novelraw Chapter 77: Since We Are Here
Chapter 77: Since We Are Here
Chapter 77: Since We Are Here
As Pei Jing approached, he asked, "Is there anything wrong with this crystal ball?"
"Nothing's wrong, just a pleasant surprise," Wen Gu replied.
"Brother Wen, what did you mean by... birefringence?"
"Observe..."
Wen Gu took out another, slightly smaller transparent crystal ball from the wooden box. Although it had some white inclusions, it didn't affect its clarity. He placed the crystal ball next to a black line drawn on a piece of paper. Pei Jing, not understanding, indeed saw the black line through the crystal ball. However, what followed was astonishing — as Wen Gu rotated the crystal ball, the black line gradually split into two!
"This!" Pei Jing's eyes widened, and he leaned in to examine it closely.
Wen Gu directly handed the crystal ball to him, allowing Pei Jing to experiment himself. After trying it personally and confirming it was real, Pei Jing even drew a thin line himself and tried it repeatedly. The result was the same! As someone from a noble background, after his initial surprise, he quickly regained his composure.
"Is this the birefringence Brother Wen mentioned?"
Wen Gu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the larger ball and asked Pei Jing to look again. This time, no matter how he turned the transparent ball, he didn't see the phenomenon of one line splitting into two. Pei Jing operated it himself and confirmed this. He looked at Wen Gu in confusion. "Why is that?""Indeed, why is that?" Wen Gu's eyes twinkled with a smile as he continued, "Most naturally occurring crystals possess this characteristic. If they are too small, it's difficult to discern, but if they are large and thick enough, it becomes more apparent, like your crystal ball, Brother Pei. However, manufactured glass mostly lacks this characteristic." At least, that was the case with the current technological level.
Pei Jing was taken aback. He began to understand Wen Gu's meaning. Wen Gu then asked, "Two similar crystal balls, this glass ball is larger and purer, yet Brother Pei seems to have limited affection for it?"
"I can't say why, I just don't like it that much." Looking at the larger "crystal" ball, Pei Jing thought of many things. He usually just held it in his hand when playing with it. Even if he was curious in the past, he only looked at distant scenery through the crystal ball, never specifically observing details like "birefringence." What he liked was the tactile feel of hydrous obsidian. He now understood why he always felt something was off when holding that glass ball, and his affection for it was limited; he had put it aside after playing with it a few times. He had been playing with hydrous obsidian for so many years, relying entirely on intuition to choose what he liked or disliked. He didn't dislike it, but he usually ignored it. It turned out this wasn't the natural hydrous obsidian he liked, but something created by human hands!
Seeing Pei Jing stunned, Wen Gu asked, "May I ask who the craftsman who fired this glass ball is?"
"Fired..." Pei Jing murmured. "I can't confirm yet if it's as I suspect, we still need to inquire in person," Wen Gu said. Pei Jing's fingers tightened around the glass ball, and a sharp glint flashed in his lowered eyes. Noble and aristocratic families valued their reputation. To be presented with a fake item for appreciation was essentially an insult! Someone dared to deceive him! Pei Jing's expression turned grim. Seeing this, Wen Gu, knowing that these aristocratic families sometimes valued face over everything else, quickly said, "If we can find the talent who fired this item, it would be a great help to me! Perhaps it could even bring greater benefits to your Pei family!"
"Oh? It's that important?" Pei Jing had already adjusted his demeanor, his tone much calmer. At least, he appeared so on the surface. He recalled the time he received this glass ball. It was presented to him after arriving in Xin Prefecture City. His memory was good; such a large crystal ball would leave some impression if it wasn't too long ago. He instructed his follower to summon the steward who had presented the item. During this time, Pei Jing asked Wen Gu why he valued the craftsman who made this fake item so highly. Wen Gu told him sincerely that if they could find this craftsman, it would save at least half a year of time! In fact, six months was an optimistic estimate. Technological breakthroughs could be swift or indefinitely prolonged, possibly taking years or decades to achieve. Qingyun District was attempting to fire glass but was facing many challenges. Decolorizing agents, fluxes, kiln improvements... Impurities, discoloration, incomplete firing, the most suitable materials, the proportions of auxiliary tools, how to make corresponding modifications to the kiln, and many other issues needed to be resolved. Only by actually doing it would one realize the immense difficulty! Given the conditions of the era, Wen Gu had planned to resolve these issues within six months to a year. During this period, they also needed to produce experimental "rejects" to fund research. The daily consumption of materials and supplies was not a small amount. The finished products currently made in the kiln were sufficient to fool the wealthy patrons, but they were far from meeting Wen Gu's requirements. Even a dog Taoist priest was not omnipotent. These were secondary; what mattered most was time! The trial-and-error process consumed too much time!! That was why Wen Gu was so excited when he saw this clear glass ball. What kind of talent was so brilliant? Let me see him quickly! You must stay alive! Wen Gu carefully explained the pros and cons to Pei Jing. For aristocratic and noble families, sometimes interests outweighed reputation.
The steward was quickly brought in. The Pei family had just undergone a rectification, so the steward dared not conceal anything. "It was presented by Gui Tong's adopted son, a craftsman in the manor, when they initially fled, in exchange for a spot to escape north with us..." The steward's forehead was covered in sweat. At the time, he had only wanted to please Pei Jing and had never imagined that such a seemingly precious treasure was problematic! "So, the person is still alive?" Pei Jing asked. He remembered Gui Tong; many crystal carved items were made by this craftsman, a long-serving artisan nurtured by the manor. "Alive! They are all alive!" The steward was afraid of being blamed. "Gui Tong and his adopted son, Gui Shi, were transferred to Wanfu Garden a while ago, and they live in Qingyun District." Wen Gu sighed inwardly. So they were right under his nose! They had hidden too well! When they took the statistics, those two hadn't told the truth, otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to cutting and carving work. "Brother Pei, why don't we go to Qingyun District together?" Wen Gu invited. Pei Jing thought that as they were craftsmen from his own manor, and one of them was a long-serving old artisan, he indeed needed to clarify the matter. So, he brought his men and went with Wen Gu to Qingyun District to verify. Many technical craftsmen involved in the Wanfu Garden project mostly lived in Qingyun District. Kilns were set up there, requiring craftsmen to fire glazed tiles and glass, and to do some fine handicraft work. When Gui Tong and his adopted son, Gui Shi, were summoned for questioning, they both felt a sense of "this day has finally come." Thus, they honestly recounted the whole story. The old craftsman Gui Tong from the Pei manor was indeed involved in carving crafts, but his adopted son Gui Shi was not, and had no connection to the Pei manor before the chaotic times. Gui Shi had previously followed his master to fire glazed tiles. "My master accidentally obtained a batch of good materials and said we could try a new process..." Gui Shi recounted the story of him and his master firing glass. The master and disciple tried many times before producing this one. They had intended to use it to gain wealth, but the times became chaotic, and his master unfortunately became possessed by evil spirits. Seeing that the situation was not good, Gui Shi took this glass ball to his fellow villager Gui Tong and became his adopted son. "When fleeing, my status did not meet the Pei family's rules. Not being blood relatives with my adoptive father, and being a recently adopted son, I wasn't among those eligible to travel..." He used this glass ball to bribe the steward and obtained a spot to accompany the Pei family to seek refuge in Xin Prefecture. Gui Shi recounted, his head lowered. At the time, he had been careful not to say it was fired, but also not to say it was genuine. He had intended to hide it for his entire life. When he was transferred to Qingyun District and learned that someone there was firing glazed tiles and some crystal-like items, he was afraid to say that he had fired glass before, fearing trouble. He hadn't expected the matter to come to light so suddenly. Wen Gu also sighed. Such talent! It was a pity that the master craftsman was no longer alive, and it was unknown how much of his skill this young disciple had learned. Fluxes were still being researched, and the kiln workers were continuously modifying the kilns and improving the processes. He didn't expect there to be a hidden master! A true master hidden among the common people! Wen Gu once again expressed his desire to hire this young craftsman Gui to work at the glass kiln. By this time, Pei Jing had considered the pros and cons and agreed. Wen Gu was overjoyed. If successful, the technical breakthrough could be achieved in advance, completing the first stage of the goal. The various "mirrors" planned would soon be realized! However, they still needed to make some small items to recoup their losses first. "Since we are here, why don't you come over to my place for a chat? And we can discuss the design of the flying bridge," Wen Gu invited Pei Jing. Pei Jing thought that there was nothing much to do back home, so he said, "Then I'll be imposing on you." "The courtyard in Qingyun District is still under renovation, so it's quite inconvenient. Please, Brother Pei, move to Jingxing District across the way." The two arrived at the office in Jingxing District and first discussed artistic design issues. They had disagreements on some details. Wen Gu, looking at the repeatedly modified drawings and pondering with a frown, fell silent for a moment. Then, as if struck by an idea, he said to Pei Jing, "Some problems cannot be clearly explained with words alone. Fortunately, for this long bridge section, I have asked the craftsmen to make some small components. Let's make a model first. How to match the colors is best seen from the actual object."
"A model?" Pei Jing asked in surprise. "Like a sandbox model? Can it be made?"
Wen Gu affirmed, "Yes, and it's almost finished. Are you interested, Brother Pei? Why not try assembling the real thing? It's much more vivid than on paper!" Pei Jing was somewhat tempted. His household had recently undergone rectification and a thorough cleaning, so everyone in the manor would be more compliant for a while. Being idle at home, he might as well do something else. Wen Gu's point was valid: the content that could be presented on paper was limited. Making a model first might reveal more problems. Pei Jing looked at the drawing and pointed to the side of the long bridge, asking, "You said the sides of this long bridge are all partition screens and floor-to-ceiling windows, decorated with glazed tiles and glass. Can these also be assembled on the sandbox... model?"
"Yes, the craftsmen have fired a batch of variously colored glazed tiles... and small glass pieces, which can be assembled to try it out first," Wen Gu said. Pei Jing was extremely excited.
(End of Chapter)