Chapter 22 The Little Mouth is Poisoned
Chairman Ding thought for a long time: "Who is Zhuang Wanfang?"
Several people around looked at each other, but no one said a word.
It seems they don't know?
He patted Hao Jun again, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "Secretary-General Hao must know."
To be honest, Hao Jun really didn't know.
But he knew that Lin Sicheng's willingness to say this in front of so many people was not without reason.
Think of that feather duster.
Think of that Vajravarahi statue.
Then think about that backflow pot from the cultural relics company.
It was for this reason that he spontaneously suggested, half-jokingly, that Lin Sicheng give it a try. Of course, it didn't matter if he didn't know how; he just wanted him to show off in front of his seniors.
But to my surprise, this kid actually knows the ropes.
"It seems Secretary-General Hao doesn't know either?"
Ding Liang shook his head and sighed: "Tsk, all these experts of ours are not as good as a college student? Come on, Xiao Lin, tell us about this Zhuang Wanfang!"
That's a bit malicious: it's you who has a grudge against Lin Changqing, not us.
That shows a lack of magnanimity; how could they make things difficult for a child in front of so many people?
Just as Hao Jun was about to speak, Director Guan of the Municipal Bureau's Forensic Center patted Lin Sicheng on the shoulder: "It's alright, you can explain it to Chairman Ding!"
Ding Liang snorted coldly, but didn't dare to say anything.
Now that things have come to this, why would Lin Sicheng back down?
At least Chairman Ding needs to understand that Grandpa sent him here not just for those eight hundred yuan.
"Mr. Zhuang was a contemporary agronomist, tea expert, and tea tree cultivation specialist. He was a professor at Zhejiang University and Fudan University, and the founder of contemporary Chinese tea tree cultivation discipline."
He authored works such as *Tea Cultivation*, *Tea Tree Biology*, *Tea Economics*, and *Tea Trade*. In the 1980s, he received a personally written commendation certificate from a leader at the Great Hall of the People!
Seeing Lin Sicheng speak so eloquently, everyone was stunned: Not only does such a person exist, but he also has quite a background.
The fact that they are awarded a certificate of commendation indicates that they have made significant contributions to the country and society; the previous evaluations were hardly flattery.
Ding Liang pondered for a moment: "Isn't this just a scientist? What does it have to do with the cultural world?"
It means that different professions are like different worlds, so it's normal that we haven't heard of it.
"After retiring, around the early 1980s, he was appointed as the deputy director of the Tea Ceremony Philosophy Research Institute of Renmin University. At the same time, he also served as a director of the Tea Societies of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, presiding over tea culture research and the promotion of tea ceremony."
The first two are research institutions; the latter two are the earliest official academic organizations in China initiated by provincial departments, dedicated to promoting tea culture and tea ceremony theory to the world!
Hao Jun's eyes lit up: "President Ding, look, isn't this related to the cultural sector?"
And the relationship is extremely important!
Ding Liang, his face cold, pointed to the bamboo basket: "Fine, so you're saying he carved this tea set, right?"
"He didn't carve it, but he wrote the poem. However, this set of items was indeed a gift for him!"
How can you prove it?
"It was reported on by the provincial news broadcast and the provincial newspaper, but it was a long time ago!"
What is that?
Everyone was stunned again.
"In 1988, Ito En, a Japanese tea beverage giant, investigated the domestic tea market and planned to jointly build a large-scale tea plantation base. At that time, there were four potential locations: Anxi in Fujian Province, Xinchang in Zhejiang Province, Gaoxian in Sichuan Province, and Pingli in Shaanxi Province..."
"Because Professor Zhuang has frequent exchanges with Japanese tea groups and is well-known in the Japanese tea community, and also serves as a director of the Fujian and Zhejiang Tea Culture Associations, he became one of the representatives accompanying the inspection team."
Afterwards, during an inspection tour to Shaanxi Province, although no agreement was reached, the relevant departments still presented the inspection team and the accompanying representatives with exquisite local specialties before their departure.
Knowing that Mr. Zhuang particularly admired the tea ware culture of the Tang Dynasty, a local woodcarver was commissioned to carve a set of twenty-four Tang Dynasty tea ware pieces by hand for him...
Ding Liang narrowed his eyes: "Is this how famous artists carve?"
Lin Sicheng sighed: "It only took two days, and there were a total of twenty-four pieces. How can a master carver possibly carve them?"
Hao Jun chuckled: "Even without eating or drinking, it would only take forty-eight hours, averaging two hours per piece, and it has to be all done by hand. It would be good enough if it could be carved neatly."
Of course, the term "famous" is relative. To be honest, from modern times to the present day, Shaanxi Province has not produced any famous woodcarving masters.
He clapped his hands cheerfully and pointed to the staff member next to him who was in charge of taking notes: "Let's check on the computer first... Lin Sicheng, 1988, Itoen, provincial newspaper, right?"
"The provincial newspaper only reported on the delegation's itinerary, while the gifts were presented in the evening newspaper and the cultural newspaper."
The staff worked quickly, and in just a few clicks, they pulled up the provincial newspaper's report on the inspection team.
The title is quite significant: Promoting Tea Culture and Taking Qin Tea to the World... and the Visit of Representatives of Itoen Group to Pingli.
Checking the Morning Post again, the headline was equally impressive: Culture knows no borders, folk arts connect the world.
The article is quite long, focusing on how happy and how much the delegation members were when they received local folk art pieces, such as facial masks, paper-cut window decorations, and waist drums.
It also comes with photos, and the Twenty-Four Treasures of the Tang Dynasty are listed quite high up.
Looking closer, isn't it just this basket on the table?
This includes the poem on the tea cassette, the pattern on the ladle handle, and the silver ornamentation on the tea tongs.
They're all experts; it's all about having a keen eye. They can tell at a glance that it's definitely the same set of techniques.
"So you didn't take it with you back then?"
Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "Yes, it was brought back. It probably went around in circles and flowed back."
I must say, this set is really heavy.
"Where did you get it from?"
"Teacher Hao, this tea set wasn't acquired from a collection; it was sorted out from a museum's warehouse..." The staff member typed on the computer, "Please wait a moment, let me check... Hmm, it really was acquired, but it was acquired four years ago..."
"Where did you get it from?"
The staff member paused for a moment: "It's Director Liu of the Tea Culture Research Institute!"
Huh, it really flowed back?
This person is not an outsider, but a well-known collector, and the research institute is one of the sponsors of this exhibition.
Thinking back to what Ding Liang had said earlier, "This poem is neither classical nor fluent; it's obvious the author has little education."
"How did they manage to acquire something like this?"
What happened was quite the opposite; one was a scientist, and the other was a well-known collector in the province.
Looking at Ding Liang's face, which looked as if he had eaten shit, Hao Jun became more and more amused.
"Lin Sicheng, does your school teach tea science?"
Lin Sicheng said slowly and deliberately, "The school doesn't teach it, my grandfather does. He likes to study all sorts of random things when he has nothing to do."
Hao Jun almost burst out laughing: What do you mean by "a mess"? Do calligraphy and paintings count?
This kid curses without using any vulgar language, but his mouth is like it's been coated with poison.
Ding Liang gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. Only his glare could kill; otherwise, Lin Sicheng would have been dead eight hundred times over.
But he was in the wrong, for example, with the statement: "Old Lin just wanted to earn that eight hundred yuan."
Only Lin Sicheng has good self-control; if it were Hao Jun, he would have spat in his face.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, but he couldn't do anything about it. Chairman Ding snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
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