Chapter 156 Anyway, I don’t look like a fortune teller

On New Year's Eve, while watching the Spring Festival Gala, I wrote New Year's greetings to Mr. Deng, Mr. Xipo, Mr. Chen Erye, Brother Shi, Brother Long, Director Ming, Chairman Song, Xiao Liming, and others.

Then, I received their replies. Some of them sent a picture, while others were clearly pre-written diplomatic rhetoric. Their replies were universally accepted.

Then came the messages from Dongzi, Hua Qian, Hua Duo, Teacher He, Principal Cao, Teacher Zhang, Xiao Liu...

Some of them are people I keep in touch with regularly, while others are not. Those I keep in touch with are easy to answer, and I’ll reply one message based on the situation. For those I don’t keep in touch with, I’ll send a picture.

It was almost midnight when Lao Xiao called. We exchanged a few words of blessing. He told me he had taken his family to the provincial capital for the New Year. He urged me to make time to visit him and discuss the situation in person.

Finally, he said, "In short, don't stay in Wuxiang. The pool outside is much bigger. I, Old Xiao, can make a living, and you, Master Wan, will also be very successful."

I smiled and said, "Can you please let me warm up the new house a little?"

He said, "Wouldn't it be just as hot where your parents let you live?"

After this call, the New Year's bell rang. I sent a WeChat message to Master and his wife, carefully drafting the words on paper, typing them in, and then checking them before sending them.

I sent him a WeChat message, transferring 10,000 yuan as a New Year's gift. Whether or not the 10,000 yuan is transferred is of no use, but like a flame in the dark night, far away, very far away, as faint as a firefly, it can finally let Master see the light and fire, see my Wanshanhong heart, which is the same, the same, the same, the same fiery passion as last year.

My Master took a long time to open my transfer. He didn't open it until the next evening, about half an hour before it was due to be refunded. My heart bleeds. Master, you only gave up your dignity when you had absolutely no other choice. Under normal circumstances, you would never open it, and you would even scold me.

On the night of the third day of the Lunar New Year, my brother-in-law and I went to Shige's house to pay New Year's greetings and drove the car back. On the morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, my brother-in-law, as the family representative, accompanied me to Xiaolin's house for the first time.

I went to the university town to pick up Sister Yu first. I used to call her Sister Yu casually, but now it’s different, it represents a kinship.

Sister Yu got in the car and explained everything along the way. Of course, I knew some of Xiaolin's family's basic circumstances, like the fact that he had a younger brother. For example, at first, she'd lied to me by saying her name was Lin Sainan, even though she used it normally. It was actually her work name.

Xiaolin's home is 50 kilometers away from Wuxiang, in a small mountain village. His parents are farmers, but I still listened carefully when Sister Yu introduced them.

Finally, Sister Yu reminded me that Xiaolin's uncle was a teacher and a heavy drinker. I prepared myself to drink with him as much as possible, just in case. I could turn white wine into water.

Sister Yu also reminded me that country people are ignorant and asked me not to take it seriously if there was anything inconsiderate. This made my brother-in-law a little puzzled and asked, "Sister Yu, please remind me."

Sister Yu said, "Brother Shanhong is well-known in the city. He's quite famous. However, we country folk don't have much experience. After all, he graduated from Xiaolin University."

I understood everything. I said to my brother-in-law, "Just drive carefully. The country roads are a bit bumpy."

My brother-in-law understood what I meant and stopped asking questions.

I kept thinking about Xiaolin's relatives and neighbors, thinking they thought it was not worth it for Xiaolin to marry me after graduating from college. To put it bluntly, my fame, Wan Shanhong, was like thunder to a deaf person, with them hearing no sound at all.

Not only am I not famous, they will also suspect that Xiaolin has a hidden illness. Otherwise, why would she marry a fortune teller?

This fortune-telling thing, without a proper foundation, is a damned awful profession. Once I pass the psychological counselor certification in March, I'll get the large picture framed and put it up in my studio.

Anyone who comes to me for fortune-telling, divination, or night talk always says, "Okay, I'll give you some psychological counseling." Then I'll spend some money, squeeze into the city psychology association, and become vice president.

My brother-in-law said, "Sister Yu, Shanhong is the vice president of the city's prose society."

Sister Yu said, "In my heart, you are just a good brother, Master Wan." What she meant was that those villagers had no idea what the Prose Society was.

This kind of vice president position is still acceptable in the city, at least people know you are connected to culture. People in the countryside only know that the vice president of the Entrepreneurs Association is a lucrative position.

Well, even if it’s a Hongmen Banquet, I, Wan Shanhong, will attend it. Besides, I’m not in love with relatives or villagers. As long as Xiaolin’s family agrees, I will try my best to tolerate it if those people are rude to me.

The car turned off the national highway onto a county road, which was indeed full of potholes. Sister Yu said, "This mountain village hasn't produced any great people in 50 years. Otherwise, we should get some funds to repair the road. I don't want to go back to my parents' home. This road is so bad."

Sure enough, the undulating road surface would occasionally throw people off their seats.

I asked, "How did Xiaolin get home?"

Sister Yu replied, "She left her bike at the place where we just crossed the road, and then asked someone to take her there on a motorcycle."

I think I can only buy a Toyota off-road vehicle like Brother Shi in the future.

People were thrown up and down from time to time, so we had no interest in talking. We were fully focused. After falling off one peak, we were ready to be thrown to the top of another peak.

Several times, Sister Yu almost threw herself into my arms.

My grandfather usually throws her into my arms without any problem. But now, she is my cousin, and it is a bit awkward for her to throw her into my arms again.

Fortunately, this section of the road wasn't too long, and the road ahead was much flatter. Sister Yu breathed a sigh of relief, pointed forward, and said, "It's right there in the big yard."

My goodness, that big yard is almost the same as the Shen family compound. No wonder Sister Yu said that there hasn't been any famous person in fifty years. There must have been a famous person fifty years ago, otherwise there wouldn't be such a big yard.

Arriving at a large area, Sister Yu pointed to a two-story Western-style building with a hat and said, "That's Xiaolin's house."

When I looked, I found that the so-called courtyard was only left with the wall and the gatehouse. The courtyard had long been demolished into pieces by the villagers, and each of them had built a new house.

"Look, that's Xiaolin's brother."

I looked out the car window and saw a boy of about thirteen or fourteen squatting on the ground, hunched over, lighting the fuse. As the firecrackers exploded, the boy ran away.

When the smoke cleared, Xiaolin's parents, the boy, and a large group of people walked towards the car.

After we got off the car, Sister Yu introduced them to me one by one. The honest-looking man was Xiaolin's father, and the pretty woman was Xiaolin's mother. There was also a man wearing a suit, tie, and new leather shoes. Sister Yu introduced him as Xiaolin's uncle.

I usually clasp my hands in a roundabout way, but at this moment, I reached out and shook hands with Xiaolin's father and uncle. My brother-in-law stood by, passing cigarettes around.

Of course, I, Wan Shanhong, am neither deaf nor blind, and I am handsome, which made them curious about the fortune teller. Everyone surrounded us and walked towards Xiaolin's house together.

The boy looked up at me. I took his hand and asked, "What's your name?"

He didn't answer me, broke free from my hand and ran away.

Sister Yu said, "Stone."

As soon as I walked in, I saw that the house was immaculately clean. After all, she was a design student, so the room was decorated in a simple and elegant style.

Sister Yu, Uncle Xiaolin, and a few others sat down with my brother-in-law and me, chatting while his family busied themselves preparing lunch.

Inside and outside the house, there were so many people coming to see this "fortune teller." Luckily, I, Wan Shanhong, have seen the world. I've met big bosses and provincial department heads. So, in this mountain village, what is there to fear? When a man comes in, I stand up and give him a cigarette. When a woman comes in, I offer them candy.

Anyway, he doesn't look like a fortune teller.