Master descends to earth

Chapter 151
Mao Zhengcong gave Su Yuan the contact information, and introduced: "Originally, the Feng family was also an old craftsman who passed down generations, but because the descendants were unwilling to endure hardships, Lao Feng recovered from a serious illness a few years ago, and he really didn't have the intention to continue, so he could only reluctantly part with his own family. of the kiln."

"In recent years, many people want to buy it, and the price is not low, but Lao Feng just didn't agree. Money is not an issue, the main thing is to find a suitable candidate. After all, the kiln mouth is like a biological child to a craftsman, so..."

Su Yuan understood what Mao Zhengcong meant, and said sincerely: "Don't worry, Su is also a craftsman, and he feels the same way. He must not let Senior Feng suffer."

Mao Zhengcong laughed loudly. Su Yuan's words were reassuring. He and Lao Feng had been friends for many years, and it was his wish to help find a suitable buyer. He called in person and made an appointment to meet.

The next day, Su Yuan came to the kiln factory near the suburbs and met Feng Zheng. Because of Mao Zhengcong's matchmaking, Lao Feng was very enthusiastic and took Su Yuan to visit the equipment first.

The area is small, but it is well-equipped, clean and tidy, and it looks like it has been carefully maintained.The steamed bun kiln is about 2.7 meters long, 4.2 meters wide and more than 5 meters high.

The fire chamber and the kiln chamber are combined into a steamed bun shape. After ignition, the flame sprays from the fire chamber to the top of the kiln, then falls to the bottom of the kiln, and flows through the green body. The smoke enters the chimney in the back wall from the fire suction hole at the bottom of the back wall. discharge.

It is characterized by easy control of heating and cooling speeds, and good moisture retention. It is suitable for firing porcelains with light and thin carcass and high glaze viscosity at high temperatures, especially celadon.

After turning around and entering the room to chat, Old Feng looked at Su Yuan and asked curiously, "You are our famous swordsmith in Longquan, why do you want to buy a kiln all of a sudden?"

Su Yuan smiled slightly, without speaking, stood up directly, and came to the workbench.Dig up a piece of mud and start drawing the billet directly.

"This is……"

Lao Feng's eyes lit up, and he hurried to the front, only to see that Su Yuan's movements were smooth and smooth, and the weight was lifted lightly, and the plain tire was miraculously completed in just a few tens of seconds, as light as paper, which is amazing.

The result was not over yet, so I picked up the knife again and started trimming the billet.The smoothness between the dragonfly and the water, Lao Feng stared at the plain tire, at first he was dumbfounded, then suddenly woke up like a dream, and shouted inconceivably: "Linglongci!"

Su Yuan stood up, washed his hands, looked at Lao Feng's intoxicated expression, and said with a smile: "It's not Linglong, it's just a plain pregnancy."

Lao Feng came back to his senses, studied it carefully for a long time, and exclaimed: "I didn't expect to see such an exquisite casting and repairing technique. I have no regrets in this life... I have no regrets in this life!"

Looking at Su Yuan again, he was astonished as if he was a heavenly man, and he admired him like a high mountain.Veteran craftsmen are very simple, whoever has the ability will obey whoever has learned before and after, and those who have mastered come first.

Su Yuan asked Lao Feng to sit down again, and said seriously: "This time, I just want to buy a kiln. The environment is very satisfactory, and you can do whatever you want!"

"It's just that I have an unfeeling request..." Looking directly into the other's eyes, he said firmly, "I hope you can come out of the mountain again and be my master!"

"This……"

Old Feng's expression was shaken, his face hesitated, he pondered for a long time, and finally took a deep breath and said: "If it is someone else, Feng will see off the guests without saying a word!"

"But facing you, Master Su..." Lao Feng shook his head, and said sincerely: "For your skill, Lao Feng is convinced, but it's a pity..."

Su Yuan waved his hand and said with a smile: "I know your concerns, isn't it because of your body and lack of successors?"

"First, Su only takes the high-quality line. Whether it's swords or porcelain, they all win by quality. There is no doubt about this!"

"As for the issue of inheritance, is it true that if your son is unwilling to suffer, your craft must be lost?"

"The conditions are open at will, and Su can guarantee that the Feng family will have no worries about food and clothing, and even become rich. If you don't believe me, you can go and inquire about the current strength of the Su family's sword shop."

Old Feng revealed surprise, and said anxiously: "Is this really true?"

Su Yuan laughed loudly and said domineeringly: "As long as you are willing to go out, all the personnel will be recruited and commanded by you, and you will still be the kiln-burning general. As for the quantity, don't worry, we only produce high-quality masterpieces, and you don't have to worry about sales. I guarantee you a guaranteed harvest despite droughts and floods. !"

After pondering for a moment, Lao Feng finally agreed not only to sell the kiln, but also officially joined Su Yuan, becoming the first veteran of the Su family.

Lao Feng filled the boss with tea and sighed: "I have been learning kiln kiln from my master since I was a teenager. The firewood kiln has eight feet. , two husbands and a half, three husbands and a half, with a small braised hand and a pocket foot in the middle."

"Starting from the lowest man and a half, firewood kiln is a special type of work. It requires not only technical knowledge, but also good physical fitness. To put it bluntly, it is a heavy physical labor."

"The old master told me that this job can't be done by a very smart person, nor can a person who is too stupid. Because it is too hard, many people choose to give up halfway, and I am the only one who persists."

"If you can't teach a pile, it's like it's impossible to teach someone to be a general. It's no exaggeration to say that out of 100 kiln burners, it's not bad to be able to produce one pile."

Thinking of something, Lao Feng said with a smile: "We have a popular saying: to live a good year is not as good as building a kiln and firing a kiln well."

"If the kiln is not fired well, it is common for half of the kiln to collapse. I have seen the entire kiln being scrapped. The temperature in the front is too high, but the temperature in the back is not enough, and all the porcelain inside explodes."

"Because the temperature of the firewood kiln is unbalanced and the temperature difference is large. When the temperature at the front reaches 1000 degrees Celsius, the temperature at the rear is only 300 degrees Celsius. This requires the kiln workers to master the speed of firing the kiln, and grasp the temperature changes and atmosphere in the kiln. All colors The glaze is fired in different kilns and different atmospheres, and everything depends on the experience of the master.”

"First of all, you must have physical strength. You must be able to lift a few kilograms of saggers and stack them gently. You must also have eyesight and judgment, accurately distinguish the temperature, and arrange the kiln reasonably. You can judge all the subtleties in the kiln with the naked eye. Change is more accurate than modern high technology!"

Speaking of his old profession, Lao Feng was instantly confident and high-spirited.Su Yuan is very satisfied, this is the domineering that a real old man should have.

One full, two burns, three fires out!

Just seven words can summarize the three key points of the kiln firing technique: the kiln is full of code boxes, the firewood is fired and the fire is turned off at the right time.

During the whole day of kiln firing, kiln workers need to add firewood for smelting continuously. Without any modern instrument monitoring, they only use their eyes to observe the temperature of the kiln chamber, use their experience to control the temperature of the kiln, and finally It takes two days to evenly lower the kiln temperature. "

That’s why there is a saying “seven dead, eight alive and nine turned over”. July is the hottest and most humid season. The kiln cannot be used normally due to the influence of air pressure, and the defective rate is too high. It is the most difficult period of the year.

September is the best season for wood-burning kilns with crisp autumn air and neither cold nor hot weather. The quality of the porcelain produced is generally good. This season is the best time for ceramic production.

Su Yuan took out 500 million to buy the old kiln, and took out another 500 million to ask Lao Feng to recruit troops, especially those who knew the glaze of celadon. He prepared the plain body by himself, and when the time was right in a few days, he started firing the kiln for the first time.

(End of this chapter)