Chapter 205 You dare to say that?

Sunlight streamed over the city walls, and the icicles refracted a rainbow of colors.

A few birds chirped from the locust tree; the air was slightly cool, yet refreshing.

After drinking a large bowl of mutton soup, feeling a little full, Ye Xing'an and his secretary went for a walk along the tree-lined path to digest their food.

He glanced at the intangible cultural heritage center as he passed by.

A thin mist covered the glass, and dewdrops formed long lines, leaving winding traces. Two female college students were cleaning, while two researchers on duty were wiping cabinets in the exhibition hall.

I checked my watch again; it was just past eight o'clock.

"Yesterday, Assistant Zhang said the training would start at nine?"

"Yes, Director."

"It's still early, let's go for two more laps!"

Ye Xing'an swung his hand and walked past the door when a Mercedes-Benz pulled up.

He glanced at the Beijing A license plate subconsciously.

With a few loud thuds, four men jumped out of the car: two older men and two younger men.

With a bang, the trunk was opened, and the older man carefully instructed, "Eldest and second eldest, you two go at noon. While your master is away, take these home... Remember, drop them off and leave immediately. Don't linger, or you'll have to bring them back the same way you carried them there..."

"Dad, the master and mistress gave us red envelopes, should we take them?"

“Yes!” Zhao Xiuneng nodded. “Why wouldn’t I accept it if it’s from my master and mistress? Remember to kowtow!”

The two sons nodded vigorously. Zhao Xiuneng pointed at his younger brother and said, "Also, Xiuxian, you should put that thing up quickly. When I introduce you to Junior Brother Lin, just mention it briefly..."

Zhao Xiuxian looked puzzled: "Wait... Brother, why is giving a gift like we're doing something wrong?"

Zhao Xiuneng glared at him: "What do you know? Believe me or not, once you see the person, you won't even be able to send them away!"

Zhao Xiuxian glanced at the box in his hand: "How is that possible?"

Zhao Xiuneng scoffed, too lazy to argue with him.

After closing the trunk, the four of them entered the showroom.

Secretary Wang glanced at the license plate: "Director, that person just now should be Teacher Lin's partner!"

Ye Xing'an nodded.

The license plate is the same, and their age and appearance match up.

The two younger ones are his sons, who are also Lin Sicheng's apprentices. The remaining one should be Zhao Xiuneng's younger brother.

Judging from his appearance, he must have just returned from the capital.

Just as she was thinking about it, the secretary muttered, "Coral!"

Ye Xing'an turned his head and saw Zhao Xiuneng holding a bright red coral tree, which he was placing into the display case.

Below is a bluish copper flowerpot, filled with a full bowl of pearls.

Even with his vast experience, Wang Yingtai couldn't help but narrow his eyes: "Delicate and lustrous, as vibrant as blood wax, this must be top-grade Aka red coral, pigeon blood red."

The pearl is round, large, bright, and lustrous; it must be a pearl from Northeast China. One of these is probably worth half a year's salary for him.

How much is this pot?

And that pot underneath is definitely an antique; it's probably quite valuable.

When the three items were added together, Wang Yingtai's eyelids twitched: How much will this cost?

Just then, Lin Sicheng came downstairs and entered the exhibition hall. For some reason, Zhao Xiuneng, looking helpless, brought out the coral tree and put it back in its box.

Wang Yingtai looked astonished: Lin Sicheng confiscated it?

He understood the principle of reciprocity, the idea of ​​giving something in return for something of value. But what puzzled him was Lin Sicheng's composure: this item was a gift, not a sale. It was worth millions, if not tens of millions, so how could he bear to give it away?

After glancing around twice, Ye Xing'an turned around and puffed out his chest repeatedly: "Let's go!"

Wang Yingtai followed behind.

Seeing him deep in thought and silent, Ye Xing'an smiled: "Can't figure it out?"

"Boss, I understand the principle!" Wang Yingtai thought for a moment, "I just really admire him!"

"Is that so?" Ye Xing'an nodded, thinking to himself: "Lofty aspirations and clear understanding of one's true nature perfectly describe Lin Sicheng."

To borrow a phrase from Wang Qizhi: He has nothing to lack, so naturally he has no greed, and naturally he can uphold his original intention.

Everyone understands the principle, but the difficult thing is, who would think they don't lack anything?

Having something makes you want more, and wanting more makes you crave it, so it's quite rare.

Ye Xing'an swung his hands rhythmically, with his secretary following closely behind.

Inside the exhibition hall, Zhao Xiuxian stood there blankly, looking at the box in his older brother's hand and then at Lin Sicheng.

When we were at home, my mother would sometimes mention: "That child has a light in his eyes."

The elder brother often says that his two nephews' master was extremely valuable. His character and virtue are unparalleled in his life…

Zhao Xiuxian kept thinking, how good must he be to warrant his mother and older brother talking about him like this?

Even when he was outside, he thought: "I'm not going to accept a gift worth tens of millions?"

Dude, you're really good at bragging...

Then, less than three minutes later, he witnessed it.

No… Teacher Lin, look closely, this is Qing Dynasty tribute coral! It’s not just a treasure, it’s also an antique.

And then there are these Eastern pearls. The old lady personally took apart two strings of court beads that she had kept at the bottom of her trunk, and picked out each one one by one.

And this basin, this is a bronze dou (an ancient ritual vessel), it has patterns on the edge and characters on the bottom...

It's no exaggeration to say that Zhao Xiuxian blinked his eyes, looking back and forth between the box and Lin Sicheng's face, as if he were looking at an alien.

Lin Sicheng could roughly guess what was causing his surprise, so he just smiled and said, "Noon is too rushed, let's do it tonight. Let's have a welcome dinner for our two senior brothers..."

"Okay!" Zhao Xiuneng nodded. "But it doesn't need to be too complicated, let's just go to the school!"

Lin Sicheng was indifferent.

To be honest, the school cafeteria is really good; even provincial leaders are treated the same way.

The group walked toward the office, and as soon as they reached the reception area, Zhao Xiuneng was taken aback: Tian Chengming and Song Jingxian were sitting on the sofa, and when they saw them, they got up again.

Wait... these two haven't left yet?

If you calculate the time, from the time the center opened until now, excluding the few days of the Chinese New Year, these two have been here for more than half a month.

But what's the use?

Just then, Lin Sicheng walked over: "Director Tian, ​​Director Song, there will be a training session on the third floor later. If possible, I would like to invite you both to offer your guidance!"

Wow, this is really good?

To be honest, they were well aware of how annoying they were and how much Lin Sicheng disliked them. So, how could they possibly ask for their corrections?

Tian Chengming sensed something was amiss: "Teacher Lin, what exactly is the training about?"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Yaozhou porcelain?"

The two of them were startled: What the heck?

As if by prior arrangement, the two suddenly turned around and looked at the materials on the newsstand: No wonder they were displayed here so openly and legitimately.

They were even secretly pleased with themselves yesterday?

What's there to be secretly pleased about?

Tian Chengming stood there blankly, unsure of what to say.

While he was still in a daze, Lin Sicheng had already turned around and led the four members of the Zhao family into the office.

The two stared at each other, speechless with astonishment. Suddenly, Tian Chengming jolted awake and frantically pulled out his phone:

They're about to hold a public training session, what are Lao Song and I doing here guarding the place?

Just as the call connected, three more cars arrived outside, and eight or nine people got out.

I've met the leaders before, back when the center was unveiled. Behind them were two people carrying equipment with the words "Beilin Broadcasting" printed on it.

Does this mean that not only should the training be conducted publicly, but it should also be broadcast on television?

Song Jingxian's hand trembled: It's over...

...

At 9:50, Ye Xing'an and Wang Yingtai entered the venue.

There were many people: leaders from the college, as well as leaders from several district bureaus including culture, tourism, cultural relics, and industry, sat in the front row. In the middle were researchers from each bureau and professors from the college.

With even more graduate students in our institute, plus the center's staff, the conference room, which can hold over a hundred people, was more than half full.

As mentioned beforehand, upon seeing Ye Xing'an, the hospital leaders merely nodded and did not stand up. He also did not go to the front, but simply found a corner.

Lin Sicheng stood on the stage, making one last round of equipment adjustments. At nine o'clock sharp, the training began on time.

I clicked the mouse, and a Tang Dynasty Yaozhou kiln yellow porcelain ewer (pot) appeared on the large screen behind me.

At the same time, Li Zhen brought up a bottle of food and placed it in front of Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng, holding the microphone, pointed to the screen: "To do a good job, one must first have the right tools. Since we are going to restore and protect Yaozhou porcelain, we must understand its origin and development, the craftsmanship and technical characteristics of each period, as well as its advantages, disadvantages, and difficulties..."

It's no exaggeration to say that all fifty or sixty people in the venue were taken aback.

No... you're just going to start right away?

With so many leaders below, where are your opening remarks and greetings?

Wang Yingtai now understands why the researchers in Wang Qizhi's laboratory had that attitude during his visit yesterday.

It was definitely Lin Sicheng who taught him.

Strangely, both the hospital leaders and the district leaders seemed to have become accustomed to it...

"The Yaozhou kiln originated in the early Tang Dynasty. Early pieces were mostly dark gray with a relatively coarse body... During the High Tang Dynasty, black porcelain was produced, with a body as dark as ink, dull and without luster... In the Late Tang Dynasty, the body became denser, the glaze darker and thinner, with a strong vitreous texture and good transparency..."

"And gradually yellow glaze and white porcelain appeared, along with simple decorations such as incised, stamped, and appliquéd designs. The most typical mottled glaze, formed by iron, manganese, and magnesium crystals, also known in history as 'tea dust glaze,' appeared in the mid-Tang Dynasty..."

"Strictly speaking, tea-dust glaze is an accidental kiln-transformation porcelain, a special variety that appears when black-glazed porcelain is overfired... It requires a high temperature, above 1280 degrees Celsius. The firing atmosphere is also very strict: it is fired in a reducing flame, where iron forms ferrous oxide (FeO) and crystals in an oxygen-deficient environment... Therefore, in the Tang Dynasty, it was absolutely a groundbreaking product..."

"The vessel I'm holding and the one on the screen is an example. At first glance, it seems quite ordinary, right? But during the Tang Dynasty, it was precisely because of its tea-dust glaze that the Yaozhou kiln became the eighth most famous kiln. Although the tea-dust glaze didn't reach the level of tribute ware, it was definitely a renowned porcelain..."

"The firing technique used was the three-legged support method. Early pieces were semi-glazed, while later pieces were fully glazed. The shapes were relatively simple, mainly pots, bowls, and jars. The decorations were mostly plain, so repairs were relatively simple: gilding, gold repair, and lacquer repair were basically sufficient to meet the repair needs..."

As the explanation unfolds, the images on the screen change intermittently, and Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu also bring up actual objects.

Lin Sicheng spoke calmly and methodically, emphasizing key points or areas that required special explanation.

As the saying goes, experts see the details, while laymen just watch the show. Although Ye Xing'an didn't understand it very well, he could at least see it: apart from the leaders in the first row, everyone below, whether professors, graduate students, or researchers from various units, was completely focused and attentive.

Lin Sicheng paused briefly, then swung his pen, and in an instant, it was like entering a silkworm rearing room, "swish, swish, swish..."

Wang Yingtai turned his head, looking left and then right. Everyone except him and Ye Xing'an was taking notes.

But Lin Sicheng's speech seemed quite ordinary.

Don't assume that Secretary Wang is too frivolous or not steady enough. He's not the only one who feels this way; most of the bureau leaders sitting in the front row share this opinion.

It felt like Lin Sicheng explained things in a very simple way, so much so that even laymen like them could understand it.

But why did everyone look so serious, wielding their pens so fast, as if afraid that Lin Sicheng might suddenly jump over?

If it weren't for the fact that the researchers brought by the bureau were also like this, they would have suspected that the academy had made prior arrangements...

As if guessing what they were thinking, the vice dean sitting with them explained in a low voice:

"The main problem is that the ancient high-temperature kiln technology was not up to par. Secondly, the Yaozhou kiln at that time mainly produced civilian porcelain, so very few tea-dust glazes like the ones on the platform that are close to tribute porcelain were produced."

Furthermore, due to their antiquity, fewer artifacts have survived, resulting in fewer samples available for research. Consequently, there are fewer research institutions. Therefore, authoritative, detailed, and readily available research materials are naturally even scarcer…

Just like what Lin Sicheng just mentioned: the mottled glaze formed by iron, manganese, and magnesium crystals, the kiln temperature of over 1280 degrees Celsius, the firing in a reducing flame, and the formation of ferrous oxide and crystals by iron in an oxygen-deficient environment, etc., are all key technologies of the ancient Yaozhou kiln tea dust glaze. They are difficult to find, and cannot be found at all..."

As if infected by Lin Sicheng, the hospital leaders remained calm and spoke plainly, but several bureau leaders gradually widened their eyes.

Dean Jing, what did you say? Lin Sicheng was talking about the key technology of tea dust glaze?

No... this technique has been lost?

I still remember the leaders from Tongchuan who came on the opening day yesterday. Afterwards, the higher-ranking ones went to the district level, and the lower-ranking ones went to various bureaus.

He pestered me for more than ten days, saying all sorts of nice things and promising to agree to any conditions, but he only asked for one thing: tea dust glaze.

Lin Sicheng, on the other hand, brazenly and openly brought it up.

The institute leader chuckled again: "These are technologies from the Tang Dynasty; under modern industrialized production conditions, they have little practical use. Furthermore, they require systematic and long-term learning, combined with practical application. Simply attending training courses won't teach you much..."

Does that mean that what Lin Sicheng said today was only scratching the surface?

But even if it's just a superficial understanding, it's still a lost art...

Taken aback, the leader of the Industrial Bureau lowered his voice and asked, "Dean Jing, has this been verified?"

"certainly!"

Vice Dean Jing replied, resting his chin on the stage.

The others didn't understand what he meant and thought he was referring to Lin Sicheng, so they subconsciously looked up.

Upon closer inspection, the Tang Dynasty commentary had been taken away, and the assistant brought up a few more.

At the same time, the screen flashed, first showing a pale blue-glazed flower-shaped cup without decoration, then a celadon-glazed carved plum vase, and finally a yellow-green-glazed carved teapot with a handle and a reverse-flowing spout.

At the same time, an image was displayed on the large screen, with a line of large characters at the top: Yaozhou Kiln of the Five Dynasties!

The moment the picture appeared, someone exclaimed "Huh!"

At first glance, the shape, glaze, decoration, and carving are no different from the unearthed Yaozhou porcelain from the Five Dynasties period.

The problem is, they are all brand new, whether physical objects or photographs, they are sparkling clean.

Furthermore, they were quite far apart, so for a moment, it was difficult to tell whether it was an artifact borrowed from a museum or a newly made replica.

After taking a closer look, someone in the second row raised their hand: "Director Lin, are these artifacts or replicas?"

Lin Sicheng was about to begin speaking when he paused for a moment: "Of course it's a counterfeit!"

The student who raised their hand had their eyes light up and stood up. "Teacher Lin, could I take a look at your hand?"

No... Brother, where is my training?

Besides, what's so strange about a few counterfeit items?

Just as he was wondering, the vice president gave him a wink: "This is Director Liu from the Technology Planning Division of the Industrial Bureau..."

I understand, he's probably an expert.

Lin Sicheng nodded, and Director Liu rushed onto the stage.

He picked up the bowl, touched it, looked at it under the light, and finally tapped it.

With a clang, he sighed: "As blue as the sky, as bright as a mirror, as thin as paper, as resonant as a chime..."

Lin Sicheng almost lost his composure.

He was reciting a line from Ouyang Xiu's "Record of Returning to the Fields" from the Northern Song Dynasty: "Its color is like the sky, its sound like a chime, its brightness like a mirror... It is rare in the world, and those who obtain fragments adorn it with gold."

But Ouyang Xiu was referring to the Chai kiln from the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Both Chai ware and Yaozhou ware inherited from Yue ware and share some technical similarities. However, compared to Yue ware, Yaozhou ware is inferior in terms of craftsmanship, historical influence, and the quality of its artifacts.

The piece in his hand is even further off; it has virtually no resemblance to sky-blue glaze and can at most be described as pale blue glaze.

Just then, he looked up and asked, "Director Lin, where did you borrow this from, Tongchuan?"

borrow?

Lin Sicheng was completely bewildered: "Director Liu, this is the intangible cultural heritage center that's burning here!"

Director Liu was suddenly stunned.

He then realized that Lin Sicheng had copied it himself.

Lin Sicheng assumed that this leader was newly transferred and might not know much about the matter, so he explained, "Director Liu, I went to Tongchuan for a period of time to study and learn before the Lunar New Year..."

"No..." Director Liu's eyes widened, "Didn't you only 'learn' carving techniques and tea dust glaze?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: Who said that?

Even Director Meng doesn't know how to make tea dust glaze, so who am I supposed to learn from?

It's just a two-stroke carving technique; you can learn it after watching it twice. Why would it take twenty days?

Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of so many people, Lin Sicheng gave an ambiguous answer: "The Tongchuan Porcelain Research Institute provided quite a few samples, so I tried a few more..."

Did you figure it out through testing?

Director Liu hesitated, unsure what to say: "No, Director Lin, this is their core technology. Unlike carving or glazing, which you can observe and learn from, the crucial firing processes, like temperature control and the firing atmosphere, are all done in the factory. How can you steal that?"

Director Liu doesn't really believe in relying solely on samples or experiments to push the conclusion...

After a long silence, he pointed to the rim of the glaze and asked, "Director Lin, could you please explain how this glaze, with its bluish-green hue between yellowish-green and grayish-green, and its vitrified jade-like texture, was achieved? And how were the issues of a dull glaze surface and glaze runners resolved?"

Wow, he's actually an expert?

Lin Sicheng was taken aback: "The potassium (KO) content in the glaze is increased to the range of calcium-alkali glazes, which promotes the blue-green color of the glaze and inhibits the excessive growth of anorthite crystals..."

Director Liu was even more surprised than him: No, you really cracked it for them?

No wonder Vice Mayor Wang keeps coming to the district every few days, even during the Spring Festival.

Do you even know that you dug up someone's money tree?

He was stunned for a long time before he skipped over the plum vase and picked up the backflow teapot: "Director Lin, may I ask you another question: how do you solve the difference in expansion coefficients between the duct and the tire body, and how do you achieve a stable internal shaping structure?"

"This is a bit complicated, let me put it simply..."

Lin Sicheng stretched out his finger, pointing to the spout, body, and bottom of the kettle: "Utilizing the principle of 'equal liquid levels in communicating vessels,' an internal double-tube system is installed: that is, two tubes are set inside the kettle, the water inlet tube is connected to the bottom hole, and the water outlet tube is connected to the spout..."

"The overall shaping process generally adopts the inverted three-firing method, namely segmented throwing, internal guide tubes, and sealing and refiring. The expansion difference is solved by three high-temperature kiln transformations, while ensuring structural stability..."

Director Liu's eyes widened: Director Lin, I was just asking casually, and you really dare to say that?

What are pale celadon glaze and double-knife technique compared to this? This is the lifeblood of Yaozhou porcelain.

He also understood what the hospital leader meant when he rested his chin on the stage: the samples had already been burned, so what need was there for further verification?