Chapter 105 Liu Haisu (Bonus Chapter 3/3 for Monthly Tickets)
The aroma filled the entire restaurant, and the tables were piled high with food.
It has both meat and vegetables, and is a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
Ye Anning gripped the chopsticks tightly, veins bulging on her wrists, her phoenix eyes glistening with steam, and fine water droplets forming on her thick eyelashes.
He kept picking up food with his chopsticks and chewing, his cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, and the corners of his mouth, covered in rice grains, were glistening with sauce.
The way he eats... is it the same as when he was just released?
Lin Sicheng held his chopsticks, then paused in mid-air.
Ye Anning seemed to sense something, looked up and gave a silly smile: "Lin Sicheng, it smells so good!"
Then, things remained the same.
Wang Qizhi gritted his teeth: Ye Anning, even pigs eat better than you.
He was about to curse when he got a kick in the calf.
That's true.
I forgot for a moment that Lin Sicheng was also there.
Pretending not to see it, Wang Qizhi lowered his head and ate his food.
Shan Wangshu placed a piece of fish on Wang Youjian's plate, her eyes smiling, "Youjian, is it delicious?"
Mmm~ Delicious!
The chubby boy nodded vigorously: "Senior brother, what kind of fish is this?"
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Warm-fried mandarin fish slices."
Where are the shrimp?
"Just regular braised shrimp, but you need to fry it in lard first!"
"It's so delicious~ Senior brother, would you like to come to my house next week?"
Lin Sicheng was stumped by the question: Are you coming or not?
He thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"
The chubby boy beamed, while Shan Wangshu subtly curled the corners of her lips.
Wang Qizhi was completely bewildered: Didn't they just scold me for being impolite? How come, in the blink of an eye, the mother and daughter are already thinking about having Lin Sicheng come over to cook next week?
Just as she was wondering, Shan Wangshu used serving chopsticks to put a shrimp on Lin Sicheng's plate: "Qi Zhi said, you're only twenty, you're starting school pretty early?"
"Thank you, teacher's wife!" Lin Sicheng smiled. "It's not too early. I skipped a grade when I was in second grade."
"Oh, no wonder. What month is your birthday?"
"November 20th!"
"It'll be soon then?" After saying that, Shan Wangshu seemed to suddenly remember something. "Qi Zhi, what's An Ning's birthday again?"
Wang Qizhi was still a little puzzled: You raised Ye Anning from a baby to an adult, how could you not know Ye Anning's birthday?
"November 13th?"
"Wow, it's so close, only a week apart?" Shan Wangshu looked quite surprised. "Sicheng, you'll have to go there, right?"
"Huh?" Lin Sicheng was taken aback: "I've never done this before!"
"Oh, is that so?" Shan Wangshu wasn't disappointed at all. "Anning usually doesn't celebrate, but she'll definitely celebrate this year. I'll invite you then, you'll come, right?"
Lin Sicheng didn't think much of it: "Come on!"
"It's a deal then, the more people, the more lively it will be!"
Shan Wangshu smiled, pursed her lips, and then looked at Ye Anning.
Ye Anning sat down next to her, her chopsticks paused subconsciously, and her eyelids drooped slightly.
Shan Wangshu nodded secretly: It's settled!
After mentioning her birthday, Wang Qizhi did a quick calculation and then exclaimed, "Oh dear! I almost forgot: her birthday is now her 24th, and next year will be her zodiac year?"
Ye Anning paused, then gave him a subtle glare. Shan Wangshu was practically grinding her teeth to powder, wishing she could smash the rice bowl in her hand onto Wang Qizhi's forehead.
Wang Qizhi, Wang Qizhi, why do you have to bring up the very thing you don't want to talk about?
When you're supposed to be smart, you're dumber than a pig!
Wang Qizhi was hit on the calf again, much harder than before, before he realized it.
He opened his mouth slightly, and a strange look flashed in his eyes: So that's what my wife meant when she said she wanted Lin Sicheng to come over next week and to celebrate Ye Anning's birthday.
After a moment's thought, he looked at Ye Anning again.
He may seem naive, but the problem is, does Lin Sicheng not know whether you're genuinely naive or just pretending?
Forget it, let nature take its course and leave it to fate.
He showed no intention of interfering and ate in silence.
After finishing his meal, the chubby boy went to do his homework, while Shan Wangshu brought him a wine bottle and a wine glass.
Knowing that Lin Sicheng didn't like it very much, Wang Qizhi opened a bottle, and each of the four of them had a glass.
They chatted casually, about school, about Wang Qizhi's past anecdotes, and about Shan Wangshu's current workplace.
Ye Anning suddenly remembered: "Lin Sicheng, do you have time tomorrow to help me look after something..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Qizhi flatly refused: "No time!"
Ye Anning pursed her lips: "I meant after school!"
“There’s no time after school either!” Wang Qizhi put down his wine glass. “Ye Anning, I haven’t even asked you yet: what kind of lousy class are you in? Such a big company, and there’s no one else…”
Before he could finish speaking, he received another kick to the leg. Wang Qizhi paused, then pursed his lips: "Bring him back to see tomorrow. Lin Sicheng has things to do these past two days and doesn't have time to go out. He also has to stay at school at night!"
They assumed it was something that had happened in the lab and didn't think much of it.
They chatted for a while longer, talking about their first meeting and the internal reference book that Lin Sicheng sold to Wang Qizhi. Shan Wangshu pointed to the antique shelf: "Sicheng, you have such a good eye, why don't you take a look at these things for me?"
Instantly, Wang Qizhi's heart tightened.
Suddenly, Lin Sicheng understood.
In a flash, the teacher and student exchanged a glance.
Shan Wangshu didn't notice, but Ye Anning saw it clearly and slightly pursed her lips.
"Yes, Master's wife!"
After replying, Lin Sicheng stood up, and Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning also stood up.
Only Wang Qizhi remained calm and composed, slowly sipping his wine.
As the book says: Let the winds blow from all directions, I, an old man, remain unmoved...
There were quite a lot of things, three display shelves, and almost no empty space.
It's quite a diverse collection, ranging from seals and inscriptions to porcelain and ancient coins. Most importantly, they're all quite authentic.
But that's not surprising: Professor Wang has excellent eyesight and even more experience, so there aren't many things that could fool him.
Just as she was thinking this, Shan Wangshu took down a porcelain plate: "Let's look at this one first!"
"good!"
Lin Sicheng received it:
A round plate with a white glazed base, decorated with a bunch of pine branches and a white crane standing on one leg.
The glaze is smooth and glossy, the colors are bright, and the painting is excellent: the colors are elegant and the brushstrokes are vigorous and graceful.
It's a bit new, the glaze has a noticeably shiny sheen, and the painting is too realistic.
After glancing through it once, Lin Sicheng turned it over again and looked at the inscription: Made in the Guangxu Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.
It's definitely not from the Guangxu era, but this piece is certainly not one that Wang Qizhi would have mistaken.
He was extremely certain: "Master's wife, this is a new famille rose porcelain from the Republican era. It incorporates Western painting techniques and uses lead-free glaze. It just borrows the mark from the Guangxu era."
You read pretty fast?
From getting started to reaching a conclusion, it only took two minutes.
Dan Wangshu nodded, skipped over the stand, went to the middle, and then took out a gourd.
This kind of thing is rare because it is not practical, so it is rarely made by ordinary people. Therefore, it is also called "court guillotine".
The general method is to clamp the gourd with molds of various shapes and patterns when it bears fruit, and then cut and process it after it grows naturally to make the desired tool.
They are usually made into decorative items and are not carved, hence their delicate and elegant appearance.
Look at this one: it is shaped like a duck with its neck curved and head turned back. The middle part is slender and curved to form the neck, and it is also equipped with a duck's beak. It is very lifelike and the texture is natural.
Is it a Kangxi-era design?
The only drawback is that it's too old; some areas still have a sheen, but it doesn't look full or natural.
Similarly, Lin Sicheng believed that such a thing should not be something that would fool Wang Qizhi.
"The earliest modern imitations date back to before the founding of the People's Republic of China!"
"Ah, is it a fake?" Shan Wangshu seemed surprised. "How was it faked?"
"First, wash the surface with sodium hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide. After corrosion lines appear, bake, then fumigate, and then sand with fine sandpaper. Then wax and wipe the surface to give the wood an aged look while retaining a patina."
Shan Wangshu paused, then asked, "Pretty complicated?"
"It is quite complicated!" Lin Sicheng turned around and put it back. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to replicate such a realistic image!"
A hint of disappointment appeared on Shan Wangshu's face.
Lin Sicheng didn't see it, but Ye Anning saw it clearly, and smiled silently with her lips pursed. Then she turned around and winked at Wang Qizhi.
Wang Qizhi glared at her: Why doesn't your aunt play by the rules?
Ye Anning winked: How should I know? But you deserve it.
I asked you to give Lin Sicheng a secret signal, and now look what happened!
Further on, Shan Wangshu took down a lacquer box. Lin Sicheng glanced at it: a carved red lacquer tea flower lid box.
I've been studying lacquer for a while now, but this is the first time I've seen lacquerware.
Upon closer inspection: the cover is decorated with a dozen or so camellias, interspersed with oval leaves, creating a full and vibrant arrangement.
The walls are decorated in succession with chrysanthemums, roses, camellias, peonies, and pomegranates, arranged in pairs, alternating between upward and downward.
The craftsmanship is highly representative: a typical multi-layered red lacquer carved flower box from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, with thick lacquer layers and smooth carving.
Unfortunately, the imitations also age: lacquerware, if placed from the early Ming Dynasty to the present, could not possibly retain such vibrant colors.
It should be a product from the late Qing Dynasty, but ordinary people could not replicate it to this level of exquisite craftsmanship; it must be at least a palace imitation.
He glanced at it again, the word "counterfeit" on the tip of his tongue, when he inadvertently caught Ye Anning's ambiguous smile. In a moment of quick thinking, Lin Sicheng made a deliberate, albeit slightly veiled, gesture:
"Master's wife, this is a Qing dynasty copy!"
"Ah?" Shan Wangshu's eyes lit up. "Roughly which dynasty?"
Yes, which dynasty?
At most after the Guangxu Emperor, but that's definitely not the case.
On second thought, Lin Sicheng moved it forward by two hundred years: "At least the three Qing emperors, looking like it's before the Qianlong era..."
"Oh, really?" Shan Wangshu was even happier. "Your teacher also said it looks like a Kangxi imitation!"
"Yes, yes, yes, it's a Kangxi imitation!" Lin Sicheng nodded vigorously. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered... Teacher, you have such a good eye!"
Ye Anning gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and her features were scrunched up.
There's no way around it; if she doesn't do that, she'll burst out laughing.
The more she endured, the more painful it became. She cursed inwardly: "Lin Sicheng, you've gone too far! This is your teacher's wife, and you're just trying to appease her like this?"
Of course, the one who should be blamed the most is the uncle: That's too much!
As she was cursing, Ye Anning saw Shan Wangshu take down a picture frame, and her heart stirred, so she moved a little closer.
It is an oil painting: a quiet girl wearing a fox fur coat stands quietly under a tree.
But there was no title, no postscript, no signature, and no seal; there was only the painting.
Upon closer inspection: the overall tone is cool, but the color expression is strong, and the lines are bold and unpretentious. The brushstrokes are extremely heavy, yet they reveal a hidden sharpness, which is quite similar to the charm of "a heavy sword has no edge, and great skill is without artifice".
The main color is black, supplemented by gray and yellow, creating rich layers, sharp contrasts, and a strong visual impact.
What's strange is the color composition of the base image: it resembles the splashing of ink in traditional Chinese painting, followed by washes and outlines. Only then were oil painting techniques used to adjust the details.
Especially the handling of lines: outlining, leaving blank spaces, and texturing, all using the typical central brushstroke technique.
In this light, it becomes a typical example of "Western painting with Chinese techniques": the ink splashing technique of traditional Chinese landscape painting is combined with the light and shadow techniques of Western Impressionism.
The key is the fusion of color and ink, the interweaving of Eastern freehand brushwork and Western three-dimensionality, which has both visual expression and spiritual charm.
To be able to paint to this level, one must be a master.
And I'm very familiar with it.
Lin Sicheng closed his eyes and thought for a while, then suddenly opened them. His gaze swept over Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Looking at Wang Qizhi on the sofa, he was calm and composed, completely at ease.
Seeing Lin Sicheng staring at him, Wang Qizhi slowly picked up his teacup: "Looking at the painting, why are you looking at me?"
Ye Anning pouted: Uncle, do you think Lin Sicheng is giving you a secret signal?
He was surprised: This shouldn't be the case. When did the teacher develop such insight and skill?
Just as he was secretly pleased, Lin Sicheng let out a sigh: "Liu Haisu!"
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