漫步子丑市集 / Strolling Through the Zi Chou Market

當您看到「子丑」兩個字時，會聯想到甚麼？是神祕的東方玄學嗎？是某種隱密的代號嗎？還是一個特立獨行的人名嗎？我猜假如是華人的話，首先會聯想到天干地支，天干地支是中國古代的一套紀年、紀月、紀日、紀時的曆法系統，子為鼠年，丑為牛年，其實我對天干地支了解的不多，就只知道這樣而已。

雖然我本來以為這個市集可能是集聚命理師的算命占卜市集，別怪我會這樣猜，因為市集名稱真的帶著濃厚的玄學色彩，不過，這個市集又是我常逛的文創類市集，因為主辦單位叫做子丑文創，所以才叫子丑市集，市集位在一處百貨商場的仿古小吃街內，相較於露天市集，不論對於攤位主或逛的人來說，都較為舒適，在充滿溫度的燈光照射下，商品也看起來比較高級一些。

市集內攤位排列錯落有致，有販售手作飾品的，有販售玉石骨董的，當然少不了熱飲甜點的，空氣中混合著咖啡香與烤餅乾的甜味，人們或低聲交談，或專注挑選物品，那種慢慢逛、慢慢看的節奏，與百貨公司的匆忙形成強烈對比，憑良心說，這個市集內的商品都是有挑過的，每個攤位就像是一家小型選物店，有質感的商品會反映到價錢上，一個帆布包可能動輒上千元台幣，一條手工銀飾可能抵得上一頓正式餐廳的晚餐。

最後我沒從市集帶走任何一樣商品，不是我沒有看中意的商品，只是那些商品並不是我當下所需要的，而只是我想要的，隨著年紀漸長，我明白到了，很多喜歡，只要欣賞過、觸摸過、感受過，就已經足夠，當一個人生活空間有限，金錢有限，時間也有限時，最好只消費需要的物品。

When you see the words “Zi Chou”, what comes to mind? Something mysterious and mystical from the East? Some kind of secret code? Or maybe the name of a very unique person? If you’re Chinese, I guess the first thing you’d think of is the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It’s an ancient Chinese system used to record years, months, days, and hours. Zi represents the Year of the Rat, and Chou represents the Year of the Ox. Honestly, I don’t know that much about it. I just know this basic idea.

At first, I actually thought this market might be full of fortune tellers and astrologers. Don’t blame me for guessing that because the name really does sound kind of mystical. But it turns out this is one of the creative markets I often visit. The organizer is called Zi Chou Creative, so that’s why it’s named the Zi Chou Market. It’s located inside a department store, in a retro-style food street area. Compared to outdoor markets, it’s much more comfortable for both vendors and visitors. Under the warm lighting, everything looks a bit more refined and high-end.

The booths are arranged in a relaxed, well-spaced way. Some sell handmade jewelry, some sell jade and antiques, and of course there are hot drinks and desserts. The air is filled with the smell of coffee and freshly baked cookies. People chat quietly or focus on browsing. The slow, unhurried pace feels completely different from the rush inside a typical department store. To be fair, the products here are clearly curated. Each booth feels like a small concept store. And with that sense of quality comes the price—one canvas bag can easily cost over a thousand NT dollars, and a handmade silver necklace might be as expensive as a proper restaurant meal.

In the end, I didn’t bring anything home from the market. It’s not that I didn’t see anything I liked. It’s just that those items weren’t things I truly needed. They were things I wanted. As I get older, I’ve come to understand that sometimes it’s enough just to admire, to touch, and to experience something. When your living space is limited, your money is limited, and your time is limited, it’s better to spend on what you truly need.

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