They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 4 Why are you running when you see me?
In early June in Chang'an, the afternoon sun was dazzling. In the shadow of the old locust tree at the West Market, there was a long wooden table, mottled and worm-eaten. A piece of withered bamboo sticked diagonally into the table, with a blue cloth banner hanging from it, on which a single character "卜" was crookedly pasted.

Behind the desk sat a gaunt, middle-aged man in a coarse linen robe. His temples were streaked with white, and his face, like an earthen mound covered in a thin layer of ash, was etched with deep lines. His round-necked linen robe hung loosely, faded and fuzzy from washing, and the cuffs were worn frayed.

The surrounding area was bustling with noise, and the clamor of people and vehicles merged into a sweltering river.

Yuan Shoucheng stroked his beard, smiling as he watched the passersby.

"Taoist priest, I'd like to have my fortune told."

Just then, a fat man dressed in a brand-new silk shirt, who looked like a wealthy businessman from out of town, strolled up to the stall and shouted, spitting as he spoke, "Taoist priest, I want to have my fortune told! I want to know how profitable my business will be!"

Yuan Shoucheng slowly raised his eyelids, his cloudy eyes sweeping over the fat merchant, taking in his fine clothes and bulging money pouch, but his face showed no surprise or flattery.

He tapped the table lightly with his right hand. On the corner of the table sat an open, thick bamboo tube, with a palm-sized piece of yellow hemp paper pressed against the bottom. The ink on the paper looked as if it had been soaked in water, and a few barely legible characters could be seen:
A golden carp brings a new fortune.

Seeing that the fat merchant did not respond, he said with a smile,

"When a noble person seeks to calculate their wealth, auspicious omens will naturally appear."

His voice was low, hoarse yet carrying a cold, metallic quality. "The rules here are simple," he said, pointing again, "One golden carp for one divination."
"Preparing carp with sincerity will surely bring justice to Heaven." His eyes were bright and he stared straight into the fat man's eyes, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.

The portly merchant was taken aback, clearly not expecting this rule. His brows furrowed immediately, revealing his displeasure. He reached into his robes and rummaged around, but instead of pulling out a carp, he produced several shiny, large, worthless coins, which he slammed onto the table, making the old bamboo tube rattle.
"I don't have any fish, but I have enough money here for you to buy a whole basket of fish!"

Upon seeing the ten-cash silver coins, the gentleman was not angry. He gathered the coins in his palm, shook them casually a few times, and scattered them onto the tortoise shell with a "whoosh," only glancing at the scattered locations out of the corner of his eye.

"Hmm..." He stroked the sparse beard on his chin and drawled, "As for your business trip, sir... the northwest has the appearance of rippling water, which seems to indicate a surge of wealth; the southeast... however, there is a rising heat, which may attract the envy of petty people."

The portly merchant seemed a bit anxious. "Sir, tell me, should I go to the Northwest or the Southeast?"

Yuan Shoucheng smiled without saying a word, and only spoke when the fat merchant became somewhat anxious.
"Your divination result is excellent! Excellent!"

"My lord, please look: the northwest Qian position is filled with surging water, indicating abundant wealth, but be careful that the water doesn't overflow; the southeast Li palace is filled with lingering dry fire, and although a benefactor may wish to lend a helping hand, the fiery energy will only become an obstacle!"

He dipped his dry finger in tea and drew a circle on the table. “The wonder lies in the balance of water and fire! If you enter from the northwest, you must avoid the hour of You (5-7 PM) when the water is at its most fierce; if you take the southeast route, you must find the day and hour of Mao (5-7 AM) to use the wind to suppress the fire. As long as you time it right, the northwest will be like a dragon entering the sea, and the southeast will be like a vermilion bird carrying wealth, both of which are auspicious formations for boundless wealth and honor!”

The fat merchant was a little confused, but he understood that going to the southeast or the northwest was fine. He was happy and gave the man another string of cash as a reward.

The smile vanished from Yuan Shoucheng's face. He thanked the fat merchant repeatedly, and only after the fat merchant left did he use his sleeve to push the money into his pocket with obvious disgust.

At this moment, a voice said from the side, "Sir, your divination is excellent. The northwest route to wealth should avoid the 'You hour when the water is most fierce,' which is the time of sunset, and caravans will never travel at this time."

"In the southeast, one must seek the day and hour of Mao (卯), which is early morning, before the market opens, making it impossible to do business."

"The master also said that the timing must be right for things to succeed. If the person's business is successful, it is naturally because you predicted it well. If the business fails, you can say that he did not choose the right time."

Yuan Shoucheng remained unfazed, stroking his beard with a smile, without even looking at who was speaking.

"I sell my fortunes for money. If I follow the rules, then there are the rules for calculating the outcome. If I don't follow the rules, then there are the rules for dealing with it."

"I can't just refuse to pay him if he doesn't follow the rules, or he'll ruin my business."

Chen Guangrui nodded in agreement. "What you said makes some sense. But I don't have any money for the divination right now, and I still want to have my fortune told here. What should I do?"

Yuan Shoucheng smiled and said, "That's easy. I can tell you where to find the divination fee. You can pay me back when you have it." "Oh? You can offer credit at your divination stall?"

"Hehe, if we are not destined to be together, I will not extend any credit; if we are destined to be together..."

Yuan Shoucheng, beaming, slowly turned around.
Chen Guangrui and Chen An stood by with smiles on their faces, waiting for Yuan Shoucheng to continue with "If fate allows."

However, after seeing Chen Guangrui, Yuan Shoucheng paused for a long time after seeing the four words "if fate allows".

He stood up, looking as if he took it very seriously.

Chen Guangrui watched from the side, seemingly also waiting to bow to Yuan Shoucheng.

“If fate allows,” Yuan Shoucheng bowed deeply, “then we can only hope to meet again someday.”

Then, just as Chen Guangrui was stunned, Yuan Shoucheng, who was bowing, suddenly bent over, his body spinning like a top, and then, taking advantage of the other's surprise, he turned around and darted away.

Missing?
Ok?
Chen Guangrui and Chen An looked at each other in bewilderment.

This Yuan Shoucheng is really strange. Didn't we just agree that he would tell them where to find golden carp?

Why did they just run away like that?
"Brother, what should we do?"

Chen An stepped forward and asked, "I always struggle to think of a way to deal with such unexpected situations."

"Chase!"

"Why did this guy run away as soon as he saw the two of us? He even abandoned his stall?"

Chen Guangrui was somewhat bewildered, and without time to think about anything else, he stretched out his legs and chased after Yuan Shoucheng.

"How can this guy, who looks so skinny, run so fast?"

He muttered to himself as he ran.

Ahead of him, martial arts expert Chen An nimbly followed closely behind Yuan Shoucheng.

Although Yuan Shoucheng's strides were not tall, his legs moved very quickly. Without looking back, he used the bustling city as cover, dodging left and right, and managed to avoid being caught by Chen An.

It looks like a mudfish!
At this moment, Chen An also got into a contest, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Get out of the way!"

Then, with a series of rapid movements, they narrowed the distance between themselves and Yuan Shoucheng.

Helpless, Yuan Shoucheng shouted, "Are you still chasing us?"

Then, left with no other choice, he turned and went into the deserted alley.

Ultimately, Yuan Shoucheng was getting old, and it was thanks to Chen An's superb martial arts skills that Chen Guangrui was able to speak with Yuan Shoucheng here.

(End of this chapter)