As drums and gongs thundered down Chang'an's Suzaku Avenue, the Abacus-Bead Lantern curtain of Pei Hongxiu's blue crystal fabric sedan chair flew open with a "swish," and the abacus beads on her indigo pleated skirt bounced into the character "GLORY"—while the hem of her skirt was embroidered with a pattern of Huwa riding an abacus bead, glowing softly in the sunlight. "Listen up, you rascals!" she waved her abacus-bead patterned round fan, "Today marks the premiere of 'Huwa Abacus-Dyed Fabric,' and this princess is going to make the Hu merchants weep until they faint right in the middle of their camel caravan!"
Zhang Yifan walked ahead of the sedan chair, casually shaking an abacus strung with blue-dyed beads, the beads dancing in his hair to spell out the character "BRILLIANT"—though a few strands of his blue hair stubbornly stuck out in the shape of abacus beads. Moli waved her wolf-hair brush, scattering blue crystal powder as the beads bounced through the powdery mist to form the character "BLOSSOM," eventually spelling out the slogan: "Qingniu Abacus-Dyeing, domestic goods stand strong!" This prompted thunderous cheers from the crowd: "Doctor Zhang is a blue-haired fairy boy!"
By the third quarter of the Hour of Shi, a long queue had formed outside the draper's shop, the abacus beads bouncing into the character "SNAP" on the purchase vouchers held in everyone's hands. A wealthy matron gasped in amazement as she held up an abacus-bead fabric inspection lamp: "There rea…
Chapter 199