latelenovela Chapter 19 The Fortune-Telling Taoist Priest
Chapter 19 The Fortune-Telling Taoist Priest
Time flies. I only looked at the sky for a short while, and then day turned into night.
Chongyang stood at the kitchen door and shouted towards the yard, "Sister Yuechu, dinner is ready!"
"Here it comes, here it comes!" I folded the blanket and placed it on the chair, then strode quickly toward the dining room.
"Sister Chuyue, you should try these sweet and sour pork ribs, braised crucian carp, and Mapo tofu. These are dishes I learned from the aunties next door." Chongyang's peach blossom eyes curved upwards as she happily introduced them.
I picked up the dishes and tasted them one by one.
"The sweet and sour pork ribs are perfectly balanced with a crispy texture, the braised crucian carp is tender and juicy, and the mapo tofu is snow-white with a spicy and savory flavor. Not bad at all, Chongyang, your cooking skills have improved!"
This is so delicious! I thought snacks were all that good! I never imagined Chongyang had such a talent for cooking. He used to only be able to barely eat it, but now it's a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
Chongyang blushed slightly and said modestly, "This is all thanks to the careful guidance of the aunties next door." In fact, she had failed many times, but seeing that Sister Yuechu was eating a bowl of rice more than usual made her feel very accomplished.
"We really should thank them. I happened to see that the persimmons at the entrance of the inn were ripe today. Pick some and take them to the aunties next door tomorrow." I didn't look up, focusing on eating.
Chongyang thought that besides giving them away, there were still many persimmons left! Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him, "Great! I've been thinking about all the persimmons at the door. Why don't we make them into persimmon cakes, persimmon jam, persimmon wine, and so on?"
I paused for a second, then asked in confusion, "Can you do any of the things you're talking about?" When did this kid become so versatile!
Chongyang wasn't sure either, but he stubbornly said, "Sister Yuechu, don't worry, I've seen others do it." A true man keeps his word, and if all else fails, he'll ask his neighbors.
"Okay, as long as you know what I mean."
Chongyang changed the subject, "Sister Yuechu, I've noticed you've been staying at the inn a lot lately and rarely go out. How about you go out for a stroll tonight?"
Huan Yuechu thought about it and realized that since moving to the Phantom Inn, she had indeed rarely gone out except for necessary shopping trips.
"Sure, we can go out for a walk to digest our food later."
After we finished eating and cleaned the kitchen, it was around 8 or 9 pm. I took Chongyang out to stroll through the night market.
The street offers both food and entertainment at both ends, with a variety of snacks on one side and an amusement park and square dancing area on the other.
Chongyang and I were discussing going to the entertainment area to relax when we were suddenly stopped by an old Taoist priest who told fortunes on the street.
"Young lady, I see you have a full forehead and a square jaw; it's a face that indicates both good fortune and longevity, but..."
My eyes swept up and down several times over the old Taoist priest blocking our way. Oh! I've been spotted as easy prey! But this is so unprofessional!
Chongyang grabbed the old Taoist priest by the collar and pressed him urgently, "But what? Speak up!"
I didn't stop Chongyang; I wanted to see how this old Taoist priest would cheat and swindle.
"However... you are destined for a calamity, and if you cannot overcome it, you may perish!" The old Taoist priest said, shaking his head with a look of regret.
That's true, but I've already been through it!
Chongyang was in a state of panic and asked impatiently, "How can we get through this crisis?"
"Don't underestimate this ordinary amulet. It's been blessed by chanting sutras in a temple for 998 days. As long as the lady wears it, she's guaranteed to get through this ordeal," the old Taoist priest immediately squatted down, picked up an amulet, and boasted.
Chongyang held the amulet in his hand and asked, "How much does this amulet cost?"
Seeing that Chongyang was being manipulated, the old Taoist priest snatched the peace talisman back from Chongyang's hand and began to ask for an exorbitant price, "This is a life-saving item. I wouldn't sell it to anyone else, but since we have a connection, I'll give you ten thousand yuan, round it down to a whole number."
Chongyang looked like he was being led by the nose by the old Taoist priest, and he was about to take out his mobile phone to pay.
I noticed that Chongyang hadn't realized he was a scammer, so I snatched the phone from his hand.
Chongyang tried to snatch the phone back, but I gave him a cold look, signaling him not to move.
I kept a straight face and sneered, "Old Taoist priest, you've even read my face! Let me tell you, your forehead is dark, you're probably in for some bloodshed. How about I spend some money to ward off the disaster? I'll give you a 10% discount, you want it?"
Seeing what I said, the old Taoist priest looked guilty and said, "No, no, get out of here right now, or you'll be the one with bloodshed."
Seeing that the old Taoist priest was clearly avoiding conversation, Chongyang realized that he had almost been scammed! Luckily, Yuechu was there, otherwise he would have been swindled out of all his money.
"Chongyang, do you have too much money? Do you want to lend me some? I'll pay you back when I have more money." I handed the phone back to Chongyang, a playful smile playing on my lips.
When Chongyang saw me smiling, he knew I was teasing him. He spread his hands helplessly and said, "Sister Yuechu, I still need you! Where would I get spare money?"
"Next time, be more observant. If you can't even spot such an obvious scam, you deserve to get ripped off!"
"Alright, but was that old man really going to have a bloody disaster?" Chongyang's curiosity got the better of him, and he wanted to find out.
I nodded and said coldly, "It's true, he not only faces bloodshed, but also imprisonment." And it's happening tonight.
At that moment, the song "The vast horizon is my love, flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green hills..." came to mind. It was a catchy and rhythmic song.
My body swayed uncontrollably along with everyone else, and over there I saw a trampoline and a claw machine.
I found all of this very novel. Not only were there free concerts, but I could also watch all kinds of square dancing for free, with people of all ages participating.
Chongyang has really let loose! He followed everyone else and started dancing in the square. I watched as his limbs stiffened and he couldn't move freely. He even got dizzy just trying to spin around. He's really bad at it but loves to have fun.
Chongyang invited me to play, but I pretended not to know him. I'm good at fighting and kicking people, but I can't learn this hip-twisting dance move.
After we'd had our fill of the Double Ninth Festival celebrations, we sat down to rest for a bit. Suddenly, a police siren went off, and a police car drove towards the street we'd just come from.
Seeing the others running ahead, Chongyang, wanting to be a bystander, immediately pulled me towards the direction of the police siren.
Actually, there was a large group of middle-aged women following behind us. I glanced back and saw them holding stools in one hand and sunflower seeds in the other... This...
When we arrived, the people involved had already been detained, and the police were questioning other people. The situation was almost resolved!
When Chongyang heard others gossiping, he immediately leaned closer to listen.
The person involved in the incident was the old Taoist priest who had just told Huan Yuechu's fortune. After we exposed his fraudulent act, he showed no remorse and continued to stop people in the same spot to tell fortunes and divine the future.
This time, he stopped an old lady selling pork and told her fortune, "Her family is plagued by bad luck this year, everything is going wrong, and a great disaster is about to befall them."