usatvline Chapter 531 The Busy Pre-Exhibition
Chapter 531 The Busy Pre-Exhibition
Three days before the opening of the "Qingning Kiln Porcelain Bowls" special exhibition, the exhibition hall of the Provincial Museum was no longer quiet as usual.
At seven o'clock in the morning, Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan were already standing in the center of the exhibition hall.
"Ms. Gu, how is the brightness of the lighting in this display case?"
The designer wiped the sweat from his brow, his tone tinged with uncertainty.
"I'm currently using a warm 3000K light, which highlights the pale blue glaze of the porcelain bowl. But when I tried it just now, the 'Qingning Kiln' mark on the bottom of the bowl seemed a bit blurry. Should I adjust it to a cooler setting?"
Gu Fanxing approached the round display case and carefully scanned the replica porcelain bowl inside—the pale blue glaze shone with a warm luster under the light, like jade that had been soaked by time, but the marks on the bottom of the bowl were indeed somewhat dark.
She pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Let's try adjusting it to 3500K. A slightly cooler warm light can preserve the glaze's warmth while making the marks clearer. Professor Wang told me last time that many visitors may have come specifically to see the marks of the 'Qingning Kiln,' so we need to make sure they can see them clearly, otherwise it would be a real shame."
The designer immediately nodded and adjusted the lighting parameters.
As the color temperature changes, the replica porcelain bowl in the display case gradually reveals a different texture—the glaze remains warm and lustrous, but the marks on the bottom of the bowl are much clearer, and even the fine lines at the edges of the marks can be seen.
"That's good."
Gu Fanxing breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Pei Luonan, and asked with a smile in her eyes, "What do you think?"
"very good."
Pei Luonan reached out and rubbed her shoulder. "Are you tired after standing for so long? I put out some warm water in the rest area next to us. Go and have a drink and rest for a while. I'll keep an eye on things here."
Gu Fanxing shook her head and took the flowchart handed to her by Pei Luonan.
"The artifact transport team will deliver the porcelain bowl tomorrow morning. We need to prepare in the conservation room in advance and there can't be any mistakes. We've invited media reporters to preview it this afternoon, and there's a reception tonight. I need to quickly go over my speech again so I don't forget my words tomorrow when I'm nervous."
"Don't panic."
Pei Luonan took out a notebook from his bag and handed it to Gu Fanxing. "I've already prepared your speech. I've highlighted the key points with a highlighter. You just need to read it aloud and occasionally add a few of your own thoughts."
Looking at the detailed notes, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She looked up at Pei Luonan and asked, "When did you organize this? Didn't you stay up very late with me last night?"
“I tidied up in the living room after you fell asleep,” Pei Luonan said with a smile. “It didn’t take much time. I mainly wrote down the key points you mentioned earlier. If you feel anything is not right, we can change it now.”
Gu Fanxing shook her head and hugged the notebook to her chest: "No need to change it, it's fine as it is. With you here, I feel especially at ease."
At noon, the two had a quick bowl of noodles at a noodle shop near the museum. When they returned to the exhibition hall, they saw Professor Wang leading several young archaeologists. Each of them was carrying several thick volumes of materials with the words "Research on Folk Kilns in the Song Dynasty" printed on the cover.
"Miss Gu, Mr. Pei, you've come at the perfect time."
Professor Wang introduced them with a smile and enthusiasm, "These are my students, all of whom study folk kilns of the Song Dynasty. They heard that the 'Qingning Kiln Porcelain Bowls' special exhibition is about to open, and they specifically wanted to come and see the display case setup to learn from the experience."
"Professor Wang, you're too kind," Gu Fanxing quickly stepped forward to greet the scholars. "Actually, we also have many questions and need to ask you and the other senior students for guidance."
“Miss Gu is too modest,” a bespectacled female scholar said with a smile. “When we studied the Qingning Kiln before, we could only rely on fragmentary data, and we couldn’t solve many problems. The complete porcelain bowl you discovered has filled many gaps in our knowledge. We still have a lot to learn from you.”
Gu Fanxing quickly waved her hand: "This is the result of the team's joint efforts. If it weren't for Mr. Pei's help in contacting Craftsman Chen, and the team members' efforts in protecting the porcelain shards, I wouldn't have been able to achieve such a great result."
As she spoke, she led everyone to the display case and explained the design concept of the display case in detail.
"This display case is custom-made to effectively isolate external dust and humidity. It is also equipped with a temperature and humidity monitor that records data every ten minutes to ensure that the porcelain bowls are in the most suitable environment."
On the adjacent display board, we also placed photos of the porcelain bowl when it was unearthed and a cross-sectional diagram of the excavation soil layers, allowing visitors to more intuitively understand the discovery process of the porcelain bowl.
The scholars listened attentively, asking questions from time to time, which Gu Fanxing patiently answered one by one. When they encountered something they were unsure about, Pei Luonan would add to it from the side. The two worked together very well.
At 2 p.m., media reporters began arriving at the exhibition hall for a preview.
Following the prepared speech by Pei Luonan, Gu Fanxing introduced the discovery process and research value of the "Qingning Kiln Porcelain Bowl" to the reporters.
"Miss Gu, how did you feel when you discovered the porcelain bowl?"
A reporter asked, holding up a microphone.
"Did you ever imagine that this porcelain bowl would have such a significant impact on the study of 'Qingning Kiln'?"
Gu Fanxing recalled with a smile.
"I was so excited at the time that my hands were shaking, afraid that I might accidentally break the porcelain bowl. Actually, I didn't think that this porcelain bowl would be so valuable at first. I just felt that it was already very lucky to find a complete Song Dynasty folk kiln artifact. Later, Professor Wang told me that this porcelain bowl could fill the gap in the research of 'Qingning Kiln', and that's when I realized its importance."
"Mr. Pei, you've been supporting Ms. Gu's archaeological work all along. Have you ever found it very tiring?" Another reporter turned the microphone towards Pei Luonan.
Pei Luonan looked at Gu Fanxing, his eyes full of tenderness.
“It’s not hard work at all. I feel very happy to be able to accompany Xingxing in doing what she loves. Her passion and dedication to archaeology has always inspired me. It is my honor to help her realize her dream.”
Reporters snapped photos, capturing this heartwarming scene.
Gu Fanxing blushed slightly and quietly took Pei Luonan's hand. The warmth from his fingertips made her feel especially at ease.
In the evening, the staff in the exhibition hall gradually left for the day, but Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan were still checking the details of the display cases.
Pei Luonan carefully inspected the locks of the display case, and after confirming that each lock was secure, he gently pressed the glass of the display case with his hand to feel its stability.
"Alright, everything's been checked. The porcelain bowl will be delivered tomorrow, and we can put it directly in the display case. Are you tired? I'll take you to eat your favorite hot pot to treat you."
Gu Fanxing shook her head, leaned against Pei Luonan's chest, and stared at the replica porcelain bowl in the display case.
"I'm not tired. Just thinking about how many people will be able to see this porcelain bowl and learn about the history of the Qingning Kiln when the special exhibition opens makes me very excited."
"Luonan, thank you for always being there for me. I definitely couldn't have done all this without you."
"Why are you so polite to me?"
Pei Luonan lowered his head and gently kissed her lips.
“We’re family, and your dream is my dream. Let’s go, or the beef rolls you love will be all gone.”
The two walked out of the museum hand in hand, the lights in the exhibition hall shining through the windows and casting warm spots of light on the floor.
Gu Fanxing looked at Pei Luonan beside her, her heart filled with happiness.
She knew that this special exhibition was not only an important display of the research on "Qingning Kiln", but also a testament to her and Pei Luonan's relationship - they had gone through thick and thin together, reaped joy together, and would face more challenges together in the future.
Tomorrow will be a busy day, but also a meaningful one.
With Pei Luonan by her side, she was confident that she could successfully complete the task of this special exhibition, allowing more people to understand the history of "Qingning Kiln" and experience the charm of Song Dynasty folk kilns.