At this academic symposium, the Cultural Heritage Bureau, as the official representative, naturally had its seats arranged in the place of honor.

Shen Yuan led Shen Nanchu into the main venue under the gaze of the crowd. The old man's back was perfectly straight, and the smile on his face could not be hidden, making him look as if he were ten years younger.

Shen Nanchu's well-founded, neither haughty nor humble counterattack just now was even more satisfying than if he had won the argument himself.

Liu Peiqing and his student Ma Jiancheng followed dejectedly behind them, their faces looking as if they had just bitten into a bitter gourd.

Shen Yuan had originally wanted to speak with the organizers to let Shen Nanchu sit with him. Unexpectedly, when he looked at the seating chart, Shen Nanchu's name was impressively placed in the front row of the conference hall, near the rostrum!

That was the seating area reserved for special guests and heavyweight speakers!

It was in the exact same row as him.

Well, there was no need to say anything anymore.

When Liu Peiqing and Ma Jiancheng saw this, the expressions on their faces became even more awkward.

Shen Nanchu's seat was even further forward than both of theirs.

The teacher was excellent, and the student was not lacking either; the student had truly surpassed the master.

What they did just now was truly bringing disgrace upon themselves.

The conference officially began, and the experts and scholars took turns going on stage to report their latest research findings.

When it was Ma Jiancheng's turn, he clearly hadn't fully recovered from the blow he had just taken. As he reported on the excavation results of the Han Dynasty royal tomb, his voice was slightly dry, carrying a trace of imperceptible nervousness.

Especially when he talked about the origin of the craftsmanship of the jade burial suit with gold thread, he subconsciously skipped over the rather arbitrary conclusions from his previous paper, and his tone became much more vague.

Some discerning people in the audience saw this and couldn't help but shake their heads secretly.

After Ma Jiancheng finished his report, Shen Nanchu took the microphone.

Distinguished leaders, respected seniors, and colleagues, hello everyone. The content of my report today mainly revolves around how to more effectively reconstruct our understanding of the past in archaeology.

Shen Nanchu did not dwell on empty theoretical explanations but directly presented several refreshing case studies.

Throughout the entire presentation, Shen Nanchu didn't hold any notes; it was a completely unscripted performance.

The audience below gradually shifted from initial surprise and doubt to intense focus and deep thought, and finally to marvel and excitement.

Many senior experts nodded continuously while taking notes rapidly.

What Shen Nanchu demonstrated was not just the application of a few new technologies, but a completely new research paradigm and mode of thinking.

After the report ended, the entire venue fell into a brief silence, followed immediately by thunderous applause!

Once the conference concluded, Shen Nanchu was immediately surrounded by a group of enthusiastic scholars.

She handled them with ease, her attitude modest yet possessing a naturally convincing demeanor.

Shen Yuan was also surrounded by many old friends who congratulated him one after another.

Lao Shen, this disciple of yours is incredible! She really taught us old folks a good lesson!

Elder Shen, you have cultivated a future leader in the field!

Comrade Nanchu's presentation just now was incredibly inspiring for our new research!

Shen Yuan grinned from ear to ear, waving his hands repeatedly. It's all her own hard work; I'm just a guide.

Despite saying so, the pride in Shen Yuan's eyes and brows simply could not be concealed.

Liu Peiqing and Ma Jiancheng watched the bustling scene from afar, appearing exceptionally lonely.

Liu Peiqing finally let out a long sigh, looking as if he had aged significantly in an instant. He patted Ma Jiancheng's shoulder and whispered,

Jiancheng, did you see that? This is the real... gap.

After speaking, he turned around silently and left the venue early.

Ma Jiancheng looked at the radiant Shen Nanchu surrounded by the crowd, his eyes complex, and ultimately followed him out dejectedly.

Through this battle, Shen Nanchu officially established her leading position among the younger generation in the national archaeological community.

...

Returning from a week-long business trip, it was already evening when Shen Nanchu carried her luggage and pushed open the familiar vermilion gates of the courtyard house.

The afterglow of the setting sun, like diluted honey, lazily coated the blue brick floor and window lattices in the courtyard.

A highly contrasting scene in the courtyard instantly caught Shen Nanchu's eye, bringing a smile to the corners of her lips.

She saw Grandpa Pei, who was well over sixty, acting like a king of the kids right now, enthusiastically leading a game.

The old man bent his back, trying hard to shrink his not-so-short frame behind the old pomegranate tree, poking out half of his sparsely white-haired head,

Anchen, Anchen? Great-grandpa is hiding really well this time! Come find me! You can't find me, can you?

Standing in the middle of the courtyard was little Pei Anchen, who had just turned two not long ago. He was wearing a small blue sailor shirt and black overalls hand-sewn for him by Pei's Mother. He looked round and milky, just like a little glutinous rice ball.

However, there was no expression on his delicately carved, jade-like little face.

His big eyes, which closely resembled Shen Nanchu's, were currently filled with a helplessness completely unsuited to his age and an obvious sense of being forced to play along.

He seemed completely uninterested in his great-grandfather's game of hide-and-seek. His two little feet rubbed against the blue bricks alternately in impatience, his small mouth slightly pouting as if silently protesting this childish entertainment.

Shen Nanchu couldn't help but chuckle; the scene was simply too amusing.

The one playing so hard he was sweating profusely and enjoying himself immensely was the white-haired great-grandfather, while the little one who was supposed to be active and energetic instead acted like a calm little adult, dealing with an over-energetic, erratic old child with a mature and helpless expression.

Just then, with a creak, the courtyard door was pushed open again.

Pei Yunzhou, carrying a washed-out canvas backpack, slipped in briskly.

He immediately noticed Pei Anchen's expression of having nothing left to live for, and his playful mood flared up.

He winked at Shen Nanchu, made a shh gesture, and then bent down, tiptoeing behind the silently standing Pei Anchen.

Seizing the right moment, Pei Yunzhou suddenly reached out both hands and covered Pei Anchen's eyes from behind.

He ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍deliberately pinched his throat and dragged out his voice, Guess... who... I... am?

After asking, Pei Yunzhou felt a little smug, thinking that this little guy would definitely be confused for a while, and might guess in a milky voice that it was his dad, mom, or grandma, which would be the perfect chance to tease him.

However, as soon as his voice fell, Pei Anchen, whose eyes were covered, didn't even have a second of hesitation or thought. His little milky voice was clear and crisp,

My little uncle, Pei Yunzhou.

Huh?!

As if pricked by a needle, Pei Yunzhou abruptly let go, quickly circled to the front of Pei Anchen, squatted down, and looked the little guy in the eye, his face filled with sheer disbelief as if he had seen a ghost.

No... how, how did you know it was me?

Great-grandpa is clearly still over there! What if it was your Uncle Zheng coming to see you, or the little sister from Grandma Wang's house next door?

How could you say with such certainty that it was me?