In the bustling and lively Qingping Town, where carriages and horses bustled about, there was a porcelain shop owner named Chen Fusheng. Qingping Town was located at a crucial transportation junction, with merchants coming and going from all directions, making it an excellent place for doing business. Although Mr. Chen's porcelain shop was not large, it was decorated elegantly and exquisitely. The shop was filled with all kinds of exquisite porcelain pieces. There were blue and white porcelain vases as smooth as jade, painted with elegant flower and bird patterns, as if the spring scenery had been condensed onto the porcelain; there were white porcelain tea bowls as white as snow, as thin as eggshells, with delicate textures visible through the light, and warm to the touch; and there were also simple and unsophisticated pottery ornaments, carrying the profound charm of history. Each piece was the result of Mr. Chen's painstaking efforts over the years, collected and selected by him during his travels to various places.
However, the business world was like a battlefield, full of unpredictable changes. Especially during the busiest times of the town's market, while other shops were bustling with activity, crowded with customers and rolling in wealth, Mr. Chen's porcelain shop always had problems. The business was bumpy and extremely difficult.
Sometimes, when a new batch of porcelain had just arrived in the shop and was intended to be sold well during the market, somehow, during the handling process, several assistants seemed to be possessed by evil spirits. They were flustered and in a hurry, and with one careless move, several precious items were broken. The crisp sound of the shattering made Mr. Chen's heart ache as if it had also shattered into pieces. It was all hard-earned money gone down the drain. Another time, a generous big customer had already picked out a cart full of porcelain in the shop. Just when it seemed that this large deal was about to be sealed, at the moment of payment, the customer's complexion suddenly changed. Clutching his stomach, he cried out in pain and, without saying a word, put down the porcelain and left in a hurry. No matter how hard Mr. Chen tried to persuade him to stay, he couldn't. The deal that was almost in the bag slipped away, leaving him extremely frustrated.
Even worse, small accidents would inexplicably occur at the shop entrance every now and then. Either a mischievous stray cat would jump onto the shelves from nowhere and knock down several neatly arranged porcelain pieces, or on rainy days, the roof would suddenly leak, and the rainwater would pour into the shop, wetting many of the porcelain items placed at a low level, causing cracks in some of them and forcing them to be sold at a low price, resulting in heavy losses.
Mr. Chen was so worried about these matters that he couldn't eat or sleep, and several strands of his hair had turned white. He inquired everywhere, seeking solutions, and visited all the capable and extraordinary people in the town, but he couldn't find the root of the problem. One day, while chatting with an old friend on the street and talking about his recent troubles, the old friend looked mysterious and whispered to him, "I heard that at the foot of the mountain on the east side of our town, there is an ancient Taoist temple. In the temple lives a Taoist priest named Qingxuan with profound Taoist skills. He is a person with great supernatural powers! It is said that the talismans he draws are very effective and can drive away evil spirits, protect the house, and bring good fortune and change one's luck. You might as well go and ask him. Perhaps he can help you solve this urgent problem."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen's eyes immediately lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope in the dark. He quickly thanked his old friend, returned home, carefully prepared generous gifts, and walked quickly towards the direction of the Taoist temple with full anticipation.
The Taoist temple was hidden among the green mountains and clear waters, surrounded by lush trees and quiet and secluded. Mr. Chen walked along the winding mountain path, and before long, he arrived at the temple gate. The vermilion gate of the temple was half-closed, and the bronze rings on the door glowed with an ancient luster under the sunlight. A plaque was hung high on the lintel, with the three powerful characters "Qingfeng Temple" written on it, exuding a solemn and respectful atmosphere.
Mr. Chen straightened his clothes and gently knocked on the door knocker. After a while, a young Taoist boy opened the door. Seeing Mr. Chen's anxious and pious appearance, he led him into the temple. In the courtyard, Mr. Chen met Taoist Priest Qingxuan. The priest was dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, wearing a Zhuangzi scarf on his head and holding a whisk in his hand. His face was thin, but his eyes were as deep as an abyss, revealing an otherworldly and refined temperament, which made people feel respect at first sight.
Mr. Chen quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, pouring out all his experiences in the business world to the priest one by one. His words were full of helplessness and eagerness. Taoist Priest Qingxuan slightly closed his eyes and listened quietly to Mr. Chen's narration. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Benefactor Chen, in my view, the problem with your shop is that the wealth qi is leaking out and it is also being harassed by evil spirits, resulting in an unfavorable business and frequent disasters."
Hearing this, Mr. Chen was shocked and hurriedly asked, "Priest, what should I do? I hope you can be merciful and save my small business."
Taoist Priest Qingxuan stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "I can draw a Five Thunder Talisman for you. This Five Thunder Talisman is a secret talisman of Taoism, gathering the power of the five thunders of heaven and earth. It can intimidate all the evil spirits in the heavens above and stabilize the foundation of your wealth below, ensuring the prosperity of your shop and no more losses."
Hearing this, Mr. Chen was overjoyed and thanked the priest repeatedly. Taoist Priest Qingxuan then led Mr. Chen to a quiet room. The room was filled with curling incense smoke, permeating a mysterious and solemn atmosphere. On the table were neatly placed the tools for drawing talismans, such as yellow paper, cinnabar, and a wolf-hair brush. Taoist Priest Qingxuan washed his hands and burned incense, his expression solemn and respectful, as if he had entered a state of communication with the gods of heaven and earth.
He picked up a tough, slightly yellowed piece of yellow paper, gently spread it flat on the table, then picked up a wolf-hair brush, dipped it fully in cinnabar, and held the tip of the brush above the paper, murmuring incantations. The incantations were low and long, like a call from ancient times, echoing in the quiet room. Each note seemed to contain mysterious power, resonating with the thunder power between heaven and earth.
As the priest chanted the incantations, the wolf-hair brush in his hand began to move. Amid the flowing brushstrokes, one by one, powerful and sharp runes shaped like lightning gradually emerged on the yellow paper. The runes were dazzlingly red, like burning flames, and also seemed to carry the power of thunderbolts, emitting a majestic and awe-inspiring aura.
Before long, a Five Thunder Talisman was completed. Taoist Priest Qingxuan handed the talisman to Mr. Chen and solemnly instructed, "Benefactor Chen, take this talisman back and place it in the center of the counter of your shop. Be sure to place it respectfully and do not desecrate it in any way. After that, you must keep a kind heart and operate your business with integrity. Never forget your original intention for the sake of profit. Otherwise, even with the protection of the talisman, it will be difficult to maintain your wealth for a long time."
Mr. Chen took the talisman with both hands as if it were a precious treasure, carefully put it into his bosom, thanked Taoist Priest Qingxuan again and again, and then left the temple happily.
Returning to the porcelain shop, Mr. Chen did as he was told. He placed the Five Thunder Talisman reverently in the center of the counter and 特意在符箓前摆上了一盏长明灯，每日清晨开店前，都会虔诚地对着符箓上香祷告，祈求神灵庇佑生意兴隆。
Strangely enough, since the Five Thunder Talisman was placed on the counter, the business in the shop really started to improve day by day. At first, only a few regular customers came to buy some daily-use porcelain. Although the orders were not large, it was still a good sign, giving Mr. Chen hope.
Within a few days, the business in the shop grew rapidly like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. One day, a well-dressed and distinguished foreign merchant came to the shop. As soon as he entered the shop, he was attracted by the dazzling array of porcelain. After walking around the shop carefully, he praised the porcelain in Mr. Chen's shop highly and immediately placed an order for a large quantity of high-quality porcelain. The amount of the order was so large that Mr. Chen could hardly believe his ears. The profit from this single order was more than the total profit he had made in the past few months.
After that, similar large orders came one after another. The assistants in the shop were so busy that their feet hardly touched the ground, but each of them had a happy smile on their face. Moreover, those inexplicable unlucky things no longer occurred at the shop entrance. The stray cats no longer came to make trouble, and the roof no longer leaked. Everything became smooth.
Mr. Chen knew well that all these changes were due to the protection of the Five Thunder Talisman. He was grateful and not only often brought rich offerings to the Taoist temple to thank Taoist Priest Qingxuan for his kindness but also shared his miraculous experience with other merchants in the town. Under his influence, many merchants also went to the Taoist temple to seek the priest's help. For a while, Qingfeng Temple became famous in Qingping Town, and the miraculous legends of Taoist talismans spread wider and wider in the town, making people have more respect and longing for the ancient and mysterious Taoist culture.
With the increasingly prosperous business, Mr. Chen also always remembered the instructions of Taoist Priest Qingxuan. He operated his business with integrity and was always ready to do good deeds. He often reminded himself and his assistants that wealth did not come out of thin air. It depended not only on one's own efforts and hard work but also on the blessing and grace of the gods. Under his careful management, the business of the porcelain shop grew bigger and bigger and became a gold-lettered signboard in Qingping Town.
Years later, when Mr. Chen looked back on the past, he was still filled with emotion. That small Five Thunder Talisman not only changed his business destiny but also made him understand the profound philosophies contained in Taoist culture, such as conforming to nature, having a reverent heart, and accumulating good deeds. These precious spiritual wealth, like bright stars, illuminated his future life path, enabling him to always adhere to the right path and move forward steadily in the waves of the business world.