I was like a country bumpkin entering the city. Everything around me felt overwhelming, and I hesitated before entering the shop. There was no one inside, so I dared not go in. However, I did take a quick look at the layout. In front of the door was a fish tank, a common practice in feng shui known as "placing water at the front door."
On the southeast corner of the shop, a mountain stone was placed, symbolizing support from a solid foundation behind. "Water in front brings wealth, and a mountain behind brings good fortune." It was a typical feng shui arrangement.
The more I looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. After thinking for a few seconds, I slapped my forehead. "How could I forget? This was the same feng shui setup my grandfather gave to the wealthy pig farmer, Qian Dafang, back when I was nine!"
Normally, such a feng shui arrangement should bring good fortune to a business, but when Grandpa set up a similar arrangement for Qian Dafang's pigsty, the pig prices dropped within half a month, and Qian went bankrupt. I heard that he now works in a factory, tightening screws.
The more I looked, the more I felt certain that the owner of this shop must be my second uncle. The feeling was just too familiar.
I was about to go inside to greet him when the back door of the shop opened. A middle-aged man in a suit walked out, followed by my second uncle, chatting and laughing.
When my second uncle saw me, his eyes lit up with surprise, but it quickly returned to normal as he lowered his head to continue chatting with the middle-aged man. I felt a little disappointed. After all, this was the closest person to me, and yet he didn't even acknowledge me, just accompanying some stranger.
But then I realized that the man was probably my second uncle's client, so I let go of my displeasure and waited by the side.
After sending the man to the door, my second uncle smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, we'll see each other tomorrow morning!"
The middle-aged man adjusted his suit, shook my second uncle's hand, and got into a black car.
Wow, my second uncle actually shook hands with such an important person. It seemed he was doing well in the city. Since I was his only nephew, I was sure I'd benefit from it too.
After watching Mr. Wang's car drive off, my second uncle turned around and eagerly grabbed me, saying, "You little rascal, why did you sneak off here? Everything at home is fine, right?"
When he mentioned home, my mind wandered to the female corpse. She said she would find me soon, but I wasn't sure how soon that would be.
Although I called her a disaster, these days, I felt a sense of emptiness without her around. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. I didn't expect it to happen with someone I had only known for a few days. In that moment, I felt a mix of emotions and told my second uncle, "It's a long story."
The smile on my second uncle's face faded as he embraced me and said, "Let's go inside and talk."
Inside the shop, my second uncle poured me a glass of water. I carefully surveyed the shop, which was decorated in an old-fashioned style, fitting the business.
I couldn't help but ask, "Second uncle, is this your shop?"
"It's rented," he said as he handed me the water. It was clear he was genuinely happy to see me.
After a long journey, I drank the water in one go, and my second uncle went to refill it.
As I looked around, I asked, "Second uncle, has Grandpa taught you his methods? Do you really think his skills can make money?"
Second uncle poured water into the glass and said, "You kid, what are you saying?"
I took the cup and sat down on a chair in the corner of the shop with my second uncle.
He sat down and continued, "You know as well as I do that Grandpa's methods aren't all-powerful. If they were, there wouldn't be any poor people in the world."
That made sense, but he didn't say the whole truth. Grandpa really was just an amateur.
However, I was planning to tell my second uncle that I had obtained the second volume of the book. Once I learned it, I'd be able to apply Grandpa's skills.
But just as the thought crossed my mind, it felt like someone was choking me, and I couldn't say a word.
I was startled.
Grandpa had warned me that there were some things that shouldn't be spoken, things that were part of the "heavenly secrets." When it came to these things, a mysterious force would stop you from speaking.
It felt like I had just encountered that force.
Could it be that the second volume of the book touched on these kinds of secrets?
While I was scared, I also felt a sense of excitement. Things that involved such secrets were often extraordinary.
My second uncle didn't notice my discomfort. He got up to bring me a plate of pastries and said, "Your grandfather was always stubborn, always insisting on speaking the truth, but in today's world, if you want to make money, you can't always tell the truth."
"It's a good thing you're here. Let me show you the world. You don't want to end up like your father, staying at home all your life with no ambition."
After saying this, my second uncle turned around and noticed that I had already stuffed all the pastries into my mouth. He paused and asked, "You haven't eaten all day?"
I took a sip of water and swallowed the food before nodding.
My second uncle immediately stood up and scolded, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Come on, let's go eat something good. I'll treat you to a nice meal!"
Yellow Nine had been cooped up in the bag all day and was starving. Hearing about food, it immediately popped its head out of the bag and said, "Second uncle, second uncle, me too!"
That little creature sure knew how to turn things around. However, its sudden voice startled my second uncle.
I quickly shoved Yellow Nine back into the bag, and my second uncle calmed down and asked, "What's going on here?"
Since a few biscuits weren't enough to fill me up, I suggested to my second uncle, "How about we go to a restaurant and talk while eating?"
My second uncle steadied himself, locked the shop, and took me to a small car.
The car wasn't as good as Mr. Wang's, but in our village, having a small car was already quite a big deal.
It was surprising that, despite Grandpa's bad reputation in the village, my second uncle had managed to get a car.
As for how my second uncle had learned Grandpa's skills, I wasn't surprised at all.
After all, he was Grandpa's biological son.
Sitting in the car, I couldn't help but look around, full of envy.
My second uncle sighed and said, "In the city, I'm just barely getting by. It's not as glorious as you think."
I rolled my eyes and said, "I don't believe you. You're just trying to get me to eat less by saying that."
My second uncle was speechless.
I added, "That Mr. Wang from earlier, his crown is bright, his forehead full. He's a wealthy man. But his children's palace is dim, and recently, his family has had some trouble with the children."
"Such a wealthy man with family troubles, second uncle, you can definitely make a fortune from him."
I grew more excited the more I spoke because if my second uncle made money, it meant I would enjoy the benefits too.
"Good kid," my second uncle praised. "So, tell me, how many children does Mr. Wang have?"
I had only glanced at him earlier, but I recalled the details and said, "He has one son and one daughter, both still alive."
My second uncle said, "You're right that he has a son and a daughter. But his son passed away, and now the problem is with his daughter."
That didn't make sense!
I had used my spiritual sight just now, and it shouldn't have been wrong.