Chapter 487 Enjoying Special Treatment
Huaxi Lake is already the intercity line in northern Upstate. Three or four miles out of the residential complex, we entered the real countryside. A banner hung overhead on the highway: "Beautiful NATO, the Land of Lotus Seeds."
Oh, so this is the place called Beiyue Township.
After walking six or seven miles along the main road, turning right, you'll find yourself in a flat, green field. The rapeseed flowers are like young girls of sixteen or seventeen, about to bloom.
"Look, that four-story building in front is the restaurant."
Less than three minutes later, they turned left and came to a large pond. Next to it was an open area filled with cars. Shaojie found a spot to park. The three of them got out of the car. People were constantly coming in and out of the restaurant's main entrance, indicating a high turnover rate.
Mr. Fang answered a phone call. After a few "hmm"s, he hung up and said to us, "Teacher Meng has booked a private room, room 301. Let's go first, and he'll be here soon."
The staircase was wide, clearly built for a restaurant. People were constantly going up and down. On the third floor, there was a small bar in the hallway. The waiter asked, "Do you have a reservation?"
Mr. Fang said, "301."
The waiter, beaming, emerged from the bar and ushered us into a private room, where he made tea and poured water. Room 301 was divided into two rooms: a large round table inside and a sofa and coffee table outside.
I immediately understood that this was a private room for VIPs. The other party said:
"Come out with you and enjoy the treatment of a distinguished guest."
Mr. Fang smiled and said, "Indeed. This private room is usually not open to the public."
"There are four of us, why do we need such a big round table?"
"We'll set up a small table in this room and eat later."
As we were talking, the waiter ushered in another person. He was wearing a leather jacket and looked energetic. These days, it's hard to guess someone's age because they live well. They all look young, and judging by their appearance, they're no more than fifty.
Mr. Fang immediately stood up, walked over, shook the other person's hand and said, "Come, Teacher Meng, let me introduce you to two new friends."
Shaojie and I stood up. Mr. Fang introduced us: "This is Teacher Meng."
Then he introduced it to Teacher Meng: "Wanshanhongbian, the first three characters. Master of fortune-telling. This one, Tan Shaojie, is a photographer."
Teacher Meng bowed to us and said, "Welcome, welcome. I'm Meng Shufang, I've been retired for two years. My main job is fishing, and my side job is writing poetry and couplets."
I said, "I really can't tell. At first glance, I thought you were only 25 years old."
He chuckled, "Mr. Wan is humorous. I'd rather drop the word 'gong' altogether. It's so wonderful to be young."
The waiter made some tea and held it in his hand until Teacher Meng noticed it and took it, saying, "Sit down, sit down."
The four of them sat down, and the waiter bowed and said, "Teacher Meng, is this your order?"
Teacher Meng said, "For four people, just serve a few of the signature dishes, add a soup, and two side dishes."
The waiter left. Mr. Fang said, "Shanhong is a recent friend, and Shaojie, I just met today. But people are all about first impressions. The first time I had tea with Shanhong was like the first time I came to buy root carvings with you. I felt like we would become friends, and meeting Shaojie today was the same feeling."
Teacher Meng said to me, "He called you Shanhong, and so did I. He opened a shop, but I don't think it's really a shop. It's like Aqingsao, a meeting point. We met there and made a lot of friends."
I laughed and said, "That's a perfect analogy. He lives with his daughter. According to modern customs, neighbors don't visit each other. But Mr. Fang has worked in the forest farm in Jiangxi his whole life, the kind of life where he visits neighbors with his bowl in hand. So, if he didn't open a shop, he would be bored to death."
Everyone laughed.
Tan Shaojie said: "As for life, the county town is more comfortable. Although there are fewer people visiting with their meals in hand, it is still more convenient to get together and organize activities."
Mr. Fang said, "Shanhong's profession is good. He can tell fortunes, read characters, and look at feng shui. There's no shortage of people looking for him."
Teacher Meng said, "Shanhong, let me first clarify. I've taught physics my entire life. I don't believe in fortune-telling or feng shui. Do you really believe in this or is it just a business? Sorry, my question is too blunt."
I laughed out loud: "You don't have to believe it. Because there are three scientists who are expected to win the Nobel Prize. They studied quantum mechanics and finally came to the conclusion:
People use astronomical observation, palmistry, tarot reading, and other methods to try to predict their fate, which is relatively reasonable and scientific. (In fact, these three scientists also won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics.)
We often talk about quantum entanglement. When you're not paying attention, a quantum is one form, and when you notice it, it's another. This means: if you believe it exists, it exists. If you believe it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist.
This, you and I are both right. If you don't believe, then what you see is nothing. I believe that everything I see has cause and effect."
Teacher Meng laughed heartily and said, "I thought you were going to tell me about the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the zodiac signs Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao. But you're talking about quantum entanglement. Shanhong, you're a new generation fortune teller, already in tune with modern times."
Tan Shaojie said: "I don't know about Mr. Meng and others' abilities, but I asked Mr. Wan to tell my fortune. I never believed in these things before, but now I have become his fan.
I'm not exaggerating, but his knack for judging people and situations is incredibly precise. I ran into him at a hotel in Dali while on a photography trip. We were complete strangers beforehand. It's safe to say that before we met, I had no idea if there was a Wan Shan Hong in the world.
Teacher Meng asked, "So amazing?"
I smiled but said nothing.
Teacher Meng said, "Then tell me your fortune. This is the first time I've ever had my fortune told. You won't refuse, right?"
In fact, Mr. Fang had only heard Tian Dehan talk about me, and had never seen me for a fortune-telling in person. He was also very much looking forward to it, saying, "Shanhong won't refuse. He has a very good character."
At this time, the waiter came in and set up the small square table.
I said, "Teacher Meng, first let me hear your story about giving Village Chief Zhou some advice, and then I'll tell you your fortune."
Teacher Meng was quite straightforward and said, "Okay, then we'll talk while we eat."
After a while, the food was served. I said, "Don't drink. Shaojie can drink, but he has to drive. If we drink, he gets as anxious as a monkey and can't sit still. Besides, I can't tell if I'm drunk."
Teacher Meng said to the waiter, "Then drink some red date juice."
Soon, half of the dishes arrived: stir-fried chicken, braised pork liver, stir-fried black goat, and a side of yellow tofu. The portions were generous. "That's enough, that's enough," I said.
The waiter brought a clay pot. Teacher Meng said, "This is the real thing. It's called soybean and turtle soup. Very nourishing."
He stood up and scooped a bowl for each of us. I took a sip and found the soybeans were perfectly cooked and melted in my mouth. The soup was a bit thick and slightly sweet.
"It's really delicious." The three of us praised together.
The last two were vegetables. The waiter said, "Teacher Meng, please take your time. If you need anything, please ring the bell."
I said, "Teacher Meng, your VIP treatment has given us all super service."
Mr. Fang said, "That's right. In other private rooms, the waiters don't talk much and they run around serving food. They're just too busy."
I said, “Let me hear your story.”
Teacher Meng said, "Village Chief Zhou wasn't originally the village chief. He was elected after opening a hotel and bringing prosperity to the area. He used to be an idler, only wanting to make a lot of money, but he didn't make any money and ended up in debt. He was often away from home, hiding from his creditors."
His wife is my cousin. She never hides. No matter how much the debt collectors yell at her, she always makes a cup of hot tea for them, no matter when they come. Then she goes to catch chickens and invites them to dinner. If it weren't for her, Village Chief Zhou would have had his legs broken long ago.
The debt collectors were also strange. Seeing that my niece was a reasonable person, some of them thought that if they couldn't get the money back, they could just eat a chicken to make themselves feel better. So they said, "Chicken, duck, fish. Cook as much as you can. If I can't get the money back, I'll have some too."
When Teacher Meng said this, we burst into laughter.
Teacher Meng said, "It's strange. Everyone who has eaten her food thinks my niece has a good attitude and cooks delicious dishes. She gradually brought more people to eat. When I learned about this, I gave her an idea. Open a family restaurant. The people who come to collect their bills can eat at the restaurant once to offset their bills. When other people come to eat, they can collect the money."
I lent her 20,000 yuan as capital. The debt collector thought, since I can't get the money back anyway, I might as well bring the guests to my house when I have social events. This way, my reputation grew. Soon, I paid off the debt and became rich.
When Tan Shaojie heard this, he slapped his thigh and said, "That's exactly what Teacher Wan had in mind."
Teacher Meng and Mr. Fang were surprised. They asked, "Has Shanhong also given someone such an idea?"
Shaojie said: "Yes, it's a long story."
Then, while we were eating and chatting, I told Long Yuan the idea I had given him.
After saying this, Mr. Fang said, "Great minds think alike."
The meal was almost over. I put down my bowl and chopsticks and said, "I'm full. It was so delicious."
Teacher Meng said, "We're full now. Shanhong, I'll ask you to tell my fortune."
I smiled and said, "Okay, please tell me your date of birth."
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