In the middle courtyard, in the storage room next to the west wing, Li Chu was sitting cross-legged on a newspaper spread on the floor, wearing a pair of cotton gloves, carefully examining a bowl.
The base bears a four-character mark in blue enamel regular script reading "Made in the Yongzheng Reign," surrounded by a double border in blue enamel.
His master once told him that the porcelain from the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns of the Qing Dynasty was the best, and the official kiln porcelain from the Yongzheng reign was the most noteworthy.
Although it only existed for thirteen years, its porcelain craftsmanship was exquisite and unparalleled.
The bowl he was holding was an open bowl with curved walls and a ring foot.
The bowl's interior is glazed white, while the exterior is decorated with two plum blossoms painted in enamel. The branches are old and gnarled, and the colors are vibrant.
Two lines of seven-character poetry were also inscribed on one side of the painting.
The painting is meticulously detailed and the colors are elegant, making it a pleasure to look at.
His master once told him that the painters of enamel porcelain during the Yongzheng period were all court painters. Each of them had exquisite painting skills and extraordinary artistic cultivation, which is why the paintings on enamel porcelain have such high artistic achievement.
In the past, the emperor's personal preferences could influence the artistic aesthetics of the entire dynasty.
According to records from the Imperial Household Department at the time, Emperor Yongzheng had profound artistic cultivation and a high level of personal aesthetic appreciation.
Therefore, colored glazes developed rapidly and became unique during the Yongzheng period.
Li Chu held the bowl, turning it over and over for a long time before reluctantly putting it into a small wooden box next to him, which was padded with a lot of cotton.
He carefully placed the box on the wooden shelf against the wall, and nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the twenty boxes already arranged on the shelf.
These twenty boxes contain items that I have identified myself; they are all from the Qing Dynasty, specifically from the reigns of Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Yongzheng, and Emperor Qianlong.
The most valuable item he has is the plate he saw on the first day. It's a plain sancai (three-color glazed pottery) plate from the Kangxi era. He even went to the library to look up information about it. It was probably made by the official kiln on Kangxi's behalf to celebrate his grandmother's birthday.
His grandmother was none other than Dayuer, the one who had utterly ruined Dorgon's life.
One conclusion you can draw from her is: never marry a widow with a son! Unless you think you're more powerful than Dorgon. (This is a joke, please don't take it seriously.)
Just as I turned around to look at the next item, I was startled by the figure standing at the door.
"Wow! Honey, what are you doing? Why are you so quiet?"
The way he almost jumped up in fright just now amused Ding Qiunan, who was leaning against the door frame.
"Haha, I've been here for ages. When I came over, you were still holding that bowl. I was afraid of scaring you so you'd drop it, that's why I didn't say anything."
"Phew~"
Li Chu was indeed quite frightened just now. He let out a long breath, which allowed his wildly beating heart to slowly calm down.
The reason she was so scared was that after returning home, Ding Qiunan went to her sister's house next door and played cards with her sister and her mother.
Li Chu had always assumed no one was home, so how could he not be frightened when someone suddenly appeared without the dog barking?
"Huh? It's already dark outside, what time is it?"
It's almost ten o'clock.
"Why haven't Wenxuan and Yueyue returned yet, it's so late?"
"No, the lights in the front yard aren't on."
"What movie have you been watching for so long?" Li Chu took off his gloves and tossed them onto the shelf next to him.
Just then, Xiao Hei, who had been lying next to Li Chu while he was looking at the bowl, stood up and turned to look outside.
The dogs in the yard all stood up, and Maoqiu and Dasheng both ran to the front yard at the same time.
"Alright, it must be the two of them who are back."
Ding Qiunan turned and walked out of the storage room, saying, "I need to talk to them. They should come back earlier tonight. They're always worrying me. If this continues, they should move out themselves."
Li Chu followed behind and curled his lip. "How could you possibly let them move out on their own?"
When they arrived at the front yard, the dog had already unlatched the gate, and Li Wenxuan and Wang Yueyue had just stepped inside.
"It's my fault, Qiu Nan's mother. I dragged Xuan to see a second movie, which is why we came back late." Wang Yueyue obediently admitted her mistake when she saw her parents-in-law.
"It's okay, everyone should get some rest. You have to go to work tomorrow."
Li Chu was furious. You clearly didn't say that just now.
However, what needs to be said still needs to be said. Since she, as the mother, won't say it, then he, as the father, has to nag.
"Yueyue, Wenxuan, I don't mean to criticize you. I just want to tell you that the dangers at night are greater than during the day. We have no way or ability to stop others from breaking the law, nor can we control other people's thoughts. All we can do is try to stay away from danger, protect ourselves, and also protect the people we love. Do you two understand what I mean?"
"Yes, Father Chu!"
"Yes, as the ancients said, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. I hope you can remember this saying as well."
Seeing that they both nodded in agreement, Li Chu waved for them to go inside and rest.
After closing the front door and entering the living room, Li Chu finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Honey, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
"There weren't any flowers, but I just find it strange that you would tell them the saying 'A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.' That's not like you!"
"Sigh..." He sighed, sat down on the sofa, and then said, "It's too chaotic outside. I just don't want us to regret it after something bad happens."
Tomato Novel
"You're thinking about the case at Jingshan, aren't you?" Ding Qiunan sat down on the sofa and lay down, resting her head on her husband's lap.
"Yes, this criminal is quite cunning. Even though it has been so long and the police are searching for him, he still dares to commit crimes one after another. It shows how arrogant he is."
"Wasn't that person always at Jingshan Park?"
Li Chu reached out and stroked his wife's face, murmuring, "Yes, he's always been in Jingshan, but will he really always be in Jingshan?"
"What did you say?"
"Oh, it's nothing, let's not talk about him. I think it's been a while since we showered together."
"Huh?" What is all this about?
Ding Qiunan stared blankly at her man, and before she could say anything, she was already being carried in a princess carry.
Alright, no need to say anything more, just enjoy it!
She simply reached out and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, pressed her face tightly against his chest, and watched as she was carried step by step into the bathroom.
A cool breeze carries tidings, the autumn moon shines endlessly...
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