Chapter 6, Selling Mirrors

Huang San was on the verge of tears, while Xiao Huangying covered her mouth, desperately trying to suppress her laughter

The middle-aged man nodded slightly and asked the surrounding common people, "Do you all not believe that he is a scholar?"

Wang Yuan turned his head and ignored him, focusing on enthusiastically promoting to several villagers who were examining the bronze mirror. The plump shopkeeper suddenly exclaimed: "Dear villagers, you must not buy this bronze mirror. From my years of experience selling bronze mirrors, I can tell you that this one is an evil-repelling mirror. Anything that has been tainted by evil energy will bring unrest to your home if you bring it back. Take my advice, this type of bronze mirror is absolutely not worth purchasing; seeking a bargain will bring no benefit."

The common people observed Wang Yuan's attire; his hair was neatly styled, and his clothes were pressed and fitted, exuding a certain scholarly demeanor. Unfortunately, the hairpin was made of bamboo chopsticks, his clothes bore several patches, and he wore a pair of layered-soled shoes that, while clean, had worn-out tips. In that moment, they were uncertain whether to believe it or not

Wang Yuan fundamentally does not understand the customs passed down in the Tang Dynasty. In households where peace is lacking, people would hang copper mirrors in their homes to ward off evil spirits. Such mirrors are generally considered unsuitable for further use by individuals, as they are believed to harbor malevolent energy. Anyone who inadvertently brings such a mirror home is essentially inviting misfortune, which is extremely inauspicious

Wang Yuan took a firm stance and declared loudly, "Dear villagers, do not believe this person’s slander. I am Wang Yuan from Yong'an Fang, and you may verify this. This shopkeeper has slandered me, and I will not let this matter rest. Rest assured, this copper mirror is my wife's dowry; it is not an ominous object. On the contrary, this copper mirror is indeed a genuine auspicious item. My household is peaceful, and I have many offspring. The fortune teller said it is due to the merits of this copper mirror. Do not be misled by my young age; I have already fathered three healthy sons."

The shopkeeper standing nearby called out: "My good sir, do not be deceived by this fellow; his words are entirely untrustworthy"

The middle-aged man smacked his lips and said: "Young brother, to be honest, I consider myself a scholar as well. Hearing you claim to be a learned person from a difficult background reminded me of my own struggles with study in my youth, which is why I decided to purchase your bronze mirror to help you through this tough time. However, some say you do not seem like a scholar, and I am somewhat concerned about being deceived by your act."

Wang Yuan raised the mirror to his face and softly recited: "The reflection in the mirror still remains, yet the image behind the mirror is gone. I ask the person in the mirror, where do you intend to go?"

Wang Yuan sneered, "What a joke, I am selling my own goods, and I am not selling them in your shop, so what does it have to do with you? The street is public, and you are being overly controlling."

The shopkeeper with a garlic nose indeed came out quickly upon hearing the noise, and with fingers splayed, he sternly reprimanded: "You are so unruly, selling things outside my shop; isn't this stealing my business? Get lost, or I will call the city patrol to deal with you"

A middle-aged person remarked: "Recite it for me to hear, in the haste of the moment, it cannot be scrutinized; even if it is somewhat uneven, it is still forgivable."

The shopkeeper, stroking his garlic-like nose, muttered: "How could someone like him be a scholar? No one on the street believes it, yet you, my lord, do. You probably have seldom encountered such people, unaware of the tricks these rascals employ on the streets"

Wang Yuan said: "In a moment of haste, I have come up with a few lines; if they do not meet your standards, please do not laugh at them"

Wang Yuan clasped his hands and said: "Thank you very much. I originally intended to sell it for 500 wen, but I will only charge you 400 wen, as a gesture of gratitude for your trust, my brother."

A middle-aged man waved his hand slightly, and two burly men from the crowd stepped forward to block the path of the two soldiers. One of the burly men whispered a few words in the ears of the two soldiers, who then showed expressions of astonishment and immediately halted, no longer approaching.

Wang Yuan pointed at the person and said: "This brother must not speak carelessly. In fact... I am a scholar, and my family's poverty is due to my single-minded pursuit of academic success, leaving me no time to earn a living to support my family. Even though my family is poor, we could barely get by, but unfortunately, there are too many children, and with so many mouths to feed, I can no longer focus on my studies. If you insist on saying that this is a case of financial misfortune, then I would not argue with you."

Huang San was taken aback and stamped his foot, saying: "Er Lang, you must not act this way. Selling goods at someone else's shop entrance, isn't that asking for trouble? If the shopkeeper gets upset, it could attract the city officials and the military officers, which would be a great hassle"

Huang San had not yet responded when Wang Yuan jumped onto the large bluestone next to the shop with the auspicious number of 250 wen, and shouted loudly: "Come and take a look, a beautifully carved double phoenix mirror in 70% new condition, only 500 wen, first come, first served, don't miss this opportunity, it won't come again, only this one available."

The crowd burst into laughter, and one person exclaimed: "If it is indeed a auspicious mirror, how could you be so impoverished? It must be a mirror that brings misfortune."

Everyone turned their gaze towards the sound, and they saw a middle-aged man slowly walking out of the crowd

"Young man, if you truly are a fraudster, I advise you to leave immediately. I happen to know these two martial heroes and might be able to plead for you. However, you must not engage in such activities in the future," said the middle-aged man, gently stroking his beard and speaking in a calm tone.

The middle-aged person exclaimed in surprise, "So soon?"

The middle-aged man waved his hand and said: "Shopkeeper, why must you make things difficult for this Brother Wang? Although it is indeed inappropriate for him to solicit business in front of your shop, who among us has not faced urgent difficulties? I believe that if it were not for unavoidable circumstances, he would not act this way. Moreover, in our great Tang dynasty, we ought to respect scholars. This young man is a learned individual; should he not be afforded some respect and consideration for his education?"

Wang Yuan nodded and said, "I see, then please proceed to pose your question, my friend."

Huang Sanyuan and Ying siblings were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They approached Wang Yuan and tugged at his arm, saying: "Er Lang, let’s just leave. It’s not worth selling this bronze mirror."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly and, after a moment of thought, said: "It seems you are quite confident. Very well, since you are selling copper mirrors, compose a few lines of poetry on the theme of copper mirrors. I do not require you to be exceptionally brilliant, but a well-structured and balanced composition will suffice."

The middle-aged man smiled faintly and said: "Sometimes, verbal explanations are of no use. How about this, let me test you to see if you are lying to me. If you can pass my test, I will believe you and buy this bronze mirror to help you through your difficulties. If not, you need not worry about me making things difficult for you; just look over there, the patrol officers from the western market are coming, and they will know how to deal with you."

In the crowd, some people nod while others shake their heads, seemingly holding differing opinions

Wang Yuan nodded slightly, furrowed his brows, lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, and then smiled, saying: "I have it."

Wang Yuan was determined to sell this bronze mirror today. He could not believe that he, coming from the Tang Dynasty, lacked the ability to sell even a single bronze mirror. A great anger simmered within him as he ignored Huang San's advice and began to wave the mirror, calling out to sell it. The people on the street stopped in their tracks, and several who had originally intended to buy a mirror gathered around with keen interest, staring at the bronze mirror in Wang Yuan's hand, starting to inspect it.

The middle-aged man said: "It's quite simple. I will present a topic, and if you can compose a few lines of decent poetry, I will believe you. If it is truly as you claim, having diligently studied for several years, it should be an easy task for you."

What are you all doing gathered here? Are you blocking the street and causing a disturbance? Disperse, disperse, do you all want to be punished?" Two patrolling officers of the market shouted loudly, their gazes landing on Wang Yuan, seemingly realizing that he was the main culprit. They exchanged a glance and both stepped forward with their hands resting on the hilt of their swords.

Several commoners who were looking at each other immediately stepped back upon hearing this. One of them scolded, "So that's how it is, I almost fell for this peasant's trick, bringing a filthy thing to harm people. No wonder it's so cheap, this heartless thief"

The common people criticized Wang Yuan one after another. Wang Yuan understood that the shopkeeper was deliberately slandering him in order to obstruct his sale of the copper mirror. Looking back at the shopkeeper, who was stroking his beard with a wicked smile, he felt an urge to go up and slap him twice.

The middle-aged man, wearing a black cap, has a refined appearance, is dressed elegantly, appears to be around forty years old, and carries himself with a relaxed demeanor, walking at a leisurely pace

Huang San rolled his eyes beside him, while Er Lang spoke carelessly, weaving a story in the blink of an eye, something about having an old mother above and children below; it was impressive that he could come up with such a tale

The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "It seems that someone has taken advantage of you; this is not right. Five hundred wen is five hundred wen, not a single copper coin less. Moreover, according to your words, this is indeed a precious mirror; how can I allow you to sell such a treasure for so little?"

Wang Yuan is planning to use clever words to make the people believe the story he has fabricated, when suddenly someone in the crowd shouted: "Some indeed believe that what he says is not false"

Wang Yuan simply decided to spin a tale: "Ladies and gentlemen, you may not be aware, but the fortune teller said this is a child-bearing bronze mirror. However, it is precisely because this mirror has brought too much prosperity in offspring to my household that I must sell it today. I truly cannot afford to feed so many mouths, and my wife is also expecting, so it looks like we will soon have another mouth to feed after the New Year. I really cannot sustain this any longer"

In fact, the patterns cast on everyday mirrors and the copper mirrors used for warding off evil are quite different. However, with the shopkeeper saying such things, who would dare to take the risk of buying one home

He turned to the middle-aged man and clasped his hands, saying: "But how should I be evaluated?"

Some among the common people questioned: "If it is indeed a symbol of good fortune, how can you bear to sell it?"

Wang Yuan looked in the direction pointed by his hand and saw two fully armed soldiers, each with a long sword hanging at their waist, approaching from a short distance. The common people, as if avoiding ghosts, hurriedly cleared a path for them to pass through.

Wang Yuan smiled and comforted, "There is nothing to fear; we have not committed any crimes, so what is there to be afraid of"

"Brother Wang, others may not believe you, but I would like to trust you once. How much is this copper mirror? I will buy it." The middle-aged man smiled as he approached Wang Yuan.

The shopkeeper angrily said: "You may speak in flowery language, but who can verify it? This shop sells mirrors, so we naturally know what an evil-repelling mirror is and what a common copper mirror is. I have encountered many people like you. Fellow villagers, this copper mirror has a suspicious origin; if purchased, you may face inquiries from the authorities. I advise everyone to act with caution."

The plump shopkeeper, momentarily at a loss for words after being interrupted by Wang Yuan, finally stamped his foot in anger and exclaimed: "This is outrageous; this is not how one plays the rogue. The West Market has its rules."

The shopkeeper laughed heartily and said, "What nonsense! There is no such thing as a child-conceiving bronze mirror; it's simply a joke. If you don't hurry up and get lost, I will call the market patrol officer to take you away and teach you a lesson for spouting such nonsense in broad daylight. Just take a look at yourself; with your appearance, you still boast of being a scholar. If you say that out loud, it would make others laugh their teeth out. Who would believe you? Who would believe you?"

Do not listen to the nonsense of this shopkeeper. This copper mirror of mine is a household item. As the New Year approaches, my family has no money left, and everyone is worried and frowning. It is truly unavoidable. My wife sold this copper mirror, which was part of her dowry, for me to exchange for money in the West Market. I have a sixty-year-old mother above me and three young children below me who are crying for food. This unscrupulous shopkeeper just offered me two hundred wen, which I did not accept, so he came to slander me. Fellow villagers, do not be deceived by this unscrupulous shopkeeper.

Wang Yuan hurriedly said: "These people judge others solely based on their clothing and appearance. I assure you, my dear brother, that having an education is by no means a deception"