thefictionvixens Chapter 289
Chapter 289
More than 20 days passed in a blink of an eye.
During these 20 days, Su Chen only did one thing.
Today, Su Chen and housekeeper Wang Xi came to an official kiln again. This is their sixth visit here.
This official kiln belongs to the category of "official supervision and civilian firing", and the craftsmanship is very good.
Most of the royal porcelain supplies come from this kiln.
"My Lord, this time we will be able to fire the inner glaze porcelain pipe."
"Well, I hope so. If not, try a few more times." Su Chen didn't care much about failure. This was the fourth time.
Su Chen and Wang Xi walked into a shed, where many porcelain samples that had just been fired were displayed.
"Master Lu, has the pipe made three days ago been fired?" Su Chen saw a ceramic craftsman named Lu and asked from a distance.
"My Lord, it was fired at noon. Please see if it meets the requirements.
Both of you are here!"
Master Lu hurriedly came up and took Su Chen to see the porcelain pipes that came out of the kiln in the morning.
Coming to a shelf of finished porcelain products, there were six porcelain pipes. The length was about six feet, the diameter was about four inches, and the surface of the pipes was smooth.
Each pipe was divided into large and small heads, and any two porcelain pipes could be directly connected head to tail.
The end connected only needed to be sealed with wax to make it leak-proof.
The reason why the pipe failed to be fired several times was that the inner wall of the pipe was not smooth enough.
At this time in the Tang Dynasty, there was already glaze technology, and the glaze was mostly used on the outside of porcelain, but the pipe Su Chen needed was glazed inside.
"My Lord, please look!"
"Okay, Master Lu, let me see." Su Chen carefully picked up a pure white porcelain pipe.
At first, each pipe was about eight feet long, but later it was found that the glaze on the inner wall of the pipe would be more even if it was made shorter.
Therefore, each pipe was shortened to six feet, so it would not be easy to break.
Su Chen stretched out two fingers and probed into the pipe.
"Hey, it's much smoother than last time. If the inner wall of the entire pipe has this smoothness, then it's done."
Su Chen felt it with his fingers and said excitedly.
"Master Lu, I'll cut this porcelain pipe in the middle to see if the smoothness inside is the same as at both ends."
The pipe is longer than Su Chen's height, and even if it is facing the light, it is difficult to see what is inside.
It can only be cut in the middle. This is a drainage pipe for squatting.
The inside of the pipe must be smoother, otherwise it will be easily blocked.
As the weather gets colder, Su Chen has long wanted to build a shower room, but there has been no good solution for water pipes and drainage pipes.
Using porcelain as a squatting drainage pipe, Su Chen had this strange idea because of a coincidence.
On the first weekend after school started in September, when Su Chen and others returned to the palace, they happened to encounter a drainage pipe repair in Zhuque Street in Chang'an City.
Su Chen went forward to watch out of curiosity, wanting to see how the ancients built sewers.
When the ‘drain pipe’ was dug out from the ground, Su Chen was very surprised.
It turned out to be a drainage channel made of ceramics.
The cross-section of the ceramics was trapezoidal, with a hole nearly one foot wide and a thickness of about three inches (almost 10 centimeters).
There was also a rainwater collection well, and the well cover was a thick stone slab with many small holes on it.
Li Tai saw that Su Chen seemed to have never seen the world, and patiently said to him:
‘Using ceramics as drainage channels has existed since the Han Dynasty. If you want to see it, you can go to the ruins of Chang'an City in the Han Dynasty. ’
According to Li Tai, the current Chang'an City was designed and built by Emperor Yang of Sui, who ordered Yuwen Kai to design it.
Su Chen made this discovery and studied it carefully after returning.
Finally, he drew a squat toilet and asked Wang Xi to find a ceramic craftsman to make it, and required it to be smooth.
Wang Xi immediately asked: ‘Can it be glazed? Like a vase or porcelain. ’
Su Chen then realized that the porcelain craftsmanship during the Tang Dynasty was already quite impressive.
The first firing of the squatting pit did not meet Su Chen's expectations, or the squatting pit drawings were not fully drawn, and the craftsmen could not understand it.
The second time, Wang Xi took Su Chen directly to the official kiln and instructed the ceramic craftsmen on the spot to shape it.
Sure enough, the squatting pit was perfectly presented.
The most difficult part was the drainage pipe connected to the squatting pit. It took three days to get out of the kiln after each firing.
If it still does not meet the requirements this time, Su Chen plans to shorten it to three feet per pipe.
"My Lord, please do it. As long as you can meet your requirements, it is okay to fire a hundred pipes in one kiln."
Master Lu smiled.
Su Chen nodded, it was true.
As long as the preliminary process specifications are determined, the subsequent batch firing is simple.
Wang Xi moved a stone from a corner, "My Lord, let me do it."
"Okay!"
Su Chen handed the ceramic pipe to Wang Xi.
Wang Xi gestured with the pipe and touched the middle of the pipe to the stone.
The six-foot-long ceramic pipe was divided into two sections.
Su Chen immediately tookHe pointed a section at the light and took a look.
You can see that there is a reflection inside the pipe, which is probably because the glazing is successful.
He reached into the pipe again with his finger and touched it.
"Hahaha, Master Lu, this is fine. The inside is also smooth, without obvious grainy roughness."
Su Chen laughed loudly.
Then, Su Chen divided the pipe into two again and disconnected it from the middle.
As expected, the inside was also extremely smooth.
"As long as the Marquis is satisfied, I wonder how many such pipes the Marquis needs?" Master Lu asked with a smile.
Su Chen thought for a moment and said:
"Master Lu, fire three more squat toilets and water traps, and 50 pipes will be enough." Su Chen prepared the quantity for five squat toilets.
"Okay, Master Lu, I remember it, and all of them can be out of the kiln in five days."
Master Lu remembered the quantity and replied immediately.
"Okay, thank you Master Lu, we will come back to see it in five days." Su Chen bowed and thanked.
"You are too polite, Lord!" Master Lu bowed in return.
"Then we'll take our leave first. Master Lu, you are busy!"
After that, Su Chen and Wang Xi left the official kiln shed.
"Lord, where are you going next?" Wang Xi asked after looking at his watch.
The official kiln is more than 30 miles away from the manor, and it is not a cement road. It takes about two hours to get back.
"There is nothing else to do. Let's go back directly!"
...
Two hours later...
Su Chen returned to the manor and went straight to the shower room in the backyard.
The bathroom was built a week ago. It is exactly one foot high, seven feet wide and one foot and three feet long.
Iron bars are added to the top and poured with cement. There are two vents.
Because the drain pipe has not been in place, the inside has not been hardened.
After laying the drain pipe, first pour cement, and then lay anti-slip stone slabs.
The two cold water pipes on the wall have been laid, one cold and one hot, which are copper pipes.
Two water pipes go up about seven feet along the wall, and after bending and dismantling, they are connected to a copper ball twice. There are many holes at the bottom of the copper ball.
This is a simple shower facility.
Previously, copper pipes had been tried as squat toilet drain pipes, but two different materials would leak no matter how they were blocked.
The simple "boiler" for hot water outside the backyard partition wall has also been completed.
After several tests, the hot and cold water supply is smooth and there is no leakage in the middle of the pipe.
The shower room in the yard is about five feet away from the septic tank outside the wall, and eight or nine ceramic pipes are needed.
After five days, the pipes are fired, and Su Chen can enjoy it.
After a corridor from Su Chen's room, it is the backyard.
"It's almost there, it can be opened in a week at most!"
Su Chen nodded with satisfaction.