Song Tao finally sat down on the Taishi Chair in the accountant’s office.
She summoned Song Ren and said to him with a smile, "Let us fire up the Dragon Kiln once more."
Song Ren was surprised and asked, "But where will we find a kiln building master craftsman?"
Song Jiyun replied with a smile, "The people who helped us build the Dragon Kiln before!"
Song Ren hesitated and said, "Do you mean, those who were driven out by the Changjiang Gang?"
Song Jiyun nodded with a smile, "Since they have nowhere else to go, they might as well join us. Our kiln factory could use another kiln repairing and building master."
"But they’re either dead or crippled," Song Ren was not very supportive, but because Song Tao was his owner, there were some things he couldn’t express too clearly, "Even if we keep them to work in the kiln factory as kiln repairers, I’m afraid they won’t be able to contribute much. Moreover, it might easily be criticized and some losses are not worth the gain."
Song Tao was somewhat displeased, but she had no one more capable than Song Ren by her side.
She tried her best to persuade him, "Now the Hong Family has entrusted me with the kiln factory, and if I don’t achieve some accomplishments, the days ahead will only get tougher. This choice is also a necessity."
She continued, "Who doesn’t employ some tactics in business! Take my second uncle for example, when he first started in the kiln business, he also poached several master craftsmen from other kilns."
Song Ren felt something was off in his heart after listening, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. He could only vaguely agree with Song Tao and said, "Miss, don’t worry too much. I am now familiar with the steward and servant boys in Eunuch Wan’s residence, and the chief steward has already agreed to help arrange for you to see Eunuch Wan again. It’s just that these days Eunuch Wan has been busy sending gifts to the palace, he hasn’t had time to deal with other matters, which is why there has been a delay." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
Song Tao was quite curious.
Song Ren lowered his voice and said, "It is said that Prince Ning was reprimanded by the Emperor, and a third of Prince Ning’s Mansion’s banner guards were cut, including Eunuch Wan and the eunuch who repaired the Taoist temple for the Emperor at Dragon Tiger Mountain were also impeached. Eunuch Wan is scared to death, desperately sending things to the palace!"
"Why didn’t you tell me earlier!" Song Tao said anxiously, "Adding flowers to the brocade can’t compare to sending charcoal in the snow? You hurry to the accountant and withdraw a thousand taels, no, five thousand taels of silver to send to the Wan residence, saying it is a respectful gift from me to him."
At this point, she gritted her teeth and continued, "I also have a set of tri-colored Overglaze Enamel tea set here, send it along too."
Song Ren hesitated, "Isn’t that too much? We only have ten thousand taels of silver in our account right now. They are still from the recent sacrificial white porcelain sales."
When Old Master Hong left that day, Song Tao only kept three thousand taels of silver for turnover, and the rest was taken by Old Master Hong.
Song Tao smiled and said, "I have it figured out. You just follow my instructions and make sure things are handled properly."
As long as they could fire porcelain, the kiln factory was a money tree, and how many gold ingots it would shed depended entirely on her mood.
She seized the opportunity to complain to Song Ren, "Otherwise, how could I say to fire up another Dragon Kiln?"
This time Song Ren no longer opposed and quickly went to the accountant’s office.
Song Tao, busy with various tasks, finally managed to persuade those Changjiang people whose limbs had been broken and who had been expelled from the gang. She hired a brick and tile craftsman from another place, signed a deed of death, and began to build the Dragon Kiln.
The cobalt blue glaze required for firing the porcelain was still stolen from Yan Ji—Old Master Wang of Yan Ji had sold fake glaze material to others by passing it off as high quality, got sued, and was locked up. Yan Ji, to compensate others for their losses, started to unload the glaze materials at low prices.
Madam Wang moved a stool and sat every day at the shop’s doorway cursing Li Zixiu.
She claimed Old Master Wang had fallen for Li Zixiu’s scam.
Li Zixiu won’t die a good death!
Li Zixiu also sent people out to refute the rumor.
He said that he had nothing to do with the matter, adding that it wasn’t the first time Old Master Wang had bought fake glaze materials. Previously, the shocked glaze from Song Family Kiln Factory, wasn’t it purchased from Yan Ji?
After finding out, Song Family Kiln Factory stepped forward to debunk the rumors.
Before the Shocked Glaze incident, the glaze materials sold by Yan Ji had no issues, and they had collaborated for decades with utmost pleasure. Following the Shocked Glaze, they switched to using the glaze materials from Xing Family’s store, and as for Yan Ji’s affairs, Song Family Kiln Factory was unaware.
The newly rising Xing Family took this opportunity to buy a large amount of Yan Ji’s glaze materials at a low price.
In their words, they specialized in glaze materials. To others, all the glazes might look indistinguishably grey, but they could immediately identify what was Cobalt Blue and what was Cobalt Blue Glazed. After carefully distinguishing these glazes after purchase, they were ready to sell them. They even resolved the encirclement around Yan Ji, benefiting twice over. Why not do it?
The Wang Family was so angry they could spit blood, but they had to admit that the other party indeed saved their business.
Song Tao didn’t concern herself with these disputes. She said to Song Ren, "Song Jiyun is full of tricks and deceptions. Just listen to these things and don’t take them too seriously. It’s possible that it’s all her mischief behind the scenes."
Song Ren had a rather good impression of Song Jiyun. Setting everything else aside, her porcelain-making skills were ranked among the best in Jingde Town.
People with skills are always more respected.
This time, Song Tao’s firing of the Dragon Kiln was a grand event. She not only invited Chairman Ma, Old Master Yan, and others to the ceremony but also invited Magistrate Jiang.
However, Magistrate Jiang didn’t come, sending a Legal Advisor instead.
But in the eyes of the people of Jingde Town, this was already a great honor.
The kiln firing also went well.
Out of more than five thousand pieces of blue and white porcelain, over four thousand were successfully fired, nearly matching the success rate of Song Jiyun’s products.
Old Grand Master Hong, as the Owner, was grinning from ear to ear, distributing many red envelopes.
Chairman Ma also remarked, "It truly is a case of the new generation replacing the old. Looking at Boss Song from Song Family Kilin Factory and the third young mistress of your kiln factory, we are all getting old!"
"The dual rise of the Songs is also a splendid tale for Jingde Town!" someone flattered Old Grand Master Hong.
Even some who previously had a very bad impression of Song Daliang changed their views because of Song Tao, saying Song Daliang was "a bad bamboo shoot producing a fine bamboo."
Somehow, this phrase reached Song Daliang’s ears, and he came to the kiln factory to make a scene, demanding money from Song Tao.
Song Tao cried pitifully, reportedly giving all the silver she had on her to Song Daliang. Song Daliang, having some decency, didn’t pursue the matter further and left with the money.
But he also declared that he wanted to disown Song Tao.
Song Tao even tearfully pleaded at his door, but Song Daliang didn’t open it for her.
Her brother also accused her of being a traitor, blaming her for the sale of the Liangyu Kiln Factory to outsiders.
The "outsiders" from the Hong Family then stepped forward to speak for Song Tao, praising how filial, diligent, and kind-hearted she was... In short, Song Daliang was a villain who saw his daughter as nothing but a cash cow and was still unsatisfied.
If he insisted on severing ties with his daughter, the Hong Family would support Song Tao.
All over Jingde Town, there were rumors about Song Tao.
When Xiang Zhan turned this affair into a joke to tell Song Jiyun, she was firing the seventh kiln’s Alum-Red.
"However, everyone sympathizes with the third mistress," she cheerfully said as she helped Song Jiyun wash her hands, "saying it’s better to have no father at all than such a father. They also said the third mistress should just quickly marry someone. At home, a woman follows her father; married, she follows her husband. Then the Great Master wouldn’t have any reason to trouble the third mistress."
Song Jiyun listened and smiled, saying, "Who knows?"
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