Chapter 61: Buying Incense and an Incense Burner
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: Buying Incense and an Incense Burner
After only a short wait, the Senior Sister returned.
"Junior, I don't even know your name yet. It’s fate that you were recommended to my shop. I’m Gongxi Huanxin, and I’m happy to be of service~"
"Um... my name is... Yang Yuehan. You can just call me Xiao Han," I said, feeling a bit self-conscious.
"Yang Yuehan. Then I’ll call you Xiao Han. You can call me Huanxin, or Senior Sister Huanxin if you prefer."
"Alright, Senior Sister Huanxin. You mentioned earlier that the incense is a bit expensive. Could you tell me exactly how expensive? I want to be mentally prepared..."
I followed her lead and pressed for details. If the price of the incense truly exceeded my expectations, I’d just buy a single portion to try out—I’d treat it as a one-time luxury.
"When I say expensive, I mean compared to ordinary incense," Gongxi Huanxin explained as she opened the case she had brought. Inside were several exquisitely packaged small boxes. She picked one at random and held it out to me. "One box like this counts as one portion. If this were ordinary incense, this amount would only cost a few yuan. But this costs over two hundred."
"Two... two hundred?"
I stared wide-eyed at the small box in her hand. Once opened, the amount inside would probably be even less than I imagined. Two hundred for just this? Didn't that mean I’d worked all day for nothing?
"Yes. Moreover, incense used for meditation burns very quickly. This portion is conservatively estimated to burn for half an hour, and the effects last for about an hour—provided you don't open any windows for ventilation. It’s best to use it in an enclosed space or directly in a meditation room."
Gongxi Huanxin opened the small box. Inside was a tiny transparent bag filled with something that looked like powder. she pinched the bag between her fingers and gave it a little shake in front of me as she explained.
"Given that, do you still want to buy one to try? Also, this is a small business—no credit allowed."
"Um... I, I’ll still buy one to try..." I gripped my phone, looking at my meager balance. In the end, I decided to go for it.
I was already in the shop, after all. It would be awkward to leave empty-handed.
"Alright then. Do you want this one, or should I get you a fresh box?" She put the incense back into the box, closed it, and asked.
"This one is fine. I’m not picky." I took the small box, holding it with extreme care. This little thing cost over two hundred yuan!
Today’s work really was for nothing. Sigh...
Just as I was about to pay, Senior Sister interrupted me again.
"This is Xiao Han’s first time buying incense, right? Surely you aren't planning to just light it on the floor when you get back? Not only would that be a complete waste, but meditation incense isn't lit with a regular flame."
"Eh?" I looked at her in surprise. I suddenly felt like I was being scammed. How could there be more? Was this some kind of bundled sale?
Was the price of the incense not even the biggest expense?
"You need an incense burner. Incense must be used in a specific burner, otherwise it’s a massive waste. You wouldn't want your two hundred yuan to go down the drain, would you?" Senior Sister Huanxin gave a slight smile, looking as if she had me right where she wanted me.
"Then... how much is a burner?"
I asked tentatively. Since I’d already bought the incense, I couldn't exactly skip the burner, could I? Otherwise, the whole thing would be a waste of effort.
"That depends on what you’re looking for. A small one for personal use, or a large one for multiple people over a wide area? Given your situation, a small one should suffice, right?"
"Yes, a small one is fine. It’s just for me," I said quickly.
"Don't worry too much. A small burner is only a few dozen yuan. Unless you want one with a lot of extra functions, it won't be very expensive. But cheap items come with their own set of troubles." Sensing my concern, Senior Sister quickly explained.
As she spoke, she walked to the side and pulled a very standard-looking incense burner from a cabinet. It was about the size of a palm—definitely a little thing for personal use. It looked like it held exactly one portion.
"This is the cheapest one I have. Its capacity is just enough for one portion of incense, so you’ll have to change it frequently. To be honest, that can really disrupt the efficiency of your meditation."
"It’s enough. I just want to try it out. I’ll worry about the future when it gets here. I’ll take this one, thank you." I quickly closed the deal. I was the only one using it anyway, so I didn't need anything fancy.
Besides, my wallet couldn't handle high standards.
"Alright then. I’ll round it down for you since you’re a new customer. That’ll be 260 yuan, please." Gongxi Huanxin spoke quite honestly and didn't show any disdain for the fact that I was only buying the bare minimum.
No matter what, I was a customer—a paying customer. Gongxi Huanxin took pride in her professional service attitude.
"Thank you," I said hurriedly, taking the small burner and paying promptly.
I needed to get out of here fast. If I stayed any longer, I might start feeling physically uncomfortable. This Senior Sister was just... too captivating. And she was dressed so provocatively—it felt like she was trying to tempt me!
Fortunately, I had enough self-awareness—and an empty enough wallet—to maintain my self-control.
"Is Xiao Han leaving just like that? Honestly, leaving without asking anything is going to lead to big problems. Do you know how to set up the incense? Do you know how to light it? I believe I mentioned that it can't be lit with a normal flame."
"Oh... right..."
My hurried footsteps faltered. I realized immediately that I wasn't getting away yet. I really didn't know any of that.
"That’s more like it~ Come, I’ll teach you how to use it."
Gongxi Huanxin walked toward me, her footsteps making a crisp clicking sound. She leaned down slightly and rested a hand on my shoulder, as if she were about to pull me into the abyss behind her. My heart skipped a beat.
In the end, I was practically forced to sit down, with Gongxi Huanxin sitting across from me.
"Come~ give me your burner. I’ll demonstrate for you."
She gently took the small burner I’d just bought and naturally opened the lid.
"This inside the burner is incense ash. For regular incense, you’d bury incense charcoal inside and slowly add the incense materials. But meditation incense is different. The incense itself is a finished product created through alchemy. It requires special methods to burn and release the internal substances that aid meditation."
"We need to slowly press the incense ash flat. Gently... give it a little tap... then place this to shape the incense powder..."
I watched her operate step-by-step. Every one of her movements was incredibly elegant. Without realizing it, I became entranced by the sight. It wasn't until I snapped out of it that I realized a very serious problem!
"Wait... wait! That incense isn't mine, is it? Um..." I looked at the portion of incense she had already placed inside. She wasn't going to force me to pay for another one, was she?
"This is just a portion for the demonstration. Consider it a gift from me. Besides, this isn't a full portion; it’ll only last a few minutes at most. You can experience the scent. Even if you don't buy your incense from me in the future, you must remember what pure incense smells like. Don't let yourself be fooled by the junk sold in other places~"
"Huh? Oh... um, I... thank you."
I blinked, stunned by her words for a moment, before awkwardly stammering out a thank you.
I was starting to feel like this Senior Sister was actually quite nice. Aside from my initial prejudice due to her talent, she seemed like a genuinely good person!
"You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do." Gongxi Huanxin finished with a smile and stood up, seemingly about to leave. "You can take it with you once the incense has finished burning. Be careful not to burn yourself. And take these special matches for lighting the incense as well; consider them a free gift."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Huanxin," I said quickly. I watched her walk toward the back of the shop, presumably to attend to her own business.
At that moment, a delicate fragrance wafted from my small burner. It was the scent of the incense. Just smelling it gave me a sense of pure, soul-soothing calm. It truly was a fine tool for aiding meditation!