Chapter 124: What Skills Do You Have?

Twilight gathered, and a rust-colored hue emerged at the edge of the sky.

The setting sun passed through the gaps in the curtains, dancing across his handsome features. His eyelashes trembled slightly; Lin Sicheng groggily pulled the pillow over his face.

Between dreaming and waking, it felt as if he had returned to the Forbidden City.

The curly-haired old lady's face was full of kindness: "The young man is truly handsome, only twenty-five, right? Committee Member Huang (Huang Baosheng, committee member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) is right: why dig up graves at such a young age, and Indian graves at that? Follow me from now on, your teacher knows so much..."

"Look at this photo: in the middle is Mr. Feng Xianming (the first Group Leader of the Ceramic Group at the Forbidden City), my teacher... The one on the right is Mr. Sun Yingzhou (ancient ceramics expert), also my teacher. On the left is Mr. Chen Wanli (ancient ceramics expert), still my teacher..."

"Besides porcelain, Mr. Feng excelled at Blue Pointing (cloisonné), and Mr. Sun excelled at Bamboo Wood Ivory Horn Carving. Mr. Chen was even more impressive; he understood opera, and his medical skills were even higher. Before the founding of the country, he served as the Dean of the ZJ Provincial Hospital..."

"You will learn well from me in the future; you can learn whatever you want to learn... Although my own hands-on ability is a bit poor, my seniority is high. If I take you with me, would they dare not let you look?"

"Look at this one, taken last year. Look at the one in the middle, isn't his hair and beard all white? This is your Senior Martial Uncle Geng (Geng Baochang, a student of Sun Yingzhou), he is exactly ninety this year... Next month, he is coming to the palace to repair the Three Autumn Cup (Chenghua doucai, donated by Sun Yingzhou), and I will have him teach you then..."

"This is your Senior Martial Uncle Li Jiufang, a student of Mr. Feng, who specializes in Ming and Qing Enamelware and Jade... Don't look at how young he is in the photo; he is actually already eighty-two, and still does Blue Pointing (repairing enamel) every day... You will follow him to practice your skills in the future..."

"And this one, Mr. Xu Bangda, the leading authority on contemporary Calligraphy and Painting appraisal, and an epigrapher; you must call him Grand-teacher... But he is already a full one hundred years old this year, so he certainly cannot teach you, but you can learn from his disciples..."

As if encountering a rare treasure, the old lady was delighted by the hunt, rattling off the names like she was counting her own family heirlooms.

Lin Sicheng kept laughing, kept laughing, his teeth gleaming.

In a blink, eight years had passed...

The Wind blew in, gently stirring the curtains. It brushed across his cheeks, playing with the stray hairs on his forehead.

Lin Sicheng slowly opened his eyes, struggling to distinguish reality from the dream.

In a daze, the old lady's kind smiling face floated before his eyes again.

The old lady must be exactly seventy this year, right?

Her health must still be robust, but he should still go see her as soon as possible.

He slowly exhaled and sat up.

He glanced at his phone; there were many missed calls.

He had come back around two o'clock, intending to take a shower, but he had just leaned against the bed and actually fallen asleep?

Turning his thoughts inward, he entered the bathroom. Just as he turned on the faucet, voices came from the outer room.

Huh, is that Gu Ming?

Like an iron tower, Gu Ming leaned against the car door. One hand was in his pocket, and the other was twirling his car keys.

His eyes darted around: so many beauties, even more than at the hospital... and young, too.

The dancing was really beautiful... Huh, why did they stop?

Oh right, Lin Chengwa.

After staring for nearly ten minutes, the Dance Troupe dispersed, and only then did Gu Ming remember why he had come.

Putting away his car keys, he shamelessly stopped a female student from the dance troupe: "Classmate, may I ask, is there a Ceramic Restoration Studio nearby? Do you know where it is?"

The girl looked at him strangely, then looked at the old Santana behind him, a trace of disdain appearing on her face.

Then she pointed behind her.

Right behind her, directly across from Gu Ming, was a large sign: Lin Sicheng Ceramic Restoration Studio.

Gu Ming's face flushed red: he had been too busy looking at long legs to even notice.

After thanking her, Gu Ming pushed open the glass door under the girl's strange gaze.

Ye Anning sat quietly in the sofa, holding a copy of "Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting" in her hands. Hearing the movement, she looked up subconsciously.

"Who are you looking for?"

Gu Ming was stunned for a moment: what kind of look was that... why was it like she was looking at a thief?

It was slightly scrutinizing, and faintly revealed a few glints of sharpness.

Instinctively, Gu Ming remembered the look Old Gu would give him when he had done something bad as a child but didn't dare to admit it.

He was completely confused: "I'm looking for Lin Sicheng!"

Ye Anning looked at him a few more times and lowered her head: "Wait a moment!"

Gu Ming didn't pay attention to what Ye Anning had said, only feeling it was inexplicable: do I look that much like a bad guy?

Subconsciously looking back, Gu Ming suddenly realized: through the glass door, the Santana parked on the side of the road was particularly eye-catching. Then thinking of his own lecherous expression just now...

Seeing it was one thing, but who was this woman?

Just as he was turning the thought over, the sound of rushing water came from the inner room, and Gu Ming was stunned: Lin Chengwa, taking a shower?

And outside, there was still a super pretty woman sitting there... oh no, girl?

This damn situation made it impossible for him not to think crookedly...

His expression gradually became strange, but just as he raised his eyelids, two gazes like sharp arrows pierced straight over.

It was just one look, but it made Gu Ming feel itchy all over: it was as if this woman... knew what he was thinking?

There was even a hint of "Are you trying to take Lin Sicheng out to mess around?" in it?

No... big sister, are you a fortune teller?

Ye Anning put down the book: "Are you his classmate?"

There was a faint smile on her face, and her tone was very calm, but Gu Ming had an indescribable feeling of discomfort.

"I'm his brother!"

Ye Anning was stunned for a moment, then thought about it.

Then, she smiled again: "Sorry, I'll pour you some water!"

Gu Ming felt even more uncomfortable: it felt like those eyes could see right through a person at a glance.

"Thanks, no need to pour any."

Ye Anning didn't speak, but still poured a glass of water and placed it on the armrest of the opposite sofa.

"Sit down first, he'll be ready in a moment!"

"Oh... okay!"

Gu Ming didn't know whether to sit or stand; the awkwardness was only one part of it, the key was that he was dying of curiosity.

Who was this woman? Lin Sicheng's girlfriend?

But he had never heard him mention her?

The key was this aura; it was just too damn strong. Even when the Dean stood in front of him to lecture him, Gu Ming had never felt this uncomfortable...

Just as he was guessing wildly, the sound of water stopped, and in no time at all, Lin Sicheng walked out, wiping his hair.

"Gu Ming... eh, Sister Anning, when did you arrive?"

"Just got here not long ago!" Ye Anning smiled. "Little Uncle asked me to take you back!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment. He looked at the car keys by Ye Anning's side, then recalled the scene where Wang Qi Zhi had placed the Red Envelope into his hand: "Go back and wash up first, I'll send a car to take you..."

So, had Ye Anning been waiting from past two o'clock until now?

He hurriedly smiled: "Sister Anning, this is my childhood friend Gu Ming... Gu Ming, this is Cousin Ye... perfect, let's go eat together!"

Gu Ming hurriedly shook his head: "I still have things to do, it's just that you weren't picking up your phone, so Godfather asked me to come over and check..."

In reality, he had just come to find Lin Sicheng: Li Xinfang had already booked a place and even brought along a drop-dead gorgeous best friend, intending to introduce her to Lin Sicheng.

If one called it messing around, that wouldn't be wrong: they had planned for the four of them to eat and then go clubbing.

But given the current situation, how could he dare to say that?

Lin Sicheng knew at a glance that Gu Ming was lying, but he didn't expose him: "Oh, my phone was on silent!"

"Alright, remember to call Godfather back, my friend is still waiting!"

As he spoke, Gu Ming even gave him a wink.

Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: Gu Ming coming to find him definitely wasn't for anything serious.

With that personality of his where he couldn't keep anything to himself, Cousin Ye would only need one look to guess eighty or ninety percent of it...

After seeing him out and watching Gu Ming get in the car, Lin Sicheng scratched his forehead: "Sister Anning, Gu Ming isn't actually a bad person!"

"Is that so!" Ye Anning pursed her lips and smiled, picking up the car keys. "I'll take you back!"

"Let's go eat first, sorry to have kept you waiting so long!"

"Okay!"

Actually, it hadn't been that long.

Seeing that Lin Sicheng was sleeping soundly, Ye Anning had left a note, locked the door from the outside, and only came over when it was close to six o'clock.

But she didn't expose him...

It was just a restaurant outside the school; by the time the two finished eating, the sky had already turned dark.

It was only three stops away, but Ye Anning still drove him to the building entrance.

The porch light was very bright. Lin Sicheng stood by the car, Ye Anning rolled down the window, and the two spoke in low voices.

On the third-floor balcony, at the four windows of the living room, three heads were pressed against the glass.

"Little Uncle is going to Beijing tomorrow to handle the World Heritage Application, so he'll be very busy these few days. That's why he specifically instructed me to keep an eye on you... don't laugh, this was specifically requested by your principal.

So if you need to go anywhere, or need a car, just call me... Aunt also said that by the third or fourth, she and Little Uncle should be mostly done with their work, and we can all eat together then..."

Seeing Lin Sicheng wanting to say something, Ye Anning smiled and interrupted: "I'm bored too, and I don't have many friends. Staying at home just means sleeping and reading, or else fighting over the TV with Wang Youjian..."

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Okay!"

Ye Anning smiled: "Then you go on up!"

Lin Sicheng nodded and waved his hand.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee drove out of the tree-lined path, and he entered the building entrance.

The three figures turned around in unison and sat down on the sofa.

With a "click," the door lock popped open. Just as he finished changing his shoes, Lin Sicheng froze.

That mouth of Gu Ming's, there really was no one like him; he would have to seal it sooner or later!

No need to guess, he probably hadn't even left the school gate before parking the car on the side of the road to call home: Godfather, Godfather, Godmother... when I got there, Lin Chengwa was taking a bath, and there was a girl waiting for him... she was drop-dead gorgeous...

Jiang Yanwan was all smiles: "That was your classmate, right? Quite pretty, huh?"

Lin Mingzhi nodded vigorously: "Local license plate, she's from the city, right?"

The old man didn't make a sound, but he was lost in thought, with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Having taught students for half a lifetime and appraised antiques for half a lifetime, he considered himself to have a decent eye: when that girl looked at Lin Sicheng, there was a light hidden in the depths of her eyes...

Lin Sicheng looked helpless: "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I'm only twenty-one!"

"So what if you're twenty-one?" Jiang Yanwan pointed at Lin Mingzhi, "I was twenty when I married your dad!"

"That's not the same concept. Besides, you don't know anything, yet you dare to imagine things?"

Lin Sicheng let out a "heh": "Five years ago, her mother was forty-two, and she was already Level 5 higher than my dad!"

Jiang Yanwan and Lin Mingzhi were shocked.

Level 5?

Section Chief, Deputy Division Chief, Division Chief, Deputy Bureau Chief, Bureau Chief... and, forty-two?

The couple looked at each other in dismay.

Grandpa leaned back slowly: "So what if it's Level 5? No ambition!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned by the scolding: Grandpa, your standards are pretty high, aren't they?

Forget it, let's talk about serious matters!

Lin Sicheng sat into the sofa: "Dad, you went with Grandpa for his follow-up checkup, right? What did the hospital say?"

"Everything is just fine!"

It's good that everything is fine.

Lin Sicheng picked up the teapot and filled it for the old man: "Grandpa, let me tell you something: my teacher helped me out and got me a studio. You know about that, right?"

Lin Zhangqing took the Tea Cup: "I know."

Lin Sicheng had mentioned it at home, and later Lin Zhangqing had specifically asked around, learning that he was a Bronze Expert newly hired by the school, and that he was rumored to be quite capable. Moreover, he had been appointed as a school leader the moment he arrived, and his background was very deep.

As for why an expert in Bronze research would take Lin Sicheng on as a graduate student and then set up a Blue and White Porcelain Restoration studio for him, the old colleagues at the school hadn't figured it out either.

Lin Zhangqing nodded: "And then?"

"And then, he got some materials from Beijing and let me study them for two days. Then, he prepared to apply for a World Heritage Application project under the name of 'Blue and White Porcelain Restoration.' But he was afraid I was too young and wouldn't be able to grasp the direction, so he wanted to ask you to use your remaining energy to help me keep an eye on things..."

Lin Zhangqing was stunned for a moment.

The World Heritage Application only started in 2005, just as he was retiring, so he didn't know much about it, but his intuition told him something was wrong.

Having raised him for twenty years, it could be said that all of Lin Zhangqing's heart and soul for the second half of his life had been poured into Lin Sicheng. Did he not know what kind of personality Lin Sicheng had?

Evading the important and dwelling on the trivial, being ambiguous... this kid was playing tricks on him again.

Not to mention anything else, just the fact that Secretary Wang researched Bronze, yet the project being applied for was Porcelain—how many twists and turns were hidden in this?

Lin Zhangqing remained calm and put down the Tea Cup: "What kind of porcelain?"

Lin Sicheng paused: "Blue and White Porcelain!"

Lin Zhangqing's eyelids twitched: Blue and White Porcelain Restoration, Xida didn't even teach it... No, to be precise, no university taught it.

The reason was simple: first, the difficulty was too high. Just the Glaze Repair and the coloring of the blue and white would be enough for a departmental team at a major university to study for decades.

Secondly, there were too few specimens, and the material costs were too high. Even a pile of broken porcelain shards from the late Qing Dynasty, or a tiny Bowl, would cost several thousand; if the era was earlier or the vessel shape was larger, it would be at least tens or hundreds of thousands.

"Where did the materials come from?"

Lin Sicheng told the truth: "My teacher found them!"

Lin Zhangqing was stunned: Doesn't that mean... paying out of his own pocket?

"What about the technical data? I mean, where did you find it?"

"The Cultural Relics Research Institute!" Lin Sicheng didn't even blink, saying it right out, "The core technology of the Forbidden City Porcelain Research Group!"

In reality, where was there any data? It was just that he and Wang Qi Zhi had agreed on a story, fearing it would be too shocking.

But Lin Zhangqing believed it; both his eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but straighten his back.

He had worked for most of his life; how could he not know what was going on?

Lin Sicheng's teacher used private connections to get the data out from the Forbidden City's superior unit... how strong must those connections be?

He frowned: "What level is the project?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned and sighed: He knew he couldn't hide it.

"National Level... but I estimate it's a bit shaky, at least this batch is a bit shaky, because there isn't enough time!"

Lin Zhangqing's eyelids weren't just twitching; his eyes were twitching too: Is this a question of which batch it is?

He hadn't looked much into the World Heritage Application, but he at least knew: what it meant for a National Level project to be hosted by the State Council and strongly supported by local authorities... just getting one was a huge political achievement.

Moreover, jumping several levels at once—could Lin Sicheng's teacher just apply for it because he said so?

And the core technology of the Forbidden City, as well as specimens and materials costing tens or hundreds of thousands... on what grounds?

Lin Sicheng's surname was Lin, not Wang?

Suddenly, a flash of light crossed his mind, and the old man was lost in thought: "Was that young woman just now related to your teacher?"

Lin Sicheng secretly praised: Ginger is still spicier when it's old!

"She is my teacher's niece!"

"Biological?"

"Of course... Cousin Ye's parents are busy with work and are constantly flying all over the country, so she basically grew up in my teacher's house!"

Doesn't that mean she's no different from a biological daughter?

Not knowing what he thought of, the old man's eyes lit up, and he leaned back again after having just straightened his back.

Then, a few strange glints flashed in his eyes as he sized up Lin Sicheng's face.

Hmm, it really was quite good-looking, and quite fair...

At first, Lin Sicheng was confused. Suddenly, he realized: Grandpa thought he was sponging off someone?

No... what is all this?

Lin Sicheng sighed: "Grandpa, I rely on my real skills!"

"Oh?"

The more anxious the grandson was, the more suspicious the old man became; he picked up the Tea Cup and leaned back lazily: "What kind of skills!"

Lin Sicheng moved his lips, unable to respond.

Should he tell the old man: Your eldest grandson can repair Blue and White Porcelain, and he repairs it damn well!

And that both the technology and the materials were things I got myself?

Believe it or not, if he dared to say it, the old man's blood pressure would dare to soar to 180?

Forget it, let it be; he'll find out sooner or later anyway.

"Then are you going?"

The old man smiled: "Going!"