Abstinence Pei, don't be too sweet when chasing your wife

Chapter 540 New Porcelain Emerges from the Kiln, Filling the Courtyard with Fragrance

The fire in the dragon kiln burned for a full twenty-four hours. When craftsman Chen used an iron hook to pry open the last brick at the kiln opening, it was already dawn.

Gu Fanxing clenched her fists tightly, even her breathing became shallow—her gaze was fixed on the kiln entrance, afraid of missing the first ray of morning light reflecting on the celadon, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the wrist guard on her wrist, that little bit of warmth becoming her comfort at this moment.

"Wait another ten minutes to let the kiln temperature drop a bit, otherwise the glaze will crack."

Craftsman Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement, and the iron hook in his hand was trembling slightly.

He repeatedly reminded his team members with concern: "When you handle the celadon later, be sure to wear double gloves, handle it gently, and don't touch the glaze with your fingers, otherwise it will leave marks and affect its appearance."

Pei Luonan stood beside Gu Fanxing and quietly took her hand, feeling the warmth of his touch on her fingertips: "Don't be nervous. No matter what the outcome, you've done a great job—we've seen all the effort you've put in, from finding the kiln site to mixing the glaze."

Gu Fanxing nodded, but her gaze never left the kiln entrance.

During those 24 hours, she barely slept, recording the fire temperature, adjusting the ventilation openings, and checking the kiln with Master Chen at three in the morning, fearing that something might go wrong.

She recalled the thrill of touching a porcelain bowl for the first time at the ruins; the ecstasy of finding the kiln site in Qinglongpo; the perseverance of working with Master Chen to mix glazes and repeatedly experiment to find the right ratio; and the warmth of the Pei family helping her contact suppliers for insulation cotton and delivering late-night snacks—all her efforts were waiting for this moment.

Finally, ten minutes passed.

Craftsman Chen put on thick asbestos gloves, took a deep breath, and bent down to crawl into the kiln.

Everyone held their breath; even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard clearly.

Not long after, craftsman Chen came out carrying a celadon bowl. The pale blue glaze of the bowl shone with a warm luster in the morning light, like a piece of jade that had been soaked in the stream for a thousand years. The rim of the bowl still carried the faint warmth of the kiln fire.

"It's done! It's done!"

The craftsman's voice trembled with excitement as he carefully handed the bowl to Gu Fanxing, afraid that it might slip and fall.

"Look, the glaze is even, without a single crack, and the 'Qingning Kiln' mark on the bottom of the bowl is very clear! It's in no way inferior to Song Dynasty porcelain bowls!"

Gu Fanxing took the bowl, and even through her gloves, she could feel the smooth and delicate glaze on her fingertips, as if she could touch the warmth of a thousand years of time.

She looked down at the mark on the bottom of the bowl, the familiar pattern exactly the same as the Song Dynasty porcelain bowl in the special exhibition, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

This is the "Qingning Kiln" she has been searching for for two years. It is a culture that she and everyone else have been protecting. Now, it has finally reappeared in front of the world in its most complete and vibrant form.

"That's wonderful! That's so beautiful!"

Pei's mother ran over, wiping away her tears with emotion, and carefully touched the rim of the bowl.

"The glaze is even more lustrous than the ones in museums, and it feels so good to the touch. Xingxing, you're amazing! Auntie is so proud of you. I was praising you to your Aunt Wang on the phone yesterday!"

Pei's father also came over, took the bowl from Gu Fanxing's hand, took out a magnifying glass from his pocket, and carefully observed the glaze pattern, even looking at the marks on the bottom of the bowl several times.

He looked at it for a long time, his tone full of admiration: "The glaze is so warm and translucent, without a single impurity."

Did you know? Last year when I went to Jingdezhen to see an ancient porcelain exhibition, I saw a broken bowl from the Song Dynasty's 'Qingning Kiln'. It was only half a bowl, and the glaze had some impurities. Compared to yours, it's far inferior.

You not only recreated the craft, but also thoroughly understood the ingenuity of your ancestors. This achievement deserves everyone's applause.

He paused for a moment, then said, "I remember the first time you talked to me about 'Qingning Kiln,' you said you wanted more people to know about this forgotten kiln and didn't want the craftsmanship of our ancestors to be lost."

At that time, I was worried that you, a girl, would have to face the wind and sun in archaeology, as well as deal with various difficulties in excavation and re-firing. Would you give up halfway?

But you didn't. Not only did you persevere, you did it so well.

You never complained, never said you were tired, and never grumbled. You proved with your actions that as long as you have passion and perseverance, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.

As Gu Fanxing listened to Pei's father's words, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Uncle, thank you so much. Thank you and Auntie for always helping and supporting me. Without you, I probably wouldn't be where I am today."

"Silly child, why are you being so polite with us?"

Pei's mother came over, gently hugged her, and patted her back.

“Your business is our business. Whatever archaeological project you want to do in the future, we will support you without hesitation. If you excavate a kiln site again next time, Auntie will sew you a wristband and bring you a late-night snack.”

The surrounding villagers also gathered around, and the grocery store owner took a warm egg from the basket and stuffed it into Gu Fanxing's hand.

"Xingxing, have an egg to replenish your energy. You deserve it! In the future, with the 'Qingning Kiln' in our Qingshan Town, we might even open a porcelain culture park. You must come back and visit often then!"

Uncle Li also came over carrying something wrapped in cloth; when he opened it, it was half a piece of porcelain.

“This is what my father left behind. It’s from the Qingning Kiln. Look how similar it is to the bowls you made. I’ll give it to you to keep safe from now on. It will fulfill my father’s wish.”

Pei Luonan looked at Gu Fanxing with tenderness in his eyes.

He took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Gu Fanxing: "Open it and see, it's a gift for you, I specially waited to give it to you today."

Gu Fanxing opened the box with a puzzled look. Inside was a pendant made of a fragment of celadon porcelain. A small "star" character was engraved in the center of the pendant, surrounded by intertwined vine patterns—the most classic pattern on Qingning kiln porcelain bowls. The edges of the fragments were polished smooth and rounded so they wouldn't scratch the skin.

“I made this using the pottery shards from your first trial firing. I had a professional craftsman make it, and I even had him carve the rim along the floral pattern on the porcelain bowl.”

Pei Luonan helped her put on the pendant, his fingertips gently brushing against it. "From now on, it will be like 'Qingning Kiln,' accompanying you, protecting you, and commemorating all the efforts you made for 'Qingning Kiln.'"

Gu Fanxing touched the pendant around her neck; the cool porcelain shards against her skin felt incredibly warm.

Looking at the Pei family, craftsman Chen, and villagers before her, and at the celadon bowl in her hand, she suddenly felt that all the hard work had been worthwhile.

She not only found the "Qingning Kiln", but also gained the most precious family affection and love, and a group of like-minded partners.

"Thank you everyone, thank you for always being there for me and helping me."

Gu Fanxing raised the celadon bowl in her hand, her voice choked with emotion yet firm. The sunlight shone on her, as if coating her with a layer of light.

"Today, the celadon of 'Qingning Kiln' can see the light of day again, which is not my achievement alone, but the achievement of everyone."

In the future, I will continue to work hard to tell the story of Qingning Kiln to more people, to pass on the culture of our ancestors, and to live up to everyone's expectations!

"Good!" Everyone cheered, their voices echoing across Qinglong Slope and startling the birds on the branches.

The morning light shone on everyone, and also on the celadon bowl. The pale blue luster was particularly dazzling in the sunlight, like a gem that had been gently treated by time.

Pei's mother smiled and said, "Come on, let's go to town to celebrate! I've already booked a restaurant and specially ordered your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs and steamed fish. We're not leaving until we're drunk!"

The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the town. Gu Fanxing walked beside Pei Luonan, holding a celadon bowl tightly in her hand, the pendant swaying gently in front of her chest.

She knew that with the full support of the Pei family and everyone's companionship, her archaeological journey would go further, and the story of "Qingning Kiln" would, like this celadon, slowly settle in time, forever warm and forever bright.