Song Jiyun thought just so.
She couldn’t help but admire Wang Hua’s shrewdness, giving him an approving glance.
Wang Hua puffed out his chest proudly.
Zhou Zheng quickly understood as well. He smiled and said, "I’ll go handle it right away."
Song Jiyun nodded and returned to Pocket Alley.
In the following days, she did not go out, either drawing designs, researching materials, or walking in circles in the courtyard to relax and take a break.
It wasn’t until there was news from Diagonal Street’s Ertiao Hutong that they had fired a kiln according to Song Jiyun’s requirements and achieved a fifty percent success rate.
Song Jiyun was quite pleased.
Zheng Quan even said, "The younger generation of the Song Family Kiln Factory has indeed established themselves."
Traditional kiln factories were like this, valuing the passage of skills from one generation to the next. As long as there was someone capable in the younger generation, the kiln factory would survive at least twenty years.
Song Jiyun and Zheng Quan headed over to Ertiao Hutong, and Song Jiyun pondered aloud, "What do you think about opening a school in Jingde Town specifically to teach others about porcelain firing?"
That way, they could gather more exceptional talent.
Zheng Quan hesitated and said, "The old master also had this idea when he was alive, but craftsmanship is the livelihood of every master, they won’t easily teach others. If the Song Family’s skills were opened up to outsiders, with many mouths comes chaos, surely someone will think of a way to teach others. In the end, it would be the Song Family that suffers. Unless the masters from other kiln factories can also bring out their family’s skills, and those who have learned keep the secrets."
This wasn’t something that could be accomplished in a day or two.
Song Jiyun smiled and said, "There will definitely be difficulties, it’s all about whether we can seize the opportunity to do this."
Zheng Quan had great faith in her. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "I trust your judgment. I’ll do whatever you ask."
Song Jiyun laughed heartily.
When they arrived at Ertiao Hutong, they found that Master Xiao Xiang, Master Xiao Guo, and others were gathered around the kiln mouth discussing.
Upon seeing her approach, everyone bowed respectfully. Master Xiao Xiang and Master Xiao Guo discussed the porcelain firing with her, "Although the weather is dry, we reduced the drying time for the greenware, as well as the firing time."
Master Xiao Xiang picked up a cracked small bowl and showed her the markings, "This is a bowl we dried for seven days, and it cracked upon firing. I think we should fire the plain bisque first and then apply the glaze. The success rate would surely be higher."
Master Xiao Guo added from the side, "We also don’t know exactly what type of porcelain the palace wants. What if they want sweet white porcelain or similar monochrome glazed ones?"
These were porcelain pieces with only one color.
Firing such porcelain in a single kiln would save more time and costs.
Song Jiyun smiled and said, "We are not doing this for sale. Not to mention for the nobles in the palace, even if it’s for the Imperial Kiln Factory, when have we ever calculated the costs?"
Master Xiao Guo embarrassingly scratched his head.
Master Xiao Xiang went and fetched a cracked, one-meter tall Guanyin statue and said, "Owner, we thought, since the Empress Dowager is also advancing in years, perhaps they might ask us to fire something like Guanyin statues, so we tried firing one. But look, the facial features of this Buddha are too rounded, not as good-looking as those fired from jade porcelain."
Song Jiyun thought for a moment and said, "Then let’s fire both types of clay. Let’s prepare comprehensively."
The two young masters agreed, and a group of people squatted again at the kiln mouth, which had been half-dug, to discuss the reasons for various successes and failures in firing.
They talked until it was time to light the lamps.
It was definitely too late to return to the city, so the steward at the site ordered several tables of food from a local restaurant.
Zhou Zheng entered the courtyard with the restaurant’s shop assistant who delivered the food.
Before he even stood still, he shouted to Song Jiyun, "Owner, owner. I have good news."
Song Jiyun came out of the side room used as a study on the west side of the main house.
Zhou Zheng excitedly began to speak while standing with her on the steps of the main house, "Just as you predicted. Lord Qin loves his wine, hence his favorite thing is to collect various wine cups. Therefore, he has opened a distillery outside the Eastern Suburb. Many who wish to curry favor with him either send him fine wines or wine utensils. This is well known to everyone in the Capital City."
Song Jiyun smiled and said, "Tomorrow, go to Fang County, find a goldsmith and order twelve gold wine cups. The cups needn’t be big, what matters is that they should be heavy. Then go to that distillery opened by Lord Qin, buy the most expensive wine by two cartloads, and send them together to Qin Mansion."
Zhou Zheng, understanding her plan, grinned and agreed cheerfully.
After they had finished dinner, Song Jiyun and Master Xiao Guo continued to talk about porcelain under the light of lanterns while Zhou Zheng headed for Fang County overnight.
Once the wine cups were ready, he went to Qin Mansion and conspicuously displayed the distillery’s emblem.
The people at Qin Mansion, upon seeing this, accepted his red envelope and let him in. Upon meeting Qin Mansion’s steward, he tactfully explained his purpose. The steward hesitated and said, "Our master hasn’t returned yet, I need to report this to him first."
Zhou Zheng flattered the steward a great deal before taking his leave, then rushed to Pocket Alley.
Song Jiyun had already finished drawing designs for the Manufacturing Office and was making final revisions.
Upon hearing about what had happened, she laughed and said, "Someone should be looking for you in a couple of days, just handle it carefully when the time comes."
Zhou Zheng smiled and agreed, "Yes."
Song Jiyun then showed him the designs she had drawn, "What do you think?"
The Manufacturing Office had asked for twelve designs, but Song Jiyun had drawn thirty-six. She had categorized them by different styles and colors, forming three major themes and nine minor themes, which could further be combined into The Twenty-Eight Constellations.
She expressed regret, "It’s a pity we don’t have more time; otherwise, drawing a few more would have allowed for greater selection."
Zhou Zheng, looking at the designs, was deeply impressed.
Song Jiyun’s floral drawings did not use traditional branch folding flowers but instead employed numerous vines adorned with intricately blossoming flowers; the auspicious patterns she drew emphasized progressive layers, which at first glance looked like Baoflower but frequently incorporated diamonds, squares, and circles, more solemn and magnificent; the figures she drew were even more daring, all were Buddhist figures, and she even drew One Hundred and Eight Arhats.
"This," he wanted to praise but momentarily found himself at a loss for words, "if they don’t choose these, they are blind. If we take them back for firing, they will definitely sell for a sky-high price."
Song Jiyun also felt it was quite a feat and pointed to the One Hundred and Eight Arhats, "I think they will probably each pick a few. Once I resign from the task at the Manufacturing Office, I will go back and ponder carefully, maybe firing an Eight Hundred Arhats porcelain dish, creating a masterpiece for the Kiln Factory."
"Hmm!" Zhou Zheng nodded repeatedly.
Zheng Quan entered hesitantly.
Song Jiyun laughed, "What’s the matter with you?"
After a moment of thought, Zheng Quan replied, "I just went to Antique Street to buy you some pigments, and I heard people at the teahouse there say that Young Master Yuan’s family is widely distributing name cards, claiming they will air Buddhist scriptures on June 6 and have invited high monks to hold a prayer meeting at Tanzhe Temple, but the real purpose is to find a wife for Young Master Yuan. Many families friendly with the Yuan Family have received invitations. Famous tailors in the Capital City can’t even keep up with the orders these days."
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