Chapter 23 Soul Master

The next day, Shen Yuequn opened his stall as usual, and many people showed up, eager to watch the spectacle as always. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and in the morning, someone even discovered a leather jacket, which drew gasps of admiration from the crowd.

However, close to eleven o’clock, an old man appeared near the stall. He first observed the wares with great interest, picked up a few wallets, and then chuckled, “It’s real leather, no doubt, but what a pity!”

“What’s so unfortunate about it?” someone nearby asked, curiosity piqued.

“It’s just that the workmanship is terrible. It’s clearly mass-produced—utterly soulless!” The old man shook his head.

“Soul?” Some people seemed thoughtful at this word, while others sneered, “It’s just a cheap wallet. What soul could it possibly have?”

“How shallow!” the old man retorted, shaking his head. “Everything in this world can have a soul, from the vastness of a planet to a single stone. Some things possess soul, others do not. Why is that? Because they lack the touch that imparts a soul—human hands!”

“No matter how exquisite these machine-made goods are, they are devoid of any soul. I feel nothing from these wallets!” The old man’s expression was tinged with regret. The crowd fell silent, some nodding, evidently moved.

Perhaps many didn’t quite understand, but seeing others nod in agreement, they did the same, even if the meaning eluded them. Their gazes toward the old man grew ever more respectful.

Suddenly, the old man moved to another corner of the stall and exclaimed, “How can there be two such profound souls here?”

“Huh?” The crowd was stunned. They saw the old man nearly throw himself at two pairs of leather shoes, his eyes alight with delight.

“This is Italian craftsmanship. Italian technique... the way the threads are intertwined, the uneven application of glue... This can only be the work of Italy’s finest master!” The old man seemed almost entranced.

“Wow, this old guy is amazing. He can even tell these are made in Italy?”

“But to me, they look like any other pair of shoes!”

“That’s because you don’t understand. These have a soul! You get it or you don’t—and those who know, know!” someone said knowingly.

“Could this be the work of the legendary Master Kaka from Anning, Italy?” the old man asked solemnly.

“A true connoisseur! He even recognized Master Kaka’s work!” The crowd was collectively astonished. Shen Yuequn hurried over, face brimming with admiration. “That’s right, these are Master Kaka’s shoes!”

“I thought as much. But alas, these shoes don’t seem to have been made in Anning... nor even in Italy!” the old man said wistfully.

“How do you know that?” Shen Yuequn was even more astounded.

“It’s the water used in the process!” the old man sighed. “Italy’s water is rich in H2O, the best for shoemaking.”

“Elsewhere, the water doesn’t have as much H2O, so the shoes it produces have an impure aroma.”

“Amazing!” Shen Yuequn was completely convinced, bowing deeply. Then he heard the old man ask, “Why do you have a tag marked 500 here? Is this Master Kaka’s 500th pair?”

“No, it’s not that. This pair is here on consignment; the asking price is 500 yuan,” Shen Yuequn explained.

“What!” The old man’s mustache nearly bristled off his face. “To sell a work by the great Master Kaka for merely 500 yuan? That’s an insult to art, to shoemakers everywhere, an affront to our spirit of craftsmanship!”

“What is the ‘spirit of craftsmanship’?” someone in the crowd wondered aloud.

“It’s the spirit of the artisan, obviously,” another explained.

“Oh, I see. How impressive!”

“No, actually, our asking price was meant to be 5,000, but our Jiangnan Leather Factory went bankrupt!” Shen Yuequn tried to explain, and only then did the old man sigh, “If that’s the case, I’ll take these shoes. Here’s 500 yuan!”

With that, the old man swiftly produced five crisp hundred-yuan bills and, under the gaze of all present, bought the shoes!

“My goodness, he actually bought them!” The crowd was stunned. They’d all thought those shoes would never sell.

“Wait, there’s another pair!” The old man, carefully placing Master Kaka’s shoes in a box, spotted another pair priced at 800 yuan.

“These! These!” Suddenly, the man began to tremble. “Could these be the legendary shoes handcrafted by Lady Gal Gadot herself, the greatest female shoemaker in history, who swore never to marry for the sake of her craft!”

“You can recognize those too?” Shen Yuequn was dumbfounded.

“Heavens, even through this fine Anglo calfskin, I can sense Lady Gal Gadot’s Paradise Island perfume—the scent that soothes the soul!” The old man hugged the shoes, nearly swooning with delight.

“Would you like to buy them?” Shen Yuequn ventured cautiously.

“Of course! 800... To think I could own a pair made by Lady Gal Gadot herself for only 800 yuan! I could die happy!” The old man paid, and without a backward glance, hurried off, as if afraid someone might snatch the shoes from his grasp.

“Oh, and if you have any more works by these masters, save them for me—I’ll take them all!” After walking a dozen meters, the old man turned and shouted back at Shen Yuequn, loud enough that everyone around heard clearly, leaving Shen Yuequn clutching his 1,300 yuan, dazed in the wind.

After the old man left, a brief hush fell over the scene. Then, almost everyone surged forward, eager to buy a mystery box, hoping for the luck to discover a pair of top-tier handmade Italian shoes.

The climax came an hour later when the young man who had found those white shoes the day before returned. The first thing he did was hand Shen Yuequn an extra yuan—truly a proud young fellow.

“Hey, where are my shoes?” After paying, he turned to the consignment stand, only to find his pair from yesterday gone.

“Kid, your shoes have been sold. Here’s your money!” Shen Yuequn patted him on the shoulder with emotion and handed over eight crisp 100-yuan bills.

“What’s going on?” The young man was dumbfounded.

“You set the consignment price at 800 yuan, so you get 800!” someone who’d been there all along said, eyes burning with envy—though mostly for the 800 yuan in his hand.

“Someone who appreciates your shoes bought them. Take the money and go—stay safe!” Shen Yuequn handed him the money and hurried him off in a daze.

Seeing Shen Yuequn actually give 800 yuan to the seller, those who’d suspected the whole thing was staged dropped their doubts and saw only the mystery boxes before them.

That day, Shen Yuequn sold out his entire first batch of 500 mystery boxes in just one morning.