Chapter 60: Returning the Money
After settling her belongings and having a meal at a state-run restaurant, Xie Zhizhi finally found the museum according to the address given by Director Zeng.
Since unrelated personnel have to buy tickets to enter the museum, Xie Zhizhi approached a staff member and said, "Hello, my surname is Xie and my name is Xie Zhizhi. Director Zeng asked me to help restore the collection. I didn't tell Director Zeng the specific time I was coming. Could you please take me to him?"
The staff looked her over with obvious distrust as they sized up her unusually young face.
Xie Zhizhi immediately took out the note that Director Zeng had given her from her money bag. "Look, this is the address that Director Zeng wrote down for me personally."
"If you don't believe me, you can take this note and ask Director Zeng!"
The staff only reluctantly believed it after seeing the note.
The other person examined the note carefully for a while, then looked Xie Zhizhi up and down before saying, "You wait here."
Xie Zhizhi nodded.
Then I lamented the stifling feeling of not having a cell phone.
If you have a mobile phone, it's just a matter of using WeChat or making a phone call.
Unlike now, when you come to help someone, you still have to be looked at and sized up.
There was more than one museum staff member. Even after one left, someone else was still looking at Xie Zhizhi. Xie Zhizhi just stood there, eyes downcast, mouth down, seemingly saying, "I'm not embarrassed; it's others who are embarrassed."
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long before Director Zeng came running over, calling out, "Xiao Xie, Xiao Xie..."
Hearing the sound, Xie Zhizhi looked over and saw Director Zeng jogging over. She quickly stood on tiptoe and waved, "Director Zeng!"
When Director Zeng arrived, his first words were, "It's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault for being so negligent. I didn't inform them beforehand, and I made you wait here. Look at this..."
Director Zeng looked apologetic.
Xie Zhizhi quickly waved her hand, "It was my fault for not specifying the time clearly, and it wasn't long!"
Hearing Xie Zhizhi say this, Director Zeng, who had run all the way over, felt relieved. He quickly gestured for the people at the door to make way and then let Xie Zhizhi follow him inside.
He took Xie Zhizhi to his office.
There were two other people sitting in his office, both in their forties.
Director Zeng introduced Xie Zhizhi as "Director Wang of this museum."
"This is Director Xu."
Xie Zhizhi greeted them all.
Then Director Zeng asked, "Xiao Xie, have you eaten yet?"
Xie Zhizhi nodded.
Director Zeng said, "In that case, I won't waste your time any more."
“We have inlay tools readily available in our museum, look…”
Xie Zhizhi immediately said, "I can start working right now."
Soon, Director Wang and Director Xu had people carry the inlay tools into Curator Zeng's office.
Director Xu personally brought the materials needed for the inlay, while Director Wang brought the artifacts that needed repair.
The two pieces of jewelry that Director Wang brought were well-made with filigree craftsmanship, but Xie Zhizhi could tell that the level of craftsmanship they presented was far from meeting the standards for museum display.
Even the year...
Xie Zhizhi picked up the item and examined it carefully. "This should be a folk craft from the period after the collapse of the feudal dynasty. It doesn't seem to be from royal craftsmen!"
Xie Zhizhi's words made Director Zeng, Director Wang, and Director Xu's eyes widen. "Little Xie, you can even tell the year?"
Xie Zhizhi looked at the item in her hand and said, "Hmm, it's passable. The craftsmanship is different in each period."
Seeing that Xie Zhizhi could even see this, Director Zeng knew that Xie Zhizhi was no ordinary person, and quickly explained to Xie Zhizhi, "I think you can also see that what you really need to repair is not these two things."
Director Zeng looked apologetic. "Xiao Xie, please don't mind, we were just worried..."
Before Director Zeng could finish speaking, Xie Zhizhi expressed her understanding, saying, "I understand. For something priceless, it's definitely worth taking precautions."
Hearing her say that, Director Zeng was very moved. "Xiao Xie, thank you for your understanding!"
Xie Zhizhi didn't want to dwell on this matter any longer, so she waved her hand and said, "Let's not talk about this, let's get to work!"
"Okay, okay, let's get to work!"
Neither piece of jewelry was seriously damaged, and Xie Zhizhi repaired them in two hours.
"Alright, Director Zeng, take a look!"
Director Zeng led two directors forward, who examined the artifacts carefully with magnifying glasses and concluded that "no traces of repair can be seen."
Director Zeng looked at Xie Zhizhi with great admiration. "Little Xie," he said, giving her a thumbs up, "you are a truly capable person."
After saying that, he asked Director Wang and Director Xu to bring out the items. There were three items in total: a gold vase with a dragon design and a garlic-shaped ornament, a gold phoenix hairpin inlaid with jewels, and a kingfisher feather and gilded necklace.
All three items were exceptionally beautiful.
“These are the three things,” Director Zeng told Xie Zhizhi.
Xie Zhizhi then came to her senses.
Xie Zhizhi: Beautiful, really beautiful.
"Xiao Xie, how long do you think it will take to repair these three things?"
Xie Zhizhi carefully inspected the items and found that the most severely damaged items were the jeweled phoenix pendant and the kingfisher feather gilded necklace.
Of course, the Panlong Garlic Pot wasn't much better; the dragon whiskers and claws had all changed.
Xie Zhizhi looked at it carefully, "If all the materials can be provided, each one will take about half a day."
"This gold bottle and collar will be faster."
Director Zeng said, "Then take a look and see what materials are needed, and I'll have someone prepare them."
Xie Zhizhi asked Director Zeng for paper and pen, and wrote down what she needed on the paper.
After looking at the items, Director Zeng said, "It may take some time; some materials need to be applied for."
Xie Zhizhi nodded, "It's okay, just come find me at my stall once you have everything."
Director Zeng asked one more question, "You're not going to change locations, are you?"
Xie Zhizhi shook her head. "I really can't guarantee that I'll have to leave if they kick me out."
Hearing that if she was chased away, she would have to leave, Director Zeng thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll tell someone later, you can stay there without worry, no one will chase you away."
"Really?" Xie Zhizhi was pleasantly surprised.
Director Zeng smiled and nodded, "Of course, you've helped me so much, so I can certainly help you with this little thing."
Xie Zhizhi immediately shook her head, "No, no, no, this is not a small favor, it's a huge favor for me."
Because she had been very busy, when Xie Zhizhi left, Director Zeng wanted to give her a tip for the two pieces of jewelry, but Xie Zhizhi refused to accept it.
It was already past four in the afternoon when we left the museum.
By the time we got back to the unit, it was already past five o'clock, and it was almost dark.
Xie Zhizhi originally wanted to rush home for dinner, but she was stopped at the gate of the military base. "Xie Zhizhi!"
She was stopped by Wei Guihua and her mother-in-law, Tian Fang.
Tian Fang caused trouble for the Zhou family but didn't gain anything, so she went to find Xie Zhizhi instead.
She wanted to bring her grandson back, but she didn't want to give Xie Zhizhi the money.
Xie Zhizhi wasn't surprised to see Tian Fang; people like that, deep down, love to "bring glory to their ancestors!"
How could someone like that bear to see their precious grandson suffer with her!
Xie Zhizhi stopped and watched as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rushed towards her. She calmly asked, "Have you come to return the money?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com