Chapter 3, Painted Vase (II)

Old Lin hurried over in a state of anxiety and leaned close to Lin Mufeng's ear, softly saying: "Young Master, this is the son of the wealthy merchant Wu family in town, Wu Kui. Last month, you gambled with him and lost 10 taels of silver to him..."

Lin Mufeng's expression suddenly darkened. No! To be precise, it became eerie.

High-interest loans? Can our family take out 50 taels of silver? Lin Mufeng generally understood that this 50 taels of silver would be considered a considerable fortune in the Ming Dynasty

"Old man, get out of the way and let Lin Mufeng come out to see me. When will you return the 50 taels of silver that you owe this young master?" A plump man in a light red long robe, holding a folding fan and with a shiny, powdered face, pushed open the door of the old man Lin and stormed in aggressively, followed by two servants in black long robes.

Early the next morning, after Lin Mufeng had finished washing up under the service of Lin Hu, he was just about to head to the porcelain kiln when an unexpected guest arrived

Lin Mufeng seemed to have returned to his previous life. At times, he bent down to hold the knife and carve delicately, and at other times, he stood up in deep thought, completely immersed in the artistic creation's ambiance. Unbeknownst to him, the sun had already begun to set, and the process of shaping and refining had taken Lin Mufeng a full 2 hours.

Lin Mufeng and the library knew what Old Meng was thinking, unable to explain or clarify, they could only feign ignorance. He smiled faintly, "Old Meng, I will take my leave now. I will return to the kiln early tomorrow morning to complete the next steps with you all."

Master Ning Kong is the third-generation inheritor of the Northern School of Neihua (inner painting) craft, while Lin Mufeng from his previous life was the fourth-generation inheritor. While attending school, he also studied under the master at the temple, dedicating himself to Neihua for ten years without interruption. From his master, he not only inherited the torch of the Northern School of Neihua but also acquired martial arts skills and a wealth of knowledge in traditional Chinese classics. After graduating from university, he gained fame at a domestic arts and crafts exhibition.

Before Lin Mufeng could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a burst of wild laughter from Wu Kui. "Amnesia? Look at this, after just one night apart, our town's renowned playboy, the extravagant Lin Mufeng, has actually lost his memory. He doesn't remember those delicate courtesans from the Yihong Courtyard in town? You just spent the whole night with Xiao Taohong yesterday! Hahaha, well, it doesn't matter if you've lost your memory, as long as you pay back the money."

Lin Mufeng fell silent, his expression turning quite grim. What should he do? This detestable Lin person and the books; he had only been reborn for a few days and was already being pursued for debts.

In an instant, blood gushed from the nostrils and lips of Wu Kui's plump face, his eyes radiating an expression of disbelief and fear. Just like that, he fell backward, hitting the ground with a loud thud, nearly losing consciousness.

"Lin Mufeng, bring the young master here. Today, either repay the money or pledge your family's porcelain kiln to me." The fat man waved his hand, standing there with an imposing demeanor, exuding an air of arrogance.

"Nonsense, is your family’s Uncle Wu’s money that easy to use? This is interest! Do you understand? Ask your young master; he has indeed signed a promissory note for me." Wu Kui retorted with a disdainful snort.

Bang! Just one punch, a straight right hook charged with blazing fury

Old Meng gazed at Lin Mufeng with a look of deep reverence and confusion in his eyes. He was a porcelain craftsman with a family heritage, having worked as a kiln master at the Lin family's porcelain factory for nearly ten years. He believed that his skills were on par with anyone in Yanshen Town, yet compared to the young master of the Lin family before him, he felt vastly inferior. He simply could not understand how such a dandy, who had never been involved in porcelain making, could possess such exquisite skills

He hesitated for a moment, walked over, and smiled awkwardly, "This gentleman must be Young Master Wu, I... I have... suffered from amnesia and cannot remember you, haha, regarding the matter of the silver..."

A casual remark from Wu Kui inadvertently stirred the endless pain deep within his memories of a past life—he despised those scoundrels who toyed with women! In his previous life, his unfortunate mother, when he was 5 years old, took him to spend the New Year at his grandmother's house in the countryside. On the way, they encountered two ruffians. To protect him, his mother endured the humiliation and torment inflicted by the two ruffians in turn, and just a few days later, she hanged herself.

Turning the blank, in the manual production of porcelain, especially with the outdated equipment of ancient processing, is a procedure that demands a high level of technical skill. It requires not only exceptional craftsmanship but also extraordinary patience and meticulousness. To achieve uniform thickness in the blank, a smooth and polished surface, and a rounded and full appearance that presents a natural streamlined beauty, a high level of expertise is necessary

Witnessing his mother suffer from brutal humiliation left a profound impact on his young soul. After his mother's suicide, he became exceptionally reclusive and indifferent. Had it not been for his later encounter with Master Ningkong, the abbot of Qincheng Temple, he might have remained withdrawn forever, and the renowned young master of arts and crafts, Zhang Yang, would not have emerged.

"Old steward, come here for a moment." Lin Mufeng stepped out of the room, glanced at the arrogant Wu Kui, and waved his hand to Old Lin.

Young Master Wu, please grant me a few more days to think of a way to gather the money to repay you, if that is acceptable? Rest assured, I, Lin, will not default on my debt!" Lin Mufeng took a small step forward, mimicking the ancient customs seen in television and film, and cupped his hands in salute.

The echoes of his mother's piercing cries of shame and anger seemed to resonate in his ears. He had long forgotten that he was now Lin Mufeng and not Zhang Yang. His face flushed crimson, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and he roared, "You, say it again"

"As for you, Lin Mufeng, is there any credibility left? You should go out and inquire; how many people in this Yanshen Town still believe what you, Lin Mufeng, say? No, today you either repay the debt or use your family's porcelain kiln as collateral for me. Alternatively, you can divorce your delicate little wife and let me take her home as a concubine to warm my bed. " Wu Kui laughed loudly with his two servants, hands on his hips.

"Master Wu Kui, my young master clearly only owes you 10 taels of silver. How has it suddenly become 50 taels in just a few days?" Old Lin bowed and smiled apologetically

Wu Kui's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but he quickly dismissed it with a sneer, "What’s the matter, are you about to lose your temper? Look at you, such a pathetic sight, it’s a shame for that delicate little lady to be with you. Just let her go to me instead"

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, Lin Mufeng let out a sigh as he gazed at the two formed clay bodies of three-foot vases before him, finally feeling a sense of completion. Looking up at the sky, he stretched lazily and said, "Old Meng, it is getting late. Let us first take the clay bodies to the empty room to dry. Tomorrow morning, we will continue with the next step."

... ...

Young Master, in these years, our family's porcelain kiln business has been quite poor, living off our past wealth. Moreover, with your fondness for drinking and gambling, the substantial estate left by the old master has already... This 50 taels is truly..." Old Lin stammered in a low voice.

Two servants glared at Lin Hu, who had poked his head out from the side room, and scolded, "You dog, what are you looking at? Be careful, or my young master will skin you alive!"

Lin Mufeng gasped in shock. He never expected that the person he had possessed, this Lin someone, was actually such a shameless playboy and spendthrift