Chapter 235: Turning Point

Four dossiers and several inkstones were arranged neatly on the coffee table.

The covers of the file folders were stamped with the red seals of the "YC City Industrial Bureau," "Cultural Bureau," and "Archives."

Tan Wu sat opposite him, looking apologetic: "The day before yesterday, Director Chen rushed back to the city overnight, and yesterday he personally supervised the archives section to have the materials faxed to the county. At the same time, Jiang County also reissued a copy."

"From yesterday afternoon until this morning, I had over a dozen people from the secretarial section check them repeatedly; even the punctuation marks match up..."

Putting down the one labeled "Chengni Inkstone," Tan Wu pointed to the other three:

"These were also sent by the Municipal Cultural Bureau under Director Chen's personal supervision: Jishan Luodian, Gold and Silver Filigree, and Jingzhou Tixi. They are all lost crafts that the city is preparing to apply for National Level Intangible Cultural Heritage status after their restoration."

"But there is one point: they have only just been listed in the provincial catalog, and several research institutes are still in the experimental and adjustment phase. The Municipal Cultural Bureau's data is not very complete, and the figures may not be very accurate. I don't know if Teacher Lin can make use of them."

How could he not make use of them?

Even if they weren't entirely complete.

"They all have great research value!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "Thank you, Secretary-General Tan!"

"You are too polite, Teacher Lin!" Tan Wu sighed quite a bit, "Regarding the matter from the day before yesterday, I must ask for your understanding!"

Lin Sicheng did not care at all: "It's human nature!"

To say he had no opinion would be impossible, because everything had been negotiated in advance: an equivalent exchange, each taking what they needed.

In the end, they tried to fool him with incomplete data. If it had been anyone else, or if Lin Sicheng hadn't systematically understood the craft of the Chengni Inkstone, he would have fallen for it one hundred percent.

But if one looked at it from another angle: at least this time it wasn't tacitly approved by the leadership, but rather a subordinate acting on their own initiative.

And from the very beginning, the attitude of the local leaders had been much more sincere than that of Yaozhou: it wasn't that it couldn't be done, but that he had to wait, and it wouldn't be too long, three months at most.

Although there was a problem in the end, anyone can have problems; the key lies in whether the remedy is timely.

To be honest, even Lin Sicheng didn't expect the local side to be so unusually straightforward: he had originally only intended to ask for one, but because of this incident, they sent over three more all at once.

So, what else was there not to understand?

Giving a peach and receiving a plum in return, Lin Sicheng did not brush them off either, saying that he had already made an appointment to hold a meeting with Professor Wang, Director Tian, and the others in the afternoon, and that they could start the survey again by next week at the latest.

The atmosphere was very harmonious, and the two chatted and laughed.

After chatting for a while longer, Lin Sicheng politely saw Tan Wu off, then had Fang Jin notify everyone for a meeting.

In less than five minutes, everyone had arrived: Wang Qi Zhi, Huang Zhifeng, Zhao Xiuneng, Tian Jie, Gao Zhangyi, and Shang Yan.

The group gathered around the coffee table.

"I thought the box Secretary Tan mentioned was filled with money?" Zhao Xiuneng joked, "With so many materials brought this time, they gave us everything, right?"

"Everything, and not just the usual amount!" Lin Sicheng nodded vigorously and pointed to the four dossiers, "Besides the Chengni Inkstone, there are also technical materials for Jishan Luodian, Gold and Silver Filigree, and Jingzhou Tixi."

Wang Qi Zhi and Zhao Xiuneng were stunned: What?

Buy one get three free?

They had always been responsible for external liaison; which municipal departments and relevant units hadn't they visited? So they were very clear about the importance the local area placed on these techniques.

But it wasn't strange; they were all lost crafts that had been listed in the provincial intangible cultural heritage catalog and were being prepared for National Level Intangible Cultural Heritage status. Who wouldn't value them?

Put yourself in their shoes: if an outside unit contacted Xida wanting to learn Lin Sicheng's technique for restoring porcelain, do you think Xida would agree?

Go stay wherever it's cool...

"No... how did the local attitude change so quickly?"

Zhao Xiuneng looked at Lin Sicheng in astonishment, "Why aren't they afraid of technology leaks now?"

It was no wonder he couldn't figure it out; the local attitude had changed too quickly, making a 180-degree turn on the spot: before, just for one Chengni Inkstone, they acted like it was their life. Now, just because of a misunderstanding, they sent everything over?

It was as if these technologies didn't cost any money at all?

"Because besides the Chengni Inkstone, the data for these three crafts is not very complete, so even if someone wanted to copy them, it would take time to research."

Lin Sicheng smiled, "But this wasn't an intentional concealment on their part, but caused by objective factors... just as Secretary Tan said: even the several restoration institutions are still in the experimental verification stage, so we can't be too demanding of them..."

The group looked at each other: just that simple?

Of course, there was more.

The local side must have felt that Lin Sicheng was studying Artifact Restoration, not making exact replicas. Even if the technology was shared, the conflict between the two sides wouldn't be great.

If they cooperated well, they could even complement each other.

Secondly, they still had to ask Lin Sicheng for help:

Although the Lao Yaotou Ruins were the only ones in the province, they didn't look like much when looking at the whole country. If, as Lin Sicheng said, they could find Ming, Yuan, or even Jin and Song dynasty ruins, it would fill in the final missing piece. He wouldn't dare say for the past, but it would at least be ranked among the best in the country.

Trading these technologies was not a loss.

Of course, the main reason was that they had enough understanding of Lin Sicheng: his ability was so strong, he was so professional, and he had so many titles. The key was, he was only in his early twenties?

Imagine how long his road ahead was, and how bright his future was? With this premise, Lin Sicheng would have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to risk carrying a lifetime of infamy, or even the possibility of a prison sentence, just to sell these technologies to others?

Combining these factors: rather than being stingy, it was better to be generous.

The technology was in their hands, but the problem also arose: techniques that could apply for National Level Intangible Cultural Heritage status must have a high level of craftsmanship and significant value; Shang Yan understood all of this.

She was just a little worried: one must eat a bowl of rice at a time, and walk the road one step at a time. Don't be scattered and unfocused, and end up failing at everything?

She thought for a moment and reminded him tactfully: "Lin Sicheng, why don't we put these aside for now and study the Chengni Inkstone first?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Of course!"

The so-called "greed for more leads to poor digestion" doesn't mean not to study them, but to distinguish between primary and secondary.

"Right, let's figure out the Chengni Inkstone first!"

Wang Qi Zhi picked up the Chengni Inkstone file and flipped through it casually, "I forgot to ask you, how did that Director Yao play his tricks?"

"It's very simple: he concealed several core processes and key data!"

Lin Sicheng explained carefully, "The most core part of the Chengni Inkstone's clay-refining process is the air-drying: because the inkstone body is relatively thick, unlike porcelain which only has a thin layer, the clay body will inevitably shrink and crack during the air-drying process."

"To avoid this, a plasticizer must be added before the aging process. But because the craft was lost, it's impossible to know exactly what is added... The data Director Yao sent the first time didn't write it down..."

The group leaned in to take a look: it was written this time, Talc Powder!

"Isn't that just Talc Powder?"

Lin Sicheng nodded.

Actually, the original formula added yellow lead, which is Lead Red. Besides preventing cracking, it can also serve as a flux to lower the sintering temperature of the clay, avoiding the vitrification of the inkstone caused by high temperatures.

It can even promote the vitrification of the clay and increase the density of the inkstone body. The so-called "hard as iron and stone" and "water stored without drying up" of the Chengni Inkstone come from this.

But this stuff has a drawback: if the ratio is slightly off, it will react with other elements in the Chengni, causing phenomena like bubbling, lack of luster, or even peeling of the surface. The key is that the equilibrium point is extremely difficult to master.

Looking at these few Chengni Inkstone samples, it is clear that the Chengni Inkstone Research Institute is still in the experimental stage; they only know that Lead Red should be added, but are not sure how much.

Secondly, the fuel.

The ancient method of firing Chengni Inkstones used neither coal nor firewood, nor was it entirely the "semi-wet rice husks" written in the second set of materials, but rather semi-wet cow dung.

The reason for it being "semi-wet" is to prevent the temperature inside the Kiln Furnace from rising too quickly, which would lead to cracking due to the excessive temperature difference between the inside and outside of the clay blank.

Furthermore, the carbon-containing smoke produced by incomplete combustion penetrates the micropores of the clay blank, forming a carbonized layer that fills the gaps and enhances the density of the inkstone body.

Semi-wet rice husks can achieve these two points.

But there is one more most important point: cow dung contains nitrogen, which can produce inert gas when burned in a confined space, forming a reducing atmosphere.

This is the main reason for the kiln transmutation and coloration of the Chengni Inkstone: the reducing atmosphere can prevent the iron elements in the clay blank from oxidizing and changing color.

To put it bluntly: the kiln transmutation of the Chengni Inkstone can be completely controlled manually; whatever color one wants, one can fire it out.

Looking at the samples again, they are basically all black inkstones, with a few bright silver spots occasionally visible, indicating that the Chengni Inkstone Research Institute is still in the experimental research stage.

It is even possible that they haven't figured this point out yet.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng had been thinking: if the second set of materials sent over was still nonsense, he would return to Xijing immediately, and upon returning, he would publish a Thesis and simultaneously apply for a patent.

There would definitely be another fight, but a fight is a fight.

Fortunately, what is lost in the east is recovered in the west...

Turning his thoughts inward, Lin Sicheng had Fang Jin put away the materials.

Then, the six of them discussed the follow-up survey plan.

Everyone was quite confident; of course, mainly because they had confidence in Lin Sicheng: the Lao Yaotou Ruins were so hard to find, didn't it only take half a month?

This time, let's extend the timeline and double it: one month, that should be enough, right?

Lin Sicheng, on the contrary, felt it was a bit risky.

The reason why the Lao Yaotou was easy to find was, first, it was close to the Xipo Ancient Kiln Site Group; second, there were remnants of Ceramic Clay Mine on the surface; and third, it was in a mountainous area where the traces of the ancient riverbed were obvious.

The key is that from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, the kiln fire at the Lao Yaotou basically never stopped. The kiln site would inevitably be built along the river, with only a few decades between each stage.

Another thing is that there are mountains everywhere, and even if the river had changed its course, it could only change along the valley and could not go very far.

With these prerequisites, one could infer the approximate range of the ruins by following the old riverbed sites of the five periods: post-founding of the PRC, Republic of China, late Qing, mid-Qing, and early Qing.

But the Guzhen Site is in the plains outside of Longmen Mountain, where there are either villages or fields. Moreover, one has to find it from the Ming Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, a span of six or seven hundred years; heaven knows how many times the river course has changed, how many bends it has taken, and how many ruins have been preserved?

Of course, it is not that it cannot be found, but it requires effort. Lin Sicheng estimated that one month might not be enough.

Sure enough, the words became a prophecy.

In the valley, the river follows the road, and the road skirts the river. Zhemayu accompanies National Highway 209 as it descends, passing through Longmen Mountain and reaching the Hejin Basin directly.

The river water is as clear as a mirror, and the wheat fields ripple with light golden waves. In the distance, the green mountains are like dark eyebrows, as poetic and picturesque as a painting.

The scenery is excellent, yet the group of people is miserable.

Previously, everyone was quite confident, feeling that one month would definitely be enough to get it done. But two weeks have already passed, and let alone the kiln site, they haven't even figured out the distribution of the ancient riverbed.

It's not that they haven't found it, but there are too many: Hejin has three valleys (rivers); besides Zhemayu, there are also Shenyu and Guayu.

Coincidentally, all three rivers flow through the Guzhen area. The flow of all three rivers is not small, and it is possible that a kiln was built on the bank of any of these rivers.

More importantly, this damn place is Taiping; although the three rivers are independent water systems without intersection, whenever there is a wet year or a flood, the river course would shift several miles away.

Added to this is human interference, such as flood control, embankment construction, water grabbing, damming, etc., which causes the river course of the same village to change seven or eight times over a hundred years.

Also, because the land on the riverbank is extremely fertile, the reclamation of flat land is inevitable, leading to most of the ancient riverbeds having no traces to follow.

But no matter how hard it is to find, it must be found.

The twenty archaeology team members were divided into three teams, with Tian Jie, Gao Zhangyi, and Lin Sicheng each leading a team, spending every day either surveying or exploring the terrain.

It is no exaggeration to say that Lin Sicheng has worn out two pairs of shoes.

Wang Qi Zhi, Shang Yan, and the data group were firing on all cylinders, twenty-four hours a day, except for eating and sleeping, they were checking materials.

Visibly, everyone had lost a significant amount of weight.

Tan Wu and Chen Zongnian were not idle either; besides handling the logistics, the two mobilized all their strength to arrange for personnel to visit the site and look for clues.

Unfortunately, after working for half a month, the clues were indeed increasing, but they were also becoming more and more chaotic.

This was still under the condition of clearly knowing that the ancient kiln ruins were within the scope of the two towns. If it were expanded to the entire county, or even the entire prefecture-level city?

A group of old Shaanxi people finally understood: why does the whole city know that Yuncheng had the Puzhou Ancient Kiln? And they had put in the effort and energy to look for it, but why, after searching for more than ten years, hadn't they found even a hair of an ancient kiln site?

Correspondingly, Tan Wu and Chen Zongnian, as well as the leaders in charge, admired him even more: compared to this, Lin Sicheng's act of finding the Lao Yaotou Ruins with a single Exploration Probe was like a miracle!

Really, it is so damn hard to find...

It was noon again, and the voice of the cook came over the walkie-talkie, saying that the meal was ready.

The canteen was set up in the Village Committee, and the conditions were much better than when they were at the Lao Yaotou; at least they didn't have to eat while facing the mountain Wind: after finishing a Bowl of rice, half a mouth would be full of sand.

Each team got into their vehicles and headed to the Village Committee one after another. Sitting in the car, seeing Wang Qi Zhi's brows knitted into a knot, Lin Sicheng smiled and comforted him:

"Teacher, really, no need to worry, we will definitely find it in the end; it's just a matter of time."

Wang Qi Zhi also knew they could find it, but the problem is, how long is this "matter of time"?

But the reward had already been received, so they couldn't just give up after only searching for half a month, right?

He sighed: "You are quite optimistic!"

Lin Sicheng smiled: In his previous life, he had long been used to it; wandering in the mountains for more than half a year and finding nothing in the end, it's not like he hadn't experienced it before?

Archaeology is the kind of thing where, sometimes, besides ability, one also needs a little bit of opportunity.

(End of this chapter)