Chapter 49: Paper and Porcelain
TL: Etude
The next day, Paul once again invited Queller Foster to the hall, accompanied by the members of the Lichman Adventure Team.
Queller happily guessed, My friend, I suppose today youre going to show me those little gadgets of yours?
Exactly! Paul snapped his fingers and called out loudly, Someone, come here!
Two servants came over, each holding a tray covered with a cloth, concealing the items beneath.
Queller, with a grin, said, Hmm? Quite mysterious, arent you?
The adventurers also showed curious expressions.
Watch closely! Paul suddenly unveiled the cloth on the first tray, revealing Paper.
Paper? The group was puzzled. All this mystery for paper?
The leader of the adventure group, Meru, appeared frustrated, Is the lord playing a joke on us?
Paul shook his finger, explaining, Dont be hasty, my friends. This paper is extraordinary. Its not made from sheepskin but from very cheap materials. The production process is simple, saving a great deal of labor and material costs, and its much cheaper than sheepskin paper.
Queller, having heard about the new type of paper in Port Fran, wasnt too surprised. He picked up a sheet of paper, rubbing it between his fingers, admiring, This paper is indeed good, a suitable replacement for sheepskin paper. If it can be mass-produced as you mentioned, the prospects are very promising. By the way, what is it made of?
Paul flatly refused, Sorry, thats a trade secret. Even as my friend, I cant disclose it.
Humph! Stingy. Whats on the second tray?
Paul unveiled the second tray, Open your eyes wide and look closely! I call this Porcelain.
Wow! The group exclaimed in admiration upon seeing the item on the tray.
It was a porcelain dish, pristine white and translucent, making a striking first impression.
In a world similar to medieval Europe, most people used earthenware, the moderately well-off used metal utensils like bronze, and the nobility used silverware.
However, no matter how well maintained, metal utensils inevitably rusted over time, losing their initial luster. In contrast, porcelains appearance was much more appealing, far surpassing the dull earthenware and bronze in aesthetic value.
Paul proudly introduced, How about that? It looks good, right? And it doesnt rust!
In the past, Europeans had gone to great lengths to obtain the secret of making porcelain. Ultimately, it was the French missionary Pere dEntrecolles who, after spending over a decade undercover in Jingdezhen, managed to acquire the materials and formula, sending them back to Europe, enabling the West to produce porcelain comparable to Chinese porcelain.
The main secrets of porcelain were essentially two things: kaolin (or porcelain stone) and high temperatures.
Fortunately, kaolin was discovered not far from Lakeheart Town. Paul hired a group of pottery craftsmen, set up a kiln factory, and began experimenting with porcelain production.
The initial attempts were far from ideal due to temperature control issues, as porcelain firing required temperatures above 1200 degrees Celsius.
To solve this problem, Paul collaborated with glass craftsmen to create the worlds first mercury thermometer. Although it had its inaccuracies, it was barely sufficient for their needs. Of course, it couldnt be placed directly in the kiln for measuring temperatures, as it would explode and the mercury thermometer couldnt measure beyond 400 degrees Celsius anyway.
Using the thermometer to measure the temperature around the porcelain kiln, and combining it with the spit-testing method Paul recalled spitting into the kiln and observing the behavior of the water droplets to estimate the temperature they finally managed to maintain a consistent high temperature above 1200 degrees Celsius.
An important step before loading the kiln was glazing. Without glazing, the porcelain would still form but would be rather rough.
The glaze was made by mixing clay water with ash from plants and thoroughly stirring it. It needed to be filtered before use.
This step greatly affected the appearance of the final product. However, during the trial phase, they didnt pay much attention to perfecting the glazing technique, leaving it for the craftsmen to gradually refine.
When Paul reclaimed Port Fran, the craftsmen of Lakeheart Town, after numerous experiments, finally produced the first batch of decent porcelain.
The porcelain dish before them was one of these prototypes. It lacked the beautiful paintings commonly seen on Earths porcelain, as the formulas for the pigments were closely guarded secrets. Paul feared that experimenting with colors might affect the firing process, so the prototypes were left unpainted. Focusing on resolving any issues first, the technique of painting on porcelain was left for the craftsmen to explore.
These prototypes were not perfect and had many flaws, far from being immaculate, but they were impressive enough to astonish natives like Queller from another world.
Queller excitedly asked, You youre going to sell these?
Paul nodded proudly, Of course. These are just experimental products and far from perfect. The ones I plan to sell will be more beautiful, adorned with various exquisite patterns.
The young master of the Foster family remarked, This will cause a sensation! Despite his disdain for his familys business, Queller inherited some business acumen.
Seeing the Lichman Adventure Team members also staring at the porcelain dish, Paul loudly announced, I declare that each person present will receive a prototype porcelain as a gift. Ill issue certificates in the name of the Grayman family, certifying them as the first batch of porcelain in this world. Although these prototypes are far from perfect, their collectible value will be immeasurable if porcelain becomes a big hit.
Dean from the adventure group hurriedly said, How can this be? This is too precious. We cant accept it. Ah His foot was sharply stepped on by the group leader, Meru.
Meru, in an admiring tone, said to Paul, Lord Grayman, I deeply regret my earlier misunderstanding of you. Youre neither lecherous nor cowardly. You are a generous, kind, and caring good person.
Paul, with his arms crossed and chest puffed out, said, Humph! Have you finally seen my true self? Wait, was that your impression of me before? Well, Im in a good mood today, so lets forget the past.
He continued sternly, This isnt a giveaway, though. When you return to the south, you must promote my products.
Queller and Meru quickly agreed.
One assured, The merchants in our area will surely compete for the right to represent your products.
The other gleamed, Were going to be rich, rich!
Indeed, the son of a powerful council member and a renowned adventure group should create a significant advertising effect.
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