Qu Zan wanted to have a golden glove made, so he asked Nyepa where he could get one crafted.
Nyepa told him that in Jieyou Alley, behind Corpse Camel Temple's rear mountain, there were workshops specializing in devotional offerings and sacred images. They excelled at handcrafting portable ritual objects using ancient methods and could even make solid gold Buddha statues.
Qu Zan spent some silver and came to Jieyou Alley, where he found a renowned goldsmith's workshop.
It was a separate, low-walled courtyard, with charcoal and fire-resistant yellow clay piled along the foot of the walls.
Two furnaces stood in the middle of the room, their bodies rammed firm with wet clay mixed with horsehair.
The air held a mixture of charcoal smoke, the rich, fatty scent of butter, and a faint metallic tang.
As Qu Zan entered the goldsmith's shop, a craftsman immediately hurried over.
"Can you make a golden glove here?"
Though Qu Zan was young, the craftsman saw his proper monastic robes and delicate skin and knew he must be a monk from the temple.
With the utmost attentiveness, he said, "Young Buddha, we certainly can. We make everything except weapons here. I just don't know what sort of glove you would like."
"I want a golden glove with five separate fingers that can bend..." Qu Zan gave a brief description.
"Then the wrist and palm will need to be hammered out of a single piece, with the fingers divided into small plates connected by gold wire. They'll overlap like this without interfering with your everyday grip, honored Buddha."
The craftsman was clearly experienced. After listening to just a few sentences, he understood what Qu Zan needed.
Then, using a charcoal pencil on a wooden board, he drew a sketch based on Qu Zan's left hand.
"How