Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

Chapter 88 The Kiln is Opened
When Han Ming and Zhang Jiefang saw Li Feng, they were somewhat surprised.

So Han Ming first asked Li Feng.

"Li Feng, so you're here! I thought you weren't at work yet or were in the cafeteria."

Zhang Jiefang nodded in agreement with what Han Ming had just said.

Li Feng smiled at the two of them.

"I just came to check if the board I drew yesterday has been fired yet."

Then Li Feng couldn't help but ask the two of them a question.

"That's right!"

"What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing this, Han Ming couldn't help but droop his face and complain to Li Feng.

"Why!".

"I was drafted by Master Deng again today. Isn't this to get us to fetch the porcelain slabs?"

Zhang Jiefang glanced at Han Ming and said somewhat irritably.

"Who told you to be chatting in the workshop and get caught by Master Deng?"

"Master Deng walked right behind you and you didn't even notice? What's wrong with your eyesight?"

"That's good, even I've been exiled here."

Upon hearing this, Li Feng couldn't help but offer some words of advice to the two of them.

"Coming here is not bad, isn't the kiln quite warm?"

At this moment, Han Ming seemed to notice that the kiln was quite warm, at least much warmer than the workshop.

In the workshop, the only way to keep warm is by burning charcoal.

However, it gets quite cold if you're a little far from the fire pit.

Painting is a mentally and technically demanding job, so it doesn't involve much physical activity.

They don't use a lot of strength to work like pottery wheels or pottery makers, so they generate very little heat.

Therefore, I felt cold.

If it's a matter of pulling or shaping the pottery, there's always the possibility of moving the pottery or using a lot of force to do something.

Therefore, it will generate a certain amount of heat.

At this moment, Han Ming opened his arms, felt them, and then said with some joy.

"yes!".

"Now that you mention it, it does feel quite warm."

“I didn’t come here much before.”

“When I’m painting famille rose porcelain, the porcelain fillers will take my paintings and fill them in. After that, I don’t have to worry about anything else. I just need to go to the porcelain filler workshop occasionally to help them finish the work.”

"I never imagined that after painting with Western colors, I would have to move the porcelain to the kiln."

"Sigh!" Han Ming said, then sighed.

Li Feng nodded. That's about it for pastel colors.

No need to come to the kiln here.

However, the pulled and trimmed pieces will still come to the kiln.

Upon hearing Han Ming's words, Zhang Jiefang offered words of comfort to Han Ming.

"Don't worry, we only move porcelain occasionally."

"At other times, we don't need to move the porcelain at all."

Han Ming asked Zhang Jiefang with some surprise.

"Why?".

Zhang Jiefang explained to Han Ming.

“Normally, in our new porcelain group, we have people who specialize in moving porcelain. The things we paint are moved by the general workers.”

"Think about it, after we move the porcelain, do you think our hands will shake?"

Han Ming thought for a moment, then nodded to Zhang Jiefang.

"Moving one or two should be fine."

"If you move too much, your hands will definitely shake."

“That’s it,” Zhang Jiefang said to Han Ming.

"you say!".

"How can we draw if our hands are shaky?"

Hearing this, Han Ming finally felt relieved.

After all, he didn't want to move porcelain all the time.

Li Feng listened from the side.

At this moment, Zhang Jiefang seemed to remember something, so he couldn't help but ask Li Feng.

"That's right!"

"Has the porcelain you painted yesterday been fired yet?"

Li Feng shook his head and answered Zhang Jiefang directly.

"The kiln hasn't been opened yet!"

"Yuan Xin just said there's still about an hour left."

Zhang Jiefang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"It's still so long..."

Han Ming nodded in agreement.

"yes!".

Li Feng pointed to the still-smoking kiln passage next to him.

"Look." "It's right here."

"The kiln master hasn't come to open the kiln yet."

"Yuan Xin just told me that the first one to be opened was the blue and white porcelain censer next to it."

Then Li Feng spoke to the two of them.

"Why don't you go back first?"

"I can move it back myself later."

Zhang Jiefang and Han Ming asked Li Feng with some concern.

"Can you manage on your own?"

Li Feng patted his shoulder and said...

"Don't forget, I used to be a potter."

"Moving a porcelain slab is no big deal, is it?"

It was only then that the two remembered that Li Feng had switched from pottery throwing to famille rose enamel.

Li Feng then added.

"Besides, I painted this porcelain plaque, and that's about it."

"Aren't you also going to paint Lang Shining's flowers and birds?"

"Lang Shining's flower and bird paintings are worth two yuan!"

So Zhang Jiefang nodded to Li Feng and said.

"Oh well".

"Then Han Ming and I will head back first!"

Li Feng nodded and said.

"Um!".

"You should go back first."

"Tell Master Deng that I'll stay here and keep watch."

After being persuaded by Li Feng, the two left the kiln.

About ten minutes after the two left, Yuan Xin followed the kiln master and some laborers to the blue and white porcelain kiln next to Li Feng.

Li Feng wisely stepped aside at this moment.

After all, they're doing something important.

I can't keep blocking their way.

At this moment, Li Feng saw Master Liang, who was firing the kiln, directing the workers to dismantle the kiln opening.

This was the first time Li Feng had ever seen a kiln being dismantled.

Dismantling the kiln opening involves using a flat steel bar with one end in a straight line to pry open the brickwork at the kiln opening, because the kiln opening is made of loess.

So all you need to do is knock off the loess.

The remaining bricks can be reused.

After about twenty minutes, the kiln door, which was about two meters long, was quickly pried open.

While prying open the door, Master Liang also checked the condition of the low-temperature ceramic tile next to it.

Then Master Liang had the laborers pry open the kiln for low-temperature porcelain.

Just as they were prying open the low-temperature porcelain kiln.

Taking advantage of this break, Li Feng glanced at the porcelain inside the blue-and-white kiln.

At this moment, Li Feng was standing at the entrance of the blue and white porcelain kiln.

Li Feng felt waves of heat.

Li Feng couldn't help but think to himself, "No wonder it's blue and white porcelain fired at a thousand degrees."

Even though it's been closed for so long, it's still so hot inside.

At this moment, Li Feng looked at the various blue and white porcelain pieces displayed inside, arranged in different ways.

The blue and white porcelain inside is not arranged neatly; in fact, it could be described as somewhat messy.

But that's how it has to be arranged.

This result was obtained through numerous experiments by the kiln masters.

The purpose of this is to ensure that the firing temperature reaction and the shape characteristics of the vessel are considered, so the pieces cannot be arranged neatly.

Moreover, in order to save as much space as possible and fire more porcelain, the placement of the pieces is somewhat strange.

At this moment, Li Feng saw several blue and white porcelain plaques, painted with flowers and birds.

Li Feng looked at the leaves of the flower above and saw a very obvious transition.

Just like a flower being illuminated by the sun.

Li Feng was somewhat surprised when he saw this.

At this point, he wondered if blue and white porcelain could also achieve this effect.

Li Feng knew that there was a technique in blue and white porcelain called Fen Shui, which had the same effect as Cai Xiang.

However, Li Feng felt that the Fen River was more difficult to cultivate than the Cai Xiang River.

At this time, Li Feng had only seen the master of painting blue and white porcelain take a large chicken-head brush, dip it in blue and white pigment, and apply it to the porcelain blank.

After applying the coating, it will be completely black; the final effect will only be known after firing.

Li Feng thought.

The master who painted the blue and white porcelain was very skilled.

Being able to grasp these details.

At this moment, Li Feng couldn't help but think.

If only I could master this technique.

(End of this chapter)