Chapter 107: One Must Be Content

The stars filled the sky, moonlight filtered through the glass, and cold silver radiance was cast upon the floor tiles.

Lin Sicheng pressed the switch, the room suddenly brightened, and the exhaust fan gave a slight hum. Several pots of pothos were placed by the window, their leaves swaying slightly. The scent of pine mixed with a faint smell of machine oil floated in the studio.

The Electric Kiln had already been unpacked, and Li Zhen had already performed the maintenance. The pottery wheel was also in place, leaning quietly in the corner.

The long table in the middle was covered with a plastic tablecloth, everything was neat and tidy, and the floor was spotless.

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment.

Just on the day the Electric Kiln arrived, he had come once and given Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu each a key. He had been busy ever since and hadn't managed to come by.

After returning with Professor Shang in the afternoon, he had even called Li Zhen, and Li Zhen said it was basically tidied up. But Lin Sicheng didn't know it had been tidied up so thoroughly.

After scanning the room, he carried the bedding and pushed open the door to the partition.

The desks and chairs were all in place, and a computer had been provided, so it counted as an office. There was another room inside with a bed set up, which counted as a temporary lounge.

Pushing open the door, Lin Sicheng was stunned again: likewise, it was clean and tidy. The key thing was that everything that should be there was there.

Bedding, pillows, a shoe rack, a wardrobe...

He had only given Li Zhen ten thousand yuan, but the computer outside alone must have cost seven or eight thousand, and she still had to buy office desks and furniture.

It definitely wasn't enough, right?

Putting down the bedding, he pushed open the bathroom door. Likewise, everything that should be there was present.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Sicheng walked back to the outer room and lifted the disposable tablecloth on the long table.

Oddly shaped tiles were cut neatly and arranged on the long table. Lacquer liquid, porcelain powder, rice flour, tile ash... the materials needed were all there, not a single one missing.

He then pulled open the refrigerator next to the Electric Kiln: eggs, various pigments, Glaze Material... it was packed full.

Impressive, Senior Sister Li... how much of your own money did you put into this?

But that was secondary: the key was that in just one week, not only was it cleaned so thoroughly, but it was also prepared so completely?

How many classes did you skip for this, and how did Professor Shang agree to it?

Xiao Yuzhu must have put in a lot of effort too...

Lin Sicheng checked the time again: it was too late; he would see them tomorrow or the day after to talk about it.

Putting away his phone, he sat on the work chair, and scenes of the opening of his first studio in his past life involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

That was in Beijing, already 2012, after his grandfather had been diagnosed with his illness.

Slowly, his achievements grew higher and higher, and his fame grew greater and greater.

Compared to that, this place seemed insignificant, but the feeling was very strange: it was as if... he had taken an extremely crucial step in his life.

Suddenly, his hands felt itchy, and Lin Sicheng subconsciously looked at the tiles on the long table.

His hand reached out, but he stopped himself: don't work if you've been drinking, don't drink if you're working... he had insisted on this for half his past life.

Although it wasn't much, two bottles for four people, he had only drunk three or four taels; Ye Anning had drunk even more than him.

But no matter how little, it was still alcohol; if the grinder slipped, half a finger would be gone.

Hesitating for a moment, he pulled his hand back: he had to drink less in the future.

He then stood up, looked around slowly, circled the room several times, and finally returned to the inner room.

At night, Lin Sicheng kept dreaming, all of scenes from his past life.

Wielding power and spirit, striving with passion...

Morning mist wrapped in autumn chill, the first touch of daylight fell upon the frost-covered locust leaves.

Li Zhen gripped the thermal bag tightly, her knuckles pressing against the texture of the hard canvas, squeezing out crescent-shaped indentations.

The scent faintly drifted out, carrying the unique spicy fragrance of Huchun.

Walking quickly to the door, she paused, a flicker of suspicion crossing her eyes: didn't Lin Sicheng say on the phone yesterday that he was moving in?

Just as she was guessing wildly, there was movement behind her, and Li Zhen turned around.

Lin Sicheng had a box in each hand, sweating profusely.

Seeing her hang the thermal bag on the door handle, Lin Sicheng smiled: "No need, Senior Sister, it's not heavy!"

"So much sweat, you've been drinking!"

"I drank with Professor Wang! So I went for a run this morning to sweat it out!"

"Oh!"

Opening the door and entering the studio, Lin Sicheng placed the boxes on the long table and went into the lounge to wash his hands.

Li Zhen handed him a storage bag containing three items: a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a Towel.

"Haha... thank you, Senior Sister!" Lin Sicheng thanked her quickly, "I really did forget!"

Yesterday his mind was full of Chairman Yang, pondering how to get him sent in as soon as possible; it was good enough that he remembered to bring bedding.

In just a few minutes, Lin Sicheng had tidied up, and breakfast was laid out on the coffee table in the office.

Three boxes of soup, three beef pancakes, and two steamer baskets of small steamed buns.

Lin Sicheng had a habit: if he drank the day before, he would be ravenously hungry the next day. Suddenly, his appetite was whetted; he said thank you and picked up his chopsticks to dig in.

The office fell silent, with only the sound of Lin Sicheng "slurping" his meal.

Li Zhen pursed her lips and smiled, drinking her soup in small sips.

As he ate, Lin Sicheng realized: this atmosphere, why does it feel a bit off?

Just as he was turning the thought over, wondering what to say to ease the tension, a strange cry came from the doorway: "You two are eating without calling me?"

Turning his head to look, Xiao Yuzhu had her hands in her outer pockets, staring at them with a look of disdain.

Lin Sicheng let out a "ha" and tilted his chin: "That one is for feeding the dog!"

"Ah, thank you, Senior Sister!"

Xiao Yuzhu only then saw that there was a portion laid out on the table and hurried over, wrapping her arm around Li Zhen's neck.

Then, looking smug, she gestured around the studio: "Aren't we amazing?"

"Amazing!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "I'll raise your wages!"

Xiao Yuzhu's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"I wouldn't lie to a kid, let alone anyone else!"

Xiao Yuzhu clenched her fist and shook it at him.

By the time she sat down, Lin Sicheng was already wiping his mouth: "Don't you two have classes today?"

"No!"

"That's perfect, help me repair the Sprinkled Gold Bowl and the Zhuyou White."

Li Zhen's eyes lit up: "Repair with what?"

Lin Sicheng said nonchalantly: "Raw lacquer!"

Xiao Yuzhu had just taken a bite of a steamed bun; her mouth fell open, and grease dripped down, soaking her.

Half her front was drenched before she realized it, and she hurriedly pulled out a tissue to wipe it. But her eyes were sparkling: You're amazing, my brother...

While cleaning these past few days, Li Zhen had mentioned that Lin Sicheng had used Gold Repair to fix a Late Qing Plum Vase, and Professor Shang had praised it endlessly.

Xiao Yuzhu naturally believed it and had been excited for several days. She said that following Lin Sicheng would allow her to earn wages and learn a craft at the same time; she was getting a huge bargain.

Because during university, the school didn't teach Gold Repair unless one was a graduate student.

But as for raw lacquer, ninety percent of graduate students couldn't learn it, and even if they did, they only learned a bit of theory.

Because raw lacquer was more commercially oriented and only involved very little "Exhibition Repair," accounting for a small portion of a professor's tasks, so most professors didn't really do much Artifact Research on it.

In fact, most Museums didn't really research it either, and their research was mainly focused on "Stapling" and "Gold Repair."

The reason was simple: the technical difficulty of Lacquer Repair was too high, and the Cultural Relics in a Museum could only be exhibited, not sold. To put it bluntly: the Museum had no motivation, and the Researcher had even less.

But for Xiao Yuzhu, who was a student, wasn't this like pie falling from the sky?

She didn't need to learn it to a high level; as long as she knew how to mix raw lacquer and could manage to glue porcelain shards together so they wouldn't open or crack, she would be set for life...

In an instant, Xiao Yuzhu's eyes began to glow, and she stood up with a "whoosh": "Lin Sicheng, I don't want wages anymore... teach me... oh no, I'll pay you tuition, whatever you say..."

Lin Sicheng was taken aback: "Didn't you decide to take Professor Wang's graduate entrance exam? And then find a way to stay at the school..."

Xiao Yuzhu was dismissive: "If I learn Lacquer Repair, why would I stay at the school?"

"No... Xiao Yuzhu, can you have a little ambition?"

"Yes, yes, yes... I have no ambition..."

Xiao Yuzhu's eyes curved, her face full of ingratiating smiles, "Senior Brother Lin, are you thirsty? I'll brew you some tea..."

Lin Sicheng let out a "ha," and just as he was about to say something, he paused.

Although Li Zhen remained silent, her eyes were shining, revealing a hint of yearning and longing.

"Professor Shang doesn't teach it?"

Li Zhen nodded: "There are too few application scenarios!"

Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: Professor Shang was a professor first and foremost; it was impossible for him to give Li Zhen special, private instruction.

Li Zhen hurriedly emphasized: "You don't need to teach us specifically; just explain it to us while you're doing the repairs!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "But that way, you'll only learn the basics!"

"That's enough!"

Li Zhen nodded heavily and glanced at Xiao Yuzhu.

Xiao Yuzhu understood instantly and nodded hurriedly: One must be content with what one has!