After two bus stops, she arrived at the Textile World.

This was the largest fabric trading market, offering both wholesale and retail options. Everything from bedding to curtain fabrics was available in abundance.

After a quick walk around to check the prices, she chose two colors—one light blue, the other a sage green with yellow daisies printed on it. Once she made her selection, the shop owner processed them on the spot into a four-piece bedding set for a total of sixty yuan.

While waiting, Dai Qing noticed quite a few young people with dyed yellow or green hair, sporting wild hairstyles. Cigarettes in hand, they swaggered through the market with an exaggerated strut.

Since the big reforms began, every industry had been booming. As long as you had guts, you could make a fortune.

However, with the rise of large markets, management hadn’t kept up, allowing some hooligans to exploit loopholes and disrupt the market. They constantly played a game of cat and mouse with the police, becoming increasingly brazen.

“Little sister, your bedding is ready. Would you like to check it?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, the shopkeeper approached with the bedding, smiling warmly at her.

“Sure.”

Dai Qing inspected the stitching and hemming—it was all neat and even. The craftsmanship was indeed excellent.

“The workmanship is great, and the quality is very good,” she remarked.

The shopkeeper beamed with pride at the praise and enthusiastically added, “You came to the right place for cotton fabrics, little sister. The colors you picked just arrived from the south—high quality and very trendy. Plus, we just bought a new hemming machine, the only one on this street. Other shops come to us to get their edges done, then turn around and add the fee to the buyer’s bill.”

“We use our own machines,and we process for free. We make money by building loyal customers. If you’re happy with it, bring your friends and family next time—guaranteed fair prices.”

Hearing the shopkeeper’s warm tone, Dai Qing could tell she was a savvy businesswoman.

Out of curiosity, Dai Qing glanced at the shopkeeper’s face. She seemed around 35 or 36, with smooth, glowing skin and a prominent, healthy nose—clear signs of good fortune and wealth. This woman would soon be rolling in money.

However, her “child palace” (the area in face reading that indicates children) revealed a son, but it was dim and slightly sunken. If this deepened, it could signify a lonely fate. Something serious must have happened to her son, but the parents were likely unaware.

“As long as the quality is good, I’ll definitely be back,” Dai Qing said, smiling as she took the bedding.

Just as she was about to leave, she couldn’t help but give a gentle reminder. “Big sister, you’re great at business, but don’t neglect your son. You might regret missing important moments with him.”

The shopkeeper instinctively nodded. “Little sister, you’ve got a sweet mouth… Wait, what did you say? How do you know I have a son?”

“I can tell. And it seems like your son might be in some trouble.”

The moment she finished speaking, Dai Qing regretted it.

As a fortune teller, the biggest taboo was revealing someone’s fate too early. Her grandfather had always warned her that unless someone came to you for advice, you should never proactively read their fortune.

Forcibly changing someone’s destiny could result in punishment from the heavens. She had definitely said too much just now.

Clearly, her self-discipline needed work.

Dai Qing nervously glanced up at the sky, grabbed her things, and hurried off, ignoring the shopkeeper’s shouts. She quickly turned into a quiet alley, planning to take a shortcut to the bus stop.

After all, she had given her warning. If the shopkeeper still chose to ignore it, then it was fate.