Chapter 127 An Interesting Family Meeting

After dinner, I announced a piece of news to my family: my master wanted me to leave my master's apprenticeship and open my own shop.

My mother was about to stand up to wash the dishes, but suddenly her eyes widened and she sat down.

My father was smoking, and his hand was raised in the air when it suddenly froze.

My sister looked me up and down as if she didn't know me.

Only my brother-in-law remained calm. After all, he was an intellectual and understood the universal principle of the world: bad news spreads gradually. Only good news is announced publicly.

Aside from my brother-in-law, everyone in my family suspected that I had offended my master and that he no longer liked me. Otherwise, why would he ask me to leave his master mid-year, when it wasn't the beginning or the end of the year?

I carefully recounted the conversation between Master and Master. Only then did the living room warm up again.

They all agreed: "Master is the greatest master in the world. Master truly treats you, Wan Shanhong, as a son. Master's intention to marry Lan Xin to you is obvious. The only thing missing is the word 'clearly stated'."

Only my brother-in-law did not participate in the discussion. He always had a peaceful smile on his face.

Next, the whole family had a heated discussion on how to open a store.

My sister suggested that since we were opening our own shop, we needed a slightly larger one. She suggested she move in the room next to the "Night Talk Room" to create a small, two-living-room, one-bedroom suite, allowing me to focus on my fortune-telling work.

Everyone agrees with this point.

My mother said that when opening the business, we should follow the master's instructions and invite well-known people like Mr. Deng, Brother Long, and Doctor Su, and the neighbors should be just five families to the left and five families to the right, because these people are locals.

Further out, all the shops were owned by outsiders. Across the street, there was Qing Shi's family, and a few locals who were dancing with her sword.

My father agreed with my mother's opinion, and he expressed it in a tactful way:

Shuixiu, Shanhong and Gaoxu are all busy, but my mother still maintains the habit of visiting neighbors in the countryside. After moving to the city, she carried forward this good habit. Therefore, my mother has a deep mass base in this area.

We have to admit that if she were a local and not an outsider, she would be more than qualified to be the women's director of the neighborhood committee. When others saw us, they nodded and greeted us because they knew my mother.

Of course, he also tactfully criticized Comrade Wan Shuixiu for ignoring the common people.

The people who will be attending the ceremony have been decided, and all that remains is to set a date.

According to current conditions, a full renovation would take at least five days, plus another five days to air it out, ventilate it, and remove any renovation odors. So, estimate a little more time, at least two weeks later.

At this time, my brother-in-law put forward a suggestion: for long-term planning, Shanhong must have a helper.

This suggestion is like throwing a ball of flour into a hot oil pan, and it will burst with a sizzling sound.

Why do we need an assistant? Master didn't have one before, and only had one when he met Shanhong. Besides, having one more person means more expenses.

I am the only one who thinks that people still need to study. My brother-in-law is a great man.

At this time, my father, who usually kept quiet, spoke up. He was the first to speak out in support of my brother-in-law. He said Gao Xu's opinion was absolutely right.

My mother is the queen, but she only calls the shots in daily life. On major issues, she still respects my father. After all, my father has traveled extensively and has a wide range of knowledge. After all, even within a family, there are still subtle differences, so on major issues, she still has to uphold my father's prestige.

So, she didn't object outright as usual, but smiled and said, "Old man, tell me."

My father smoked a cigarette and said four points.

First, more people don't necessarily mean more expenses. Shanhong often helps people with feng shui, such as looking at the feng shui of their homes and graves, and presiding over various ceremonies. According to custom, the host not only gives Shanhong a red envelope, but also one to the assistant.

Secondly, this profession requires assistance. Divination requires someone to pick up the divination sticks, washing requires someone to wring out the hand towel, and conversation requires someone to answer the questions. Even magicians need an insider.

Third, Master and his wife are old, and Shanhong can provide for their retirement. However, if their health deteriorates beyond their means, they will be taken in by their children. Shanhong is young, and one day she will have to leave this place. Having an assistant makes one feel more presentable.

Fourthly, the art of Shanhong needs a successor.

My father's explanation was met with unanimous approval. Even my mother complimented him, saying, "After all, you've read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. You've thought further than we do."

So, the next step is who will be the assistant.

My mother's first thought was of her nephews and nieces, the children and grandchildren of my uncles. As soon as I brought it up, my father and sister rejected it. My sister said, "This person must have the surname Wan. There's no reason to pass it on to my mother's family."

My mother was alone and weak, so for the first time she gave in and said to my sister, "You don't have to be so mean. I was just making a suggestion."

So, who among the Wan family members is suitable? There aren't many choices. My family has been a single-line family for three generations, and the closest blood relationship to me among the Wan family members is only a fourth-generation relative.

My father thought for a long time and said, "Wan Xiaoyun, the son of Wan Guchun."

My mother disagreed. She said, "Four generations later, he's basically a stranger, not as good as my nephew. Besides, if Shanhong has two, three, or four children, it's more reliable to pass it on to my grandson."

Oh, my mother's thinking is more open-minded than my father's. Everyone thought, yes, it can't be that just because Shanhong is not married, we don't think of having the most authentic successor.

At this time, my mother's opinion prevailed.

My sister said, "It would be most appropriate to have my uncle's grandson, Jiang Yifan, come over. First, he's smart. Second, he's currently attending a vocational high school. Third, Shanhong will only teach him the basics. The most important things will be saved for Shanhong's eldest, second, third, and fourth children..."

Everyone burst out laughing.

My father patted his thigh and said, "Your mother is the one who thinks ahead, and Shuixiu made a good supplement."

My mother's face was full of smiles, and every wrinkle on her face was smoothed out. She immediately called my uncle and walked into the bedroom while talking. She came out a while later with a rosy face.

The result is needless to say.

I don't have a deep impression of my cousin Jiang Yifan, but as long as he is not a piece of iron, I can train him well.

So, after repeated lectures and brainstorming, the family meeting decided: my brother-in-law will be responsible for the decoration, and I will be responsible for going back to my hometown to pick up Jiang Yifan.

I didn't drive, the car belonged to my master.

The next day, I took the high-speed train.

Although I didn't return home in glory, I am no longer the same brother as before. I can call snakes and control the body. I no longer speak in dialect, but in standard Mandarin, and I speak so eloquently that I can even bring the dead back to life.

If it weren't for my family's various explicit and implicit instructions to me, my fiancée's name would be Lan Xin, and I would have planned to capture a girlfriend on the high-speed train.

The next day, my brother-in-law drove me to the high-speed rail station. Before I got on the train, my mother looked at me, dressed in new clothes and looking young and handsome. She patted me on the shoulder and said, "You look like me, son. You still look like me. Look, how handsome you are."

My sister turned her face away and laughed out loud.