Chapter 496 She Wanted to Have a Fortune Telling, I Told Her Not to Say It
The two weeks between mid-to-late February of the fifth year of my reign in Joshu, a period of about two weeks, were the most leisurely period of my life. To sum it up: basically nothing much happened.
I spent most of my time in Fang's shop, looking at and naming the stones. I also helped my brother-in-law with his move, and then helped him with the opening of his new shop, where I spent another day.
At Li Xiuli's invitation, I visited his company. I also visited Shuichun's health and wellness center, which was under construction, and offered him some suggestions.
Lu Yu invited me to her leisure farm to go fishing once. I had dinner with Shi Ting and Chen Ting twice. I had two night talks with General Deng.
Odds and ends, nothing serious. The rest of the time I read. My neighbors gradually learned I could tell fortunes and read faces, and in the evenings, people would often come to consult me about various matters.
My mother was anxious: "You are getting paid by others, but you don't go to work?"
"I'm just a consultant. I only go there to take care of important matters."
"More than one million a year."
"Some people pay over 40 million yuan a year, but they only go to the company for a few meetings and consult on major decisions."
My mother was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. This was far beyond her comprehension. She shook her head and said:
"You're talking nonsense. That company has so much money that it's getting moldy?"
I don't want to explain. There are two "gaps" in this world.
There's a gap called the "generation gap." It's unbridgeable, and my mother belongs at the bottom of the gap. She can't type, doesn't play TikTok, and her smartphone is only used for making and receiving calls. She's completely disconnected from the virtual world.
Another ditch is called "Seeking Ditch." This is a term I coined. It means that different pursuits lead to different happiness. Seek benevolence and you will find benevolence; seek the Tao and you will find the Tao.
I pursue the truth within myself. Reading, researching, and meditating bring me great joy. But others cannot understand.
I want to resolve the confusion in my heart, such as where is the edge of the universe, what is beyond the edge, whether humans can change their genes to achieve immortality, so as to realize the Taoist search for the "elixir" of immortality for thousands of years... and so on.
I must not tell my mother these things. If I tell her, she will be so anxious that she will die. She will ask my brother-in-law to call a few people to take me to a mental hospital for quick treatment.
She would cry and scream, "What's wrong with me? I only have this one son, and he's mentally ill. What sin did I commit in my past life?"
So, I need a study to separate her from my world.
Faced with her constant urging me to go to work, and since I was also getting paid by Xuri, I told Mr. Chen that I would go to Taiyi Temple for two days a week.
He said, "Shanhong, I didn't ask you to go to work. Just follow the original agreement. If there's anything, I'll come to you. If not, just do your own thing."
I said, "Take care of Taoist Master Chen."
He said, “That’s fine.”
From Huaxi Lake, you can take a shortcut to Taiyi Temple, which takes only 20 minutes. Although the tourism industry is not very prosperous, the Taoist temple is still very popular.
In the morning of mid-March, a woman in her forties arrived. Taoist Master Chen ushered her in and said, "This is Master Honghui."
The woman sat down, and I glanced at her. From the Arc'teryx jacket she was wearing, I could tell she was wealthy, outdoorsy, and fashionable.
She smiled at me, and I kept that mysterious smile and returned her courtesy.
"Master, I have something to ask you."
"explain."
I usually answer strangers with a very simple word or two. It’s not that I’m putting on airs, but this is a trick my master taught me - to enhance others’ confidence in you.
The fewer words you use and the more resolute your tone, the more people will trust you.
The woman said worriedly, "I have a daughter who looks just like me."
I must cooperate with her and satisfy her vanity, saying, "I understand. It's very beautiful."
She smiled at me, then pulled her expression back and continued, "She recently found a boyfriend, who I don't think is reliable. But my daughter seems to have taken a drug and does everything her boyfriend says.
Please, Master, help me with a fortune-telling to see if this marriage is destined, or if my daughter is just being naive and will have to take a detour before she wakes up."
I said, "Don't write it down, just think of a word in your mind."
"Do you know what word I'm thinking of?"
I didn't answer her directly, but said, "Answer whatever I ask you."
She nodded.
"What does your daughter like about him?"
The woman said: "He is very clever. He can guess what my daughter is thinking. My daughter said that she was tired after playing outside, so her boyfriend suggested that they go to the park pavilion to sit for a while.
As soon as she arrived, her boyfriend prepared newspapers and helped her clean the seat. After sitting for a while, her boyfriend went to buy her some drinks.
He knew exactly what brand my daughter liked to drink by the second day of meeting her. When we went out to eat, he would repeatedly ask for her opinion on what dishes to order…”
I laughed and said, "No need to give examples. Anyway, your daughter's thoughts are like those of an old Chinese doctor, who can feel her pulse closely. Whether it's a headache or a stomachache, he can tell at a glance."
The woman said, "Your analogy is absolutely right."
I asked, "What's your boyfriend's background like? What do his parents do?"
She said, "I come from a rural background and my family was very poor. That's why I disagree. It's not that I'm worldly. My husband runs a company and I'm a teacher, so we're considered middle class. I like to marry someone of equal status."
I smiled and said, "Your future son-in-law is very handsome."
"Yes, very handsome. My daughter is obsessed with looks and is also attracted by his ability to read her mind. Master, please don't call me your future son-in-law. It's a shame to call him that."
I said, "The word you are thinking of is the word 'fen', which means separation."
She stood there in silence for a long time.
After a while, he seemed to wake up and asked, "How did you know I was thinking of the word 'fen'?"
"You said there's not a single stroke in the eight character. The top one is an eight character, and it makes my heart ache when I say it. The bottom one is a knife. It cuts my heart like a knife."
"You figured out my character just like that?"
"Then how do you test it? Actually, the word you've been thinking about the most lately is 'break up, separate, break up'. Isn't that right?"
At this point, the woman was very adoring of me and quickly said:
"Actually, I live in Huaxi Lake too, and I've heard of your name for over ten days now. I've always wanted to come see you, but my husband disagrees. He says the main reason is to convince our daughter. He never believed in fortune-telling or horoscope readings."
We had a fight this morning. I stormed out, saying I had to ask you for a fortune telling. When I got to your house, there was an old man there..."
"That's my mother."
"Oh, your mother told me that you went to Taiyi Mountain. So I followed you. You see, I did the right thing. You are really amazing."
I smiled and said, "Well, I can't analyze it for you based on your one-sided story. Since you live in Huaxi Lake, bring your daughter over tonight and I'll listen to what she has to say. Then talk to her."
The woman said, "Then what about the word 'fen'? Does it mean success or failure?"
"No. Eight originally meant separation. I'm here to persuade your daughter. I have more ideas than you."
When the woman heard this, she stood up, bowed earnestly to me, and said, "If you can convince me of this, I'll give you 100,000 yuan."
I laughed out loud.
She said, “Really.”
I said, "I believe that casual wear is Arc'teryx. You have money."
She took out her phone and said, "My last name is Hu Yilan. Let's add each other on WeChat."
"Okay, Mr. Hu."
She was startled: "Who told you that I'm a teacher?"
I burst out laughing: "Didn't you introduce yourself as a teacher earlier?"
She blushed. I immediately realized, "You called me the wrong name, Principal Hu."
She was about to put her phone in her pocket when she froze, looked at me and said, "You know I'm the principal?"
I smiled and said, "Because in your circle of acquaintances, everyone calls you Principal Hu. When you heard me call you Teacher Hu, you felt a little uncomfortable and asked me who told me to call you Teacher."
She said, "Interesting. A master is a master after all. How about I come over at seven in the evening?"
"OK."
After the woman left, Taoist Chen looked cautious and a little worried. He sat down and said, "There's something I have to report to you."
I smiled and said, "Don't look so worried. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up, you say."
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