The Art Of Chinese Character Divination

When I saw the words "No Bargaining," my face turned from red to pale.

Master Hong chuckled. "Your first words when you walked in were, 'Just here out of curiosity,' right?"

I nodded.

"This shop belongs mainly to your sister. You and your brother-in-law are just helpers, correct?"

I nodded again.

He pondered for a moment. "The shop can expand, but I'll need to check the site for any *feng shui* conflicts."

"What's the hidden meaning in what I said?"

"Think carefully about the word 'curiosity.'"

Back then, I hadn't studied character divination. No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't figure it out.

Master Hong wrote the character for "hao"(好 – good) as "nü" (女 – woman) and "zi" (子 – child), then "qi"(奇 – strange) as "da" (大 – big) and "ke" (可 – possible).

"Woman. Big. Possible. Does that mean a woman in charge can achieve greatness?"

Master Hong gave me a knowing smile.

"How much do you charge?" I blurted, worried he'd name a price that would make my sister back out.

He asked, "Do you have perseverance?"

I froze. What did my perseverance have to do with his fee? If he meant the shop needed time to thrive, shouldn't he ask my sister about perseverance?

My sister? If the shop lost money for one day, she'd sulk. Two days, she'd snap. Three days, we'd fight. Four days, she'd kick me out.

My heart raced.

Master Hong said, "After your new shop opens, deliver me soup noodles for a month. Deal?"

Oh, that kind of perseverance. I exhaled. "No problem. Even two months!"

He laughed. "I won't charge you. But tell your sister to invite me herself."

---

"Sis, Master Hong agreed! No fee—just a month of noodles!"

"You pulled that off?" My brother-in-law joked, "Maybe he's got a daughter and likes you, Shanhong."

My sister snorted. "Him?High school dropout, can't even lift a sack. Master Hong's loaded—why would he care about you?"

I gritted my teeth. "Just invite him. He'll come."

---

The next day, we entered Master Hong's serene courtyard, "The Tranquil Abode."

A woman in red interrupted, "Master, I want to move to Guangzhou. I wrote the character 'xin' by(心 – heart)."

Master Hong glanced at the paper. "You've changed jobs five or six times. Nothing lasts a year. Stay here. Guangzhou's not for you."

She paid 100 yuan and left.

---

At our shabby "Fat Brother Noodle Shop,"Master Hong surveyed the junkyard next door. My sister whispered, "We want to expand..."

He waved his feather fan. "You'll prosper."

Then he vanished into a BMW.

---

Gossip exploded. "Master Hong blessed their shop? For *free*? They'll strike gold!"

My sister signed the lease. During renovations, I hatched a plan.

"Let's show everyone the Buddha on the tree!"

I called my friend Dongzi. While playing badminton, I "accidentally" hit the shuttlecock into the branches.

"Holy shit—there's a Buddha statue growing on the tree!"

Viral chaos. Crowds swarmed day and night. Our shop became the spot. Experts called it a "tree tumor," but no one cared.

City officials built a fence around the tree. Big mistake—it only drew more eyes.

I suggested renaming us "Buddha Tree Noodle Shop."

Overnight, we hired four chefs. Our noodles? Same recipe. But people swore they tasted divine.

By summer, the shop was a goldmine.

I quit cooking.

Turns out, fate's real. That fortune-teller was right—I'd end up rich and famous.

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