Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 289 Old things
Zhou Dalang followed Zuo Shangying on foot away from Yong'anfang. Perhaps because there was hope for the Zhou family's porcelain kiln, he actually felt that the wind was not so cold anymore, and spring had truly arrived.

Back in Zuo Shangying's courtyard, Zhou Dalang was still full of excitement. Zuo Shangying boiled some water and brought a cup of tea to Zhou Dalang.

Zhou Dalang took a deep breath and said, "If that's the case, then small kilns like the Zhou family's near Daming Prefecture and Lanzhou can all join Madam's village association."

Zuo Shangying laughed and said, "Madam won't accept just anyone."

"I guess recommendations from acquaintances are the easiest now, but it also depends on the quality of the porcelain produced by the kiln and whether it is usable."

“For example, you are skilled at painting peony branches. If you had a porcelain kiln with the same craftsmanship, you would have to consider whether to include them in the village association.”

“After all, building a coal kiln requires manpower and resources. No matter how many craftsmen and employees Madam has recruited, there will always be times when there is a shortage of manpower. Those who come later can only wait for their turn.”

Zhou Dalang immediately felt incredibly lucky. If he had hesitated any longer, he might have missed the deadline and fallen behind. It was hard to say whether the Zhou family's porcelain kiln could have survived until then.

With the same shape, whoever fires it first will gain the upper hand.

Zhou Dalang rubbed his hands together with joy.

Zuo Shangying smiled and said, "Then I'll congratulate you in advance, cousin."

Zhou Dalang hurriedly stood up: "It's all because of my cousin's introduction. If my cousin hadn't sent so many paintings, Madam might not have accepted our Zhou Family Kiln."

Zuo Shangying waved his hand and laughed, "It has nothing to do with these things. You'll understand in time. Madam does everything openly and is the most fair. My recommendation is only to guarantee that the Zhou family is trustworthy. Madam uses Zhou family kiln because your kiln firing skills are exceptional."

"Besides, my paintings have sold for a good price. In this respect, Madam never shortchanges anyone, so naturally she would never use anything she doesn't think is good."

"Everyone says that merchants value profit, but Madam puts profit last."

“She established the village association and set up those rules. With this system, no porcelain kiln could be managed poorly. Coupled with the opportunities brought by the coal kiln, following Madam would definitely make money. Since all of this is certain, as long as the right people are chosen, there won't be any major mistakes.”

"The old lady would rather give up her share than accept bribes from those with ill intentions."

Zhou Dalang nodded repeatedly.

“So,” Zuo Shangying put away her smile and her expression became more serious, “this is also a reminder to you that no matter what, you must never do anything that goes against your word. If you encounter difficulties, you can talk to Madam openly, but never have any wicked thoughts in secret.”

Zhou Dalang said, "My cousin is right, I will definitely remember it."

“Then I won’t keep you here, cousin,” Zuo Shangying said. “Madam has asked you to go find Han Xinglao, so you need to make some preparations.”

Zhou Dalang lingered, reluctant to leave, before finally speaking the truth: "I'm a little confused about what we need to do with Han Xinglao. Could it ruin Madam's plans?"

"No," Zuo Shangying said with a smile. "Take your porcelain and ask Master Han Xing for some pointers. Master Han can't possibly say that the Zhou family's porcelain is completely worthless. Perhaps he can offer some guidance on how to improve the porcelain in the future."

Zhou Dalang's eyes lit up.

Zuo Shangying continued, "When you go, don't forget those gifts. You don't have any money to begin with, so just bring what you have at home, such as eggs, poultry, dried mushrooms, and dried vegetables. Just don't give anything expensive, so as not to be suspected of bribery."

Zhou Dalang understood the instruction and immediately gained confidence. He bowed to Zuo Shangying again before leaving with light steps.

After Zhou Dalang left the courtyard, Zuo Shangying finally felt a real chill. His clothes were thin, and he only managed to keep himself from losing his composure in front of others by sheer force of his teeth.

A poor man can only retain his integrity; otherwise, he would be utterly useless. There's no other way; this is his means of making a living.

The old servant of the house came in and finally managed to carry the silver money sent by the Yang family into the house.

Zuo Shangying didn't even glance at the Yang family's money. Given his current status, he had to pretend that money was worthless. Although these things were useless in front of Madam Xie, Zhou Dalang was still there, so he had to act "consistently." Now that no one was around, he immediately stepped forward, reached out and touched the copper coins, revealing a genuine smile.

“Send some back to Mother,” Zuo Shangying said, “and make me some clothes.” So that I won’t have to hide when I go out, lest people see the tattered trousers under my long gown.

However, Zuo Shangying quickly changed her mind: "Don't make too many for me, just one set is enough. Take the rest back to my little sister and tell Mother to hold on."

Hold on, wait until he passes the imperial examination, then we can arrange a marriage for my younger sister, so she can marry someone better.

The old servant left happily, and Zuo Shangying smiled again. He could understand why his cousin was happy; he felt the same way. The feeling of being recognized and having the opportunity to show his skills was truly wonderful.

……

After Zuo Shangying and Zhou Dalang left, Mother Yu stepped forward to inform Xie Yuyan: "Seventh Brother has arrived."

Qilang is Yang Shen, the second son of Yang Mingjing.

Xie Yuyan saw the brothers, nodded, and asked Aunt Yu to lead them inside.

Yang Shen appeared very nervous. He stepped forward, bowed to Xie Yuyan, and then placed the items in his hands on the table. He had even wrapped the porcelain in something when he carried it over, afraid that someone would see it.

If you fear someone, you will naturally think about her and worry about causing her trouble, because if something happens, the first person to be punished will definitely be yourself.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Yang Shen removed the cloth wrapped around the porcelain and said, "This is... a piece of porcelain that my brother saw on his way back. He thought it was somewhat similar to the new porcelain that Madam made, so he spent money to buy it."

Xie Yuyan raised her eyes; it was a white vase with carved crane design, meant to celebrate longevity.

He glanced at it and said, "It also uses slip and carving techniques. It does look somewhat similar to our new porcelain. After so many years of making porcelain, it's inevitable that some techniques are similar."

"Where did you buy this porcelain?"

Looking at Madam Xie's calm demeanor, Yang Shen suddenly felt fortunate that his elder brother hadn't used the porcelain to his advantage, as it was of no use to Madam Xie.

"My elder brother bought it from a classmate's family in Zizhou."

Xie Yuyan said, "Do you know which craftsman made it? We can try to hire him to work at the Xinyao kiln in Liuzhou."

Yang Shen was unaware of the details: "I'll go back and ask my brother."

Without saying anything more, Xie Yuyan glanced at the birthday vase again: "How much did the porcelain cost? If you're willing to give it to me, I'll make up the difference."

Yang Shen was delighted: "I'll find out the details and then report back to Madam."

After speaking, he bowed to Xie Yuyan and slowly withdrew from the room.

After Yang Shen had been gone for a while, Xie Yuyan finally got up to look at the porcelain vase.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the longevity vase and bathing it in a soft glow. Xie Yuyan reached out and picked it up.

Memories immediately flooded my mind.

She was very familiar with this bottle because it was one of her mother's belongings from her previous life. That's how she became interested in Luzhou ware. She never expected that something like this would suddenly reappear. She thought it would only be able to be fired later.

The saying "things have changed, but people are no longer the same" roughly means this.

Her parents in her previous life passed away early and left no trace in her mind. In this life... if nothing unexpected happens, she will definitely see them again.