Chapter 26 Shi Yanfeng's Visit

I knew the weight of Master's words, so I didn't ask any further. Then, two customers came in.

The man who arrived first said, "Master, I want to open a pet hospital and I want to use the word 'dragon' to predict the fate of the animal. I wonder if it can be done."

The master glanced at me.

I said, "Let me test it for you."

The man seemed to distrust me and glanced at the master again.

The master said, "Don't worry, I will check it."

I'm used to this kind of distrust and don't take it personally. I told him, "That can't be done. Just think about it. How many people in a fourth or fifth-tier city have pets?"

He seemed to have caught my weakness: "I'm telling you about characters, not common sense. If you know how to tell, please tell me about this character."

I smiled faintly. "Okay, let me explain this character to you. 'Dragon' is, in most people's minds, an auspicious character. But the original meaning of 'dragon' isn't auspicious or unlucky. It means 'to surround something.' Characters containing 'dragon' generally have this meaning."

The man waited for me to explain. I gave an example:

Gather together, put your hands in the middle and surround it.

Long: The ridge that encloses the fields.

Monopoly: Enclosing a certain industry is called a monopoly.

Hazy: When clouds surround the moon, it is called hazy.

Deafness: A certain disease blocks sounds and makes people unable to hear.

"When you open a pet shop, you feel like you're being boxed in. Unless you can monopolize it, you're just doing small business in a small circle and can't expand."

The man was very unhappy after hearing this. He counted his money and left.

Next was a woman who said she wanted to open a gold shop and wrote the word “Liang”.

I know that people who come to have their fortunes read usually write down a character they believe has a good meaning, so I first explained the meaning of the character "良" to her.

I took a sip of tea, held up the piece of paper with the word "Liang" written on it, and smiled: "'Liang' doesn't mean 'excellent'. It originally means 'long and narrow'.

For example: betel nut, long-shaped fruit.

Lang: In ancient times, it was used to describe a tall man.

Corridor: a long corridor.

Mother: The mother who can continue the family life chain.

Brewing: through a long period of fermentation, or consideration. For example, brewing, brewing.

She understood immediately and said, "Since it's long, does it mean it's been in business for a long time?"

I shook my head and said, "You can run other businesses for a long time, but I advise you not to open a gold shop or a hardware store."

She asked, "Why?"

I said, "When the character liang is combined with the character for gold, it becomes the character '锒', which means being thrown into prison."

The woman was startled, her voice a little hoarse: "Sir, you are absolutely right. My husband opened a gold shop with a friend. I tried to persuade him not to do it, but he didn't listen. As a result, they had a big fight yesterday over financial matters. He injured the other person. When we opened the shop, I asked him to do a fortune telling, but he refused..."

After the woman left, the master looked at me with some pity, and after a while he said:

"Shanhong, the method I taught you is something you can summarize and use in your fortune telling. You've put in a lot of effort."

My face flushed slightly as I said, "I usually like to study. Chinese characters are profound and extensive, and it's fun to study them."

The master took a sip of tea and sighed, "According to the rules, you can become a master after three years of apprenticeship, and you must leave this place after becoming a master. But I have been with you for more than two years, and I am reluctant to let you go."

"Master, if you don't drive me away, I will stay with you forever."

The master sighed, "As people age, they value affection above all else. My two children are both away, absorbed in their careers. They rarely come home once a year. You said that when I grow old and live with them, they'll arrange for someone to take care of us, but I'm not used to that."

I asked, "Wouldn't it be nice for fathers and sons and fathers and daughters to be together?"

The master shook his head and said, "For ordinary people, it is indeed so, but for me, it is not so.

For example, my pleasure is not to have my family accompany me every day, but to have someone come to tell fortunes regularly, to have people like Brother Shi send me some braised dishes, and to have people like Mr. Deng, Mr. He, and Mr. Lan ask me for advice... Only in this way can I live a life full of passion.

Otherwise, no matter how good the environment, how much money, or how filial the children are, your master will be like the flowers your master's wife raises: if you don't water them for three days, they will slowly wilt."

I said, "Master, I understand. For you, the roots of culture, the wellspring of neighbors, and being needed by others are far more nourishing than family affection."

Master looked at me and said slowly, "Yes. Someone once wrote a novel about an actress in a cultural troupe. She had no more roles to perform, so she went to mourn someone's death. Such a famous actress, yet she did such a lowly thing. No one could understand. Only her husband did. He said that only when his wife mourned could she rediscover her old feelings. When she cried, everyone was moved by her and started crying with her."

I immediately said, "I've also read a novel about a martial artist who dances with a stick. He's over seventy years old and dances with it in his yard every day. He wants to pass this martial art on to the next generation, but no one wants to learn. Later, even children don't want to watch. But he still dances, rain or shine, never stopping. Because dancing with the stick is his lifelong spiritual sustenance."

The master nodded and said, "Yes, you hit the nail on the head. For example, we, the master and the disciple, are sitting here and can talk. If it were someone who couldn't talk, what would be the point of sitting here? So, I've changed my mind and want to stay with you. Are you willing to agree?"

I said, "Master, I already agreed. As long as you don't drive me away, I'm willing."

The master sighed and said, "I will do my best to pass on my skills to you. I hope that when I am old, there will still be someone I can talk to."

I immediately stood up and bowed three times to the ground: "Wan Shanhong is willing to be Master's disciple forever."

The master said, "Get up."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a loud voice at the gate of the courtyard: Is Master Hongyi at home?

When the master heard the voice, he immediately stood up and shouted, "Could it be that the hero Shi Yanfeng, the elusive and elusive Shi Yanfeng, has arrived?"

Someone outside the door said loudly, "Master, you have good hearing."

As I was talking, I saw a man standing at the gate of the courtyard. The man had fierce eyes, a high nose, a black mustache on his upper lip, and a long beard on his chin. He was wearing black clothes and black pants, with a scarf tied around his waist. He stood with his back to the sun, like a silhouette: like Mount Tai pressing down on his head, or like a roc spreading its wings.

Master greeted him at the gate, took his hand into the living room, and introduced me. I clasped my fists and said, "I've long heard of your great name. Master often raves about you. Seeing you today, you're truly extraordinary and heroic. You resemble the spirit of Wu Song, the Monkey King, the heroic Lu Zhisheng, the capable Zhang Qing, the elegant military strategist Wu Yong, and the handsome Lu Junyi, the great official. You are a true fusion of both civil and military strategy."

Shi Yanfeng laughed heartily and said to me, "Your eloquence is a true gift from your master."

I hurriedly made tea and served fruit and pastries. Master said, "Call Brother Shi to come and prepare the food and welcome the heroic Shi Yanfeng."