Destiny Unveiled: The Enigmatic Life of a Fortune-Telling Master
Speaking of fortune-telling, although I'm not an expert, I do know a bit and have predicted a few major events. However, I've never believed in fate. Throughout my life, I've encountered many remarkable individuals, like the old man who liked to predict when I would break up. He was always spot-on, predicting the time and manner of the breakup. My mother would then tell me about it, always appearing confident and never worried about my teenage romances.
When we have time, we should talk about this old man's legendary life - he couldn't read but knew medicinal herbs, and without studying medicine, he understood pharmacology. It was quite mysterious.
Although I enjoy fortune-telling, I've never believed in fate. Later, when my life started following the path I had predicted, I stopped doing it. I felt it might affect my judgment. Today, I'll share a story about a fortune-telling master who once appeare
That year, I was catching fish in the river, thinking about how to cook them over a fire. As a child, I was quite greedy and liked to cook and eat anything edible, no matter how small the fish or edible insects I found. A family was building a house by the river when this person suddenly appeared. No one knew how this somewhat melancholic young man had arrived. I can't remember his face clearly, but I remember his bright eyes. They looked pure, like a baby's eyes.
Now that I think about it, it's like what my master tol when one's spiritual practice reaches a certain level, their abilities become internalized and blend with nature, with only their eyes remaining exceptionally clear.
The young stranger bus odd jobs. He worked there for an entire day before the foreman noticed this stranger's presence. According to the foreman's later recollection, this person worked very naturally, as if he was meant to be there. Seeing his diligence, they decided to keep him on.
My godfather - well, we call him atransfer father" in our local dialect. I was transferred to his care as a child due to incompatible fates with my family. It's similar to a godfather, so I'll just use that term for simplicity.
The master didn't talk much and liked to smoke alone. Looking back, he had a bit of a tough guy image - the kind who's fierce but doesn't say much. My godfather also liked to smoke alone. Coincidentally both liked to sit onound of earth, and slowly they became familiar with each other. The friendship between men can sometimes be very simple - just sharing a cigarette can create a bond. My godfather said this person was very impressive, knowledgeable about everything from north to south. While he couldn't predict 500 years into the past or future, he could engage in any conversation topic. Later, when I met a important person, he told me that such people are only possible if they far surpass you in both knowledge and experience - like how adults can easily understand what children are thinking.
When the topic of fortune-telling came up, the master became excited and took my godfather's hand to rea palm. He said my godfather had two sons and a daughter. This't particularly surprising as anyone could find out with a bit of inquiry. But then he suddenly said that one son was adopted, which immediately convinced my godfather because only family members knew about this.
My godfather asked about his fate and when he would become wealthy, but the master just laughed it off. He kept calculating the fates of the two sons, saying the eldest would have an interesting marriage. He would first be engaged to a girl, but they would break up soon after. His eventual wife would be quite fierce and formidable, but they would have a good life running a small business. On their wedding day, a firecracker would tip over and injure a child, but it would be a close call without serious consequences.
The second son would marry late, and my godfather would have to worry a lot about it. He would find a wife whose family owned thirty mu of shrimp ponds, which would bring wealth. At the time, we didn't know why these shrimp ponds could bring fortune, but later we learned about the concept of overnight wealth through land acquisition and demolition. The wife name would include the character "qian". She would have a good personality, but they would meet later in life - there was no need to rush as they would eventually meet.
He said my godfather wouldn't have any major illnesses in his life, only minor ones. However, there would be a respected person in the family who could treat all his illnesses, with some close calls but no serious consequences. At the time, we thought it was just a joke and didn't think much of it, because back then, everyone in the village went to see the shaman grandfather for medical treatment, which was common knowledge.
Later, when the construction project ended, the master left just as quietly as he had arrived. After receiving his wages, no one knew where he went.
Years later, my elder brother got engaged for the first time. His fiancée was a gentle and cultured girl, so everyone had forgotten about the master's words. Surprisingly, shortly after the engagement, they broke up unexpectedly. Normally, in our village, once people are engaged, they rarely break it off, but it happened without any warning. The girl's family refused to agree to the marriage no matter what.
Within two years, he found another match. She had a fierce temper. On their wedding day, the firecrackers were specially reinforced with stones to ensure safety, but they still tipped over. A tricycle came out of nowhere and knocked over the lit firecrackers. The driver said it felt like something was pulling him, and he couldn't stop no matter how hard he tried to brake. Because we had found a match that fit the master's description, we children were told not to attend the wedding. Coincidentally, distant relatives who hadn't been in touch for years passed through the village and attended the wedding. A child pushed open door and bumped his head on the glass. Shortly after the wedding, my elder brother opened an aluminum window shop, and business was quite good. Apart from his wife being a bit domineering, they were happy.
The younger brother changed partners many times until he was almost thirty. He finally found someone whose name included "qian" as the master had said, but her family didn't have any shrimp ponds. Later, when they got married and talked about this, they found out that there indeed had been thirty mu of shrimp ponds, but they had been acquired for demolition, resulting in a substantial compensation payment.
After that, no matter what illness my go or small, he would only go to see my shaman grandfather. Even after I studied medicine, he never asked me about any symptoms.
This has always puzzled me. Were there really such insightful masters? Or is a person's life truly written in a book somewhere? Is the so-called reincarnation just a constant repetition? I don't know. Perhaps that person was just well-versed in probability, like how the weather is similar every year - if it rains today this year, there's an 80-90% chance it will rain on the same day next year.
I always believe that there are masters in this world, quietly protecting humanity in their own ways.