Chapter 4: Fortune Telling |
Shěn Lí had nothing to show despite trying all night. She finally called it quits at daybreak and was just about to rest her aching head when a sound jolted her alert again. She hopped over to the front yard and caught sight of an empty handed Xíng Yún about to leave. That was strange. So she asked, “Oy, you’re not selling your ginseng today?”
“They’re not fully dried yet.” Xíng Yún bent down and patted Shěn Lí’s head as he spoke. I’m going out to buy some things, so watch the house while I’m gone.”
“Hey, wait! I’m coming with!” After saying so Shěn Lí made a quick beeline to the yard and came back with a stone in her beak. So what if she wasn’t successful last night with the moon? She’d just keep trying. Maybe she’d have better luck under the light of the sun. If she succeeded they would be able to buy some good things! “Alright let’s go,” she muffled with a beak full of stone.
Xíng Yún looked at the rock in her mouth but decided not to ask. He only smiled and said, “Are you sure you want to go with me? There are a lot of people at the market so it can get pretty hectic. What if you get lost and get cooked into a pot of soup? Maybe I should tie a leash around your throat so you don’t get lost.”
“You dare?!” Shěn Lí flitted about with her two bald wings in a fit of fury. “I had good intentions. I was going to do something nice for you. You should be thankful! So . . . hurry and pick me up!”
Xíng Yún looked at her flapping wings for a while before smirking and bending over to pick her up. She moved around a bit in his arms trying to settle into a good position. Once she found a comfortable spot she told him, “Alright, now just be careful and don’t move around too much.”
Xíng Yún laughed. “Yes, of course Boss Chicken.”
Shěn Lí kept her spell-casting up the entire trip. Xíng Yún didn’t know what silliness she was up to, but he figured he would just ignore it. Finally, they reached the market and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air. Listening to the butchers advertise their meat prices, Xíng Yún realized prices had gone up. This was no good. Prices had gone up by two whole coins! At this rate he wouldn’t be able to afford enough meat to fill Boss Chicken’s huge gullet. Not to mention he still didn’t understand her fixation with the stone in her mouth. Was it a full moon or something?
Just as he wondered what to do a voice sounded behind him. “Hey now! Count out ten coins.”
Xíng Yún impulsively stepped closer to the two and abruptly interrupted them. “Hey brother. Your house is going to burn down this afternoon. You should head back right now, otherwise you’re going to really regret it.”
Both the fortune teller and the young man were shocked into silence at this revelation. Even Shěn Lí looked up from his arms as if to ask, “What’s up with that?”
The fortune teller was the first to gather his wits and react. He harrumphed and fiercely scolded Xíng Yún. “What are you talking about? Don’t mess with this young man’s blessing. Spout your nonsense somewhere else!”
“It’s not nonsense.” Xíng Yún faced the young man and spoke. “You, go home and see. I’ll wait here for you until the afternoon.”
The young man was one who believed in this sort of thing, after all he did come to the market specifically to have his fortune read. Xíng Yún’s confident manner of speech threw his mind in turmoil and he hesitated for quite some time before pulling his hand out of the fortune teller’s grasp. Once he made up his mind, he turned around decisively and ran home.
Shěn Lí gently poked Xíng Yún’s arm and asked, “This . . . what is this about? Were you lying?”
“Shush.” Xíng Yún patted her head lightly as he spoke. “This is about us getting two ounces of meat.”
Xíng Yún barely finished speaking when the fortune teller angrily spoke up. “I say! What’s up with you! You trying to steal my business?”
Xíng Yún was unperturbed by the other’s anger. “I’m not stealing your business. I’m just speaking the truth. If you don’t believe me, just wait here till this afternoon. Let’s make a bet. If my words are proven true, then you need to pay me.”
“Ha! Alright, I see you and I speak the same language!” The fortune teller went on. “I’ve been in this line of work a long time and I don’t believe a word of what you say. So you want to wait? We’ll wait. If that boy doesn’t come back or if what you said wasn’t accurate then . . .” He paused and shot a meaningful look at Shěn Lí in Xíng Yún’s arms. “You have to give me that broiler chicken there!”
At these words Shěn Lí broke out in a featherless fury, flapping wildly in Xíng Yún’s arms.
“I’m here, don’t you worry. No one’s going to cook you.”
She didn’t know what strange powers his words held, but they made her feel oddly appeased and calm. Well fine, she’d choose to believe in him for now. He had a good track record of protecting and taking care of her. To be protected by such a weak mortal . . . it felt kind of nice.
The sun slowly made its way up in the sky. By afternoon there was still no shadow of the young man from earlier. Wang Banxian, our fortune teller, was already thinking about what to do with his broiler chicken. Who knew what Xíng Yún was thinking, but occasionally he would glance up at the meat shops intently listening to the prices. They hadn’t dropped at all since early morning. An hour later Wang Banxian felt it was time to call it. “Alright kid! Hand over that chicken.”
“Eh? Why should I do that?” Xíng Yún appeared carefree, completely unworried. “Isn’t that there the brother on his way back?”
Wang Banxian went to the side of the road to look. Not seeing anyone he proclaimed, “What nonsense! Where is the young man? I don’t see him!” Just as the words fell from his lips two people appeared. It was the young man from earlier. By his side was a small child. He immediately went to Xíng Yún. “Brother! Thank you! If you hadn’t convinced me to go back earlier this child here would have burned to death in the woodshed!” He turned to the child next to him. “Go on. Thank this uncle!”
The small child bit his fingers and quietly gave his thanks. “Thank you, uncle.”
The young man smiled at Xíng Yún. “I don’t have much, but please accept this as thanks. It’s bacon that my wife hung on the rafters to cure for the past two years.”
Xíng Yún noticed Shěn Lí’s eyes open wide at the sight of the bacon so he promptly accepted. He too was very interested in bacon!
After saying farewell and watching the father and son leave, Xíng Yún looked down to see Shěn Lí gazing at the meat shop. He turned to Wang Banxian and spoke up. “I won’t be polite. Ten coins please!”
Wang Banxian was truly stunned. He rubbed his forehead. “Aye . . . you really did the impossible. Your words were true.” He reached in his purse and pulled out ten coins to give to Xíng Yún. Before he left, he couldn’t help but turn and ask, “Can you give me a reading?”
Xíng Yún laughed and said, “Today you’ll have familial troubles.”
This scared Wang Banxian so he hurried home.
“You’re really good at foretelling the future.” Shěn Lí was quite surprised.
“Yeah, I know a little bit.”
Shěn Lí silently pondered that for a moment before speaking. “You know that’s forbidden. Heaven will punish those that divulge such knowledge.”
“I know, that’s why I’m suffering everyday eating medicine.”
He saw that Shěn Lí was still staring at him. This made him laugh and he said, “There is nothing wrong. Heaven will always create a balance.”
Although Shěn Lí didn’t fully understand what he meant by that exactly, she did understand that he was special. To be a mortal capable of peering into the secrets of Heaven was no ordinary feat. For him to be alive to the present day meant that he had to withstand and counter the Heavenly backlash. His sickly nature was probably due to this trauma. Xíng Yún was an enigma to her. The more she learned, the more unpredictable he became in her eyes.
From that day onwards, gossip spread like wildfire in the capital about a celestial being who told fortunes and imparted knowledge. It was because of this that Shěn Lí learned about Wang Banxian’s fate when he returned home that day.
His wife was really angry and had scolded him fiercely for not earning any money. She slapped his face so hard that it broke skin and left a permanent scar. The rumors circulating about the mysterious fortune teller grew more exaggerated as days passed. It didn’t matter to Xíng Yún though, he continued living his daily routine, guarding the yard, feeding the fish, and basking in the sun.
. . .One day a bored Shěn Lí looked at Xíng Yún and asked, “You have a knack for foretelling the future, why not make it your livelihood?” This skill that was akin to godliness would earn him quite a bit, certainly more than what he made selling ginseng. It would be easier too, even if he only worked one day a year, he’d still make enough to live ten times more luxuriously than he did now. He was just too laissez-faire about it. Other than the time with the bacon, she hadn’t really seen him use it.
”It’s not a good ability and using it can bring harm. I don’t need to rely on it to live a good life.”
Shěn Lí raised her eyebrows, surprised that he already understood this concept. Since he was so firm in his conviction, Shěn Lí decided to drop the matter. Instead, she asked him, “What do you eat every day? Do you use any ingredients that boost vitality? If you do let me see next time.”
Xíng Yún snorted at that. “Do you think I can afford that kind of thing?”
True. He couldn’t even afford meat, never mind expensive strengthening tonics. But then how did she recover so fast under his care? She noticed that her inner strength had stabilized enough that it would only be a matter of days before she could take human form again.
As they were talking, a series of loud raps came from the front door.
Xíng Yún slowly got up and went to answer it.
This was strange. The only visitor Shěn Lí saw since moving in was the girl who climbed over the wall to secretly clean for him. She moved to follow him, her curiosity piqued.
She felt an inexplicable charge in the air as soon as Xíng Yún started to open the door. Through the partial opening, she saw a dry withered hand snake out and grab onto Xíng Yún’s arm!
The person on the other side then forcibly made her way in, pushing Xíng Yún back, nearly making him step on Shěn Lí who was at his feet watching the show. With the door now completely opened Shěn Lí saw that the intruder was an old woman. In an excited and trance-like voice she grunted out, “Immortal immortal . . .are you the immortal that others say can understand the past and observe the future?”
Shěn Lí looked up and realized the strangeness in the air was coming from this person. Unfortunately, she hadn’t recovered enough magic to probe the old woman for the cause.
“Oh . . . I am the person you’re looking for,” Xíng Yún replied. “It’s just that-”
Before Xíng Yún finished his thoughts a loud shout rang from the alleyway interrupting him. “Sister!” A middle-aged man, perhaps in his forties, walked out from the alleyway. He pulled the woman to him and said, “Sister! Don’t make trouble! Come back with me!”
She paid him no heed, instead keeping her eyes fixed on Xíng Yún. She appeared to be in her fifties, with a face ravaged by a life of ill fortune. “Immortal help me! My husband enlisted in the army for fifteen years now, but I have had no word from him. Please I beseech you! Divine his whereabouts.”
“Oh sister! Haven’t you been deceived enough by those quacks and fakes? Desist in asking. It has been so many years already . . .“
The woman’s pain burst forth when she heard this sentence. She shouted fiercely, “I’ll keep asking! I’ll never give up. He’s my husband! Even if I can’t find him today, I’ll hope for tomorrow! Every day I’ll keep searching until I find him!”
It turned out she was the wife of a missing soldier. Shěn Lí shook her head. It was hard for those left behind. No matter how they searched, oftentimes they couldn’t even locate the bones for burial. It was something Shěn Lí keenly understood.
Xíng Yún gently pried open the woman’s grip on his arm. He smiled slightly as he spoke. “Ma’am, I’m unable to help you. Please leave.”
“Aren’t you an immortal? Why won’t you help me? I just want to know where he is . . . If you won’t find him then at least tell me if he’s dead or alive.”
Xíng Yún looked at the man. “I need to get breakfast ready.”
The man took the hint. “Sorry for the trouble brother.” He gave an apologetic nod and worked to pull the woman away.
Xíng Yún made a polite farewell gesture and closed the door before proceeding to the kitchen to cook as usual.
Shěn Lí hopped around at his feet. “You saw right? Why didn’t you tell the woman. Is her husband dead?”
“No. I didn’t see anything.”
“But . . . but . . .“ She wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. She understood that Xíng Yún was trying his best to not interfere with the lives of others with his gift, and she did admire him for it, but under these circumstances she felt stifled, like a heavy weight was on her.
If the soldiers she brought to battle died on the field she would do her best to notify their next of kin. She wouldn’t abandon them to linger in limbo!
Shěn Lí looked up at Xíng Yún before silently walking back to the yard. This child was willing to save someone for two ounces of meat, yet was unwilling to help another find closure. He could stand by indifferently as an old woman wept broken-heartedly. What an unusual person . . . so aloof and detached.
. . .That night, when all was quiet, Shěn Lí escaped through the unlocked gate. She used the bit of magic she regained from basking in the sun to locate the scent of the old woman from earlier. She rushed toward the alleyway.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, a sigh blew out. “This chicken . . . such a busybody.”
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