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

Since colored glass drinking utensils and stationery have become popular in Qingguo and received numerous praises and orders, Chen Jia and Chen Jue's workshop has become a benchmark for technological innovation. However, this ambitious couple has not stopped exploring. Their thoughts are like flying rocs, flying in the vast world, trying to expand the charm of colored glass to every corner of life.

One afternoon, the warm sunshine filled the workshop courtyard. Chen Jia sat under the corridor, holding a cup of fragrant tea in her hand, and the fragrance of tea rose. Her eyes accidentally swept across the guqin placed aside. The body of the guqin was simple and heavy, and the sound was mellow and melodious. However, in this workshop surrounded by exquisite instruments, it always felt that it lacked some special agility. Just as she was lost in thought, Chen Jue strode over. Seeing that she was thinking about something, he smiled and asked, "Madam, seeing you like this, do you have a new idea?"

Chen Jia raised her eyes, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She pulled Chen Jue to sit on the stone bench and said, "My husband, look at this ancient zither. Although it is an instrument of elegant music, its appearance is a bit dull. Since we have the unique skill of firing colored glass, if we can combine colored glass with zither instruments, such as making colored glass zither pegs and zither emblems, and let the sound of the zither flow with the light and shadow of colored glass, what a wonderful thing it would be! Not only that, I think if tableware, incense burners and even bathing utensils are all integrated with colored glass elements, it will definitely add endless elegance to daily life."

Chen Jue followed her gaze to the guqin, and the beautiful scene emerged in his mind. He nodded and praised: "My lady, what you said is very true, but each type of instrument has its own unique door. As for the guqin, the colored glaze pegs and guqin badges must not only be beautiful, but also accurately fit the body of the instrument, and must not affect the tuning and playing feel; tableware is related to food, and the texture of the colored glaze must ensure that it is non-toxic and harmless, and resistant to high temperatures and wear, and easy to clean; incense utensils pay attention to the creation of artistic conception, and the color and shape of the colored glaze must complement the fragrance; bathing utensils must pay more attention to practicality and comfort, without sharp edges, and must be non-slip."

Chen Jia frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. After a moment, she opened her red lips and said, "My husband has made a thorough analysis. The selection of raw materials is still the top priority. The colored glass used to make musical instruments must be tough and have good sound conductivity. The colored glass used for tableware must be stable and not crack at high temperatures. You can consider adding special mineral components to enhance its properties. The colored glass used for incense burners should have a hazy and beautiful color to set off the fragrance mist. The colored glass used for bathing utensils should have a frosted surface to increase friction."

After the discussion, the two of them acted quickly. Chen Jue immediately sent people to search for raw materials that met the requirements. Soon after, he heard that there was a magical substance called "sea crystal" on the coast of the East China Sea. After mixing it with quartz sand, the fired glass had strong toughness and excellent sound transmission performance, which was very suitable for making musical instruments. Chen Jue did not hesitate and took a team of elite people and embarked on a difficult journey to the coast.

On the road to the sea, the sea breeze was howling, making people unstable, and the sand and gravel were flying all over the sky, blinding the eyes. But Chen Jue had no intention of retreating, and had only one belief in his heart: to find the "sea crystal" and make the perfect musical instrument. After several days, they finally found the "sea crystal" vein emitting blue light in a hidden reef beach. Regardless of fatigue, everyone mined the precious ore and returned to the workshop without stopping.

Chen Jia was busy preparing with the craftsmen in the workshop. She gathered skilled craftsmen who were good at different techniques to discuss the mold design. Picking up a piece of wood and gesturing at the shape of a peg, Chen Jia said, "The pegs should be delicate and smooth in shape to facilitate rotation and tuning, and the internal diameter should fit the pegs precisely without any error. For tableware molds, the depth of bowls and plates should be moderate, with a slightly upturned edge, which is both beautiful and spill-proof. The incense burner should imitate the shape of a blooming lotus or undulating mountains, and the hollow pattern on the cover should be delicate to allow the fragrance to rise. For bathing utensils molds, the bathtub should be large and comfortable, and the bottom and inner wall of the bathtub should have non-slip textures." An experienced old craftsman said worriedly, "Madam, these utensils have different requirements and complex craftsmanship. We have to be careful. If we are not careful, all our previous efforts will be wasted." Chen Jia smiled and encouraged, "Uncle Zhang, you have superb craftsmanship, and I have confidence with you in charge. We will succeed if we do more experiments and adjustments."

The mold was completed, and the firing process began. Chen Jia personally stood by the kiln, staring at the fire intently. "Preheat with a low fire, so that the raw materials are heated evenly, and heat up slowly, and don't be impatient..." She gently reminded the craftsmen. As the temperature rose, the colored glaze gradually softened and flowed into the mold to form. At this time, Chen Jia's forehead was covered with sweat, but her eyes were as firm as steel, knowing that this critical moment could not afford any mistakes.

The moment the kiln was opened, everyone held their breath. When the first glass peg was gently taken out, there was a burst of exclamation in the workshop. The peg was like a crystal clear ice ridge, reflecting colorful light in the sunlight, turning smoothly and silently, and complementing the body of the guqin. Chen Jia excitedly installed the peg on the guqin, and gently adjusted it. The strings vibrated, and the sound was crisp and pleasant, like heavenly music. "It's done! Husband, our glass instrument is a success!" Tears flashed in her eyes, and the craftsmen also cheered and hugged each other to celebrate.

Later, glass tableware, incense burners, and bathing utensils were also introduced. A set of glass tableware, with warm colors, high temperature resistance and no deformation, is used to serve delicious food, and the food and beautiful utensils complement each other; the incense burners are elegant in shape, and when burning incense, the fragrance mist lingers in the glass light and shadow, like a dream; the glass bathtub for bathing is large and comfortable, with a frosted surface that is non-slip and safe. After filling with water, it is like a clear spring, making people feel comfortable physically and mentally.

The news spread quickly, and the court musicians were the first to come. A white-haired but energetic musician gently stroked the guqin with glazed pegs and exclaimed: "Wonderful! This glazed peg not only adds color to the guqin, but also makes the tone even better. When playing, it seems that the fingertips dance with the light and shadow, which is wonderful beyond words."

The shopkeepers of the Beijing restaurant also came over and looked at the glass tableware with smiles on their faces: "Madam Chen, Duke Chen, this tableware is so exquisite! Using it to serve dishes will instantly improve the quality of the dishes and will definitely attract more diners. I want to order a large number of them."

Literati and scholars love colored glass incense sets. One scholar who is good at burning incense and tasting tea praised: "This incense set is unique. When burning incense, the colored glass reflects the fragrance, which seems to integrate poetry into life and adds a bit of charm to the elegant gathering."

Even ordinary people, after seeing the glass bathing utensils, praised them highly: "This bathtub looks comfortable, is convenient and safe to use, and makes you feel refreshed after taking a bath."

As word of mouth spread, orders came in like snowflakes. Chen Jia and Chen Jue's workshop became increasingly busy. To meet demand, they continued to improve their craftsmanship, expand their staff, and train a large number of highly skilled craftsmen. With their unremitting efforts, glassware has been integrated into every aspect of Qing people's lives, becoming a symbol of quality and elegance.