The gaze of the child was particularly eerie, sending a chill down my spine. What he said was especially annoying.
"Don't tell fortunes for dead people? Is that dead person referring to me?"
Feeling somewhat irritated, I didn't care if he was just a child or if he had no filter in his words. I frowned and said, "Kid, watch your mouth! I'm standing here alive and well, how did I become a dead person?"
"Don't believe me if you don't want to."
The child sneered, his face still young and innocent, but his eyes were sharp. He said impolitely, "Judging by your facial features, although you have some signs of wealth, the mountain and earth patterns suggest a life full of trials and tribulations, destined to be homeless and wandering, a sign of short life! In plain terms, even if you gain wealth, you may not live long enough to enjoy it. You might just throw away your life at the first obstacle! That's your general life path! And looking at your health palace, it's faintly dark, indicating that you've been troubled by evil spirits recently, accumulating bad karma. It corroborates with your overall life pattern!"
As he spoke, the child pointed at me and continued, "Kid, you've encountered a major obstacle in your life. Unless something unexpected happens, you won't make it past the end of this month. Am I wrong to say you're a dead man?"
I turned pale!
The child's words about not making it past the end of the month reminded me of the eerie marriage letter. The wedding date written on it was at the end of this month.
Could it be... that the date on the marriage letter is my deadline in life?
At this point, Uncle Li's expression wasn't very pleasant, but at least he hadn't lost his composure. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you Zhou's grandson? Do you also understand fortune-telling?"
"Not bad."
The child shrugged, with a face still childlike but his eyes sharp. He continued, "This guy doesn't know what kind of trouble he's gotten himself into. His entire being is filled with bad luck. He's not just a short-lived ghost, he might not even enter the cycle of reincarnation after death. He's probably destined to wander as a lost soul. If you let my grandpa tell his fortune, aren't you asking for trouble for my grandpa?"
After saying this, the child advised Uncle Li earnestly, "I suggest you keep your distance from him. Whoever is close to him now will have bad luck!"
I was getting angry, but before I could react, Uncle Li grabbed me and pulled me back. He took out some change from his pocket and handed it to the child. Then, he said with a smile, "Whether your fortune-telling is accurate or not, I appreciate your concern. But I can't just leave this friend of mine alone. How about this, go ask your grandpa. Tell him that someone from the Ge family is in trouble now. If your grandpa doesn't help, then let the Ge family end its lineage!"
Uncle Li's words made me wonder. According to his tone, it seemed that the person running this shop was related to our Ge family?
But the kid didn't take the money. Instead, he lifted his head and said, "Don't try to fool me with this little money. Give me a red one!"
Uncle Li was taken aback, but he reluctantly took out a hundred yuan bill and handed it to the child. The kid happily went into the house, and after more than ten minutes, he came out again. "Alright, you two can come in now."
Finally, Uncle Li and I entered the shop.
The first floor was filled with coffins, burial clothes, and wreaths, giving off a creepy vibe. We didn't stay there long and went straight to the second floor, where the child led us into a dimly lit room.
The room was simple, with only a table, some chairs, and daily necessities. An old man in his eighties, dressed in black Tang suit, was sitting on a heated bed reading a book. (A heated bed is a common heating device in northern China, using the smoke from the stove to warm up, very comfortable, especially beneficial for older people)
As soon as he saw us coming in, the old man put down his book and turned his bright eyes towards me. Although he looked old, his eyes were exceptionally bright. After a while, he asked, "Are you a descendant of Ge Zhonghua?"
Ge Zhonghua was my grandfather. It seemed that this old man should be from my grandfather's generation. I nodded.
The old man sighed sadly, "Poor child, the whole family got into trouble because of that matter, leaving you all alone to suffer. I didn't expect the disaster to catch up to you in the end."
"Grandpa, do you know what happened to my family?" I asked eagerly.
The old man shook his head, disappointing me deeply.
"Come here, child."
The old man waved at me, "Let me take a look at you."
I nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed but still approached and sat down across from the old man.
The old man's face changed drastically as he looked at me, turning pale.
Because we were so close, I could see all the changes in his expression clearly. My heart sank as I anxiously asked, "Am I really doomed?"
The old man didn't speak, hesitating for a while, nodding and shaking his head alternately. Eventually, even Uncle Li became anxious and said, "Senior Zhou, can't you at least give us some guidance?"
"It's hard to predict life and death," the old man sighed, saying, "Neither heaven nor hell will take you, and the Buddha won't save you. When you look up, you can't see the way forward, and when you look back, there's no turning back... Boy, what have you provoked?"
After saying this, the old man suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood without warning, his whole body swaying, looking at me in disbelief. Weakly, he said, "Life and death are hard to determine, fortunes are unpredictable. When you can't see the way forward, and there's no turning back... Boy, what have you provoked?"
Then, the old man's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.