So here I was – STUCK! I have forked out $488 for a grand-looking wealth vase. I STILL DON’T KNOW SHE CONVINCED ME TO BUY IT!!! Why, oh why did I buy it? $488! I know that there is a certificate stating the authenticity of the wealth vase… but still, it costs close to $500! That’s a lot of money! $500!!!
我花了$488 购买了一个看起来很宏伟的聚宝盆。 哎哟， 我很想敲打我自己的头， 为什么我会买这么贵的东西？！ 她是如何说服我购买这么贵的聚宝盆？？？ $488！！！ 天啊！！！ 虽然聚宝盆有一张证明书， 这不是假货， 。。。 但真的太贵的！ 我接下来的日子看样子要吭面包咯！ 为什么我会买这么贵的东西？？？
What good is the CD that plays loud clanging music to a dancing God of Wealth cartoon? What good is a Wealth of God cartoon that tells me how lucky this wealth vase is? It does not tell me exactly what I have to do to activate the wealth vase! I stared hard at the accompanying product book, which I have flipped umpteenth time. What do I do with all that information written inside?! My biggest problem now is:
聚宝盆附送一张音视频磁盘， 但说真的， 音视频磁盘播放叮当的音乐跟我发财有什么关系呢？ 卡通片里的财神爷一直看着卡通里的聚宝盆喊声“好！！！”又跟我发财有什么关系呢？ 这张音视频磁盘没有告诉我如何激活聚宝盆的运气！ 我严肃的看着随送的那本产品书， 我已经翻了它几百遍， 不过我还是没头绪。。。 整本书写着密密麻麻的中文字体， 我现的问题是：
（一） 我不知道如何将聚宝盆放在属于它的玻璃盘上， 还有
（二） 聚宝盆放上了玻璃盘， 聚宝盆的‘鼻子’应该朝哪个方向， 还有
（三） 最重要： 我应该把聚宝盆放在家里的哪一个房间， 哪一个角落？ 我家的‘财位’到底在哪里？！
I wasted many days of my precious energy bemoaning over the cost of the wealth pot, and I kicked myself for my stupid, impulsive decision to purchase the wealth vase that I could obviously ill-afford! I was unsure how to use it, and I was terrified that something would go very wrong if I put it in the wrong (bad) sector of my home. My Feng Shui knowledge is only very basic, and worse now, there was no one to ask! Even the store owner who sold it to me… well, obviously she knows nothing! I was in such a mental state when I unconsciously walked towards this small stall selling crystal items, Feng Shui items and other lucky bric-bracs in Block 145 Teck Whye Lane. Whether it was the energy of the stall-owner, or it was the Cosmos drawing me close to her, or it was my silent (but strong) hidden wish to do something about my current situation, but this friendship was meant to be.
我浪费了很多天的精力， 我后悔买了这么贵的$488的聚宝盆！ 我根本买不起这种价格的风水物品！ 我只是一个底薪的小职员， 我连逃出基本的生活费也要挣扎！ 我烦恼如何运用这个昂贵的聚宝盆， 每天看着聚宝盆仍然放在装置它的盒子里摆在我眼前， 我都烦死了！ 就这样， 一周接一周， 过了几个月， 我还是不确定如何使用聚宝盆。 我一点信心也没有！ 说真的， 我害怕如果我把它放在我家里的错（坏）位置， 我先生和我的工作会出很大的问题！ 我的基本风水知识根本帮不了我， 更糟糕的是： 我身边根本没有人可以问！ 连把聚宝盆卖给我的店主都不会， 我还能怎么办？！ 抱着这种精神状态， 我不自觉地走向大牌145 Teck Whye Lane出售水晶物品、 风水物品和其他幸运小玩意儿的一个小摊位。 不知道是摊主的能量，或是宇宙让我接近她，或是我强烈想解决我先生和我的财务问题，但， 我和这小摊位的店主的友谊是从那天开始的。
I stuttered nervously: “Excuse me, Lady Boss, but do you have time now?” She always has small crowds of people gathered around her stall, and she was distracted by them, but still she looked up at me and she said kindly: “Yes”. I told her: “I’m sorry but I need your help.” Again, she replied kindly: “Yes, ok, tell me about it.” Isn’t she a Godsend in my circumstances? I explained to her quickly, but because it was really too noisy and too crowded, I asked her if I could bring the book to her another time?
我紧张地说：“对不起，老板娘，但你现在有时间吗？” 她的摊位总是有小群人聚集在摊位周围， 虽然她分心，但她仍然抬头看着我说：“有啊”。 我告诉她：“我很抱歉，但我有一件事需要你的帮助， 可以吗？ ” 她再次好心地回答：“好的，告诉我是什么事。” 你们说， 这位老板娘是不是天赐给我的礼物？ 我快快向她解释， 但因为那时真的太吵了， 我问她是否可以改天把书拿过来？
An important tip to tell you: don’t talk about making your wealth vase in front of every Tom, Dick or Harry in the market! So between office work and housework and marriage commitments, I shuffled between places and her stall. She did not know me well enough to shoo her customers away and to set aside time for me, neither did I have the guts to ask that of her. Finally after about 3 months of shuffling and waiting, we found a moment of quiet to sit down at her stall. I told her upfront that I was sorry that I was being so thick-skinned, and that I would ask for her help even though I have only occasionally purchased cheap $2 bric-bracs from her. She assured me not to worry about petty matters, and that she was the sort who would help others if she could.
给你们一个重要的提示： 你们千万不要在很多闲人的地方谈论制作你的聚宝盆！ 聚宝盆是属于你自己的， 最理想制作聚宝盆的地点是在一个安静的地方、 一个安静的时刻， 最重要的是制作聚宝盆时， 你心里和头脑里是安宁的， 不要有‘杂声’。 这老板娘的小摊位人气特别的好， 我每次有空走过去都是有人在她的摊位和她谈天。 就这样， 在工作和家务和婚姻之间， 我有空余的时间就往她的摊位跑。 我只是偶尔跟她买过小小便宜的手势， 我哪里好意思叫她把人群赶走， 把时间给我！ 最后过了大约三个月后， 我们终于找到了一个安静的时刻。 我告诉她： “老板娘， 对不起，我很遗憾，我太厚脸皮了。 这聚宝盆不是跟你买的， 我真的感到很惭愧坐在这里。。。” 这老板娘是一个好心人， 她叫我不要担心这种小事， 应为她是属于那种‘如果可以， 她一定会帮助别人’的性格。
Perhaps because I was thirsty for knowledge, or perhaps she was happy to share her knowledge with a willing ‘student’, we spent about 2 hours reading the product book. I was lucky because she was originally from China, so she aced it, and she could understand what was written in the product book better than anyone could. As I walked away, I swore to myself that I would buy things from her as soon as my financial circumstances got better.
也许是因为我渴望知识，或者因为老板娘很乐意与一个自愿的‘学生’分享她的风水知识，我们花了大约两个小时阅读那本聚宝盆的产品书。 我真的很幸运， 因为老板娘原本来自中国， 密密麻麻的中文字体根本难不倒她！ 当我感激的离开时，我发誓： 一旦我的财务状况好转，我就会从她那里买东西。
