The Magical Tarot Shop

Author: Yi Mo, Pi Deng, Ji Ji / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features:
1. The afternoon sun, golden and warm, dappled the occasionally falling leaves, rustling softly with a crisp sound. Bright sunlight streamed through the skylight, casting a dazzling light on the furniture and decor inside the cabin, reflecting a brilliant white. Such an afternoon was the perfect start to a peaceful day. The fool stared at the struggle between water and coffee in the siphon pot, a leisurely smile playing on his lips, appearing gentle and composed. "This is truly a wonderful afternoon. I can smell the aroma of coffee beans. If I could have a piece of cake too, there would be nothing to complain about." Suddenly, the door of the cabin was pushed open, and the warmth of the sunlight entered, enveloping a man standing at the doorway—a man with a frivolous smile and dazzling attire, like a peacock. The fool's smile froze noticeably. His gaze, which had been lowered, slowly lifted to meet the man's upturned, mischievous eyes. After a brief glance, he lowered his gaze again. The quiet, shy smile reappeared, tinged with a hint of cold detachment. A moment of silence filled the air. Clearly, the man had no intention of speaking again until he received a response. The two faced each other in silence, quietly.
Finally, the fool gave up on the hope that the man would leave out of embarrassment—he really had lived too long to forget just how thick-skinned this man was—no, he didn’t even have a sense of shame. "Sorry, the shop doesn’t have cake," the fool finally raised his head, smiling, his words clear and deliberate. "If you need it, coffee is available for a fee." "Tsk tsk, meeting an old friend, and you can be so cold?" The man smiled, closed the door behind him, and leaned against the counter. "Even without a surprising hug, at least there should be a pleasant afternoon tea time, right?" The fool said nothing more, lowered his head, poured a glass of water, and handed it over. His silvery hair slid down to the side of his neck with the movement. "Only water?" the man grumbled but took the glass and drank it down in one gulp. "Only water is free," the fool smiled gently, refilling his cup with the crystal pot. "Because you always end up eating and drinking heartily in the shop before realizing you forgot your money when you leave." The man chuckled, watching the fool pour the water slowly, without overflowing or missing a drop, reaching a perfect critical point at the rim of the cup. "Besides water, nothing else is free?" the man asked in a soft voice, rotating the cup gently but no longer drinking. "Besides water, nothing else is free." The fool repeated the same sentence, this time with a falling tone on the last word. The man stared at him, laughing. "That’s why I hate you—you’re so meticulous about everything." "Mutual," the fool’s eyes curved slightly, revealing an impeccable smile. "Do you think you’ll have anything good to say about me?" With that, neither spoke again, their faces expressionless as they glared at each other. Their gazes, slightly mismatched, clashed in the air, almost sparking, the atmosphere on the verge of explosion. Yet suddenly, they burst into laughter, as if nothing had happened. "Alright, say it," the fool paused in his laughter. "You came to my place—was it just to fight?" "Of course not," the man pouted, his false smile fading. "I heard you’ve opened a remarkable shop where the things inside can satisfy anyone’s wishes." "As long as you can pay the price," the fool didn’t deny it, pouring himself a cup of coffee that had just been brewed. "Then, what price do you want me to pay?" The man leaned forward, reaching out to grab the cup of scalding coffee and pour it into his mouth, utterly indifferent to the risk of scalding his esophagus. The fool glared at him, then took out another cup. "First, tell me, what will make this willingly pay the price?" "You know," the man narrowed his eyes, a cold, detached smile playing on his lips as he straightened up. "I knew what I wanted the moment I walked in. Why ask again?" Saying so, he casually dragged over a chair and sat down, resting one arm on the counter. "Alright, what’s the price?" The fool smiled faintly, unimpressed. "Still so self-centered. Did you really think everyone was a mind reader?" "Others may not be, but you are," the man didn’t deny it. He tapped the counter impatiently. "Hurry up. What’s the exchange?" With a sigh, the fool turned to the corner and rummaged for a moment. When he returned, he held a wooden box covered in dust and cobwebs. "This is what you want, isn’t it?" As he said, he took a soft cloth to wipe away the dust and slowly lifted the lid. The slow movement made it seem as if if the lid opened too quickly, the treasure inside would suddenly burst into dazzling light, blinding the eyes. Yet, nothing happened. The lid was fully opened, revealing a cushion on which lay a plain white stone, round and ordinary, with no luster or special features. Perhaps a randomly picked pebble from the riverbed would have seemed more like a treasure. But the man suddenly grew serious, carefully picking up the stone, holding it up before his eyes with an expression of solemn reverence, as if a pilgrim. After examining it for a long time, he finally spoke slowly: "Yes, what I want is this. This plain mirror." Before he finished speaking, the stone in the man’s hand suddenly glowed with brilliant white light, and for a moment, auspicious radiance filled the room, with auspicious clouds hovering. The stone, as if awakened after years of slumber, trembled slightly in the man’s hand, gradually changing shape, transforming into an ancient and sturdy mirror. The edges were carved with intertwined dragon and cloud patterns, while the back featured flowing bat and beast motifs. The mirror surface shimmered with radiant light, rippling in spirals, bright and clear, yet it reflected no face...
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