After one Kiss! [YiZhan FF]✔️

10.

Oh, how I hate it. All this cataloguing, checking, appraising, judging and probing of deeds. When we do this in the museum, we usually have a premade catalogue and we just have to adapt it accordingly.

But when outsiders come in and ask us for our expertise, it means we have to check every single artifact. Checking the authenticity, estimating if the given year is about right, assessing the condition of the finds and then checking the ownership or purchase documents for authenticity before we can even create a catalogue.

This is a real smug job that takes hours, depending on the inventory it can even take days. And my boss, once he has started with me and it takes more than a day, would not take another colleague of mine with him, otherwise he would have to start all over again. But at the same time it means I can forget about my holiday.

So let's hope we can do it today. And preferably before my work in the stationery shop begins. How does it look if I call there five minutes before and say I can't get away from my main work?

They wouldn't hire me anymore if I would transfer them from now on, even though I know that they rely on me.

My boss, the director of the museum is almost sixty years old. He was originally an archaeologist before he had an accident and almost died. At that time, so he told me, they were in a pyramid and were investigating a burial chamber when a trap activated somewhere and almost locked him and his three colleagues in it forever.

At the time, some big and well-known archaeologist saved their asses. But on the way out of the burial chamber one of the huge stone blocks broke loose from the ceiling and fell down, the director jumped to the side. But the stone block still landed on his hip. And since then he has an implanted hip and can't stand for much longer.

Sometimes you can see that he is still in pain, especially on days when it rains or snows. Like today. It started snowing last night, not very much but it hasn't stopped snowing since then. And the director seems twice as irritable today as usual.

With the transporter that belongs to the museum, many blankets, foils, brush sets and three thick folders with papers we go to the house of the businessman.

House was understated, however, when I saw the big mansion we were heading for. A wide double-wing gate with ornaments of black iron blocked our way. The director rang the bell and a few seconds later, the two gates swung open and we were able to drive up to the entrance.

An elderly gentleman, who introduced himself to us as the Chef House Buttler, brought us into the salon. I mean, it's a living room, but the rich folks call it a salon. Sounds nicer than living room!

We sat for maybe three minutes when another elderly man came in. With a big grin on his face, he greeted first the director and then me. He introduced himself as Wang Lan. So he is the businessman. Honestly, I think there are too many people in China named Wang.

Wang Lan led us into a huge room and I swear I saw the director lying unconscious next to me when we entered the room and stood in front of a mountain of antiques, artifacts before and after Christ and some huge bones.

The director was literally running towards the pile and I would have loved to walk backwards and run away very quickly. This shit will keep us in check for at least a week!

Carefully the director took an artifact in his hand and studied it thoroughly. "This is a rare piece, where did you buy this?" He asks Wang Lan. He explains to the director that he didn't buy any of it, but inherited it. It was delivered to him only a few days ago

We spread out several blankets on the floor, prepared small notepads, pins and our brushes. Then we sat down and started our work. Fortunately I studied archaeology on the side at that time. Otherwise I would be really stuck now.

But quiet work was not possible in this room. It was a coming and going. And at some point when one of the employees came to bring us a hot tea, the director jumped up and started screaming loudly. "These are important artifacts, how dare you bring something like this near?" The poor woman took two steps back and began to cry.

"Boss, she was only doing what she was told to do." I said to him to calm him down a little. But he didn't really calm down. He just nodded and then waved his hand roughly to make the poor girl disappear.

At some point we were so absorbed in our work that we didn't notice all the trouble around us anymore. Only now and then you could feel a cool breeze when the door was opened and then closed again.

After three whole hours we made our first break. The director went to talk to Wang Lan and I stayed in the room and informed my boss from the stationery shop. Fortunately she was understanding and did not take it badly that I would not make it to work today.

"Damn it, why can't I even manage a stupid sunflower?" Someone in a corner bitched. I didn't even realize there was anyone sitting there. Curious I went to him and his easel and watched what he was doing.

The man was trying to paint some sunflowers. Unfortunately they looked like they were mutated and about to fall over the people.

"May I?"

"Um, go ahead."

I take a large white sheet of paper and draw him some sunflowers. He looks at me with big eyes and shines when he sees my work.

"That's great. You really know how to do it."

" Should have been, if you'd studied art."

"Oh, I thought you were from the museum."

"I am. I work there."

"And what's your name?"

"My name is Xiao Zhan. What's yours?"

"My name is Wang Hai Kuan, nice to meet you Xiao Zhan."

Wang Hai Kuan, a very nice guy and handsome, talked to me the whole break. Although we talked for maybe fifteen minutes, it felt like an hour. We talked like two old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. Strange, but that's how it was.

He told me that he had signed up for an art course and hoped to awaken his art skills in the process. But I think he can't awaken what was never in him.

I offered to teach him a few simple tricks to improve his painting skills a little bit more. And he gladly accepted. In the future I will teach him three evenings a week. And the best thing is, he wants to pay me for it!