Maiyi Onmyoji

Consulting a Feng Shui Expert Before Opening a Store

"Grandpa... he had an urgent matter and was called to Zhejiang by his junior disciple. I don't know when he'll be back. You can see the letter he left for me. He also mentioned that the village is too dangerous and urged me to leave quickly."Pointing to the envelope, I hurriedly packed my belongings.Grandpa was taken away by Zhang Cuihua.Zhang Cuihua, the one responsible for the deaths of the old village chief and Elder Fang.At such a critical moment, Grandpa left with the culprit. Explaining this situation would only make things more complicated, potentially causing trouble for Grandpa.Moreover, the old village chief's body has disappeared. It's likely Zhang Cuihua used that corpse powder, turning him into a zombie who then killed his own son.I'm not confident in dealing with zombies.There are so many people in the village, including the police; they should be able to handle it.So, I think I should leave quickly to avoid being questioned by the police, which could become troublesome if I can't explain myself."Oh no, why did he leave at such a critical moment? What should I do now?"Village Chief Wang entered the room, quickly glanced at the letter, tossed it aside, and scratched his head in distress.With my backpack on, I said, "Uncle Wang, you should go discuss this with the police. Even if Grandpa were here, he wouldn't be able to do anything. In the end, it's up to the police to handle it.""Yes, yes, I'll go find the police right away..."Village Chief Wang ran off.I shut off the electricity, secured the doors and windows, and headed straight to the county town.About an hour later, I found my uncle.He was repairing a bicycle tire near a public toilet in the city.Uncle's living conditions were very poor; I didn't want to burden him by staying at his place.I considered renting a place and finding a part-time job.However, I've never ventured out on my own, and the thought of renting a place and living independently filled me with a nameless fear, making me hesitant to try.So, I thought about returning to Grandpa's house, where there was food and drink.But Grandpa had repeatedly told me not to stay in the village. I couldn't disobey him, could I?Just as I was caught in this dilemma, my cousin's voice rang out beside me, "Hey, isn't this my cousin? What are you doing here?"I turned around to see my cousin, who was only 1.5 meters tall, wearing a school uniform, with thick glasses perched on her nose, two braids, and a lunch box in hand. Her thin frame and innocent eyes gave her a somewhat malnourished appearance."Uh, I just got here..."Before I could finish my sentence, a woman near my uncle, who was fixing an electric bike, started shouting."Do you even know how to fix a bike?""You've been at it for so long and now want me to replace the tire? Are you trying to scam me?"The woman was well-dressed, with a face heavily powdered, yet her freckles couldn't be hidden. Her overall appearance was ordinary, but her lips were thin, and her eyes protruded slightly, giving her an aggressive look.Freckles, they say, are a sign of luck in love, but thin lips often indicate a sharp tongue, and bulging eyes suggest impulsiveness and a confrontational nature.Dealing with someone like her could be tricky; she might argue aggressively if challenged and bully you if you appear weak. The best approach is to confront her with reason, making her relent.Uncle, being an honest man, held the tire and explained earnestly, "Miss, don't worry, I'm not trying to scam you. Your tire is too old, patched over and over. Even if I fix it, it won't last long.""Then why did you even bother? Wasting my time!""Why didn't you suggest a new tire from the start? I've been waiting here all noon!"The woman indeed grew more unreasonable, starting to argue irrationally.My cousin was anxious.But being an honest person, the most she could do was apologize.I grabbed my cousin's arm, "Let me handle this."I walked over, picked up the tire, and inspected it. "Wow, this tire must be at least five or six years old, right? Master, you shouldn't be repairing it. This lady here, obviously elegant and affluent, doesn't need to save money. Just replace it with the best, most expensive new tire!""Look at this wheel, it's so worn out. I'd suggest replacing the entire wheel. Master, you have a new one, don't you? Just put it on; it'll take two or three minutes. Why make her wait?"I shook my head at my uncle.Then, turning to the woman with a smile, I said, "Sister, please calm down. This repairman is known around here for being honest. His first principle is to save people money, even if it sometimes leads to misunderstandings."To resolve this situation, I put on quite a performance.Some neighbors gathered around, recognizing my uncle, and spoke up for him.The woman, who liked to dress well, was clearly a person who valued her image. Under the gaze of so many people, bullying an honest man would be too embarrassing.Feeling guilty, she blushed and pulled out two hundred yuan bills, thrusting them into my uncle's hands. "Uncle, don't say anything. I don't need you to save me money. Just replace the wheel quickly; I'm in a hurry.""Alright, alright, it'll be done in a minute!"My uncle pocketed the money and swiftly replaced the wheel.Once the bike was fixed, the woman quickly rode away.The neighbors, chatting and laughing, also dispersed.My cousin approached, giving me a thumbs up with admiration, "Cousin, you're amazing!"I scratched my head shyly and turned to my uncle, "Uncle, it was an urgent situation just now, so I didn't call you.""No worries, no worries, good kid. If you hadn't been here, I would've lost this business. You look thinner, haven't seen you in half a year." Uncle smiled warmly and handed a hundred yuan to my cousin. "Girl, go buy some good food for your cousin.""No, no, no, Uncle, I've already eaten. I just came to town to look for a job, to earn some pocket money."I didn't want to spend Uncle's money.His hands were calloused, his skin tanned and wrinkled, making me feel a pang of sorrow."Have you really eaten?"Uncle looked at me doubtfully.I patted my belly, "Why would I lie to you? I have!"Uncle nodded, "Alright then, girl, take your cousin home and get him a cold drink. It's so hot; the boy's grown up and knows how to earn money, ha ha...""Uncle, don't worry about me. You should go eat.""Yes, Dad, the food's getting cold."My cousin handed him the lunch box.Uncle, after a bit more friendly chatter, finally started eating.When the lunch box was opened, I felt a pang of sadness; it was all plain rice with just one dish of stir-fried chives, barely any oil."Cousin, I know a place that's hiring. I'll take you to check it out," my cousin said with a smile.I quickly nodded, "Alright!"I saw a shop not far away and quickly went to buy three bottles of water, asking my cousin to give one to Uncle.On the way, my cousin and I chatted.I learned that my aunt had been suffering from vertigo for nearly six months, and the family relied solely on Uncle's income.Because of her petite and frail appearance, my cousin couldn't find any part-time jobs, so she took clothes from a factory to trim threads for a small income.And all the money Uncle earned went towards my cousin's tuition and living expenses.I felt conflicted. Uncle's meager earnings weren't enough, especially with my aunt's illness requiring medication.As we walked, I felt increasingly pressured, realizing that I needed to find a way to make more money.If possible, I wanted to help Uncle more; their family was struggling too much.My cousin led me to a restaurant. Inside, we found out they were fully staffed.I felt frustrated. I'm an eighteen-year-old man; how could I not find a simple job as a server?I couldn't believe it.I asked my cousin to head home while I continued searching the town.But she insisted on staying, saying she wanted to find a job too, tired of trimming threads.We walked around, looking for work.After walking several streets, we ended up on Temple Street in the county town.As we passed a funeral wreath shop, a chill suddenly enveloped me.It was the ghost bride blocking my path.Seeing me stop suddenly, my cousin asked, "Cousin, what's wrong?"I turned towards the funeral wreath shop... North of it were seven or eight fortune-telling shops.To the south was an empty shop with a "For Rent" sign on the glass door.What does this mean?Could it be that the ghost bride wants me to rent the place and tell fortunes?"Let's take a look..."I walked up to the shop, peering inside through the glass door. It was about fifteen or sixteen square meters.The previous tenant was also a fortune teller; many of their things were still there, albeit old.In these times, finding a job is tough. Self-employment might be better.With the ghost bride's help, I had nothing to fear.I could dedicate myself to studying Ma Yi ghost fortune-telling.And with the high foot traffic here, I could even bring Uncle along to do bicycle repairs, increasing our family income.Thinking of this, I dialed the number on the "For Rent" sign.The person on the other end seemed in a hurry to rent out the shop and asked me to meet him in fifteen minutes.I asked my cousin to go home first, and she reluctantly agreed, heading off.Exactly fifteen minutes later, a young man in a red polo shirt arrived on a bike.We haggled over the rent, eventually settling on a monthly rent of 800 yuan with a two-month deposit.Seeing that I didn't have a job, the young man felt sorry for me and reduced the rent to 600 yuan a month.He even promised to leave me with the keys and handle the water and electricity transfer.The young man handed me the shop key and a rental contract. After writing down the key details, he asked for my ID number and signature."You should read the contract carefully," the young man said with a sly smile as I signed it.I wasn't worried. This place has good feng shui and is located near the city center, where foot traffic is abundant.With the ghost bride around, there's nothing to fear.Moreover, this is a short-term rental agreement, not some fraudulent long-term lease.I handed the young man a 2,000 yuan deposit and rent, deciding to use my cousin's ID and name for the utility services. This way, if there's any trouble in the future, she won't be implicated.The young man smiled and put away the money.When he offered to help me clean up the shop and set it up for business, I couldn't help but feel something was off.Even if he felt sorry for me, would a landlord really be this enthusiastic?"Young man, have you ever dealt in antiques?" I inquired, scrutinizing him carefully.The young man's face paled slightly as he stammered, "No, no, I just...""Just what?" I sneered. "You can scam others, but not me!"The young man nervously glanced towards the funeral wreath shop, slowly backing away. "Brother, don't misunderstand. You see, times are tough, and we have to make a living somehow. If I've caused any trouble, I apologize.""Be careful, or I'll report you!" I warned, motioning for him to leave.The young man quickly turned and fled, muttering apologies as he went.After he left, I glanced towards the funeral wreath shop.A shadowy figure slowly emerged from the shop and floated towards me.It was the ghost bride, her once-beautiful face now marred by ghostly scars."Thank you for your help," I whispered, bowing slightly. The ghost bride's cold gaze softened briefly before she vanished.Feeling a sense of unease, I quickly closed the shop door and left, deciding to consult with Uncle and see if he would be willing to help me set up the shop.As I made my way back, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right about the situation. But with the ghost bride's guidance, I felt more confident that things would work out.I arrived at my uncle's shop, explaining everything to him. He was surprised but agreed to help, offering to bring some tools and equipment over the next day. We spent the evening making plans for the shop, discussing potential services and marketing strategies.The next morning, we set up the shop, cleaning and arranging everything. By noon, we were ready to open for business.The first few days were slow, but word quickly spread about the "Ghost Fortune Teller" and "Honest Repairman" on Temple Street. Soon, we had a steady stream of customers, some seeking fortunes and others needing repairs.The shop quickly became a local attraction, and business thrived.As the days passed, the ghost bride continued to appear occasionally, guiding me and protecting the shop. I never found out who she was or why she helped me, but I was grateful for her presence.One day, as I was closing the shop, the ghost bride appeared before me. Her expression was calm, and her scars seemed to have faded slightly."You've done well," she whispered, her voice echoing in the empty shop.Before I could respond, she vanished, leaving behind a faint scent of flowers.I stood there for a moment, contemplating her words. Whatever her reasons, she had helped me start a new life, and for that, I was grateful.As I locked up and headed home, I couldn't help but smile. The future seemed brighter, and with the ghost bride's guidance, I felt confident that I could overcome any obstacles that came my way.