C2 Mysterious Fortune Teller!(2)

"Sir, I've written 'noon.' Could you tell my fortune?" Niu Li set down his pen and asked with a smile.

"Noon," the fortune teller murmured, his fingers brushing over the characters Niu Li had written. He seemed to ponder for a moment, his expression shifting from confusion to solemnity.

Niu Li couldn't help but chuckle. It was the same old routine he'd seen fortune tellers use on TV. He was curious to hear what this one would say.

"How peculiar!" the fortune teller exclaimed, not offering any explanation but instead muttering to himself.

"Old man, I'm looking for an interpretation, not a mystery. Is there something wrong with my handwriting? Should I write it again?" Niu Li joked.

The fortune teller finally pulled his hand back and straightened up. "Are you making fun of me for acting all mysterious?"

"I wouldn't dare. But please, do go on with the fortune-telling," Niu Li pressed, partly hoping to shift some of the afternoon's awkwardness onto the fortune teller.

The fortune teller chuckled. "The interpretation is quite straightforward. This character typically denotes a time of day, but your writing it now suggests you're in a foul mood, likely due to an afternoon slight or mishap. It also speaks to your gentle and considerate nature."

"To sum it up, you're timid by nature. You've probably been wronged this afternoon but lacked the courage to stand up for yourself. And now, here you are, seeking my counsel."

With each word from the fortune teller, Niu Li's mouth hung open wider, until, by the end, it could have fit a goose egg!

"You must have witnessed my embarrassment!" Niu Li blurted out as he stood up, his face flushing with a mix of anger and defense.

"Seen you embarrass yourself?" The fortune teller shook his head with a smile. "I am blind; I can't see anything."

Niu Li was mortified, realizing his folly in suggesting that a blind man could have witnessed anything. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized, his face awash with embarrassment as he sat back down.

The fortune teller's expression softened into a forgiving smile. "I don't hold it against you. In fact, I have a favor to ask. Would you be willing to help?"

"What's the matter?" Niu Li perked up, asking with concern.

"May I read your fortune once more?"

Niu Li was taken aback.

"I'd like to use the Positioning method to divine your future," the fortune teller declared, his face alight with excitement.

Niu Li's expression twisted with worry. "I can't afford that."

"I'm not asking for money. I simply wish to read your fortune," the fortune teller stated solemnly.

"Okay." Niu Li relaxed, figuring that if the fortune-telling was free, he might as well indulge the man.

"Great!" The fortune teller eagerly retrieved an ancient turtle shell and three old copper coins from his desk drawer.

"Just give the coins a shake," he instructed, handing the turtle shell to Niu Li.

"Sure, no problem!"

Niu Li accepted the turtle shell and began to shake it, the coins clinking melodically within.

After a few shakes, he pointed the tail end of the shell towards the Bagua diagram on the table, and the coins tumbled out, spinning around the pattern.

The coins eventually came to rest, and the fortune teller, visibly thrilled, caressed them gently with his hand.

Niu Li waited in silence until he noticed the fortune teller slump back into his chair, seemingly drained of energy.

"Old man, does this mean I'm fated for some great calamity?" Niu Li couldn't help but fear the worst.

The fortune teller shook his head, pausing before he pulled a small, delicate object from the drawer. He fondled it briefly before offering it to Niu Li with a look of reluctance. "This is for you."

Niu Li was dumbfounded once more.

The fortune teller hadn't taken his money but instead was giving him a gift. Why?

"I haven't done anything to deserve this. I can't accept your gift," Niu Li said, feeling awkward.

"Keep it. It's yours. It may be mine by possession, but it's not meant for me," the fortune teller said, his expression forlorn.

Niu Li was bewildered. "This is meant for me? Old man, are you sure you're not joking?"

The fortune teller pressed the item into Niu Li's hand, insisting, "Take it. Would you really refuse a gift from an old man?"

"Thank you," Niu Li said as he picked up the item. Only then did he realize it was a ring, entirely purple with intricate, bizarre patterns etched across its surface.

Curiosity piqued, Niu Li inquired, "Sir, is there something special about this ring? It seems quite unusual to me."

"I don't know," the old man replied.

"You don't know?" Niu Li pressed.

The fortune teller let out a sigh. "It's precisely because I'm unaware of its nature that I've passed it on to you. No wonder I've felt such a rush of excitement today; it seems I was meant to return it to you." With those words, the fortune teller stood up, disregarding his stall, and walked away.

"Old mister," Niu Li called out, at a loss for words. The whole experience felt surreal to him, as if he were caught in a dream.