Yunxiangyi

"Why aren't there any suitable ones! This is discrimination! Discrimination, blatant! Discrimination!"

A commotion interrupted Zheng Qing's thoughts.

He turned his head and saw the fatty who had just squeezed into the shop waving his short, thick arms and yelling at the top of his lungs, "I'm going to complain! I'm going to complain to the Four Seasons Market management committee! I'm going to report you to the Public Security Bureau!"

"But even the largest cloud in the shop can't take your full measurements," the old woman said, exhaling a string of large, regular script characters with a helpless expression. "I'm truly sorry, customer."

Zheng Qing couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the fatty in front of him, who had three chins, a bald head like an ostrich egg, and a body like a small mountain.

Two sword-like gazes fiercely shot over. "What are you laughing at!"

Zheng Qing's face turned red, and he felt a bit flustered.

"Did they just say you're on a scholarship?" the fatty said, puffing out his belly. He shuffled his heavy steps to Zheng Qing and looked down at him from above.

At least two meters tall, Zheng Qing estimated in his mind. The clouds in the shop drifted over in twos and threes.

"A scholarship student from First University?" the fatty pressed.

Zheng Qing nodded and took a small sip of Green Bee.

The drink matched its name perfectly. It was emerald green in color, icy cold on the entrance, with a stinging sensation like a bee sting, but it felt warm and comfortable as it slid down to his stomach.

It tasted like a very mild wine.

"So scholarship students can look down on people! They can mock others?!" the fatty's cry of injustice was deafening.

Zheng Qing cautiously took a step back, feeling like his ears were about to go deaf.

"Scholarship students have privileges to eat in the shop?" the fatty tried to widen his small eyes, glaring at Zheng Qing.

Zheng Qing, with a mouthful of Green Bee, didn't know whether to swallow or spit it out when he heard this.

The stinging sensation fermented in his mouth, making his eyes slightly red.

"Draw your spellbook and let your incantations wash away my shame!" the fatty struck a pose and chanted as if singing. He pulled out a thick, soft, yellowish leather book from his greasy satchel and shook it in his hand with a rustle. Strange low chants and flickering lights emanated from the pages, exuding a hint of danger.

"What is a spellbook!" Zheng Qing hastily swallowed the Green Bee and shouted, "What are spellbooks for!"

The fatty's triple chin trembled for a long time. His small eyes on his fat face were almost squeezed into a slit. He grunted in his throat and couldn't say a word for a long time.

Zheng Qing held his Green Bee, looking bewildered.

The soft leather book was eventually stuffed back into the satchel.

Zheng Qing let out a sigh of relief and gulped down the remaining half cup of Green Bee.

The intense stimulation made him blink hard.

"I'll be back later. I hope there will be suitable cloud robes then, otherwise, I will definitely complain to the school and to the Four Seasons Market!" the fatty turned around and expressed his dissatisfaction to the cloud beside him.

Several dark clouds politely escorted him out.

"These little fellows are getting more and more impolite," a white cloud floated to Zheng Qing, showing a worried cloud face. It exhaled a ring of air and sprayed out a string of words: "Disgraceful! More and more disgraceful! Their upbringing is disgraceful, and their figures are even more disgraceful... Young man, this is your school uniform."

A large tote bag was handed to Zheng Qing. He opened it and counted his two academy robes, a cloak, and seven pairs of deerskin gloves.

"Thank you for the drink, and thank you for your trouble." He returned the cup, took the bag, and gave the cloud a bright smile.

"Welcome back next time," the cloud said with a smile, seeing him out of the shop.

On the street, Thomas was waving two cups of emerald green drinks at him.

"I just drank this in the shop," Zheng Qing said, taking the cup and sipping the pale green liquid again. He savored the stimulating taste of 'Green Bee' and couldn't help but ask, "Why do I feel like 'Yunxiangyi' offers special discounts to scholarship students?"

"It's not a feeling, it's a fact," Thomas said, flipping through the bag Zheng Qing brought out. He also took a sip of Green Bee and smacked his lips. "Being a scholarship student means you have great potential, so great that the school is willing to train you for free. The merchants at the Four Seasons Market also like to add icing to the cake by giving you some preferential treatment that costs them little... This is your toolbox."

He handed Zheng Qing a yellow wooden box, two feet long and one foot high.

"Thank you," Zheng Qing nodded, took the box, and continued, "I've been wanting to ask, why are those school robes made of such peculiar materials?"

"School robes woven with Cold Silkworm Silk can help you maintain a clear mind during normal times, and a clear mind is the most important thing during experiments. As for the gloves, they are mainly to isolate toxic and harmful substances during experiments. Your deerskin gloves are sufficient for university use. Of course, Dragon Hide is better, and it's also heat-resistant, suitable for some high-level experiments, but it's more expensive. If you encounter such experiments, you can apply for the school's public gloves."

"What is a dragon?" Zheng Qing asked casually as he opened the box and rummaged through it.

"It's a Western dragon, the Zhuo Gen tribe, like lizards but with wings... unlike Eastern flood dragons. You should know these things."

"Why are there things like electronic scales? I mean, do we also have to learn how to repair machinery?" Zheng Qing, who was squatting, looked up and held up a screwdriver-like object, looking at Thomas doubtfully.

"Technology is also a form of ability. Many wizards are great scientists," Thomas replied concisely.

"Then I won't have to worry about not finding a job when I graduate," Zheng Qing finally felt a bit more at ease. He put away the box and said with some excitement, "I always thought it was hard for wizards to find suitable jobs."

"What is a wizard?" Thomas asked back.

That was indeed a rather big question.

"You said before that monks, priests, espers, even vampires and werewolves, are all considered wizards," Zheng Qing frowned, thinking carefully, and slowly replied, "Just like astronomers, geographers, chemists, and mathematicians are all considered scientists."

"If a scientist is someone who discovers problems and then solves them using logic and knowledge, then a wizard should be someone who discovers problems and then solves them using extraordinary abilities."

"Your perspective is a bit narrow, but the analogy is quite appropriate," Thomas nodded approvingly. "As you said, since wizards can solve problems, why would you worry about not finding a suitable job?"

Zheng Qing was speechless.

The shops in the Four Seasons Market were all set up around giant stone pillars. The shops under each pillar operated similar businesses.

Next to Yunxiangyi, there were two other clothing stores.

One was called Luxi Fang, and the other Fudi Chui.

Not far from this pillar, under another stone pillar, was a stationery shop. The plaque above the shop entrance bore four large characters—Bimo Shenghan.

To the left and right of the stationery shop were two bookstores.

The one on the left was called Sanwei Bookstore.

The one on the right was Sanyou Bookstore.