Blowing Sugar Figures

Li Tao used a thin tube to scoop out the syrup from the jar.

The thin tube rotates slowly, and the stringy syrup is rolled up at the top, gradually forming a small ball.

She placed the candy jar in the crook of her arm, held the straw in her right hand, and reached out with her left hand to squeeze the small ball.

The old woman's thin but clean fingers dipped briefly in the syrup before being placed down.

The ball gradually developed several sharp points, but it was still impossible to tell what it was.

When she brought the thin tube to her lips and blew air, the small ball began to inflate.

Li Tao's hands moved even faster.

"The origins of the sugar blowing art are quite extraordinary."

Second Master Chu said from the side, "I still remember Zhuge Liang divided the world into three kingdoms, and Liu Bowen who unified the country. That Liu Bowen was skilled in divination and possessed supernatural powers. His abilities were so great that he aroused jealousy."

"Zhu Yuanzhang remembered that he was skilled in divination, so one day he suddenly asked him how many years the Ming Dynasty would Fortune, and asked him to answer directly. Liu Bowen refused to answer directly, and soon after, he faked his death to escape."

"But Zhu Yuanzhang was not easily fooled, and he still sent people to search for his whereabouts among the people. Liu Bowen used his identity as a sugar maker as a cover."

Second Master Chu spoke eloquently and with great relish.

"Why make sugar figurines? Grains are the foundation of the nation, and sugar comes from grains, which means that wise people can emerge from ordinary people."

"Unfortunately, even such a virtuous person is hollow, an empty shell. When faced with the emperor's knife, he will be pierced and destroyed. It would be better for him to remain hidden among the common people, spreading this sweetness among ordinary folks and returning it to the people."

Chu Tianshu smiled slightly.

It's Liu Bowen again.

In folk magic traditions, nine out of ten that have no clear origin can be attributed to Zhuge Liang.

The other nine either mention Liu Bowen or the White Lotus Sect Rebellion.

The latter two also happen to be related to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Some orthodox magical lineages were making up stories while Zhu Yuanzhang was chasing after them with a butcher's knife in hand.

When some heretical schools of magic fabricated stories about their lineages, Zhu Yuanzhang would chase after them with a butcher's knife.

He can be considered a model worker.

However, Grandma Li Tao's skill in making sugar figurines is truly exceptional.

That porcelain jar was no ordinary item either; the scalding hot sugar syrup inside showed no signs of solidifying even after all this time.

Chu Tianshu sensed the fluctuations of Mind Power and seemed to be able to feel a warm and sweet sensation from it, which moved him slightly.

If Mind Power had a scent...

The Mind Power is bittersweet, yet at the end of that freshness lies a more complex, smoky melancholy.

Like ancient shamans seeking experience in ignorance, dancing wildly in the fog.

The Mind Power of the Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal is as cold as the wind; it tastes sweet at first, but after a while, it seems to have a metallic taste.

The Mind Power in Feng Shui carries the scent of moist soil; when it is subtle, it relaxes people; when it is heavy, it suffocates them.

Any form of Mind Power inevitably carries a degree of destructiveness.

The Mind Power that Gambling King Nie Longding used to raise ferocious ghosts was filled with the smell of sulfur.

Chu Tianshu was quite knowledgeable and experienced.

This was the first time he had ever experienced such harmless fluctuations of Mind Power.

The second master spoke, Tianshu pondered; in fact, neither of these took long.

In just a short while, the sugar figure had already taken on a clear outline.

Two feathers fluttered atop his head, he wore a suit of chainmail and gold armor, and a cloak billowed behind him.

It turned out to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

The monkey stretches out its left leg, raises its right leg, and holds a long stick in its right hand, tucked under its armpit; its movements are incredibly lifelike.

By this time, the syrup had begun to solidify.

The monkey shone even more brightly golden in the sunlight.

Chu Tianshu looked on in astonishment.

As for finger movements, with his martial arts skills, he could replicate them after watching them only once.

But he knew very well that if he repeated it, he would at most get a sugar figurine that roughly resembled a monkey.

Unlike the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who is full of details that cannot be fully described in a short time.

You could even see the creases in the boots and trouser legs.

This divine aura comes from the Mind Power energy emanating from Li Tao.

"Boss Chu, take a look."

Li Tao handed the sugar figurine in her hand to Chu Tianshu.

The thin tube, at that moment, overlapped with the staff in the Great Sage's hand, passed under his armpit, and lifted the Great Sage's entire body.

The overall balance is very well done.

Chu Tianshu held the end of the thin tube between his fingers behind the sugar figurine, and felt as if the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was lying in his palm, facing him.

"Great."

Chu Tianshu examined it closely and praised, "If I'm not mistaken, eating this sugar figurine will bring happiness."

"A joyful mood with no side effects."

"Furthermore, it has certain conditioning effects. If someone has indigestion, eating this sugar can help improve their stomach and relieve bloating?"

Li Tao's expression changed.

She didn't expect that Chu Tianshu could describe all the effects with just one glance.

In the tradition of sugar blowing, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven's havoc in the Heavenly Palace refers to the stomach palace. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong also repeatedly sneaked into the stomachs of monsters.

This means using the energy of the restless mind to harmonize the spleen and stomach.

For example, people forget to eat when they are angry, and they overeat when they are resentful. Both of these are signs of an unsettled mind, which harms the stomach.

"Mr. Chu has a keen eye for talent."

Li Tao smiled helplessly and said, "To be honest, my lineage of sugar figurines has twelve major categories and more than three hundred different shapes."

"But aside from providing fleeting pleasure, all the therapeutic effects are minor; they can be considered to improve physical condition, but they cannot truly cure illness."

"In ancient times, sugar was a good thing. Even without magic, one could earn a little money by making sugar figurines, and those who knew magic wouldn't have to worry about their skills being lost."

"However, in modern times, the art of sugar figurine making has declined."

Grandma Li closed the ceramic jar in her arms and performed a traditional Chinese greeting with her hands clasped in front of her.

"I want to join your pharmacy. I can't say for sure about other things, but I'm pretty good at managing the warehouse. But I'd also like to occasionally visit your stores and do some of the candy-selling performances."

"My real intention is to use your pharmacy to build some reputation."

"If we can find someone who cares about this and can pass on this craft, that would be the best."

Chu Tianshu now understood why her second grandfather had said her motives were not pure.

If the Mind Power cultivated by the sugar figurine sculpting lineage only has this one effect, then it does seem rather useless.

Even in this day and age, when countries have begun to acknowledge the existence of magic, finding a reliable successor for this lineage is no easy task.

But even if these sugary foods can't be used as medicine, they're certainly good enough as health supplements.

A sense of pleasure without side effects, and a conditioning effect on various bodily functions.

Frankly speaking, many traditional Chinese medicines, when considered individually, might not have this significant effect.

"Um."

Chu Tianshu hesitated for a moment, about to speak.

Li Tao seemed to have misunderstood, and quickly added, "My children are quite successful, and I have some savings myself. I don't need a salary."

Please give me this opportunity.

She overheard it by chance; this pharmacy had an unusual background and was directly connected to Chang'an.

Given the current trend, there's a 99% chance this pharmacy will become very famous in the future.

If her sugar-blowing skills can catch a trend, she'll have something to show for her adoptive mother when she passes away.

"You still need to receive your salary, according to the rules."

Chu Tianshu laughed, "Making sugar figurines in our pharmacy is quite innovative. If we also do some live streaming, who knows who will gain popularity first?"

"But if I let the soup simmer in the pot any longer, the vegetables will turn yellow. Let's eat first and chat while we eat."

He placed the sugar figurine by the security window and went inside to prepare the food.

Second Master Chu followed him in and said in a very low voice, "Really, it won't affect your business?"

"If it's managed well, there will only be benefits."

Chu Tianshu scooped up some soup and replied, his expression slightly shifting.

"Second Grandfather, do you know any other sorcerers who aren't very versatile and aren't good at combat?"

Second Master Chu said, "There are a few more, we have connections... Why are you asking this?"

"These traditions we all inherit can be adapted to the times."

Chu Tianshu said, "The elders all have a wealth of experience in cultivating Mind Power, but they lack prospects for further development."

Even if they have the opportunity to become renowned teachers, there may not be anyone willing to learn from them.

"Since that's the case, let's add something new to them, like martial arts."

(End of this chapter)