Zhuo Yu Feng Yang Chapter 20

Chapter 20 The dust has settled and the warm sun is in my arms

The day after the exchange meeting ended, the Cultural Relics Bureau informed the public about the case.

Brother Hu and Chen Laogui were formally investigated for suspected smuggling of cultural relics, fraud, and false accusations.The accounts and testimonies in the USB flash drive are irrefutable, and coupled with the witnesses and physical evidence at the exchange meeting, there is no way for the two to deny it.As soon as the news came out, the entire antique circle was shocked. Many collectors who had been cheated came forward to give evidence. For a while, everyone clapped their hands and cheered.

Zhou Jingshan’s case also ushered in a turning point.Based on the clues provided by Jiang Zhuo, the Cultural Relics Bureau retrieval of the files from that year, combined with the confessions of Brother Hu and others, finally restored the truth.A week later, an official announcement was made to clear Zhou Jingshan of all his grievances and restore his reputation as a master treasure appraiser.

When the news reached the old home of the Zhou family, Mr. Zhou held the announcement tightly in his skinny hands, and shed two lines of clear tears in his cloudy eyes.

Jiang Zhuo and Lu Chen went to visit Mr. Zhou together.Seeing the old man being so excited that he couldn’t speak, the stone hanging in Jiang Zhuo’s heart finally fell to the ground.

Mr. Lin and his old friends at Jubao Pavilion also breathed a sigh of relief and specially set up a table of wine at Debao Pavilion, saying they wanted to celebrate Jiang Zhuo’s success.

At the wine table, Wang Youde drank so much that his face turned red. He patted Jiang Zhuo on the shoulder and said, “You will be feared later in life.”Mr. Lin looked at Jiang Zhuo, his eyes full of relief: “Zhou Jingshan’s wish has come true. You have made a great contribution.”

Jiang Zhuo just smiled lightly and raised his glass to everyone: “It’s all the result of everyone’s help.”

Lu Chen sat aside, still looking cold, but he rarely picked up his wine glass and touched it with Jiang Zhuo: “Thank you this time.”

“Each other.” Jiang Zhuo replied.

The two looked at each other and smiled without saying a word.

After drinking for three rounds, Lu Jingyang opened the door and came in, holding a brocade box in his hand, with a little sweat on his forehead, and the freshness of a young man in his eyebrows.

“I’m late, I’m late!” He apologized with a smile, his eyes swept around the room, and finally landed on Jiang Zhuo, his eyes lit up, “Boss Jiang, I have something to show you.”

Everyone looked over curiously.

Lu Jingyang walked to Jiang Zhuo and carefully opened the brocade box. Inside was the Hetian jade butterfly hairpin.He pointed at the butterfly wings on the hairpin and said excitedly: “I looked carefully with a high-power magnifying glass. There is a set of micro-carvings hidden in the hidden veins of the wings! It’s the words ‘Buddha’s head is hidden in Ning’an’!”

Jiang Zhuo’s heart skipped a beat.

Ning’an.

It is Ning’an Temple on the outskirts of the city, an ancient temple that has been abandoned for many years.

The clue to the gold-inlaid jade Buddha head is actually hidden in this jade hosta!

“I checked the information and found that Ning’an Temple was a royal temple in the Qing Dynasty. Some of the treasures from the Old Summer Palace were indeed briefly stored there.” Lu Jingyang continued, his eyes full of determination. “It seems that Mr. Zhou’s grandmother had already hidden the whereabouts of the Buddha’s head in the hairpin.”

Everyone at the table was stunned, and then burst into exclamation.

Mr. Lin stood up excitedly: “Great! Now the Buddha’s head can be found again!”

Jiang Zhuo clenched his fists, feeling an indescribable emotion well up in his heart.The perseverance of two generations of Zhou Lao’s ancestors will finally see the light of day at this moment.

What happened next was a matter of course.

Jiang Zhuo reported this clue to the Cultural Relics Bureau.The archaeological team immediately rushed to Ning’an Temple. After half a month of excavation, they finally found a hidden compartment under the Sutra Pavilion in the backyard of the temple.There is a rosewood box hidden in the secret room, which contains the gold-inlaid jade Buddha head that has been lost for many years.

The Buddha’s head is entirely gilded and inlaid with dozens of rubies. It has compassionate eyebrows and exquisite craftsmanship. You can tell it is a royal treasure at a glance.When the news spread, the whole country was in uproar.The Cultural Relics Bureau specially issued honorary certificates to Jiang Zhuo and Lu Jingyang in recognition of their contributions to the protection of cultural relics.

The reputation of Xianyunzhai is well-known in the antique circle.

There is an endless stream of people who come to Jiang Zhuo to repair antiques, and the small shop is crowded with people every day.Jiang Zhuo still looks calm, neither arrogant nor impetuous, and takes every artifact seriously.

Lu Jingyang became a frequent visitor to Xianyunzhai.

He was not as eager to inquire about prices or verifications as other guests. He always sat quietly aside, watching Jiang Zhuo repair antiques, and occasionally asked a few professional questions. The two of them chatted all afternoon.

Jiang Zhuo suggested that the hosta he brought be temporarily handed over to the Cultural Relics Bureau for safekeeping as a physical material for studying the palace craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty.Lu Jingyang agreed without saying a word.

This afternoon, the setting sun slanted into Xianyunzhai, coating the porcelain on the Bogu shelf with a layer of warm gold.

Jiang Zhuo was repairing a porcelain bowl from the Song Dynasty. Lu Jingyang was sitting on the small bench next to him, holding a book “A Study of Palace Utensils of the Qing Dynasty” in his hand, reading with gusto.

There were no other customers in the store, only the slight sound of sandpaper rubbing against ceramic tiles, which was quiet and pleasant.

“Boss Jiang,” Lu Jingyang suddenly raised his head, closed the book, and looked at Jiang Zhuo, “I applied for an internship at the Institute of Cultural Relics Restoration and will join the job next week.”

Jiang Zhuo paused in his movements and raised his eyes to look at him: “Good thing.”

“Yes!” Lu Jingyang laughed, his eyebrows arched.”In the future, I can follow the teacher and restore more cultural relics. By the way, the institute wants to invite you to be a guest lecturer and teach us the craftsmanship of gold repair and porcelain repair. Are you willing to go?”

Jiang Zhuo looked at the expectation in his eyes, was silent for a moment, and nodded slowly: “Okay.”

“That’s great!” Lu Jingyang almost jumped up with excitement, but then he remembered something, scratched his head, and showed an embarrassed smile, “Actually…my brother has wanted to treat you to dinner for a long time. Thank you for taking care of me. I’m afraid you won’t be free.”

The corners of Jiang Zhuo’s mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

He put down his tools and looked out the window.The setting sun was slowly setting, dyeing the sky a warm orange-red color.The evening breeze carries the fragrance of sycamore leaves and blows in through the open window, bringing with it a bit of comfort.

Lu Jingyang came close to him, followed his gaze out the window, and suddenly said: “Boss Jiang, tell me, do all the antiques in this world have their own stories?”

Jiang Zhuo turned to look at him.

The young man’s profile looked particularly soft in the setting sun, and his eyes shone with love and sincerity for cultural relics, shining straight into his heart like a warm sun.

“Yes.” Jiang Zhuo said softly, “Every antique hides a period of time and a story.”

Lu Jingyang smiled and turned around, his eyes clear and bright: “Then can we explore these stories together in the future?”

Jiang Zhuo looked into his eyes, was silent for a few seconds, and then softly said “hmm”.

The sunset gradually sets, and the night slowly falls over the sky.The lights in Xianyunzhai turned on, and in the warm yellow halo, two figures stood side by side, one was calm, the other was agile, like a frozen painting.

The hustle and bustle of Antique Street continues, but their story has just begun.