Chapter 222 Unraveling the Mystery

"Lin Sicheng, you know qigong?"

"That's complete nonsense. There's no such thing as qigong."

"Then how can you lift a 60-pound knife with one hand?"

"It's about technique: others can only use the strength in their arms, but I can use the strength in my legs, waist, hips, and back..."

"Isn't that still knowing qigong?"

"Ye Anning, you've been watching too many martial arts novels, haven't you?"

Ye Anning patted him on the shoulder.

The two laughed and joked around. Zhao Xiuneng and Wang Qizhi, their minds wandering, started thinking again: According to Lin Sicheng, if this strength can be used in the arms, can it be used in other places?

Don't be surprised. No matter how high a position one holds, or whether one toils in the fields, whether one is seventy or eighty years old, or twenty-something, every man thinks about this.

Subconsciously, the two old men exchanged a glance: Hehehehehehe...

Lin Sicheng pretended to be serious, but Ye Anning felt that something was off.

Just as she was wondering what was going on, her eyes paused, and she poked Lin Sicheng with her finger.

Lin Sicheng looked helpless: "I already said, it's not qigong?"

"Who told you that? Look..."

"What are you looking at?"

"Beauty!"

"There are plenty of beautiful women out there..."

"It's Zhuang Yi!" Ye Anning pointed inside. "Look inside the main hall!"

Not far away, just five or six meters away, is the Chongning Tower of the Guansheng Temple. This is the main hall of the Guansheng Temple, where one can offer incense and draw lots, so it is extremely popular with tourists.

Upon closer inspection, Zhuang Yi was kneeling under the incense table, holding three sticks of incense in her hands.

Lin Sicheng looked puzzled.

Before coming to Shanxi, Ye Anning joked with him: "Lin Sicheng, Zhuang Yi's hometown is in Yuncheng. Do you believe we'll definitely run into her this time?"

Lin Sicheng scoffed: "Cousin Ye, do you even know how big Yuncheng is?"

But what about now?

Cousin Ye's mouth is blessed...

Surprised, Zhuang Yi offered incense, bowed three times, and then leaned forward to insert the incense into the burner.

The staff gave her a divination stick container, which she held in her hands and shook a few times with a clanging sound. A wooden stick fell out.

Zhuang Yi picked up the slip of paper, stood up, glanced at it instinctively, and then remained still.

A young man standing nearby, who looked very similar to the man, leaned forward and asked, "What are you shaking?"

Zhuang Yi pushed him away: "Don't look!"

"I'm your brother!"

"Even my brother can't!"

As she spoke, Zhuang Yi picked up the token and started to walk out, but as soon as she turned around, her pupils suddenly contracted and her heart began to pound.

Then, she suddenly turned her face and stared straight at Guan Yu in the main hall.

I had just made a wish and drawn a fortune stick in front of the statue, and then I turned around and a living person was standing in front of me.

Isn't this a divine intervention?

And this fortune slip... oh right, there's another fortune slip... it feels so magical, so wonderful?

For a moment, Zhuang Yi's mind was a jumbled mess, as if it had been turned into mush. It was as if she were being urged by a ghost; her eyes were still fixed on the wooden stick, and her foot unconsciously took a step forward.

"Bang!" Her toe hit the threshold.

With a "whoosh," his body lurched forward due to inertia, and the slip of paper in his hand flew out, heading straight for Lin Sicheng.

"Zhuang Yi..." The young man behind her exclaimed in surprise, grabbing her by the back of her collar in a flustered manner. Zhuang Yi's eyes bulged out as she was being squeezed, and her tongue even stuck out.

"Brother...quick...quickly let go..."

"No... can't you see such a high barrier to entry?"

She didn't fail to see it; she simply didn't look at it at all.

The young man released her, and whether from the tightness or embarrassment, Zhuang Yi blushed: "Lin... Sicheng, Assistant Ye, what a coincidence!"

Lin Sicheng smiled and nodded, returning the signature: "Yes, Miss Zhuang, what a coincidence!"

When you call Lin Sicheng by his name, you call him by his full name; but when you call yourself "Ye Assistant," you become "Ye Assistant"?

Ye Anning pursed her lips and glanced at it casually, but she was stunned when she saw it.

It's probably made of peach wood, less than a finger's width, just a thin piece, with a few lines of text carved on it:

Yi Yi, Su Wu herding sheep.

They had hoped for a safe journey before spring, but autumn brought a different turn. Then they met a noble young man from Qingjiang, and their livelihood became secure.

Hehe, young master... isn't this a marriage fortune slip?

So, it's more than just a coincidence...

Look at this poem, look at her expression, and guess what Zhuang Yi is asking for.

In an instant, Ye Anning realized: It's not like we haven't met before; we even strolled through the park together. It was just a coincidence that we bumped into each other again. Why was Zhuang Yi so flustered?

Then they look at the statues of gods, at the fortune slips in their hands, and even treat such a high threshold as if it doesn't exist.

Because she saw Lin Sicheng.

One moment you're making a wish and praying to the gods, and the next you turn around and the gods have already appeared. Who wouldn't panic?

Ye Anning stared at Guan Gong in a dragon robe in the shrine, then looked at the fortune slip: Is it really that accurate?

Before the National Day holiday, Li Xinfang urged Gu Ming to introduce Zhuang Yi to Lin Sicheng. After the holiday, she secretly took Zhuang Yi to school to meet Lin Sicheng.

Does the period before or after the National Day holiday count as autumn?

On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, five people coincidentally met together. Could this be considered springtime?

And then there's this line: "Straight to meet the noble young master of Qingjiang?"

Qingjiang generally refers to water, but Xingqing Palace Jinglong Pond is such a large lake, wouldn't it be considered water? The key point is that they happened to meet at the edge of Jinglong Pond that day.

Is Lin Sicheng considered a noble young man?

Of course she is: young, rich, and talented. Not only is she good-looking, but her demeanor and conversation are even better... This isn't what she said, it's what her aunt said.

Even his uncle would occasionally remark: "When we go out together, Lin Sicheng seems more like a second-generation rich kid than he does as a real one..."

With a jumble of random thoughts swirling in his mind, Ye An found the situation increasingly strange.

Zhuang Yi took the wooden stick, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes, and quickly introduced, "Lin Sicheng, Assistant Ye, this is my brother!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Hello, President Zhuang!"

"Oh, Teacher Lin? Xinfang and Zhuang Yi often mention you. I also know Gu Ming and President Fang Jingxian, and they often mention you too..."

"To be honest, Professor Lin, I've been thinking about inviting you out for a chat sometime, but it felt too presumptuous, so I haven't dared to ask!"

Zhuang Zijing kept rambling on and on, then quickly reached out his hand, "It's better to meet by chance than by invitation, Teacher Lin, you must do me the honor of coming today!"

At first, Lin Sicheng was a little suspicious, thinking that he didn't even know him, was this person being a little too enthusiastic?

But as soon as he heard Gu Ming and Fang Jingxian, he understood: putting aside Gu Ming, just talking about Fang Jingxian, if it weren't for Lin Sicheng's help, that dangerous Guanyin statue would have been in her hands.

Later, Lin Sicheng also sold her the jade Buddha that he had brought from Zhejiang. Fang Jingxian knew perfectly well how skilled Lin Sicheng was at appraising jade.

Bao Lixinfang also knew that since they knew each other, they would definitely talk.

And coincidentally, Zhuang Yi's family was in the jewelry business...

He smiled and said, "Mr. Ye, what a coincidence, I have an appointment with guests later to discuss some matters!"

Zhuang Zijing didn't mind: "It's alright, anytime is fine, Teacher Lin!"

Gu Ming's friend was practically a friend, and it would only cost about a meal, so Lin Sicheng agreed.

After introducing Wang Qizhi and Zhao Xiuneng, the siblings exchanged phone numbers and then said goodbye.

As they parted, Zhuang Yi glanced at Lin Sizai, then at Ye Anning: "Lin Sicheng, Assistant Ye, when do you have time? I'd like to invite you to Hejin..."

“We have the Yukou Longmen, where Yu the Great tamed the floods, the Zhenwu Temple (the Yuan Dynasty Nine Dragons Temple), which is as famous as the Yongle Palace, the Gaomou Temple from the Xia Dynasty, and the Xue Rengui Cold Kiln…”

"Wow, so many historical sites?" Lin Simian was about to speak when Ye Anning spoke first, looking delighted. "You must go when you have time, Zhuang Yi, I'll call you then!"

Zhuang Yi paused for a moment with her smile, then nodded.

After glancing at the departing siblings and then at Ye Anning, who was pouting, Wang Qizhi scoffed.

Ye Anning didn't say anything, but secretly rolled her eyes.

Of course she knew what her uncle meant: wasn't Li Zhen prettier than Zhuang Yi?

Given Lin Sicheng's outwardly and inwardly tough personality, how could he possibly be interested in a girl as thin as a chick?

Ye Anning, you're worrying unnecessarily...

Thinking about it this way, she felt much more at ease. Ye Anning looked at the statue of Guan Yu with some doubt: "Lin Sicheng, Zhuang Yi's line seems quite effective? Should I ask for one?"

"Ling, how did you tell that I'm a spirit?"

Lin Sicheng looked at him strangely, "Besides, that fortune slip was just so-so. Even if it was accurate, how accurate could it be?"

"I think the meaning is quite good," Ye Anning said, half-believing. "You know how to interpret it?"

"The Guan Di divination sticks aren't that complicated. I'll just tell you the answer..."

"That was the twelfth divination slip from Guan Gong's fortune book, which reads: Talent and fame will come late, wealth will not arrive, illness should be treated differently, lawsuits are most to be avoided, travelers will return, pregnancy will result in a noble birth, and a prominent official position will be attained, only then will things be auspicious..."

"Dongpo (Su Dongpo)'s interpretation: Hesitation in doing things and failure to obtain wealth. A noble person by the river will come to your aid! If you seek it elsewhere, you will only waste your efforts. You should carefully cultivate yourself and wait for the right time."

"Note by Bixian (Bixian Yuanjun): All things are difficult to accomplish, and good things often bring sorrow. From now on, with guidance and assistance, all good things will come to fruition..."

"Do you know what these three sentences mean? Besides asking for wealth and pregnancy, anything else you ask for will only get worse. Besides, it's not even guaranteed to work... Anyway, I think it's just for peace of mind..."

Upon hearing "you can only pray for wealth and pregnancy," Ye Anning's mood immediately improved: "It's just for peace of mind, I'll go pray for one too..."

Before she could finish speaking, she entered the main hall.

Not cheap: 10 yuan for incense, 10 yuan for a fortune stick, and 5 yuan more for taking the fortune stick away.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Anning paid on the spot.

He was quite devout, holding the incense sticks with his eyes closed, chanting for a long time before finally placing them in the incense burner. Then he shook the divination stick container and came out holding a stick.

"Lin Sicheng, quick, quick, help me take a look!"

Lin Sicheng glanced at it: Jia Ren, Emperor Taizu of Song ascended the throne at Chenqiao, and Zhang Jingzhao drew eyebrows.

I long for news from the canal to Chang'an, and I often examine the water chestnut carefully.

Hearing that the official document is about to enter the country, I am overjoyed.

He looked at him strangely: "You picked them by flipping through the lottery tube?"

"No, it was just drawn from the box?" Ye Anning stood on tiptoe. "Is this a good fortune?"

"certainly!"

There are 100 Guandi fortune sticks, arranged from inauspicious to auspicious: 19 very inauspicious, 1 very inauspicious, 24 neutral, 8 very auspicious, 27 very auspicious, and 18 very auspicious.

There are only three auspicious fortune sticks, and this is one of them.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "What are you asking for?"

I won't tell you!

"How can I solve this for you if you don't tell me?"

Ye Anning hesitated for a moment: "I'll ask for both!"

Tsk, this fortune stick really can grant you anything?

"It is said: Fame and fortune will surely come, lawsuits will be won, illnesses will be cured, pregnancy will result in a son, marriage is possible, travelers will arrive, and all worries will be gone."

Su Dongpo's interpretation: After long-awaited good news, a welcome message arrives. Joy is immediate! Profits abound, and wealth is gained. All plans are fulfilled, and everything goes smoothly...

Lin Sicheng returned the message: "Do you understand what I mean?"

certainly.

May everything go smoothly and may you get whatever you ask for.

The key line is: "After long-awaited good news..."

"Haha... I'll enshrine it when I get back!" Ye Anning glanced at Lin Sicheng, "Why don't you go and ask for one too?"

Good people don't draw lots.

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Let's go!"

Ye Anning didn't take it seriously and happily tucked it into her bosom.

Zhao Xiuneng and Wang Qizhi looked at each other in bewilderment: Who said the Guandi divination slip wasn't profound?

If it were so easy to explain, why would this temple be so popular with worshippers?

It seems that Lin Sicheng's diverse knowledge is secondary; the key point is that he genuinely understands it...

After strolling around for a while, it was almost four o'clock when the group decided to go eat.

As luck would have it, the stall owner called just as I stepped out of the temple.

Just as Zhao Xiuneng was about to answer, Lin Sicheng pointed forward: In the parking lot in front of the mountain gate, the fat boss was leaning against his pickup truck, holding a mobile phone in his hand.

They hung up the phone and walked over.

The chubby boss put away his phone: "I hadn't heard from you for two days. I thought you'd given up on me."

Of course, he wanted the goods, but this guy was a seasoned veteran: the more you pressed him, the higher the price would go. So Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng didn't contact either of them.

It wasn't until almost midnight last night that the chubby boss called Zhao Xiuneng to say that he would bring the porcelain shards over today...

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "It takes three days to travel back and forth. The place you're going to must be quite far, right, boss?"

"It's not close!" the boss said ambiguously, opening the truck bed door. "Let's make this clear first, I won't sell a box for less than a thousand!"

"good!"

With a reply, Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng jumped into the truck bed. They paused after just one glance, then exchanged a look.

There were five large baskets, all filled with porcelain shards, but not all of them were blue and white porcelain.

Upon closer inspection: most of the pieces with blue-and-white patterns are made with foreign blue glaze. There are also pieces with local blue glaze, but only a very few, and the signs of aging are significantly lighter than the previous ones.

Looking at the other porcelain shards: there are white porcelain, celadon, and even black-painted porcelain and black-ground white-painted and carved porcelain.

Judging from the texture, it's pretty much the same. But the soil is extremely thick, which means it was dug up recently.

But that's not the point; the key is the age: some are new, some are old, and the aging varies. The newer pieces are only about 80 or 90 years old, at most no more than 100 years old. But the older pieces look like they're from 700 or 800 years ago.

When is seven or eight hundred years?

Yuan, or perhaps gold?

Most importantly, the tire material is basically exactly the same. Is it exactly the same as the ones from the day before yesterday?

what does that mean?

This means that these porcelain shards were made from the same type of porcelain clay, and should have come from the same region, or even possibly the same kiln.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the kiln was used from the Song Dynasty to the Republic of China era.

It sounds like a long story, but it actually happened very quickly. The two of them glanced at it and then jumped out of the car.

The chubby boss was taken aback, unsure of what the two men meant.

Zhao Xiuneng took out his cigarette case and offered him one: "Boss, you only have a few pieces of blue and white porcelain, and you dare to ask for five thousand?"

"I've picked through most of the blue and white porcelain; these are the only porcelain shards left!"

The fat man took the cigarette and lit it for Zhao Xiuneng, saying, "But there are plenty of talented people out there, why don't you take another look?"

"Anything else besides those blue and white porcelain pieces you've got?"

The portly boss shook his head, and Zhao Xiuneng sighed, "That's all for now, a total of one thousand. If that's okay, I'll take it away!"

"More, more, more..."

Assuming they only wanted blue and white porcelain, the fat shopkeeper forced a smile and glanced at Lin Sicheng again.

At first glance, he seemed uninterested, not even interested in negotiating the price. But having spent so much time together, both Wang Qizhi and Ye Anning knew him quite well:

Zhao Xiuneng was clearly trying to attract the boss's attention, while Lin Sicheng seemed to be doing nothing, but he was probably looking for something.

After smoking half a cigarette, about three or four minutes later, Zhao Xiuneng had settled the price: five baskets for 1,500 yuan.

Lin Sicheng also walked around the car.

The Mercedes and Grand Cherokee were driven over and quickly carried upstairs. As Zhao Xiuneng took out his money, he casually remarked, "Boss, give me another piece of information: with so much soil seeping through, it wasn't dug up from a grave, was it?"

"Don't worry, what kind of grave could contain so many porcelain pieces?" The fat boss patted his chest. "They were dug out from a pit of discarded porcelain."

"Yuncheng has waste porcelain pits? I've never heard of them?"

"Who said we don't have any?" The fat man chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "If you gentlemen still want more, I'll go get some more!"

As expected of a seasoned veteran, his words were impeccable.

Knowing he couldn't find out, Zhao Xiuneng stopped testing and readily paid the money.

After the pickup truck left the parking lot, Wang Qizhi picked up a piece of celadon porcelain from the top of the basket: "This piece of porcelain looks quite old?"

“It’s quite old!” Lin Sicheng nodded. “It should be Song Dynasty porcelain!”

What is that?

All five people were stunned, including Zhao Xiuneng.

He could determine that those pieces of white and celadon porcelain were from around the Yuan Dynasty, or perhaps even earlier, but he could only go as far as the Jin Dynasty; he never dared to think as far back as the Song Dynasty.

If it's the Song Dynasty, Shanxi during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties could only be the Northern Song Dynasty... which is about a thousand years ago!

"It should be imitating the celadon glaze of the Chai kiln and the Bianjing (Kaifeng) official kiln, with slight improvements, making the color more elegant and lustrous..."

Lin Sicheng turned the porcelain shard over again. "The body is very thin, and the texture is delicate. It's most likely tribute porcelain..."

The five people stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

It's one thing to find a piece of Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain from the Great Ming Dynasty at a street stall, but this time it's even more outrageous—it's been identified as tribute porcelain from the Northern Song Dynasty.

After a long pause, Zhao Xiuneng frowned and asked, "During the Northern Song Dynasty, Shanxi didn't seem to produce any famous porcelain?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "If you examine the historical materials and documents, that is indeed the case."

According to historians, Shanxi was a region constantly under attack for five hundred years, from the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to the Yuan Dynasty.

First came the An Lushan Rebellion, then the Liao Dynasty, then the Jin Dynasty, and finally the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. With continuous warfare year after year, the local kilns in Shanxi had no chance to develop and grow.

On the contrary, the production of porcelain was frequently interrupted, and even the local people could not supply porcelain for daily use, so they had to import it from Chang'an and Bianjing.

However, Lin Sicheng believed that nothing was absolute. Take Jian ware black tea bowls, for example: after the Song Dynasty, everyone knew that black-glazed hare's fur tea bowls were tribute porcelain of the Song Dynasty, but they did not know where they were produced. It was not until after the founding of the People's Republic of China that archaeological excavations of the Jian kiln in Fujian Province finally clarified the place of origin.

There is also Shouzhou yellow glaze, which was only known to be a tribute porcelain of the Tang Dynasty. It was not until the excavation of Tomb No. 1 at Wuwangdun in Nanjing, Anhui Province, and the discovery of relevant documents, that it was learned that the place of origin was Shouzhou.

In contrast, because Shanxi was engaged in continuous warfare, many documents and even historical sites were destroyed in the chaos of war.

Therefore, Shanxi may not necessarily lack tribute porcelain; it's simply a matter of how large the archaeological site is, how deep it's buried, and how easy it is to find.

He thought for a moment and said, "Teacher, Senior Brother Zhao, why don't we try looking for it first?"

"Yes, let's look! Whether it's Tian Shun blue and white porcelain or Song dynasty porcelain, finding just one of them will do!" Wang Qizhi nodded vigorously. "And who knows, we might even find them all!"

Several people wholeheartedly agreed.

Whether the porcelain shards are new or old, the body is almost identical, indicating that they were made from the same type of porcelain clay. If a porcelain clay mine can be found, it's possible to find the kiln site…

"Judging from the fat boss's tone and demeanor, he must have been found in Yuncheng. Senior Brother Zhao, contact him every two days and see if you can get any more information out of him. If all else fails, just spend some money!"

Zhao Xiuneng nodded, but he thought it was unlikely: that guy was a cunning old fox, not only shrewd but also ruthless.

As long as you're willing to spend money, he'll squeeze toothpaste out of you little by little...

"Boheng, Zhong'an, tomorrow, you two take a few newer pieces of porcelain and go to Wanrong to ask around and see if you can get any information!"

"Remember, don't ask about blue and white porcelain or Song dynasty ceramics. Just ask if there were any porcelain factories in or near the area during the late Qing and Republican periods. And nine times out of ten, they were government-run..."

The two brothers agreed in unison.

Wang Qizhi rested his chin on his hand: He could understand the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and even state-run enterprises.

Because cobalt blue pigment was only imported from abroad after the Guangxu era, although it was cheap, it was produced using chemical blending processes. Shanxi's industry was relatively underdeveloped, and without official guidance, it was practically impossible to produce it.

"But Lin Sicheng, how do you know it's Wan Rong?"

“It’s not necessarily Wanrong, it could be the surrounding area!” Lin Sicheng said, chin in hand. “There’s a toll receipt on the pickup truck’s dashboard. It’s handwritten with the date as today, and it’s stamped with the Wanrong County Transportation Bureau’s toll stamp.”

Wang Qizhi suddenly realized: No wonder he circled the pickup truck.

"Teacher, I'll need your help to go to the city government again. See if you can borrow a laboratory from the Industry Bureau or the city government. I'll try to analyze it and see if I can find any regional characteristics..."

Wang Qizhi nodded: "Don't worry!"

The technology cannot be made public, but borrowing a laboratory is not a big problem.

Ye Anning raised her hand: "What should I do?"

"You're not collecting cultural relics anymore?"

"I already told you my aunt would take care of it!"

Ha, you still say you're not here to join in the fun?

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "If you really have nothing better to do, go back and help Xiao Liu (the data clerk) look up information!"

Ye Anning mumbled something, but Lin Sicheng didn't hear it clearly.

After assigning tasks to everyone, the group got into the car, and Lin Sicheng took the opportunity to organize his thoughts.

His idea was actually very simple: he couldn't just take someone else's technology that they could apply for World Heritage status for free; it would be best to exchange technology for it.

His initial plan was to find some samples of cloisonné enamelware after arriving, which would give him an excuse. Then, he could logically "derive" the technology and discuss it with the relevant departments in the city.

This is something that can fill the gaps in local history and technological craftsmanship, and was even later revered by the provincial government as one of the "Three Treasures of Shanxi," with an annual provincial expo. At that point, let alone the Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone, which of these national-level crafts from Yuncheng couldn't we exchange for?

The gold and silver filigree, mother-of-pearl inlay, and lacquerware carving of Jishan, the Yongle Palace wood carvings of Ruicheng… Of course, I can't use any of them right now, and I don't have time to study them. But I'll find the time eventually.

As it turns out, things didn't go as planned. Even in Shanxi, there are very few cloisonné ware pieces, with only a few museums having them.

There are some elsewhere, quite a lot, a full ton. But right now they're sunk on the seabed of the South China Sea along with the No. 1 shipwreck. How could he possibly salvage them?

Fortunately, when one thing fails, another succeeds. By a twist of fate, we not only stumbled upon a piece of Da Shun blue and white porcelain, but also some Song dynasty porcelain.

If this kiln site could be found, it would fill a gap in local history: to date, no porcelain-making sites have been discovered in Yuncheng.

But where could it be? Puzhou?

Lin Sicheng held the white porcelain shard in his hand and pondered it: This is the only historical record of porcelain production and kiln site in Yuncheng found in ancient documents.

According to "Yinliuzhai Shuoci" (written by Xu Zhiheng in the Qing Dynasty): Fahua porcelain originated in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and was mostly produced in kilns in the north. Puzhou ware was the best... to put it simply, it was produced in that place.

Puzhou is now Yongji, a county-level city under the YC government. However, from the early 1990s to the present, the local government has been searching for twenty years, but they haven't found a single kiln, let alone a single abandoned porcelain pit.

Moreover, judging from the clay, it doesn't quite resemble the clay used in Puzhou cloisonné ware...

After pondering for a long time, I arrived at the hotel, but still had no clue what to do.

After getting off the car, Lin Sicheng remembered something else: "Boheng, when you and Zhong'an went to Wanrong, besides looking for the porcelain factory, remember to ask about the abandoned porcelain pits as well!"

Zhao Da nodded.

He was right there when his father was trying to get information out of the fat boss; the fat man was talking about the abandoned porcelain pit.

Every kiln that produces porcelain, regardless of size, will inevitably have defective or broken pieces, which are usually buried nearby. Finding the waste porcelain pit is essentially finding the kiln site.

"Master, shall we inquire about the porcelain clay mine while we're at it?"

"You can also ask around, but remember to have Xiao Liu check the information on the surrounding mines first!"

"Yes, Master..."

While giving instructions, he carried several baskets of porcelain upstairs.

As Lin Sicheng stepped into the elevator, he stared at the baskets: "Senior Brother Zhao, are these red thorn branches?"

Zhao Xiuneng, puzzled, exclaimed, "Yes!"

"This doesn't look handmade; it's probably machine-made. And it's so new; it's most likely that the fat shopkeeper just bought it from the street..."

Lin Sicheng suddenly had a brilliant idea, "Senior Brother Zhao, remember to tell Boheng and Zhong'an to bring one of these baskets with them when they go to Wanrong. When they get there, they can ask which factory made it."

"Oh, by the way, ask if they make millet cakes locally, the kind made from hard millet... There's half a bag of them on the passenger seat of the pickup truck, the filling hasn't solidified yet, I guess the fat boss bought them for lunch on the way because he was in a hurry..."

Zhao Xiuneng and Wang Qizhi looked at each other in bewilderment: First it was a toll receipt, and now it's a basket?

Then, there was the hard millet fried cake again, and you even knew it was Fatty's lunch... In the time it took to walk around the car, how many clues did you find?

No wonder Chen Peng was so determined to get him to become a policeman.

Muttering to himself, when the elevator reached the floor, Wang Qizhi realized the suite couldn't hold everything, so he simply rented a conference room.

All the tables and chairs were cleared out, and all the porcelain was dumped out. Nine people knelt on the carpet and sorted through the pieces one by one.

Lin Sicheng held the two porcelain shards in his hands, muttering to himself, "The body of this white porcelain is so white, the iron content must be extremely low. And it's so fine, it must be high-alumina, high-potassium silty clay... Yes, alkaline feldspar, quartz..."

"This piece is so coarse? And there's coal slag, sand... Hmm, Lüliang Mountain porcelain clay... Yellow River beach clay?"

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up: "Boheng, don't go to Wanrong. Once you get to Wanrong, head west towards the banks of the Yellow River, near the southern foothills of the Lüliang Mountains..."

"Let me think..." Lin Sicheng counted on his fingers, "Besides Wanrong County, there are also Hancheng, Linyi, Xiangning, Heyang, Hejin... Hmm, just these six places!"

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment: How many minutes has it been?

Ye Anning paused for a moment, then narrowed her eyes: Isn't Zhuang Yi's hometown in Hejin?