the ceramic technology of Jingde Town.
It was perfectly appropriate for this setting.
But Song Jiyun, who had managed to thwart Song Daliang and Song Sanliang, must also be far from ordinary.
Some pricked up their ears to listen while others watched Li Zixiu.
Li Zixiu, as expected, scoffed, "I know your family can produce white porcelain thatâs as white as frost, but isnât that made for the Imperial Kiln Factory?"
Before he could finish, his face changed drastically.
He had forgotten that the Song Family Kiln Factory, apart from white porcelain, had also started making sweet white porcelain. According to the unsaid rules of the industry, the best porcelain should be offered to the Imperial Kiln Factory first, but the rejected pieces, with permission from the Imperial Kiln Factory, could be freely made.
By saying so, Song Jiyun had made it clear that she intended to start producing white everyday porcelain on a large scale.
If he could come to this realization, so could everyone else.
The so-called "white porcelain" on the market was not truly white; they were either greenish bean-green, bluish sky-blue, or whitish with a tint of green.
Instantly, someone smiled at Song Jiyun, "Itâs a pity I wasnât present at your kiln opening that day, otherwise I would have seen what sweet white porcelain looks like. However, I have had the privilege of seeing your familyâs white porcelainâbright and flawless, pure and delicate indeed, a truly rare treasure."
Someone else immediately chimed in, "I wonder what the Head of the Song Family plans for the future? Is there a possibility for our two families to collaborate? Our specialty is making Alum-Red Porcelain. A touch of Alum-Red on pure white porcelain would surely be stunning."
Then, another laughed, "Give it a rest! If the Head of the Song Family were to collaborate, it would be to make blue and white porcelain! Blue and white pigments are stable, yielding a higher success rate! If you make Alum-Red, you might end up like Song Daliang, with a whole kiln of losses."
The room erupted into boisterous laughter.
The person wanted to say something more, but Registrar Wang coughed heavily twice and laughed, "Letâs stick to the matter at hand, to the matter at hand. How you plan to collaborate is your own business; find your own place to discuss it. Donât use my venue to pursue your private interests."
Everyone laughed again.
Only Li Zixiu furrowed his brows into the shape of the character "ĺˇ."
However, by that time, no one was paying attention to him anymore.
Registrar Wang invited everyone to move to the adjacent hall, "Just some simple dishes to fill your stomachs."
But those "simple dishes" to fill the stomachs werenât exactly cheap.
Song Jiyun thought to herself, as she was ushered by Old Master Yan to sit by his side.
Those who were quick-witted flattered Registrar Wang, "If this is what you call a simple dish, then we must be eating chaff on usual days. Not to mention," the person pointed at a Chrysanthemum fish dish on the table, "isnât this fish made with Mandarin fish?"
Liang County didnât produce Mandarin fish; the countyâs supply came all the way from Jiujiang. And at that time, transportation was exceedingly expensive. To make Chrysanthemum fish delicious, one must use live fish. This seemingly simple dish must have taken a lot of effort behind the scenes.
Registrar Wang, smiling, pinched his beard, appearing humble but actually proud as he said, "Donât be shy, everyone, try it and see how it tastes!"
Then, as if something just occurred to him, he turned to his attendant, "Bring over the Jinhua Wine that someone gave me a few days ago." He then said to everyone, "Itâs a rare fine wine. Someone specially brought it from Hangzhou in order to flatter the Inspector General and the Inspector General. I intercepted a small bottle."
Everyone chuckled knowingly and insisted that they must try the wine no matter what.
When the attendant brought over the wine, Old Master Yan also poured half a cup for Song Jiyun and said, "You try some too, and along the way, toast to Registrar Wang. But donât overindulge."
In her lifetime, Song Jiyun often drank with her father and had some tolerance for alcohol; she wasnât afraid of it. Feeling Old Master Yanâs kindness, she obediently thanked him and prudently drank only half a cup.
Fortunately, none of those present made things difficult for her.
Perhaps because everyone felt that this meal was rather "expensive," they disregarded Registrar Wangâs displeased expression and drank like thirsty oxen, finishing the Jinhua Wine and then boisterously calling for more Dense Liquor with slurred tongues.
Song Jiyun, seeing that this would not end anytime soon, took the opportunity to toast Registrar Wang.
Registrar Wang was somewhat dissatisfied and pointed to the shallow layer in Song Jiyunâs tea cup, "Youâre really not giving face! You must finish it."
Well, the taste of the wine was indeed quite good.
Song Jiyun finished her drink.
Registrar Wang was insistent, had his attendant bring over a bottle of Dense Liquor, and demanded that she accompany them for three more rounds.
Old Master Yan intervened to smooth things over, reducing three rounds to just one.
In todayâs business scene, the drinking culture is unavoidable, and Song Jiyun, who managed the Song Family Kiln Factory, couldnât escape such occasions.
She couldnât always rely on others to help her out.
But she also couldnât just drink easily, or else others might think she was someone who could be easily persuaded to drink; theyâd urge her even more when she didnât want to.
"This is the first time Iâve joined everyone at the table since taking charge of the Song Family Kiln Factory," she said, after a few polite remarks, lifting her cup, "I toast to Lord Wang!"
She downed the contents of her cup first.
The crowd applauded and cheered.
Registrar Wang also seemed very satisfied.
Old Master Yan was still a bit worried and signaled the servant boy to bring her a cup of tea with rock sugar and tremella soup.
Song Jiyun took a few sips of the tremella soup, but she immediately sensed that something was amiss.
Her head was spinning, and the scene before her eyes blurred into double images.
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