The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 600: You fixed my boots and want me to wear them? What, what if I fix a jade burial suit someday?!
"They just want to do business properly and make money..."

"After painstakingly saving up money for a hundred years, finally able to afford to rent a shop... and then being threatened and killed..."

"A flash of lightning almost wiped out a hundred years of my cultivation..."

"Mr. Shen, please don't force me to terminate the lease... I spent a lot of money renovating this shop, and I haven't even recouped my costs yet..."

The painted-skin ghost lay limply on the ground, its cries escalating from sobbing to pleading, to whimpering, and finally to wailing. Shen Le stood helplessly before her, holding her phone, listening to Gu Yulin's assurance on the other end:

“This Ms. Gu herself was also a victim. After being murdered, she was converted by the monks of Tiantai Temple and did not harm anyone during that time.”

"We checked her records and even used a 'heart-searching mirror' to make sure she didn't have any bad luck before we signed the contract."

"Don't worry, the Special Affairs Bureau will keep a close watch on people like her and will visit them every few days..."

Shen Le finally breathed a sigh of relief. But once she felt at ease, looking at the Painted Skin Ghost became even more awkward.
"Um... I'm not..."

“I know you’ve never dealt with us before, so you have stereotypes and think of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio when you hear about Painted Skin Ghost.”

The painted-skin demon sobbed, slowly expanding from a pile into a sheet, and then filling out into a human shape:
"It's okay, I'm really fine, I'm used to it... Mr. Shen, please don't make me cancel the lease... I don't mind the rent increase, please don't make me cancel the lease, I finally managed to rent this place..."

Shen Le fled in panic. After taking five or six steps, just as she was about to reach the corner, suddenly, a net of black hair wove together in front of her, blocking her path.
"Wait, you guys?"

"Mr. Shen, may we discuss a business deal with her?" With flowing black hair and a Tang-style robe, she stepped forward and curtsied.
We also want to have a body—although clothes can move on their own, we still want a physical body, at least a face and hands, to make it easier to do live streams—to stream to ordinary people!

We can pay for it ourselves!

Did you apply to the Special Affairs Bureau and receive approval to broadcast live to ordinary people?
Are you sure you don't accidentally cause a blunder, like your clothes suddenly falling off or there's no body connection between your hand and face, requiring the Special Affairs Bureau to clean up the mess?

Shen Le's pent-up urge to complain surged, almost overflowing. The Painted Skin Demon collapsed once more, turning into a shadow that drifted along the ground, nestling between Shen Le and the women in their skirts, before rising again:
I'm willing! I'm absolutely willing! I can tailor a service to each of you individually! I offer comprehensive after-sales service! Trade-in programs! Discounts available for larger groups!

—A 10% discount for groups of three or more, and a 20% discount for groups of five or more!

Shen Le sighed, waved her hand haphazardly, covered her face, and walked away. Behind her, her skirts swayed, and a swarm of women in flowing dresses rushed forward:

I want a custom-made V-shaped face!

I want an oval face!

[If I draw the design, can you make the leather according to it?]

Could you leave the face blank so I can draw it myself?

Hey guys, take it easy. Are you trying to learn the art of disguise too?

I don't want a few more ghosts in my house...

[Don't worry, boss, I'm watching them. They won't cause any trouble!] The little oil lamp flickered just in time.
Don't worry, not even a square centimeter of human skin will get into this house!

Ah, a small oil lamp is still the best; it's so thoughtful. Shen Le raised his hand and gently stroked the ball of light, then called out:
"Then you two can take your time negotiating. For me, please attend to the guests—by the way, I'll pay for the first order, one set for each person, consider it a staff perk!"

[Long live the boss!]

The girls in their flowing skirts cheered and swarmed around the painted-skin ghost, rushing into an empty room where they disappeared to do who-knows-what. Shen Le shook her head and could only slowly walk back to her workshop to begin her work.
The Painted Skin Demon truly lives up to his reputation as a master leather craftsman; his perception of various leather items is exceptionally accurate.

During this home visit, she not only helped Shen Le identify the various types of leather, but also drew him a diagram explaining how the two boots were made:
The Liuhe Wupi boots are made from which pieces of leather and how they are sewn together.
First sew where, then sew where, where they connect, where there's a single layer of leather, where there are three layers of thick leather, where there's a thick outer layer of leather, then add a soft inner lining...

After explaining it once, Shen Le began to disassemble the boots, working with unwavering skill. He patiently started by taking apart the upper, carefully pulling out the tough hemp thread through each needle eye.
After the hemp thread was pulled out, the front and back panels of the boot top separated and lay steadily on the table. Shen Le ignored the back panel for now and carefully pulled out the hemp thread between the front panel and the boot upper, working up a sweat as he did so.

The front panel and the boot upper are joined using a slip-on stitch, which requires some skill and careful disassembly. A slight lack of patience or a lapse in attention could easily result in the boot shattering...

By the way, the heel counter and the sole are also sewn together directly. To ensure it's firmly attached to the sturdy sole, the stitching is exceptionally strong, making it very durable.
Pulling these hemp threads out is also extremely painful. If you don't use enough force, you can't pull them out at all, and if you use even a little too much force, the hemp threads will probably just break on their own...

Shen Le worked hard for about two hours before finally disassembling the leather pieces into parts and laying them flat on the table.

Hold on a minute, don't rush to repair the leather. Instead, straighten out each strand of hemp thread, lay them flat in the glass water tank, and then pour in the nutrient solution:
"Grow!"

"Grow!"

After a few beams of green light, the dried, broken, and extremely weak hemp threads became vigorous and grew rapidly.

Shen Le kept a close eye on them, making sure they were just growing forward and increasing in length, without suddenly growing into a plant, or even sprouting leaves or branches.

After a while, the hemp threads that have grown to a sufficient length are taken out, hung on a rack to dry, and then twisted, waxed, and made into beautiful hemp threads of sufficient length.

After finishing this part, I figured it was probably usable, so I rolled up my sleeves and went to work on the leather scraps removed from the boots:
From start to finish, cast the Cleanse spell again, then soak them in the silk fibroin solution as before, and cast Growth spells on them to let them grow on their own and regain their elasticity and suppleness.
As the leather gradually regained its softness and smoothness, and all the crisscrossing cracks and peeling returned to their original positions, Shen Le finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued to study the next step of the repair:

"Hey, do you want to be restored to a brand new boot, or do you want to stay the way you were when you were first buried, buried in the sandstorm?"

Naturally, no one answered him. Shen Le was not discouraged. He moved the complete suit of armor over and placed it next to the workbench, bringing it as close as possible to the leather boots.

This time, when the growth spell was cast on the boots or boot parts, there was a noticeable response:

In some areas, such as the toe and edge of the boot, the broken opening, and the slightly rotten parts, slow growth begins until the rot completely disappears;
However, the burn marks on the boot top, the wear marks on the sole, and even the natural deformation and damage on the inside of the boot caused by long-term wear remain unchanged.

It was as if these boots, too, wanted to commemorate their last owner in this way…

"I understand...I understand." Shen Le murmured to himself, his eyes half-open, as if communicating with the boots. After a long while, he opened his eyes, and the faint green light at his fingertips quietly dissipated.
The leather boots signify "no longer needed," implying that "everything that needed mending has been mended" or "everything that needed to be kept has been kept."

Since it refused to grow any further, Shen Le let it be, dried it out, and prepared to reassemble it.

The soaked and regrowth-treated hides are very soft and have a high moisture content, so they need to be tanned again.
"So what tanning process was used back then? Can someone tell me?"

Sorry, no, Shen Le had to rely on herself to desperately search through books and materials. Ancient leather tanning techniques included nitrification, smoking, vegetable tanning, and lacquer tanning;

However, as for the specific method used to tan the Liuhe black leather boots from the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty, well…

"I used my brain to tan it all!"
Shen Le was completely absorbed in the vast array of electron micrographs, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) results, and compositional analysis results.

Having finally managed to peek out, I earnestly sought the advice of the Skin-Painting Demon and received the following answer:
"Then, brains... using brains for tanning is the most convenient! Controlling the amount is super simple, it works great!"

This demon, who had secured a large order and successfully infiltrated Shen Le's mansion, was now spending countless days and nights discussing plans with the ladies of the courtesan class. She happily pointed to her temple, her eyes sparkling:
"Moreover, the tanned leather is exceptionally soft and delicate, making it very convenient for use as a face mold!"

You talk as if you have a brain...

Shen Le silently rolled his eyes. The Painted Skin Demon, seeing his hesitant expression, chuckled.

"It's very simple. If it's a rabbit, use its own brain to tan; if it's a sheep, use its brain; if it's a deer, use its brain..."

"So every animal has just enough brainpower to keep its skin intact?"

Shen Le rolled her eyes a second time. A burst of applause erupted around her, as her girlfriends happily provided the atmosphere.
[Boss, you've really elevated this! Your use of pun is brilliant!]
Unfortunately, all I have in my hands right now is skin, not brains—no, I'm not starting work from living things.

Shen Le earnestly asked for advice again, and the Painted Skin Demon tilted his head and thought for a moment before offering a second solution:

"Smoked leather is thick, sturdy, wear-resistant, and waterproof. Tanned leather is soft and breathable, but not waterproof. Even the Monkey King's tiger-skin skirt would be unwearable after tanning."

So why don't you try processing different parts using different methods?

I thank you!
Shen Le rolled up his sleeves and got to work. After thinking for a moment, he decided to skip the repairs and start by cutting the leather to make a pair of boots himself.
Anyway, he already promised to make a replica for the Dunhuang Academy, didn't he? Replicas can fail an infinite number of times, so it doesn't matter if they're ruined...

Shen Le bought enough leather from the Skin Demon at a very favorable price—the Skin Demon's handmade leather goods for normal people also required normal leathers such as cowhide and sheepskin.

Next, he collected pine branches, lit a fire, and hung the thick bark on the fire to slowly smoke it.

The leather was then soaked in a sodium sulfate solution and kneaded repeatedly until it was fully saturated with the solution, before being taken out and dried in the sun.

Three times in total, scraping off the surface saltpeter from the leather, then placing the "salt-soaked" leather in warm oil to allow the oil to seep into the leather, and then taking it out to air dry... "Ah, this is really troublesome..."

He would sit for a while, then shake his hands, and stand up to walk around a couple of times. Even with thick gloves on, he always felt that the sodium sulfate would seep through the gloves and stick to his hands, leaving his fingers always slippery.

Even a lukewarm oil temperature of only forty degrees Celsius would terrify him, for fear that the oil would splatter onto his face.

After the tanning was completed, he worked tirelessly, making patterns, cutting, twisting threads, and sewing the boots according to the existing leather size. Each step kept him sweating profusely.
"This leather sole is so hard to puncture..."

[Shen Le! Get out of the way! Let me handle this!]

Shen Le dodged, the wind whistling past his ears, as the little inkstone directed an awl forward with all its might, piercing through three layers of cowhide like an arrow...

"I mean, you're moving way too fast! What if I didn't have time to dodge? Wouldn't I be the one getting pierced?"

No way! I'm watching! If you don't dodge, I won't let it activate!

The ink lines danced, the lead weight guiding the awl up and down, and in a moment, a row of small holes appeared on the leather, even and complete, looking perfectly neat...
Shen Le: "..."

Otherwise, would you also help me with the threading and sewing?
"No way! You'd better do it yourself! The things I sew will look weird!"

Okay...okay then. Shen Le worked diligently, following the holes poked out by the small inkwell, threading the needle and tightening the hemp thread piece by piece.
The little inkwell also had to shout from the side:
"Pull it smoothly! Don't pull it crookedly! -- See, it's knotted at the back! Wait! Don't pull it so tight, the leather will wrinkle!!!"

It's like, no matter how much my skills improve, there's always one area where I'm weak, and the kids can always find something to criticize...
He felt like he'd poked seventy or eighty holes in his hands before finally finishing sewing a pair of boots. After that, he had to poke holes, wear them down, and cut them to create worn-out marks.

Both boots have two large holes at the toes, worn out day by day by people who wear them while traveling.

To create this mark, you need to make a mold that is the same shape as a human foot, place it inside, and push it forward repeatedly, kicking it forward.

The boot on the left has a large portion of its upper broken off; it's unclear what happened to it. However, the tear is mostly smooth with only a small section torn, making it appear as if it was cut in half.

Then stab the broken part and tear and cut it?
Both boot soles showed extensive wear and tear. Shen Le's solution was to use abrasion testing equipment to relentlessly grind down the soles.
"Twenty minutes...forty minutes...an hour...Holy crap, these boot soles must have worn through at least several thousand kilometers on foot! Oh no, all three layers are worn through!"

There's not much to say. Take the soles apart, replace the leather, and re-sand them. The previous boot soles only had one and a half layers worn down; the innermost layer was deformed, but it hadn't actually worn through…

After many trials and tribulations, and the destruction of five pairs of shoes, a complete pair of Liuhe black leather boots, basically similar to the original, was finally made and could be used as a replica.

Shen Le then changed direction and began to deal with the original item:
Sew, sew. After sewing, special balsa wood is used to make shoe lasts and pad them inside to prevent the shoes, which have just softened from moisture and are not yet strong enough, from deforming and collapsing.

Then find suitable leather, cut out pieces of the right size, and sew them—no, use growth magic to piece them together at the hole.

The fragments and the original boots are clearly different at a glance, indicating that they were added later.

The boots didn't object and obediently let Shen Le put them back together, turning one pair of boots into two.

Finally, once the shoes were mostly shaped, cotton was stuffed into them to make soft shoe lasts, which were then inserted to ensure the boots stood firmly in place.
"Alright! It's finally fixed! — Take a look, are you satisfied?"

Shen Le carefully carried the two boots on a tray, placed them next to the armor rack, and bent down to put them down. She took two steps back, looked them over, and then took out her phone to take a picture.
Not bad, not bad. Whether he was satisfied with the armor or not is another matter, but he was certainly quite pleased. These six-section black leather boots, glossy and shiny, were crisp and held firmly at the base of the armor.

If we lower the standard a bit, say to the level of a silk skirt, it's almost a complete outfit, enough for someone to dance on their own...

Up...

"If you're not satisfied, just say so!" Shen Le dodged left and right, raised his arms to defend himself, and pulled out a large piece of leather to block in front of him:

"Just say it! You can't speak, but you can write, right? Stop kicking me! Achoo!"

The boots soared into the air, landing upside down on Shen Le's head with the soles facing upwards and the boot shafts downwards. They swayed, swayed, swayed violently—

It desperately "spit out" the soft shoe last from inside the boot shaft, tearing it to shreds in mid-air. A flurry of cotton-like particles fell like snowflakes, choking Shen Le and causing her to sneeze twice…

After he finally managed to brush off the cotton covering his head and body, he saw helmets flying up and down, and armored figures spreading their arms and embracing him menacingly.

I tried to take a step back, leaned back, and almost tripped.

"Ouch! What is that?! What are you doing near my feet? Do you want me to wear it?"

The black leather boots bent their shafts once, then bent them again, as if bowing or nodding.

Shen Le truly regretted tanning it so softly; the lambskin boot shaft couldn't even bend 180 degrees, let alone tie a knot—

"Goodbye, you're a relic I've restored. Who wears relics these days? Do you really think everyone wants to wear a dragon robe? — I'll wear your boots now that they're fixed. I'll get a jade burial suit made for you another day..."

Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw! Children's words are innocent, let the wind blow them away. That's too unlucky to say, better not to say it...

Two black leather boots surrounded him. One kept bending over, gesturing repeatedly;
The other boot fell down with a "thud," bringing the opening of the boot to Shen Le's toes and wriggling upwards.

Judging from the way it looked, Shen Le didn't even need to lift his toes; the black leather boots would slip on for him with just a slight lift of his toes...

"If all shoes in the world could be worn like this..." Shen Le was so bothered by them that she sat down on the chair and lifted her leg to take off her indoor casual shoes.

Sigh, such unsolicited kindness is bound to be suspicious; the black leather boots are being so enthusiastic, they must be up to no good.

But what can you do? The boots you fixed yourself are begging you to wear them, even if you have to cry—most likely, they have some important information they want to tell me…

Shen Le sighed, lifting his left foot and then his right, struggling to get the boots on. Just as he finished, a helmet flew over and slammed onto his forehead with a "thud."
He paused for a moment, and the armor followed, snapping and putting on his body.

In just a short while, Shen Le was carrying a weight of twenty or thirty kilograms. If his body hadn't been reinforced by the copper plates, he would have really gone weak in the knees in the face of this.

"Okay, I'm ready... Just come and do whatever you need..."

Shen Le murmured. And the armored vehicle didn't disappoint him; soon, everything went black, pulling him back into his memories:

This time, the yellow sand stretched endlessly.

Shen Le leaned against the city wall, looked up, and was instantly shocked. The Hotan River—was this still the Hotan River?

The Hotan River, which collects snowmelt from the Kunlun Mountains, flows past the city of Khotan, crosses the desert, and reaches Kucha, was, in my memory, a vast expanse of blue water when it was near the city of Khotan.

However, at this time, the width of the entire Hotan River had shrunk to less than one-third of its original size, revealing large areas of dried-up riverbed.
Outside Khotan, what was once an endless expanse of fertile fields that seemed to stretch to the horizon has now been reduced to a small, lifeless patch...

With such a small amount of water and such a small amount of land, how many farmers can it support? And how many herders?
What happens to people who are starving and about to die?
Something terrible is about to happen!!!
The thought reflexively popped into my mind. Before I could figure it out, I heard hurried footsteps behind me, and a heavy pat on my shoulder.

"Ah Li! The general is calling for you!"

"Ah, I'll go right away." Shen Le withdrew his gaze and hurriedly turned around. One last glance before descending the city wall revealed billowing dust in the distance, as if a long procession was approaching...

What team is that?

herdsmen?
Sand bandits?

Or—reinforcements?
Khotan was not a large city, and it didn't take Shen Le long to get from the city wall to the general's camp.

Stepping into the main tent, the first thing that catches the eye is the general's snow-white hair and his still broad, though somewhat hunched, back:

“Ah Li,” the general did not turn around, still facing the screen and the map hanging on it with his hands behind his back:

"How many years have you been with me?"

Shen Le quickly sorted through her memories. What year is it? What is the year designation? What happened?
“It’s been decades, General,” he answered vaguely. The general didn’t seem to mind and said slowly:

"Yes, it's been so many years. Ah Li, I have a very important task to entrust to you. Do you dare to accept it?"

(End of this chapter)