Chapter 64: Moving House

What is Juqing lacquer?

It is a glue and lacquer specifically used for repairing Blue and White Porcelain and cloisonné, originating from the miscellaneous workshops of the Imperial Household Department's Zaozuochang. The craftsmen who specifically repaired various objects in these miscellaneous workshops were called Ju craftsmen.

After Puyi abdicated, they were all dismissed; some Ju craftsmen were reduced to folk artisans in the Beijing-Tianjin area, while others returned to their ancestral homes, either taking on apprentices to pass down their skills or setting up their own shops.

Among them were many masters who became famous and renowned for a time: for example, Old Copper Zhang, for example, Colored Porcelain Li, for example, Mounting (Calligraphy and Painting) Liu...

It wasn't until the 1950s that the National Cultural Heritage Administration established an Artifact Restoration department, recruiting these people or their descendants and apprentices to carry out specialized restoration and protection of key Cultural Relics in various cultural and museum institutions.

This included the Forbidden City, the National Museum of China, the Terracotta Army...

Afterwards, Xida took the lead in cooperating with the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Shaanxi History Museum, creating a Cultural Relic Protection and Artifact Restoration course in 1985, and officially establishing a Cultural Relics Protection major in 1989.

Because the focus was different, Peking University was a bit later, creating one in cooperation with the Forbidden City in 1993, and only officially opening a Cultural Relics Protection major in 1998.

The key is that the traditional Cultural Relic Restoration techniques researched and taught by these two universities mostly came from these folk artisans. Therefore, it is not far-fetched for Lin Sicheng to claim that Wang Qizhi inherited his skills from "Old Copper Zhang" and that his grandfather inherited his from "Colored Porcelain Li."

But the old lady did not acknowledge it.

Then why did she insist on acknowledging Lin Sicheng?

Because of that speck of Juqing lacquer on his fingernail.

In the early Republic of China, the lineage of this school that specialized in repairing Ming Dynasty Official Kiln Porcelain was completely broken. It wasn't until 2020, when the site of the former Imperial Household Department's Zaozuochang in the Forbidden City was renovated, that relevant technical documents were dug up from underground.

Afterwards, the Forbidden City, the National Museum of China, and the Cultural Relics Bureau conducted research one after another. The following year, which was 2021, the relevant technical processes were included in the textbooks of major colleges and universities.

But as it stands now, it is a bona fide lost skill... neither the Forbidden City nor the National Museum of China has it.

Just imagine how excited the old lady must have been when she saw that speck of lacquer on Lin Sicheng's fingernail:

If one can mix lacquer, one can certainly mix glaze. If one can mix glaze, one can certainly refire. If one can refire, it means the two cups in the box can be restored to their original state... Who wouldn't be excited?

In this way, the logic is a perfect closed loop: that is why, as soon as they met, the old lady asked him if he wanted the ancient jade on her cane. Afterwards, she was so affectionate, just like a grandmother meeting a long-lost grandson.

So, what is giving away a three-million-yuan Inkstone? If this were in the past, believe it or not, a Ju craftsman could have asked her for half?

But that is not what Lin Sicheng is after; he just wants to give it a try.

This is a Chicken Cup, after all; if it can really be repaired, believe it or not, his name could be in the textbooks in the future?

After thinking for a long time, Lin Sicheng let out a breath and pushed the box back: "Elder, I haven't repaired this before; I have to practice a bit after I go back!"

Of course he hadn't repaired it before; let alone repair it, who would dare say they had even seen it?

The old lady revealed her gums and smiled again: "Right, practice first, just use this box of broken porcelain to practice... if it's not enough, we'll find more..."

Lin Sicheng was stunned: No wonder it was one piece of Hongzhi Doucai and one piece of Coquettish Yellow Glaze?

Hongzhi Doucai originated from Chenghua Doucai, and relatively speaking, the technique is more complex. And Coquettish Yellow Glaze originated from Doucai porcelain; compared to it, the requirements for Glazing and temperature control are higher.

If he can repair these two pieces well, then repairing the Chicken Cup is basically a sure thing.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and nodded.

At this point, Lin Sicheng no longer had any interest in looking at things. And what kind of thing could compare to a Chicken Cup?

He stood up to take his leave, and Zhao Xiuneng called out his two sons to help him move the box of porcelain shards onto the car.

The old lady told him to take the Inkstone with him, but Lin Sicheng didn't want it: it wouldn't be too late to take it after the cups were repaired.

The family of five personally saw him to the door. Just before getting into the car, Lin Sicheng hesitated to speak, and the old lady smiled: "Child, I understand!"

As long as she understands.

Lin Sicheng got into the car and waved at the old lady again.

Watching the SUV turn out of the village entrance and move further and further away, the old lady revealed her gums and smiled silently.

Zhao Xiuneng stood behind her, his eyes full of suspicion: "Mother, this is too much of a coincidence... could this group of people be setting a trap?"

It is no wonder he is suspicious: his mother spent all her effort, racked her brains, and searched for decades without finding anyone. Suddenly, one day, the person just falls from the sky?

Not only is he young, but he also understands everything; it feels like there is nothing he doesn't know: Appraisal, jargon, secret techniques, Artifact Restoration... let alone twenty, he hasn't learned this much even at sixty?

The key is that his eyes are too sharp: the first Chicken Oil Bowl he looked at was one thing, but for the six pieces brought up later, the kid only handled each one once.

He has been a Scavenger of Broken Pieces for forty years, and the number of things he has sold by passing them off as genuine is at least several thousand. It is not that he hasn't been seen through by others, but when has there ever been a point where someone could see through it just by glancing at it?

Therefore, the more Zhao Xiuneng thought about it, the more he felt that this group of people had deliberately planned it and come to set a trap.

The old lady, however, shook her head: "Who knew we had the cups?"

Zhao Xiuneng choked and couldn't say a word: let alone the Chicken Cup, the only people who knew the family had a Chengni Inkstone and a Shangfang Jade Cup were him and his mother; even his wife and son didn't know.

Since they didn't know, then what was the point of setting a trap?

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Xiuneng gritted his teeth: "It's too strange!"

The old lady smiled: it is precisely because it is too strange that it doesn't look like one.

Those who set traps wouldn't be this young: twenty years old, at this age, most city kids are still in school.

Moreover, those who set traps wouldn't be this surprised:

The first time, seeing her face and hands. The second time, seeing the jade on the cane. The third time, seeing the six pieces the eldest son repaired, and the fourth time, seeing that chicken...

The old lady has lived for eighty years and has seen more people than objects. Whether that kid was truly surprised or faking it, she believed she would never misjudge.

Furthermore, those who set traps would definitely offer bait: in fact, both sides understand that the Inkstone is equivalent to a deposit. If you don't even dare to ask for a deposit, how can you make me believe that you really have this skill?

If you don't even put out bait, what if the fish gets off the hook?

And these are all secondary; the most critical thing is the speck of lacquer on his fingernail, and the smell of Blue Pointing on that kid.

How many times did he point it, five or six times?

Just based on this, she dares to take a gamble...

The old lady turned around, and her cane made a crisp "tap-tap" sound on the tiles. Zhao Xiuneng followed closely, carefully guarding her from behind.

"Did you save that kid's phone number?"

"I saved it!"

"It's good that you saved it; tell your wife and your kids to pack up, we're moving!"

What, moving?

Zhao Xiuneng was stunned: "Huh?"

"Huh what?" The old lady thumped her cane, "Always dawdling and acting dazed!"

Scolded by his mother, Zhao Xiuneng finally reacted; what did that kid mean when he hesitated to speak before leaving, and what about his mother's words, "I understand"?

As the old saying goes, do not flaunt your wealth. Now that it has been exposed, if we don't move, are we just waiting for thieves to come to the door?

Furthermore, the reason for moving back to the old house from Beijing the year before last was precisely because of that Seat Mountain not far away: those presiding over the excavation of the Zhougong Temple included Experts from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as well as professors from the National Museum of China and Peking University.

Therefore, his mother had always hoped to encounter a capable person who could repair these two cups. At the very least, being able to inquire about some clues regarding the successors of the Ming Dynasty Official Kiln Porcelain Craftsman would also suffice.

But after living here for two years, he hadn't found a single thing, yet suddenly, one had fallen from the sky?

Sometimes, you have to believe in this thing called luck...

In a flash, Zhao Xiuneng hurriedly nodded: "Alright, listen to Mother: we'll move!"