Chapter 124: Not only do you want to steal the skills, you also want to steal the people, right?
They had lunch at IKEA and returned to their rental apartment to await delivery. Qin Tian found a housekeeper on an app to clean the house. Their purchases began arriving that afternoon, including the mattress. Tong Zhongyuan assembled the furniture while Qin Tian rinsed the new bedding and fabrics. They worked until dark, but the house was still a mess, littered with boxes and packaging.
Tong Zhongyuan ordered takeout and it was already eight o'clock when he finished his meal.
"Go home after dinner. You've been tired all day." Tong Zhongyuan said.
"What about you?"
"I'll pack up and leave. I'll come back tomorrow."
Qin Tian glanced at the time. It was nine o'clock, certainly getting late. She thought she should buy another wall clock. Instead of checking the time on her phone, a clock on that empty wall would hide the stains and be convenient and practical. She needed more than just a wall clock; she needed to go to the supermarket tomorrow.
She stood up to pick up the leftover takeout. Tong Zhongyuan was about to stop her when his phone rang with a WeChat call. He only had three people on WeChat, and one of them was right in front of him.
"Teacher Tong," Song Suiyang's voice came over. "The Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain General Meng Tian vase will arrive at Hongqiao Railway Station at 12 o'clock tonight. Director Ming will personally welcome it. Are you free to go with us?"
The room was empty, and Qin Tian clearly heard Song Suiyang's words. This national treasure, who had kept Tong Zhongyuan for half a year, had come from afar. Tonight would be a sleepless night for him.
She opened her palm to him and said, "Give me a key to the house."
Without asking, he picked up a bunch of keys from the coffee table and took one off and gave it to her.
"Here are the keys. Wait for me to come over tomorrow and we'll clean up together."
"You wish." Qin Tian put the key in his pocket. "Who wants to clean up with you? I have to go to my dad's place tomorrow."
He smiled: "That's fine."
He will probably have to stay up all night tonight, and he won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning.
Late in the night of early winter, the train platform is deserted. The last high-speed train of the day will arrive at midnight.
Song Suiyang stamped her feet in cold. She'd made a mistake; she shouldn't have worn a skirt. She hadn't expected the temperature to drop so low in the middle of the night. Perhaps one of the class beauties was among the people sent south by the National Museum to deliver the Yuan blue and white porcelain. She hadn't seen her in years, and she didn't want to be outdone by her the moment they met. She forced herself to put on the short skirt, gathering her true energy.
Ming Yuanxing was chatting with Tong Zhongyuan, a smile on his face and a clear glint in his eyes, not at all like a man about to retire. Tong Zhongyuan, wearing a dark-patterned coat and a carefree demeanor, stood on the platform late at night, looking like the lead actor on set for a nighttime commercial for men's perfume. The dark night, the train, the separation, and the man—all of this made one's imagination run wild, wondering what kind of pleasant smell he carried. Song Suiyang looked at him and laughed until her nose snotted. It was worth it. Although she was shivering with cold, she felt warm inside. With Tong Zhongyuan by her side, she was sure to win this round.
The time reached 11:58. The faint whistling of the wind drifted in from the distance, a faint halo of light illuminating the railroad tracks. Within seconds, the whistling sound surged in like a giant wave, and the hazy, lantern-like light transformed into two blinding beams of light, painting the entire track a brilliant, snow-white glare.
The last Beijing-Shanghai high-speed train arrived at the station. The doors opened and people streamed out. The men in the front eagerly lit cigarettes, inhaling deeply and exhaling clouds of smoke like drowning men taking in fresh air.
The platform, empty just now, was now filled with shouts, footsteps, and the rustling of luggage. After a while, the sounds gradually faded and became more distant, flowing out of various passages.
The high-speed train was still parked. The door to the last carriage remained firmly shut. Ming Yuanxing walked up to it with a determined stride. Tong Zhongyuan and Song Suiyang accompanied him, walking outside the carriage and stopping.
The doors let out a sigh-like sound and opened to the sides. A whole line of tall, straight-limbed soldiers marched out in unison, standing silently on either side of the doors. The line of soldiers at the carriage door grew longer and longer. A beam of light flashed from the end of the platform, and a row of black commercial vehicles quietly drove in, stopping in front of the train. Song Suiyang's eyes widened in surprise. Only then did she truly grasp the identity of the Yuan blue and white porcelain.
A middle-aged man emerged from the carriage, pushing a large, sturdy suitcase. Behind him followed a man and a woman, who looked quite similar to the visitors from the Shanghai Museum.
Song Suiyang recognized the woman at a glance as her classmate Xie Qiongyu, the most beautiful girl in the class. She was also wearing a skirt, and when she got off the car, she was blown away by the cold wind and shivered visibly.
Ming Yuanxing strode forward and shook hands with the middle-aged man. Their laughter was particularly clear in the night sky.
"Let me introduce you. This is Director Zhou from the National Museum of China. This is Tong Zhongyuan, a restoration expert from the British Museum, and this is Xiao Song, a young restoration specialist from the Shanghai Museum."
Tong Zhongyuan shook hands with Director Zhou. The National Museum's director's surname was Hua. This person was probably the deputy director; Director Ming omitted the word "deputy."
"These two are Xiao Xie and Xiao Chen from our museum. They are here to handle the handover of Yuan blue and white porcelain." Director Zhou introduced.
Song Suiyang smiled at Xie Qiongyu. It seems that we are all the same, little people who don’t deserve to have a name.
Without saying much, Ming Yuanxing took the lead in walking towards the business car, making way for Director Zhou before getting in. Tong Zhongyuan was about to go to the second car when Ming Yuanxing opened the door and called out, "Little Tong, get in."
Tong Zhongyuan and the curator, Guo Bao, were on the same train. Xiao Song, Xiao Xie, and Xiao Chen were the only ones left on the platform. They tactfully walked to the second train. Song Suiyang and Xie Qiongyu got on and simultaneously rubbed their legs.
"Long...time...no see. You look...well..." Song Suiyang said with a trembling voice.
"You... too..." Xie Qiongyu was also very cold.
After that, the two fell into silence. After a moment, Song Suiyang spoke up.
"Speaking of the matter of Yuan blue and white porcelain, haven't you consulted Teacher Zheng Bing?"
In the restoration world, He Wu is the most prominent, while Zheng Bing, a northern restoration expert, is native to Beijing. But the National Museum of China hired He Wu over 20 years ago, and now it's Tong Zhongyuan who's doing the restoration, something Song Suiyang has always struggled to understand.
Chen Jun said, "I have approached him, but Mr. Zheng Bing's eyesight has always been poor, and now he's old and has cataracts. I was worried about damaging the national treasure, so I declined."
"oh."
The atmosphere fell silent again. After a while, Song Suiyang managed to utter, "You guys going back tomorrow?"
Xie Qiongyu did not answer immediately. Theoretically, she could return to Beijing after handing over the Yuan blue and white porcelain. But from her selfish point of view, she wanted to stay in the Shanghai Museum for a while. Tong Zhongyuan was not from the Shanghai Museum. Since he could teach Song Suiyang, he could also teach herself. Moreover, when she applied to the leader, the leader also had this idea, so he sent Chen Jun along. Chen Jun is a highly skilled restoration expert in the National Museum. It is natural that he should be the best talent in the museum to learn from Tong Zhongyuan. The reason why she was included was because she passed on the news that Tong Zhongyuan was in the Shanghai Museum, which facilitated the restoration of Yuan blue and white porcelain in the south.
Chen Jun replied, "It might be too late to go back tomorrow. We'll stay for a few days. Will outsiders be allowed to observe Teacher Tong's restoration?"
Chen Jun was in his forties. He had assumed Tong Zhongyuan was about his age, but he hadn't expected him to be so much younger, seemingly a generation younger than him. He wondered if Tong Zhongyuan would be willing to teach his uncle some techniques.
Song Suiyang thought to himself, "You're all just wishful thinking. I spent so much time getting Tong Zhongyuan to open that door, and now I realize it was all thanks to Qin Tian." Not only did the National Museum shove a broken piece of porcelain into his hands, but they also sent two people to steal his skills. The abacus beads are so thick they're making me look ridiculous.
Song Suiyang made a Tai Chi move: "Teacher Tong has a special restoration room. You should ask him if he is willing to let people see it."
Xie Qiongyu suddenly asked, "Suiyang, are you getting married soon?"
Song Suiyang was surprised and said, "No, why get married so early? Are you getting married?"
"Me, no."
Xie Qiongyu thought, Song Suiyang had clearly said that Tong Zhongyuan and she had worked together to restore the Ink Bamboo Bowl, and now he was saying that Tong Zhongyuan's restoration work wasn't public. Could it be that Tong Zhongyuan only treated Song Suiyang with special favor? She'd only just met Tong Zhongyuan briefly, and she didn't see anything special between them. She'd have to keep a close eye on the exhibition when she got to the Shanghai Museum.
Song Suiyang thought to himself, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Stop dreaming. Teacher Tong is from Shanghai University, his mother is from Shanghai University, and his girlfriend is also from Shanghai University. Shanghai University, Shanghai University, Shanghai University!
A convoy carrying a group of people with different thoughts drove to the Shanghai Museum.
The commercial vehicle drove into the Shanghai Museum's parking lot. Under military escort, the Yuan blue and white porcelain was delivered to the Shanghai Museum's collection room for inspection.
Director Zhou personally opened the suitcase, picked up the box with the National Museum seal, and handed it to Ming Yuanxing. Ming Yuanxing laughed heartily and removed the seal. Turning to Tong Zhongyuan, he said, "Xiao Tong, you're the expert, you come and inspect it."
Song Suiyang watched with bated breath, as he would soon be able to see the priceless Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain General Meng Tian vase with his own eyes.
Tong Zhongyuan didn't hesitate, carefully and steadily removing the layers of protection. The white protective film unfolded like fragile, translucent petals, revealing a blue and white vase with a moon-like brilliance.
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