At that moment, Su Wenyi walked in, surrounded by a group of people. Even from a distance, he noticed a faint, soft glow emanating from the large crate, leading him to a misunderstanding.

"Brother Su," Gao Dequan turned around, recognized Su Wenyi, and immediately greeted him with a broad smile. He then casually tucked Master Zhu's notebook into his pocket, retrieved it, and stepped forward to welcome him. "The fastest chapter updates for novels."

"Brother Gao, you've worked hard," Su Wenyi was also genuinely delighted. After waiting nearly a year, today had finally arrived—it truly hadn't been easy.

In reality, claiming the purpose was to fire the Mao porcelain for Old Master Su’s birthday was merely an excuse; Old Master Su’s birthday had long passed. Furthermore, the talk of reviving the Mao porcelain technique to expand production became an even less credible reason once the scarcity of the clay material was confirmed.

Eventually, perhaps they felt no reason was necessary at all. Su Wenyi desperately wanted a batch of Mao porcelain, willing to spare no expense, even agreeing to the "onerous" conditions set by Wang Guan...

Under these circumstances, even the dullest person should have understood that this batch of Mao porcelain was critically important to Su Wenyi and destined for some major use. As for what that use would be... well, that was their private business.

Wang Guan and Gao Dequan had no intention of inquiring, nor any interest in doing so. As long as the firing was successful and they received their agreed share, Su Wenyi could do as he pleased; why meddle? Even if he tried to pass off counterfeits as genuine articles, neither of them would find it surprising—at most, they would hold him in contempt and sever ties forever.

However, for the moment, they were partners, exchanging cheerful words and maintaining an atmosphere of harmony.

Simultaneously, Su Wenyi approached the large crate... and upon discovering that the contents were not the Mao porcelain he had anticipated, but rather a pile of blue-and-white ware, he naturally felt a touch of disappointment. Yet, noticing the still-glowing remnants of the wood fire at the kiln site, he felt a sense of relief. Since the pieces had only been placed in the kiln for firing yesterday, how could they possibly be drawn out today? If they were, he would actually start worrying that something untoward had happened.

Thinking this, Su Wenyi gracefully conceded, "It seems I was mistaken; I thought the Mao porcelain was already fired."

"Brother Su, there's no need to rush. If all goes smoothly, we should see the results tomorrow," Gao Dequan chuckled confidently. The kiln temperature had been perfectly normal, with no incidents whatsoever. If he had been ninety percent confident before, that confidence had now risen to ninety-nine percent; the remaining one percent was reserved for uncontrollable factors like natural disasters or mishaps.

Infected by Gao Dequan's strong assurance, Su Wenyi dismissed his doubts. He did ask a few questions about the firing process, but since he couldn't understand the technicalities, knowing that everything was normal was enough to set his mind at ease.

"These ceramics, they were just unearthed, weren't they?"

Just then, one person in the entourage behind Su Wenyi, who looked like an expert, scrutinized the still-damp clay clinging to the outside of the large crate, his eyes widening in astonishment.

"Expert Cen, your eyesight is keen... He must know that person, or perhaps that person has a significant background, given how polite Gao Dequan is," Gao Dequan praised, adding, "The items were indeed dug up quite recently..."

"Brother Gao, you have incredible luck."

Expert Cen couldn't help but exclaim with envy, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be blue-and-white porcelain from the Yongle and Xuande periods of the Ming Dynasty. It uses imported material, Sumali Qing, which is why the blue color is so vibrant, possessing a gem-like hue."

He was clearly wrong, yet he insisted he hadn't misjudged? Yu Feibai inwardly curled his lip, grumbling to himself.

Of course, one couldn't entirely blame Expert Cen. After all, he hadn't handled the pieces directly, nor did he know they were the work of Master Zhu. So, misidentification was understandable.

"Phew, that was close."

Gao Dequan gave a noncommittal laugh, intending to gloss over the matter.

However, upon hearing they might be items from the Ming Dynasty, Su Wenyi became a little more interested and asked curiously, "Yongxuan, that refers to the Yongle and Xuande reigns, right? I've heard that blue-and-white porcelain from this period is the finest and most precious."

"Not just precious—they are treasures passed down through generations."

As he spoke, Expert Cen also showed a hint of surprise: "But every single piece here is exquisite, and there are so many of them. Could it be, Brother Gao, that you've stumbled upon an ancient imperial kiln workshop?"

"Hehe, luck, just luck," Gao Dequan avoided a direct answer, simply smiling broadly and gesturing, "No need for everyone to stand around; please come inside for some tea."

With that, Gao Dequan exchanged a significant glance with Wang Guan and Yu Feibai before warmly ushering Su Wenyi and his party into the adjacent sitting room for a brief rest. He personally boiled water and prepared tea, engaging them in lively conversation, making the atmosphere very cheerful.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai seized the opportunity to move the crate of blue-and-white ware to another location and promptly called Elder Qian to update him on their staggering discovery.

"Really?"

Hearing this, Elder Qian couldn't help but feel a mixture of pleasant surprise and shock. After confirming the details multiple times, he immediately commanded, "Once the Mao porcelain matter is settled, have Ah De bring the items to the capital..."

Yu Feibai nodded repeatedly, confirming he would relay the message accurately.

Shortly after ending the communication, Yu Feibai remarked with a sigh, "Elder Qian is much calmer. If it were me, I probably would have ordered someone to transport the items over immediately."

"That’s why you aren't Elder Qian; you lack his elder’s composure and gravitas," Wang Guan replied casually, though his attention was fixed on one of the vases. After observing it closely, he began to understand: "No wonder Uncle De said these works hadn't reached perfection. Even without looking at the seal marks, I can spot the flaws... flaws?" Hearing this, Yu Feibai immediately turned his gaze over.

"It’s mainly an issue with the glaze surface."

Wang Guan gestured: "Under normal circumstances, blue-and-white porcelain from the Xuande reign typically features a thick, lustrous glaze that is soft and not overly bright, often tending toward a pale bluish-white—a bright blue glaze. Moreover, the glaze surface isn't perfectly smooth; it resembles an orange peel, hence the term 'orange peel glaze.' Additionally, under a high-powered magnification, one can even see the glaze surface filled with bubbles of various sizes."

"One could say that the orange peel glaze and the presence of bubbles are major characteristics of Xuande porcelain. Regardless of the type, almost all porcelain from the Xuande era has this kind of glaze. However, with these imitations, while the body and the blue color match the era's characteristics, the glaze surface is distinctly wrong—a major flaw."

At this point, Wang Guan smiled: "Perhaps Master Zhu realized this problem, which is why he abandoned this kiln site."

"That makes sense."

Yu Feibai pondered and felt Wang Guan's speculation was quite plausible; perhaps it was the truth.

"Master Zhu..."

At this moment, Yu Feibai also felt a pang of emotion: "Back then, even if his name wasn't recorded in official histories, he was a figure revered and spoken of in hushed tones, honored as a 'Great Master.' Yet today, his successor has become someone reviled by everyone. That’s quite ironic."

"That's normal. Back then, Master Zhu's fakes were sold to the high officials and nobles of the Qing Dynasty. Think of the massacres in Hangzhou and Jiading; it was fair game to swindle them as much as possible. The more they were fleeced, the happier people felt. But now, they are swindling their own kind, so naturally, everyone condemns them," Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "If you were swindled, would you condemn him?"

"Nonsense, how could I possibly just condemn him..." Yu Feibai retorted with a menacing tone, "I would wipe him out."

While the two were chatting, the wood fire in the kiln gradually died down, signifying that nine-tenths of the Mao porcelain firing process was complete; the final tenth was cooling.

One should not underestimate the cooling stage. If the temperature drop inside the kiln was too rapid—if the kiln door was opened prematurely—air would rush in, and the porcelain inside would likely shatter completely. Therefore, even after the fire was out, everyone had to wait patiently; they couldn't safely open the kiln until tomorrow at the earliest.

That entire evening was supposed to be a welcoming banquet for Su Wenyi and his party, but nobody was in the mood. They ate a simple meal, drank very little wine, and ended the gathering early. To everyone present, the night felt agonizingly slow; some even suffered from insomnia, keeping their eyes open until dawn.

When morning finally arrived, some people were already by the kiln, ready to open it immediately. However, the master stoker touched the kiln wall and shook his head gently, indicating they needed to wait longer.

They waited until noon, ate lunch, and then rested for another three or four hours. In total, the cooling period spanned twenty-four hours. Only after the stokers had repeatedly confirmed the internal conditions did they unanimously agree that the kiln could finally be opened.

Instantly, several strong young men dismantled the kiln door, and Gao Dequan personally stepped in, carefully entering the kiln opening. Soon after, to the expectant gazes of the crowd, he walked out briskly, holding a small protective box (xiabao) in his hands.

"How is it?"

In a flash, everyone crowded around. Inside the box was the newly fired porcelain. It was a small, exquisitely delicate bowl, its body pure white as snow, extremely smooth and fine, reflecting a glass-like, pure white sheen under the sunlight. Especially the painted red plum blossom motif on the bowl, set against the white clay background, appeared exceptionally tender, fresh, and ethereal.

"Excellent, truly excellent." Su Wenyi carefully lifted the bowl and held it up to the sunlight. He saw that the slender wall of the bowl appeared semi-translucent, causing him to praise it nonstop, his face beaming with joy.

Of course, Su Wenyi couldn't articulate exactly what was so good about it; he simply handed the small bowl to Expert Cen, asking him for his expert assessment.

The reason for emphasizing that Cen was an "expert" is because he genuinely was one.

This was not empty flattery, but sincere praise. According to Gao Dequan's revelation, Expert Cen had been a porcelain appraiser in his early years, but in the 1990s, he became obsessed with Mao porcelain and dedicated himself solely to that area.

For the last ten or twenty years, Expert Cen had focused intently on researching Mao porcelain. He was intimately familiar with its history, craftsmanship, and even the precise weight range of various cups, bowls, and plates. Whether something was Mao porcelain or not, he didn't need to look; he could judge with nearly perfect accuracy just by touching it with his eyes closed.

A person like this was undoubtedly a true expert, commanding deep respect from many.

At this moment, Expert Cen took the small bowl handed to him by Su Wenyi. He scrutinized it carefully, weighing it, rubbing it, and studying it repeatedly for a long time before finally exclaiming in amazement: "Superlative craftsmanship; capable of passing off the fake as genuine..."