A Conversation on Doll Street

"There are so many knock-offs these days, I can't find any decent clothes." Jiang Han felt a bit troubled.

In this era, thanks to the existence of magic, counterfeiting had become even simpler.

Sometimes, the quality of the fakes was even higher than the originals, because while the originals relied on genuine craftsmanship, the fakes sometimes relied on spells that had been "blown out of proportion," or even a dash of dragon blood.

Across the country, the general consensus regarding dragon blood was that if something wasn't turning out right, you just added a little bit in, and it would surely turn out fine.

This even applied to knock-offs.

But why were branded goods called branded goods? They were worn to show off the brand to others; it had something to do with quality, but not as much as one might think.

After accompanying her for a while, Cen Jing suggested:

"I think we could go take a look at the Doll Street. Well, to be precise, the clothing at the doll shops is all imported. Domestic production standards haven't quite caught up yet. There's a lot of Dutch merchandise, fewer British goods, and American goods can only be sold off to Southeast Asia."

Hmm... Miss Cen, you're bad-mouthing the Lighthouse again, but that's actually quite interesting. It seems the clothes at the doll shops are mostly designer brands... Jiang Han nodded, signaling that she had been persuaded:

"Then let's go check out the doll shops."

I hope I can buy some clothes soon, then go watch the match with Miss Cen, grab a hearty dinner after the match, and finally go home to exercise and read... Jiang Han had the whole process planned out.

Having decided on their destination, the two walked leisurely along the street, chatting while gazing at the rugged and beautiful canyons.

Before long, they arrived at a section of the shopping mall dedicated to selling dolls.

Unlike the doll shops Jiang Han had seen before, the shops in this area were open-air. Witches gathered in twos and threes, setting up chic or beautiful stalls to display and sell their dolls.

Some had laid out carpets and set up little gardens.

Some pushed around trees, having carved storage shelves into the trunks.

Others sat in horse-drawn carriages, displaying their dolls in cabinets inside.

These witches also sold miscellaneous items, such as self-playing violins one-tenth the normal size, passionate oil paintings, posters of rock bands common in the nineties (muted, of course), and records and gramophones from the Literary and Art Troupe.

The only thing that was the same as the commercial street were the patrol officers—also known as urban management—who wore earthy-green witch cloaks and carried rifles that were more symbolic than practical. These witch patrol officers, who added a touch of domestic flair to this fantastical area, had expressions even more serious than the dolls. They carried their rifles, but if someone asked a question, they would suddenly become energized and salute:

"Greetings, comrade! How can I help you, comrade?"

Then, they would solve the problem one by one.

Aside from the clothes being a bit drab, they actually looked quite dashing. Jiang Han felt a bit envious and wondered if she should sign up, but as soon as she saw that these patrol officers were on average a head taller than her, she lowered her head and let out a deep sigh.

It seemed that because the mall had many international visitors—and this was where most foreign witches stayed—the patrol officers selected for this area were all tall. Even if they weren't stunning, they were at least a notch above the average delicate beauty; it seemed the "face project" had been well-executed.

Cen Jing seemed to have been here a few times and introduced the Doll Street to Jiang Han with familiarity.

This also opened Jiang Han's eyes.

Doll Street had its own set of social protocols and peculiar values.

Witch shopkeepers or stall owners had a custom of gifting each other Witch Eggs, which signified years of accumulated goodwill and a certain unique philosophy.

For example, if a married witch had a fondness for another witch.

Let's say the result of this fondness wasn't cheating or an affair, but a purely Platonic love; then, the meaning behind them gifting each other a Witch Egg was:

'I' cannot marry 'you', so let 'my daughter' take 'my' place.

In any case, regardless of whether the witch that hatched from the egg eighteen years later would actually marry or not, the sentiment had been conveyed.

Witches born under these circumstances sometimes called themselves "daughters of dolls," because they didn't know who their paternal mother or maternal mother was...

Another point was that when doing business on Doll Street, one generally didn't say "buy for X amount" or "sell for X amount." Instead, it was recorded very elegantly on a slip of paper and handed over. If the price was right, the other party would buy or sell; if it wasn't, they would push it back, chat about trivial matters with a smile, and continue until a new price was offered or one of them simply walked away.

There was also a habit of referring to "dolls" as "ladies."

Before 1968, witch doll-makers generally called the dolls they cherished "daughters." However, after entering the 80s, because some witches who bought beloved dolls would do unspeakable things to them, calling them "daughters" began to seem extremely perverted. Through various calm and quiet efforts, the affectionate term for dolls changed to "ladies."

Jiang Han listened, stunned, the smile on her face growing a bit stiff.

Sometimes I feel like I've already seen through the witch race, and I feel like this race has reached the absolute limit of its lower bound.

This thought echoed in her mind right on cue. Jiang Han secretly let out a breath, and while Cen Jing wasn't looking, she rubbed her face hard to make her stiff cheeks soft again, continuing to wear that sincere and well-behaved smile.

Finding a carriage with the sign "Elsa Mason" hanging on it, Jiang Han followed Cen Jing to the carriage window.

Inside were very beautiful dolls, as well as dolls that felt clean and pure.

After watching for a short while, they were greeted warmly. The owner stepped down from the carriage; she was a young woman wearing a wide-brimmed lady's hat, a sea-blue short robe, and snow-white shorts and boots. A wand as long as a sword was tucked into her waist, its hilt also modeled after a sword handle.

She was very beautiful and carried herself with a heroic spirit.

"Good morning, young ladies. Is there anything I can help you with? Or perhaps, do you two ladies require a skilled magician to perform magic from foreign lands?" She scanned their faces with great poise, then bowed slightly and asked with a smile.

Cen Jing also smiled gently and returned a curtsy, saying expectantly:

"My friend here and I have been shopping for a long time to find some clothes we like..."

Although it had nothing to do with dolls, the young lady listened patiently.

Cen Jing continued: "...I was wondering if a witch who is proficient in the art of dolls and possesses a high aesthetic sense could provide us with some help."

"Mhm, I understand. Ah, it is indeed quite difficult to buy suitable clothing that you can wear out without being laughed at these days." The doll-maker lady smiled: "Advice is hard to give, but help is quick to provide. I have a proposal: why not let your, um, beautiful friend try on the clothes from my shop? Although they are made for dolls, they are still top-tier brands."

I was waiting for those words... Jiang Han saw Cen Jing express her approval quickly.

The lady then invited them both onto the carriage and said with a touch of humility:

"Please, get on board. As a down-and-out artist, I have to change clothes, wash up, and occasionally cook some dishes for myself inside this carriage."

After taking off their shoes, Jiang Han and Cen Jing entered the carriage together.

It looked small from the outside, but in reality, the interior of the carriage was quite spacious, covering about 70 square meters.

There was a bubble massage pool that could accommodate four people at once, along with a battery array storing several hundred Witch Eggs.

There were bookshelves, a desk, a dressing room, and seven wooden crates suspended in mid-air against the walls.

There was even a small, cozy lounge area with a low sofa where one could stretch their legs out onto a cushion, making it feel quite casual and comfortable. On the opposite wall of the lounge, there were magical plants enclosed in glass cases, as well as two pieces of calligraphy.

[This is a humble abode]

[Only my virtue makes it fragrant]

...This could be called taking pretentiousness to a whole new level... Jiang Han sighed in admiration internally, and while she was sighing, the witch had already retrieved a set of measuring tools from a crate.

"First, my lovely young lady, I need to measure your height..."

Height? Measuring height? Jiang Han's face was full of reluctance.

...Can I just not buy the clothes?