Restoring cultural relics: Starting with the crying Tang Dynasty figurines

Su Yuan looked over and saw that the white-haired old man standing behind the control panel was the same one who had asked his grandfather a question at the discussion meeting yesterday.

He couldn't remember his last name for a moment!

After he walked over, the old man looked him up and down and said, "You're Su Shouzhou's grandson?"

"Yes."

How much of your grandfather's skill did you learn?

"I haven't studied it," Su Yuan answered truthfully. "My grandfather passed away early, so I learned it in school, for seven years."

The old gentleman nodded and said, "People from your Su family all have a talent for this..."

After saying that, he didn't ask any more questions and turned around to continue his work.

Su Yuan stood by and watched, assuming the conversation was over.

A few minutes later, the old man, busy with his work, said:

"Your grandfather's method for restoring bronze tripods was to first remove the rust with bamboo sticks, then rinse them repeatedly with distilled water, and finally apply a reinforcing agent."

"People these days are all so focused on speed, they've completely messed up the order..."

Su Yuan paused for a moment and said:

"I know that."

The old man stopped what he was doing, looked up at him, and smiled with a mixture of surprise and relief in his eyes.

"You know?"

Su Yuan thought for a moment and said:

"Yes, removing rust with bamboo skewers requires a steady hand to avoid damaging the copper. The rinsing with distilled water must be controlled at around 25 degrees Celsius; too high a temperature will damage the copper, and too low a temperature will not clean it properly."

"The concentration of the consolidating agent must not exceed three percent, otherwise it will change the color of the bronze."

The old man stared at him for several seconds, then smiled and nodded: "Hmm, not bad..."

He didn't say anything more, keeping his head down and continuing with his work. Su Yuan stood there for a while longer, then Zhao Cheng leaned closer and whispered:

"This old man's surname is Liu. He is a bronze restoration expert at the provincial museum. I heard that he worked with your grandfather when he was young."

Su Yuan watched as Old Master Liu was busy, then quietly left with Zhao Cheng without disturbing him any further.

After the morning observation session, there will be free time for discussion.

Tea breaks were laid out in the lobby of the restoration center. Su Yuan stood by the window with a cup of coffee, looking out at the courtyard of the provincial museum.

"Su Yuan."

He heard someone calling him from behind.

Su Yuan turned around and saw a man in his early forties walking towards him.

He was quite good-looking, but Su Yuan didn't recognize him.

"Hello, you must be Su Yuan?" The man walked up to him and extended his hand. "My surname is Jiang, Jiang Weiguo, from the Cultural Relics Department of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau."

Su Yuan extended his hand with a puzzled look and shook hands with him: "Hello."

"Teacher Zhou mentioned you to me."

Jiang Weiguo took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "If the province has any bronze restoration work in the future, we might ask you to help."

Su Yuan took the business card and glanced at it: Deputy Director of the Cultural Relics Department of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau. He quickly replied:

"You flatter me too much. I've only been in this industry for a short time."

"Teacher Zhou's judgment of people is never wrong!" Jiang Weiguo smiled.

"Some of the bronze artifacts repaired by your great-grandfather and his colleagues are still used as models in the province, and their craftsmanship is very famous in the province."

"Your ancestors, your great-grandfather and the like, were all senior figures in the cultural relic restoration field in our province."

Su Yuan didn't reply.

Jiang Weiguo chatted for a few more minutes, mostly polite conversation, asking about his work and the conditions at his workplace. Su Yuan answered all of them.

As Jiang Weiguo left, he said again, "You can come to me if you need anything in the future."

Su Yuan nodded.

Zhao Cheng walked up to him without him noticing, and watching Jiang Weiguo's departing figure, he whispered, "You should be careful with this guy."

Su Yuan looked at him, puzzled.

"His position in the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau is very delicate!" Zhao Cheng said. "Although he can't be said to be Han Zhengming's man, he is outwardly close to Han Zhengming's side."

Su Yuan put the business card in his pocket without saying a word.

The seminar ended around 4 p.m.

Xiao Meng's car was waiting at the door. Zhao Cheng and Su Yuan got in and drove towards the guesthouse.

"The seminar is over." Zhao Cheng leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief. "I can go back to work first thing tomorrow morning."

Su Yuan smiled and nodded.

Just as the car drove off, Su Yuan's phone rang; it was Zhou Peiyuan calling.

"Xiao Su, are you done with the meeting?"

"I've finished with Teacher Zhou and am on my way back to the guesthouse."

"Okay," Zhou Peiyuan said on the phone. "Go back and get some rest. You've been quite tired these past few days."

Su Yuan nodded and then said, "Teacher Zhou...it seems that Sun Guoliang came to the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau yesterday."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I know," Zhou Peiyuan said half a minute later. "He came looking for Han Zhengming, but he didn't run into him."

"Didn't you run into her?"

"Yes, Han Zhengming was summoned away by the provincial authorities yesterday and is not at the Cultural Relics Bureau."

Su Yuan didn't respond after Zhou Peiyuan finished speaking.

"Xiao Su," Zhou Peiyuan's tone turned serious, "the bronze mirror, jade ring, spirit-locking pearl, bronze plaque, and that sword you have in your hands now."

"You must carry it with you at all times and try to keep it in your sight as much as possible, understand?"

"Um."

"If anything happens, try to get Zhao Cheng, Xiao He, and Xiao Qian to help you."

"Um."

"Go back and get some rest first," Zhou Peiyuan said. "Wait for my news about what happens next."

After the call ended, Zhao Cheng said from the side, "I knew it! That's why I smelled that weird, eerie scent."

Su Yuan was a little embarrassed: "I wasn't sure if it was him, so I didn't tell you..."

Su Yuan put his phone back in his pocket, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his seat.

When Zhao Cheng returned to his room at the guesthouse, Su Yuan had just closed the door when someone knocked.

When the door opened, a man in his forties was there, carrying a brown paper bag. He looked travel-worn, as if he had traveled a long way!

Su Yuan noticed that there was a layer of yellowish-brown calluses on the index and middle fingers of his right hand.

Those are marks that only someone who handles coins regularly would have worn down, the visitor introduced himself:

"Master Su, I am from the Fujian Provincial Coinage Society. My surname is Zhao, and I specialize in the study of pre-Qin currency."

He then took out a brocade box from the brown paper bag and opened it, revealing a knife-shaped coin inside. Su Yuan knew at a glance that this item was quite heavy!

It is about 14 centimeters long, with an arched back and concave blade, a slightly upturned pommel, and a ring at the end of the handle.

The overall color is a deep, antique mercury hue, interspersed with blue-green rust.

Su Yuan quickly let him in and closed the door.

Zhao Jinlai continued:

"This is a Ming dynasty sword from the late Warring States period of the Yan state. It was unearthed last year near the ruins of the lower capital of Yan, and it has been buried for over two thousand years!"

"At the time, more than thirty Ming dynasty swords were produced, most of them in good condition, but this one was the most severely rusted..."

He seemed very worried and anxious:

"Several parts of the blade have mineralized and become brittle; it could crumble into powder with the slightest force."

Su Yuan took the brocade box, opened it, and held the knife-shaped coin in his palm; it was much lighter than he had expected. Zhao sighed and continued:

"I had a few people look at it before, and they all said it couldn't be fixed. They said it was too brittle, and they didn't even dare to touch it. Then I heard Wang Jing mention you, and I..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: this was their last glimmer of hope!