Eternal madness

Chapter 38 Door Sensing
Zhang Laifu was eager to learn a trade, and Li Yunsheng couldn't stop him, but he was also worried: "The people of Hunlong Village may still be looking for you. You need to be more careful and it would be best to find a place to rest for a few days."

That makes sense, but where can Zhang Laifu go to rest now? He's even worried about staying at an inn!

He has now become a craftsman, and with his new skill, he can at least fight back. He's had enough of living a life of hiding and running away.

"Brother Laifu, I'm closing up shop now. I'll go with you to Zhuyou Road." Li Yunsheng wanted to go with Zhang Laifu, but Zhang Laifu refused.

The bandits from Hunlongzhai came to Zhuzi Street twice looking for Laifu, and both times they dragged Li Yunsheng into it.

If this happens again, the bandits will probably have to go looking for Li Yunsheng.

Upon arriving in Wansheng Prefecture, Li Yunsheng had provided Zhang Laifu with so much help; Zhang Laifu couldn't let his friend suffer such a loss.

“I didn’t have any skills before, which caused you a lot of trouble. Now that I’m a craftsman, Brother Yunsheng, I’ll take care of this myself!”

Li Yunsheng couldn't persuade Zhang Laifu otherwise, so he could only give him some advice: "If you go to the candle oil road and find a suitable trade, stay and learn the craft. You must lay a solid foundation in the trade so that your skills can improve."

Learning a craft is not easy. Not only do you have to study diligently and practice hard, but you also have to carefully assess your master's abilities. Only a master who is in charge of the household can teach a skilled apprentice. You must be discerning and not be fooled by an incompetent person.

Zhang Laifu remembered the instructions and went to Zhuyou Road alone. Upon entering the road, he first saw a shop with a particularly large storefront, with lanterns hanging next to the signboard. The shop's name was Yingyuefang.

He thought it was a lantern shop, but when he went in to inquire, he found out it was a candle workshop, a place that makes candles.

Yingyuefang is the largest candle shop in Heishakou. It has candles for weddings such as dragon and phoenix flowers, mandarin ducks, and red candles for couples; candles for funerals such as soul-guiding candles, midnight candles, and road-breaking candles; and candles for blessings such as peace candles, longevity candles, and house-protecting candles.

There are also candles with special purposes, such as post road candles used for signaling at docks, yin-yang candles used for exorcising evil spirits, longevity candles used in opium dens, and spring hall candles used in brothels.

Looking at so many candles, Zhang Laifu felt a surge of excitement. He really wanted to buy them all and figure them out when he got home.

Is this feeling of palpitations what we call induction?

Is making candles all you do?
A shop assistant came up to greet him: "Sir, what would you like to buy?"

Zhang Laifu didn't answer. He walked around the shop and shook his head slightly.

He wasn't in the candle-making business; the candlelight was too clear, and it was somewhat different from the light he saw in his dream.

Do you sell lanterns here?

The shop assistant waved his hand: "Sir, you've come to the wrong place. If you walk east along the candle oil road, there's a lantern shop up ahead."

Zhang Laifu thought he could go and check first. If there was no signal in the lantern shop, he would return it to the candle shop. If there was a signal in the lantern shop, he would compare which one had a stronger signal.

Walking east along the street, passing several candle shops, Zhang Laifu finally found the lantern shop.

This lantern shop is called Mingzhaozhai, with a signboard painted in gold and red, the calligraphy vigorous and powerful. The shop isn't very big, and three lanterns hang under the eaves, casting a warm glow in the sunlight.

What is this lampshade made of? Why does it look so foggy?

It can't be glass; its transparency is significantly worse than glass. It doesn't look like plastic either; it's not as smooth as plastic, and the lampshade has a special texture.

Upon entering, Zhang Laifu saw several rows of shelves filled with lanterns.

This time, being closer, Zhang Laifu observed carefully. The lanterns were made of a very special material, seemingly polished from jade, and coated with a layer of wax. When the light shone on them, the shadows of people appeared much softer.

The lampshades are all polished to a semi-transparent finish, allowing you to see the outline of the lamp wick. Some lampshades are inlaid with edging and carved with fine cloud patterns.

The longer Zhang Laifu looked at it, the faster his heart beat.

This lantern is so enchanting!

Staring at those lanterns, Zhang Laifu seemed to see the goddess of his imagination.

Some of them were real celebrities, others were characters from the world of anime and manga. They were so beautiful, he dared to look, but he absolutely dared not touch them. In fact, looking at them so directly made Zhang Laifu feel ashamed.

The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, his temples slightly gray, wearing a plain gray long gown, holding a small knife in his hand, scraping and polishing a lampshade. The blade moved slowly and carefully, and wherever the blade passed, the lampshade shone as brightly as water.

Zhang Laifu stood in the shop for a long time before the shopkeeper finally came forward to greet him: "Sir, would you like to buy a lamp?"

The shopkeeper was very tactful; he let the customers walk around and look around first before discussing business.

"I'd like to ask what this lamp is made of," Zhang Laifu said, sounding slightly nervous.

An apprentice standing nearby glanced at Zhang Laifu and asked, "You've come to Mingzhaozhai to buy lamps, and you're asking about materials?"

Zhang Laifu was taken aback. Couldn't he ask about the materials?

The shopkeeper glared at the apprentice, then turned to Zhang Laifu and explained, "Young man, you don't know any better. Sir, please don't take it to heart. The lamps at Mingzhaozhai are all made of ox horn."

A cow horn?

Can cow horn be used to make such a translucent lampshade?
Zhang Laifu studied civil engineering, but he couldn't figure out the technology here.

How are lanterns made from cow horns?

The shopkeeper was stunned as soon as he finished speaking.

The apprentice stepped forward and said, "Is this something you can ask casually? Are you here to learn a trade?"

That makes sense, Zhang Laifu nodded and said, "I want to learn a skill."

The apprentice disliked Zhang Laifu: "What do you mean by 'learn a little'? Did you come here to become an apprentice?"

If you're going to formally become an apprentice, you have to follow the proper procedures. Your nonsensical, clueless talk is hardly the proper way to do it.

"Then tell me about the rules for becoming an apprentice." Zhang Laifu really wanted to know the ins and outs of this.

The shopkeeper also found Zhang Laifu a bit strange: "Mingzhaozhai doesn't plan to take on any more apprentices before the new year. If you really want to learn, please come back next year."

"I can't wait until next year, I'm in a hurry. Could you give me a couple of pointers first, and see if they're suitable..."

The innkeeper turned to his apprentice and said, "Qiang, see the guest out!"

The apprentice stepped forward to shoo him away, but Zhang Laifu shouted, "Wait, I want to buy a lamp. How much is this lamp?"

Zhang Laifu picked up a lantern with bronze trim.

The lantern is not large, and its workmanship looks quite simple. The bronze ring is not new copper, but old copper that has been polished again. You can still vaguely see some verdigris at the edges.

Logically speaking, such lanterns shouldn't be too expensive, but the shopkeeper's words startled Zhang Laifu.

"This lamp costs eight silver dollars."

"Eight yuan?" Zhang Laifu exclaimed in horror. "Why don't you just rob someone?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This is the price at Mingzhaozhai."

Zhang Laifu, carrying a lantern, looked around with an air of expertise: "Your craftsmanship is a bit rough, yet the price is so high. Is this really Mingzhaozhai, or is it a counterfeit?"

The shopkeeper looked Zhang Laifu up and down: "Are you really going to buy this lamp?"

"Buy it!" Zhang Laifu immediately pulled out eight silver dollars!
The shopkeeper nodded: "A-Qiang, take this man to the workshop and see if we are truly the authentic Mingzhaozhai."

(End of this chapter)