"Great-uncle really thinks I’m a fool?!" Song Jiyun sneered, "You lose the bet and kowtow to me three times, then let others accuse me of disrespecting my elders; I lose and hand over the kiln factory to you, giving you a chunk of family wealth for nothing. Could there really be such a good deal in the world?"
Song Daliang still cared about face in front of Eunuch Wan.
He was instantly red-faced and embarrassed.
He felt confident about the bet and never intended to take advantage of Song Jiyun. It was just one thing leading to another until they arrived at this point.
However, Song Jiyun’s words had stirred something in him, and greed started to grow.
If he could seize this opportunity to take over the Song Family Kiln Factory...
He couldn’t help but point at Song Jiyun and say, "What would you like to do?"
Song Jiyun seemed to be infuriated by his words, and spoke harshly, "If you have the courage, let’s make a big bet—if I lose, I’ll give you the kiln factory; if you lose, you leave the Song family, no longer a member, expelled! Do you dare?"
Everyone was shocked, and the hall fell silent.
Song Daliang’s eyes lit up.
It was as if heaven itself was helping him!
"Fine!" he suppressed the joy in his heart and said, "Don’t say I bullied you. Let’s agree to this deal!"
But verbal agreements aren’t solid, and he felt this wasn’t secure enough.
He looked around furtively, and his gaze quickly settled on Eunuch Wan.
"My lord!" he said, like someone grasping at a lifeline, and hurriedly bowed to Eunuch Wan, "You must witness this for us!"
A hint of greed flashed in Eunuch Wan’s eyes.
Song Daliang had promised him that if the Sacrificial White Porcelain project succeeded, Eunuch Wan would own half of Song Daliang’s kiln factory.
Goods won from this wager should count as well, right?
His voice sounded a bit shrill as he said, "I can be a witness, but you both must keep your word, otherwise, where would I put my face?"
"Certainly, certainly!" Song Daliang hurriedly promised.
Song Jiyun, however, seemed to suddenly come to her senses and began to hesitate.
Song Daliang’s heart skipped a beat and he urged her, "When it comes to fighting for family property, you’re no different from a man. But when it’s time for you to make decisions, you start acting like a lady. If that’s the case, you might as well go back to the inner house to embroider, leave the kiln factory for others to manage, and not lose face for my second brother, ruining his reputation for a lifetime."
Song Jiyun’s teeth clenched with a "zing zing" sound, "Bet then! I’m not afraid of you. Just make sure you don’t go back on your word later!"
"In front of Lord Wan, who would dare go back on their word!" Song Daliang retorted mercilessly.
Eunuch Wan even said, "Rest assured, in Jingde Town, no one dares to disgrace me."
Song Jiyun’s smile seemed somewhat forced.
Seeing this, Song Daliang felt exhilarated, as if he had drunk a bowl of chilled green bean soup on a hot summer’s day, deeply refreshed. He even brought out a pair of plum vases and placed them on the square table in front of the Main Hall for everyone to admire, "Once they come out of the kiln, we’ll be able to compare!"
Eunuch Wan laughed heartily.
Gu Qing and the others, however, were clenching their fists tightly, their faces pale.
Luo Zixing ran in excitedly, "Young Mistress, Young Mistress, the north wind has started to blow, the temperature has dropped!"
The temperature inside the kiln needed to cool naturally, a process that usually took two or three days.
However, when the weather cooled down, it could shorten the time, allowing the kiln to be opened earlier.
Not just Song Jiyun, even Eunuch Wan and the others couldn’t help but look outside the hall.
Unbeknownst to them, the sky had darkened, the wind had picked up, and the tree branches rustled loudly.
Song Jiyun’s mood, however, was bright.
She asked Luo Zixing, "Can we open the kiln now?"
Luo Zixing nodded incessantly, "Originally, we’d have to wait another Shichen, but I just felt the kiln bricks, and the temperature has already dropped."
Song Daliang’s expression was indistinctly troubled.
But Eunuch Wan stood up and said, "Let’s go, let’s have a look!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Song Daliang immediately hustled to Eunuch Wan’s side, escorting him to the Sacrificial White Porcelain Workshop.
Song Jiyun lagged behind a few steps and quietly asked Luo Zixing, "Where is Young Master Yuan?"
If it wasn’t for his assistance with the firing, this kiln wouldn’t have been so successful.
She wanted him to share in the joy of opening the kiln.
Luo Zixing slapped his forehead in annoyance and said, "Young Master Yuan is not awake yet; I’m going to send someone to fetch him."
Yuan Yunzhong had been helping with controlling the fire these past few days, and only went to rest after the fire in the kiln had been extinguished.
"Then forget it!" Song Jiyun glanced at Eunuch Wan and subconsciously didn’t want Yuan Yunzhong to bow to a person like Eunuch Wan, "We’ll talk about it after he wakes up."
Luo Zixing and she were on the same page; he feigned a careless look, and no one went to call Yuan Yunzhong. The group followed Eunuch Wan to the workshop where the Sacrificial White Porcelain was being fired.
The kiln workers of the Sacrificial White Porcelain Workshop were all gathered around the kiln, eagerly waiting for it to be opened.
Seeing Song Jiyun accompanying Eunuch Wan over, they hurriedly knelt to the side.
Song Jiyun stood by Eunuch Wan in front of the kiln.
Luo Zixing, raising his voice, shouted, "Open the kiln!"
The bricklayer carefully pried off the bricks, one by one.
Under the thick ash were sagger fragments like ruins.
Everyone held their breath in silent anticipation.
Luo Zixing, with trembling hands, went inside.
He stooped his back and gently parted the saggers, remaining silent for a long moment.
It must be a failure, right?
Song Daliang thought gleefully.
If even one piece had turned out successfully, Luo Zixing wouldn’t be this calm.
But he was eager to know the outcome, involuntarily standing on tiptoe.
He saw Luo Zixing, as if mad, frantically digging through the shattered pieces of saggers.
Song Daliang’s heart burst with joy.
It seemed the firing hadn’t gone well this time.
If the kiln was empty, that would be perfect.
The Kiln Factory would be his! And the Imperial Kiln Factory’s orders as well!
Song Jiyun, after all, was too inexperienced to compete with him.
Struggling to contain his smile, he stepped down from his tiptoes and calmly stood behind Eunuch Wan.
Luo Zixing suddenly turned around.
"Miss!" Tears streamed down his face.
Everyone’s hearts lifted with anticipation.
"They’re perfect! They’re perfect!" he murmured, then shouted loudly, "Miss, they turned out perfect! We’ve succeeded!"
The leaden clouds above dispersed, and sunlight beamed down once more.
It shone on Luo Zixing’s face, wet with tears yet unable to hide his excitement.
He stepped to the side.
Under the sun, atop the coarse debris of broken ceramic, lay a sheen like jade.
The crowd buzzed with astonishment.
They all wanted to squeeze in for a closer look, but watching Eunuch Wan and the others, they dared not.
So they could only gaze dumbfoundedly at Song Jiyun and the rest.
Song Daliang was completely stunned.
Eunuch Wan, however, stared wide-eyed and stumbled towards it, "What is this?"
Amidst the rough pottery shards, the pristine and radiant bowls and dishes were like pearls and jade, their exquisiteness making one feel inferior, too precious to be carelessly touched.
Compared to Song Daliang’s plum vase, these had a warmer, more understated hue.
Like flowing frosting sugar.
Eunuch Wan, ignoring the blackish-grey coal ash everywhere, squatted down and carefully picked up a small bowl.
As sunlight passed through, the walls of the bowl were so thin and translucent that the shadow of his fingers holding the bowl could be seen.
A world-class masterpiece.
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