Zhuo Yu Feng Yang Chapter 21

Chapter 21 A new chapter opens, and old things hide feelings

The days are like the tea on the ancient shelf of Xianyunzhai, slowly emitting a light fragrance in the warm light.

After Mr. Zhou’s injustice was revealed, many collectors came to visit him, either sending restored objects or asking Jiang Zhuo to take care of him. The small shop was full of people every day, but there was no sign of impatience.Jiang Zhuo still looked calm, cleaning antiques in the morning, receiving guests in the afternoon, and studying repair techniques under the lamp at night. But in the corner of the shop, there was a small bench that was often warmed by the sun.

On the first day that Lu Jingyang joined the Institute of Cultural Relics Restoration, he came to Xianyunzhai with a stack of ancient books.

“Boss Jiang! Look at the treasure I found!” When he opened the door, a gust of sycamore leaves came in. The cover of the ancient book in his arms was yellowed, but it was wrapped tightly. “This is the “Notes on the Restoration of Cultural Relics” from the Republic of China. The details of gold repair and porcelain repairing recorded in it are more detailed than textbooks!”

Jiang Zhuo was holding a magnifying glass to examine a fragment of a Ru kiln from the Song Dynasty. When he heard this, he raised his eyes and landed on the pile of ancient books. His eyes moved slightly: “Where did you buy it?”

“Pan Jiayuan’s old bookstall!” Lu Jingyang put the book on the table as if he was offering a treasure, and tapped the inscription on the title page with his fingertips, his eyebrows shining brightly. “The stall owner said it was a relic of an older generation of restorers, so I spent half an hour to get the price down. By the way, I also found something interesting. There was an old photo of Zhang Ning’an Temple in the notebook, and on the back it was written, ‘Buddha’s head returned to its original place, the old thing returned to its place.'”

Jiang Zhuo put down the magnifying glass and took the photo.

In the black and white light and shadow, the eaves of the Buddhist Scripture Pavilion of Ning’an Temple are upturned, and the copper bells hanging under the eaves seem to be still ringing in the wind.The handwriting on the back is strong and vaguely similar to the handwriting in Mr. Zhou’s notes.

“It should have been left by Mr. Zhou when he visited Ning’an Temple in his early years.” Jiang Zhuo rubbed the creases on the edge of the photo. “The Buddha’s head has been handed over to the museum. After hearing about it, Mr. Zhou felt much better. Yesterday, he asked Mr. Lin to tell him that he wanted to see the restored Buddha’s head.”

“That’s just right!” Lu Jingyang’s eyes lit up, “The institute is holding a special exhibition of cultural relics next week, and the golden and jade Buddha head is the finale. Mr. Zhou will definitely be able to go!”

As he was talking, he suddenly remembered something and took out a small wooden box from his backpack and opened it. Inside was a polished Shoushan stone seal with the words “Xianyunzhai” inscribed on it and a butterfly spreading its wings engraved on the corner.

“This is for you!” Lu Jingyang handed over the seal with a little pride in his tone, “I learned seal cutting from the master at the institute. It took me half a month of practice to get it right. The butterfly pattern is carved in the style of that hosta. Does it look like it to you?”

Jiang Zhuo took the seal and felt the warmth of the stone surface with his fingertips. The sealing technique was sharp and the butterfly pattern was lifelike. It was obvious that a lot of effort had been put into it.He raised his eyes and looked at Lu Jingyang. The young man was staring at his face nervously. The tips of his ears were slightly red, as if they were dyed by the sunset outside the window.

“It’s very beautiful.” Jiang Zhuo’s voice was a little softer than usual, “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome, you’re welcome!” Lu Jingyang breathed a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes with a smile, “In the future, you can use this seal when you sign the restored antiques! By the way, I also want to learn from you to repair gold and porcelain. The masters at the institute said that your craftsmanship is really good, and it is more authentic than what is recorded in ancient books!”

Jiang Zhuo looked at the enthusiasm in his eyes and recalled that on the day of the exchange meeting, the young man squatted in front of the exhibition table, staring at the gold foil pattern on the blue and white vase and refusing to move. The corner of his mouth slightly raised: “Okay. Come tomorrow morning and learn how to beat the gold foil.”

“Really?!” Lu Jingyang almost jumped up and nodded quickly, “I will be there on time! I will never be lazy!”

The blue and white vase on the ancient shelf shines with fine golden light, and the newly carved Shoushan stone seal lies quietly on the table. The butterfly pattern appears under the light, as if it is about to flutter its wings and fly.

As the night grew darker, Lu Jingyang left with the ancient books in his arms. When he reached the entrance of the alley, he turned back and waved in the direction of Xianyunzhai.

Jiang Zhuo stood by the window, watching his back disappear into the shadow of the sycamore trees, with the warmth of the stone seal still on his fingertips.He picked up the seal, dipped it in some cinnabar, and lightly covered it on a piece of rice paper.

The three words “Xianyunzhai” fell off the paper, and the butterfly pattern next to it was vivid and lively, like a ray of warm sunshine.

The phone vibrated. It was a message from Lu Chen. There was only a brief sentence: I will take Mr. Zhou to the special exhibition next week.Thanks.

Jiang Zhuo replied “Yeah”, put away his phone, and turned to look at the Bogu rack.

The fragment of a Ru kiln from the Song Dynasty glows with a faint azure color under the lamp.He thought of Lu Jingyang’s excitement when he talked about repairing the Buddha’s head, of Mr. Zhou crying while holding the notice, and of the embarrassment when Brother Hu and Old Ghost Chen were arrested.

After the storm, the years return to peace.

And the stories hidden in the heritage objects, those obsessions about inheritance and protection, are still going on.

The lights of Xianyunzhai have been on for a long time.

The night market outside the alley gradually became lively, and the smoke of fireworks spread across the bluestone road, blending with the fragrance of ink and tea in the shops to form the most stable fireworks in the world.