Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

The phone rang twice before being answered, and Ma Jianguo's cheerful voice came from the other end: "Mr. Xu! What brings you to call me today?"

"Section Chief Ma, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Xu Xing got straight to the point, "Today at the antique exchange fair, I acquired a painting called 'Hermitage in the Bamboo Grove' by Zhu Zhishan. After returning home, I discovered that there seems to be more to this painting than meets the eye; it's a painting within a painting. I'd like to find an expert to help me unmount it."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Ma Jianguo's surprised voice came through: "A painting within a painting? There's something hidden inside Zhu Zhishan's painting?"

"Yes, I've done a preliminary work. There is indeed another layer of imagery inside the silk scroll, but I don't dare to continue for fear of damaging it."

"Wait a minute, let me ask for you."

Ma Jianguo's tone became serious. "We have a master craftsman in our museum who has spent his whole life doing mounting and framing work. His skills are among the best in the entire Chang'an."

I'll contact him for you and see if he's free.

"Then I'll have to trouble Section Chief Ma."

"No trouble at all, just wait for my call."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Xing sat at his desk, looking at the "Bamboo Grove Retreat" painting with a corner partially uncovered, feeling a sense of anticipation.

Tang Bohu painted a portrait of Zhu Zhishan for his funeral, and Zhu Zhishan then painted a painting of himself in a bamboo grove in response, as if he had buried himself in the painting.

Once this level of painting-within-a-painting is unframed, it will definitely cause a sensation in the cultural heritage circle.

His phone rang in less than ten minutes.

"Mr. X, Master Liao has agreed!"

Ma Jianguo's voice was tinged with excitement, "He said he's very interested in paintings within paintings, and he wants you to bring the painting directly to the museum so he can personally unmount it for you!"

"Great, I'm coming right now!"

Xu Xing hung up the phone, carefully rolled up the painting again, put it back into the painting tube, and then went out with his toolbox.

Chang'an Museum is about a 40-minute drive from Yunxi Terrace.

When Xu Xing arrived, Ma Jianguo was already waiting at the door.

"XCMG, this way!"

Ma Jianguo led Xu Xing through the museum's office area to the door of a studio at the far end of the second floor.

The studio door was open, and the lights were on inside.

An elderly man with a full head of white hair was sitting at a worktable, wearing reading glasses and holding a magnifying glass, carefully examining an ancient painting that was laid out on the table.

"Master Liao, XCMG is here."

Ma Jianguo knocked on the door and said respectfully.

The old man raised his head, revealing a wrinkled but vigorous face.

He glanced at Xu Xing, his gaze lingering for a moment on the painting tube in his hand, then nodded: "Come in."

Xu Xing walked into the studio, placed the painting tube on the worktable, and bowed slightly to the old man: "Master Liao, thank you for your trouble."

"Don't be shy, let me take a look at the things first."

Master Liao put down the magnifying glass, stood up, and walked to the worktable.

Xu Xing quickly opened the painting tube, carefully took out the painting "Recluse in the Bamboo Grove," and laid it flat on the worktable.

Instead of rushing to start, Master Liao first put on white gloves, picked up a magnifying glass, and carefully examined the painting along its edges.

His movements were slow and meticulous, leaving no inch of the silk scroll untouched.

He looked at it for a good ten minutes before putting down the magnifying glass and looking up at Xu Xing with a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Good eyesight."

"You're too kind."

Xu Xing said modestly, "I discovered it by chance."

"accidental?"

Master Liao smiled and shook his head. "To find a painting within a painting in Zhu Zhishan's works is not something that can be done by chance."

He walked to the sink, washed his hands carefully, put on new white gloves, and returned to his worktable.

He bent down again and carefully examined the exposed area with a magnifying glass.

Then he straightened up and looked at Xu Xing: "You dare to remove the mounting yourself, which means you have a certain level of skill."

Now that you've started, let's work together on the rest.

The two began to divide the work and cooperate.

Master Liao was in charge of the main unmounting work, while Xu Xing assisted him, handing him tools, spraying water, and applying medicine. They worked together seamlessly.

Master Liao's skills are indeed well-deserved.

His movements appeared slow, but each step was precise and accurate, without any unnecessary movements.

The scalpel in his hand was like a scalpel, moving effortlessly between the two layers of silk, separating the layers of paste that had been stuck together for hundreds of years, bit by bit.

Xu Xing watched from the sidelines and benefited greatly.

He discovered that many of Master Liao's techniques perfectly matched the structures he observed with his X-ray vision.

In some places, he doesn't even need X-ray vision; he can accurately judge the thickness and distribution of the paste layer based solely on experience and touch.

This is a true master.

The two worked together seamlessly, and the progress was much faster than expected.

About an hour later, they had removed about two-thirds of the mounting from the entire "Recluse in the Bamboo Grove" painting.

The portrait of Tang Bohu on the inner layer has already revealed most of its outline.

The person in the painting wears a tall hat and wide belt, with a lean face and a free and easy demeanor, which is exactly the image of Zhu Zhishan himself.

Master Liao stopped what he was doing, straightened up, took off his reading glasses, and rubbed his slightly sore eyes.

That's enough for now.

He glanced at the portrait, which was already mostly exposed, and said with a touch of emotion, "There's no need to peel back the remaining third."

"These two paintings are inherently one; one is the surface and the other is the essence. They depend on and complement each other."

"Although they can be framed separately if they are completely separated, the artistry and topicality of the painting hidden within the painting will be lost."

Preserving some of the connection so that future generations know that these two paintings were originally one is their best destiny.

Xu Xing nodded in agreement.

These two paintings together are far more valuable than they are separately.

Zhu Zhishan's "Recluse in the Bamboo Grove" is the exterior, while Tang Bohu painted his portrait in the interior.

Or perhaps Zhu Zhishan's painting of a hermit in a bamboo grove is a tomb, while Tang Bohu's portrait is a corpse.

Only when both are combined can a work be considered complete.

While they can be framed and exhibited separately if completely separated, the legendary charm of a painting hidden within a painting is greatly diminished.

"Master Liao is right."

Xu Xing finished up the remaining work and then carefully put the two paintings into a special painting box.

Ma Jianguo stood by the side the whole time, without disturbing the two of them at all.

Seeing that Xu Xing had put the painting away, he stepped forward and said with a smile, "Engineer Xu, you have truly broadened my horizons today!"

"A painting by Tang Bohu is hidden within a painting by Zhu Zhishan. I've never seen anything like this in my entire career!"

"I was just lucky."

Xu Xing smiled and said, "Section Chief Ma and Master Liao, thank you both for your hard work today. Let's have dinner together tonight, it's on me."

"I can't accept this..."

Just as Ma Jianguo was about to decline, Master Liao spoke up first: "Alright, if someone's treating me to dinner, this old man won't stand on ceremony."

Seeing this, Ma Jianguo no longer declined and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Xu."