The little clay figurine's eyes were filled with desire and joy as it stared at the painting on the wall.
For a clay figurine, meeting a skilled antique restorer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it could really find an excellent restorer, then it…
Jin Mutong was also staring at the painting in confusion. When did she become an antique restorer?
She quickly explained, "Well, although this shop has been passed down through generations, the art of restoration was lost several generations ago. I don't even know the basics."
"It's okay. I can teach you," the painting reassured her.
Upon hearing their conversation, the little clay figurine immediately understood. It wasn't lucky enough to encounter a real antique restorer after all.
The excitement that had made its mouth hang open faded, and its gaze returned to normal.
"Tsk, I thought you were more capable. Learning on the fly? Don't even think about using what you learn on me. You'll probably make me worse than I already am," the clay figurine grumbled in frustration. Its hope had turned to disappointment, leaving it in a sour mood.
Feeling so irritated, it didn't even want to talk anymore and just lay down, closing its eyes.
Jin Mutong was left speechless. She couldn't argue with the clay figurine's attitude.
What it said wasn't wrong. Antique restoration requires knowledge from multiple disciplines, as well as immense patience and perseverance.
A good restoration gives an antique a second life, but a bad one can easily ruin the original value.
Jin Mutong didn't think she could just pick up this skill overnight and start working on this little clay figurine.
Although she had spent a few days reading "The Basics of Antique Restoration," she had no hands-on experience. If she were to try restoring a real antique without any practice and mess it up, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
After a moment of silence, she carefully suggested, "How about we let my second uncle help? I really have no experience."
The painting let out a soft chuckle, filled with kindness but carrying an implicit reminder.
In Jin Mutong's mind, she suddenly recalled the expression on her second uncle's face when he left earlier, and she smiled wryly.
She had been too naïve. Her second uncle was probably hoping for her shop to close down as soon as possible.
"You're running an antique shop, which is a long-term endeavor. You can't always rely on others. Sooner or later, you'll have to go through this beginner phase. Besides, though your second uncle has restorers on his team, they're only apprentices. If you put in the effort, it won't take long for you to surpass them," the painting said, encouraging her.
"Really?" Jin Mutong's eyes lit up.
Their shop, "Ping Gu Zhai," couldn't compete with "Ju Bao Tang" for a number of reasons, including their dwindling collection of antiques. Another reason was that their shop didn't have a reliable antique restorer.
An antique that has been properly restored is naturally worth far more than a damaged one.
Even if both shops acquired the same antique, without a restorer at "Ping Gu Zhai," the item would sell for far less than at "Ju Bao Tang" after restoration.
Her goal was to keep "Ping Gu Zhai" alive, so from any angle, learning the skill of antique restoration was essential.
With this thought, she finally nodded. "Alright, I'll learn from you."
The painting wasn't surprised by her decision and said, "In antique restoration, tools are absolutely necessary. First, you should purchase all the tools needed for restoring clay figurines, including…"
The painting began to list the items methodically. Jin Mutong took out a sheet of paper and carefully noted everything down word for word. Once she finished, she put the paper away, took a deep breath, and left the antique shop with her bag.
Jincheng has long been a city coveted by antique collectors due to its unique geographic location. Historically, it has been a strategic site for military campaigns and was once the capital of several dynasties. It boasts a rich cultural heritage and has yielded numerous national treasures.
As a result, industries related to antiques naturally flourished here over time.
Antique restoration is one of the most traditional trades in Jincheng.
On a small, inconspicuous alley near Haixi Road called Ji Shan Lane, several old shops specialized in selling antique restoration tools.
The alley is quieter than the bustling Haixi Road, preserving the leisurely and tranquil essence of old Jincheng.
Jin Mutong knew about this place because Ji Shan Lane wasn't far from her shop, "Ping Gu Zhai."
She turned into a shop called "Wan Qi." This store sold all sorts of tools, and the wide variety of items left Jin Mutong feeling overwhelmed with indecision.
The shop's reputation seemed to have attracted quite a few students from nearby schools who were also browsing for tools. Jin Mutong took out the shopping list provided by the painting and started searching, checking off each item as she found it.
"Magnifying glass, paintbrush, toothbrush, nylon brush, tweezers, screwdriver, clear tape, blades…"
These were easy to find, and Jin Mutong selected them quickly. But there was one item that was proving tricky: the shaping tool, specifically a handy ox horn spatula.
However, there were so many varieties on the shelf. Being a complete beginner, and without the detailed instructions from the painting, Jin Mutong had no idea which one to choose.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" The shop assistant seemed to notice her confusion and stepped forward to offer assistance.
Jin Mutong saw the store clerk, smiled slightly, and asked, "Could you tell me the difference between these?"
The store clerk was stunned. So many tools—where should he start? Each had subtle differences, and introducing them all would take ages. He usually dealt with regulars who knew what they wanted and only asked about prices. This was the first time a beginner asked about the differences between all the tools.
Jin Mutong noticed the clerk's hesitation and added, "I'm using it to restore ceramic figurines. Which knife would be the most suitable?"
Just as the clerk was about to respond, a mocking voice came from behind her, "You don't even know the difference between these knives and yet you claim to be restoring antiques?"
A young man in a tracksuit, who looked like a college student, appeared next to Jin Mutong. His sarcastic tone made her frown slightly, but she quickly eased up and humbly asked, "I am indeed new to this. Could you introduce me to the best knife for restoring ceramic antiques?"
The young man, surprised that she would ask him for advice, felt his vanity swell and was about to start a long explanation. Just then, an elderly man in a dark gray sweater walked up and interrupted him.
"Wang Yang, how many times have I told you, to become a qualified cultural relic restorer, the first step is to stay humble and patient. You yourself are still a beginner—what gives you the right to criticize others? You should treat others with the same humility and sincerity that you show relics. With your current attitude, it will be hard for you to become a qualified restorer."
The elderly man had a head full of white hair but still looked vigorous and spirited. His tone wasn't harsh, but Wang Yang's arrogance immediately faded, and he dared not defend himself.
A girl standing next to Wang Yang laughed and playfully tapped him on the head. "See, you got carried away again. Have you already forgotten what the professor taught you? You'll be interning at an antique shop soon. Don't embarrass the professor by being so reckless."
Wang Yang rubbed the back of his head without saying a word and retreated to the side.
The elderly man stepped forward, glanced at the tools in front of Jin Mutong, and patiently began to explain. "Horn spatulas are used to mix adhesives. The difference between these lies in the width, thickness, and flexibility of the blades. I usually use this one, but for a beginner, I'd recommend this model. It's affordable, easy to handle, and suitable for entry-level practice. All my students use it."
Jin Mutong nodded in understanding, and, following the elderly man's recommendation, she paid for the tool. Before leaving, she smiled and expressed her gratitude, "Thank you for your explanation and recommendation."
Professor Fang smiled and nodded, watching her leave with an expression of quiet admiration in his eyes, his hands clasped behind his back.
After buying the tools, Jin Mutong returned to "Ping Gu Zhai."
She didn't yet have a dedicated workspace for restoring antiques, and she didn't want to take the small ceramic figurine home for repairs, so she decided to set up a corner of the shop as her restoration area.
After organizing the tools she had purchased, she nervously called out to the painting.
"Are you there?"
"I'm here," came the familiar voice.
The painting seemed to notice the fully equipped tools she had bought and said, "First, practice with the shards of pottery in the shop using the methods described in the book."
"Alright."
The small ceramic figurine had been watching Jin Mutong since she came back. Upon hearing this, it briefly lifted an eyelid and then continued to lounge with its legs crossed.
"At least she knows better than to mess with me," it muttered, before falling back into a deep sleep.
Over the next few days, Jin Mutong diligently followed the methods outlined in the Antique Restoration Basics Guide, practicing the basic skills for restoring ceramics.
The process was tedious and monotonous, but she remained patient and focused from beginning to end.
Once she had practiced enough, she went to the storehouse and found some old pottery fragments left behind by her predecessors at Ping Gu Zhai. These shards weren't worth much and were just gathering dust, so she used them for further practice, cleaning and restoring the ancient pottery fragments.
When she felt her skills had improved, the painting instructed her to smash the fake figurine she had bought along with the small ceramic one and use it for practice.
Jin Mutong looked at the counterfeit item. She had only bought it to prevent the vendor from becoming suspicious about her interest in the real ceramic figurine. It wasn't worth much, so she didn't hesitate to smash it.
With a loud "crack," the counterfeit figurine shattered into pieces on the ground.
The small ceramic figurine, which had been napping, suddenly leaped up. Seeing the broken pieces on the floor, its eyes widened in horror, and it pointed at Jin Mutong, exclaiming, "Wh-what did you do?"
Jin Mutong glanced at it and, recalling that the small figurine hadn't spoken in days, decided to tease it. "I broke it."
"Aaah! You heartless woman! How could you do such a cruel thing!" The small figurine looked like it was about to have a breakdown.
Jin Mutong, pretending to understand, said, "So, should I skip practicing and just start working on you directly?"
The small figurine was speechless.
Feeling amused, Jin Mutong began her repair work on the counterfeit piece.
The shop was completely quiet, and the bustling street outside seemed like a different world. Jin Mutong quickly entered a state of deep concentration.
To restore the broken fake antique, she first needed to piece together the fragments. This required immense patience.
She categorized the shards and then worked on piecing together the smaller ones first. After that, she connected the larger sections. Fortunately, despite the figurine being small, it hadn't shattered too badly, and she soon completed the reassembly.
Following the book's instructions, she began to glue the pieces together. Whenever she made mistakes, the painting would patiently guide her.
Once the gluing and reinforcing were done, the next step was to paint the figurine.
The reassembled figurine had visible cracks that needed to be painted over to blend with the original surface. Jin Mutong found this to be the most difficult part of the process. While the reassembly was mainly about patience, painting required years of experience to mix the right colors and match the original texture.
She repeatedly adjusted the colors. Though it was early spring and still a bit chilly, beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she struggled to match the right shade.
"Add more iron oxide red and umber brown. Once the base color is right, apply a matte varnish."
"Okay."
"Apply the color quickly, with small, precise dabs."
"Got it."
"Smooth this area out a bit more."
"Understood."
With the painting's guidance, Jin Mutong meticulously worked on painting the figurine.
"Phew, it's done!" Jin Mutong let out a long breath. It had taken her the entire day, but the final result was quite impressive.
The painting seemed satisfied with her work. Its voice was filled with approval as it said, "You really have a talent for this. With skills like yours, you should have no trouble restoring the slightly damaged small ceramic figurine."
"Really?" A hint of excitement flashed in Jin Mutong's eyes.
Before the painting could respond, the small ceramic figurine let out a dramatic shriek, "False! Absolutely false! You've only practiced once, and you dare touch me! What if you ruin my perfect form?"
Jin Mutong reassured it, "Your clothes are the only part that's damaged. I won't touch your face."
"That's still not okay!"
"Are you sure you won't let me?"
"Not even if I die!"
Feeling helpless, Jin Mutong turned to the painting for advice.
A cold voice drifted from the painting, "If it refuses, break it and throw it out."