Song Daliang was neither willing to divide the family branch nor willing to leave the clan. But with the clan elders of the Song Family before him, Eunuch Wan behind him, and Song Tao having persuaded Madam Wang, who also felt splitting the branch was better, no matter how unwilling and dissatisfied Song Daliang was, the kiln factory still depended on Madam Wang’s dowry to operate. After much thought, he ultimately chose to divide the family branch.
However, for the dignity of the Song family, they would wait until after the forty-ninth day following Song Youliang’s death before opening the ancestral hall to formally separate Song Daliang’s branch.
Song Daliang was so suffocated with frustration that after sending off Eleventh Grand Master Song and others, he ran out to drink and indulge in pleasure.
On the other hand, in the quarters of Madam Qian from the Song family’s second branch, the lamps were brightly lit. The Flower Hall, where guests were received, would occasionally burst into a peal of joyous laughter.
"Is this the new porcelain called ’sweet white’ that you were talking about?" Sitting on an Arhat bed, Madam Qian kept examining the sweet white porcelain flower holder that Song Jiyun had brought back, remarking contentedly, "No wonder Eunuch Wan chose it as the new sacrificial white porcelain! It really is pure and elegantly simple, even more beautiful than the white porcelain that the master made!"
Sitting on her left, Song Jiyun smiled and pointed at the rouge boxes of sweet white porcelain on the small table beside the bed, "These are the ones I made for you and your sisters, even thinner than this one. Do you like them? I can make some other pieces for you next time."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qian put down the seal paste box she was holding and instructed Nanny Zheng to pick a sweet white porcelain rouge box for both Song Jiyu and Song Jixue, saying, "Put the rest into my storage room. I will give them as festival gifts to families like those of Prince Ning’s Mansion, Prince Huai’s Mansion, or Registrar Wang."
It also served as a way to promote their family’s new white porcelain.
"There’s no need to skimp on what belongs to our Jiyu and Jixue," laughed Song Jiyun, "If you want to give gifts to someone, I’ll fire another batch in a couple of days."
Let Nanny Zheng divide the rouge boxes as planned.
Clutching a rouge box, Song Jixue threw herself into Song Jiyun’s arms and looked up at her with a face still slightly round with baby fat, asking excitedly, "Does that mean we no longer have to worry about someone taking over our family’s kiln factory?"
"Mhm!" Song Jiyun replied, lovingly stroking her little sister’s head.
These days, she had been so focused on preserving the property left by her father that she had forgotten to comfort her two younger sisters, who were still of a tender age.
She smiled at Song Jiyu, who was sitting opposite her.
Song Jiyu shyly expressed her thanks with a "Thank you, Big Sister."
Madam Qian looked on, her eyes brimming with a slight sting, thinking how much better it would be if Song Youliang were here.
She bowed her head, forcing back the tears, and then her concern shifted to Song Jiyun. "Your uncle has suffered a huge silent loss," she said. "He will surely not let this go. How the ’Jade Clay’ formula leaked out must be thoroughly investigated. I don’t even know this formula!"
Song Jiyun thought the same.
"Don’t worry," she reassured Madam Qian, "I have my plans."
Madam Qian nodded her head, saying with emotion, "Your uncle really outsmarted himself. If he hadn’t played dirty, you wouldn’t have taken the risk of firing new porcelain. You wouldn’t have retained the orders from the Imperial Kiln Factory, causing him to lose a fortune!"
At this, she brought her hands together and chanted, "Amitabha," then said, "Thankfully, the Bodhisattva blessed us, and our wishes were fulfilled!"
Song Jiyun, however, thought of Yuan Yunzhong.
Since she decided to take over the Song Family Kiln Factory, she had been hesitating about whether to fire sweet white porcelain.
From her knowledge of the future, it was the advent of sweet white porcelain that led to the later emergence of Doucai and Famille Rose Porcelain.
If Yuan Yunzhong had not told her at the kiln factory that the Arhat Painting was no longer in vogue, and that Guanyin statues were becoming popular, which their family was not skilled in painting, and if they did not innovate, they would eventually be eliminated, she would not have made up her mind to fire new porcelain.
But these were not things she could tell Madam Qian.
Her mother had always been hopeful of her having more interactions with Yuan Yunzhong, and revealing this would be like walking into a trap of her own making.
Nor was it something she could tell Yuan Yunzhong.
For fear of him becoming smug.
However, Madam Qian’s words were also a reminder to her.
"Tomorrow, the master from Gratitude Temple will discuss Father’s forty-ninth-day memorial with you," she said. "I won’t attend. Tomorrow, I need to visit Hong Mansion."
The Kiln Factory business had come to a pause, and it was time for her to personally thank Young Master Hong.
She had conveyed the matter regarding the clay to Madam Qian.
Madam Qian was so angry that she scolded Song Daliang thoroughly before telling her, "I, along with Nanny Zheng and Steward Wu, will take care of the household matters. You just go ahead and attend to your own business."
She also asked with concern, "Do you want me to help prepare a thank-you gift? Other items are easy to discuss, but a few days ago Tianzhuang sent over two baskets of early ripe autumn oranges. Why not send those to the Hong Family? If you want to eat some, I’ll have Tianzhuang send more over."
Their family’s early ripe autumn oranges were quite sour, but ’early’ was the point.
Song Jiyun didn’t enjoy eating them, so she hadn’t thought to give them away as presents.
However, sometimes, a light gift carries deep sentiment, and giving two baskets of autumn oranges could show a closer bond.
Still, she said to Madam Qian, "You just focus on your matters, I will discuss the thank-you gift with Steward Wu."
Madam Qian did not insist further. Seeing Song Jixue quietly yawning, she simply urged Song Jiyun to rest earlier: "There’s nothing serious with the Kiln Factory matters. You should also take this opportunity to get some good rest."
Song Jiyun felt like there were endless tasks awaiting her, but these were not necessary to inform Madam Qian about.
After exchanging a few intimate words with her mother, Song Jiyun stood up to take her leave.
Outside the courtyard, the moonlight was soft and dissolving, the shadows of trees swayed, and the night breeze gently wended its way.
Subconsciously, Song Jiyun pinched the small compass inside the pouch at her waist.
Ever since Eunuch Wan had left, she had been busy with orders from the Imperial Kiln Factory, to the extent that when Yuan Yunzhong visited, she hadn’t been able to have a proper conversation with him.
She wondered what Yuan Yunzhong thought about it?
As she pondered, Song Jiyun made her way to Yinyu Hall.
The dim yellow light of the study room warmly leaked through the silver-red Soft Misty Gauze-covered windows and gently fell onto the bluestone floor tiles in front of them.
Shao Qing, who came to open the door, jumped in surprise. While politely making way for her to enter, he expressed concern, "Why have you come? Has something happened?"
It was then that Song Jiyun realized that only the study’s light was on in Yinyu Hall.
The rest of the people must have retired for the night.
She was about to decline and plan a visit for the next day when Yuan Yunzhong came out wearing a moon-white fine cloth Taoist robe.
"What is it?" he asked, his brows furrowed.
The moonlight enveloped his body, adding an air of noble elegance to his already handsome features.
Song Jiyun, thinking that since she had already disturbed the people of Yinyu Hall, decided to straightforwardly proceed with the Xiang Zhan in tow.
She and Yuan Yunzhong sat down in the study.
Water stains still remained on the blue and white porcelain brush washer on the desk.
Had he been practicing calligraphy before she arrived?
Song Jiyun glanced at it and then took a peach-red Hangzhou silk pouch embroidered with tender yellow magnolia flowers from her sleeve and handed it to Yuan Yunzhong, "I was thinking we still have an Agarwood Carved Double Fish Pendant at home, so I made it into a fan pendant for Young Master Yuan."
Yuan Yunzhong’s dark eyes gazed steadily at her.
In the flickering candlelight, her reflection was clear, and it bore an unmistakable confusion.
Song Jiyun coughed uncomfortably and said warmly, "If it wasn’t for your fire lentils, the sweet white porcelain wouldn’t have fired so successfully. I made a promise to open the kiln with you, but I was unable to keep it. I was at fault. I hope you will be forgiving, Young Master."
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