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Qingli headed straight to Lin Jiabao’s small house. Upon arriving, she found that he wasn’t home and remembered that at this time, he should be in class.
She initially thought about sneaking into his house to leave the silver for him, but after considering the possibility of something going wrong, she decided it would be better to deliver it to him personally. So, she made her way to the academy instead.
The academy was not far from Lin Jiabao’s home. After a few turns, Qingli arrived at the entrance, but the door was closed, so she could only wait outside.
Bored, she idly played with a leaf she had picked up, occasionally glancing at the academy’s gate, wondering when class would end.
Seeing a nearby stall selling snacks and trinkets, she approached and casually asked, “Sister, when does class end at the academy?”
The stall owner looked at Qingli, noting how beautiful she was. She had already noticed the girl standing there for a while. Quickly, she replied, “Class won’t be over for a while, probably another hour.”
Qingli sighed; that meant she had a long wait ahead of her.
The stall owner smiled and asked, “Are you waiting for someone? I’ve seen you standing there for quite some time.”
Qingli smiled back, “I’m waiting for someone.”
The owner took out a small stool and offered it to Qingli with a friendly smile, “Well, since you have time, you can sit and wait.”
Feeling the owner’s kindness, Qingli thanked her and took a seat beside the stall.
Looking at the items for sale, which included little sugar figurines and snacks that looked appealing, Qingli casually asked, “Sister, do you come here to sell things regularly?”
The stall owner, a simple-looking woman around thirty with kind features, seemed like a good person. Qingli struck up a conversation with her out of boredom.
It turned out that the woman was a widow, raising her six-year-old son while also supporting her mother-in-law.
Her husband had gone off to the army five years ago, and three years later, she received news of his death, with no body found. Since then, she had been alone, taking care of her child and her in-laws. A year ago, her father-in-law passed away, and now her mother-in-law was also in poor health. The family relied solely on her, managing everything from cooking and washing to farming and earning a bit of money to support the household.
After hearing about the woman’s life, Qingli felt a deep sense of admiration. She couldn’t help but examine the woman’s features more closely. Though her face radiated kindness, her fate seemed to have been fraught with difficulties, having faced many hardships throughout her life.
“Sister, I can read fortunes. If you give me a sugar figurine, I can tell your fortune,” Qingli proposed.
The woman chuckled at Qingli’s suggestion. She had never believed in fortune-telling, but the girl’s clean and clear demeanor made her fond of her immediately.
Without hesitation, she handed Qingli a small sugar rabbit, “If you like it, take it. No need for fortune-telling.”
Qingli accepted the sugar figurine and said to the woman, “Sister, give me your birth date and time, and I’ll tell you your fortune. If there’s anything you can avoid, I’ll help you. You’re a good person.”
The woman only smiled at Qingli’s persistence but decided to cooperate, providing her birth date and time.
Qingli took out her compass and began to calculate based on the woman’s birth details.
Seeing her take out the tool and working diligently, the stall owner was momentarily surprised, but her interest was piqued, and she couldn’t help but watch Qingli intently.
After a moment, Qingli’s tone turned slightly surprised as she said, “Sister, your husband isn’t dead. Your family will reunite in fifteen years. You won’t lack for food and clothing; your later life will be prosperous.”
The woman stared wide-eyed in disbelief, “Ah? That can’t be!”
Though she questioned it, a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. However, remembering that she didn’t believe in fortune-telling, her anticipation quickly faded.
“Little girl, you can’t be trying to comfort me. People’s fates aren’t something that can be easily predicted. I don’t believe in fortune-telling.”
The woman forced a bitter smile.
Seeing her skepticism, Qingli said, “Sister, you have six sisters, two brothers, and your mother passed away five years ago. Your father has been unwell for years and will likely pass soon, perhaps in about ten days. Your mother-in-law is also gravely ill, and her days are numbered. You have only one son, but before him, you lost another child due to an accident.”
The more Qingli spoke, the more astonished the woman became!
“How do you know all this?”
Qingli smiled, “I’m serious; I can read fortunes. I’m not joking with you. The sugar figurine is an equal exchange; I can’t just give you a fortune for free.”
Seeing the sincerity in Qingli’s eyes, the woman couldn’t help but start to believe.
“Are you really telling the truth?”
Qingli nodded, “Yes, truly. Your husband isn’t dead. In your marriage line, both lines are intact, and your birth chart doesn’t indicate widowhood. So he’s still alive.”
The woman, hearing this, couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. “Are you sure? If my husband isn’t dead, why has there been news of his death? If he’s alive, why hasn’t he returned home all these years? It doesn’t make sense!”
Qingli didn’t know about this herself.
All she could tell was that elder sister’s husband hadn’t died, but as to why he hadn’t returned, she had no idea.
“Elder sister, if you want to know more about your husband, just give me his birthdate and time, and I’ll calculate it for you. However, you’ll need to pay me a small fee, is that okay?”
A small fee, a mere coin, was the lowest denomination. Qingli’s clothes were so fine that even the fabric alone likely cost several dozen taels of silver per bolt. The elder sister, certain that Qingli wasn’t a fraud, quickly nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll give it to you. Miss, please help me with the calculation.”
The elder sister handed over her husband’s birthdate and time, then anxiously and expectantly gazed at Qingli, waiting for the result.
After a long pause, Qingli finally spoke. “Elder sister, I can confirm your husband is not dead. He is alive and well. His fortune looks quite prosperous, and his life path is heading southward. If you travel south, you’ll reach Nanyang City. The war has long been over, and those soldiers who haven’t returned home must have stayed in Nanyang City.”
The elder sister was deeply moved, unable to believe it at first, yet she couldn’t help but trust in it.
She asked, as if to confirm, “Miss, are you telling the truth? Could this be a dream?”
Qingli looked at her and, seeing her in such a state, a trace of pity flickered in her eyes. She patiently said, “It’s true, Elder Sister. I belong to the Seven Mystic Sect. What our sect excels at most is face reading and fortune-telling. Trust me—you won’t go wrong.”
The elder sister had never heard of the Seven Mystic Sect before, but she felt Qingli was someone she could trust.
Flustered, she began to panic. “Then should I… should I go look for him? Miss, will I really be able to find him?”
Qingli replied, “According to the original course of your fate, you two were destined to reunite fifteen years from now. But now that you know, you can try to find him earlier. However, doing so will alter your destiny, so I can’t say for certain whether you’ll find him. But I can give you a Luck Talisman. Carry it with you, and your fortune will greatly improve. You might just succeed.”
Qingli drew a Luck Talisman for her on the spot. The way she pulled items from her ever-ready pouch, the fluid, graceful motions of her hands, and the final touch of spirit-infused fire—a shimmering, transparent flame that blazed brightly—left the elder sister in utter awe.
She had truly encountered a master.
Qingli handed the talisman to the dumbstruck woman and said, “Be sure to carry it with you at all times.”
The elder sister took the talisman in a daze, feeling it was more precious than anything she had ever owned. But she had nothing to offer Qingli in return.
She took out her coin pouch, wanting to pay Qingli, but Qingli gently said, “Just one coin, Elder Sister. That’s all.”
The elder sister hurriedly tried to decline, but Qingli spoke first, “Elder Sister, we of the Mystic Sect have our own rules when it comes to conducting matters. I hope you won’t break them.”
Hearing this, the elder sister could only hand over a single coin, though she felt deeply uneasy about it.
Qingli took the coin and continued, “Elder Sister, things will be quite hectic for you in the near future. I suggest you settle your affairs here before setting off to find him. Also, if you do find him, be rational. Think more about yourself and your child. Weigh the benefits heavily, and emotions lightly. Don’t act on sentiment alone.”
The elder sister nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I understand. Thank you, Master.”
Though Qingli’s last few words sounded somewhat strange, the elder sister was so overwhelmed with joy that she didn’t think too deeply about them. Only later, after she found her husband, did she understand why Qingli had said what she did.
She now called Qingli “Master” without hesitation, truly acknowledging her in her heart.
As the two spoke, the academy gate across the way opened, and the elder sister’s son came running over with quick steps. Mother and son began chatting warmly.
Qingli glanced at the child—he was a good one too.
Seeing how poor the mother and son were, she guessed they probably didn’t even have enough money to travel to Nanyang City. She reached into her pouch and took out two silver ingots, slipping them quietly into a hidden compartment of the elder sister’s stall. Then she turned and said, “Elder Sister, I’m off to find someone. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”
The elder sister nodded repeatedly, not even having had the chance to properly thank Qingli.
But Qingli moved too quickly, not giving her the opportunity to say more.
Amidst the crowd, Qingli quickly found Lin Jiabao and left with him.
Meanwhile, the elder sister who sold sugar figures didn’t notice the two large silver ingots hidden in the stall’s compartment until she was packing up. She was startled, but it didn’t take her long to realize that they had been left by Qingli.
Her eyes instantly turned red, and tears of gratitude rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t even know what to say.
She truly was short on money. She had been wondering how she would ever scrape together enough to get to Nanyang City. The Master must have known she couldn’t afford the journey and had quietly left her such a generous gift.
The elder sister was overwhelmed with emotion, wishing she could bow to Qingli a few times to express her heartfelt thanks. Unfortunately, Qingli was nowhere to be found.