Even though the sky was dimly lit and the sun had not fully risen, the Cyan Flower Kiln and the Inch Gold Kiln were already bustling for a while.
Whether it's firing porcelain or bricks, once the ford pieces are loaded into the kiln and the kiln door is sealed, the process cannot be interrupted.
Night and day supervision is needed, constantly adding wood to the fire, as any slight negligence might spoil the entire batch.
"Brother Bai, you might think that 'porcelain' is more valuable than 'bricks,' but our losses are so heavy that it's akin to the saying 'the success of one general results in the sacrifice of thousands'; the actual net profit might not be as high as Old Chao, who deals with officials year-round.
He only fires up his kiln twice a year, enough for his whole family's sustenance, while here we work tirelessly throughout all four seasons, utterly exhausting."
Upon learning that Bai Qi was coming up the mountain, Lu Shiping, the Cyan Flower Kiln Head, hurriedly set out to greet him.
Firstly, he couldn't neglect the disciple of the instructor, and secondly, after witnessing this youngster's lethal skills last night, since even his own master appreciated him, he naturally had to show courtesy too.
"Is it true that the Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain fired by Master Lu yields few successful pieces due to the unsolved issue of smoke intrusion?"
Bai Qi walked around the kiln site, seeing large jars stacked like mountains, and due to his previous life's experience with ancient artifacts and porcelain, he was sowhat familiar with this field.
"Brother Bai is truly knowledgeable, even understanding the insider jargon of the porcelain shop."
Lu Shiping was greatly surprised, his tone beca more sincere; artisans often dislike talking to outsiders who rarely understand their language, making encounters with soone knowledgeable rare:
"Frankly, in a single kiln, if three-tenths of the cased pots co out perfectly, it's a blessing from heaven. Even with over a decade of mastering skills alongside my master, at most I can raise it to four and a half-tenth under ideal conditions."
Bai Qi pondered briefly, then suddenly said:
"Master Lu, have you considered trying a different kiln design? In my view, the issue with smoke intrusion might not be in the craftsmanship but in the difficulty of controlling the firepower.
Especially with the Cyan Flower Kiln extending back and forth along the topography like a dragon lying across, moving the hearth in the middle can inevitably cause color changes on the glaze and body due to air entering the kiln rooms."
You, a practitioner, are giving advice on firing porcelain?
Initially, Lu Shiping didn't pay much attention. Climbing up from being a kiln worker to the current position of Kiln Head required years of honing his exquisite skills.
It was like an heirloom of a martial arts hall being critiqued by a re beginner of miscellaneous tasks, if it were his own master's temper, he would probably turn his back imdiately.
But listening further, this kiln master, with half a lifeti of porcelain firing experience, started to beco serious, his eyes gleaming.
Much like a starving ghost seeing a naked beauty bathing, he pushed aside the utterly bewildered He Jingfeng:
"Brother Bai, tell more!"
Bai Qi contemplated for a while; firing porcelain relies heavily on the kiln fire, making the kiln itself critically important.
The Dragon Kiln excels in its simple structure, high firepower, rapid temperature rise, and high output, but cannot ensure top quality.
This is why celadon is scarce, sotis even dubbed as "secret color porcelain."
A slight temperature deviation causes the greenish glaze to get contaminated and mixed with other colors.
Though a kiln runs all year without stopping, producing only a dozen pieces, adding to its rarity.
"When Master Lu has ti, it might be worthwhile to gather kiln workers or villagers to try building a small kiln, splitting it into two chambers, with the front larger than the back, wide in front and narrow at the back, short in front and long at the back, resembling a gourd. This way, the firepower is concentrated and more suitable for firing the Yuan Blue-and-White glazes."
Bai Qi gestured a few tis and picked up a branch to sketch a rough shape, as he had another idea for an "egg kiln," with an even simpler structural design.
A kiln with a chimney, quick firing, quick cooling, using pine wood as fuel, provides clean flas, making it easiest to produce top-quality porcelain.
But good things must be savored slowly, explaining everything at once would be like stuffing Lu Shiping with a whole fruit, which wouldn't be aningful.
"Hmm, it does seem feasible. I'd better build one tomorrow following Brother Bai's advice, and see how it turns out!"
Lu Shiping, being an experienced kiln master with a keen eye, pondered it over and found the idea ingenious.
He had previously been limited by his thinking, only considering materials like ceramic stone and kaolin, never thinking to start from remodeling the kiln.
Damn, aren't you a Fisherman?!
And you know pottery too?!
The entirely non-existent He Jingfeng frowned deeply, watching Bai Qi and Lu Shiping converse happily, an odd thought of "I shouldn't be here" unexpectedly erged.
But showing a clueless deanor would make him seem quite ignorant, wouldn't it?
So, the Seventh Young Master He forcibly joined the conversation, nodding as he listened, occasionally chiming in with phrases like "I see" to support the discussion.
"Firing a kiln is costly, and a single kiln takes four non-stop days, consuming countless logs, and it's not dried wood but semi-dried pinewood... If we can open up Chai Market and combine it with the Fishery's waterways, to create a trade route, we might not need to look up to the high-status families of Yihai Prefecture."
Bai Qi seed like he was surveying a project, visiting the Cyan Flower Kiln and the Inch Gold Kiln, contemplating in his mind.
In his view, if the three major families of Black River County were willing to join hands, they could establish a fourteenth trade organization, freeing themselves from the constraints of the He Family and Zhu Family.
"Brother Bai, we've been walking and stopping for a whole hour, yet we haven't even t Master Li."
He Jingfeng was used to traveling in a sedan chair or on horseback, but walking around the mountain kilns with Bai Qi felt like a living hell.
"Doesn't this show our sincerity? According to you, Master Li hasn't taken any projects for years, let alone sothing as significant as making the base of a magical artifact, how could he agree so easily?"
Bai Qimindlessly brushed off the Seventh Young Master He, continuing to plan the industry restructure of Black River County.
Sputtering along, when the sun had climbed high, the group finally arrived at the Big Punishnt Kiln.
Under the rows of long sheds built with black tiles, were nurous iron-smiths, bare-chested and hamring away.
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