Chapter 333: The Table Hexagram, the Table Hexagram that Determines My Life

For several days, my mother didn't talk to me. When I called her, she made a vague sound in her throat, as if responding to me, but also as if she didn't want to pay attention to me.

My dad has always been taciturn, but now when he sees me, he always greets me: "Are you back? How are you today?"

Xiaolin, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, neither asking for my opinion nor mentioning the matter. He simply gave me more food when he returned home and prepared bathing clothes for me at night.

I know that my mother is indeed dissatisfied with me.

My dad, on the other hand, is smarter than my mom, and he doesn't want to anger me, lest I make a stupid decision. So now he talks a lot. He always talks to me before he comes in or leaves the house.

As for Xiaolin, she knew that I was stubborn and that it was difficult to change my decision, so she hoped to influence me with her gentleness.

I am in a state of confusion.

At work, everything seemed to be normal. Mr. Chen hadn't contacted me since he came back, and no one else noticed anything.

Since even my mother and Xiaolin could see that I was worried, the people at the company were even smarter. So, I stopped going to the Rising Sun Temple and went straight to the Taiyi Temple every day, had lunch there, and went home in the afternoon.

Life feels a bit indescribable.

I have come to realize that the old cliché – money isn’t everything, but without money you can do nothing – couldn’t be more true.

If I, Wan Shanhong, were financially independent, I wouldn't have to worry about Mr. Chen's feelings, nor about my family's. The reason I'm in my current situation is that, in my family's eyes, I, Wan Shanhong, must rely on Xuri to make a living.

They believed that Xuri was a massive tree with a well-developed root system that reached into every aspect of society. If I, Wan Shanhong, left Xuri, I would be left alone.

They also know that I can make money.

But the income is not as timely as that of Xuri, which pays wages at the end of every month.

They don’t necessarily earn more than Xuri, after all, Xuri earns 1.8 million a year.

I don't earn as much as Xu Ri, and opening a shop by myself is the same as fortune teller on the street. But now, I am the abbot of Taiyi Temple.

My mother was ready for a complete cold war. After a few days, when I called her, her throat was completely silent. Her face was sullen all day long. My comings and goings were nothing to her.

Fast forward to mid-May. One day, I had just arrived at Taiyi Temple when Murong Feng called again. I was a little annoyed, so I bluntly asked, "Murong, what if I can't make any money?"

He laughed heartily. "If your skills can't make money, then at least a hundred astrologers will starve to death. Teacher, let me say it again. In Southeast Asia, others can starve to death, but only astrologers can make a fortune."

Do you know Song Shaoguang, the Hong Kong author who publishes a book every year called The Yearly Fortune of the Twelve Zodiac Signs?

The year of the ox is "The Year of the Ox of the Chinese Zodiac", and the year of the horse is "The Year of the Horse of the Chinese Zodiac", which are very popular. His level is not comparable to yours, but he lives a comfortable life.

He's doing very well at that level, Mr. Wan, why do you have to worry about money? When you come here, I'll take you to have Beth's fortune told first."

"Beth? Shao Youxiang's business partner?"

"Yes. Shao Youxiang said Beth believed this the most. She and Shao Youxiang were doing this business together with an astrologer, and she always followed his advice. She was afraid that Shao Youxiang was unreliable."

"Why do you know Beth?"

Murong Feng laughed heartily: "The top Chinese circles are always made up of the same group of people. How can I not know them if I'm in this circle?"

"I know her, too. She lives in the back streets of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Is that right?"

"Ah?" he exclaimed and asked me how I knew him.

I said that Mr. Chen had visited her through an acquaintance. However, the acquaintance only introduced Mr. Chen, not me, his henchman. So, to put it more fully, I know Beth, but Beth doesn't necessarily know me.

Murong said, "Whenever you come, I will ask her to wait for you in Boten."

"Are you that capable?"

Murong laughed: "Because she believes in this too much."

After hanging up the phone, I was truly moved. Why would a man hesitate? My mother might not understand me today, but she will understand me in the future.

I decided to tell my own fortune.

I called Shiyu over and said, "Bring in a small square table and get another hexagram."

Shiyu asked Taoist Chen to move the square table and go to get the divination himself.

When Shiyu and I were the only ones left in the dormitory, I said to Shiyu, "Help me pick out the fortune."

Here is some knowledge about divination - in formal divination, there must be someone to pick up the sticks, and the diviner does not bend down to pick up the sticks.

Shiyu asked, "Master, do you tell fortunes on the table?"

I nodded. Table hexagrams are an extreme form of divination. The hexagram must fall on the table, not on the floor. That's the first point. The hexagram must always be a precious hexagram to be considered a success. That's the second point.

I silently chanted "Go, go, go" and cast a hexagram. It jumped twice on the table. Finally, it lay there motionless. I didn't dare open my eyes.

Shiyu sang: "Bao Gua——" and picked it up and handed it to me.

I tossed again, eyes still closed, ears catching the sound of the hexagram jumping. Shiyu remained silent for a long time, and I dared not open my eyes.

"A treasure!" Shiyu clapped his hands. I opened my eyes and saw that the hexagram was already halfway up in the air, about to fall, but it didn't. No wonder Shiyu took so long to announce the result.

I tossed it for the third time. As soon as I did so, Shiyu yelled, "Bao Gua."

I opened my eyes and saw that the hexagram fell in a straight line without turning over.

I was very happy.

Shiyu asked, "What kind of decision is this?"

Shiyu is knowledgeable and when he tells the divination table for himself, he is making an important decision for himself.

I smiled and said, "I'll tell you later."

Shiyu wanted to ask more, but seeing I didn't want to talk any more, he held back. He went out to ask Taoist Chen to move the table, and then he went to collect the divinations himself.

After a while, Shiyu led someone in and said, "Master, someone is looking for you."

An old man came in, claiming to be from Phoenix Village. He had frequent diarrhea and had come to see me several times.

I took a piece of paper and wrote down a prescription: 100 grams of yellow eel, remove the internal organs, cut into pieces and stew. Take once a day.

After the old man left, I said to Shiyu, "There are at least ten single prescriptions for treating diarrhea, but they require differentiation and treatment. Some are called cold diarrhea, while others are called watery diarrhea. They can't be used casually. I've written down a few more general prescriptions for you to keep."

Recipe 1: Burn betel nut (a large one) until it is charcoaled and grind into powder. Take with boiled water.

Recipe 2: Mix 6 grams of gallnut with vinegar, spread it on a cloth, and cover the navel, but it must be removed after one hour.

Recipe 3: Soak 15 grams of fungus in water, expose it overnight, add sugar and boil it for oral administration.

Shiyu asked, "What does it mean to expose one night?"

"That's a good question. It means spreading it out and letting it cool overnight. Finally, put it in the refrigerator to prevent insects and ants from eating it."

Maybe because I was thinking about leaving Taiyi Temple, I actually taught Shiyu more than 20 commonly used prescriptions in one breath.

I said, "When I'm not around, you can use these single prescriptions to treat people. These are general prescriptions."

Shiyu looked at me in surprise: "Are you going on a business trip again?"

I shook my head and covered it up by saying, "I have a lot to do. It's impossible for me to come to the temple every day."

Shiyu nodded.

I looked at the young and handsome Shiyu, and my heart was in turmoil. I liked him, but I couldn't take him away for the time being, so I said meaningfully:

"Shiyu, you have to train a successor. What if one day you don't want to be here anymore, and I'm the only one left to support you?"

He said, "Master, I will never leave as long as you are here."

My heart ached even more. After a long pause, I asked, "How is Taoist Chen?"

Shiyu said: "He is the most familiar with the business, he is a sincere person, and he has no wife or children. He truly regards Guan as his home."

I said, "You need to focus on promoting him and establishing his authority. We're still young, and we can't stay here forever, can we?"

Shiyu said, "Master, you think long-term. Taoist Chen is over fifty years old, has a lot of experience, and is a man of integrity. I respect him."

I looked at the time and it was almost four o'clock. I stood up and said, "Then I'll go back early."

Driving down the mountain, I decided to make an appointment with Mr. Chen to have a good talk tomorrow.

So I picked up my phone and prepared to call Mr. Chen.

At this time, the phone rang. It was Mr. Chen calling.

It was him? What happened?

Should I answer this call or call back later?

I turned the steering wheel and pulled the car to the side.

Whether I answer the call or wait a while before calling again, I need to stop and calm myself.

The car stopped ringing as I pulled over. That was great. I wanted some quiet time to think before returning the call.