After sitting under the warm firewood tree for a night, a light white color slowly appeared on the horizon, and the sounds coming to my ears gradually increased.
It's dawn.
Stepping on the morning dew, Loran Hill jumped lightly over the rocks in the mountains and walked towards the small town vaguely in the fog below.
This is an isolated paradise. Many local residents have lived on the island their entire lives and know little about the outside world. Naturally, they don't know this lovely-looking girl.
She was wearing a skirt with a white background and green embroidery. The corners of her skirt had tassels and knots as pendants. Her long black hair was scattered in the wind, and it seemed particularly light, making people want to touch it.
After arriving in the town, Loran Hill went to a breakfast stall and sat down quietly and obediently, waiting for the food he ordered to be served.
People here have a leisurely life. Not many people come out to eat in the morning, and no one is in a hurry. Sitting at this old wooden table, Loran Hill listened to their occasional conversations, talking about things in life.
After a while, the warm tofu pudding was served. It was snow-white with a light yellow color. When you pressed it gently with a spoon, you could see it bounce and shake, and a little heat was emitted in the bowl.
I scooped up a little bit with a spoon, and the originally intact big piece broke into small pieces with a little clear soup in it. When I put it into my mouth, the tofu pudding broke apart when it touched my teeth. Then I felt a smooth and sweet taste on my tongue, and the warmth dispelled the chill of the early morning.
After breakfast, Loran Hill continued to stroll on the street. This small town on the island has preserved many ancient customs and traditions, and one can vaguely see some of the lingering charm of the East thousands of years ago.
The clothing store on the street has probably been open for hundreds of years. Faint wormholes can be seen in the doorposts. The owner, who is also the tailor in the store, has passed on his skills to future generations, and the people living in the surrounding area have also worn clothes made in this store for generations.
In addition to some everyday clothes, there are also a few special gorgeous clothes. Some are specially worn at weddings, and some are specially used for sacrifices. These clothes are very exquisite. The shop owner told Loran Hill that they are all regulations passed down by his ancestors.
Legend has it that long ago, people from all over the world would travel by boat to Hwanghae Mountain to pay homage to the Phoenix. At these times, they would purchase special sacrificial garments at the foot of the mountain, as meeting the Phoenix was a solemn occasion and being untidy was considered disrespectful. The ancestor of this shop accumulated wealth for this very reason and settled on this island.
"But this is all very old news. My great-grandfather told me that there used to be seven or eight clothing stores on the island, but now there are only two or three left."
"Is it because there are fewer outsiders?" Loran Hill stood in front of a black ceremonial garment with purple embroidery, gently pinching the corner of the garment to feel the material of the fabric.
"That's about right. After the Lord passed away, the Five Phoenixes separated and lived in different places. They gathered here less and less frequently. Gradually, the Five Phoenixes disappeared one by one, and the Yellow Sea Mountain gradually became desolate."
The shopkeeper took a duster and swept the corners of the shop, removing some of the accumulated dust and making the hanging clothes look brighter. Judging from his appearance, he probably didn't pay much attention to cleaning because most of the customers were from the village and neighbors. Today, with the arrival of a distinguished guest like Roland Hill, he paid a little more attention to it.
As for why this girl was treated as a distinguished guest, it was naturally because of her dress, which was obviously made of exquisite workmanship and extraordinary materials. In addition, Loran Hill's appearance itself was enough to surprise people.
"This dress looks like it's been hanging there for a long time." Loran Hill withdrew his hand and turned to look at the shop owner not far behind him.
"This sacrificial garment should have been made by my grandfather. He used very rare dark black cloth and crimson purple gold thread. It's just that there has been no suitable buyer, so it's been hanging here." The owner seemed to be a seldom-doer in business. He didn't use any exaggeration or price-raising tactics. Instead, he spoke frankly and simply about the origin of the clothes and the fact that they couldn't be sold.
"Does this lady want it?"
"I kind of want it." Although it's not perfect, it's the best dress in this store, except that it's a little dusty.
"I'll look through the old brochures." As he said this, the shop owner bent down and rummaged under the counter. He seemed to have opened a locked drawer and spent a lot of effort before he took out an old, dusty brochure.
"Probably twenty...seven gold plates." He looked at the booklet, seemed to hesitate, and then reported the number.
"Even though it looks a bit old, the material is really excellent, and no one can make clothes like this anymore, so it will sell for a higher price."
"Is that so?" Loran Hill blinked as if he wanted to laugh.
In fact, she was not short of money and had no intention of bargaining. She just found it interesting to watch the shopkeeper scratching his head and thinking of an excuse.
"Yes, young lady, look at these embroidered flowers, plants, and mythical birds. They are all made strictly according to ancient methods. They adhere to the rules while remaining lively and intricate. There is a sense of harmony within the complexity. They are not embroidered randomly. The overall appearance is extremely fine. In ancient times, such clothes were only worn by high officials during sacrifices. However, they have fallen out of favor now, and ordinary people don't mind wearing them anymore."
"Okay, I understand." Loran Hill nodded and took out a small brocade bag from his sleeve, which contained thirty golden plates.
The shopkeeper opened the brocade bag carefully with joy, then counted them one by one on the counter, and finally took out three and pushed them to Loran Hill.
"These are the three extra golden dishes."
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