Zhuo Yu Feng Yang Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Reorganizing Xianyun Zhai

As dusk settled, Wang Youde rushed over with several old merchants from Antique Street, carrying brooms, wooden planks, and hemp ropes.

“Jiang kid, are you alright?” Wang Youde yelled as soon as he entered, and seeing the mess in the room, he stomped his feet in distress. “These damned people, they hit too hard!”

The other old merchants also sighed, comforting Jiang Zhuo in a flurry of voices: “Boss Jiang is young and promising, that Tiger guy is just jealous.” “Don’t worry, we people from Antique Street won’t stand by and watch you get bullied.”

Jiang Zhuo felt a slight warmth in his heart looking at their concerned expressions. He had thought that Antique Street was full of people who only looked out for themselves, but he hadn’t expected them to proactively offer help at a crucial moment.

“Thank you, everyone,” Jiang Zhuo bowed in thanks, his voice calm. “I’m fine, it’s just the shop that suffered.”

“It’s good that you’re fine, it’s good that you’re fine!” Wang Youde patted his chest. “Leave the shop cleanup to me! You go rest first, this little bit of work won’t stump us.”

Everyone else chimed in, rolling up their sleeves and getting busy. Some swept the floor, some moved things, and two merchants who knew carpentry took out planks and tools and began repairing the smashed curio shelves.

Jiang Zhuo didn’t go to rest but rolled up his own sleeves and joined the cleanup crew. He squatted on the ground, carefully picking up the ceramic fragments that hadn’t completely shattered, wiping them clean with a soft cloth, and placing them into cardboard boxes.

Some of these fragments could still be restored. In the antique trade, restoration is also a field of study; a damaged antique, after being repaired by a master, might not return to its original state, but it can retain a certain ancient charm.

Working until the latter half of the night, Xianyun Zhai finally started to look presentable. The curio shelves were barely straightened, the broken ceramic pieces on the floor were cleaned up, and the antiques that were still salvageable were temporarily stored in the back room’s cabinet.

Wang Youde and the others were sweating profusely, sitting on benches and catching their breath. Jiang Zhuo brewed a pot of hot tea and poured a cup for everyone.

“Jiang kid,” Wang Youde took a sip of tea and lowered his voice, “Tiger is acting out of desperation. The South City Antique Exchange Fair is about to start, he must be afraid you’ll ruin his plans, that’s why he came to cause trouble.”

“I know,” Jiang Zhuo said softly. “The more anxious he is, the closer we are to the truth.”

“What are you planning to do?” asked an old merchant named Liu. “Tiger has considerable influence, and the Exchange Fair will be crowded. If he sends people to cause a scene, it might damage the fair’s reputation.”

Jiang Zhuo put down his teacup and looked around at everyone. “I want to ask for a favor from all of you uncles.”

“Tell us!” Wang Youde slapped his thigh. “As long as it helps deal with Tiger, we’re all in!”

“On the day of the Exchange Fair, please keep a close eye out,” Jiang Zhuo’s voice was steady. “If Tiger’s people come to cause trouble, don’t confront them directly. Stabilize the situation first, then quietly call the police. Additionally, I’d like to borrow your connections to help me look out for anyone recently inquiring about the whereabouts of the remnant scroll of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.”

Everyone exchanged glances and nodded.

“That’s easy!” Uncle Liu said. “We’ve been in Antique Street for so many years, we have good information channels.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Jiang Zhuo thanked them again.

They chatted for a while longer before dispersing.

Only Jiang Zhuo remained in Xianyun Zhai. He walked into the back room, opened the storage cabinet, and looked at the properly stored antiques, his eyes deep.

He took out a toolbox from under the cabinet. Inside were the restoration tools he had specially prepared: small carving knives, epoxy resin glue, sandpaper, spray fixative, gold leaf, and various colored glazes.

In his previous life, he was only skilled in appraisal. But now with the System, antique restoration was not a problem. He was confident he could bring those smashed ceramics back to life.

For the next few days, Jiang Zhuo practically lived and ate in Xianyun Zhai. He received customers during the day, and at night, he sat under the desk lamp, meticulously restoring the broken porcelain.

The smell of glue permeated the room, and the small carving knife danced in his hand. The shattered ceramic pieces gradually took shape under his touch. He even used the technique of Kintsugi, inlaying fine gold leaf into the cracks of the porcelain, giving the damaged pieces a unique charm.

Wang Youde occasionally came by to bring food, and watching Jiang Zhuo’s focused demeanor, he couldn’t help but sigh: “This kid is truly cut out for the antique business.”

Besides restoring antiques, Jiang Zhuo also contacted Lu Chen. The two briefly discussed security issues for the Exchange Fair. Lu Chen offered to send a few bodyguards, but Jiang Zhuo politely declined.

“The Exchange Fair is a grand event for the antique circle, it shouldn’t be too ostentatious,” Jiang Zhuo said. “Just stick to the original plan.”

Lu Chen didn’t press the issue, only reminding him: “Tiger might show up in person, be careful.”

Jiang Zhuo acknowledged the warning.

Days passed, and Xianyun Zhai gradually returned to its former appearance. The curio shelves were repaired, and the restored ceramics were placed back on display. The gold leaf patterns shimmered under the light, creating a distinctive aesthetic.

Many old customers came to the shop, and seeing the restored ceramics, they couldn’t help but marvel.

“Boss Jiang’s craftsmanship is truly superb!”

“This Kintsugi restoration looks even better than the original!”

Jiang Zhuo merely smiled faintly, saying little.

He knew that these compliments, besides genuinely admiring his restoration skills, were also meant to comfort him.

Only three days remained until the South City Antique Exchange Fair.

That evening, Jiang Zhuo closed the shop and took out the encrypted USB drive, plugging it into the computer again. He stared at the truncated list of cultural relics, his brow furrowed.

The Gold-Inlaid Jade Buddha Head.

Where exactly were the clues for the Gold-Inlaid Jade Buddha Head hidden?

What dirty tricks would Tiger pull on the day of the Exchange Fair?

And would the never-before-seen Lu Jingyang truly appear at the fair?

Countless questions swirled in his mind.

Jiang Zhuo rubbed his temples and shut down the computer. He walked to the window and pushed it open. The evening breeze brought a chill, clearing his head somewhat.

No matter what scheme Tiger had planned, he was ready.

The South City Antique Exchange Fair would be the final showdown between him and Tiger.

He looked at the deep night outside the window, a determined curve forming on his lips.

Maintain integrity while acting unexpectedly, that is the way to see things through.