Chapter 14: Where's My Cola?

The scorching sun was like fire; the autumn cicadas clung lazily to the elm trees, emitting feeble groans.

The ceiling fan whirred with a "buzzing" sound, and the scent of sun-baked asphalt mixed with chemical reagents churned in the heat waves.

Lin Sicheng's eyes were vacant, and he leaned against the back of his chair, looking wilted.

"Zzz—" Something suddenly appeared on his arm, chilling him into a start.

He instinctively squeezed it; cold water droplets spread across his fingers, and carbonated bubbles "fizzed" loudly inside the bottle.

"Didn't you already buy one this morning?"

"It's fine, just consider it poverty relief!"

Xiao Yuzhu sat beside him, having changed her skirt into shorts, her two legs long and fair.

A soft glow radiated from her face, beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, her eyes were slightly narrowed, and her long, slender eyelashes fluttered: "Were you scolded harshly by the Abbess?"

"No, she just said a couple of things!"

That couldn't be right; with the Abbess's personality and style, she only said a couple of things?

But thinking back to the morning, it felt like the Abbess wasn't actually that angry, and even called him to the office before speaking?

"Then what are you worrying about?"

Lin Sicheng didn't speak.

He couldn't very well say, I might have just found myself a stepmother?

He sighed: "Too much money, don't know how to spend it."

"Pfft, there are so many charitable organizations, does this really require worrying?"

"Donate to an organization? I'd rather donate to you!"

"Perfect, treat me to a meal this afternoon!"

"How big of a deal is that? Where to?"

"Xinyuan Restaurant (the school cafeteria)."

"No ambition, can't even afford four dishes."

Xiao Yuzhu kicked him.

Just then, the girl who had sat in front of them in the morning walked by and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.

The Lin Sicheng of the past was always in a "don't touch me" mood; how did he suddenly become so cheerful?

After thinking for a moment, she still sat in the row in front of the two.

A few minutes later, several boys walked into the classroom carrying boxes, with Li Zhen following behind.

"He Wan, Su Xiaotong, Zhang Jianfeng, Ren Zhigang... come up and distribute the materials!"

Several students stood up, and the girl from the front row happened to be among them.

She was in front of Xiao Yuzhu, walking slowly with a measured pace, a trace of mockery in her eyes:

"A Zhu, why are you sitting with Lin Sicheng?"

"Why, can't I sit there?"

"He is so arrogant, and his reputation is bad!"

"It's fine, as long as he has money!"

"Huh?"

He Wan was stunned, unable to react for a long time.

Xiao Yuzhu curled her lips and walked past her to the podium: Busybody!

With a clatter, several materials were distributed to each student: an Imitating the Ancients broken porcelain Bowl, a rubber bowl, and a palette knife.

There was also plaster powder, Talc Powder, mold release agent, oil clay, and wax sheets.

Lin Sicheng knew at a glance that today's practical class had two words: repairing defects.

Xiao Yuzhu had been given a porcelain bowl; when it was Lin Sicheng's turn, she rummaged through the bottom of the box, took out one she had prepared earlier, and placed it in front of him.

The condition was basically intact; the whole bowl only had two rice-grain-sized chips. Looking at the others in front of their classmates: one was more broken than the next, some even having only half left.

The boy holding the box widened his eyes, and He Wan, who was distributing oil clay behind him, twitched the corner of her mouth.

Favoritism was one thing, but this was too obvious.

Xiao Yuzhu didn't care about that, waving her hand: "Let's go?"

The two followed behind, feeling somewhat sheepish.

Before long, she ran back, threw a white lab coat to Lin Sicheng, and put one on herself.

She was already tall, her legs were long, and it looked like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

After sitting down, she nudged Lin Sicheng's arm again: "You owe me three meals now!"

A few meals didn't matter, ten would be fine, but he had to ask clearly.

"Where did the three meals come from?"

Xiao Yuzhu counted on her fair, slender fingers: "Just now you said you wanted to donate a little to me, that's one meal, right? I picked the best bowl for you, doesn't that deserve another meal? You don't know how to repair it, so you need my help, isn't that another one?"

Lin Sicheng looked at the two small chips on the edge of the bowl: No wonder this bowl was so complete?

That was true; although it was simple to repair, mixing the clay and shaping it took quite a bit of time.

He didn't stand on ceremony, put on the white lab coat, and took out the drawing he hadn't finished in the morning.

Xiao Yuzhu put on gloves and began to mix the porcelain clay.

Li Zhen was patrolling the classroom, offering pointers along the way. She came over twice, and each time she saw Lin Sicheng slacking off and Xiao Yuzhu working hard.

By the third time she came over, Xiao Yuzhu had already finished repairing Lin Sicheng's broken piece and was shaping her own porcelain bowl.

The previous drawing was already finished, and Lin Sicheng was drafting a new one.

Purely out of instinct, Li Zhen glanced over. Just as she was about to leave, having already lifted her foot, she turned back around.

Why is this drawing by Lin Sicheng so strange?

First is the pot shape: the pot body goes straight up, almost without a hint of a curve; if you cover the spout and handle, it looks like a cricket jar, or like a ceramic vat shrunk down many times over.

Second is the ornamentation; the pot body has no patterns, yet the lid and base do. It is precisely the opposite of a traditional porcelain pot, isn't it?

Seeing the Four Symbols Pattern and the Seal Script decorations for "Level 5" and "Changle," Li Zhen pondered for a moment: Is this a Han Tile Pot?

But that is secondary; the most critical thing is this drawing method of Lin Sicheng's, which Li Zhen has actually never seen before.

At first glance, it looks like a Sketch, but the play of light and shadow is not obvious; yet, strangely, it has an extremely strong sense of three-dimensionality.

It gives one the feeling that many layers were drawn, one layer was erased, and there is still another layer underneath.

Just as she was looking intently, the classroom suddenly went quiet, and Li Zhen tapped the long desk: "Professor Shang is here!"

"Oh, oh~"

Lin Sicheng put away the draft paper, but it was already too late to hide it, so he could only place it in the corner of the long desk.

Shang Yan entered the classroom and wandered around nonchalantly.

When she turned to Lin Sicheng, he was making a show of working on the molding and filling of the gaps.

"Does this Bowl even need filling?" Shang Yan frowned, "Li Zhen, replace it with a new one for him!"

Lin Sicheng was dumbfounded.

Just as he was cursing his bad luck, Shang Yan squinted her eyes and picked up the draft paper from the corner, examining it carefully.

Li Zhen has limited experience and only knew that Lin Sicheng was drawing a Han Tile Pot, but Shang Yan could tell just from these few drawings:

The three pots in the drawings were redesigned based on existing broken tiles, using their shapes, curves, and ornaments.

To put it bluntly, it is a Han Tile Pot made by piecing together real Han tiles, rather than the kind of modern craft item that merely has the external features of a Han Tile Pot.

Strictly speaking, this pot already belongs in the category of antiques.

And that is only secondary; the key is the overall shape of the pot: at first glance, the lines are straight amidst the curves, the ornamentation mixes beasts with flowers, and flowers with characters; furthermore, there is Seal Script amidst the reality, and Clerical Script amidst the Seal Script, all in varying sizes.

It is like the "hundred-family robe" on a beggar, with four patches on the left and five scars on the right, giving one a strange sense of being tattered, pieced together, and mended.

But looking closer, one feels that the spacing is appropriate, the arrangement is orderly, and the elements harmonize with one another?

A sense of familiarity welled up in her heart, and Shang Yan's eyes lit up: Banqiao Style?

One wouldn't dare say this style is unprecedented, but to be able to display the artistic conception and aesthetic charm of calligraphy on a porcelain pot is truly unheard of.

She raised her head again and sized up Lin Sicheng, seeing the pencil and compass in the pocket of his white lab coat.

This is a talent, isn't he?

"Did you design this?"

Lin Sicheng flatly denied it: "I learned it from my grandfather!"

Shang Yan was half-doubting: "Is that so?"

Before Professor Lin retired, he was the Group Leader of the Artifact Research group; having worked together for seven or eight years, could she not recognize his style?

But Shang Yan did not expose him; she just smiled and put down the sketch.

After she turned around, Lin Sicheng let out a breath and tucked the draft paper into his pocket.

Xiao Yuzhu stared at him, her eyes rolling around: "You can even design porcelain pots!"

"Didn't you hear me say I'm currently learning?"

"But why do I feel like Professor Shang seemed very shocked?"

"Of course she was shocked: she's never seen such an ugly pot!"

That much is true.

In any case, Xiao Yuzhu just felt that the pot Lin Sicheng drew was not only ugly but also clumsy.

She looked at her watch: "There's one more class; remember to call Senior Sister Li!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Okay!"

It just so happened that he was preparing to ask Li Zhen for help to see if any of the school's teachers had a vacant house for rent.

With a few minutes left before class ended, the class advisor walked into the classroom right on time, saying that the department was holding an impromptu public lecture on Bronze restoration on Friday, which would count toward course credits, and the whole class must attend.

After the class advisor left, Lin Sicheng followed behind and ran out of the classroom.

It was too hot; he was going to buy an ice cream to eat.

Just as he left, He Wan turned around, her face beaming: "Are you trying to chase after him?"

Xiao Yuzhu was a bit confused: "What?"

"Lin Sicheng, right? With his grandfather putting in a word, you wanting to get into anyone's graduate program is just a matter of a single sentence. Then stay at the school, teach, and wouldn't the rest of your life be secure? Tsk, I didn't realize it, A Zhu, you're quite calculating, aren't you?"

"Hehe!" Xiao Yuzhu laughed, picked up Lin Sicheng's cola, and shook it gently, "I didn't hear you clearly; come, lean in closer and say it again!"

"Social climber!"

"Pfft~"

Ten minutes later, Lin Sicheng walked into the classroom munching on an ice pop: "Where's my cola?"