Since Jūn Mòxuān, Hú Língwēi, and Zēng Lǐ left several days ago, Wèi Yúnshang's tranquil heart lake has been stirred. This beautiful daughter of a wealthy family has now forgotten the past life and present life details with Jūn Mòxuān. Those once unforgettable memories have been separated by time and space. Although she is a participant, wanting to pick up her past memories with all her might, reality has excluded her. As if shrouded in an invisible fog, just out of reach, it prevents her from glimpsing the truth. This makes her feel some pain and a lot of confusion.
In her past life, she had made a romantic promise with Jūn Mòxuān—to jointly build a magnificent ancient city at the ancient Tongguan Kiln, where people could live happily. However, the gears of fate turned ruthlessly, burying this beautiful memory deep in the dust of time. Even Jūn Mòxuān did not know that such a city-building agreement had existed between them.
Her heart was also in turmoil, waves surging. Could there really be a past life and present life? If so, and if her past life could send dreams to Jūn Mòxuān and Hú Língwēi, why couldn't she sense her own past life sending dreams to her? She even doubted the authenticity of the stories they told.
She is a professional woman. Her professional instincts and rationality tell her not to be swayed by external factors and affect her business judgment. Yet, a gut feeling tells her that what these people are saying might be true. Could she really have a connection with Tongguan Kiln...
After checking into the Shengtong Grand Hotel, following several days of negotiations and bargaining, Wèi Yúnshang's Xīnróng Group had basically reached a general understanding with the government. Before officially signing the letter of intent, Wèi Yúnshang decided to quietly visit Tongguan Kiln.
She didn't inform the government officials, as that would be too ostentatious, nor did she mobilize a large team from her company. She decided to go alone and quietly understand the local customs and practices of Tongguan Kiln.
After a brief exchange with Lǐ Yǒngxiáng, Wèi Yúnshang and Lǐ Yǒngxiáng drove off towards Tongguan Kiln together.
Following the Xiāng River for a while, they soon arrived beside the Cai Tao Stream by the river. The stream flowed gurglingly, clear to the bottom. A picturesque, antique Cai Tao Bridge spanned the water, like a beautiful rainbow connecting the two banks.
Lǐ Yǒngxiáng slowly stopped the car and then pointed to the open fields not far ahead, saying to Wèi Yúnshang, "Director Wei, please look at that vast expanse of fields over there, and the shimmering Shizhu Lake. It is right here that our Xīnróng Group plans to rebuild an ancient city covering an area of thousands of mu—Tang City!" His words carried a hint of excitement and anticipation.
On this side of the Cai Tao Bridge lies the world-famous Tongguan Kiln. Looking at the ancient kiln shapes and chimneys by the bridge, Wèi Yúnshang couldn't help but recall the poem "Shizhu" by the Tang Dynasty poet Lǐ Qúnyù: 'On ancient banks, pottery is made, high woods are all burnt. Flames redden the Xiangpu inlet, smoke muddies the Dongting clouds. In distant wilds, flying soot is chaotic, from afar, explosive sounds are heard. The terrain is carved and shaped, perhaps reaching Zhu Rong's tomb.'
"The prosperity of those years has now somewhat declined. And the reasons for this decline, what exactly are they? This is probably ultimately due to market trends," Wèi Yúnshang said.
"Yes, in the past, many of the bottles, jars, pots, and bowls people used were ceramics. Now, there are glass, stainless steel, and even plastic ones, which have also reduced daily demand," Lǐ Yǒngxiáng replied.
"The decline of the market has led to the decline of this industry," Wèi Yúnshang stated. "Perhaps building such a Tang City could re-energize this place." Wèi Yúnshang gazed resolutely into the distance.
"But Director Wei, the challenges involved are not small, not only in terms of business operations but also in how to restore the style of Tang City to the greatest extent and integrate local cultural characteristics, restoring the old appearance of that time as much as possible," Lǐ Yǒngxiáng said worriedly.
Wèi Yúnshang nodded slightly. "I know, but that's also its charm. It also makes our work a bit challenging. Let's go into the village first to take a look."
The two walked along a small path into a nearby village. Many elderly people in the village still preserved the traditional pottery-making craft. Seeing strangers, their eyes were full of curiosity. Wèi Yúnshang stepped forward and struck up a conversation with an old man. The old man, upon learning that they wanted to rebuild Tang City, had a glint in his cloudy eyes. "This is a good thing! The heritage of our ancestors must not be lost." Saying this, the old man took Wèi Yúnshang to his simple workshop and showed her the pottery he made.
Wèi Yúnshang gently stroked the rough yet warm pottery, her mind filled with more ideas. "We are not just building a Tang City; we are preserving a culture." Lǐ Yǒngxiáng smiled knowingly, as if seeing the hope of the future slowly unfolding on this land.
Wèi Yúnshang turned gracefully, her gaze falling on Lǐ Yǒngxiáng, and said with a smile, "When the time is right, we can wholeheartedly invite these experienced and skilled old artisans to settle in Tang City. This way, not only will they be provided with a better and more comfortable working environment, but visitors to Tang City will also have the opportunity to witness firsthand those long-standing, exquisite traditional pottery-making techniques!" Her words were like a spring breeze, inspiring longing in those who heard them.
Lǐ Yǒngxiáng nodded repeatedly in agreement, his eyes shining with admiration. "This idea is indeed excellent! However, to successfully attract these artisans to join, we must offer them reasonable and generous compensation," he paused slightly, then added, "Only in this way can we truly show our respect and emphasis on traditional culture and the artisans."
Hearing this, Wèi Yúnshang's face bloomed with a smile as bright as a flower. "That goes without saying. Not only that, but I think we can also designate a special area within Tang City as a pottery experience zone. This way, tourists won't just be spectators; they can participate personally, try making pottery themselves, and thus deeply experience the infinite joy and unique charm of the pottery-making process!" She spoke, gesturing excitedly, as if she could already see the bustling scene filled with laughter.
At this moment, several young people nearby came over. Hearing their plan, they excitedly said, "If it's really built like this, it will definitely be interesting. We are also willing to help promote it." Wèi Yúnshang had a sudden inspiration: "You young people have many ideas. We can create some creative pottery at that time, combining modern popular elements."
"Director Wei, this should be okay. The tourism industry is a big cake, and we should take a slice of it as soon as possible. Besides, our risk control department has also conducted an assessment," Lǐ Yǒngxiáng said.
"I hope we can get this project started and running.