RPAGF Chapter 188 Glass Making (2)
Chapter 188 Glass Making (2)
Lin Yu, beaming with pride, showed off the helper he had found to Shi Wanxia: "Miss Shi, look at this person, his physique is clearly that of a capable worker, what do you think? I have good taste, don't I?"
As soon as Chen Ping'an entered the house, he knelt down with a thud and performed a grand salute. It turned out that he was Chen Lao Er. Once, because he had severed ties with his parents, all his money was stolen by the village head and used to redeem his elder brother, Chen Lao Da.
From then on, he had no further contact with his family, but he became penniless and homeless. He wanted to seek refuge with a friend, but his friend was also struggling to make ends meet. Left with no other choice, he could only wander the streets, barely surviving by doing odd jobs in shops.
However, those unscrupulous merchants not only withheld his wages but also left him hungry. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he rose up in rebellion, only to be driven out and forced to wander the streets.
Just when he was in despair, he met Young Master Lin, who brought him here. He never expected that he would end up working in the home of the female official who had saved him years ago.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shi Wanxia's eyes. She looked Chen Ping'an up and down, and some vague memories gradually surfaced in her mind.
She stepped forward and helped Chen Ping'an up: "So it's you. You must have had a long journey." Chen Ping'an looked up, tears welling in his eyes: "Thank you so much for saving my life, Lady. I have no way to repay you."
Watching this scene unfold, Lin Yu felt a strange sensation rise within him. Looking into Shi Wanxia's gentle eyes, he felt a pang of unease. "Alright, since we're here, let's get to work. Whether this glass can be successfully made depends on this," Lin Yu said somewhat stiffly.
Everyone threw themselves back into their intense work. Chen Ping'an displayed astonishing strength, effortlessly carrying coal, each heavy piece of coal feeling as light as a feather in his hands.
Shi Wanxia watched him work, her heart filled with satisfaction. Lin Yu, on the other hand, kept glancing at Shi Wanxia as he worked, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
As time passed, the fire burned brighter and brighter, and the temperature inside the room rose again. Shi Wanxia's face was flushed red by the firelight, and a few strands of hair clung to her cheeks, adding to her charm.
Lin Yu looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew that he had long harbored unusual feelings for this intelligent, decisive, and kind woman.
After an unknown amount of time, the raw materials in the furnace began to undergo a miraculous change under the high temperature, seemingly moving towards success.
Shi Wanxia's eyes gleamed with excitement as she clenched her fists tightly: "Everyone, give it your all! We're almost there!" Encouraged, everyone worked even harder.
In this atmosphere filled with hope and sweat, subtle emotions are quietly growing, like the flames in the furnace, fiery and intense.
Time flew by amidst the leaping flames, and the molten glass in the boiler was finally boiled down, as if a precious treasure had been born.
Shi Wanxia's gaze was firm as she methodically directed, "Lin Yu, you take this older brother and carefully transfer the molten glass out of the boiler. Be sure to move slowly."
Lin Yu nodded and, together with Chen Ping'an, carefully began the process. They used long iron ladles to gently scoop up the scalding, viscous molten glass and slowly poured it into a mold made of iron plates. Every movement was filled with caution, as if they were handling the most fragile treasure in the world.
These molds were all different shapes and each had its own unique features. When the iron mold was half full, Shi Wanxia picked up a pair of scissors and deftly cut the molten glass. Then, she quickly replaced the upper part of the mold, completing the whole process in one smooth motion.
Next, the mold containing the molten glass was placed in a flame to heat it. After about one or two minutes, Lin Yu and Chen Ping'an tacitly removed the mold from the flame and placed it in a water pool that had been prepared in advance.
At this moment, Chen Ping'an demonstrated his immense strength. Under Shi Wanxia's command, he steadily pressed the hundred-pound boulder onto the mold.
As the boulder pressed down, the pressure slowly forced the molten glass into every crevice of the mold—a crucial step in creating a perfect glass object. Everyone held their breath, watching intently, as if time itself had stood still, waiting for the glass to cool and harden so it could be removed from the mold.
However, the container was still soft when it was taken out. Shi Wanxia was prepared. She directed everyone to place the container between two bricks and then move it outside.
The cold air outside became the best aid, allowing the glass to continue cooling. This process would take about 4 hours, and Shi Wanxia knew that time was of the essence, so she immediately led everyone to deal with the remaining molten glass.
"Alright, it's about ready to take shape. We'll come back in 4 hours to quench it!"
As Shi Wanxia spoke, she poured the remaining molten glass onto a large iron plate. The iron plate was about 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, resembling a giant canvas waiting to be painted.
"Everyone, stand on it and step on it! You have to put in a lot of effort and do it evenly, understand?" Shi Wanxia shouted. Everyone stepped onto the iron plate and worked together to stomp on the molten glass.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the heavy stomping of feet and Shi Wanxia's constant reminders to maintain a steady pace. Only after the molten glass had been leveled and the desired effect had been achieved did Shi Wanxia allow everyone to get down.
The workshop was filled with a tense yet expectant atmosphere. Lin Yu looked at Shi Wanxia, who was busy at work, his eyes full of admiration and respect.
During this arduous and challenging production process, he witnessed Shi Wanxia's unwavering perseverance, a kind of power even more intense than the furnace fire, which deeply attracted him.
"Miss Shi, you are truly amazing. Without you, we would never have gotten this far," Lin Yu said softly as he walked to Shi Wanxia's side.
Shi Wanxia smiled slightly, her cheeks still damp with sweat: "Now is not the time to be happy. We can celebrate after all the glass is made."
While waiting for the glass to anneal, everyone kept busy. Lin Yu quietly prepared some tea for everyone, looking at each person with deep emotion.
This small group was brought together by Shi Wanxia, and everyone was working towards a common goal. He knew that this was not just about making glass, but about weaving a dream that belonged to them.
In this process, his subtle feelings for Shi Wanxia, like the glass that is cooling, gradually become clear and firm under the polishing of time.
Four hours passed slowly amidst everyone's anticipation. When they returned to the cooled glassware, Shi Wanxia's eyes shone with excitement; she knew they were one step closer to success.
The next step, quenching, will be the final test for these glasses, and she is ready to lead everyone to meet this final challenge.