regular customer; valued client
many; a lot; much; multitude
misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess
to insist; to assert; to be obstinate in saying
advantage; benefit; profit; interest
reason; cause; history; origin
honorific/polite/humble prefix; honorific suffix
discernment; penetration; insight; intellectual acumen
avenue; street; coming and going; street traffic; flow (of water, air, etc.); transmission (of sound); reach (e.g. of voice)
sweetly (smiling); broadly (grinning)
shadow or cloud (e.g. on someone's happiness); shade; gloom
to work; to labor; to function; to operate; to commit (e.g. a crime); to perpetrate
a matter of course; what is to be expected; par for the course
before one's own eyes; from under one's very nose; without doing anything; without resistance; helplessly; negligently
to miss; to overlook; to let pass (a matter); to overlook (e.g. a wrongdoing); to pass up (e.g. an opportunity); to let (a good ball) go by
way (of doing); manner; method; means
to set up shop; to open a store
heaven and earth; top and bottom
to branch; to fork; to separate; to split; to disperse; to scatter
palace; tonic (of the Japanese and Chinese pentatonic scale); ancient Chinese punishment (castration for men, or confinement for women); zodiacal sign
chalk (mineral); white wall
to live; to reside; to inhabit
just a handful; only a small number (of)
close associate; close aide; brains-truster
direct control; direct supervision
special selection; finest pick; top pick
centre; center; pivot; central nervous system
inner palace (reserved for women); harem; seraglio; consort of the emperor
store; shop; establishment; restaurant
best one could ask for; just what one wants; welcome (news); heaven-sent
benefit; use; good; profit; gains
present condition; existing state; status quo; current state
to order; to command; to appoint
street; quarter; district; area
to go to; to proceed to; to leave for
everyday; daily; ordinary; usual; routine; regular
minutely; in detail; with particular attention
to obtain; to come into possession of; to get hold of; to get one's hands on
(way of) life; living; livelihood; life circumstances
often (happens); tend to; be apt to; be likely to
that's the way it is; such is life