Chapter 1 Yao Er 1 Face Reading
March, Chaozhou.
The flowers are bright and the willows are graceful, and the spring mountains seem to be smiling.
At dusk, the market was bustling with merchants and people. The streetside shops were packed, and the worst of them all was a fortune-teller at the eastern end of the market. The line of people waiting outside the shop stretched as far as the eye could see. There were women in simple clothes, and merchants in exotic attire. Their expressions varied, and it was unknown how long they had been waiting, but none of them showed any sign of impatience.
I heard that the owner of the shop was a disciple of the Sitian Pavilion in the past. He was able to predict the future. Since he came to Chaozhou a month ago, he has become a symbol of Chaozhou in just a few days, attracting people from far and near to come and ask for divination.
Unlike the hustle and bustle here, the other side of the road seems like another world.
Across the road stood a thousand-year-old locust tree, and beneath its dense canopy stood a simple fortune-telling stall. It was little more than a small bamboo table, with a yellowed white banner beside it, patched in the corners and inscribed in large characters: "Divine Prediction."
There was no one around the stall, and this small world seemed isolated from the outside world.
There was a little girl sitting behind the small table, her chin resting on her hands. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a round face, half-open eyes, a dazed look in her eyes, and her head nodding as if she was half asleep and half awake. It was Xun Shu, the boy in the coffin shop.
Since the New Year, business at the coffin shop has been slow, and in recent months, it's been difficult to even make ends meet. Consequently, Xun Shu has been setting up a fortune-telling stall here daily to supplement her family income. Strangely enough, she works from the opening of the stall at noon until closing at dusk, and except for the first few days, she hasn't earned a single copper coin.
Customers who wanted to have their fortunes told walked around her stall, preferring to queue for half a day to go to the charlatan's shop across the street rather than come to her stall.
It's really strange.
Xun Shu originally thought that today would be like any other day, sitting in boredom for most of the day and returning empty-handed. However, she did not expect that a shadow would fall over her head just before she fell into a dream. A moment later, a man sat opposite her. He was about thirty years old, wearing ordinary cloth clothes, with his black hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, but his exposed skin was as smooth as cream, and his eyes flashed with distrust under his willow eyebrows.
Xun Shu welcomed the first guest of the day.
Also the first guest of this month.
Xun Shu shook his head, barely waking up. He looked at the worried-looking guest across from him and the anxious-looking maid standing nearby. Thinking of the earnest instructions from the other two people in the coffin shop, he forced a shy smile and said warmly, "Madam, do you want a fortune-teller or a fortune-teller?"
The person on the other side thought for a moment, but still had doubts in his heart, so he decided to test the waters first: "Maybe face reading?"
Xun Shu smiled lightly, revealing two dimples on her cheeks. "Of course." Her gaze slid from the Madam's forehead across from her, down past her eyebrows, across her bright nose, and finally to her round chin. Ignoring the faint dark aura on her face, she praised, "Madam, with her phoenix eyes and high eyebrows, is a sign of both wealth and honor."
Xun Shu spoke sincerely, but Mrs. Zhao frowned slightly.
Mrs. Zhao had come here today to ask for a fortune from the shop across the street, but upon arriving, she discovered she'd have to wait for most of the day to get in. She'd left the house secretly, so where would she find the time? Just as she was about to leave, her maid pointed to Xun Shu's stall and told her she could try it.
Seeing that no one stopped at Xun Shu's stall, she was hesitant. Then she heard the maid beside her telling her about the rumors in the neighborhood, saying that this girl was quite accurate in her predictions, but she spoke too bluntly and was not very pleasing, so no one came here to ask for divination.
She didn't come here to hear auspicious words, but she felt relieved after hearing them, so she walked forward and let Xun Shu read her face.
When Mrs. Zhao first saw Xun Shu watching seriously, she thought she was really proficient in this. But when she heard her throw out ambiguous and auspicious words, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. She was about to leave a few copper coins and leave, but she heard the person opposite speak again.
"There's only one thing I can say. Madam, your philtrum is thin. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to have children. I'm afraid there won't be anyone to see you off to the end."
Madam Zhao frowned, her displeasure evident in her words. The maidservant standing nearby scolded her directly, "What nonsense are you talking about? My wife has both a son and a daughter! Although the second young lady is a little frail, the eldest young master is a healthy man. He even passed the imperial examination two years ago. Are you cursing my eldest young master?"
Xun Shu blinked, then looked at the person opposite him again with great concentration. After a moment, he confirmed, "I'm not mistaken. Madam is destined to be childless. If she had given birth to children in her early years, it would have been a sign of premature death."
Even though Mrs. Zhao was gentle by nature, she couldn't help but lower her voice at this moment: "I have no grudge against you, why do you say such vicious words?"
Xun Shu looked innocent: "You asked me to read my fortune, and you're not happy after I told you..."
The maid helped Madam Zhao to her feet and glared at her fiercely: "No wonder no one comes to you for fortune-telling. You're clearly a liar who only knows how to talk nonsense! No, even a liar knows how to say a few nice words. You're even worse than a liar!"
Xun Shuxiu was a man of great wisdom and never lied. She hated being called a liar the most. Upon hearing this, she stood up, looked the person across from her straight in the eye, and explained earnestly, "My face-reading skills have never been wrong. Madam, you can change your clothes, but you can't change your appearance. From my observations, Madam, you've been favored since childhood. After you came of age, you married a man who holds an official position and is considered a wealthy family. The only suitable match in Chaozhou City is the residence of Magistrate Zhao. Madam, you must be from the Zhao family, right?" Her eyes were clear, and without waiting for the person across from her to speak, she continued, "Could I borrow your palm to see?"
Mrs. Zhao looked into her eyes, and her unhappiness dissipated a little. As if possessed by a ghost, she extended her hand regardless of the maid's hesitation to speak.
Her hands are white and slender, and the skin on the back of her hands is as soft as a young girl's.
Xun Shu held her hand, carefully examining the chaotic lines on her palm. After a moment, he affirmed, "What I just said is correct. Madam's fate has... several tribulations, and the first three are all related to offspring... Madam has three children in total. The first one must have died as an infant, the second one must have been a miscarriage, and the third one looks like—"
The maid interrupted angrily, "Shut up! Who gave you the courage to curse my eldest son like that?"
Madam Zhao patted the maid's arm with a soothing look, and when she looked at Xun Shu again, her eyes were complicated.
She did have a miscarriage when her eldest son, Zhao Yuanming, was one year old.
This matter was quite secretive, known only to three or four people. How did she know about it? Could she really have read it from palmistry?
Xun Shu saw Madam Zhao's expression and knew that she had guessed correctly. He said slowly, "The third calamity is about to come true. Madam, you should be more open-minded."
Mrs. Zhao's mind was in a state of confusion. She stared at Xun Shu's lips, which moved constantly, but she couldn't understand the meaning of her words. After a while, she supported herself on the bamboo table and stood up. After turning around and taking a few steps, she turned back. There was an uncontrollable tremor in her voice: "You said that I already had two children who died?"
Xun Shu didn't expect her to ask this question, so he nodded slightly: "Yes."
"My daughter, my Rong'er will also...will also be like that?"
Xun Shu paused, seeing the despair in her eyes, and said vaguely, "About that."
In an instant, Mrs. Zhao's eyes turned red, tears filling them. She gently pressed her handkerchief against the corners of her eyes and whispered, "But my Yuanming, my eldest son, is clearly still alive! Do you know what's going on? Did you see it wrong?"
Xun Shu answered honestly, "Madam, please bring your son with you next time. Perhaps I can figure something out."
Mrs. Zhao lowered her eyes, still looking as if she was about to cry, but in Xun Shu's eyes, it was a drastic change.
She seemed to have done something wrong.
But in a moment, she watched as Mrs. Zhao's forehead changed from slightly black to completely dark, which was clearly a sign of impending disaster.
Xun Shu felt a little annoyed and silently recited a few words of sin, trying to make amends: "Madam, can I give you a divination?"
Mrs. Zhao was startled, then shook her head slightly, the tassels on her hairpin swaying in disorder, just like her mood: "No need."
She glanced at the maid beside her. The maid had a gloomy face and had no place to vent her anger. She slammed a few copper coins on the table fiercely.
The bamboo table creaked as she slammed it, as if it was about to fall apart. Xun Shu hurriedly supported the table and managed to stabilize it. When he raised his head again, the two people in front of him had disappeared.
Xun Shu sighed and sat down slowly, his mind full of what had just happened.
The forehead is bluish-black with obvious wrinkles, which is a very bad omen. Madam Zhao, you may be in danger of losing your life.
What should I do?
Xun Shu was lost in thought and didn't notice that the small shop opposite had closed its door. Someone sneaked out from the back door, circled around, stood in front of Xun Shu, and knocked her forehead. Only then did Xun Shu come to her senses and look up.
Standing in front of him was a young man of about eighteen or nineteen years old, with upturned eyes, a straight nose, a bright smile, and neatly exposed white teeth. It was He Xuan, another young man in the coffin shop.
Xun Shu tapped his chin: "You didn't remove your fake beard cleanly."
He Xuan stroked his chin and smiled, "Luckily I have this beard, otherwise those people waiting in line for fortune-telling would definitely recognize me as the boy in the coffin shop. If they found out we were in cahoots, I'm afraid my fortune-telling shop would be bankrupt."
Xun Shu stood up unsteadily and put away the cloth hanging from the bamboo pole beside him: "People who lie will be bitten by dogs."
He Xuan laughed, unconcerned, his eyebrows and eyes gleaming with youthful carefreeness. "I'm not lying! I just said some auspicious words in exchange for some tips! Everyone has their own hardships. If a few auspicious words can put their minds at ease and help them through their difficulties, why not do it? You can't make money because you can't talk." He glanced at the few copper coins on the bamboo table and raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, at least we're open today! I thought we'd go home empty-handed like the other few days ago!"
Xun Shu carefully put the few copper coins into his bag and sighed, "This money is not worth making."
Xun Shu usually took her time, appearing nonchalant no matter what happened, but it was rare to see her so worried as she was today. He Xuan asked curiously, "What do you mean?"
How to explain this? Xun Shu bit his lower lip lightly, stuffed the folded cloth into his bag, pointed in the direction of the setting sun, and changed the subject rather abruptly: "Uncle Jiang should be preparing dinner for us when we return. Let's go back quickly."
After saying that, she took a step forward, ignoring He Xuan behind her, and walked towards the coffin shop in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The setting sun shone on her body, giving it a gilded edge. The tattered pieces of cloth hanging from her bun and the loose strands of hair at her temples swayed with her movements, each strand imbued with life.
He Xuan pushed the bamboo table to the corner for her, then trotted off to catch up with Xun Shu, chattering about the day's fun events. The two chatted and laughed until they reached the coffin shop before the last bit of daylight faded.
As soon as he reached the door, the aroma hit him in the face. Xun Shu sniffed and his eyes lit up: "I seem to smell the scent of meat."
He Xuan patted her shoulder and rushed past her into the coffin shop: "You're not mistaken, it smells like roast chicken."
The coffin shop was divided into two parts: the front was for welcoming guests, and the back courtyard was where the three people in the shop lived. Xun Shu followed He Xuan through the shop piled high with coffins. When they reached the backyard, they saw four dishes of meat and vegetables on the stone table. In the middle was a roasted chicken wrapped in oil paper, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Xun Shu couldn't take his eyes off the chicken wings. He swallowed and asked, "But is it Zhang's roast chicken?"
"Of course." Jiang Zheng walked out of the kitchen carrying a basket of plump white steamed buns and said with a smile, "I'm just waiting for you to eat."
The coffin shop has been doing bad business recently, and Xun Shu can't make any money from his stall. Seeing that the food at home is almost gone, He Xuan has to make a quick decision and bite his teeth to buy a fortune-telling shop so that they can make ends meet.
Although they had more money on hand, Jiang Zheng said that they had to keep some money for emergencies, so the three people in the coffin shop still lived frugally... Why was he so generous today?
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Open article!!
All the content in this article involving physiognomy, feng shui, and fortune-telling are all nonsense made up by the author after searching on Baidu, combining numerous statements, and adding fuel to the fire.
This only works in the world of this article, so please don't take it too seriously~
v will be updated every other day, v will be updated every other day~
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