By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 85 Blue and White Porcelain [8888 words!]

I changed the radio station, but the sound was a bit jumbled, and an old song was playing intermittently.

Li Younan didn't listen carefully and just let it ring.

While listening to the recording, Li Younan naturally began to think about some knowledge about radio operation.

High-level knowledge in high definition and without any censorship, the kind that ordinary people might not be able to learn even if they tried.

He was once again amazed by the system's power.

When he first started working in radio, he put in a lot of effort to pass the A certificate exam, thinking that C certificate holders were already very impressive.

But unexpectedly, for the system, obtaining the C certificate was just the beginning.

If by chance I could acquire level two or even level three radio operation capabilities from the system, I can't even imagine what kind of tricks I could pull off.

Even in today's highly developed internet age, radio will never be outdated.

Whether traversing uninhabited areas or encountering sudden disasters, this communication method, which does not rely on satellites or fiber optics, will always be a basic guarantee.

Right now, Li Younan doesn't have his own equipment, but there's no need to rush. He'll drive home slowly and take the time to get everything done, at least that's his plan for now.

Even when driving alone, Li Younan wasn't going very fast.

Sunlight streamed through the windshield, making it a bit dazzling, so Li Younan folded down the sun visor.

The navigation system indicates that we are still some distance from Jingdezhen.

Li Younan wasn't in a hurry.

There were quite a few large trucks on the road, some of them looking rather old, with bulging tarpaulins covering their rear cargo beds, probably carrying porcelain clay. When Li Younan encountered them, he would slow down and wait until he was sure there were no oncoming vehicles before signaling and passing them.

My palms were a little sweaty when I was overtaking.

Sigh, driving skills...

After driving for a while, we saw a blue sign by the roadside that read "Jingdezhen Boundary".

I felt a sense of relief; we were almost there.

My stomach was a little empty, so I thought I'd find a place to eat a bowl of noodles as soon as I got there.

Shops selling porcelain began to appear along the roadside, with vases and bowls of all sizes piled up at the entrance.

The sky suddenly turned gray, but the rain didn't start.

The car window was cracked open, and a gust of wind blew in, carrying a faint smell of damp earth.

Li Younan gently pressed the accelerator and continued driving forward.

……

As the car drove into Jingdezhen, the air smelled of porcelain powder. The sky was overcast, but it wasn't raining.

Following the navigation, Li Younan found a parking lot on the outskirts of the city and parked Xiao Kuku.

Li Younan then contacted Zhu Qingyue, who was on her way and estimated to arrive in half an hour.

Li Younan politely asked, "Have you eaten?"

Zhu Qingyue said she had eaten.

Li Younan then said, "Then I'll find a place to eat myself."

Zhu Qingyue sent an angry emoji.

First, let's find a place to eat.

I was really hungry, so I walked along the street and saw a small shop with a big pot of steaming hot food in front of it.

I went in and ordered a bowl of cold rice noodles with a poached egg. When the noodles arrived, they were mixed with sauce and pickled vegetables; they were spicy and very satisfying.

The proprietress was playing with the child behind the counter. Li Younan was the only customer in the store, and the fan was slowly spinning overhead.

I ate until my nose was sweating, and my stomach felt comfortable.

After eating my fill, I felt a bit lazy, and the time had almost passed when Zhu Qingyue finally arrived.

When the two met, Li Younan noticed that Zhu Qingyue seemed to have lost a lot of weight, while Zhu Qingyue looked at him with a bright smile and said, "You seem to have gotten a little darker."

That's true, it must have been from sunbathing in Huangshan.

The two chatted naturally, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time, without any awkwardness.

After discussing it, the two decided not to go to the big museum as their first stop. They had heard that Taoxichuan was more lively at night, so they planned to go there in the evening.

The plan was to just stroll along the street.

There were many porcelain shops on both sides of the road, big and small, densely packed together. Some looked quite high-end, with bright glass doors; most were old-fashioned shops, with all kinds of bowls, plates, vases, and tea sets piled high in front of their doors, looking a bit precarious.

When I got tired of walking, I saw a sign at the entrance of an alley that read "Handmade Pot Throwing Experience".

The two exchanged a glance and, sure enough, saw the curiosity in each other's eyes. They then tacitly crawled inside together.

This is a small workshop, and the lighting inside is not very good; the floor is wet.

An old craftsman was sitting in front of a wheelbarrow, his fingers covered in mud, turning a lump of mud around.

The mud seemed to come alive in his hands, sometimes swelling up and sometimes shrinking down, slowly taking the shape of a vase.

Li Younan was so engrossed in watching that he stood at the doorway.

The old craftsman didn't even look up, concentrating on playing with the clay in his hands.

There was a damp, earthy smell in the air, along with the low hum of a cartwheel.

After watching for a while, Li Younan felt that his hands were sticky, as if they were covered in mud.

Zhu Qingyue looked eager to try it out. The price was only 30 yuan, but she readily paid 60. Li Younan hadn't originally planned to try it, but after blinking, Zhu Qingyue pulled her down to sit: "Give it a try..."

As it turns out, this isn't a skill that can be mastered on the first try.

Li Younan sat down on the small wooden stool, which was a bit low. He imitated the old master and forcefully slammed the mud into the center of the wheelbarrow's disc.

The mud was cold and had an earthy smell.

Following the master's instructions, Li Younan stepped on the pedal, and the wheelbarrow started spinning with a "humming" sound, making his buttocks tingle.

He wet his hands with the water in the mud basin and tried to scoop up a lump of mud.

It looks easy, but when you actually try it, it's not that simple at all.

It wasn't easy for Li Younan to find the knack for playing it for the first time.

Li Younan sighed softly.

His gaze turned towards Zhu Qingyue.

The mud lay obediently in her palm, steadily growing upwards as the wheel turned, already taking the shape of a small bowl with rounded and even edges.

She pursed her lips, her eyes were focused, and the movements of her fingers looked gentle.

The old craftsman strolled over, glanced at it, and nodded slightly without saying a word.

Li Younan blinked until Zhu Qingyue deftly cut the clay from the bottom with a thin wire, and a complete small bowl was held in her palm and placed on the wooden board next to her, its shape perfectly regular.

And as it turns out, some people can play very well even on their first try.

Then Zhu Qingyue clapped her hands excitedly, finally snapping out of her reverie and turning to look at Li Younan.

Li Younan smiled and casually placed the one he had made behind a pile of clay bricks... to hide it.

Zhu Qing couldn't help but laugh, her eyes sparkling with smugness.

Li Younan touched his nose, somewhat bored.

Zhu Qingyue strolled over and showed him her masterpiece. Li Younan said, "Amazing, it's practically a work of art."

Zhu Qingyue modestly said, "It's just a lump of mud." Then she added, "Why don't you try it again?"

Li Younan coughed and said, "Never mind."

Zhu Qingyue lowered her head: "But I want to try it again."

Li Younan paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Then give it another try. I'll wait for you."

Zhu Qingyue looked up: "Then... thank you for your hard work!"

Li Younan smiled; in fact, he was more interested in watching this.

Zhu Qingyue started experiencing the next one. Li Younan watched for a while, then his gaze was suddenly drawn to some discarded mud lumps scattered under the shelf.

Li Younan squatted down, his fingers groping on the wet cement floor, avoiding the flattened mud cakes, and finally pried out a slightly decent piece.

It's smaller than a fist, irregularly shaped, but the texture is fairly uniform and has a bit of resilience when squeezed.

Li Younan found a low stool against the wall and sat down, attracting little attention.

He casually pulled out the Swiss Army knife from his pocket; the blade popped out, thin and cool.

He held the lump of clay between his fingers, not in a hurry to cut it. He felt the moisture and hardness of the clay with his fingertips. He didn't have a specific image in his mind, but he felt that the shape of this lump of clay was... kind of interesting.

It's a raised lump connected to a flat, round body, with a naturally concave curve on the side.

Li Younan relied solely on his sense of touch, gently slicing along the raised bump with the blade, following a subtle arc to gradually reveal a rounded, slightly upturned outline.

It resembles the head of some small animal.

Thus, an image began to gradually become clear in his mind.

He smiled slightly, and very carefully tapped the tip of the knife twice on the front of his head, creating two small indentations, which marked the positions of his eyes.

Without carved eyeballs, leaving empty spaces, it actually makes him look a bit bewildered.

Before long, a palm-sized, curled-up, dozing clay pig was lying in Li Younan's palm.

Its eyes were closed, its short legs tucked under its round belly, its ears drooping, and its spiral tail loosely curled. The mud was still wet, carrying the unique coolness of the workshop.

The folds of the belly and ribs, the curve of the ears, the spiral of the tail, and even the outline of the short legs, all carved out with the tip of a knife, are exceptionally clear and rounded.

Without glaze or firing, it's just a lump of waste mud, its original grayish-brown color, yet it exudes a charming and endearing vitality.

At this moment, Zhu Qingyue's second round of experience also ended. This time, he held a more stylish little jar in his hand and proudly showed it off to Li Younan.

The next second, they saw what Li Younan was holding in his hands.

She paused for a moment, then bent down and got very close, almost touching him.

He looked very carefully, his bright eyes sweeping over the pig's round back, over the almost negligible, extremely delicate and smooth folds under its belly, over its two crooked little ears, and finally settling on its incredibly exquisite spiral tail.

Zhu Qingyue's eyes were smiling, but she pouted and couldn't bring herself to say anything boastful.

What? He can do this too?

A little bit of mud clung to the blade. Before sheathing the sword, Li Younan gently blew on it, just like Ximen Chuixue.

“It’s simply a work of art,” Zhu Qingyue said.

"It's just a lump of mud." Li Younan sheathed his knife.

"Haha... Give it to me, I'll cherish it!" Zhu Qingyue said shamelessly.

……

I spent the afternoon wandering around the old factory area.

Zhu Qingyue casually played with the little pig that Li Younan had given him, focused and serious, occasionally looking up at Li Younan with a grin.

Wandering aimlessly.

I saw some old kilns, their brick walls blackened by soot; some were abandoned, others still in use, wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys. On the road, I encountered tricycles carrying porcelain clay, covered with plastic sheets. Several workers sat resting under the shade of roadside trees, drinking water from large enamel mugs.

It was almost evening, and my legs were getting sore. I strolled slowly towards Taoxichuan.

It wasn't completely dark yet, but the lights were already on. The neighborhood, converted from an old factory, had red brick walls, and the lights were warm.

As more people arrived, many small stalls, all selling porcelain, were set up along the roadside.

Most of the artisans are young, and their products look more modern and fancy.

The two strolled from stall to stall, slowly browsing and listening to the vendors explain the glazes and painting techniques. Zhu Qingyue spotted a small teapot she liked, picked it up, and touched its smooth glaze. As she played with it, she asked curiously, "Do you also enjoy this kind of cultural travel?"

Li Younan said, "I don't distinguish between these things."

Zhu Qingyue chuckled softly: "We should still distinguish between them. Experiencing culture and experiencing scenery bring different feelings."

Which one do you prefer?

"Humanities... they have a profound feel to them."

Don't you like the scenery?

"It's not that I don't like it. Of course, places with beautiful scenery are also great. When I was little, I went to Jiuzhaigou with my parents. Everyone was looking at how beautiful the water was, but I was chatting with a Tibetan girl the whole way. She was so interesting to talk to... So it's probably just a matter of personal preference."

Tired from walking around, the two found a small, decent-looking restaurant in Taoxichuan that evening. They ordered fried noodles and a clay pot soup. The soup was made with pork ribs and radish, stewed until very tender, and it was comforting and warming.

The shop was quite crowded, filled with the buzzing of voices. The two sat by the window, watching the people coming and going in the lights outside. Zhu Qingyue held the small teapot she had just bought in one hand and the little pig that Li Younan had given her in the other, playing with it happily.

The dishes were all served, and Li Younan took out his phone to take pictures. He has gradually developed the qualities of a self-media blogger: to capture and share anything worth sharing anytime, anywhere.

Overall, Jingdezhen is a very famous place, but it's not easy to create a standout travel video there. During the day, no one was filming the sculptures, which would have been an interesting subject.

Li Younan put away his phone, but Zhu Qingyue on the other end suddenly stared at the phone for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

Li Younan asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Qingyue looked a little embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and then said somewhat awkwardly, "Could you do me a favor tomorrow?"

Li Younan neither agreed nor refused directly, and asked, "Why don't you go first?"

Zhu Qingyue sighed slightly, then turned her phone screen around, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Li Younan.

The phone displayed group chat messages. Li Younan hesitated for a moment before looking down at the message history.

Zhu Qingyue explained, "Am I not a struggling author? I write novels while traveling, which many readers know, and I haven't tried to hide it. This afternoon, I couldn't resist posting an update; photos I took of my work during my travels were seen by fellow readers in the group..."

Li Younan saw in the message that a fan wanted to meet Zhu Qingyue the next day.

Li Younan thought for a moment and asked, "What do you want me to help you with?"

Zhu Qingyue stirred the soup in her bowl, somewhat absentmindedly, and said, "This group is my VIP fan group, especially since this fan has given me several thousand yuan in tips, so I can't refuse. Besides, I don't think it's a big deal to meet some fellow readers." After a pause, Zhu Qingyue looked up and said, "However, I'm still a little worried. Could you come with me?"

That's no problem, Li Younan readily agreed.

After receiving Li Younan's affirmative reply, Zhu Qingyue visibly became happy and started chatting away on her phone with the fan about the meeting place and time.

……

The next day.

Zhu Qingyue chose a location in the Sanbaopeng Art Cluster. It's quiet here, with lots of green trees, winding paths, and pottery studios and quiet cafes nearby.

It rained last night, and the air smelled of damp clay mixed with a hint of grass and wood—quite pleasant. They sat at a wooden table on the outdoor floor of a café, with a trellis covered in vines overhead.

Do you think she might find that I'm very different from what she imagined?

Zhu Qingyue twirled her fingers around the strap of the canvas bag, round and round. She was wearing a plain cotton-linen dress today, and her hair was carefully combed, making her look even prettier, but her eyes seemed a little unfocused.

"Hehe." Li Younan took a sip of his iced Americano. "The person who can tip so much money must like your writing. It's not a beauty pageant... Besides, even if it were a beauty pageant, you could still win."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qingyue chuckled and said, "You have a very pleasant way of speaking."

Li Younan glanced at the thin mist floating on the mountainside in the distance. "Relax, it's fine to stay here."

She hummed in agreement, looked down at her phone, and repeatedly locked and unlocked the screen.

About five minutes after the agreed time, a girl dressed in a neat T-shirt and denim shorts, carrying a backpack, turned from the intersection, looking around. Zhu Qingyue immediately sat up straight, secretly clenching the hem of her skirt under the table, then gave a slightly stiff smile and waved in that direction.

The girl saw her and quickly walked over, a smile on her face. Zhu Qingyue was already preparing to stand up to greet her, and her smile became more natural.

Xiaoyu's gaze swept across Li Younan's face, then suddenly stopped.

Then, her expression turned into undisguised, immense surprise, and her eyes suddenly lit up dramatically.

"Ah—! It's you! Traveling gentleman?!"

"You are Li Younan, who loves to travel!"

Completely ignoring Zhu Qingyue, who was already half-standing with her hand raised, she took two steps to Li Younan, excitedly almost incoherently, "My God! It really is you! I've seen all your videos! That somersault! And that parkour video in Xiamen! You're so cool in person! And the one where you modified the lathe yourself! You... what are you doing here?!"

She excitedly pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen: "Look, look! I still have your video saved on my phone! The one where you were cooking in your rented apartment in Xiamen! I've watched it so many times! I think that video is so full of happiness..."

The screen was practically right under Li Younan's nose.

Li Younan was a little confused and subconsciously glanced at Zhu Qingyue next to her.

She remained in that awkward posture, as if she were about to stand up, her smile completely frozen, leaving her standing there somewhat bewildered.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. In the end, she silently and slowly sat back down, picked up her untouched cup of coffee, and took small sips.

Xiaoyu was completely immersed in the excitement of her chance encounter with Li Younan. She asked him in rapid succession if he was filming a new video in Jingdezhen, if she could take a photo with him, if he could sign his autograph, and what the details of the modified lathe were...

She was as enthusiastic as a fan who had finally met their idol.

Lee You-nan has come to understand the lives of celebrities a little better.

While dealing with Xiaoyu's rapid-fire questions, he glanced at Zhu Qingyue out of the corner of his eye.

She sat there quietly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rough surface of the coffee cup. She looked up at the excited Xiaoyu, then at Li Younan, trying to force a smile, but only managing a very shallow and short curve. She softly said, "It's fine."

……

It was a truly painful experience.

However, it wouldn't be accurate to say that this experience caused Zhu Qingyue much distress.

It's all a coincidence. Who could have known that, by sheer coincidence, his own fans would also be fans of Li Younan? And even more coincidentally, his own fans would definitely find a video streamer who shows what a writer looks like and how they live more intuitive than following an author they've never met.

Comrade Xiaoyu finally calmed down a bit and remembered the purpose of her visit.

After looking left and right, he finally focused his gaze on Zhu Qingyue's face again.

Zhu Qingyue slowly sipped her coffee, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with her hand.

Xiaoyu looked embarrassed for a moment, then asked blankly, "You...you wouldn't happen to be Happy Red Bean Bun Mrs., would you!"

Upon hearing this pen name, Li Younan, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but pause for a moment.

Zhu Qingyue nodded: "It's me, hello."

"Ah! Doushabao! I'm so sorry! I'm so excited! I love your novel so much! Really! Um... can we take a picture together? Both of you!"

Every time Li Younan heard this outrageous pen name, he felt a sense of being pulled out of the story.

Zhu Qingyue put down her cup, a smile returning to her face. "Okay," she said, her voice steady, "let's go."

She stood up, walked to Li Younan's side, and gently touched his arm with her shoulder.

Xiaoyu held up her phone, the camera pointed at the three of them.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked curiously, "Oh, by the way, who are you two...?"

“We’re just friends,” Zhu Qingyue said, glancing at Li Younan.

"Wow, my friend is amazing too! He's exactly the kind of person I've always dreamed of!" Xiaoyu said.

Li Younan felt Zhu Qingyue's shoulder move slightly, probably as she adjusted her expression.

After taking the photos, Xiaoyu was still chattering away, suggesting that we go and browse the nearby handmade market together.

For Xiaoyu, today is a happy day.

I met an idol.

I also met an idol.

Idols can still be friends.

Later, they strolled around the handmade stalls next door, and Xiaoyu bought a pair of blue and white porcelain cups, one for Li Younan and one for Zhu Qingyue as souvenirs.

As they parted, she shook hands firmly with Li Younan: "You must let me know when you start live streaming! By the way, why don't you even have a fan group... And Doushabao, I'll definitely be following your new book!"

She skipped and hopped away, her back view full of energy.

"Ahem." Li Younan cleared his throat. "Haha, your fans..."

"Hmm, how strange. I thought I was the main character..."

Li Younan was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly felt a tiny bit... jealous?
Zhu Qingyue suddenly smiled and said, "Don't get the wrong idea!"

The wind blew a few loose strands of hair across her forehead.

"what……"

……

The light rain was just a tiny, insignificant incident during the trip; the journey must continue.

Zhu Qingyue is not a lively girl; in general, she is quiet, but she will occasionally chat with you in a playful manner, which is very characteristic of her region.

Li Younan began to understand why Zhu Qingyue was so keen on traveling to places with rich cultural heritage; such places really do offer opportunities to meet many interesting and unique people.

Zhu Qingyue is a novelist. Every person she meets, every personality she encounters, and every experience she has comes with unparalleled inspiration.

When Li Younan arrived in Jingdezhen, he hadn't really thought much about how he would travel there. He was more interested in taking things one step at a time and experiencing things at his own pace.

In contrast, Zhu Qingyue's goal was much clearer.

On the first day, they experienced the process of making unglazed porcelain, and there are even more skill-based elements in the entire process of making porcelain.

After meeting her fans today, Zhu Qingyue's next goal is to go to Laochang Village to experience porcelain painting.

Li Younan had no plans at the moment, so he just went along with it.

……

"Blue and white porcelain, it belongs to the world."

"What I mean is, it has influenced aesthetics worldwide."

When Zhu Qingyue said those words, Li Younan blinked. He saw a depth in the girl's eyes that was beyond her years.

In Laochang Village of Jingdezhen, the air is filled with the smell of kiln fire and soil.

Li Younan and Zhu Qingyue sat on small stools in an old workshop, with plain white porcelain blanks and blue and white glaze in front of them.

At this moment, Zhu Qingyue was holding a fine brush, carefully drawing a pattern on the cup, completely absorbed in the task.

The person who taught them how to draw the blanks was Sister Chen from the workshop.

She didn't say much, always standing behind them with a slight smile.

Qingyue painted with great care, while Li Younan casually sketched a few lines of landscape.

Sister Chen occasionally offered gentle guidance: "Keep your hand steady, use less ink on the pen tip, go slowly... You could add a little branch here..."

Her voice was soft, with a slight local accent.

When it was her turn to demonstrate, it was a different story. She took the pen, sat down in front of the turntable, and without any apparent effort, she gently flicked her wrist, and the flowing vines and leaves unfurled around the cup. The strokes were clean and crisp, as if they were alive.

Li Younan and Qingyue nodded in agreement.

"Big sister, your cooking is really good," Qingyue said sincerely.

Sister Chen simply lowered her head shyly, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of her apron: "I've been doing this for decades, I'm used to it."

She then pointed to some painted bowls and plates waiting to be cooked on the shelf next to her, "That's all I do, just to make a living."

After chatting for a while, I learned that Sister Chen relied solely on her manual skills. She didn't understand the internet, didn't know how to promote herself, and certainly didn't know how to create a compelling story. At the end of the day, she could only paint and fire a few items, earning a small fee for each piece.

Actually, there are quite a few people in Jingdezhen who do live streaming, and they make a lot of money. They are from a completely different era from these traditional craftsmen.

"Such wonderful things should be seen by more people," Qingyue said softly, looking at the elegant and exquisite semi-finished products on the shelf.

Sister Chen remained as gentle as ever, and smiled, "I'm quite happy that someone likes it and wants to paint it for me."

She turned to tidy up the finished drawings, her movements slow and practiced.

The workshop was small, and several more groups of people came in one after another; they were all tourists who came to experience porcelain painting.

A young couple was there. The girl was laughing and joking as she drew a crooked smiley face on a cup and then insisted on taking a picture. The other man had just sketched out a few outlines of a landscape painting and, complaining that it was too slow, kept asking the cook, "Can you hurry up and cook it? We have to catch a flight tonight."

Sister Chen and another painter watched from the side, wearing those habitual, somewhat helpless smiles on their faces, responding as they went over to help them tidy up the poorly drawn rough sketches and try their best to salvage them.

They're used to it; it's part of the business. There are always people who just come for the novelty and leave a mark.

Li Younan sat on her small stool, holding the plain white cup in her hand.

It's natural that painting porcelain for the first time won't be very smooth.

But Li Younan wasn't in a hurry.

The way cobalt blue pigment blends on porcelain is fascinating. The amount of pigment on the brush tip and the pressure and speed of the strokes will leave different marks.

This was a very interesting experience.

Li Younan was not upset that she had not yet acquired painting skills.

He dipped his brush in water and tried to gently blend the ink on the area he had just messed up. The ink actually spread out a bit, creating unexpected shades and tones.

"Here, you can hold the pen up a little more and gently tap it down, like this..."

Sister Chen had somehow reappeared behind Li Younan, her voice slightly louder than when she was instructing others earlier.

She could probably tell that Li Younan was pondering something, rather than just going through the motions.

She picked up a thin pen and gently demonstrated how to make a small dot on the blank space of Li Younan's cup. The ink dot instantly had the texture of moss and stones in the mountains. "Yes, like that. No rush, take your time."

Following her instructions, Li Younan held his breath and painstakingly drew and repaired the painting, bit by bit.

Zhu Qingyue put down her pen at some point. She didn't smile, but her eyes were serious as she quietly watched Li Younan concentrate on scribbling and revising, and watched as Sister Chen occasionally leaned down to give him a word or two of pointers.

Li Younan is truly different from others; he is not impetuous at all.

There was a sense of understanding in Zhu Qingyue's eyes, and a hint of... inquiry.

……

A few days later, Li Younan and Zhu Qingyue went to pick up the fired porcelain.

As the kiln fire subsided, the unglazed porcelain transformed into a warm, white porcelain, and the blue and white glaze settled, revealing its unique blue hue.

Sister Chen took out their belongings one by one and carefully wrapped them in old newspapers.

The cup that Qingyue painted features elegant and graceful blue orchids.

She studied painting when she was a child.

As for Li Younan's bowl, the misty haze over the distant mountains is quite nice.

“Here, let’s exchange.” Qingyue suddenly pushed her beautiful cup in front of Li Younan.

"Huh? Then I'm at a huge loss!" Li Younan blurted out some nonsense.

Even someone as gentle as Zhu Qingyue couldn't help but punch Li Younan.

Sister Chen watched them exchange items, smiled slightly, and said nothing.

Before leaving, Li Younan took out his phone and said to Sister Chen, "Sister, could I take some pictures of your workshop? Just some pictures of you painting."

Sister Chen paused for a moment, rubbed her hands on her apron, and looked a little flustered: "Take pictures of me? What's so special about me that's worth taking pictures of..."

"You draw so well, really," Qingyue added softly, her tone very sincere.

Seeing how serious the two of them were, the older sister finally nodded shyly: "Then...then you can take the pictures, just don't take up too much of your time."

There was no deliberate posing; the camera simply swept across the scene quietly.

After the shoot, Li Younan told the older sister that she would try posting it online when she got back. She just murmured "Oh," still with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Stepping out of the workshop, the alley remained quiet and long. Qingyue clutched the paper package containing the ugly bowl as if it were a precious treasure.

"Are you trying to help promote Sister Chen?" Zhu Qingyue asked, humming a little tune, when she suddenly looked up and asked, as if she had just remembered something.

Li Younan shook his head: "You can't say that..."

Li Younan's gaze became somewhat profound.

“Sister Chen today and the master who taught us how to make unglazed porcelain are both true artisans. They earn their money through their craftsmanship. Jingdezhen is very popular, but it seems to have nothing to do with them. I feel that this is… not quite right.”

"Although I can't do much, I still want to tell Sister Chen's story."

Li Younan spoke without thinking, and when he finished speaking, he saw Zhu Qingyue staring blankly at him. He smiled wryly and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Qingyue smiled with her head down: "No, it's nothing... I'm just a little happy that I can't quite explain."

"Ah."

Are you leaving tomorrow?

"Yeah, we've been here a bit too long."

"I'm going to keep heading west... How about you go with me for a bit longer?"

"Um, the fare..."

"Oh dear... I thought you were really into it just now!" Zhu Qingyue said, sounding a little anxious.

"I'm not an artsy type, so your feeling is definitely not the kind you understand..."

"Humph."

(End of this chapter)