After moving in, Zhou Di discovered that most of the first floor was reserved for servants and was closed off, with only a small door leading to a large vestibule outside. There were several small staircases leading to different directions on the second floor. The spaces used by the masters were on the second and third floors. Zhou Di had no opportunity to go up and see them, nor was he interested in doing so. Upon moving in, he started his own work. Apart from eating and occasional activities, he rarely left his room.
Zhou Di carefully examined all the porcelain and found that, fortunately, there were no painted decorations, making the cleaning process relatively straightforward. It mainly involved dealing with common stains and soil rust, which could be treated by soaking in a dilute alkaline solution. He obtained a large wooden basin to soak the porcelain and fragments in the solution. He repeatedly checked the cave to ensure no fragments were overlooked. Even the tiniest piece was not ignored. Simultaneously, he kept an eye on the progress of stain removal from the porcelain already soaking in the solution. This way, he gathered the first batch of bowls, plates and fragments.
He carefully observed a few intact porcelain plates, checking for smooth glazing, abrasions, pinholes, black spots, air bubbles and smoke stains etc. Apart from the black spots, these plates were excellently fired and the black spots were mainly due to oxidation of iron and not from regular use. He graded these plates based on their condition, quality and other factors. He had originally planned to have them reviewed by Yang Chen, but to his surprise, neither the Young Marshal nor Adjutant Yang was available. The Yang family's butler, who was also Adjutant Yang's father, became Zhou Di's contact. Butler Yang was very kind and never treated Zhou Di as a stranger. He noticed that sometimes Zhou Di would get so engrossed in his restoration work that he would forget to eat, so Butler Yang would personally bring meals to his room. Gradually, the two became familiar and occasionally engaged in conversations. Zhou Di asked as he ate, chatting with Butler Yang:
"Uncle Yang, does your family have been with the Yang family for generations?"
Butler Yang explained:
"No, I am an orphan, nameless and homeless. I used to beg on the streets. Around the age of five or six, I was adopted by the old master, the Young Marshal's grandfather, who gave a surname and I began to follow the Yang family ever since. I accompanied the present Grand Marshal, studied with him and served as his adjutant. After getting injured, I started managing the household. Now my son, Zaihua, serves as Young Marshal's adjutant. His name was also given by the Grand Marshal. In order to keep our family together, the Grand Marshal let me follow the Young Marshal more."
"Is your son that handsome adjutant?"
Butler Yang proudly exclaimed:
"Yes, that's my boy. He just gave me my first grandson, Yang Yong, last month. In a few days, he'll be coming with his mother who is the maid of Lady Hu, the Young Marshal's wife. I'll finally get to see my grandson."
"Isn't your daughter-in-law here now?"
Butler Yang said with joy:
"Yes, this time she followed Lady Hu. She was a beautiful and kind girl so my wife and I liked her, which matched well with my son. So we talked to Mrs. Yang about it. Surprisingly, this girl liked Zaihua as well. With help of the Young Marshal and Lady Hu, they got married. You have met my wife who is a cook here. You've always praised her cooking, haven't you?"
Zhou Di replied:
"Yes, it is indeed delicious."
"All of my family serve in the Yang family. Everyone in this family is very kind, never abusing the servants at home and the soldiers in the army. They have never deducted the soldiers' salary. You know, most of our soldiers are from the poor family. The salary is crucial for supporting their families. It would be immoral to deduct their salary anymore. This is what my older master told me. Look, I am an old man who likes to ramble on about these things. We don't talk about me and my family. How about you, my young man? Are you married?"
Blushing, Zhou Di replied:
"Not yet, maybe next year. I've arranged a childhood engagement. Originally, I was supposed to marry at the age of 20, but my parents passed away due to illness. I observed a three-year mourning period. Unexpectedly, the girl's grandfather also passed away and the girl also had to observe mourning for three years. So it looks like I'll get married next years."
"Are you an orphan?"
"No, I have grandparents. My family clan is large and old. We all have good relationships and support each other in every facet. For example the clan paid everything for me when I studied at the university. Uncle Yang, do you have always lived here?"
Butler Yang explained:
"No, we only come here in the summer when Young Marshal comes here first for preparation so we come to tidy up. In few days, his wife and his son will arrive. I'm not sure whether the Grand Marshal and madam, along with the other young masters and misses, will come here or not."
"Are there many members in this family?"
"Well, there is the Grand Marshal and his wife, plus two concubines. In addition to the Young Marshal, there are three young masters, two unmarried young misses, two daughters-in-law and two grandsons. The eldest daughter immigrated to Aron Kingdom and married a Chinese doctor there. The second daughter married the second son from the Liao family, the southern warlord."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Di was surprised and said:
"Oh, my Lord, How large this family is! No wonder they need such a big house with so many people. Is the area for the porcelain also going to be a part of the house?"
Butler Yang clarified:
"No, not the villa. We're building a viewing platform and a swimming pool."
"The rich people really know how to enjoy their life."
Curious about what kind of the viewing platform and swimming pool would be built on the hillside, Zhou Di made a habit of jogging there every morning. In about ten days, he could already see the outline taking shape. It was around this time that Yang Chen returned with his wife and son. It wasn't until the third day after Yang Chen's return that Zhou Di was arranged to meet him. With the assistance of Butler Yang, Zhou Di brought several intact bowls and plates to the second floor, where Yang Chen's office was located. As soon as they entered, Adjutant Yang noticed and immediately picked up the phone:
"Young Marshal, Zhou Di is here."
Putting down the phone, Adjutant Yang said:
"Young Marshal is waiting for you."
After helping his father carry the dishes, Adjutant Yang led Zhou Di into the office. As soon as Zhou Di stepped in, he saw Yang Chen, dressed in military attire, sitting behing the desk making a phone call. Yang Chen's wife, Hu Suqiao, was sitting on the sofa, looking bored as she filed her nails. The seven-year-old Yang Zichun was playing with various toys on the floor. Zhou Di dared not lift his head and greeted Hu Suqiao:
"Madam."
Then to Yang Zichun:
"Sir."
Hu Suqiao didn't even raise her head, continuing to file her nails, while Yang Zichun glanced at Zhou Di, displaying a sweet smile. Zhou Di also smiled back at him. Meanwhile, Yang Chen, still on the phone, gestured to Adjutant Yang to place the items on the coffee table. This caught the attention of Hu Suqiao, who put down her nail file and picked up one of the plates to inspect it repeatedly.
After finishing the call, Yang Chen stood up, walked toward the coffee table. Zhou Di was taken aback as Yang Chen approached the coffee table. It was the first time he saw Yang Chen in military attire. When he had seen Yang Zaihua in uniform, the word that came to his mind was "Handsome". But now, as he looked at Yang Chen, another word surfaced in his mind:"Perfect!"
Yang Chen was half a head taller than Yang Zaihua, wearing his attire with a belt that accentuated his slender, inverted triangle-shaped figure. He sported a pair of shiny military boots. He was tall but not bulky. On the contrary, Yang Chen appeared fair and clean, with a hint of scholarly air, giving him the look of an elegant marshal. Zhou Di dare not lift his head to look at Yang Chen . He simply glanced at the 'perfect" figure that walked to the coffee table and sat next to Hu Suqiao. After a while, Yang Chen addressed Zhou Di:
"Zhou Di, right?"
Zhou Di bowed to Yang Chen and said:
"Yes, Young Marshal."
"Are these bowls and jugs all in perfect condition?"
"Yes, sir."
"Just these?"
"Yes, sir."
Yang Chen continued to scrutinize the items repeatedly, then asked:
"How much do you think they are worth?"
Zhou Di hesitated for a while and replied:
"Well, these ceramics are from the Northern Jin Dynasty, dating back about 500 years. Based on their condition, I would estimate the plates to be worth about 1000-2000 silver yuan each, the bowls, with slightly lesser conditions, around 500-700 silver yuan each. The quality of the jug, with average condition, is roughly 1200-1500 silver yuan. However, it's best to have our leader, Mr. Zhang Zhen, take a look. I'm not very experienced in appraisals, just a rough estimate."
(Since this is a fictional setting, the currency used is silver yuan and copper yuan. I silver yuan = 100 copper yuan.)
Yang Chen glanced at him without saying anything, just carefully examing the items. Zhou Di kept glancing at Yang Chen, hesitating, looking like he wanted to say something but was holding back. Finally, as if making up his mind, he raised his head and looked at Yang Chen firmly, gathering his courage to say:
"Young Marshal, I think these artifacts should belong to our Cultural Relics Bureau." .