Riding the wind of rebirth

"There are two types of moon shells. One is the saddle moon shell, which is larger in size but has a greater curvature, making it less suitable for windows. It is only suitable for making 'mist tiles' that can tolerate a certain degree of curvature. The other is the square moon shell, which has a very flat shell but is smaller in size, making it suitable for making small, flat windows."

"If you want to make a large window, you first need to divide the window into window panes with various patterns using wooden strips. Then, you need to clean and process the seashells, polish them into thin sheets with a thickness of 0.1 millimeters, and then trim them into shapes and sizes suitable for the window panes before inlaying them. Finally, a complete window is formed."

"The Chinese have been doing this for a long time. In Guo Pu's 'Jiang Fu' during the Jin Dynasty, there is a saying: 'Jade mirror and sea moon, earth and stone.' Li Shan's commentary in the Tang Dynasty quoted 'Lin Hai Shui Tu Wu Zhi' which also says: 'The sea moon is as big as a mirror, white and perfectly round.' The history of using sea moon shells in foreign architecture is also very long. In English, the name of the sea moon shell is directly 'window glass oyster'."

“These moon shell windows are extremely precious. In China, only Xijing Street in Zhujiajiao, Shanghai, and Quanjin Guild Hall in Suzhou have complete moon shell windows. Oh right, there’s also the ‘Mingwajian’ in the side room of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. I always thought the window tiles were made of mica, but a few months ago I discovered they were made of moon shells that are over 15 centimeters long… I have to call my grandfather now.”

He pulled out his phone from his bag and said, "Hey Mr. Wang... Hehehe, it's not too long, is it? School has already started, so I can't come right away... To make a long story short, I'm in Shanghai with Xiao Miao right now. Oh, we were dragged here by Brother Li to attend a conference related to financial statistics. We need to use Xiao Miao's model. Oh dear, I'm getting off-topic again... Well, after the conference, we thought we had some time, so we came to Zhouzhuang for a trip with our classmates. As a result, we found some sea snail shell windows in a place called Zhangting in the village!"

"...I'm not lying to you, it's not a freshwater clam, it's definitely a moon clam! Only a square moon clam can remain flat even when it's over ten centimeters long... How many are there? They're all in the windows of the side rooms on both sides of the courtyard, about ten or so..."

"...That's why I called you. If we want to protect it well, we won't bother you anymore. We just came in here without any management. Apart from a sign with an introduction at the entrance, we didn't see anyone managing it. This won't do...Hey, the introduction says that this courtyard was called Yishuntang in the Ming Dynasty. It was built by the descendants of Xu Kui, the younger brother of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was transferred to the Zhang family and renamed Yuyantang. The local cultural relics protection unit has a sign. If you tell them this, they will definitely know...Okay, okay, we'll wait here."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhi said to the three women who were staring blankly at him, "We might have to stay here a little longer. Grandpa Wang said he'll contact the local government right away and have them come and take a look."

"Then let's..."

“Let’s keep playing,” Zhou Zhi said. “Let’s finish exploring this place before they arrive.”

After passing through the courtyard, you enter the main hall. Although it has not received any specific protection, it has obviously undergone simple restoration by the cultural relics protection department in the past. The hall is spacious and bright, with the plaque of Yuyan Hall on the front and calligraphy and paintings on both sides, but they are all modern decorative Chinese paintings. Then you see a couplet in the introduction: "The sedan chair enters through the gate, and the boat passes through the house."

It's obvious that both the first and second lines end in the falling tone, violating the rules of prosody. Calling it a couplet is an exaggeration; it's more like a rhyming jingle.

However, the thick pillars are indeed quite large, but what is even rarer are the supports beneath them.

Zhou Zhi nudged the drum-shaped mound with his foot: "Do you remember what this is called?"

"Is it called Chudun or Zhuchu?" Zhang Xinyi said, "I remember when you were in Fubao Town, you gave us the proverb, 'A halo around the moon means wind, and dampness on the foundation means rain.'"

“That’s right,” Zhou Zhi said with a smile. “However, this pillar base cannot be moistened. That proverb does not apply to this base.”

"Why is this?" Ye Xin squatted down to take a closer look and even touched it with her hand: "Hey? This foundation is made of wood! I remember you told us that foundation pillars are for moisture protection, but this isn't made of stone at all. What a waste!"

Zhou Zhi laughed and said, "Human knowledge is accumulated slowly, and besides, is a stone foundation really necessary?" "Hey, what kind of nonsense are you spouting! Didn't you tell us that foundations were ancient moisture-proof facilities that could prevent the pillars from getting damp and increase their lifespan? How come you're saying they're unnecessary now?" Ye Xin was very angry.

“I said the foundation pillars are important and have a moisture-proof function, but I didn’t say that the foundation pillars must be made of stone.”

"If it's made of wood, what's the difference between it and the pillar above?" Ye Xin angrily slapped the pillar, which should have stood there since the Ming Dynasty: "The same material, how can it serve the function of a stone foundation pillar? How can it not break?"

“You’re absolutely right.” Zhou Zhi looked at Ye Xin with a smile: “It really doesn’t serve the function of a stone foundation pillar, and because it’s made of the same material as the pillars above, it will definitely get damp and break.”

"So I said it was all for naught, was I wrong?" Ye Xin said confidently.

“Of course it’s wrong.” Zhou Zhi still looked at Ye Xin with a smile: “Because it has another difference compared to the pillars above.”

"Tell me, what's the difference?!"

“Because…” Zhou Zhi gently touched the wooden base with his foot again and said, “It can be replaced.”

"Huh? Hahahaha..." Zhang Xinyi, who had been watching the two bickering, finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. This reasoning was simple and reasonable, but no one had thought of it before Zhou Zhi said it.

"Haha..." Mai Xiaomiao initially felt a little embarrassed to laugh, but laughter is contagious, and she soon couldn't help but laugh along with Zhang Xinyi.

Ye Xin laughed at her own foolishness. It was indeed true. The foundation pillars get damp from the bottom up. As long as the damaged foundation pillars are replaced with new ones before they get too damp, it's perfectly fine to use them like this!

Zhou Zhi laughed and said, "Actually, we can think of it this way: the earliest houses did not have foundation pillars; they were just a single pillar. However, the part of the pillar that meets the ground is prone to damage. So, people came up with a solution: they saw off the bottom of the damaged pillar and replaced it with a new piece of wood. This is how the most primitive foundation pillar was built."

"Later on, as people's technical capabilities improved, they replaced the wooden foundations with stone in order to extend their lifespan. Stone can block most of the moisture from the ground, and its moisture-proof effect is much better than that of wooden foundations. It can better protect the pillars, so wooden foundations were gradually replaced by stone foundations."

"Isn't this guess more logical?"

"You always have so many reasons!" Ye Xin retorted playfully. (End of Chapter)