Chanel in Luoyang 73

  "Good fortune doesn't last long, and bad luck will eventually come to an end. You have a noble person helping you in your destiny, and this noble person has already appeared. If you meet them, don't hesitate or doubt, just go all out. Also, I'll give you another sentence: there is someone in your life who can counteract your good fortune, be careful not to let your guard down. Whether your luck can be maintained depends on this person. If you can't overcome this person, it's best to abandon them. The two of you are interdependent and counteract each other. If you can find a way to balance both, you will be blessed with good fortune and longevity for the rest of your life."

  Hearing the second half of the sentence, Old Man Song's heart skipped a beat and he hastily asked: "Can the old immortal please elaborate?"

  "Words cannot be said to the end, the old man's words are exhausted here, whether it is good fortune or bad luck, all depends on your own karma and destiny."

  Mr. Song grew more and more respectful to the blind man, seeing that he did not want to say any more, so he asked: "If there is anything to ask in the future, I don't know where to find the old immortal?"

  "A chance encounter is already a luxury, why must we meet again in this life."

  Having finished speaking, he stood up, leaned on his bamboo staff and floated away into the distance.

  Old Song held a few silver coins in his hand, standing there, gazing at the blind man's receding figure until he disappeared from view, then stood dazed for a moment before turning around and heading home.

  Passing by the most famous noodle restaurant in Luoyang, I went in and had a bowl of mutton bubble with extra toppings, came out and had half a catty of top-grade pure rice wine on the street, burped while drinking, picked at my few remaining teeth, and hummed a little tune all the way back home.

  Zhang was leading a small black donkey out of the courtyard, with two buckets of freshly ground soy milk on the cart, emitting a tempting bean fragrance.

  "Hubby, you're back! I've already cooked breakfast and it's in the pot."

  "I've already eaten, you eat your breakfast before opening the shop, how can you do business on an empty stomach?" Old Man Song casually responded with a sentence, humming a tune as he entered the house and closed the door, soon after which snoring sounds could be heard.

  Mrs. Zhang was stunned, it was the first time she had heard Old Man Song speak to her in such a gentle tone since she married into the Song family, and she couldn't help but feel a little scared, after a while, she pulled Xiao Hei and walked towards the dock by the Luo River.

  ……

  After parting with Zhang at the city gate, Zhen entered a clothing store called "Long Sun's Weaving and Embroidery".

  Having lived in Luoyang for some time, I usually bought clothes from street stalls and just picked a few pieces casually. After all, working in an ironwork shop didn't require dressing up too well.

  But just as he entered the city, the guards at the gate saw that he was dressed simply and alone, thinking he was a spy who had sneaked in from somewhere, so they stopped him for questioning. If he hadn't rolled up his sleeves to reveal the mining guild's emblem on his arm, the guards might not have let him into the city.

  Some were dressed in bright clothes, or riding high-headed horses, sitting in sedan chairs, passing one after another by his side, the guards didn't even look at them and let them go.

  This Changsun garment store was the largest clothing store he had ever seen in Luoyang. Except for an old man who looked like the owner of this store, all the others were young and beautiful women.

  As soon as he entered the store, several glances swept over him and quickly lost interest.

  There were several middle-aged women dressed up like wealthy ladies in the store, scanning goods, not even trying them on, and having the clothes they fancied packed by the female shop assistants following behind them.

  It was the old shopkeeper who saw him coming in, very enthusiastically welcomed him, took him to a nearby guest room, made tea for him, and handed over a book filled with various embroidery patterns and fabrics to Zhen Mingxu.

  "Today is the last day of our store's 20% off sale to celebrate the opening of our 100th branch in Hangzhou. This is a rare opportunity that only comes once every ten years, so feel free to try on anything you like. If none of our current clothing and accessories meet your expectations, we can also custom-make something for you. Just pay a deposit of 10 taels of silver and we'll send someone to take your measurements at your convenience. Here are all the patterns and embroidery designs we have available, please take a look..."

  "Ten taels of silver?" Zhen Ming's face revealed his astonishment at the words, this set of clothes on him was something he had casually bought from a street stall, just a few hundred copper coins per piece, the price for one set here could buy dozens of sets like what he was wearing.

  The shopkeeper, seemingly accustomed to the customer's reaction, smiled and explained: "Ten taels of silver is just a deposit. If the guest selects a more difficult pattern or uses high-quality fabric, it usually takes twenty to fifty taels to make a set."

  Zhen Ming asked bitterly: "If I were to make a set of your store's top-of-the-line clothes, how much silver would it cost?"

  "Sorry, the top-grade fabric and embroidery in our store can only be customized by our VIP customers. The craftsmanship is complex and has been passed down through generations of the Longsun family, so only a few girls from our family can make it. It takes a lot of time to produce, and we can only make about a dozen pieces per year. They are extremely valuable and in short supply. Our pre-orders are already booked up for three years ahead of time. Hehe, I'm not bragging, but the exquisite clothes made by our store can still be sold for at least 100 taels of silver even after being worn out."

  Zhen Ming couldn't help but glance at the luxurious decorations in the store, and then look at the heavily made-up women. Compared to them, his clothes were not only shabby, but almost as if he was naked. He couldn't help but laugh: "Sorry, it seems I've come to the wrong place. What conditions do I need to meet to become a noble guest of this esteemed store? Are they all royalty, high officials, and wealthy merchants who qualify?"

  The shopkeeper smiled upon hearing this, seemingly not minding whether Zhen Ming had money or not. "Heh heh, status and wealth are only one of the conditions for becoming a VIP customer in our store," he said. "There are many other customers who have made significant contributions to our store, or those who have been loyal customers for over ten years."

  "Have you made any contributions?"

  "For example, long-term suppliers of materials such as wool, silk and cotton for our store, or senior technicians who maintain the weaving machines for our store, as well as some old friends of the family, are all VIPs who receive priority service from our store and can enjoy a 50% discount on all clothing except top-level custom-made products."

  "Oh, I see." Zhenming said with a bitter smile, taking out all the silver coins from his pocket and asking: "Can these silver coins buy any of your clothes here?"

  The shopkeeper looked at the silver in his hand, smiled, and pointed to a corner of the store where a dozen or so ordinary-looking but exceptionally well-made garments were stacked. "Those are made by our apprentices," he said. "Their craftsmanship is still a bit rough, and we wouldn't normally put them out for sale. But with the promotion going on these past few days, all our old stock has been snapped up, and we have no choice but to bring these out to meet customer demand. The materials used are top-notch, and they're at least as good as what you'd find elsewhere."

  Zhenming had a bitter look on his face as he glanced at the pile of cheap goods, but didn't bother to pick any out. He put away his money and smiled, saying: "I think I'll pass for now."

  "Sir, you might as well take a look at something else."

  "I really can't afford it."