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

Hearing the noise, Wang Xiuming came out of the house and saw An Tai and Li You. He quickly greeted them, "Mr. An, Mr. Li, you've arrived! Come in and have a seat!"

Two figures stood outside the door—both blind, but Qiao Yang's reliable old partners in this line of work.

An Tai, over fifty years old, was originally a well-known rich young master in the south of Baodi County. In his childhood, a strange illness caused him to develop cataracts, plunging him into boundless darkness overnight.

His parents traveled thousands of miles to seek medical treatment for him, going to the capital and the capital, exhausting their family fortune, but ultimately to no avail. As an adult, he made a living through fortune-telling and storytelling; by seniority, Qiao Yang had to respectfully address him as his uncle. To ensure the continuation of the family line, his family arranged for him to marry two wives.

Li You, on the other hand, grew up in hardship. Born into a peasant family in the southeast of Baodi County, he was born into complete darkness and had never seen a glimpse of light or shadow.

After reaching adulthood, he gritted his teeth and learned a skill, carving out a way to make a living with sheer grit, and even mastered a unique skill of counting.

He is three years younger than Qiao Yang, and he always addresses him as "Brother Qiao" sincerely, without any pretense.

Back then, Qiao Yang learned Quanzhen skills from his master Liu Shang, and later received personal instruction from Master Lin Hai of Beiping. Among them, his unique skills such as backstage and voice recognition were far superior to those of ordinary fortune tellers.

As soon as news of his mastery spread, An Tai and Li You immediately went to him for help. From then on, the three of them joined forces to study and save together, splitting the business equally, and were more united than blood brothers.

Some time ago, Qiao Yang went to Tianjin to serve his master. Without their star performer, the troupe's business plummeted, and they were so poor they could barely make ends meet.

Upon hearing that Qiao Yang had returned, the two dared not delay and rushed over immediately.

Li You spoke first, his voice filled with urgency:

"Brother Qiao, we've been waiting for you to come back! Last year's floods left Baodi with no harvest, and local businesses couldn't operate at all. My son and I have been counting down the days until you're back!"

An Tai nodded in agreement, his tone deep and decisive, each word carrying weight:

"Tangshan, Yutian, and Zunhua weren't affected by the disaster; their land is fertile. With your reputation and skills, we can earn a bright future honestly and fairly!"

Qiao Yang sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his fingers gently stroking the horse rod in his hand.

Living off one's savings is not a long-term solution. He had no idea when or if Su Yue would come.

But he had only one thought—

You have to make something of yourself before you're qualified to see her, and only then can you confidently say: I'm good enough for you!

After a moment of silence, Qiao Yang looked up at the two of them, his voice as steady as if it had been tempered with iron:

"Alright. Let's set off tomorrow morning and head back to our old base!"

Upon hearing this, Li You's spirits lifted, and he immediately replied:

"Brother Qiao, if you have nothing to worry about, why don't you leave now? Stay at my house tonight and cross the river at the Xin'an Town ferry first thing tomorrow morning."

My family, sigh, we're really waiting for the rice to cook!

Seeing that the three gentlemen were determined to go out, Han Ying immediately said loudly:

"Uncle, I'll pack your things right away, and bring plenty of clothes. Once you've made something of yourself, let's see who dares to gossip about us behind our backs!"

Wang Xiuming's eyes reddened, and she gripped her son's hand tightly, her voice trembling:

"Second Brother, take good care of yourself while you're out there. Don't get cold or hungry... Be sure to send a message home if anything happens, okay?"

"Mom, this isn't my first time going out, don't worry." Qiao Yang nodded gently.

His mind was completely clear, and he was no longer confused at all.

From now on, it's not just about having a meal.

He wanted to finally hold his head high and make a name for himself!

Make sure everyone sees it clearly—

Even a blind man can stand tall and proud; even a blind man can have a house of gold and marry a beautiful woman!

Just after lunch, Qiao Yang shouldered his pack, gripped his horse pole, and walked out of the courtyard gate alongside An Tai and Li You, stepping out of Southwest Village.

From the shadows in the corner, Wu Hu peeked out, watching the receding figure, and spat out a curse:

"Hmph, three blind men, thinking they can conquer the world? Let's see how much trouble you can cause!"

After a bumpy journey, the three of them finally arrived at a hotel on the outskirts of TS.

As soon as it got dark, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

The shopkeeper personally led in a middle-aged man, both of them beaming with smiles.

The visitor was the manager of Wanxin Trading Company in the city. Upon entering, he bowed respectfully, his tone anxious:

"Mr. Qiao, I've long admired your name! My family has an urgent matter, and I beg you to make a judgment!"

Qiao Yang remained calm and composed, saying in a low voice, "Please speak, shopkeeper."

"My daughter got engaged to a young man in the city a few days ago. Both families are satisfied, and they are a good match."

The shopkeeper sighed deeply, his face full of worry:

"But a few days ago, a Mr. Xue came from Baodi and said that the two of us were incompatible and could not get married."

I went to the city again to consult the famous Mr. Li, but the result was the same... My whole family is extremely worried!

An Tai gently nudged Qiao Yang and whispered a reminder:

"This is a tricky matter. The two gentlemen before us have already reached a conclusion. If we change our minds, we'll be opening a loophole and easily offend people."

Li You also added in a low voice:

"Mr. Li has a lot of influence in this area; he's not someone to mess with."

Qiao Yang seemed not to hear, and simply said to the shopkeeper:

"Please provide your birth date and time first."

The shopkeeper quickly reported the birth dates and times of his daughter and son.

Qiao Yang stroked his left fingers with his right hand, silently reciting an incantation. In an instant, he suddenly raised his voice, his tone resolute:

"Both Jia and Geng are Yang, Yi and Xin are Yin, and Ren and Bing are also Yang. Their birth charts appear to clash, but in reality, the clashes don't break apart; rather, they are primarily harmonious and mutually supportive, enhancing each other's fortunes! This couple is truly a top-tier match!"

The shopkeeper was taken aback, his voice trembling: "Really? Really?"

"Looking at the clashes and conflicts between the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, your daughter and that young master are in a favorable relationship, with Jia and Ji combining to form Earth, and the Earthly Branches being prosperous and balanced, which is very auspicious."

Qiao Yang paused slightly, but his words were firm and resolute:

"Moreover, that young master is born with the Wen Chang star in his destiny. He is intelligent and talented from a young age, has lofty aspirations, and will be blessed with good fortune in the future."

The shopkeeper's face instantly lit up with wild joy. He bowed repeatedly, so excited that he was incoherent:

"Mr. Joe! You've truly saved our family!"

Before leaving, he quietly slipped a thick stack of divination gifts into Qiao Yang's hands, expressing his deepest gratitude before departing.

Antai took a puff of his pipe and couldn't help but wonder:

"Qiao Yang, this seemingly incompatible yet harmonious relationship is something I've never seen in any divination book in my entire life. What are your thoughts?"

Qiao Yang smiled calmly, his expression righteous and awe-inspiring:

"Uncle-Master, the principles of destiny are not rigid; the meanings of words are interconnected and mutually restrictive."

The couple is deeply in love, both families are delighted, and we, who are in this profession, should be married and not have our marriage broken up. How can a few harsh words destroy such a good match?

An Tai nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Well said! We should help others achieve their goals!"

Li You remained worried: "What if Mr. Li comes looking for us? Can we still stay here?"

Qiao Yang's tone was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable firmness:

"I'm not afraid. First, Mr. Li might not be so petty; second, even if I offend him, for the sake of this young couple, I have to go through with the marriage!"

In the following days, the three men's business was booming beyond their expectations. After deducting their food and drink expenses, each of them had a net profit of four or five yuan, and they straightened their backs a bit more.

That evening, Qiao Yang was invited to a client's home for fortune telling. He told An Tai and Li You to go back to the inn and wait.

By the time Qiao Yang finished his calculations and came out, it was completely dark. As he walked into a secluded alley, a figure suddenly darted out and blocked his path!