Restoring cultural relics: Starting with the crying Tang Dynasty figurines

Old Li hurriedly brought over a chair for Su Yuan to sit down, and then went to attend to other matters.

Su Yuanqing spent an hour cleaning the grime from the porcelain jar, removing the accumulated dust and residue. He straightened up and stretched his neck a few times.

"Grandpa, could you please bring a power strip to the yard?"

"Okay."

Hearing this from outside, Old Li quickly found a long power cord with an extension cord. He and Su Yuan then moved the table into the yard, otherwise the dust from polishing would have been everywhere inside the house.

Old Li kept saying that the child was very thoughtful!

Next came polishing. Su Yuan took out a small piece of beige porcelain from the Republic of China era from the toolbox and began to paint along the missing parts.

Then use a diamond cutter to cut the shape, and slowly polish it to the appropriate size.

We drilled all the holes that needed to be drilled beforehand, but this time we didn't drill through them at all!

Using the internal clamping method, several fragments were joined together from the inside of the porcelain shard with copper strips, and egg white was applied to the gaps beforehand.

Apply egg white to the cleaned nicks on the porcelain jar, attach the fragments, wait a few minutes, and then use the prepared copper tenons to secure it from the inside!

Sand it smooth with fine sandpaper, apply a layer of glaze, and the inside of the porcelain jar is done.

All that was left was the fine work on the outside. Su Yuan prepared a small dish of epoxy resin and added a hardener.

Dip the finest bamboo skewer tip into the skewer and apply a thin layer to the broken edges!

Place in a cool, shady place and wait for the glue to solidify.

Old Li asked, "Is this considered fixed?"

Su Yuan packed up the small electric drill and said with a smile, "No, grandpa, we still have to continue."

After the glue had completely dried, Su Yuan used 2,000-grit sandpaper dipped in water to gently sand the seams until they were completely smooth to the touch.

He cleaned the surface with a soft cloth and found an old porcelain jar containing his own antique-style glaze.

It's made by mixing black tea and several mineral pigments in a specific ratio, and is specifically used to age Republic-era famille rose porcelain.

He dipped a small brush in glaze and applied a thin layer of it to the repaired flute.

Wait a while, then wipe away the excess paint with a cotton cloth, and apply a second and third coat. By the fourth coat, the color of the newly repaired flute body will have blended seamlessly with the original!

Old Li watched intently from the side, not daring to disturb him.

Su Yuan looked at the luster of the glaze, the fine crackle patterns, and even the warm, smooth feel that had accumulated over time; it was no different from the original.

With only the final step in the refining process remaining, Su Yuan used a dry brush to dip a little pumice powder and swept it on the surface.

This isn't done to damage it, but to ensure that the repaired area doesn't feel new to the touch!

He turned the picture of the boy riding an ox around, examined it for a while, and then put the porcelain jar back in place, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Old Li hurried over, examined it carefully for a while, and finally pointed to several fine, hair-like marks near the flute body, asking:

"Child, what is this...?"

"Seams, once something has been repaired, will always leave traces. You can make it completely undetectable, but that's not repair; that's deception."

Old Li nodded, looking at the almost identical porcelain jar with the image of a child riding an ox, and sighed:

"Child, your craftsmanship is truly superb! My family heirloom is now complete again. From now on, we must have our children take good care of it!"

Last night, the sound of children reached Su Yuan's ears:

"Hmph, if his family doesn't protect me properly, I'll make sure none of them get good grades!"

"Master Su, thank you so much! Now I can finally stand in front of them in style again..."

Su Yuan found it hilarious, but he couldn't let Old Li know, so he suppressed a laugh, finished tidying up his tools, and said to Old Li:

"Sir, I'm going home now that it's fixed."

"Hey, don't go! Let's have lunch here. I'll ask my son to buy some groceries..."

"How much is it, kid?"

Su Yuan hurriedly waved his hand:

"Sir, no need, I'll eat at home. And don't talk about money, you've always been a good supporter of my family, I know that."

After saying that, he picked up his toolbox and walked away quickly.

"Alright then..."

When Su Yuan returned home, his mother had already cooked the dishes: "You're back, Yuan'er. Quickly wash your hands and get ready to eat."

The afternoon was pleasant. After lunch, Su Yuan accompanied his parents for a stroll outside. The family of three enjoyed a rare walk in the countryside, woods, and parks!

Su Fu's condition seemed to improve a lot in the following days.

Su Yuan mostly stayed at home and didn't go out, secretly looking at A Wu in the bronze mirror.

That day, he wrapped the copper pieces, three small copper keys, copper lock and key, and small jade pieces in cloth.

We won't need these things anymore, so it's better to keep them at home!

Su Zhi crafted a sword, a bronze mirror, a jade ring, and a spirit-gathering pearl. The protective inscription of the Pure Yang True Man must always be by his side.

I also took the small green stone that Awu gave me.

Leisure time always flies by too quickly, and before you know it, it's the weekend. Liu Xiuyun got up very early on Monday morning, and by five or six o'clock she had already prepared steamed buns and porridge.

Seeing Su Yuan emerge from the house dazed, she said, "Hurry up and wash your face, eat before you leave. Have you bought your train ticket?"

"I've bought it, for 7 o'clock."

"There's still time." Mother lifted the lid of the steamer, and white steam billowed out: "It's pork and cabbage filling, your favorite when you were little."

Su Yuan responded, washed up, and started eating. He ate three pieces in one go, drank two bowls of porridge, and then slung his bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave.

Su Fu had a bit of a cold yesterday and was still sleeping. Su Yuan went into the room, squatted by the bed to check on his dad, snuggled into the blankets, and then left!

His mother saw him to the gate of the courtyard and handed him a plastic bag containing an apple and a piece of homemade jujube cake.

"Take it and eat it on the way."

"Mom, no need..."

"Take it, otherwise we don't know when we'll get to eat it again."

Liu Xiuyun stuffed the bag into his hand, and Su Yuan didn't refuse anymore, putting the bag into the side pocket of his backpack.

"Mom, I'll come back to see you when I have time."

Liu Xiuyun nodded, her eyes reddening but she held back her tears. She straightened Su Yuan's collar and said:

"Take care on the road, and remember to send me a message when you arrive."

Su Yuan grunted in agreement, picked up his toolbox, and turned to leave.

He walked about a hundred meters away, then looked back; his mother was still standing at the gate, watching him go…

The bus ride from my hometown to the provincial capital takes more than eight hours.

Su Yuan sat by the window, placing his backpack and toolbox beside his legs, and began to plan what was to come.

We need to find an opportunity to ask Zhou Peiyuan. Zhong Ming said that Zhou Peiyuan is from the Ninth Bureau, which should be related to the cultural relics system and may be at a higher level than the renovation center!

And that unfamiliar number, could it be Zhou Peiyuan?

Su Yuan thought about it and felt it didn't seem likely. Zhou Peiyuan's style was to make a direct phone call or say it in person; he wouldn't send such a mysterious message.

The bus stopped once at a service area, where Su Yuan got off, bought a bottle of water, and ate an apple and jujube cake.

I stretched my legs a bit, then dozed off after getting on the bus. I dozed off for a while, and when I opened my eyes again, the scenery outside the window had changed from farmland to buildings.

We've arrived in the provincial capital!

The bus pulled into the long-distance bus station, and Su Yuan got off the bus carrying his toolbox and bag.

People were coming and going at the exit. He stood by the roadside, took out his phone and checked the time. It was a little past 2:20 pm. This time the bus was much faster.

Zhou Peiyuan had promised to send someone to pick him up, and Su Yuan was hesitating whether to make a call when his phone vibrated!