Restoring cultural relics: Starting with the crying Tang Dynasty figurines

Chen Xiaohe choked, coughed a few times but didn't stop eating. Halfway through his meal, he saw Sun Guoliang come in!

He glanced around the cafeteria, his gaze lingering on Su Yuan for a moment, then got some noodles and sat down at the table furthest away from him.

Glancing occasionally in the direction of the old warehouse, Chen Xiaohe glanced at Sun Guoliang and said in a very low voice:

"That old bastard stood outside your office for quite a while this morning, and then stayed at the warehouse door for less than a minute. Xiao Liu and I saw it on the security camera."

"I know."

Chen Xiaohe didn't continue. After finishing their meal, they went back to the second floor together. Su Yuan didn't go into the office but went to the warehouse first.

That Han Dynasty pottery jar has a minor problem that needs fixing, otherwise I'll forget about it when I get busy later!

This pottery jar is made of gray earthenware, with an open mouth, constricted neck, bulging belly, and flat bottom. It is about 20 centimeters high and about 18 centimeters in diameter. The rim needs to be repaired.

Su Yuan took the pottery jar down and placed it on his great-grandfather's workbench.

The dents on the table surface were just enough to support the bottom of the can, making it quite stable!

The pottery jars are over two thousand years old. The clay body is relatively loose and has a high water absorption rate. When repairing them, you can't use too much water or materials with high moisture content.

Su Yuan rummaged through his toolbox and pulled out a piece of old pottery he had prepared. Its color was similar to this piece of gray pottery, both being grayish-brown in tone, with traces of soil staining.

He compared the pottery shard to the notch at the rim; it was too big. He broke off a small piece with pliers and began to grind it little by little with a file.

After grinding it to be about the same size as the gap, I tried placing it on the gap again, but it was still a little too big. I ground it repeatedly five or six times before the shape of the pottery shard finally matched the gap!

It fits perfectly, like a puzzle piece.

Su Yuan mixed a small amount of epoxy resin with a hardener and stirred it well. He then applied a thin layer of the mixture to the edge of the notch using a small bamboo stick, as too much would cause it to overflow.

Press the pottery shard firmly onto the surface, hold it in place with your fingers for a minute until the resin begins to harden, then release your hand.

The pottery shards stuck firmly in place!

The color looks off; the repaired pottery shard is a shade lighter than the body of the jar, like a patch on clothing.

Su Yuan mixed in some more aging solution. Gray pottery cannot be aged using the overglaze method; mineral pigments must be used to infuse it.

He took out a small packet of red ochre powder and black ochre powder from his toolbox and mixed them together in a 1:3 ratio.

After mixing it with alcohol to form a paste, I used a small brush to apply a thin layer to the replacement pottery shards.

When it's half-dry, wipe it with a cotton cloth and then apply another layer.

After applying three coats, the color of the patched area finally matched the surrounding jar, both being a grayish-brown color with a faint earthy sheen!

Su Yuan then dipped a dry brush in some pumice powder and gently rubbed the patched area. The surface became rougher, and it felt no different from the original texture of the pottery jar.

It had no spirit; it was just an ordinary cultural relic. After it was repaired, the pottery jar was put back in its original place.

First, clean all the tools thoroughly and drain them. Use paper towels to absorb the water and set them aside to dry completely.

After tidying up the worktable and washing his hands, he took the bronze mirror and walked up to Awu, looking at her.

"Do you know what Sun Guoliang smells like?"

Su Yuan asked softly, and the mirror light flashed.

The sound of bells came from inside:

"We've figured it out. It's a Gap, the same kind that Wu Zhenshan raises, but Sun Guoliang's was given to him by Han Zhengming. That Gap is attached to him to gather information for him!"

"Another rift?"

Su Yuan stared at the chiming bell inside.

"Yes."

Zhong Ming's voice became more solemn:

"Wu Zhenshan cultivated a rift for his son's sake, while Han Zhengming cultivated a rift to harm others and commit evil."

"I'm afraid Han Zhengming has more than one. He uses these things like dogs, sending them out to spy on people, gather information, search for items, and harm people!"

"The one Sun Guoliang is wearing is the one Han Zhengming sent to keep an eye on you."

Su Yuan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked:

"Then could he threaten and harm my parents?!"

"No need to worry about that..."

Zhong Ming floated forward a little: "Your parents are no threat to him; his target is you."

Su Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and then asked:

"Mr. Zhong, can they hear us from very far away?"

"Hehehe, the gap isn't omnipotent. It can only amplify the host's perception, allowing them to see what the host sees and hear what the host hears."

Su Yuan thought of the gap he had sealed off, and the one that had injured Wu Zhenshan and Zhao Huaishan, and wanted to ask but didn't say it...

Miao Deyu's voice came from beside Zhong Ming:

"If you're talking to us, he can hear you talking to yourself even if he's standing outside the door. He'll record and report that alone."

Su Yuan paused for a few seconds and then asked:

"So... I can't talk to you guys in the warehouse anymore?"

"The warehouse is fine, as long as it's far away from him."

Zhong Ming explained in detail: "Miss Awu's aura can block out the senses of gaps. He can't hear any movement inside while standing at the door. It's very safe here."

Su Yuan turned to look at A Wu. The terracotta figurine stood quietly on the shelf, and the light in the bronze mirror flickered as if in response.

"Thank you…"

Su Yuan spoke softly, and the light in the mirror flickered again. Zhong Ming coughed.

"Young man of the Su family, don't just thank me; you'd better be careful yourself!"

Su Yuan nodded and kept those words in mind.

He checked his phone; it was almost one o'clock, and he still had half an hour before starting work in the afternoon.

"I'm going back to my office to take a nap," Su Yuan said, putting the bronze mirror back in his pocket and returning to his office.

Not long after I started work in the afternoon, Zhao Cheng, who had been away for quite some time, unexpectedly arrived.

Su Yuan was sitting at his desk making repair notes when there was a knock on the door, which he then pushed open.

"Su Yuan!"

Zhao Cheng poked half his body in, a smile on his face: "Busy, huh?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuan looked up and asked, "Brother Zhao... what brings you here?"

"Yes, I finished up with things at my workplace, so I came to visit you all."

Zhao Cheng walked in, sat down in a chair, and looked around the office: "It's still the same as always, nothing much has changed."

Su Yuan smiled but didn't reply.

Zhao Cheng's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then swept over the files on the table, and he lowered his voice:

"Has Sun Guoliang caused you a lot of trouble?"

"good…"

Su Yuan said, "They looked at some of my restoration files and talked about my great-grandfather and some things about the Su family."

Zhao Cheng nodded:

"You probably already know what's on him, but he doesn't pose much of a threat to you right now!"

Su Yuan looked into Zhao Cheng's eyes; his gaze was sincere, or at least it seemed so.

But after going through so many things, Su Yuan has learned a lesson.

In this workplace, you can't believe everything anyone says. Zhao Cheng seems a little different this time...

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zhao." Su Yuan expressed his sincere gratitude.

"No need to thank me, we're all on the same side!"

Zhao Cheng stood up and patted Su Yuan on the shoulder:

"Alright, I won't bother you any longer. I still need to report to Director Zhang."

He walked to the door, then turned back, as if remembering something: "By the way, you're going to a meeting in the provincial capital next Monday?"

"Yes, Teacher Zhou asked me to go."

"That's a good thing, but Han Zhengming might be there too, just so you know."

Zhao Cheng nodded: "Anyway, it's good to get some fresh air. Don't worry about things here, I'll keep an eye on things!"