Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

"If you can't predict the outcome, you're not leaving Tianjin alive today!"

A loud, arrogant shout rang out, and Qiao Yang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, a hint of coldness flashing across his previously calm face.

He never expected that on his very first day setting up a stall in Tianjin, his very first business deal would run into a deadly jinx.

In the spring of 1949, Tianjin had just been liberated. The biting cold wind had not yet penetrated the city, but the old and new were already in transition, and the city was bustling with activity.

A fortune-telling stall suddenly appeared on the street corner next to Quanyechang.

An old square table, a coarse cloth banner, and a tall stool were all of Qiao Yang's belongings.

He sat upright behind the fortune-telling stall. He was about thirty years old. Although his blue cloth robe was worn from washing, his posture was as upright as a pine tree. His eyebrows and eyes were clear and handsome, revealing a calmness and vicissitude far beyond his peers.

Qiao Yang comes from Baodi County in eastern Hebei Province.

His trip to Tianjin was not for making a living, but solely to take care of his mentor who was seriously ill and hospitalized.

An elderly man's serious illness depleted all his savings. With nowhere else to turn, he resorted to his fortune-telling and character analysis skills to set up a divination stall in order to raise money for medical expenses.

Qiao Yang had attended a private school and a Western church in his early years, and was literate. Later, while working in Tianjin, he suddenly developed an eye disease, and due to improper treatment, he became completely blind.

Because of his solid cultural foundation and the true teachings of his master, he is extremely accurate in making judgments and has already gained a small reputation in Baodi and the surrounding towns and villages of eastern Hebei.

The sky was clear and the air was fresh, and pedestrians came and went in an endless stream. Qiao Yang sat there calmly, his demeanor completely different from the slick charlatans on the street. Before long, he attracted the attention of passersby.

Within the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the fortune-telling stall was already surrounded by layers upon layers of people, making it impossible to move.

"How could someone so young go blind?"

"Judging by his demeanor, he seems more like a scholar than a con artist."

"Why don't you give it a try? It doesn't cost much to get a reading done."

Amidst the murmurs and discussions, Qiao Yang remained seated as still as a mountain, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise.

He gently placed his hands on the edge of the table, quietly waiting for the first person to come and ask for divination.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred as three burly figures pushed their way through the crowd and rushed to the stall, their menacing aura overwhelming.

Passersby were so frightened that they all backed away, afraid of being retaliated against by these scoundrels. Some of the more timid ones even shrank to the outermost edge of the crowd.

The leader was a man with a buzz cut, as strong as an ox, and his triangular eyes slanted around, revealing a fierce look. The flesh on his cheeks trembled slightly with his breathing, making him look like a ruthless street thug.

He slammed his hand on the table, his gruff voice shaking the surface: "What are you all crowding around for! Fortune tellers, how much do you charge for a single word!"

Qiao Yang slowly raised his head. Although he couldn't see the other person's face, he could tell from the arrogant tone and heavy footsteps that the person was hostile. He secretly plotted to make them pay a price today.

His voice was steady, neither humble nor arrogant, and carried an air of composure and confidence: "Sir, if you ask about your destiny and future, fortune telling is more accurate; if you only ask about things in the present, word divination will suffice."

"Stop with the nonsense!" The man with the buzz cut waved his hand impatiently, his brows furrowed, his face full of rage. "I'm asking you what's in front of me!"

"Since the question concerns the present, let's use character divination. The divination fee is rather expensive."

Qiao Yang slowly raised his right hand, his three fingers long and clean, spread straight out, his expression calm, showing no sign of fear:

"One word equals one dollar, three words equal three dollars."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience gasped.

Three silver dollars! That's enough for an ordinary person's living expenses for half a year, yet this blind man dares to ask for such a price!

The man with the buzz cut was taken aback at first, then his small eyes narrowed sharply, the fierce glint intensifying, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Three dollars it is! I want to see what kind of extraordinary abilities you have, you blind fool!"

He slammed his hand on the table again, spitting as he spoke: "I'm divining the character 'pig'! Let me tell you what my day was like this afternoon!"

The moment the word "pig" was mentioned, laughter erupted.

This word is vulgar and crude; it's clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult.

Qiao Yang remained calm, his eyes slightly closed, his eyelashes drooping even lower. He extended his right index finger and slowly traced the shape of the characters on the smooth tabletop, his movements unhurried and composed.

A moment later, he straightened up, withdrew his fingers, and spoke in a clear voice that resonated throughout the hall:

The character for "pig" is composed of a dog radical on the left and a person radical on the right. The person radical represents a customer who seeks food, and the dog radical is close to the character for "seek."

Judging from the words, someone will definitely host a banquet for you this afternoon and invite you to eat.

Before he could finish speaking, someone stepped forward from behind.

The man was short, with a sallow face and a prominent, shallow scar on his cheekbone that twitched slightly as he clenched his teeth. He shoved his older brother aside and yelled:

"Nonsense! I also do divination with the character 'pig'! I'd like to see what kind of good news I'll get!"

Qiao Yang frowned slightly, tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the table, then relaxed, his expression returning to calm.

He could tell that the man's breath was unsteady and his voice carried a gust of wind, and he already knew what was going to happen next.

"You 'pig' are different from your elder brother." He slightly turned his wrist, pointed his finger in the air, and said lightly, "Your voice has a 'wind' in it. 'Pig' plus 'wind' sounds like 'Chu,' and Chu is the character for clothing."

Within half an hour, someone will bring you a coat to keep you warm.

"Bullshit! Pure fabrication!" The short, scarred man's face darkened, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he glared at Qiao Yang as if he were about to pounce on him at any moment.

Passersby instinctively held their breath upon seeing this, and several women covered their mouths, fearing that a conflict would break out on the spot.

Before the cursing had even finished, a third person had already rushed to his side.

This kid had a slicked-back, shiny haircut, his head covered in cheap hair oil that was so shiny it could reflect light. His pretty face was full of arrogance, and as soon as you got close, a pungent smell of perfume wafted over.

He stiffened his neck, raised his chin slightly, and spat on the ground with a look of disdain:

"I also want to have my fortune told about the character 'pig'! I want to see if it means I'll get wine or clothes! If you can't tell me, I'll smash up your lousy fortune-telling stall today!"

Qiao Yang remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew his right hand and gently pressed it against his forehead, a hint of regret and helplessness flashing across his brows.

He sighed softly and spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of sincere advice:

"Young man, listen to my advice, change the word. The word 'pig' is not a good omen for you; it may bring bloodshed."

"Change the words?" The slick-haired thug reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with anger. His face turned bright red, his eyes widened, and he looked furious.

"Scared? Trying to get away with this? Today I'm going to test your 'pig' luck!"

The scarred man also gave a sinister sneer and said viciously:

"Stop talking nonsense! If you dare to mess with us, you're not leaving Tianjin today!"

"If you can't predict it accurately, we'll smash the mess and break your legs!" the slick-haired thug yelled, looking completely smug.

The three men were arrogant and overbearing, and the onlookers were all sweating bullets for Qiao Yang. Some were so anxious that they stamped their feet, while others looked at him with pity.

A blind outsider, new to the area, runs into these local bullies. One wrong move and disaster is imminent.

Someone pushed their way to the front and whispered, "Sir, why not back down and pay some money? These people are not to be trifled with; it's not worth arguing with them!"

"Yes, sir, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; it's best to admit defeat!"

Qiao Yang remained unmoved, placing his hands back steadily on the edge of the table, straightening his back even more, his posture as slender as a pine tree, showing no fear whatsoever, as if those threats were nothing more than a passing breeze.

He spoke softly, each word clear and distinct, reaching everyone's ears:

"Since you insist on testing me, I will speak frankly."

Pigs are naturally carefree, eating their fill and sleeping soundly, without a care in the world. But you, this "pig," are a restless, mad pig, always eager to cause trouble.

"The dog symbolizes restlessness and represents the masses. If you act so arrogantly in front of everyone today, you'll surely get a severe beating!"

"You fucking want to die!"

The slick-haired thug flew into a rage, his eyes turning bloodshot, and reached out to overturn the square table! Passersby gasped and quickly backed away.

"stop!"

The crew-cut leader suddenly grabbed him, his triangular eyes fixed on Qiao Yang with a sinister gaze, cold as if poisoned, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

"Third brother, don't be impulsive! Let's go verify his words first. If it's not true in half an hour, we can come back and deal with him then!"

He glared at them fiercely, his eyes filled with icy coldness, and stormed out of the crowd with his two younger brothers.

The crowd of onlookers did not disperse; instead, they grew denser and denser, with heads craning their necks and eyes full of anticipation and tension.

"This gentleman really dares to speak his mind. Isn't he afraid those thugs will retaliate?"

"Just wait and see. We'll know in half an hour whether it's really that miraculous."

"This gentleman seems to have an extraordinary air about him; he might actually be quite capable!"

Everyone craned their necks, staring intently at the retreating figures of the three thugs, while also glancing at the young blind fortune teller sitting quietly with his eyes closed behind the fortune-telling stall.

Qiao Yang remained seated as before, his hands gently tucked into his sleeves, his face calm and expressionless, as if he had already accepted the outcome and was simply waiting for the appointed time to arrive.

His blind eyes drooped, and he exuded an unfathomable aura.

Everyone is waiting for a result—

Who is this blind gentleman from Baodi? What extraordinary skill does he possess that made him famous today?

He's just a conman; he'll be beaten to a pulp and forced to leave Tianjin soon!