I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

Recently, Chen Jia has become famous in the craftsmanship of Qingguo with her exquisite skills in firing glazed tiles and glazed ornaments. Her workshop is very lively and crowded with guests every day. However, Chen Jia and Chen Jue are not satisfied with their current achievements. They know that glazed tiles are very malleable and there are many areas waiting for them to explore and innovate.

One afternoon, the sun shone through the carved window lattices of the workshop, casting tiny shadows. Chen Jia sat at the table in front of the window, holding an ancient book in her hands, absorbed in reading. This ancient book was purchased by chance from an old scholar who had just returned from his travels. It recorded many lost craft techniques of the previous dynasty. The few words about glass drinking utensils in it ignited a new fire of exploration in her heart.

As soon as Chen Jue entered the workshop, he saw Chen Jia's face full of concentration. He walked up to her lightly and asked with a smile: "My wife, what treasure did you find from this ancient book today? Look at you, you are so obsessed." Chen Jia raised her head, her eyes flashing with excitement. She took Chen Jue's hand and said: "My husband, come and see. This ancient book mentioned that our ancestors used colored glaze to make tea sets and wine sets. Not only are they beautiful, but they can also add color and fragrance to the drinks. Since we have the skills to make colored glaze, why don't we do something about these drinking utensils? If successful, it will definitely add another unique feature to our workshop and make the colored glaze culture more popular."

Chen Jue took the ancient book, read the few lines of text carefully, nodded slightly, his eyes full of praise: "My lady, what you said is very true, but this glass drinking vessel must be both practical and ornamental, and the production process should not be underestimated. First of all, the selection of raw materials must be carefully selected. After all, it is something that is eaten, and it cannot tolerate any impurities." Chen Jia agreed deeply: "I was thinking about this too. Although the quartz sand we used before was of good quality, we have to use purer and finer ones to make drinking vessels. In addition, the firing temperature and shaping process must be re-explored. If there is a slight deviation, the drinking vessel may be deformed and affect its use."

Chen Jue immediately sent people to various places to explore for high-quality quartz sand sources. A few days later, he personally led a team of people to a remote mountain. The mountain road was rugged and thorny, but Chen Jue had only one belief in his heart, that he must find the best raw materials. Finally, deep in the valley, they found a quartz vein. The ore was extremely pure and sparkled in the sunlight. Chen Jue was very excited and directed everyone to mine carefully. After going through hardships, he finally transported a batch of precious quartz ore back to the workshop.

Chen Jia was busy preparing for the firing in the workshop. She gathered several experienced craftsmen and sat together to study the design of the mold. Chen Jia picked up a piece of wood and gestured, saying, "For the mold of this teapot, the body should be round and full, and the spout should be slender and smooth, so that it can be retracted and released freely when pouring tea; for the mold of the wine glass, the wall of the cup should be thin and transparent, and the mouth of the cup should be slightly expanded, which can not only highlight the beauty of the glass, but also facilitate drinking." An old craftsman frowned and said worriedly, "Madam, this mold is made with great care. If there is a slight mistake, all the previous efforts will be wasted. We have to spend more time on it." Chen Jia nodded and encouraged, "Uncle Zhang, don't worry, we will work together and try a few more times, and we will succeed. You are an expert in craftsmanship, and I feel at ease with you in charge."

After the molds were ready, the firing process began. Chen Jia personally stood by the kiln, staring at the temperature without blinking. "Preheat slowly with a low fire to allow the raw materials to fully blend. Don't be impatient. The temperature must be controlled steadily..." She gently reminded the craftsmen. As the temperature gradually increased, the colored glaze in the kiln slowly softened and began to flow into the mold to form. At this time, Chen Jia's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but her eyes were extremely firm. She knew that at this critical moment, she could not afford any negligence.

The moment the kiln was opened, everyone's heart was in their throat. When the first glass teapot was carefully taken out, there was a burst of exclamations in the workshop. The teapot was like a fine work of art. The body of the teapot was as transparent as ice, and under the refraction of the sun, it glowed with a colorful halo; the spout was slender and elegant, like a swan's neck; the handle was round and smooth, and it was just right. Chen Jia excitedly picked up the teapot, looked at it carefully, and tears flashed in her eyes: "We succeeded! This glass teapot is so beautiful!" The craftsmen also cheered and hugged each other to celebrate this hard-earned achievement.

Soon after, colored glass wine utensils were also successfully fired one after another. Sets of exquisite wine glasses, the walls of which were as thin as paper, after pouring in the fine wine, the color of the wine became more mellow and attractive against the background of colored glass, as if it was given new vitality.

As the news spread, teahouses and taverns in Beijing were the first to take action. One day, several teahouse owners came to the workshop together and were attracted by the glass tea sets on the display stand as soon as they entered. A boss in a brocade robe picked up a glass teapot, turned it gently, looked at the light and shadow flowing on the pot, and exclaimed: "This teapot is simply a rare treasure! I have been running a teahouse for many years, and I have never seen such exquisite tea sets. If I use it to make tea, it will definitely attract more tea drinkers and improve the style of the teahouse."

Another tavern owner picked up a glass wine glass and examined it carefully against the light. The glass sparkled brightly under the light. He exclaimed in amazement: "Madam Chen, this wine glass is amazing! The wine looks more precious when it is served in it. I will order a batch and put it in my tavern so that the drinkers can also feel the charm of this glass."

Chen Jia stepped forward with a smile and introduced: "Dear bosses, these glass drinkware are not only beautiful, but also very practical. The texture of glass is stable and will not react chemically with beverages, thus retaining the original flavor of the beverages to the greatest extent. Each piece is carefully made by us and is unique." Teahouse and pub owners placed orders one after another and reserved a large number of glass tea sets and wine sets.

As the reputation spread, scholars also favored the glassware. One day, several well-known scholars came to the workshop. They heard that the glassware had appeared, so they came to find out. A scholar in a green shirt and holding a folding fan picked up a set of glassware, gently stroked the pot, and said with emotion: "Wonderful! This glassware is crystal clear, as if it was made by nature. Using it to make tea, watching the tea leaves expand, and appreciating the changes in the tea soup color is really a great thing in life."

Another old scholar with a long beard also nodded and praised: "Yes, this glass wine set is also a unique one. When drinking, you can feel the flow of the wine through the glass, as if you can taste the mellowness of time. Madam Chen and Duke Chen's actions have added a bright color to the tea culture and wine culture of our Qing Kingdom."

Since then, Chen Jia and Chen Jue's workshop has become increasingly busy, with orders pouring in. In order to meet market demand, they have continuously improved their craftsmanship, expanded their production scale, and trained a large number of skilled craftsmen.