Chapter 108: Another One Arrives (Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter 44)

The gaps have already been repaired, including the filling of even the most minute crevices.

In fact, the Lacquer Repair portion of the craft is basically complete.

Yet Xiao Yuzhu's eyes still shone with excitement: It's repaired so well. At a first glance, one can hardly tell it has been repaired at all.

Even though a large section of the sauce-colored bowl rim is black, and even though there is a patch of brown here and a patch of yellow there on the pristine white bowl wall.

But it is smooth and level; one cannot even feel any trace of it when touching it with a hand.

It looks more like someone knocked over a paint can and accidentally got some paint on it.

Xiao Yuzhu extended a finger and lightly brushed across the lacquer surface: "It's so beautiful!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment: Xiao Yuzhu, what kind of aesthetic sense is this?

White mixed with brown, sauce-color mixed with black, a patch here and a seam there—it looks just like it was licked by a dog; how is that beautiful?

The world of a child, I don't get it...

Glancing at it, he put on his apron in a few quick motions. Li Zhen realized what was happening and hurriedly put one on as well.

Xiao Yuzhu looked blank: "What do I do!"

"Just watch!"

"Oh!"

She nodded in a daze, moved her work chair, and sat a bit further away.

Lin Sicheng looked strange: "What are you doing?"

"Not causing trouble, right?" Xiao Yuzhu said as if it were only natural, "To save from being in the way!"

Tsk, such self-awareness.

The problem is, sitting that far away, what could you possibly see clearly?

"Sit over here, otherwise I won't even be able to explain it to you!"

Xiao Yuzhu's face lit up with joy, and she scurried over with her chair.

The natural lacquer portion had already been repaired, and she had thought Lin Sicheng had nothing left to explain today.

After mixing the lacquer materials in a few quick motions, Lin Sicheng put on his gloves:

"The current state of these two bowls is the result of Clear Lacquer Bonding, Lacquer Film Formation, Lacquer Thread Stacking, Natural Air Drying, and then Layered Polishing..."

"After that, it is Base Lacquer, Imitation Glaze or Color Painting, Gold Repair, Foil Application... If one does not perform antique-style fading treatment, one can directly proceed to Cover Lacquer and Color Fixing..."

The more Xiao Yuzhu listened, the more excited she became: Doesn't this mean that Lin Sicheng is going to complete the entire "Gold Repair" process next?

Likewise, this was something she had never learned either.

In a flash of thought, seeing Li Zhen's lips moving as if she were silently memorizing, she finally realized: "Wait, let me get paper and a pen..."

Lin Sicheng looked helpless: I really admire you; you're usually so smart, so why does it feel like your IQ drops to zero the moment you get excited?

"So stupid, why not record it with your phone?"

"Oh, right... wait, no?" She blinked her eyes, "What if someone hears it?"

Lin Sicheng sighed: "It's all knowledge from books; what's the use of recording it?"

Craft is craft; without watching the master work in person and having the master teach you hand-in-hand, just looking at theory is of no use at all.

Xiao Yuzhu nodded obediently and opened her phone. Of course, only for audio recording.

Li Zhen only performed some auxiliary work: handing over pigments, handing over brushes, and cutting Gold Foil.

Lin Sicheng worked methodically, explaining as he operated.

First, apply clear lacquer: to enhance adhesion.

Then, repair the glaze: to increase brightness.

Paint with gold, Gold Repair: it both highlights the beauty of the original vessel's imperfection and Wabi-sabi, and can perfectly integrate with the original vessel, complementing each other.

Finally, Cover Lacquer and Color Fixing.

Even though she had seen it once before, Li Zhen was still amazed: She just felt that this Sprinkled Gold Bowl had an even higher artistic component than the Plum Vase from last time.

There even seemed to be an illusion: compared to last time, Lin Sicheng was more skilled and more composed.

Xiao Yuzhu's mouth was wide open, unable to close for a long time.

She was a university student, after all, and her grades were excellent, but after thinking for a long time, she only squeezed out three words: "So beautiful?"

Lin Sicheng also took a look and nodded: Not bad.

At first glance, the color tone was not as bright as the previous Plum Vase, and the contrast effect was not very prominent. But whether in terms of craftsmanship or artistic level, it was actually much higher than the Plum Vase.

Placing it aside for Natural Air Drying, Lin Sicheng checked his watch: Unknowingly, it was almost twelve o'clock.

Eat, and continue in the afternoon.

The process was the same, but it was much slower.

This was because the Pig Fat White Glazed Bowl had too many broken parts, and most were on the bowl wall.

The main issue was that it was not easy to design: it was full of holes of varying sizes, and the lack of room for choosing patterns was one aspect.

Secondly, for a monochromatic bowl, especially with a white glaze base, the pattern presented after repair had to be aesthetically pleasing, and the colors could not be too monotonous.

Crucially, it had to be coordinated with the original vessel while also highlighting the color tone, light and dark, and the artistic effect of the imperfection.

Lin Sicheng examined it in detail, and it took a long time. Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu stood quietly to the side, staring at the White Glazed Bowl, not even daring to breathe too heavily.

This bowl was broken like this, and it could actually be repaired?

Especially Li Zhen, precisely because she knew a little more, her feelings were even more intense: the porcelain body was two millimeters thick; how thick could the lacquer body be after repair?

Of course, it was also two millimeters.

To be able to repair it until it was smooth and traceless, becoming one with the original vessel—even Professor Shang could not do that.

Involuntarily, her heart began to beat faster and faster; the more she thought, the more she felt that Xiao Yuzhu's words made so much sense: If you've learned Lacquer Repair, why stay at the university?

In fact, they don't conflict, but who wouldn't want a higher quality of life?

As he was secretly turning these thoughts over, Lin Sicheng let out a "Ha!": "Got it!"

Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu were completely bewildered, following Lin Sicheng's gaze to look across the studio.

The afternoon sun slanted across the tree branches, the tips of the poplar boughs hung heavy with fragments of gold.

A light Wind suddenly stirred, catching the copper bells on the eaves and emitting two or three crisp chimes. The tree canopy shook with a "swish-swish" sound, swirling a few freshly fallen leaves toward the edge of the platform.

A thick layer had already fallen on the ground; after many days of fermentation, many had already changed color: gold tinged with yellow, yellow tinged with brown, and brown tinged with black.

The contrast was stark, and the visual impact was strong. In an instant, a strange, inexplicable feeling stirred in Li Zhen's heart: "Born here, grew here, fell here, buried here..."

Lin Sicheng gave her a strange look.

Li Zhen's face flushed slightly: "What is it?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Nothing!"

He just thought she was quite the literary type.

He turned back and began to mix the pigments and cut the Gold Foil.

Then he began the repair painting, drawing poplar leaves.

It was sufficiently beautiful, the color contrast was strong, and most importantly, it would not damage the original vessel's own merits and aesthetic appeal.

No sooner said than done, but as he painted, Lin Sicheng stopped his brush and suspiciously looked around: why did it look more and more "lonely" the more he painted?

It was exactly like that sentence Li Zhen had muttered to herself: Born here, grew here, fell here, buried here...

Lin Sicheng felt a jolt: No way... is this "literary" thing contagious?

The problem was, having painted to this extent, he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.

Forget it, it's already painted like this?

Lin Sicheng continued downward.

There were too many broken parts and the process was complex, so it took even more time.

Having roughly finished painting over most of the holes and applied Gold Foil to the rim of the Bowl, the sky had already darkened.

He took a look; there was about one-third of the workload left.

Lin Sicheng waved his hand: "Off work!"

"Huh?" Xiao Yuzhu was stunned, "Aren't you going to finish the Hot Repair while it's hot?"

It was a Cold Repair to begin with, where would the heat come from?

"Rest when it's time to rest, eat when it's time to eat. You can't earn all the money in the world at once, can you?" Lin Sicheng teased her on purpose, "So you're saying you're not putting in any effort, right?"

Xiao Yuzhu wrinkled her nose: "Since when?"

She was just too shocked, too invested, and too focused, constantly imagining in her mind: if it's this beautiful when only half-repaired, how good would this Bowl look when fully repaired?

"Lin Sicheng, are you continuing tomorrow?"

"I have to go to the laboratory tomorrow, I probably won't have time."

"Oh~"

Taking a reluctant glance, Xiao Yuzhu helped clean up. Suddenly, she looked up again, smiling at Lin Sicheng: "Senior Brother Lin~"

She deliberately affected a cutesy voice, and just by calling his name, she gave Lin Sicheng goosebumps: "Xiao Yuzhu, speak properly!"

"So unromantic!" Xiao Yuzhu huffed, "What do you want to eat tonight? My treat!"

"The cafeteria is fine!"

"Don't be like that, you've worked hard all day? Let's eat something good..."

Before she could finish: "Ding-dong~"

The three of them turned their heads in unison.

Under the clear glow of the streetlamp, Ye Anning stood at the doorway with a smile.

Beside her was another lady, in her thirties, quite tall, wearing glasses.

Faintly, she exuded a touch of intellectual, elegant, bookish air.

Just as they were about to greet her, the woman let out an "Oh": "How beautiful?"

Then, she stared at the half-repaired White Glazed Bowl, her eyes revealing a trace of fascination: "Simple, quiet, incomplete, lonely, and yet natural..."

Haha, this literary vibe... another one has arrived?