Chapter 130 He regretted making that bet
She tilted her head and thought about it. Actually, there wasn't anything she particularly wanted.
"I can't think of one right now. Otherwise, if you lose, you can just call me sister for a week."
"You want such a meaningless reward?"
Qin Tian laughed heartily: "What about you? What do you want if you win?"
Tong Zhongyuan looked at her in silence. After a moment, he said, "I'll tell you after I win."
Qin Tian made an OK gesture to him and said casually: "Okay, you won't win anyway."
Qin Tian returned to the table, picked up the mouse again, zoomed in on the photo, and clicked on a flaw on the cup.
"See? There's a flaw here. It's a bubble that formed during the casting. The bubble is white."
Tong Zhongyuan had noticed this long ago. This cup had flaws, which would affect its overall value. But as long as it was indeed a Southern Song Dynasty Ge Kiln artifact, it still had immeasurable value.
"The exposure of the embryo will affect its price. So what?" He turned to her and asked.
"Tong Zhongyuan, you said your partner has extraordinary attainments in Chinese porcelain. So, have you visited all the major kilns in China? Have you seen the clay they have used since ancient times? The Ge Kiln doesn't have white clay; its clay is black and gray. This cup can't be from the Ge Kiln."
She stared at him. He was truly handsome, his aura noble, his manners graceful, his eyes piercing, each of his eyebrows even and beautiful. He had no flaws, no uncertainties.
"Yes, perhaps British porcelain is indeed much more advanced than Chinese porcelain. It's more uniform, thinner, clearer, and more flawless. But why is it that only ancient Chinese porcelain has immeasurable value? Because in ancient times, every kiln firing was uncertain. Was it fired on a rainy day or a sunny day? Was it fired in the center of the furnace or on the side? Was it windy that day? Did ash happen to fall on the body of the porcelain? It is these uncertainties that constitute the soul of ancient porcelain."
There was a light in her eyes, the same light she had when she talked about the Jinhou Bell, the same light she had when she discovered the golden Buddha statue. Beyond that, there was also tolerance, understanding kindness, and unparalleled pride.
"Tong Zhongyuan, this is how Yuan blue and white porcelain exists. Let's burn out the missing piece."
Her jade-like face lay before him, her gentle and resolute voice in his ears. He vaguely thought, he was going to lose again.
"Qin Tian, it's not that easy. Even if I can replicate all the conditions of the Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain firing process, what I can fire is just an ordinary blue and white porcelain. Besides, I can't meet these conditions."
She was half-sitting on the table, a smile on her lips. She looked at him with the expression of a child who didn't understand anything, and it seemed that she would touch his head and call him a fool in the next second.
"Did I say it was easy? Do you think you can produce a piece of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain by firing it for a few days and a few furnaces? I never thought so. In ancient times, kiln craftsmen might fire hundreds of furnaces to produce an imperial vase that could be presented as tribute, and the others would become runners-up who would be smashed on the spot. Yuan blue and white porcelain is such a unique piece that has been carefully selected. Now the piece it lacks is worth making up with thousands of porcelain pieces. This is the honor it deserves."
It was moments like these, countless moments like these. Time and again, she pulled him into her realm of dominion, revealing to him a dazzling array of infinite possibilities. It made him greedy, wanting to claim her unique brilliance for himself, to walk side by side with her, from now into the future.
"I contacted the porcelain factory yesterday. They agreed to cooperate with us. They can reproduce the formula of the body and glaze, which can solve the shrinkage problem of the porcelain pieces. I also contacted Jingdezhen, where there is still one ancient wood-fired kiln left. That ancient kiln is waiting for you."
She held out her hand, calloused and knuckled, to him, waiting for a high-five.
"Tong Zhongyuan, let's go open the kiln together."
He stared at the hand, then reached out, grasped her wrist, and pulled her off the table. She lost her balance under his force and her head hit his shoulder.
"Did you go to the porcelain factory yesterday?" His voice sounded in her ears.
She helped him stand. "Yes. Modern data is very accurate. With the help of modern technology, we don't need to burn hundreds of furnaces. Our chances of getting a top-quality piece are much higher than in ancient times. If we're lucky, we might be able to get one after just a few dozen furnaces. And we don't need to burn it exactly the same, after all, we still need to make it look old."
"Did you go there with your colleagues?"
"No, I asked the antique shop about its supply channels and found it myself. It was originally a custom-made factory for the Shanghai Museum Cultural and Creative Industry, and they were very polite. They were very interested in the whole thing. If the Yuan blue and white porcelain can be restored, they can not only connect with the National Museum, but also get free media publicity. So they sent their best engineers to liaise with us..."
She had initially thought the matter was over after seeing his attitude that morning, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the worse and he became quite interested, so she told him everything.
"Is the porcelain factory out of town?" he asked.
"In Shanghai, but in the suburbs."
"Then why did you say yesterday that you would be back tomorrow?"
"Did I? I meant to tell you tomorrow when I get back to the museum. I came back yesterday afternoon."
"oh."
Tong Zhongyuan turned off his computer, his eyes flickering as he leaned against the table, holding his water cup thoughtfully. Qin Tian looked at him. He seemed to be in a good mood now, perhaps it was just his bad mood after waking up.
"You haven't answered me yet. Are you going to Jingdezhen? If you are, I want to tell Director Ming about the situation."
Tong Zhongyuan put down the cup and said, "Go. I'll talk to Director Ming today and leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? No need to rush. The algorithm at the porcelain factory takes time. I think next week is just right."
"Opening a porcelain factory and a kiln are not mutually exclusive. There's a lot of preparatory work to do. Understanding the operation of ancient kilns, seeking guidance from local masters, becoming familiar with Jingdezhen's clay, and checking for leaks and fixing any deficiencies are crucial. We also anticipate a large firing volume, which will require a studio and space for drying. Once all of this is completed, the porcelain factory's data will arrive."
Qin Tian pondered. He was right. There was indeed a lot of preparation to be done. She estimated that it would take at least one or two months to burn the missing pieces of Yuan blue and white porcelain. She would go with him first and return once things were on track. But going there tomorrow would be too rushed.
The door rang and was opened. Xie Qiongyu walked in. She saw Tong Zhongyuan at first sight.
"Good morning, Teacher Tong."
"morning."
Qin Tian saw that someone had arrived and decided not to chat for long.
"Tomorrow is still too rushed. I'll go back and think about it, or leave this weekend. I'll message you when I've made up my mind."
Seeing her about to leave, Tong Zhongyuan took her hand and said, "The translation of the inscription on the Jinhou Zhong Bell has been completed, and your work happens to be in a gap. Autumn and winter are the most suitable seasons for firing porcelain. The National Museum is also waiting for a response. Whether it can be done or not will only be known when we get to the site. We will go there tomorrow. Maybe things won't go as smoothly as you think. We will be back by the weekend."
Qin Tian glanced at the new girl and shook off his hand. She wanted to talk to him nicely, but she insisted on holding his hand. But every word he said made perfect sense, making it impossible to refute.
"Then I'll ask Director Ming to see if he has any other opinions."
"Um."
The mole at the corner of Tong Zhongyuan's eye lifted as he watched her leave the restoration room. The rain, which had been falling all night, stopped. The clouds and fog dissipated, revealing a beautiful sunny day.
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