Chapter 121: It's About to Begin (Monthly Ticket Bonus Update 88)

The morning light was hazy, and the playground was sparsely populated.

By the track, Ye Anning rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily. In the distance, Lin Sicheng moved his legs, striding like a flying figure.

Eight laps or ten, Ye Anning couldn't even count anymore. Regardless, once she stopped, Lin Sicheng was like a wild horse off its tether, lap after lap.

Speed was only secondary; just thinking about this stamina was terrifying.

No wonder her uncle said that when Lin Sicheng swung a heavy hammer, it was like twirling a pencil.

After running two more laps, Lin Sicheng stopped, only a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Looking at Ye Anning, she looked as if she had just been fished out of the water.

"Excessive sweating, shortness of breath, lung deficiency, weak spleen, internal and external instability... Sister Anning, let the Master's wife brew you some yam porridge, and boil some astragalus and red date tea to regulate your body."

Ye Anning glanced at him: "I can't even finish eating the things I love!"

"It is precisely because you are gluttonous yet rarely eat staple foods that you have caused a deficiency in grain Qi, which in turn damages the spleen and stomach. Then, sitting for long periods with little movement further damages the lungs... It is not hard to cure: eat properly and exercise more."

"Really?" Seeing him so serious, Ye Anning was half-doubting, "Where did you learn this?"

"From Cultural Relics, of course!"

Ye Anning didn't quite believe it: how many ancient books would one have to read for that?

Besides, traditional Chinese medicine requires taking the pulse; does Lin Sicheng just rely on Watch Qi?

Having recovered enough, Ye Anning straightened her back, and the two walked toward the canteen.

"Do you run like this every day?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Just about, I rest a day or two a month!"

Ye Anning clicked her tongue in secret: her inability to get up was only one aspect; she just felt that as soon as she stepped out in the morning, the cold air would drill straight into her pores.

Just like this morning, she had hesitated at the shoe cabinet for nearly ten minutes; if her aunt hadn't chased her with a flyswatter, she could have stood there until Youjian went to school.

As these thoughts turned, she remembered something else, scanning him from head to toe with a half-smile: "Where are your new pants and new shirt?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned, looking strange: Professor Wang still has time to talk about this?

Shouldn't his head be full of "Gold and Silver Craftsmanship" and "Porcelain Restoration"?

Ye Anning laughed as soon as she thought of it: "It's because he was thinking too intently that he spoke without thinking: he said you've been wearing this same outfit for three or four days, and even went to the operation table, yet it still looks like new. But he gets dirty after wearing his for a day... then he asked my aunt if she hadn't washed his clothes clean?"

Lin Sicheng froze, feeling quite impressed.

"Is the teacher... complaining that life is too comfortable?"

"Who's to say... my aunt said she'll let him wash them himself from now on..."

Ye Anning giggled, then looked at him: "You're going home today, right?"

"Yes, I'm not used to living in the office."

"My uncle said you're looking to hire two full-time assistants?"

"Professor Shang might come to guide us for a period, and Senior Sister Li will temporarily focus on the studio side, so we are hiring one for now..."

"Focusing on metal research?"

"Yes!"

"What about porcelain, is that Master Chen (Chen Huaizhi) not capable?"

"Chen Huaizhi's main focus is still Bronze research; he is a bit lacking in porcelain, so Senior Sister Li has to handle it concurrently for now. But we definitely need to hire one; the teacher will discuss it with Professor Shang later."

"Indeed, it's not good to keep troubling others..."

The two chatted aimlessly; Lin Sicheng tried his best to empty his mind to let his brain rest, never realizing that there was a thread connecting Ye Anning's seemingly disjointed questions.

Straight man.

Ye Anning muttered to herself as they entered the student canteen.

Suddenly, wave after wave of gazes looked over.

Lin Sicheng ordered, swiped his card, picked up the food, and found a seat. Ye Anning carried her tray, following closely behind him.

Her eyes, however, were darting around: "My uncle said you're quite famous in school, how come no one is greeting you?"

"A thorn in the side, who would dare!"

Ye Anning pursed her lips and smiled.

Lin Sicheng ate a lot and quickly; in the blink of an eye, he had finished two bowls of noodles and a basket of steamed buns.

Ye Anning was quite fast too, though she only drank a small bowl of porridge.

Just as they finished, Wang Qi Zhi's call came in: "Where did you go? Why aren't you here?"

"Eating in the canteen, with Sister Anning!"

"Oh?" Wang Qi Zhi paused.

His mind was entirely on the World Heritage Application; he hadn't even noticed Ye Anning wasn't home.

No need to guess, she must have been chased out by her aunt...

"Come over as soon as you're done!"

"Okay!"

Listening to the two on the phone, Ye Anning curled her lip again: Straight man number two.

She knew there was serious business today and didn't dare delay: "Let's go!"

Lin Sicheng grabbed two more baskets of small steamed buns on his way out.

It was just past seven; Wang Qi Zhi and Feng Lin surely hadn't eaten yet.

Arriving at the studio, Ye Anning went to work. After Wang Qi Zhi finished gnawing on a bun, Lin Sicheng carried the box of porcelain shards, Wang Qi Zhi took the materials, and the two went to the Porcelain Research Laboratory.

They were early, but Shang Yan was even earlier, bringing Li Zhen, one Doctor, and two Masters, having long since warmed up the machines and turned on the Electric Kiln.

She had even changed into her lab coat herself.

Opening the box and seeing only the Delicate Yellow Glaze porcelain shards and Blue and White Porcelain, Shang Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought you were going to patch the Yellow-ground Blue and White today!"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "I need to practice my hands first!"

According to his previous design, he had to familiarize himself with all Porcelain Restoration methods: Stapling, porcelain stapling, Gold Repair, Lacquer Repair, Monochrome Glaze, Dual-color Glaze, Overglaze (Delicate Yellow Glaze), Blue and White Porcelain, Yellow-ground Blue and White, and Doucai.

For the latter six, he would adopt Seamless Restoration entirely, transitioning from single-layer to multi-layer. Once he had practiced the whole process and adjusted his state to the best, he would contact the old lady to have the Chicken Cup sent over.

But Wang Qi Zhi's World Heritage Application plan disrupted the steps; the Chicken Cup had to be put aside, while the practice order had to be moved up: he could only skip the Monochrome Glaze, Dual-color Glaze, and Delicate Yellow Glaze to prioritize the Blue and White Porcelain.

Because the World Heritage Application target that Wang Qi Zhi had prepared for Lin Sicheng was precisely Blue and White Porcelain.

After all, the name was famous enough, the influence was great enough, it involved enough dynasties, and the application range of the technique was broader.

To put it bluntly, one cannot learn a skill for dragon-slaying that has no use. And Blue and White Porcelain was just right: as long as one could restore blue and white, one would certainly know all the preceding ones, and the subsequent ones would not be hard to learn either. It was equivalent to encompassing all categories of porcelain. In this way, the possibility of a successful World Heritage Application would also be greater...

"Right, proceed step by step, steady and solid. If this batch doesn't work, there's the next batch; if the next doesn't work, there's the one after that... In any case, don't learn from your teacher, soaring to the heavens one moment and falling into the mud the next!"

Shang Yan encouraged Lin Sicheng, not forgetting to disparage Wang Qi Zhi. Then she pointed to her own students: "Plus Li Zhen, one Doctor, three Masters; if it's not enough, just tell me anytime, and I'll step in anytime!"

Surely there was no need for so many assistants; in fact, Li Zhen and Feng Lin were enough.

"Thank you, Professor Shang!"

After expressing his thanks, Lin Sicheng did not stand on ceremony; he changed his clothes, stepped onto the platform, and then got straight to the point, methodical and orderly.

In an instant, one instruction after another was concise and clear.

Shang Yan and Wang Qi Zhi stood under the platform, discussing technical details in low voices.

But halfway through, Shang Yan fell silent, staring at the platform, lowering her voice: "Do you ever feel that as soon as Lin Sicheng steps onto the laboratory bench, he becomes exceptionally professional and dignified? Sometimes, it makes people unconsciously overlook his age and status?"

Wang Qi Zhi gave a "Heh": "'Feel'? What does that count for? Have I not been ordered around by him?"

Shang Yan became interested at once: "When?"

"Yesterday, at the Provincial Museum..."

Wang Qi Zhi did not exaggerate; he just stated the facts plainly, picking what could be said to tell her a little.

Shang Yan's eyes widened bit by bit.

She did not doubt for a second whether Lin Sicheng had this ability: because when he restored that Plum Vase last time, she had seen that Lin Sicheng had an extremely unique and profound understanding of metal craftsmanship, especially Gold Craftsmanship, even far surpassing Wang Qi Zhi.

But she had not expected that even the Researchers at the Provincial Museum would be full of praise?

Yao Hansong and Chen Fen were not exactly nobodies?

Not only were they not nobodies, their reputation was ridiculously high: they were invited by the school from time to time to give lectures to the professors in the department...

The more she thought, the more jealous she became: "Wang Qi Zhi, how many lifetimes of good luck did you stumble upon?"

"Watch your mouth!"

Wang Qi Zhi pointed at her, "I owed you in the past, but this time it's paid off in full; you watch your tone with me from now on."

Shang Yan knew he was talking about the World Heritage Application for Lin Sicheng's Porcelain Restoration Technique, for which he had asked her to be responsible for guidance.

She did indeed owe Wang Qi Zhi a favor, but she absolutely could not admit defeat verbally: "Pfft, wait until you succeed in the application before talking!"

Wang Qi Zhi could not be bothered to argue with her.

The two discussed in low voices, and without realizing it, over three hours had passed. Lin Sicheng had already completed all the preliminary preparation work.

Damage diagnosis: Multispectral Imaging Detection.

Layered Cleaning: body, Base Glaze layer, underglaze layer, overglaze layer.

The rest was all delicate work: except for the kiln firing, everything had to be completed under a microscope.

Including Glaze Material recompounding, Glaze Layer Restoration Painting, and Interlayer Bonding.

Wang Qi Zhi and Shang Yan shut their mouths and leaned forward a bit more: it was about to begin!