The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 599 What?! The Painted Skin ghost has infiltrated my life?!
"Oh, I didn't kick it, the boot kicked it by itself..."

"Didn't you guys see the camera just now? A boot suddenly zoomed in..."

"Anyway, it has a bad temper, so I'm hesitant to let it pass... Here's what I'll do: once I fix it, I'll make a copy for you! A copy is fine, right?"

Shen Le shoved the two boots back into the safe and locked it with a click. He then carefully placed the monitor, retrieved the camera, and, while plugging in the cable, chatted with the person on the other end, explaining:

"You wouldn't want these boots to kick someone in the middle of the night, would you...? Even if they don't hurt anyone, it wouldn't be good if they kicked and broke themselves on the glass cabinet..."

The professors exchanged bewildered glances. Suddenly, a boot on the screen enlarged to fill the entire display, followed by a dizzying, jarring sensation—it couldn't have been more terrifying.

Forget it, let Shen Le fix those boots himself. They can just get a replica here—after all, many museums display replicas anyway, so it's fine!
"Well... if you have any questions, feel free to ask us! If we can't figure it out ourselves, we have a whole bunch of people in the industry we can consult!"

Shen Le waved at the camera and buried himself in his work. He had already photographed and documented the two boots, and now he was finally beginning to examine them step by step:
"What kind of leather are these boots made of...?"

Shen Le, holding a magnifying glass and a microscope, examined the two boots repeatedly, back and forth. He'd glance at them a few times, then flip through the picture book; he'd look at them a few more times, then flip through the picture book again…

"Shen Le, have you finished? Do you need any help? Or could you take a picture of the photo and we'll take a look at it for you?"

Shen Le: "..."

The two leather boots covered a considerable area, but unfortunately, they were severely damaged. Their surfaces were covered in signs of aging and fiber breakage, with almost no pores remaining.

There are actually many ways to identify what type of leather boots are made of, such as touching them to check their feel, testing their breathability, and conducting a bending test.

Cowhide feels firm and elastic, sheepskin is soft and delicate, and pigskin is rough and uneven.
Cowhide and sheepskin do not easily crease when bent, while pigskin is prone to forming obvious creases.
Breathability and moisture absorption are both superior to sheepskin and pigskin, which in turn are superior to cowhide.

However, none of these methods worked on these leather boots that had been buried in the sand for over a thousand years and were extremely worn out.

Feel? Bending? It's only slightly soft now, and you can clean the dirt inside. That's already the result of Shen Le's efforts to rehydrate it and make it a little softer.

Dare to try it out, and it'll break right before your eyes...

Unfortunately, the only usable method of identification is to observe the pores on the leather. Cowhide has small, even pores, sheepskin has flat, compact pores, and pigskin has round, large pores arranged in a triangular pattern.

Shen Le diligently read through countless books, websites, papers, and images, finally memorizing the differences. Then, when she went to find the actual object…

Pores...pores...pores are gone...

Yes, one and a half boots, one boot top, two boot vamps, two boot soles—all gone.

Great, what's next?
"Xiao Shen, can't handle it?" A soft laugh came from the microphone on the other end.

It was obvious to the experienced professors that he had encountered a problem, just from the way he kept turning his boots over and over and dragging them under the microscope:
Moreover, the professors adhered to the principle of "teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish," and refused to feed Shen Le knowledge. They only offered suggestions:
"Look up this paper—'Conservation and Restoration Report on the Leather Shoes Unearthed from Tomb No. 361 in the Astana Ancient Tombs of Turpan'—it mentions this issue..."

Okay... alright. Luckily, I still have a CNKI account. Oh no, even if I didn't, I could still access CNKI from the research institute.

Shen Le quickly studied it:
"Without pores, the type of leather cannot be identified with a magnifying glass or microscope. Only a scanning electron microscope can solve this problem. Professor Bai, do you have a scanning electron microscope here?"

Yes, they definitely exist. In the 1990s and even the early 21st century, electron microscopes were a rare and expensive tool; even top-tier universities had to grit their teeth to afford them.
However, it has become increasingly popular in recent years. Even remote places like the Turpan Academy of Sciences have electron microscopes. How could the Dunhuang Institute not have one?

However, there is only one electron microscope of the same model. You either have to take the boot out to observe it, or take the electron microscope in to observe it.

Regardless of which method is chosen, the area must be cleared, thoroughly disinfected, and corrected to eliminate the influence of spiritual substances and prevent them from harming the faculty and students of the research institute…

"Forget it, I'll just take it back and look at it in my own lab." Shen Le hesitated for a moment, then sighed and began packing up the half-boot.

Electron microscopes are precious instruments, extremely sensitive to stability and environmental conditions. Even minute vibrations or fluctuations in temperature and humidity can affect their accuracy. Generally speaking, once they are placed on the ground and calibrated, they are rarely moved.
If it must be moved, a professional team is required to disassemble and reassemble it. After reinstallation, optical calibration, electron beam alignment, and sample stage positioning are also required, which can take anywhere from several hours to several days.

Shen Le felt that he wouldn't ask the Dunhuang Institute to go to such lengths. As for thoroughly disinfecting the electron microscope inside and out to eliminate the influence of spiritual factors, that would be very troublesome, requiring at least the evacuation of all laboratory staff and students…

Forget it, I already have an electron microscope myself. Time to go home and get to work!

He had used electron microscopes many times before and was very skilled. Adjusting the sample, measuring, and taking pictures were all done without a care in the world. The only problem was:
"So can someone tell me what pigskin, cowhide, and sheepskin look like under an electron microscope so I can compare them?"

This question wasn't addressed in the paper: it didn't include all the images. Shen Le searched through a huge amount of material, even including publications like "Chinese Leather" and "Western Leather," but still couldn't find the answer.

They're targeting fresh leather, not old leather that's been buried in sand for a long time and has completely dried out and cracked...

Shen Le thought for a long time, but to no avail, she had no choice but to ask Professor Bai for help. Professor Bai readily agreed:
"Oh, you want this kind of photo? No problem, I know people at the Turpan Institute, I'll get you the photos right away—they're usually willing to give you this many!"

The old professor's influence was indeed considerable; he made a private suggestion, and within a day, the electron microscope images kept by the other side were sent over. However, Shen Le stared at the images from left to right, still unable to grasp the key points:
"The difference between the photos under an electron microscope and those under a microscope is too great! I can't understand them at all... I can't see the difference at all..."

He really wanted to consult the old professor again, but was a little embarrassed to bother him repeatedly. After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone, intending to buy some leather to test it himself, but then hesitated.
Online, including on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace), all the bags sold are made of fresh leather, not too old. The kind of old, completely cracked leather that Shen Le wanted, with no visible pores, was simply not available...

Sigh, I'll have to think of something else. Feeling lost and helpless, Shen Le simply put down his work, left the mansion, and decided to clear his head. He hadn't strolled around Nanhua Street for several months, and once he stepped outside, he discovered that his surroundings had changed drastically:
When he first moved in, the entire Nanhua Street was deathly quiet and deserted. Not counting the large houses, only about a third of all the houses on the street were inhabited, and those were mostly people who couldn't afford to move or were renting for the cheapest option.
There weren't many people on the two stone-paved streets along the river, except for Tianxiang Restaurant, which was busier during mealtimes; otherwise, hardly anyone went there. Was the main road difficult to walk on?

Isn't a sidewalk that's paved with neat bricks and stones, shaded by trees, and has sewers on the side, and doesn't slip on rainy days, great?
But now, the entire Nanhua Street is bustling with people, a vibrant and lively scene. Besides Tianxianglou Restaurant, there are seven or eight small shops lining the riverbank, selling straw-wrapped pork, sesame dumplings, stuffed eggs, and fish balls—

Shen Le bought a bowl of sesame glutinous rice balls and sat down to eat them slowly. The sesame glutinous rice balls, each about the size of a cherry, were snow-white, glossy, soft, and round, floating up and down in the bowl.

Take a gentle bite, and the rich, dark sesame paste flows straight into the spoon, releasing an irresistible aroma. The sweet and savory flavor fills your mouth, making you want to lick the bowl and spoon clean.

It's obvious that each glutinous rice ball is handmade, with no skimping on the glutinous rice skin or the black sesame filling.

It's decided, from now on I'll eat tangyuan here! Forget about those fancy tangyuan, or those dragon and phoenix tangyuan, nothing compares to this shop's tiny little finger!

Shen Le strolled along Nanhua Street. He held a small plate of meat wrapped in straw, then tilted his head back to bite into it, the straw still clinging to him.

Standing in the crowd, I watched as the proprietress cracked an egg into a teacup, stuffed it with minced meat using long chopsticks, and then poured the egg into bone broth to cook.

A group of people surrounded the soup pot, seven or eight of them filming with their phones; if it weren't for the steam, they would have practically pressed their phones against the egg. Once the egg was cooked, they gently scooped it up and poured it into a paper cup.

"Give!"

Shen Le: "...Actually, the taste isn't necessarily that extraordinary, but the skill involved is definitely worth seeing..."

As night fell, the entire street was ablaze with lights. After walking past the snack street, just a few steps ahead, one could hear the clanging and banging of metal. Following the sound, one could see Master Lu sitting in front of his silver jewelry shop, demonstrating how to make silver rings with great skill.

Upon seeing Shen Le, he nodded with delight, then turned to greet the customer.

"Want to pick a beautiful lady? You can type names, dates, and common characters here for free!"

"Give me one! I want to hit 'Get lost, scumbag, never come back!'"

"Oh...please wait a moment. There are a few characters that we don't have molds for. Can you engrave them for us manually?"

Shen Le shook his head and walked slowly forward. The entire Nanhua Street, along with the several alleys on either side, had somehow become a tourist street.
Or rather, Zhuxi Town was originally an ancient town, but it was barely thriving before. The government wanted to develop its tourism industry, but never succeeded. Now, for some reason, it has suddenly become popular.

There were shops selling silver jewelry, shops selling traditional oil-paper umbrellas, shops selling leather goods, and shops selling pickles—one of which even had a sign that read "Baozhilin."

The cat demon, who had previously wanted to rent a place to open a yoga studio, has now successfully opened her fitness center. Along the wall, a row of treadmills are filled with people sweating profusely. Looking through the gym, in a yoga studio, the cat demon is leading a group yoga class, her body contorted, revealing breathtaking curves.
"Press down! Press down! Inhale—exhale—exhale—exhale—feel the power within your body, feel the spiritual resonance..."

Business is booming. Shen Le smiled, genuinely happy for these shop owners.

He wandered around Nanhua Street for a long time, then strolled to the new town area of ​​Zhuxi to digest his food. By the time he returned, it was late at night, and the streets were almost deserted. The entire Nanhua Street presented a strangely peculiar scene:

The oil-paper umbrella spun above the shop entrance, and moonlight and streetlights shone through the top of the umbrella, casting mysterious patterns on the road.

Shen Le watched as a passerby tried to turn into the alley, but upon stepping on the pattern, paused for a moment, then suddenly turned and walked back.

Oh, is this a Muggle banishment curse?
He stepped inside without feeling any obstruction and entered smoothly. Turning his head to look into the shop, he saw a row of dark figures standing along the side, handing over something one by one and taking an oil-paper umbrella from the shopkeeper.

The moment the umbrella was raised, the entire shadow stopped writhing, solidified completely, and took shape—some had broken necks and heads tilted to one side, some had ruptured bellies and spilling intestines, and some were charred black all over…

They walked a few steps, holding up their umbrellas. The further they went, the more normal their bodies became, until they were indistinguishable from ordinary people. With a cheer, they raised their umbrellas for protection and strode out of the shop.

Is this... a ghost?

The oiled paper umbrella was meant to protect them and give them temporary mobility.

This shop serves living people during the day and ghosts at night?
In short, I don't understand it at all...

Shen Le shook his head and continued walking into the alley. A strong smell of medicine wafted over, and looking up, the pickle shop called "Baozhilin" had changed drastically.
The goods on display were no longer small pickled cucumbers, small green cucumbers, pickled mustard greens, pickled mustard tubers, fermented bean curd, and various kinds of pickled vegetables.

The large vat of soy sauce was bubbling with dark brown medicinal liquid, and the counter was filled with porcelain bottles of various sizes. Behind the counter, on the shelf, there were rows and rows of Ganoderma lucidum.

Shen Le watched as a rabbit stood up on its hind legs, holding a sheet in its two front paws and reciting it. Inside the counter, a deer ran back and forth, carrying lingzhi mushrooms and piling them on the counter.
"One purple Ganoderma, two cloud Ganoderma, and five red Ganoderma..."

What we're saying is, could we find another way to get the medicine?
The thought of carrying a Ganoderma lucidum by hand, getting it covered in the deer demon's saliva, just makes me feel a bit psychologically uncomfortable...

Further inside, Master Lu sat listlessly behind the counter. The shop was completely empty, not a soul in sight. Seeing Shen Le stop and look around, he smiled and waved.
"I sell magical artifacts. I might not make a sale for three years, but when I do, I can live off it for three. No problem, it's normal for nobody to be here. It gives me some free time to design some magical artifacts—"

But it seems like you're just scrolling through short videos; you don't look like you're thinking about designing any magical artifacts...

Shen Le inhaled and exhaled, finally remembering why she had come to Nanhua Street in the first place.

He wandered around the alley, finally ending up at the leather goods shop, where he saw a group of strange-looking creatures, dressed in a disheveled and unkempt manner, surrounding the shop owner and scrambling to get to him.
"This is my skin! It just shed today! Only 300 yuan per meter!"

"Three hundred is too expensive! Look, you've rubbed your skin raw, here, here, and here—"

"Who sheds their skin without breaking it? How can you shed it if you don't break it? These holes are on the edges, there are very few left, they won't prevent you from making leather goods!"

"Who said that! If it's worn through, the entire flow of energy will be disrupted! I'll only give you 150 at most!"

"Boss, look at my leather! Red and yellow plaid, a rare color combination! Only 260!"

"My downy fur, the downy fur that just shed this spring..."

"mine……"

Shen Le was amazed. He waited patiently for an hour, and seeing the shopkeeper still haggling with those guys, he shrugged and slowly walked away. The shopkeeper saw him immediately and quickly chased after him:
"Mr. Shen! Mr. Shen, please don't leave! Let's talk inside!"

The group of people in the shop, whose expressions were rather complicated, suddenly fell silent. They stared intently at Shen Le, seemingly saying nothing, yet also as if whispering amongst themselves in a strange way. After a moment, they abruptly dispersed, leaving the entire shop to Shen Le.
"Oh, won't this affect your business?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing." The shopkeeper looked up, her face beaming, glowing under the light. Wait a minute, this face seems a little different from when I walked by before; her oval face has become a heart-shaped face, but her aura hasn't changed.

"These are all small-scale suppliers, providing scrap materials for decoration. One more or one less won't make a difference. Mr. Shen, what would you like? How about our bags? 2000% more internal volume, 50% lighter..."

This figure might be very cost-effective for research institutions, making it worthwhile for them to study spatial patterns. However, for Shen Le, who has Zhong Xiaomei and Huang Yutong with him, it's not appealing at all.

In this pen holder, in this grand three-courtyard house, there are so many things that can't be stored. Why do I need to come here to buy a bag?

Seeing Shen Le smiling but not responding, the shop owner immediately turned around and raised his hand upwards:
"Would Mr. Shen like to see our guards here? We'll put one in a room and one on the roof. To others, they'll look like toys, but if a thief breaks in, they'll bite him on their own—"

Shen Le looked up in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, a row of leather plush toys sat on the top shelf: rabbits with long fangs, strangely shaped creatures that looked like giraffes, and a crocodile with its mouth wide open in a laugh.

All the dolls had two dark eyes staring out, made of buttons or beads, not reflecting any light, which made them look particularly eerie.

Shen Le subconsciously took a step back and looked in another direction. The leather dolls there were even stranger, each one looking like it had stepped out of the Classic of Mountains and Seas...

So when you're stocking the shelves, are you sure you won't mix up the daytime and nighttime stock?

What if an ordinary person buys one of these dolls that come to life at night, and it actually bites someone to death in their home?
"Thanks, but my house has enough guards, I don't need to buy this." He quickly smiled and waved his hand. Before the shopkeeper could continue his sales pitch, he swiftly stated his requirements:
"I have some leather goods and would like you to help me identify what kind of leather they are. Would it be convenient for me to bring them over?"

"Ah, no need! No need! I'll come with you!" The shop owner's eyes lit up, and he immediately began to close the shop.
"How could we let you move your things over? Business is so good right now, and you haven't raised the rent. We're so grateful to you—it's not far anyway, I'll go with you!"

Shen Le couldn't stop her, so she had no choice but to accompany her to the mansion. Halfway there, she couldn't help but ask:
When did this place become a tourist street?

"It's only been in the last two months, right? — With you here, no one dares to cause trouble; everyone obediently follows the rules."

Moreover, this place is close to Shanghai, has convenient transportation, and low rent, which is great for us shop owners. Customers also like to shop here, so the business quickly became popular!

Shen Le nodded thoughtfully. He walked into the laboratory next to the mansion and came to the half-boot.

This shop owner is truly a master leatherworker. She didn't even need to touch it; a glance was enough for her to confidently assess its quality.

"These are cowhide boots. The soles are made of cowhide, three layers of whole cowhide, which have been deliberately tanned to make them hard and flexible, so they can be worn for a long time and are very durable."

"The upper is also made of cowhide, which is clearly the style of the Tang Dynasty's Liuhe Wupi boots, made of six pieces of leather. The upper and the inside of the shoe are made of sheepskin, and the inside of the boot shaft is also made of sheepskin, which is quite soft."

This patch… strange, let me think… oh yes, it’s camel hide! Unearthed in the desert, right?

She said a sentence, and Shen Le remembered it, writing and drawing simultaneously. Once everything was finished, he searched for a suitable thank-you gift for the shop owner while casually asking:
"By the way, if you leave, you're going to close the shop. Isn't there anyone else in the shop? Or is the shop run by staff during the day and you look after it at night?"

"I don't hire anyone! I'm the only one in the shop! I'm here day and night!" The shop owner said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"That's how it is here! It's not easy for a monster to hire a suitable helper. They're either too weak to stay in human form, or they're too strong, and if they're too strong, they'll go it alone..."

She paused, noticing Shen Le's questioning gaze, thought for a moment, and explained with a smile:

"You saw me once this afternoon and thought I looked different? -- Oh, I'm a demon with a painted skin! Humans like to change clothes often, and I like to change my skin often too!"

Painted Skin?!
Shen Le froze, his expression changing instantly. The story of the Painted Skin Ghost from *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* flashed into his mind. Changing skin frequently?
How many people have you skinned so far?!

With a crackling sound, a ball of electricity shot up from the small oil lamp, radiating a menacing aura as it fixed its gaze on its opponent. The painted-skin demon cried out and immediately cowered on the ground.

"I didn't harm anyone! I really didn't harm anyone! If I had harmed anyone, the Special Affairs Bureau wouldn't have rented the house to me—these masks were all painted by myself using sheepskin, silk masks, and the like!!!"

(End of this chapter)