Abstinence Pei, don't be too sweet when chasing your wife

In the golden autumn of Qinglongpo, the fragrance of osmanthus still lingers in the air. On the third day after the study camp ended, in Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan's office, sunlight streamed through the wooden window lattice onto the spread-out study feedback form, which was filled with dense handwriting about the children's gains and the parents' praise.

On the table, osmanthus tea steamed in a celadon teacup, its aroma mingling with the chants of kiln workers coming from outside the window, conveying a sense of contentment after a busy day.

“Look at what this child wrote: ‘Archaeology is not about digging for treasure, but about having a conversation with kiln workers from a thousand years ago.’”

Some parents said their children would proactively research Song Dynasty celadon after returning home, carefully collect their toys as 'antiques,' and even share their knowledge of kiln patterns with their families.

Gu Fanxing ran her fingertips across the feedback form, her eyes full of smiles.

"We have achieved our original goal: to make children truly fall in love with traditional culture, which is more meaningful than simply imparting knowledge."

Pei Luonan had just hung up the phone with the Municipal Education Bureau, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement.

“After reviewing the summary of the first study tour and the feedback from parents, they want to cooperate with us in depth, designate Qingning Kiln as a ‘municipal-level intangible cultural heritage study tour practice base’, and organize primary and secondary schools from all over the city to come for study tours in batches, at least two sessions per month, with about 200 people per session.”

"Really?"

Gu Fanxing was both surprised and worried; the surprise in her eyes was quickly replaced by concern.

“But our current facilities and instructors are simply not up to par. The archaeological experience area can only accommodate a maximum of fifty people, the porcelain workshop only has six workstations, and besides us, the only instructors are Master Chen, Lin Xiao, and Ling Jiu’er. We definitely can’t support such a large scale.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the office door was pushed open, and Pei Luochuan walked in with two young men, a hearty smile on his face.

“Brother, sister-in-law, I’ve brought reinforcements! This is my senior from the Archaeology Department, Zhou Ming, and my senior from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Design Department, Su Ya. They’ve been following the Qingning Kiln’s research and study project for a long time and took leave to help out. They can also do some field research at the same time.”

Zhou Ming pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and held a well-worn copy of "Archaeological Atlas of Song Dynasty Kiln Sites" in his hand.

"Teacher Gu, Teacher Pei, I have been following the archaeological progress of Qingning Kiln, and I am honored to be able to participate in the design of the study tour course. The archaeological experience area can be divided into three sections: excavation, restoration, and identification. I will design a tiered teaching plan, focusing on fun experiences for elementary school students and adding professional knowledge explanations for middle school students, to meet the needs of different age groups."

Su Ya then handed over an exquisite folder containing her hand-drawn cultural and creative design sketches.

“The kiln patterns and osmanthus elements of Qingning Kiln have great potential for development. I have looked at your existing products and designed a kiln pattern stationery set, osmanthus kiln incense paste, pottery shard rubbing decorative painting, and a non-material cultural heritage combination gift box suitable for gifting. This will not only enrich the product line, but also cover different consumer groups.”

Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan exchanged a smile, both seeing relief in each other's eyes.

Pei Luonan looked through the sketches and nodded repeatedly.

"These designs not only retain the core characteristics of intangible cultural heritage, but also meet market demands. They are so timely! They have just solved the problem of our cultural and creative product categories being too limited."

Gu Fanxing added, "Aunt Zhang and Kong Haoyu in the village are familiar with the situation in Qinglongpo and know some basic procedures for porcelain making and archaeology. We can organize a simple training session to make them assistant teachers, responsible for guiding children and maintaining order, so as to alleviate the pressure on teachers."

Pei Luonan nodded: "I have contacted the village chief and plan to renovate the idle warehouse next to the intangible cultural heritage corridor into two temporary experience areas, and expand the porcelain firing workshop by adding ten workstations. It is expected to be completed in half a month."

In addition, I'd like to set up several open-air teaching points in the osmanthus grove. When the weather is nice, children can listen to stories of kiln workers, do creative handicrafts, and experience the fusion of nature and culture outdoors.

In the following days, Qinglongpo became extremely lively.

The villagers volunteered to come and help renovate the warehouse.

Craftsman Chen also guided everyone to adjust the table height to make it easier for the children to operate.

Aunt Zhang helped hand over the tools.

Craftsman Chen, along with Lin Xiao and Zhou Ming, tidied up the simulated excavation pits in the archaeological experience area and even handcrafted a batch of mini tool sets. "Archaeology is a rigorous matter. Even when it's for children to experience, we can't be careless. These tools must be safe and without sharp edges, and they must also allow children to feel the professionalism of archaeology."

Su Ya and Gu Fanxing immersed themselves in the studio, delving into the kiln patterns of Qingning Kiln and refining the cultural and creative designs.

"This osmanthus kiln-patterned balm is shaped like a ceramic shard. When opened, it releases a blend of osmanthus and celadon fragrances. It can be used as a balm to moisturize the skin or as a small decorative item on the table."

Suya pointed to the sketch and explained.

"And this set of kiln-patterned stationery will definitely be popular with students and stationery enthusiasts."

Just as everyone was making preparations, a post suddenly appeared on a local forum questioning the issue: "Intangible Cultural Heritage Study Tours Turn into Commercial Hype? Over-exploitation of Qingning Kiln Raises Concerns."

The post claimed that Qingning Kiln blindly expanded its research and study scale in order to make money, which may have damaged the original environment of the archaeological site. It also criticized the high prices of cultural and creative products, suggesting that they were exploiting nostalgia.

The moment Gu Fanxing saw the post, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, and her eyes reddened.

"We clearly wanted to let more people know about intangible cultural heritage and protect archaeological findings, so how did it become commercial hype?"

Pei Luonan sat down next to her and gently patted her shoulder.

"Don't be sad. There are both good and bad opinions online. We can't let the doubts of a few people negate our efforts. Instead, we should take the initiative to respond and invite netizens and media to visit Qinglongpo in person to see how we balance protection and development."

Pei Luochuan chimed in, "Sister-in-law, I've contacted several influential local cultural and tourism bloggers. They're willing to do immersive live streams so everyone can see firsthand the design of study tours, the preservation of archaeological sites, and the production of cultural and creative products."

The next day, several cultural and tourism bloggers and media reporters arrived as scheduled.

Gu Fanxing led them on a tour of the archaeological site, introducing the protective netting, monitoring equipment, and isolation zones.

"Our archaeological experience area is a simulated area, 100 meters away from the real archaeological site, with double isolation zones in between, so it will absolutely not affect the original site. Moreover, after each study tour, we have professional staff to clean up the site and maintain the environment."

In the porcelain workshop, craftsman Chen is demonstrating the traditional porcelain-making process, explaining each step in detail, from selecting the clay and kneading it to throwing and carving patterns.

“Our cultural and creative products are all handmade. The wheel needs to be polished three times, and the engraving is all done by hand. The cost is not low. The pricing is based on similar intangible cultural heritage products on the market and is absolutely not inflated.”

During the live stream, netizens' initial doubts gradually turned into approval, and many left comments.

"I had misunderstood the Qingning Kiln's many protective measures."

"Seeing the craftsmanship of the artisans, I feel the price is well worth it."

……

Online orders surged again, and cultural and creative merchants from other regions even contacted Pei Luonan, wanting to become agents for Qingning Kiln's cultural and creative products.

Two weeks later, the site renovation and teacher training were successfully completed.

The new study camp has begun, with four buses driving into Qinglongpo.

As the children entered the base, Gu Fanxing explained things with a smile.

"Welcome everyone. Today you can experience archaeology, porcelain making, and even create your own cultural and creative products. I hope you will become little inheritors of traditional culture."

In the archaeological area, Zhou Ming guides the children to observe pottery shards using a magnifying glass.

In the cultural and creative zone, a little girl with braids was intently mixing perfume with Su Ya.

As the sun set, Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan stood side by side under the osmanthus tree, watching the children's departing figures.

The phone on the table rang; it was an invitation from the Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center to participate in the Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Expo next month.

After hanging up the phone, the two looked at each other and smiled. Outside the window, the kiln fire still flickered. The story of Qinglongpo is moving towards a brighter future on the path of inheritance and innovation.