Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Jia Cong didn't have time to joke with the maids. He hurriedly led Li Rong out through the side gate, mounted his Ba Hongchen horse, and rode off towards the manor in the south of the city!

The Rong family owned many estates in the south of the city, most of which were used for farming, and there were also a few small earthen kilns, which were mainly used to fire utensils for the family.

A moment later, he arrived at the small horseshoe-shaped kiln that was originally used to fire everyday teacups, saucers, and bowls for the Rong family. Old Kiln Chen had been firing porcelain for the Rong family for more than 30 years and had mastered the art of firing porcelain to perfection. However, he had never tried firing "glassware that was as clear as ice" before, and he was still full of doubts along the way.

Jia Cong said calmly, "It's just a matter of modifying the kiln and adjusting the ingredients. Just follow my rules and I guarantee it will work."

Upon arriving at the Zhuangzi Kiln, Jia Cong first led Old Chen Kiln to see the horseshoe-shaped kiln, pointing out the furnace chamber and flue.

"This kiln fire is intense, reaching 1300 degrees Celsius, so it's the easiest to modify. Today, we'll reduce the furnace cavity to three feet square and fill it with refractory bricks from the kiln. We'll leave only one foot wide at the furnace opening, and seal the rest with refractory mud mixed with quartz powder. We'll also add a bluestone slab as a viewing window. As for the flue, we'll add a bend and leave a small air vent. We'll lay a three-foot-thick stone slab at the bottom of the furnace. There are ready-made ones in the ironworks; have the servants from the village quickly bring them over."

Although Chen Laoyao did not understand why quartz stone slabs were used, he knew that this man was not to be offended, so he immediately called four experienced craftsmen in the kiln to start the work.

Bricklaying, plastering, modifying the flue, and laying stone slabs were all skilled tasks, and the work was completed in less than an hour.

Jia Cong then asked them to add pine charcoal to test the fire. Chen Laoyao peered through the observation window to watch the flames, while Jia Cong instructed him.

"Bright orange-yellow is 1200 degrees, and light yellow-white is 1250 degrees. From now on, when firing, we must stick to these two colors and not deviate from them."

Old Chen added charcoal by pinching the air vent, and after several attempts, he was able to keep the fire color stable, which secretly amazed him.

The next morning, the steward of Rong Mansion's storeroom delivered all the raw materials according to Jia Cong's list: pure quartz powder from the ironworks, pure alkali powder from the kitchen, alkali powder from the kiln, mirabilite and moonstone powder from the pharmacy, as well as worthless broken pearls from the storeroom, and calcined clam shell powder saved up by the kitchen, filling the room to the brim.

Jia Cong instructed the craftsmen to fetch the finest three-layered gauze from the embroidery workshop and to sift all the powders three times each.

"Mix seven catties of quartz powder, one and a half catties of alkaline powder, half a catty of mirabilite, three qian of moonstone powder, and add two qian of pearl powder. Mix them in a stone basin, add clean well water, knead into a fist-sized ball, and let it air dry for one hour."

The craftsman followed instructions, mixing the materials with a stone pestle until his arm ached. Jia Cong stood by, watching and not allowing him to slack off in the slightest.

"The cleaner and more uniform the powder, the clearer and more transparent the finished product will be; not even a trace of impurity can be tolerated."

By the time the material had dried in the shade, it was already afternoon. The kiln had been preheated to about 800 degrees Celsius. Old Kiln Chen personally added charcoal, and when the fire turned a bright orange-yellow, he sent the material into the kiln in batches as instructed by Jia Cong.

When the material is exposed to high temperature, it melts into a slurry. At first, it is murky and confused. When the furnace temperature is raised to a light yellow-white, the air damper is closed, leaving only a small gap, and it is kept at a constant temperature for four hours.

For the next two or three hours, Chen Laoyao and the two craftsmen took turns guarding the kiln, not daring to slack off in the slightest. Jia Cong did not return to the mansion, but rested in the small hall next to the kiln, occasionally coming out to check the fire.

By evening, Jia Cong had a craftsman take a newly made long-handled, thin-edged iron ladle from the ironworks, apply quartz powder to it, and gently skim off the scum from the surface of the liquid in the furnace. Once the scum was removed, the molten glass in the furnace turned a clear, bright pale yellow, shimmering like spring water in the firelight!

Old Chen peered through the observation window and exclaimed in astonishment, "To be able to produce such a clean slurry! Third Master's method is truly ingenious! From now on, what utensils will the manor lack!"

Jia Cong remained noncommittal, instructing the furnace temperature to be lowered to an orange-red color for later use. He also ordered the craftsmen in the ironworks to work through the night to create two molds: one was an eight-inch rectangular iron mold with its inner surface polished to a mirror shine, and the other was a three-inch porcelain cup mold commonly used in kilns, both coated with a thick layer of quartz powder to prevent sticking.

The next morning, the mold was ready, and the molten glass was still warm and had just the right fluidity.

Chen Laoyao personally held the iron ladle and scooped the molten glass into the iron mold, filling it to eight-tenths full. Jia Cong then had a wooden-handled iron pressure plate brought over, which was also coated with quartz powder. He gently pressed the liquid surface, saying, "Just flatten it, don't use too much force, lest it stick to the ladle."

After flattening, the iron mold was lifted into the cooling kiln, and molten glass was poured into the porcelain cup mold. The mold was rotated to allow the molten glass to adhere evenly to the walls, and then the cups were placed into the cooling kiln one by one.

"Do not move it in the cool cellar. Let it cool down naturally for a day and a night. Do not rush it at all, or it will crack."

The craftsmen guarded the kiln, not daring to approach it for a day and a night. On the morning of the third day, the kiln was opened, and everyone gathered around. They knocked open the iron mold, and the eight-inch square glass was revealed. Although it was only two-tenths of an inch thick, it was completely transparent. When the sunlight shone on it, the patterns of the beams and pillars opposite could be clearly reflected. There was not a single bubble or impurity.

The small glass cup poured from the porcelain mold was three inches in diameter, with a shallow belly and a round bottom. When the light shone through it, it looked like an ice sculpture or jade carving. When water was poured into it, the water was clear and transparent, as if there was no cup at all.

Holding the glass teacup, Chen Laoyao's beard trembled with delight as he stroked the rim. "Third Master, you truly have divine skill! This is even more transparent than the Western glass sent by foreign merchants. We couldn't find anything as good as this even if we searched the entire manor!"

The craftsmen all gathered around and praised him, each one sincerely convinced.

Jia Cong took the glass and looked at it. "Get a fine grinding stone and grind off the burrs on the edges. Also, have the bamboo craftsmen send some bamboo. And get some fine silver foil from the jade craftsmen; I have a use for it."

He turned around and put on a stern face again towards Chen Laoyao.

"Keep your mouth shut about the kiln's secrets! The ingredient ratios and firing techniques are not to be revealed to anyone outside the household. They are for the exclusive use of the family. If I hear even a whisper of them outside, your entire family will be in grave danger!"

Chen Laoyao bowed and agreed, personally taking a fine grinding stone to polish the edges of the glass. The craftsmen each performed their duties, and before long, the glass was polished to a smooth edge, clear as a mirror in the sunlight, reflecting the smoke from the kiln and dazzling to the eye.

Jia Cong nodded slightly as he looked at the finished product, knowing that once this item was sent out, it would be a rare and unique piece, making his efforts to supervise the construction at the estate over the past few days worthwhile.

Having acquired a rare item, he was generous, tossing out a ten-tael silver coin and lightly patting Chen Laoyao on the shoulder.

"These past few days have been hard work, so distribute some to the servants. If Second Mistress asks about it later, sell it to other people using the same method!"

When Chen Laoyao saw the ten taels of silver ingots land heavily in his palm, he quickly bowed and kowtowed repeatedly, his face beaming with joy.

"Thank you for your generosity, Third Master! With such consideration, the craftsmen will certainly do their utmost!"

As he was saying this, he was about to have the apprentice take the money, but then, remembering something else, he hurriedly asked,

"Don't worry, young master, the servants know the exact proportions and cooking time. But if Second Madam asks about the price, what should we set?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong raised an eyebrow, appearing quite nonchalant.

"This item will be made in the manor. It's a rare item that ordinary people can't afford. Second Madam will take care of the details. Just follow the rules and make it. I guarantee you won't lose your monthly wages."

"I've got it all figured out!" Old Chen Yao stood there, watching Jia Cong's horse gallop away, before turning back with the silver in his hand and calling out to the group of craftsmen, "You all heard that! The Third Master has rewarded you handsomely. From now on, work diligently, and you're guaranteed to reap the rewards!"

The craftsmen below responded in unison, and the kiln was filled with joy, even more lively than when they were firing top-quality porcelain.