With virtue

Zhao Yunshu stood by the kiln, watching the three children busy in the coke-burning area.

Burning charcoal, also known as charcoal burning, is the first lesson for apprentices at the kiln.

Neither coal nor firewood can be directly put into the kiln to fire porcelain, because the heat is insufficient and the high temperature required for the glaze cannot be achieved.

First, the coal must be burned into coke and the firewood into charcoal to remove impurities and increase the fire strength before it can be sent into the kiln.

One of the most important reasons why Ding Kiln was able to establish itself in Quyang was that the area was rich in coal.

There is coal in the mountains of Quyang. The coal seams are shallow and easy to mine, and it has been used extensively since the Tang Dynasty.

Coal burns longer and produces a stronger, more stable heat than firewood. The firing of porcelain is all about controlling the temperature. The kiln temperature produced by coal is much higher than that produced by firewood, which is why the glaze can have the warm and lustrous texture of Ding ware white porcelain, which is as smooth as jade. It is thanks to this unique fuel that Ding ware was able to stand out among the many kilns in the world and become one of the five famous kilns.

As the saying goes, those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water. While the Ding kiln itself was burning, the surrounding villages and hamlets were also burning.

One hundred catties of coal can produce seventy catties of coke. One catty of coke can be sold for the price of two catties of coal. Seventy catties of coke can buy one hundred and forty catties of coal. In this way, burning one hundred catties of coal will yield a net profit of forty catties of coal. Such a business is sure to make a profit. So when the men went down to the kiln to dig coal, the women, although busy with housework, would take the time to dig a small pit next to the house, fill it with coal and start burning it.

As darkness fell, from afar, the entire village was filled with smoke, and flames spewed from the ground everywhere; this land sustained its people.

It was afternoon, and smoke was rising everywhere in the valleys of Quyang, one plume after another, mingling in the air. The air was filled with the sulfurous smell of coal charcoal and the acrid aroma of pine wood, all wafting straight into people's noses.

The three children worked in this sea of ​​smoke.

Wang Haiting squatted beside a scorched pit, covering the smoking areas with mud.

To burn it, the burnt pit must be sealed completely, without any air leaking out, so it must be sealed properly.

Every time he saw black smoke billowing up, he would cough for a long time, turning his head away, but he still had to endure it and go up to seal the crack.

The remaining two children carried a basket of freshly fired coke to the storage yard. Their little hands and faces were already blackened, only their eyes were still shining, glancing away from time to time.

The kiln workers at the coke-firing site were already used to the smoke and fire. They were all shirtless, with a piece of coarse cloth around their waists, and they moved back and forth in the coke-firing site.

An old kiln worker walked past the slag pit, wiped the sweat from his face. The sweat was black. He coughed, turned his head, and spat out a mouthful of phlegm, which was also black.

Another kiln worker came over from the storage yard carrying a basket of coke; the calluses on his shoulders were as thick as copper coins.

Zhao Yunshu looked at it for a moment without saying anything, after all, this was the scene of labor.

He noticed that Wang Haiting looked tired, and the shoulders of the other two children were also trembling—this task was still too heavy for seven or eight-year-old children, but they did not stop or look in his direction.

Wang Haiting promised Zhao Yunshu that he would learn the craft properly, and the boy kept his word.

So Zhao Yunshu looked at the kiln site and didn't know what to say.

The people at the kiln had gone through the same thing. They didn't mistreat the three children. If they wanted to earn money and learn a trade, this was the hardship they had to endure.

Sun Shouxin arrived faster than Zhao Yunshu had anticipated.

Zhao Yunshu was still planning the details of the exorcism ceremony tomorrow when she looked up and saw Sun Shouxin leading two kiln workers down the slope.

The old foreman was dressed in a clean brown outfit today, and his hair was combed neater than yesterday. He looked much more energetic, but his face still wore that same smile.

"Master," Sun Shouxin approached and cupped his hands in greeting, "We've prepared everything you requested: sheep lungs, almonds, persimmon frost, real ghee, real powder, and white honey—everything is ready. Old Zhou is waiting over there too." He paused, then added, "There's just one thing—Old Zhou said it's resentment, and I was afraid that handling it at the kiln would harm others, so I arranged for it to be done in the mountains. The mountains are secluded, no one will disturb us, and we don't want any innocent bystanders to be harmed in case of any mishap."

He spoke these words naturally and earnestly, showing that he was always thinking of the people at the kiln.

Zhao Yunshu nodded, without asking any further questions, and simply said, "Chief Sun has thought things through very well, so let's go."

Sun Shouxin stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed, then led the way.

Two kiln workers followed behind Zhao Yunshu, one on each side, carrying loads of medicinal herbs and a stove for decocting the herbs.

Zhao Yunshu noticed that the two kiln workers were both burly men with heavy shoulders and thick waists, their steps were solid, and their hands were large. They didn't look like kiln workers. Kiln workers do heavy work and can't develop such large muscles.

People who do the heaviest work are actually the leanest.

He had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, but he remained outwardly calm and continued walking with Sun Shouxin.

After leaving the kiln, we walked along a narrow path into the depths of the mountain valley.

Zhao Yunshu walked this road.

Last night, he had gone halfway in his pursuit of the snake, but during the day it looked quite different – ​​the earthen slope was covered with waist-high wild grass, and below the slope was a dry ditch.

After walking for a while, the road became narrower and narrower, and the trees on both sides gradually became denser, mostly pines and cypresses, with a few wild trees interspersed among them, with a few withered fruits hanging on their branches.

The sounds of the kiln had faded into the distance, leaving only the rustling of pine needles in the mountain wind.

After walking for another fifteen minutes, Sun Shouxin stopped on a flat area in a mountain hollow.

This place is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a small flat area in the middle. The ground is covered with a thick layer of pine needles, which feel soft and spongy underfoot.

In the center of the flat ground, a bamboo mat was laid out, and Zhou Chengan sat on it. Next to him was a clay stove with a pottery jar on it, the water in the jar bubbling away.

Several kiln workers were waiting nearby, and greeted Sun Shouxin when they saw him.

Zhao Yunshu looked around, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. The forest was quiet, with a few sparrows hopping about on the branches; everything seemed normal.

"Master, do you think this place is suitable?" Sun Shouxin turned around and asked.

Zhao Yunshu nodded and said, "Very good, very good."

After speaking, he walked to the bamboo mat, bent down and looked at Zhou Chengan's complexion.

The old craftsman's face was even more ashen than yesterday's, his lips were a little purple, and the bluish-gray of his fingernails was even darker. He still grinned when he saw him.

I hope he doesn't usually run.

Zhao Yunshu reached out and felt his pulse. The pulse was weak and feeble, and the resentment in his lungs was even stronger than yesterday.

"Master Zhou, you'll feel a little uncomfortable after drinking the medicine once it's brewed, but it's only temporary. Just bear with it," he said.

Zhou Chengan nodded: "Don't worry, I trust you."

Zhao Yunshu nodded and began checking the materials.

Boil the sheep lungs in water until slightly cooked, wrap them in a white cloth, and put them in a jar with almonds, persimmon frost, real sesame paste, real sesame powder, and white honey to cook together.

Two kiln workers squatted beside the clay furnace to watch the fire for him, and they were quite quick and efficient.

After the medicine was decocted, he was about to speak while holding the bowl when he saw Sun Shouxin leading a person coming from the other side of the mountain path.

The man, draped in a sandalwood robe and holding a dharma bell, walked with a composed gait—it was none other than Master Yuanmeng.