Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System-Chapter 84 - 83: Blue and White [8,888 Words!]
The radio was tuned to a different station, with a bit of static, playing an old song intermittently.
Li Younan wasn’t listening closely and let it play.
While listening to the recording, Li Younan’s mind naturally wandered to thoughts about radio operation knowledge.
The high-level knowledge without any censorship, the kind that ordinary people might not grasp even if they tried hard to learn.
He couldn’t help but marvel at the system’s strength once again.
When he first got involved with radio operations, he put in a lot of effort to pass the A license, only to find C license holders were already quite impressive.
But unexpectedly, for the system, obtaining a C license was just the starting point.
If by chance, one could acquire the system’s Level 2 or even Level 3 radio operation capability, it’s unimaginable what could be achieved.
Even today, in the era of advanced internet, radio never goes out of style.
Whether it’s crossing uninhabited areas or encountering sudden disasters, this communication method, which does not rely on satellite or fiber optics, is always a form that ensures a minimum communication level.
Currently, Li Younan doesn’t have his own equipment, but there’s no need to rush. He plans to slowly drive back home and take time to sort everything out, at least that’s the plan for now.
Driving alone, Li Younan is still not driving fast.
The sunlight streamed through the front windshield, glaring a bit, and Li Younan pulled down the sun visor.
The navigation still showed some distance to Jingdezhen.
Li Younan wasn’t in a hurry.
There were quite a few large trucks on the road, some looked pretty old, with their cargo compartments covered in canvas, bulging, probably transporting ceramic clay. When encountering them, Li Younan slowed down and waited until he saw no oncoming cars before turning on his signal to overtake.
His palms were a bit sweaty during overtaking.
"Ah, driving skills..."
After driving a while longer, he saw a blue sign by the roadside with "Jingdezhen boundary" written on it.
His heart relaxed a bit, almost there.
His stomach felt a bit empty, thinking he’d find a place to eat a bowl of noodles once he got there.
Some pottery shops started appearing by the roadside, large and small vases, bowls, and plates piled at the entrances.
The sky suddenly turned gray, but no rain fell.
The car window was slightly open, and the wind blew in carrying the scent of wet soil.
Li Younan gently pressed the gas pedal, continuing forward.
...
Entering Jingdezhen, the air felt like it was filled with the scent of ceramic dust, the sky still overcast but without rain.
Following the navigation, Li Younan found a parking lot on the outskirts of the city and parked his little car safely.
Li Younan then contacted Zhu Qingyue, who was on her way, estimating she’d arrive in half an hour.
Li Younan politely asked, "Have you eaten?"
Zhu Qingyue replied she had eaten.
Li Younan said, "I’ll find a place to eat by myself then."
Zhu Qingyue sent over an indignant emoji.
First, find a place to eat.
His stomach was truly hungry, walking along the street, he saw a small shop with a large pot steaming at the entrance.
He went in and ordered a bowl of cold noodles, adding a poached egg. When the noodles were served, they were mixed with sauce, pickles, spicy, and very substantial.
The shopkeeper was playing with a child behind the counter; Li Younan was the only customer in the shop, the fan slowly turning overhead.
Eating made his nose sweat, and his stomach felt comfortable.
Once full, he felt a bit lazy, and time had passed. Zhu Qingyue finally arrived.
The two met up, and Li Younan noticed Zhu Qingyue seemed quite slimmer, while Zhu Qingyue looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes and laughed, saying, "You seem to have gotten a bit darker."
Which was true, probably from the sun exposure on Huang Mountain.
The two chatted naturally like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, without any awkwardness.
They discussed and decided not to visit the big museum first, heard that Taoxichuan was more lively in the evening, and planned to visit it later.
The plan was to stroll along the street.
There were many pottery shops on both sides of the street, big and small, densely packed. Some looked quite upscale, with bright glass doors; more were old shops, with various bowls, vases, and tea sets piled high at the entrance, looking precarious.
Getting tired from walking, they saw a sign at the entrance of an alley saying "Handmade Pottery Experience."
The two exchanged a glance and indeed saw the curiosity in each other’s eyes, very naturally heading inside.
It was a small workshop, the lighting inside wasn’t very good, and the floor was damp.
An old craftsman was sitting by a potter’s wheel, his fingers covered in mud, holding a lump of clay and turning it.
The clay seemed alive in his hands, sometimes bulging, sometimes shrinking, slowly forming a vase shape.
Li Younan watched, slightly entranced, standing at the entrance.
The craftsman didn’t look up, absorbed in playing with the clay in his hands.
The air held a humid earthy smell, accompanied by the low humming of the potter’s wheel.
After watching for a while, Li Younan felt like his hands were covered in mud, a bit sticky.
With a face of eager anticipation, Zhu Qingyue found that the experience only cost 30, and she promptly paid 60 directly. Li Younan didn’t initially plan to try it, but blinking, he was pulled to sit down by Zhu Qingyue: "Give it a try..."
It turned out, this wasn’t a skill that could be mastered on the first attempt.
Li Younan sat down, the small wooden stool was a bit low. Mimicking the craftsman, he forcefully threw the clay onto the center of the potter’s wheel.
The clay was cold, carrying an earthy smell.
Following the craftsman’s instructions, Li Younan pressed the pedal, making the potter’s wheel hum with vibrations that numbed his seat.
He wet his hands in the basin and attempted to mold the lump of clay.
