webnovelfull Chapter 520: Experts Appraise Porcelain and Add Joy
Chapter 520: Experts Appraise Porcelain and Add Joy
As the morning sun had just spread over the loess slopes of the exploration area, Gu Fanxing sat down at the small table in the tent, his fingertips gently brushing over the Song Dynasty porcelain bowl in the protective box.
The light green body of the bowl glows with a warm luster in the morning light, and the twined branches pattern on the bowl is so delicate that it looks like it was embroidered.
She couldn't help but take out a magnifying glass and examine the details of the pattern bit by bit, and the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.
This was the first time in her archaeological career that she had personally unearthed such a complete Song Dynasty folk kiln artifact, and the excitement in her heart had not yet completely faded.
"Are you saying goodbye to your 'precious porcelain bowl'?" The tent curtain was gently lifted, and Pei Luonan walked in carrying a thermos bucket, with a smile in his voice.
He placed the thermos on the table and opened the lid. Inside was warm soy milk and two red bean paste buns. "They're from that old store in the county town. I asked the owner to put less sugar in them. Try them and see if they suit your taste."
Gu Fanxing put down the magnifying glass, took the red bean paste bun handed to him by Pei Luonan, took a bite, and the delicate red bean paste mixed with the aroma of wheat spread in his mouth, with just the right sweetness.
She looked up at Pei Luonan, her eyes full of smiles.
"How did you know I wanted to eat red bean paste buns today?"
"You were talking about 'red bean paste buns with porcelain pieces' in your sleep last night," Pei Luonan sat beside her, reached out to help her wipe away the crumbs from the corners of her mouth, his eyes full of pampering.
“I guessed you didn’t feel like eating anything else today, so I went to buy it.
By the way, Professor Wang and the others will be here at nine o'clock. I've asked Du Fei to sort out the information on the porcelain fragments. Don't worry when you explain it later, I'm here for you."
Gu Fanxing nodded, feeling much more at ease.
She picked up the soy milk and took a sip. The warmth slid down her throat and warmed her heart.
In fact, she was a little nervous last night, worried that she would not be able to explain well today, but Pei Luonan's attentiveness could always easily soothe her anxiety - he remembered her taste, her nervousness, and even every subtle emotion of hers.
Just as nine o'clock arrived, the sound of a car was heard at the entrance of the ruins.
Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan went out and saw Professor Wang getting out of the car with two assistants.
Professor Wang is a senior ceramic expert at the Provincial Museum. He has gray hair but looks energetic. He holds a magnifying glass in his hand. It is obvious that he is a person who is extremely dedicated to cultural relics.
"Professor Wang, thank you for the trouble you've made."
Pei Luonan stepped forward and shook hands with a respectful tone.
"We have prepared the porcelain bowls and related materials in the tent. Please come this way."
Professor Wang smiled and nodded, his eyes falling on Gu Fanxing with anticipation.
"Ms. Gu, I've heard from Luo Nan that you made an important discovery at the Yang County ruins. Today I can finally see it with my own eyes."
Gu Fanxing's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly led everyone towards the tent.
"Professor Wang, thank you for your praise. This is the result of the joint efforts of the team, and Luo Nan has helped me a lot."
After entering the tent, Professor Wang saw the protective box on the table at a glance.
He put on gloves, carefully opened the box, and leaned over to examine the porcelain bowl carefully.
The tent was silent, with only the occasional sound of the magnifying glass hitting the porcelain bowl. Gu Fanxing's heartbeat could not help but quicken, and she quietly clenched Pei Luonan's hand.
Pei Luonan felt her nervousness, quietly squeezed her palm, and handed her a note he had written in advance - on it was the specific depth of the stratum where the porcelain bowl was unearthed and the characteristics of the cultural layer. These were details she mentioned casually when she was sorting out the information yesterday, but he silently wrote them down.
After a long moment, Professor Wang finally put down the magnifying glass, a smile of surprise on his face. "Excellent! Excellent! The integrity of this porcelain bowl is truly rare among Song Dynasty folk kiln artifacts. Look at the curvature of the leaves in the coiled branch pattern, and the kiln mark on the bottom of the bowl—the 'Qingning Kiln' mark is faint, but the characteristics are very clear. This is the most complete 'Qingning Kiln' artifact discovered so far!"
Gu Fanxing's eyes lit up, and she quickly took out her notebook. "Professor Wang, are you saying this is from the 'Qingning Kiln'? We looked it up before, and we only knew that the 'Qingning Kiln' was a local kiln from the late Song Dynasty, but we've never seen any record of a complete vessel."
"That's right!" Professor Wang took the notebook and drew a simple kiln mark on it. "There are very few surviving Qingning Kiln artifacts, most of which are fragments. This is the first time a complete porcelain bowl like this has been discovered.
"Ms. Gu, your discovery is incredibly valuable. It not only fills the gap in research on the Qingning Kiln, but also helps us restore the firing techniques of local kilns in the late Song Dynasty!"
Pei Luonan added with a smile.
"Professor Wang, you don't know that in order to protect this porcelain bowl, Xingxing almost rushed to transport the porcelain pieces in the rain a few days ago. He even stared at the porcelain pieces carefully while eating.
Upon hearing this, Professor Wang looked at Gu Fanxing with even more admiration: "This kind of persistence is necessary for doing archaeology!
"Ms. Gu, when I get back, I'll apply to the museum. We can collaborate on a special study of the 'Qingning Kiln'. I'll ask you to be the principal researcher and document the discovery process and research results. We'll help you apply for a special fund from the archaeology community!"
Gu Fanxing was so surprised that she couldn't speak and could only nod vigorously.
Pei Luonan held her hand tightly, his eyes full of pride - he knew that his star deserved all the recognition.
Ling Jiuer, who was standing next to him, couldn't contain her excitement. She pulled Du Fei's arm and whispered, "Did you hear that? Xingxing is going to be a special researcher! He can even apply for funding! That's amazing!"
Du Fei smiled and nodded, handing him a bottle of warm mineral water.
"Don't get excited, be careful not to shout out loud. Look, Xingxing isn't panicking, but you're more nervous than her."
After Professor Wang and his assistants finished looking at the porcelain fragments, Pei Luonan suggested going to the county town for lunch. They specially chose a restaurant that served light dishes. They ordered the steamed fish and tofu soup that Gu Fanxing liked, and the braised pork that Professor Wang liked.
At the dinner table, Professor Wang was discussing the research plan of "Qingning Kiln" with Gu Fanxing, while Pei Luonan occasionally picked up some food for Gu Fanxing, picked out the fish bones before putting them into her bowl, and even left the tenderest piece of meat in the belly of the fish for her. His movements were natural and skillful.
Professor Wang saw this and joked with a smile: "Luonan, you are more attentive to Miss Gu than to the cultural relics."
Pei Luonan put down his chopsticks, his eyes full of tenderness: "Stars are much more precious than cultural relics. Of course I have to keep her preferences in mind."
Gu Fanxing's cheeks flushed, and she kicked Pei Luonan lightly, but couldn't help laughing.
The sunlight shone through the restaurant window onto the two of them, and even the air was filled with sweetness.
When seeing Professor Wang off, he patted Gu Fanxing on the shoulder and said, "Ms. Gu, I will send you the research plan as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Luo Nan, you must support Miss Gu. Such a good talent must be protected well."
"Don't worry, I will definitely not let Xingxing suffer any injustice."
Pei Luonan smiled and nodded, put his arm around Gu Fanxing's waist, and gently rubbed her shoulders. "You've been tired all morning. Let's go back and rest for a while, and then sort out the information in the afternoon."
Gu Fanxing leaned in Pei Luonan's arms, watching Professor Wang's car gradually drive away, feeling at ease.
She looked up at Pei Luonan and whispered, "Luonan, thank you. If it weren't for you, I might not even have the chance to protect the porcelain bowl, let alone get Professor Wang's approval."
"Silly girl," Pei Luonan lowered his head and kissed her forehead gently, "This is all the result of your own efforts.
I just did what I should do - accompany you, support you, and let you do what you like with peace of mind."
The two walked hand in hand back to the ruins. Gu Fanxing looked at Pei Luonan and suddenly felt that the significance of archaeology was not only to discover history, but also to meet someone who was willing to accompany her to protect what she loved in the process.
She gently held Pei Luonan's hand and thought: No matter how many porcelain fragments will be unearthed in the future, no matter how many difficulties will be encountered, as long as he is by my side, I will not be afraid of anything.