"Oh, so that's how it is! But your Chinese is really good. From how fluently you speak, I couldn't tell you're Indian at all."
Luo Chao thought to himself, isn't it obvious from his looks that he's not from Huaxia? Are there any Huaxia people who look that unattractive? However, he kept this to himself and instead put on a smile to flatter the Indian shop owner.
"Young man, you're too kind. It's just that practice makes perfect; it's nothing worth ntioning, nothing at all!" The Indian shop owner quickly replied modestly.
"Is this Indian person specialized in studying ancient Huaxia language? Why does he speak so archaically?" Hearing the shop owner's refined manner of speech, Luo Chao started to suspect that perhaps the Indian had co to Huaxia to study classical Chinese.
"Boss, are all Indians really good with snakes? I've often seen in movies that Indians play with poisonous snakes as if they were pets. Can everyone in your country do that?" Suddenly, Luo Chao rembered the image of Indians in movies, always dressed strangely with a white cloth bag filled with poisonous snakes.
And in his impressions, these poisonous snakes were as gentle as little lambs in the hands of these Indians. Thus, he looked around the shop to see if there were any snakes crawling around. He was most afraid of such soft creatures, especially poisonous snakes that could accidentally take a life. He had too many unrealized dreams to die so soon.
"Young man, don't worry. The ones you're talking about are the snake catchers in our country, similar to the street perforrs in yours. They make a living by catching snakes, preparing dicine, and snake charming. Moreover, the snakes they handle have their venomous fangs removed, so there's no harm to people. They would never harm people like you see in the movies, and there are very few of these snake catchers in our country. They catch and charm snakes just to make a living; they're not as evil as you imagine!" Seeing Luo Chao's tense deanor, the Indian shop owner quickly explained.
"Oh, so that's how it is. I feel quite embarrassed for my ignorance!" Luo Chao laughed sheepishly at hearing the shop owner's explanation and apologized.
"No need to mind, young man. These misunderstandings are common, and ignorance is not a sin. Don't worry about it! By the way, you look like soone who mingles on the streets, don't you?" The Indian asked Luo Chao as if a sudden thought had occurred to him, seemingly unfazed and having encountered people like Luo Chao before.
"Do I really look like a street person?" Luo Chao touched his nose, evidently not fond of the term "mingling on the streets."
The term "mingling on the streets" refers to those who are part of gangs with regular structures, like the Qingmu Society.
Those who wander around in ragged jeans, wielding a fruit knife to extort protection money, can't be considered as truly mingling on the streets. They're at most just hooligans or thugs. Only those who join a gang can be considered as such.
"Could it be that I guessed wrong? But no, you have a majestic presence, suitable to be a leader, soone who rises to the top! Even if you're not mingling on the streets now, you certainly will in the future!" The Indian shop owner seed genuinely surprised.
"Can this Indian really read people? I ca here because of the underworld. How could he tell?" Luo Chao wondered inwardly, but the Indian shop owner's next words cleared his doubts.
"I once studied your country's Book of Changes, so I have so general knowledge about fortune-telling and facial reading. I observe that you, young man, are a person of great fortune!" the Indian shop owner said.
The Book of Changes is a magnificent cultural treasure in the vast and profound culture of Huaxia. Ancient people used it to predict the future, make major state decisions, reflect current phenona, foretell fortunes or misfortunes. It is a classic that can predict the heavens, the earth, and human affairs — encompassing all phenona.
Although in today's high-tech age it is seen as an unscientific spiritual reliance of ancient people, many in the folk still study the Book of Changes to predict fortunes and misfortunes, though these people are often called Wizards or Witches.
Especially in many rural areas, if soone is sick at ho and is not recovering, they would seek Wizards or Witches, hoping for redies to cure them. Though often inaccurate, people at least find so ntal reassurance.
"Young man, young man..."
"Oh—ah—oh—what's the matter?" Luo Chao was jolted back from his deep thoughts by the Indian shop owner's call.
Although it had been just a day, Luo Chao found himself particularly hosick at this mont, a feeling he had never experienced before. A song resonated in his heart: The child who left ho roams outside, without good clothes or cigarettes, struggling to find a job and work hard, shedding tears inside while sweat drips on his face, unable to sleep at night thinking of distant parents, tears rolling down his face, spring blossoms, autumn leaves fall, winter's snow has arrived, take care not to catch a cold, the moon is round, the moon is round, another year has passed—.
With a hint of sadness and a touch of helplessness, the soft lody echoed in his heart, evoking deep nostalgia.
"Young man, are you thinking about sothing sad?" Seeing the sudden mist in Luo Chao's eyes, the Indian shop owner asked softly.
"It's nothing, I'm okay. By the way, I ca here today to buy so gold-panning equipnt from you. Do you have any good recomndations?" Luo Chao took a deep breath, not wanting to dwell on the previous topic, and shifted the conversation.
"You're looking to pan for gold? I have the best gold-panning equipnt here, one of my treasures. Just a mont, I'll get it for you!" Realizing Luo Chao did not want to discuss further, the Indian shop owner didn't press him and readily agreed. He then quickly went into the shop's back room and soon returned with a red box.
"Young man, look, this set of gold-panning tools is my treasure, made with ten-thousand-year Golden Essence Wood which has a unique attraction to gold. Using this set increases your chances of finding golden sand compared to other tools!"
The Indian shop owner handed the tools to Luo Chao for inspection. The entire set, including a red box and red sifter, was supposedly made of ten-thousand-year Golden Essence Wood, sothing Luo Chao had never heard of. He wasn't sure if the shop owner's words were true, but he did find the tools' color very appealing.
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