Chapter 40: Who Made You the Uncle?

The two who were older appeared to be a married couple.

Following behind were three young people who looked very similar; the youngest boy was seventeen or eighteen, at most a high schooler.

The five of them got out of the car, their ten eyes blinking: first they stared at Lin Sicheng, then at the dog, and finally at the basin.

Just imagine: you're out for a casual stroll, you inexplicably run into a dog, and the dog is carrying a basin covered in dog feces in its mouth?

Upon closer inspection, the dog basin is actually an antique, and an Imperial Palace Ware piece at that, worth nearly a million?

I ask you: would anyone dare to write a script like this for a TV show?

Staring at Lin Sicheng, who was covered in mud splatters, the man smiled after a long while: "May I take a look?"

"Of course!"

Hao Jun handed the basin over.

The man received it, but turned and handed it to the slightly younger girl among the three young people.

She looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a tall figure, her moon-white long dress outlining perfect lines.

Her hair was black and shiny, her brows long and slanted, her skin fair, her features bright and beautiful, and her eyes sparkled with starlike fragments of light.

Her gaze held a touch of curiosity and a hint of skepticism as it swept over Lin Sicheng's face twice.

"Sister Anning, here!"

The boy handed over a few tissues.

"It's not accurate if you touch it directly!"

She shook her head and took the basin.

Her expression was very focused, very careful, and also very professional.

She first looked at the exposed filigree on the bottom of the basin, and not just looked—she picked at it: using her fingernails to insert into the gaps between the filigree to gauge whether the copper wires were of uniform thickness and if the spacing between them was consistent.

Then she looked at the rim: checking if the inward-curving arc was natural, then measuring with her knuckles to see if the sunflower leaves and the overall shape were symmetrical.

Then she looked at the glaze: pinching a bit from the chipped part of the fish tail, grinding it slowly with her fingernails to observe the composition.

Only then did she look at the mark...

Hao Jun and Guan Xingmin exchanged a glance: just by looking at this technique, they knew she was an expert.

And look at this professional attitude: Lin Sicheng had only rinsed it with water; how clean could this basin get?

Even from this far away, they could still smell the stench, yet the girl didn't care at all, even touching and picking at it?

The antique market was right next door, so running into an expert here wasn't strange; what was strange was this expert's age: twenty-three or twenty-four, or maybe twenty-five?

The key point was, she was a woman too?

But then thinking about Lin Sicheng nearby...

Forget it, don't think about it; the more you think, the more embarrassing it is.

After looking for about ten minutes, the girl returned the basin to Hao Jun and looked at Lin Sicheng: "Which sections of the Draft History of Qing were you referring to earlier?"

Lin Sicheng replied without hesitation: "'The Sons of the Saint Ancestor', 'The Princes, Part 6', and 'Volume 505, Biography 292'."

The girl thought for a moment: "The first two are about Yinxiang, what about the last one?"

"Nian Xiyao, the General Manager of the Imperial Household Department and the remote supervisor of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln."

"Which sections of the Qing Palace Archives?"

"'The Records of Works Produced by the Zaozuochang of the Yangxin Hall'!"

He remembered it that clearly?

And thinking back to before: he could even be precise down to the year, month, and day?

The more the girl looked at Lin Sicheng, the more curious she became: "Are you a Peking University graduate?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Never been!"

The girl pursed her lips and took the tissues to wipe her hands: "Big Uncle, I don't see any problems. Call Little Uncle and have him come take a look too!"

"Alright!" The man nodded and smiled again, "Everyone, it's just noon, why not have a meal together?"

Hao Jun shook his head and looked at Lin Sicheng, who was covered in mud splatters and smelled of dog feces.

In this state, wouldn't they be kicked out if they dared to enter a restaurant?

"Thank you, but let's skip the meal. If you are interested, let's set a time to meet at Rongbaozhai!"

The man's eyes lit up.

Antiques aren't something you can just buy on a whim; even if it were a genuine item, he had been wondering how to conduct the transaction safely.

Since they dared to go to Rongbaozhai, there was nothing to worry about.

"Fine, then three o'clock this afternoon!"

"Can do!"

After exchanging phone numbers, both sides said goodbye, and the family got into the Mercedes-Benz.

Throwing those two pieces of cloth into the trash can, Lin Sicheng untied the dog leash: "I won't eat; I'll take the dog back first!"

"Get in!" Hao Jun rolled his eyes and opened the trunk, "Stuff the dog in here!"

"I'm covered in mud!"

"So what if you're covered in mud? Once we sell the basin this afternoon, can't you just buy me a new car?"

"Sure!"

Hao Jun was grinning, but as soon as he saw Lin Sicheng nod, he immediately stopped smiling: "I was just joking, okay?"

As Lao Guan would say: this kid is a bit stubborn; he always repays kindness and always avenges grievances.

Don't believe it?

It's been over a week, and those two fake antique peddlers who sold the Celadon teapot are still lying in the hospital.

Just for that Purple Clay Teapot, if he dared to nod, Lin Sicheng would really dare to buy him a car.

"I won't be able to eat; please take me home, Senior Brother. I'll have to trouble you with the matter of the basin as well..."

"You aren't going this afternoon?"

"I have to go to the hospital first."

That was true.

Although there were no external injuries, it was better to get checked out just to be safe.

Starting the car, Hao Jun first took Lin Sicheng and the dog to the Xida faculty residential compound.

The Boston ivy turned a wine-red color, and as the autumn Wind blew, the palm-sized leaves rustled with a "swish-swish" sound.

Wang Qi Zhi stepped out of the building entrance, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, looking distracted.

Two "beep-beep" sounds came from behind him, and only then did he notice his own car parked by the side of the road.

After getting into the passenger seat, Dan Wangshu glanced at him: "What are you thinking about?"

"Just that student, Lin Sicheng, you've seen him too!"

Of course Dan Wangshu had seen him, and the impression was quite deep: "Mm, what about him?"

"I'm thinking about how to get him to apply for my graduate program."

"Isn't his academic performance quite poor? He wouldn't be able to get in, right?"

"What do you mean quite poor? That's all hearsay; that kid's studies couldn't be better..."

Wang Qi Zhi recounted what happened in the laboratory yesterday, "If I can get him in, he'll definitely be more useful than Feng Lin."

"Then why don't you just let him apply?"

"I'd like to let him apply, but it also depends on whether he's willing to!"

Dan Wangshu was stunned for a moment, a look of disbelief on her face.

The youngest professor at Xida, the youngest department leader.

The first project after joining the faculty—lacking neither technology nor funding, and Thesis publications were easy to churn out.

For any other student, as long as they could get in, they would likely break their necks trying; Lin Sicheng wouldn't be willing?

Wang Qi Zhi shook his head: "You don't understand!"

"Fine, fine, fine, I don't understand!" Dan Wangshu pursed her lips and started the car, "Help me watch the road!"

"Where are Big Brother and the others?"

"They said Rongbaozhai!"

"It's right at the foot of the old city wall; once you reach the Drum Tower, just keep driving south along Beidajie! Oh, right... has Anning's job been settled?"

"You're only just remembering now?" Dan Wangshu glared at him, "Poly Auction, business Assistant in the Calligraphy and Painting Department!"

"Did Second Sister arrange it?"

"Yes!" Dan Wangshu gave a half-smile, "She said to let Anning gain some experience at the Xijing branch for two years first!"

What kind of experience was this? This was clearly dumping a burden.

"I was helping her raise her before I was even married, and now my own kid is almost ten, and I'm still helping her raise her?" Wang Qi Zhi sighed, "Might as well let Ye Anning take the surname Wang; why keep the surname Ye?"

Dan Wangshu laughed "Hahaha": "Who told you to be the uncle?"