mtlumby2d Chapter 536 Exploring Ancient Secrets with Technology
Chapter 536 Exploring Ancient Secrets with Technology
In the early morning, Qinglongpo was still shrouded in a thin mist, and the roar of trucks could be heard in the distance.
Gu Fanxing rubbed her bloodshot eyes and just as she stuffed the list of fragments she had sorted out into her bag, she saw Pei Luonan walking over with breakfast in his hand, along with a sun-protective jacket.
"Professor Wang's convoy has arrived. I'll go pick them up. You should drink your soy milk first, don't work on an empty stomach."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion arose from the crowd below the hillside.
When the villagers heard that the experts had brought a "machine that can see through time," they all crowded around the truck and peered inside.
Professor Wang had just gotten out of the lead van when he was stopped by Craftsman Chen.
The old man clutched the glaze sample: "Professor Wang, please take a look. How different is my formula from the glaze at the kiln site? I tested it three times yesterday, and the color always seems a bit too dark."
Professor Wang smiled as he took the sample and handed it to his young assistant behind him: "Xiao Zhang, take this first for component comparison. Use an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to measure it and clearly label the iron and calcium content." He turned and patted Craftsman Chen on the shoulder, "Don't worry, today we'll use technology to help you find the answer, guaranteed to be more accurate than what the naked eye can see."
As they spoke, the team members began unloading the equipment.
As soon as it was placed on the makeshift testing table, it was surrounded by villagers.
"Can this thing tell you how old a porcelain shard is?" The shopkeeper leaned over. "Could you test my broken bowl too?"
As Xiao Zhang adjusted the instrument, he explained with a smile, "Auntie, this machine can measure the decay of radioactive elements in porcelain shards. The decay periods of porcelain shards from the Song Dynasty are different from those from today, and you can tell just by measuring it."
Gu Fanxing handed over the intact porcelain bowl that had been cleaned earlier. "Professor Wang, look at this bowl. The glaze is more lustrous than the ones we found before. Could it have been fired in a 'premium kiln' at the kiln site?"
Professor Wang examined the rim of the bowl carefully with a magnifying glass: "Possibly. In the Song Dynasty, folk kilns would have different firing positions, with the central position having the most stable temperature and producing the most uniform porcelain. Look at the foot of this bowl; it's so neatly finished. It must have been repaired by an old craftsman himself."
He gestured for Xiao Zhang to put the bowl into the testing instrument, "First test the age, then look at the glaze composition, maybe we can find the 'secret color' formula of 'Qingning Kiln'."
When the words "approximately 780 years ago (late Song Dynasty)" appeared on the screen, Chen Gong suddenly grabbed Gu Fanxing's hand: "It's from the Song Dynasty! I knew the glaze color was just like my father described!"
At this moment, Xiao Zhang suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and pointed to the composition analysis chart: "Professor Wang, look, in addition to iron and kaolin, this glaze also contains a rare aluminosilicate, which is not found in the local kaolin."
Professor Wang leaned closer and tapped the screen with his finger: "This is the composition of 'feldspar,' specifically potassium-sodium feldspar with a high sodium content. Song Dynasty potters sometimes added feldspar to the glaze to make the glaze more translucent. The problem is, there are no feldspar mines near Yang County."
"Feldspar?" Uncle Li suddenly leaned closer, his cloudy eyes brightening. "My father used to work in the mines. He said there were 'white stones' on Eagle's Beak Cliff behind Qinglong Slope. When you break them, they look like flour. They're slippery when it rains. Could they be the feldspar you're talking about?"
Gu Fanxing immediately took out a map and pointed to the location of Eagle Beak Cliff: "Uncle Li, where exactly is the 'White Stone' you mentioned? We'll go take a look this afternoon!"
Uncle Li drew a circle on the ground with his cane: "Go south for three miles from the slope, there is a cave, and there are stones piled up at the entrance of the cave."
Pei Luonan immediately instructed Du Fei: "Take two team members and go to Eagle Beak Cliff to scout ahead. Be careful and if you find any feldspar, collect some samples."
Just as everyone was busy discussing the feldspar mine, a dispute suddenly broke out from down the hillside.
Old Zhang from the guard team was grabbing a young man and snatching a cloth bag from his hand—inside the bag were several fragments of kiln tools that had just been cleaned up.
"Who are you? Why are you stealing porcelain shards!" Old Zhang's loud voice attracted many villagers to watch.
The young man's face turned pale, and he stammered, "I...I was just curious and wanted to take it back to take a look."
Pei Luonan walked over and handed the fragment to Gu Fanxing.
“These are fragments of support nails that were just cleared from the kiln bed yesterday. They still have traces of kiln fire on them and are very precious.” He looked at the young man and said in a serious tone, “The kiln site is a national cultural relic. It is illegal to take fragments without permission. Fortunately, Lao Zhang discovered it in time. If the fragments had been damaged, the loss would have been much greater.”
Professor Wang also came over and handed the cultural relic protection manual to the young man.
“Young man, it’s good that you like cultural relics, but you have to do it the right way. We will be holding a lecture on cultural relic protection in town later. If you are interested, you can come and listen, and you can even touch the replicas.”
The young man took the manual, his face turning even redder, and he apologized repeatedly.
"I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again."
After the young man left, Old Zhang patted his chest and said, "We'll patrol more often to ensure the safety of the kiln site!"
Gu Fanxing was deeply moved by Lao Zhang's earnest expression.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang. I'll make a commemorative badge for each member of the guard team later, with 'Guardian of Qingning Kiln' engraved on it, so that everyone knows about your contributions."
The midday sun grew increasingly intense, but the testing continued.
Pei Luonan brought over chilled mung bean soup: "Have some soup to cool off first. Du Fei said there is indeed a feldspar mine, and the samples will be delivered this afternoon. As for the glaze test, I've already asked the guesthouse owner to prepare the clay, so don't worry."
Gu Fanxing sipped her mung bean soup, watching the busy crowd in front of her. The sunlight shone on everyone, and even the air was filled with a lively and hopeful atmosphere.
She suddenly remembered the white-haired old lady wiping away tears on the opening day of the special exhibition.
Perhaps the significance of "Qingning Kiln" is never just a porcelain bowl or a kiln site, but the love and protection of history by countless people - from Song Dynasty kiln workers guarding the kiln fire, to the Chen craftsman father and son passing on their skills, and now to the villagers spontaneously protecting the kiln site. Each generation is using its own way to pass on this culture.
In the afternoon, Du Fei returned with the feldspar samples.
Craftsman Chen took the sample and immediately ran to the makeshift glaze mixing table to begin mixing according to the ingredient list.
He first poured the kaolin into a porcelain basin, added some water, and stirred it into a paste. Then he carefully added a spoonful of feldspar powder and sprinkled some pine needle ash.
"Stir clockwise three hundred times, with even force."
Craftsman Chen stirred the mixture while instructing Xiao Lin.
“Song Dynasty craftsmen mixed glazes this way, saying that this would make the glaze even and the color consistent after firing.”
Gu Fanxing took out her camera and photographed the glaze mixing process one by one.
"These videos can be uploaded to the official website of the special exhibition so that more people can see the ancient glaze mixing process and understand the craftsmanship of 'Qingning Kiln'."
Just as the first bowl of glaze was prepared, the setting sun shone directly on the glaze mixing table.
The pale blue glaze has a warm, lustrous sheen, much like the glaze of Song Dynasty porcelain bowls.
The craftsman dipped a brush in glaze and applied it to the pottery shard. He examined it closely in the sunlight, and suddenly his eyes welled up with tears: "It's...it's so similar! It's exactly the same as the porcelain shards my father fired back then!"
Gu Fanxing patted his shoulder, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
She knew that this bowl of glaze contained the hard work of two generations of craftsmen, and also the awakening of the "Qingning Kiln" after a thousand years of slumber.
Pei Luonan walked over, looked at the glaze, and said with a smile, "Tomorrow we'll try firing pottery shards. If it's successful, we'll use this formula to fire a kiln of genuine 'Qingning Kiln' celadon. At that time, we'll invite all the villagers to come and see the kiln, so everyone can see that the old kiln's fire is burning again."
As night slowly fell, the lights on Qinglongpo came on one by one.
Under the lights of the testing station, Professor Wang was still organizing data; beside the glaze mixing table, craftsman Chen was still studying the formula; and the members of the protection team were still patrolling the hillside.
Gu Fanxing leaned against Pei Luonan, looking at everything before her, feeling a sense of peace—she knew that the story of "Qingning Kiln" was continuing, and that this legacy, like the kiln fire, would forever be warm and forever bright.