My absurd experiences in North America over the years

Li Fu was unaware that Thomas was now somewhat regarding him as a "master" in China.

He didn't answer immediately, but thought about it for a moment.

The light in the study was warm yellow, shining on the walnut bookshelves and giving the heavy, hardcover books a gentle sheen.

Thomas leaned back in his chair, his tie undone, the top two buttons of his shirt collar undone, and he held a half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked much more relaxed than at the banquet.

His tone was casual, as if he were asking a younger person if they knew how to play golf.

Cole sat on the sofa to his left, his posture upright, as if he were in an office meeting.

Lucy turned her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and tenderness.

Everyone was relaxed, and this atmosphere provided him with a good space for reflection.

Thomas might want to know whether Li Fu's accurate, almost prophetic judgments were based on the analysis of economic data or some mysterious force that he couldn't understand.

The young man's subsequent answer made him lean more towards the latter.

Li Fu remained silent for a moment, then decided to perform a miracle in front of others.

As for feng shui, that's too profound, and he really doesn't understand it very well.

However, he had read a related online novel in his previous life, and that book explained things very clearly. Now, he could easily fool the foreigner by quoting from it.

"If we're talking about expertise, I wouldn't call myself an expert; I only have a superficial understanding. What aspect would you like to hear about, Uncle?"

"Oh, really?" Thomas said with interest. "Just tell me anything. I've always been very curious about these things from the East."

Li Fu leaned back on the sofa, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees as he quickly organized his thoughts.

The more mystical you talk about feng shui, the less people understand and the less they take it seriously. So he decided to talk about things that are common in life and easy to understand.

"Feng shui is essentially about the wisdom of living comfortably and safely in a place. The most basic point is to live facing the sun," Li Fu tried his best to translate accurately. "In China, we have always emphasized that houses should face south. This is not superstition, but science."

Thomas's eyebrows twitched. "What do you mean?"

"A house facing south receives plenty of sunlight all year round, and the wind direction is also southeast and northwest," Li Fu pointed to the direction of the window. "This ensures that the house is dry and well-ventilated, and has fewer insects. This can be said to be the survival wisdom accumulated over thousands of years."

This is not just empty talk.

A dry room is definitely the most livable environment. Mold easily grows in the corners of the walls on the shady side. In rooms that are poorly ventilated and do not get sunlight, mites easily grow around the bed, and insects and ants can invade the base of the bed and the walls if they are damp.

The tick problem is very serious in the United States.

Pop superstar Avril Lavigne nearly died after being bitten by a tick, which led to her retiring from the music scene for several years.

Facing south with windows in the wind direction is the most basic way to prevent dampness and insects.

Lucy glanced at Li Fu, a hint of surprise in her eyes; she probably hadn't expected him to say those things.

"Is this what feng shui is about?" Thomas felt like he was learning something new, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing he wanted to hear.

"That's just the most basic explanation. In Chinese, 'yang' doesn't just mean the sun," Li Fu continued. "The area north of a great river is also called 'yang.' For example, Luoyang, a famous historical and cultural city in China, got its name because it is located north of the Luo River. The geography of North America is different from that of the East, but the principle is the same..."

"The river flows from northwest to southeast. The south bank of the river is easily eroded by the river and the geology is usually unstable. It is more likely to be damaged during floods. Therefore, our ancient people followed the principle of building cities and settling down on the north bank of the river."

Many cities in China have the character "阳" (yang) in their names, and a significant portion of them are named after their location north of water.

Cole asked with some curiosity, "If we take the Cumberland River as an example, how do you distinguish which side is sunny?"

This is not an easy question to answer.

Because the Cumberland River meanders and does not run in a standard east-west or north-south direction, and there is also a large bend in the river within the city.

That place is even in the city center.

"Could you give me a detailed topographical map?" Li Fu didn't want to answer rashly; he needed to assess the situation first.

Cole got up, went to the bookshelf, found a simple map, and handed it to him.

Li Fu glanced at it briefly and then knew how to answer: the Cumberland River in Nashville generally flows from east to west.

So most of Nashville's urban area is on the North Shore, which can be considered as choosing a sunny location to live in.

However, many mistakes were made during the construction of the city, which will certainly cause great losses if floods occur in the future.

"From a feng shui perspective, a convex bank surrounded by water is an auspicious location, like a jade belt encircling the waist," Li Fu pointed to the south bank of the Cumberland River. "Although this place is surrounded by water and is on the south bank of the river, its higher elevation means it won't be eroded by the water and is considered yang. On the other hand, the concave bank, which is the section of the river bend, is relentlessly eroded by the flowing water and is considered a 'reverse bow' formation..."

He pointed to the city center and shook his head. "The location of the city center was poorly chosen when the city was built! It will be the first place affected if the Cumberland River floods."

Thomas and Cole raised an eyebrow and looked at the map.

They only vaguely understood the so-called "jade belt around the waist" and "reverse bow evil," but they understood everything else clearly.

If we consider the facts, there is indeed a frequent risk of flooding in the city center of Dahewan.

The Nashville area is susceptible to warm, humid air currents from the Gulf of Mexico, especially in the spring when it is prone to short-term heavy rainfall, which can cause the Cumberland River to rise significantly in a short period of time.

The city center's topography is exactly a concave bank with a reverse curve.

Although it is located north of the water, it is indeed considered a yin place.

Thomas and Cole exchanged a glance, both looking on with an indescribable surprise.

Li Fucai has been in Nashville for over a year. Last year there was little rain, so there were no potential hazards and he has never experienced the rainy season.

However, the analysis was indeed very logical and well-reasoned; at least the logic was sound.

Most importantly, it can be verified by facts.

Could it be that the mysterious power of Feng Shui actually exists?

Lucy looked at Li Fu with a hint of admiration.

This made him a little embarrassed.

"Feng shui is actually just the experience and rules summarized by the ancients by integrating the timing of the heavens, geography, and hydrology. It's not as mysterious or complicated as some people think..."

Thomas leaned forward slightly, his gaze shifting slightly. It was no longer the gentle look of an elder towards a younger person, but a more attentive listening posture. "Go on!"

There's not much more to say about Li Fu.

Because North America and China are different in many ways, specific situations need to be analyzed specifically, which requires him to have strong language skills and considerable professional knowledge.

Otherwise, it would be easy to be exposed.

However, once he got into the conversation, he simply started talking freely.

"In ancient times, there was a saying in our area that the appearance of Venus during the day would easily lead to war. Venus is also known as Taibai Jinxing. Under normal circumstances, Venus only appears at dawn or dusk. If it can be seen during the day in spring and winter, it means that disaster is coming..."

He mentioned another concept: daylight.

"How do you explain this?" Cole asked curiously.

If you can see the stars in the sky during the day, then disaster will befall you?

The concept of Venus appearing in broad daylight is actually an astrological one.

In ancient times, the appearance of Venus in broad daylight meant that winters in the north would be exceptionally cold, and large numbers of cattle and sheep belonging to nomadic peoples would easily freeze to death. In order to survive, they would usually go south to plunder.

Therefore, daytime is often associated with war and turmoil.

It wasn't Venus that brought about the war, but rather the colder climate that greatly increased the probability of war.