Zhuang Li only went to the city once, and when he came back he had so many rare treasures. The villagers were naturally curious, and once curious, they couldn't help but ask for news.
The eight or nine young men who were taken to work at the dock by Zhuang Lao Er naturally acted as mouthpieces, and described the legendary stories of how Zhuang Li helped people with fortune-telling, how he made accurate predictions, and how he asked the gods for help in a vivid and exaggerated way.
He lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously, "We have discussed this privately. The nobleman who asked the scholar to give a public reading must be the King of Qi. Apart from him, who else could produce a night-shining pearl as big as a fist, and who else could treat the Qin governor like a servant?"
Having been walking around the docks for many years, these people are quite knowledgeable and quickly guessed the identity of the tall man.
The villagers squatting around them immediately burst into an uproar of horror.
The King of Qi held an untold power in Bazhou, and indeed in the entire State of Jin. After the previous emperor's death, he had the strongest claim to the throne, yet for some unknown reason he gave up the fight for it and instead helped a three-year-old child.
Even so, he was the only one who had the final say in the State of Jin.
Whoever he wanted to be emperor could become emperor. He killed or exterminated the adult sons of the previous emperor. Most of them died. The only adult prince who survived was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned for life.
The saying "turning one hand into clouds and another into rain" describes him exactly.
In this remote mountain village, the King of Qi was a mythical figure, and no one could imagine that Zhuang Li would have an intersection with such an extraordinary person.
"I said that the scholar is a man of real ability. The brain disease may hinder his studies, but it can't hinder his future at all." A villager sighed sincerely, causing the others to nod repeatedly.
With the help of the King of Qi's prestige, Zhuang Li's reputation in Luoxia Village actually improved significantly. Those who had always liked to secretly ridicule him began to regret it, fearing that they had offended others through carelessness.
Just as Zhuang Lao Da was about to quietly leave the crowd, a villager grabbed his arm and asked gloatingly, "Zhuang Dagen, how are you feeling right now? We just divided the family property this morning, and Zhuang Lao Er made a fortune this evening. Aren't you jealous?"
Boss Zhuang's face flushed with embarrassment. He broke free from the man's grip and ran away quickly.
A group of villagers laughed at his fleeing figure. Seeing Zhuang Dagen in such a miserable state, they felt relieved.
Although these villagers were jealous of Zhuang Lao Er, they also knew that whether he became rich or not had little to do with them. Unlike Zhuang Dagen, who clearly could have benefited from it, he pushed away the huge fortune for himself.
"If the second brother Zhuang really buys back the five-courtyard house in Xishan, the family of the eldest brother Zhuang will definitely regret it!" said a villager with certainty.
Another person immediately chimed in, "That's right! If it were me, I would cling to Zhuang Lao Er's thigh and beg him not to split up the family!"
The others laughed even louder. Just then, an old man muttered, "This is strange! Isn't Zhuang Tianer a lucky star? How come Zhuang Laoer has become so prosperous right after he left her? Isn't it said that whoever offends Zhuang Tianer is unlucky, and whoever treats her well is lucky? Zhuang Li cursed Zhuang Tianer as an evil spirit. Zhuang Laoer wouldn't even let Zhuang Tianer eat an egg. It doesn't make sense for them to be so lucky!"
The laughter of the crowd stopped abruptly, and was followed by all kinds of suspicions and speculations.
Unconsciously, the idea that Zhuang Tianer might be evil took root in everyone's mind.
---
After returning home, Boss Zhuang repeated all the information he had obtained.
Mrs. Zhuang and Mr. Zhuang were stunned and murmured in disbelief: "Dabao can actually tell fortunes? This must be fake!"
"It's true. Even the nobles said that he was very accurate in his predictions and rewarded him with so many treasures." Boss Zhuang nodded very confidently.
In this barbaric era, the authority brought by the supreme position was unimaginable to ordinary people. If the king wanted his subjects to die, they had to die. This simple sentence could intimidate or even kill the prime minister who had been in the temple for a long time, let alone the common people.
Old Mrs. Zhuang and Old Man Zhuang were frightened by the title of King of Qi, and their hearts were filled with turmoil and immense regret.
What the hell! Why are they dividing the family? How can a hundred taels of silver compare to a fortune of ten thousand taels? Besides, Zhuang Li has won the favor of a nobleman, and he might even become an official in the future! Then the old Zhuang family will be able to change their family lintel and live in a superior position!
The difference between the nobles and the common people is like heaven and earth! Without the ability to reach the sky, who can cross this gap? But Zhuang Li seems to have this ability!
They're asking for death! Why divide this family? They haven't even gotten a single drop of this great blessing!
The more Mrs. Zhuang thought about it, the more regretful she felt. She quickly climbed down from the kang and ran outside, banging on the door of the west courtyard.
Old man Zhuang covered his chest and slowly fell onto the quilt, feeling so regretful that he felt a heartache.
Boss Zhuang rushed over to check on his father, at a loss for what to do. His already clueless mind became even more confused.
Zhuang Tianer ran to the kitchen, scooped a basin of hot water, wrung out a towel, and slowly wiped Grandpa's face, whispering, "Such a great blessing, I wonder if big brother can bear it.
"Bazhou is infested with bandits. A while ago, the imperial court's 600,000 taels of disaster relief silver were all stolen by bandits, and their whereabouts are still unknown.
"I heard that big brother has obtained a rare treasure. Will there be bandits tempted by the wealth and come to kill and rob him? Although the prince and the prefect are powerful, they are far away. It will be too late to rescue them, right?"
Zhuang Tianer paused for a moment, then warned cautiously, "Grandpa, let's stay away from Big Brother's family. Blessings and disasters are intertwined, and it's uncertain whether Big Brother can keep this blessing."
Old Zhuang, his heart aching, scrambled to his feet and said repeatedly, "Right, right, right, Tian'er is right! This is too much of a blessing. Dabao is a weakling, he can't handle it! It's too dangerous for us to stay away from them! They don't even understand the principle of not showing off your wealth, and they're still scholars!"
Old Man Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "No, I have to tell the second brother to be careful recently!"
Boss Zhuang wanted to pull his father out, but failed and could only watch him go outside.
Without his elders, the honest face of Zhuang Lao Da took on a twisted look. He was so jealous of Zhuang Lao Er that he went crazy day and night.
Why were both of Zhuang Laoer's sons so promising, having passed the imperial examinations and become scholars? Why was Zhuang Laoer able to earn four taels of silver a month, yet he couldn't even afford to eat? Why did Zhuang Laoer's words carry the day, requiring even his parents to obey him?
If Tian'er hadn't been lucky enough to slowly win over her parents' hearts, her family might not even have a place to stay.
The more Zhuang Laoda thought about it, the more hatred he felt. He couldn't help but secretly curse Zhuang Laoer in his heart. The hanged dog was actually the truest reflection of his inner self.
Zhuang Tianer glanced at him and said casually, "The news that Second Uncle's family has made a fortune is currently known only to the villagers, so it's not very dangerous. Don't worry, Dad."
Zhuang Laoda's jealous expression immediately twisted into a worried one, but a thought occurred to him: Yes, the news hasn't spread yet, so Zhuang Laoer is still safe. But what if the news spreads? What if the surrounding villages happen to be hiding spies of the bandits?
Thinking of this, Boss Zhuang's cloudy eyes began to emit a sinister light.
Zhuang Tianer lowered her head slightly and smiled secretly.
The human heart is so unpredictable.
But human hearts are so simple and easy to control.
In this life, she will definitely live better than anyone else!
---
The next day, Zhuang Li hired a carriage to go to Bazhou City, and to prevent any accidents, he also took his entire family and gold, silver and treasures with him.
"Mom and Dad, go to the pawnbroker and ask who owns that house in West Hill and whether it's for sale. I'm not going. I have to set up my fortune-telling stall here." Zhuang Li raised his chin towards his brother and instructed, "When customers come to tell fortunes, help me grind the ink. If they're not telling fortunes but just reading faces, you can just sit aside and read. The emperor has granted special privileges. If you fail this year, you can still take the exam next year. Don't let up."
Zhuang Jiuge nodded repeatedly and asked, "Brother, don't you read books?"
"I won't take the imperial examination anymore. I will be a full-time fortune teller from now on." Zhuang Li dropped a bombshell nonchalantly.
Zhuang Laoer and the others were all stunned. Just as they were about to pull him back and persuade him, they heard a hesitant voice behind them: "Excuse me, are you Li Banxian?"
"It's me." Zhuang Li immediately planted the "Li Banxian" flag on the ground.
The rosewood table and chairs that the King of Qi had brought in yesterday were still in their original place, and no one dared to touch them. The waiter at Jin Man Lou across the street had wiped them clean with a rag when he opened the door that morning. I imagine the King of Qi must have given them some instructions before he left.
So this corner became Zhuang Li's exclusive place, and the patrolling yamen runners nodded respectfully to him.
He sat down calmly, pointed to the chair opposite and said, "Please sit down. What do you want to calculate?"
After saying this, his sharp eyes had already looked the visitor up and down several times and made some basic judgments.
This was a woman, about thirty years old, wearing a rich silk dress, her hair adorned with pearl hairpins. She came from a wealthy family. She had a cautious, defensive look on her face, suggesting she was unaccustomed to going out alone. Her family was strict, so she must have been a scholar or official, not a merchant.
She kept looking at a carriage parked on the side of the street. It seemed that someone was waiting for her in the carriage.
When she looked at the carriage, her eyes were filled with deep worry and a hint of tears, so this person should be the one she cared about the most, otherwise she would not have violated the rules of her family and ran to this bustling and mixed dock.
Zhuang Li, having grasped this clue, gained the woman's trust with just one sentence: "What you really want to calculate is her fate, right?"
He pointed to the carriage.
The woman's uneasy expression was immediately replaced by surprise, and there was an obvious hint of joy in her eyes.
She opened her mouth and was about to reveal her purpose when the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted. A girl with disheveled hair and loose clothes jumped out, shouting, "Let me go, let me go, you evil spirits! Ahhh, the evil spirits are coming! The evil spirits are ripping out my intestines!"
Her face was covered in bruises and bruises, showing she'd been bruised and battered. Her eyes were vacant and confused, and her mind was completely consumed by the horrific image of a demon ripping her intestines out. Every time she saw someone, she'd yell "demon," then scramble to avoid them. While running, she even lost a shoe, but didn't bother to pick it up.
It's obvious that she's crazy.
Two maids also jumped out of the carriage and chased after the girl.
The woman screamed and ran down the street.
She ran faster than the maid, which showed that she was used to chasing crazy girls.
Someone recognized the girl and shook their head, sighing, "Why is the lunatic from the Zhou family out again? Didn't Master Zhou say last time that he would send this daughter back to her hometown and lock her up?"
"Mrs. Zhou couldn't bear to let her go. She only had this one daughter, and she was the apple of her eye."
"It's not a big deal to go crazy every other day!"
"She's not crazy, she's possessed. It's said that Miss Zhou is possessed by a group of evil spirits. Even Master Lingxi, the first disciple of Master Xuan Zhenzi, came to exorcise the evil spirits, but she couldn't control them. She could only suppress them for a short period of time. After that period of time, Miss Zhou will be possessed by the evil spirits again, and become even crazier than before."
"It's said that three years ago, she was bewitched by an evil spirit on the eve of her engagement, and the marriage was subsequently annulled. Her family was once very wealthy and powerful, and Master Zhou was a close confidant of the prefect and a top figure in Bazhou City. Yet, he spent all his wealth and resigned his official position for this daughter. What a pity."
"If it were me, I would just drown my daughter to save her from being a burden to the whole family."
"You are so cold-blooded! After all, she is your own daughter. Who could have the heart to do such a thing?"
Zhuang Li heard all the discussions of the people around him, which gave him a general understanding of Miss Zhou.
He didn't dare to say that there were absolutely no ghosts in the world. After all, his lover was a being that transcended the laws of nature. But he was 100% convinced of this idea - the vast majority of ghosts in the world originated from the human heart.
What is hidden in the heart of this Miss Zhou?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
