Chapter 66 Shocking the International Internet: Outrageous Remarks and Artifact Forgery
Song Ying could clearly sense that Xu Lanyan was probably anxious today, and had actually abandoned her usual composure, resorting to such low-class tea talk.
This is nothing like her usual style.
Waving her fan, Song Ying spoke leisurely.
"First, I was always at the back. Your claim that I saw you but didn't remind you is not true. After all, my eyes don't reach that far to see from one end to the other."
"Secondly, China's reputation isn't so easily lost—Miss Xu might not have heard clearly, but that person's last sentence was 'Chinese people are great.' How can you say that's not a loss of face, but a source of pride?"
Zhao Qingluo loved to join in the fun at times like these, so she quickly raised her hand.
"I testify! That man's last words were definitely this!"
Song Ying chuckled softly, covered her lips with her fan, and looked at Xu Lanyan with a smile.
"So, Miss Xu, you didn't do your homework properly and lost face. Don't just casually use the banner of China to cover up your shame."
"It's okay to make mistakes. To know your mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. Besides, with so many exhibits in the British Museum, it's perfectly normal to misremember one or two things. Moreover, Miss Xu's work is far better than the average person's."
"But knowing you're wrong, to try to cover it up and not admit it, and to shift the blame onto others, isn't that just unethical? Even a child understands this, so why doesn't Miss Xu understand?"
Song Ying did not deny Xu Lanyan's outstanding qualities.
For her, a sense of superiority does not need to be gained by belittling others.
Truly outstanding people, upon seeing others who are better than themselves, will only work harder and hold themselves to even higher standards.
This is the source of her pride.
[I always felt something was off about Xu Lanyan, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. After Song Ying explained it to me, I immediately understood: Xu Lanyan is actually very talented, but deep down she is very insecure. So she can't stand others saying anything bad about her, and she can't stand others being better than her. She craves success so much that she chases after glory but can't see the path ahead and treats everyone around her as an imaginary enemy.]
[Not sure if it's really tea, let's wait and see]
[I came here specifically to see Xu Lanyan, the youngest and most beautiful female entrepreneur, but I was a little disappointed. Instead, I became a fan of Song Ying.]
[I hope Xu Lanyan can be more humble and down-to-earth, and not squander her good fortune.]
The saying goes, "The bystander sees most of the game."
While netizens clearly understood the issue, Xu Lanyan, caught up in her emotions, couldn't see it clearly at this moment.
In her view, Song Ying's words were purely an attempt to humiliate her with an arrogant attitude.
Praise her?
It's all just a show.
“Miss Song, I’m just considering the bigger picture and being a little more thoughtful. I don’t really mean to blame you or shift the responsibility onto you. So please don’t label me or try to teach me how to be a decent person.”
After saying this, Xu Lanyan turned and walked forward.
"Lanyan!"
Wen Yize shouted, attracting the attention of nearby tourists. Startled, he remembered that no noise was allowed in the museum, so he quickly covered his mouth and jogged after them.
"I can't even say anything if I did something wrong? Who are you throwing a tantrum at?"
Zhao Qinglu snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Don't be angry."
Gu Junting patted Zhao Qingluo's head, then looked at the crowd and said, "Let's move forward and not block the other tourists from continuing their visit."
The tour continues, the photography continues.
This time, however, Xu Lanyan was still angry, and she simply abandoned her tour guide duties.
The British Museum, one of the world's four major museums, has a collection of more than 8 million items. Although 99% of the collection is not on public display, even just 1% of the more than 80,000 items can take a whole day to explore.
Xu Lanyan's actions inadvertently saved everyone a lot of time.
She and Wen Yize walked at the very front, leaving the rest of the group far behind.
After Gu Junting patted her on the head, Zhao Qingluo was overjoyed, like a little hamster, hugging her hands and grinning foolishly, not caring about the exhibition at all.
Qin Shu, on the other hand, who seemed indifferent to everything and had little patience, was led by Song Ying to seriously tour the exhibition hall.
Unlike Xu Lanyan's introduction, Song Ying's introduction was witty and humorous, and not at all rote.
Most importantly, many of the exhibits she introduced were not necessarily the most famous, but they were all refreshing and novel.
Even netizens were attracted.
[Who would have thought I'd be watching a museum guided tour in a dating reality show, and actually enjoying it so much (crying emoji)]
[Laughing so hard, ladies! My mom just scolded me for watching dramas instead of reading, so I immediately turned on the speakerphone. My mom said, "Oh, so you're studying. Never mind, keep going."]
[Another day of envying Shu-ge. When will I be able to marry Ying-bao?]
[I can't stop laughing! Did you guys notice the way Shu-ge looks at Ying-jie? He's like a total fanboy, hahaha!]
Qin Shu was indeed a devoted fan of Song Ying.
The more I look at it, the more I cherish it; the more I look at it, the more I envy myself.
Wow, what incredible luck he must have had to marry such a beautiful and talented wife!
After visiting the previous exhibition halls, we soon arrived at the Chinese Museum, which displays Chinese cultural relics.
Many of the artifacts in the British Museum are treasures looted from China by foreign powers during the invasion of China, as well as donations from the wealthy Ho family of Hong Kong. Therefore, Song Ying's expression became solemn as soon as she entered the museum.
As the British Museum states in its first sentence about Chinese artifacts: "The Chinese people created the most extensive and enduring civilization in the world."
This place houses more than 23,000 Chinese treasures, including the "Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies," Tang tri-color pottery, Dunhuang murals, and the "Yongle Encyclopedia."
Through Song Ying's introduction, not only Qin Shu and the program crew, but even the viewers in the live broadcast room seemed to glimpse the splendid and prosperous era behind these cultural relics, and also saw the humiliating past of China.
"Backwardness invites aggression. The humiliations of the past spur us to keep striving today. The road home for our national treasures is long, but as long as even one treasure remains abroad, we, as the younger generation, cannot slack off or become lazy. Only by being vigilant in times of peace can we ensure that China never experiences the same pain again."
"Invaders can steal our national treasures, but they cannot take away the profound history and civilization of the Chinese nation. The road ahead is long and arduous, but the more difficult the journey, the more determined we must be to forge ahead."
This was Song Ying's heartfelt remark at the end of her introduction to Qin Shu.
At that moment, she had no idea that after the conversation was broadcast live online, it would be edited by fans and soon be liked and reposted by Chinese state media, sparking a new round of discussion.
Through the glass window, Song Ying gazed at the cultural relics, reflecting on her father's teachings.
Looking at Song Ying, Qin Shu secretly made a decision in his heart.
Just then, Song Ying frowned as she looked at a jade bottle in the far corner.
"There seems to be something wrong with that artifact."
"What's the problem?" Qin Shu asked.
"It looks fake to me..."
Song Ying spoke softly.
Coincidentally, Xu Lanyan, persuaded by Wen Yize, was waiting near the exit of the exhibition hall to meet up with everyone, and thus immediately heard Song Ying's doubtful remark.
Xu Lanyan immediately gave a mocking smile.
"How could museum items be fake? Song Ying, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew—this is the British Museum, okay? Do you think it's some fly-by-night museum or some antique shop selling counterfeit goods!"
Xu Lanyan's voice quickly attracted the attention of other staff members.
It was fine inside the exhibition hall before, but now that many people are gathered at the exit, it naturally attracts even more onlookers.
Many foreign netizens, unaware of the situation, went up to inquire.
Xu Lanyan was just looking for an opportunity to embarrass Song Ying, and now that she had the chance, she enthusiastically introduced the product to the foreign tourists.
"This lady said that one of the artifacts in the display case was fake. Judging from her confident demeanor, there's a high chance that there's something wrong with the item inside."
"Really? Museums have fake stuff?"
"A joke, right?"
What gives her the right to say that?
It's human nature to watch the drama unfold, and the crowd grew larger and larger, quickly blocking the exit of the exhibition hall.
Even the museum staff were alarmed.
But they were unable to evacuate the crowd.
Because everyone was urging Song Ying to provide evidence and stop making baseless accusations, the situation briefly spiraled out of control.
Even the comments section was filled with disagreements and arguments.
[Song Ying is far too arrogant. Although she does seem to know a lot about these artifacts from the descriptions, judging their authenticity based on nothing is really overconfident.]
[But she was talking to Qin Shu. It was just between the two of them, and they hadn't publicized it. Now it's blown up like this because Xu Lanyan is such a gossip, deliberately making it public and letting other tourists spread the word.]
[Xu Lanyan is quite the hypocrite. When she made a mistake earlier, she complained that Song Ying hadn't reminded her, saying she'd disgraced China. Now that it's Song Ying's turn, she doesn't care about China's reputation either; she wants the whole world to know what Song Ying just said. She's truly wicked.]
[It's no longer a question of good or bad; the key is how to handle this situation. Museum staff have arrived, and if things escalate, it will truly be a disgrace to the country.]
The production team is also having a headache.
Especially director Zhuo Rui.
He wants the show to be popular, but this isn't the kind of popularity he wants!
"Song Ying, quickly explain yourself and let this matter drop. Let's not linger here; we have other projects to come."
"Director Zhuo, it seems you don't understand the current situation."
Song Ying looked at Zhuo Rui, raised her chin, and gestured for him to look at Xu Lanyan, who was still introducing her to the other people who were asking about her.
"It's not that I don't want to settle things peacefully, it's just that some people enjoy watching the drama unfold. Besides, what I said wasn't wrong."
While Xu Lanyan was making her calls, Song Ying took another careful look at the items in the exhibition hall.
Now she is even more certain of her thoughts.
Zhuo Rui, seeing that he couldn't persuade her, had no choice but to go to Xu Lanyan.
"Lanyan, what time is it now? Stop meddling in this mess and what are you stirring up for? You may have a grudge against Song Ying, but I don't. Don't mess with me!"
"Uncle Zhuo, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. This is a disgrace to Song Ying, it won't affect you or the show."
Zhuo Rui: "WTM..."
You know what's going on, but I don't!
Watching Xu Lanyan finish taking care of herself and continue to "educate" other tourists, Zhuo Rui pressed one hand to her forehead, put the other on her hip, paced back and forth, and rolled her eyes.
In short, the director involved is now very regretful.
I deeply regret it.
"I shouldn't have listened to you in the first place!"
After holding it in for a while, Zhuo Rui stared at Xu Lanyan's figure and complained angrily.
I thought I'd stumbled upon a treasure trove, but instead I found a landmine.
How come he never noticed before that Xu Lanyan was such a troublemaker?
Meanwhile, the museum staff also figured out what had happened.
Seeing that the crowd could not be dispersed, they had no choice but to approach Song Ying.
"Madam, your remarks have caused disorder in the museum. In order to ensure the smooth running of your visit, please clarify your previous slander as soon as possible, okay?"
"I apologize for the trouble this has caused your esteemed establishment, but sir, I must say that the Ge ware porcelain piece in this display case is indeed a fake."
"Madam, you can't say things like that. All the artifacts in our museum are genuine and documented. They have been appraised by experts and are absolutely not fakes. If you insist on slandering them, you will be held legally responsible."
Song Ying patted Qin Shu, who was standing in front of her to protect her, signaling him to move aside a little.
Then he said in a more confident tone.
"Sir, I am willing to take full legal responsibility for my words. That Ge ware porcelain is indeed a fake. If you don't believe me, you can call your experts here right now."
Seeing Song Ying's unwavering determination, the staff exchanged glances. After a moment, someone said, "Wait a moment," and then applied for more people to maintain order while arranging for someone to contact the curator and experts.
Song Ying communicated with the staff in English, so many people around her understood her.
Amidst the heated discussion, some people went live on Facebook, while others contacted British media.
Soon, many cameras were set up at the scene, and the matter began to be discussed on the international internet.
A Chinese woman made outrageous remarks, claiming that artifacts in the British Museum were fake!
The topic quickly rose to the top of Facebook's trending list, shocking the international community, and attracting more and more people to the live stream.
Criticism is rampant.
The commotion was so great that the museum director and the experts in charge of artifact appraisal quickly arrived at the scene.
"Who said there were fakes in the exhibition hall?"
"It's that lady."
Some people pointed to Song Ying.
The expert, Fils, stepped forward, looked Song Ying up and down, and frowned instinctively when he noticed how extremely young she was.
"You're the one who said there are fakes in our collection?"
"yes."
Which one?
"The one on the far left, closest to the wall."
Song Ying pointed lightly with her fan, her attitude neither humble nor arrogant, neither fearful nor retreating.
What evidence do you have?
"As is well known, Ge ware from China has four characteristics. First, Ge ware glaze is a matte glaze with rich colors and a luster like 'butter'. Second, the patterns are either 'golden threads and iron wires' or net-like crackles, or overlapping like ice cracks, or forming 'tortoise shell patterns'. Third, the glaze layer is very thick and contains bubbles, resembling 'gathered pearls and spheres'. Fourth, the body is mostly purplish-black or brownish-yellow, and the glaze is thin at the edge of the vessel, revealing the body color in a yellowish-brown color. The unglazed foot is iron-black, giving it the charm of 'purple mouth and iron foot'."
After saying this, Song Ying pointed to the piece that she had identified as a fake.
"But look at this one. Although there are bubbles on the surface of the glaze, they are not fine and dense. Also, the yellowish-brown at the edges is not the exposed body color, but rather a result of touch-up coloring. Therefore, this piece of porcelain must be a fake."
[...Can you understand what she's saying?]
[An English major student said, "I haven't even heard of many of these words before."]
I understood all the individual words, but I still didn't get the meaning...
[@Fu Yunsheng, come and educate us on basics!]
Fu Yunsheng, who was tagged by netizens, is a very famous cultural relics popular science blogger on Weibo.
He holds a doctorate in cultural relic conservation from Imperial Capital University and is currently a cultural relic restorer at the China Imperial Palace Museum. He has extensively studied Song and Ming dynasty porcelain and has even appeared on CCTV's "National Treasure Record." He is a recognized expert in porcelain appraisal within the industry.
Most importantly, Fu Yunsheng is online most of the time, so after being bombarded with mentions from netizens, he directly clicked into the live stream.
When he saw Song Ying's figure in the video, he froze.
"Ah Ying?!"
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