Chapter 294 Han Flat Pot
"Thank you for your trust, Dean Zhang and Dean Ma, and thank you to all the experts for your support..."
"It is an honor to stand here and learn and progress together with all of you teachers. I hope you will not hesitate to offer your guidance..."
It was all platitudes, but that didn't dampen the experts' enthusiasm, nor did it diminish the thunderous applause in the hall.
Every time Lin Sicheng was halfway through his speech, his voice would be drowned out by applause, forcing Vice Dean Ma to step in and save the day. Each paragraph required Lin Sicheng to deliver it in five or six separate takes.
Jing Zeyang stared wide-eyed, as if he had seen a ghost: Were these people on drugs, or did Lin Sicheng save all of their lives?
Why are they all acting like they've seen a living Buddha, their eyes practically sparkling?
Fang Jin's face flushed, feeling a sense of pride.
It wasn't enough to save a life, but it was enough for the three deans on stage and the dozens of experts in the room to have respect for Lin Sicheng and feel grateful.
Without Lin Sicheng, and without the Xida Cultural Relics Center developing the BTA compounding project, everything would have been fine.
Because it was commissioned by higher authorities, the Institute of Cultural Heritage was not the only institution involved in the research of the "Metal Cultural Relics Slow-Release Project".
By participating through bidding, everyone is on the same starting line, and the funds allocated by the higher authorities and the costs invested by the unit are roughly the same.
Even if progress is slow or results are not significant, it's not a big problem: because everyone is slow, not just one company.
But suddenly, a research center at Xida University emerged, not only making groundbreaking progress, but also achieving results that were more than ten or even several decades ahead of theirs.
The key point is that their research was genuine and independent; they didn't ask the government for a single penny, nor did they receive any support from any superior unit or authoritative institution.
For those who have received tens or hundreds of millions of yuan in funding, frequently seek guidance from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and even assemble teams that comprise almost all the experts in the field, it's like the sky has fallen.
What level are they at, and what level are you at?
How long did it take them, and how long did it take you?
How much did they invest, and how much did you invest?
What achievements have they made, and what achievements have you made?
Leaving aside everything else, let's compare team configuration and cost investment:
A college student who hasn't even graduated yet, leading a few researchers who at most work as research assistants in other labs, used a university-level lab and, with only a fraction of your time and a fraction of your costs, produced results that were more than ten years ahead of yours and hundreds of times more advanced.
You think you can just brush this off with a simple "I can't do anything" or "I'm not as good as you"? What are you thinking?
Come on, go to the audit department and tell us one by one where all that time and money went.
Everything seems fine until you check, then all the problems are revealed.
Putting everything else aside, the cost of sample consumables alone amounts to several million a year. If you were to audit experimental data, you'd be right every time.
Vice President Ma dares to swear that not a single penny went into his personal pocket.
To shorten research time and reduce trial-and-error costs, we need to use good materials, preferably imported ones.
But what if the higher-ups don't approve? There's no other way but to falsify the accounts.
It's not just the Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities that does this; in fact, almost all research institutions do it.
This situation is simply one of the most common and openly accepted unspoken rules in various research institutions. If no investigation is conducted, everything is fine; but once investigated, it becomes a matter of principle.
The person in charge being reduced to a lone commander is the least of his worries; the entire research team, from top to bottom, will be wiped out.
If he continues to be an expert, it's questionable whether he can even continue making a living in this field.
But suddenly, the clouds parted and the sky cleared, and their luck turned around: Lin Sicheng and Xida University agreed to the request for joint research with the Institute of Literature and Art without any obstacles.
Does that mean I've kept my job?
Did you keep your job?
Auditing? You try auditing one yourself!
If the auditing department dares to walk through this door, believe me, I'll slap my research findings in your face.
Experts can already imagine that once the results are announced, countless praises and honors will come pouring in like snowflakes.
Along with that come professional titles, bonuses... Put yourself in their shoes, who wouldn't be grateful?
It's no exaggeration: what was supposed to be a speech of less than ten minutes took Lin Sicheng almost half an hour to deliver.
The applause never stopped from beginning to end.
After the meeting, a group of people escorted Lin Sicheng into the laboratory.
There's really nothing to guide you on: the entire set of materials, including experimental procedures, demonstration processes, application observations, and so on, were all copied over.
Just proceed step by step. Even if you encounter minor problems occasionally, you can usually solve them by starting over or working backward from the experiment.
But whether it was Dean Zhang, Vice Dean Ma, or all the experts in the entire experimental team, they all felt that, just in case, it would be best to invite Lin Sicheng over.
We don't ask Lin Sicheng to bring his entire team; we only ask that he come in person. We don't ask that he stay in the lab every day; we only ask that if any problems arise that the lab can't solve or that we're completely baffled, he can come anytime and provide guidance.
After reviewing the data from each group, Lin Sicheng nodded repeatedly: "The progress is very fast, and the data is very detailed!"
Vice Dean Ma sighed inwardly: If even copying the standard answer doesn't work, then everyone in this room, including himself, might as well just bang their heads against the wall and die.
"There are no major problems now, but as you know, Professor Lin, experiments can be quite strange sometimes. The more critical the moment, the more likely something unexpected will happen!"
Indeed, Lin Sicheng had a deep understanding of this.
Everything was correct: the standard sample was correct, the dosage was correct, and the procedure and all the data were as standard as could be, but the results were completely different.
Just when everyone thought something had gone wrong, it suddenly worked again. It was not only strange, but also eerie.
The safest approach would be for Lin Sicheng to participate throughout the entire process, with him in charge of leading the experiments and research, and to resolve any problems that arise.
But these are all established veterans, so some decorum should still be maintained. Lin Sicheng didn't plan to stay here all day; he would only come if there was a problem.
"Don't worry, Dean Ma, I'm not in a hurry to go back to Xi'an. Otherwise, I won't be able to stay there for long and I'll have to come back to the college leaders again."
yes?
The research report needs to be released before the National Day holiday. Since it is a joint research project with Northwest University, the university and college leaders will definitely have to be involved.
Lin Sicheng is also indispensable as the actual person in charge of this project.
"Thank you, Professor Lin!" Vice Dean Ma breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, you don't need to come every day. You can just come to check on things every few days. I've had the administration office arrange a car and a driver. He knows the way, so you can just tell them where you want to go..."
"Okay, then I'll trouble Dean Ma!"
After a quick look, everything seemed normal, and a group of people escorted Lin Sicheng downstairs.
So earnest and reluctant to part, it was as if he was leaving.
Lin Sicheng was both amused and exasperated. He pointed to the Wenbo Building in the same courtyard: "It's just a short walk away. One phone call and I'll be there in two minutes. Even if I go out, I can't leave Beijing!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
After saying goodbye, Lin Sicheng returned to his hotel. Jing Zeyang followed behind, looking at Lin Sicheng's back as if he were looking at a mountain.
He finally understood why Lin Sicheng was here: to guide experiments and lead research.
If it were before, or even this morning, if Lin Sicheng had said that, he would have laughed himself silly on the spot.
Cousin Lin, you've only been in the capital for a few days. You haven't learned anything good, but you've certainly picked up the ridiculous boasting and bragging habits of the people of the capital.
Even before the meeting, after witnessing how attentive the director of the dean's office was to him, how close Dean Zhang was to him, and his ridiculously large office with two young assistants, if Lin Sicheng said this, he would still burst out laughing.
Dude, you just graduated from college, right?
It's true that Northwest University is only the second-best archaeology university in the country, right?
Where is this place?
The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the most authoritative archaeological research institution in the country. If it claims to be third, no one dares to claim to be second.
Peking University, which has the best archaeology program in the country, is probably ranked fifth or sixth or lower.
Let alone you, if it were Uncle Wang or one of your college leaders, would they dare to say they're coming to the Institute of Literature to guide experiments or lead archaeological research?
Listen to me, stop dreaming, go wash up and go to bed.
But now, Jing Zeyang feels like he's dreaming...
His mind was in turmoil, and he was in a daze the whole way until Lin Sicheng started talking to someone, which brought him back to his senses.
Looking up, he saw a burly man, as tall as an iron tower, standing in front of Lin Sicheng, his back ramrod straight, a hint of embarrassment on his chiseled face.
"Teacher Lin, please forgive me, but the former dean personally instructed me to make sure I drive well for you and protect you."
"Old squad leader, you're exaggerating. I really don't need protection. Seriously, that's a bit of an exaggeration!"
Sergeant, protect me?
Goodness...
Jing Zeyang then realized that the burly man was actually not old, only around thirty years old.
The key is his physique, the key is his hairstyle...
He gasped, "Assistant Fang, this...this is the Institute of Literature's internal security force (armed police), right? They've been transferred here to be Lin Sicheng's bodyguard?"
Fang Jin was even more bewildered than he was.
He did remember that when he first arrived at the research center, two policemen followed Lin Sicheng the whole time.
But that was for the sake of solving a case...
Unable to refuse, I called the old dean, who spoke with conviction: He said Lin Changqing had instructed him to do this and that for his precious grandson in Beijing, and that only Zhang was to be questioned…
Lin Sicheng hung up the phone and sighed, "Then I'll trouble you, old squad leader!"
A slight smile appeared on his stern face: "No trouble at all!"
Then Lin Sicheng turned around and said, "Brother Jing, I'm thinking of going out for a walk. Do you want to come?"
Go! Anyone who doesn't go is a fool.
How many years has it been since we've encountered something so rare?
Even if Ye Anning doesn't give him a single penny, he still has to follow along and observe, and think it over carefully.
Jing Zeyang nodded vigorously.
"Jing-ge, don't drive. Let's ride in the old squad leader's car to Panjiayuan!"
"Okay, anywhere is fine with me!"
Don't even mention Panjiayuan, you can go to Zhangjiajie...
After a quick thought, the four of them got into the van. Only after the van had driven out of the courtyard did Jing Zeyang realize, "Wait a minute, Cousin Lin, where do you want to go?"
"Panjiayuan! Didn't the TV say that when you come to Beijing, you should 'climb the Great Wall,' 'visit the Forbidden City,' 'eat Peking duck,' and 'visit Panjiayuan'?"
"That's all just to fool foreigners!" Jing Zeyang scoffed. "That place is a counterfeit market; more than half the items there aren't even as old as you or me!"
"Really?" Lin Sicheng smiled. "It's quite famous, so I was thinking of going to check it out!"
To be more precise, more than 80% of the items are fakes.
Thirty percent of them are low-quality imitations: they are roughly similar to the originals, but they have some flaws that can be easily detected by true experts and masters.
The so-called "national treasure gang" mostly possesses this type of item.
Thirty percent are high-quality replicas: This type of craftsmanship is relatively sophisticated, using materials that are close to those of the genuine article's era. For example, old porcelain clay, natural mineral pigments, old wood, old copper, etc.
It can better imitate the shape, decoration, glaze, patina, and rust of genuine products, with relatively good attention to detail and very few flaws.
This type is specifically designed to fool experts, or those who are only aspiring but not very discerning.
Another 20% are high-quality replicas.
In this type, the materials used are not just approximations, but realism: such as porcelain clay from specific mineral veins, glazes made with specific ancient formulas, old wood from specific eras, and alloys formulated according to ancient methods.
It might even involve "disassembling old pieces to make new ones." For example, taking apart an old piece of furniture and making several identical pieces, or using old porcelain shards as the base mark.
The craftsmanship is exquisite and meticulous: every detail is perfectly replicated, and the spirit of the original is captured. This includes wear, signs of use, naturally formed patina, rust, and so on.
This type is specifically designed to fool experts.
Director Shan has been fooled, Director Lü has been fooled, and even Mr. Geng, Mr. Xu, and Old Mrs. Wang have all been fooled.
Of course, Lin Sicheng was also fooled.
If you exclude those, about 20% of what's left is genuine.
Panjiayuan covers an area of nearly 50,000 square meters and has nearly 4,000 stalls selling cultural relics, calligraphy and paintings, stationery, porcelain and jade, wooden furniture, silk and copper coins, ivory and other items.
If we calculate each stall slightly less, then the current sales plus inventory amount to three to four thousand. How much would four thousand stalls be?
Almost every person in the country could receive one.
Let's calculate again: how many of the approximately 80% fakes are actually counterfeit?
It is undoubtedly the world's largest counterfeit market.
The key point is that among these 20% of genuine items, less than one in ten can be considered rare treasures. Ninety percent of them are just ordinary daily necessities, which, apart from being a bit old, have basically no other value.
So when bargain hunting here, a keen eye is secondary; luck comes first. If you're unlucky, you could spend a month and not find a single good item. No matter how sharp your eye is, it won't help at all.
In his previous life, Lin Sicheng's longest record was three months: he spent three months visiting Panjiayuan without spending a single penny.
With a sigh of relief, I drove to the destination.
It truly lives up to its reputation as one of Beijing's most distinctive tourist attractions: teeming with people, a constant flow of visitors. The moment you step inside, a wave of noise washes over you, instantly engulfing your eardrums.
The air was filled with a unique scent: the aroma of aged wood that had accumulated over the years, the unique fragrance of ink from old books and paper, the metallic rust of oxidized copper, and the stench emanating from the crowded flow of people.
The passageways are crisscrossed, resembling a maze, with shops lined up one after another, seemingly endless.
A bed sheet is laid out on the ground, and various items are arranged on it, creating a small world.
The newly unearthed terracotta figurines, with dried mud still clinging to their faces, looked like they were from the original burial site. Fragments of Ming and Qing dynasty imperial porcelain gleamed on a red velvet cloth, and the stall owner was enthusiastically telling stories: "Boss, look at this one, it's a genuine piece used by Emperor Kangxi."
The stalls next to it were piled high with jade artifacts, and antique enamelware shimmered with iridescent colors. Rusty copper locks, weights, and candlesticks were piled haphazardly together, while bundles of calligraphy and painting scrolls leaned against the corner. Strings of bodhi, amber, and agate bracelets gleamed with an oily sheen in the sunlight.
In an instant, a long-lost feeling welled up in his heart, and a strange light appeared in Lin Sicheng's eyes.
In his previous life, he had made mistakes, suffered losses, and been deceived here. Of course, he also made a fortune by picking up bargains.
At the age of thirty, he was able to afford to buy a storefront and open a shop in the capital, and even set up a laboratory and restoration center. A small portion of his initial capital came from this.
He would come here whenever he had free time. During those eight years, besides the Forbidden City, this was the place where he spent the most time. He could name every single shop in Panjiayuan. He could walk through every aisle three times with his eyes closed.
So, when I arrived here, it felt like I was back in my hometown...
Seeing Lin Sicheng's eyes light up, as if he were stunned, Jing Zeyang curled his lips.
He wasn't referring to Lin Sicheng: "Let alone people from other places, even foreigners are stunned when they come here."
The floor was covered in jade artifacts and antique porcelain, with old rosewood furniture piled up like trash. It felt like stepping into a treasure vault?
It's natural to be curious, even shocked, when it's your first time here. Someone like Lin Sicheng is already quite reserved. At least he didn't dive right in, asking all sorts of questions.
He was wary of this place: Don't doubt it, after walking through a street with dozens or even hundreds of stalls, nine times out of ten you won't find a single genuine item.
Jing Zeyang had no doubt about Lin Sicheng's professional abilities: he studied archaeology, worked in archaeology, and was treated like a treasure by the Institute of Archaeology and Literature, so his capabilities were self-evident.
But archaeology is one thing, and conducting research is another. The key lies in this: it's not that we're afraid you don't understand, it's that we're afraid you understand, but you're not the most outstanding kind.
Because most laymen come here with the mindset that "losing less is winning", and they will spend at most a thousand or eight hundred.
But when experts arrive, they can't resist the urge to buy the best items. Even if they're very careful, missing out on this one piece means there are still tens of thousands more to come, and one of them will inevitably lead them astray. A single loss can amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands.
To put it bluntly: this place is a trap for experts; even experts from the Palace Museum will be fooled here.
Jing Zeyang felt that even out of consideration for Uncle Wang, he should still give him a heads-up.
“Cousin Lin, don’t be envious!” he sighed in an old-fashioned manner. “There are more than a few old hands who have stumbled in this business, including Uncle Wang San.”
Lin Sicheng suppressed a laugh: "Thanks, Brother Jing. Since we're here, let's take a look around first!"
"Yes, since we're already here, if we see something we like, we'll spend a hundred or two to buy one or two items, but anything more is fine."
Lin Sicheng nodded.
The air was thick with dust, and the clamor of voices felt like a thick membrane. The four of them walked through the aisle, Fang Jin's eyes scanning the stalls on both sides like radar.
Lin Sicheng, on the other hand, was nonchalant, often just glancing at things casually. But with just that one glance, he had already seen most of what was on the stall.
Jade artifacts are fried in oil, calligraphy and paintings are smoked. Bronze artifacts are treated with sulfuric acid. Copper coins are buried in the ground and rust.
All of them are low-quality counterfeits.
After visiting about ten stalls, Fang Jin suddenly paused, staring at a blue and white porcelain jar with a dragon design.
The boss had a goatee and wore a traditional Chinese jacket. His eyes sized up the four of them. In just a few glances, he made his judgment: these four were all wealthy.
The key point is that they are all young, which also means they are willing to spend money.
His eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Brothers, feel free to look around. I can't say everything on my stall is top-quality, but I definitely have a lot of old stuff. Especially these few pieces, just picked up from the countryside, guaranteed authentic..."
Fang Jin didn't respond.
Before we arrived, Lin Sicheng had specifically instructed me: "Don't listen to what the boss says, just look for yourself. If he keeps nagging and praising it to you, then it's definitely a fake."
Sure enough, seeing that he didn't respond, the boss shut his mouth in annoyance and took a few more stools.
Lin Sicheng waved his hand: With him here, Fang Jin won't have to look for long before he has to ask, probably no more than two minutes.
Sure enough, after looking at it for a while, Fang Jin picked up the porcelain jar: "Teacher Lin, look!"
Lin Sicheng received it.
The jar is heavy and thick, with a smooth and warm glaze. The cobalt blue is tinged with gray and has a faint hint of purple. At first glance, it does indeed resemble a piece from the Qing Dynasty imperial kilns.
But if you look closely and in the sunlight, you'll see that the edges of the blue and white porcelain are sharp and angular, as if cut with a knife, and the width of the white borders varies.
Looking at the patterns: the dragon claws look like they have had their joints removed, soft and bloated, like steamed buns.
Turn it over and look at the bottom: Made in the Jiaqing period of the Great Qing Dynasty. It's in the standard official script, but too rigid. Scratching along the bottom with my fingernail left a white mark.
This type is considered a high-quality replica.
It uses local materials from the mid-Qing Dynasty: kaolin from Jingdezhen, domestic cobalt material from the late mid-Qing Dynasty, and excessive manganese content.
However, the cost of imitating wood-fired kilns is too high, and the technology is not up to par, making it impossible to control the temperature and atmosphere. Therefore, modern gas kilns are used instead.
This results in the cobalt material diffusing too deeply, reflecting a purple halo under strong light. Secondly, the excessively high light transmittance and refractive index give the blue-and-white porcelain an overly rigid, knife-cut-like visual effect.
However, due to insufficient temperature, the base was not fully sintered, resulting in insufficient density of the porcelain body. Therefore, when you scratch it with your fingernail, a powdery residue will be left.
After glancing at it briefly, Lin Sicheng put it back: "Not bad!"
Fang Jin suddenly understood: the item was wrong. If it were right, Lin Sicheng would have let him ask the price.
Not only Fang Jin understood, but the stall owner understood as well.
In this line of work, it's all about reading between the lines. He didn't ask what was wrong, nor did he argue. Instead, he pointed to another item: "Boss, take a look at this one?"
Lin Sicheng glanced at it and squinted: Shi Dabin's earthenware pot?
Shi Dabin was a renowned Yixing clay teapot master during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His works are featured in "Tea Treatise" by Xu Cishu, a famous scholar of the Ming dynasty, and "Autumn Garden Miscellaneous Writings" by Chen Zhenhui, one of the Four Gentlemen of the late Ming dynasty and a literary figure. Shi Dabin's Yixing clay teapots are called "Shi Qi" and are praised as "the best of Yixing clay teapots".
It's hard to say who's number one, but if you were to rank the famous Yixing clay teapot masters of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shi Dabin would definitely be in the top three. If a piece like this were to be auctioned, it would fetch at least three or four million.
The Zhenshi teapot can't reach here. Even if the shop owner is incredibly lucky and manages to acquire one, Lin Sicheng won't be able to come.
Therefore, this is definitely a fake. But what's strange is that the workmanship is very exquisite, and the patina is also very smooth?
The craftsmanship is certainly not as unique as Shi Dabin's, and the era is not as old as the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; at most, it is the late Qing and early Republican periods.
But it is definitely not a modern imitation, and it was absolutely made by a master craftsman.
Thinking it over, Lin Sicheng picked up the teapot. After examining it for a couple of moments, a thought struck him: it seemed to be made by the "Shao family of Yixing," a family of pottery makers from the late Qing Dynasty?
Upon closer inspection, Lin Sicheng became even more certain: this should be a Han-style flat teapot made by Cheng Shouzhen, a disciple of Shao Youting, one of the eight great masters of Yixing purple clay teapots in the late Qing Dynasty.
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