Chapter 52: The Talented Girl Who Seemed to Have Traveled Through Time
Chapter 52: The Talented Girl Who Seemed to Have Traveled Through Time
“You have good taste, sir. This painting is very artistic. If you like it, we can give you a 20% discount and also provide framing services,” the girl in Hanfu said politely.
“Did you paint this?” Li Zian asked.
The Hanfu girl shook her head. “No, I didn’t paint it. One of my classmates did.”
“Can I meet that classmate?”
The Hanfu girl looked curious. “Sir, why do you want to meet her?”
Li Zian smiled. “I really like this painting and want to buy it, so I’d like to meet the person who painted it.”
Hearing that Li Zian wanted to buy the painting, the Hanfu girl quickly said, “Alright, I’ll go get her right away.”
As soon as the Hanfu girl left, Li Xiaomei said, “Dad, why do you want to buy this painting? It’s so ugly.”
Li Zian said, “Dad is buying it to study magic.”
“After studying it, can you turn it into two chocolates?”
Li Zian: “…”
The Hanfu girl soon returned, bringing with her another girl also wearing Hanfu. This girl wasn’t very tall, just a bit over 1.6 meters. She had an oval face, big eyes, and long black hair. She carried a scholarly air about her. Dressed in plain white Hanfu, she gave the impression of a talented lady who had traveled from ancient times.
Looking more closely, her figure was also good. Her waist was slender, like a thin branch hanging two honey pomelos, full of weight.
That slender waist, carrying such weight, really made people worry she might lose her balance and fall to the ground for no reason.
This girl reminded Li Zian of a female classmate from his high school days. She wasn’t from his class, and he couldn’t remember her name, but that girl’s early mature figure was firmly remembered.
Being young was really good.
For some inexplicable reason, Li Zian felt his own youth had been wasted; he hadn’t even been in a relationship.
“Sir, this is my classmate. Her name is Kang Xin,” the Hanfu girl introduced.
Kang Xin seemed a bit shy, her voice soft. “Sir, how can I help you?”
Li Zian said, “Your painting is very interesting. I wanted to ask, what do the symbols in this painting mean?”
“I don’t know either. This painting was created based on a photo my father took,” Kang Xin said.
“Can I meet your father?” Li Zian asked.
Kang Xin paused for a moment, then shook her head. “Sorry, my father is very busy and doesn’t like meeting guests. Do you definitely want this painting?”
Li Zian glanced at the price tag below the painting: “6888.” His heart ached a little, but he still said generously, “Please take this painting down for me. I’ll buy it.”
Hearing this, the Hanfu girl immediately took the painting down and said with a smile, “Sir, you really have taste. Kang Xin is a great talent in our National Academy. This painting will surely increase in value in the future. I’ll give you a 20% discount here. Will you pay with cash, Alipay, or WeChat?”
Li Xiaomei said, “Aunt, can you give us a 50% discount? Our family is struggling.”
The Hanfu girl smiled and said, “What a well-behaved girl. But we have rules here; we can only give a 20% discount. The money from selling the paintings, after costs, will all be donated to Hope Primary School.”
Li Xiaomei didn’t care about any primary school or university; she just pouted. “Stingy.”
Li Zian said awkwardly, “Well, please frame the painting for me, and I’ll pay with WeChat.”
“Okay, please wait a moment.” The Hanfu girl left with the painting.
Kang Xin also started to leave with the Hanfu girl.
Li Zian said, “Kang Tongxue, can I chat with you a bit more?”
“I have other things to do, sorry,” Kang Xin politely declined.
Li Zian didn’t give up. He followed Kang Xin as she walked, saying, “Kang Tongxue, actually, I’m also studying these symbols. Do you have paper and a pen? I’ll draw a new symbol for you. You can take it back to show your father; he might want to meet me.”
Kang Xin stopped walking, glanced at Li Zian, and tentatively asked, “Sir, what do you do?”
Before Li Zian could answer, Li Xiaomei said in her childish voice, “My dad learned magic from the Old Immortal. He can perform tricks. He’s really amazing.”
Kang Xin was amused by Li Xiaomei, her smile revealing two small dimples, shy and elegant.
Li Zian said awkwardly, “My child is a bit cheeky; please don’t mind her.”
Kang Xin smiled and said, “Not at all. She’s so cute.”
The initially distant relationship was brought closer because of Li Xiaomei’s amusing nature.
“Well, actually, I also study our national learning, but not the kind you’re familiar with. I study fate and physiognomy, star phase, esoteric arts, divination, and some medical skills,” Li Zian said.
“You mean you’re a fortune teller?” Kang Xin looked surprised.
Everyone has seen fortune tellers, mostly old men pretending to be mysterious. But a handsome guy like Li Zian actually calling himself a fortune teller really overturned her perception of people in this special profession.
Although he felt this description somewhat belittled him, Li Zian still nodded. “Uh, you could say that.”
Kang Xin said, “Then tell my fortune. If you get it right, I’ll agree to show what you draw to my father. If he’s interested, he might contact you.”
“Here?” Li Zian hadn’t expected her to propose such a condition.
But thinking about it, it made sense. After all, it was their first meeting; why should she trust him?
In this world, there are plenty of handsome scammers.
“It’s just the two of us here; why not?” Kang Xin said.
Li Xiaomei raised a small hand, holding up three fingers. “Aunt, you’re wrong. There are three people. Who taught you math?”
Kang Xin was slightly taken aback, then pursed her lips into a smile. “What a good child. Aunt miscounted. What’s your name?”
“My name is Li Xiaomei.”
In that short time, Li Zian had already used the Anatomy Physiognomy Technique to give Kang Xin a kind of “MRI scan.”
The Great Sluggish Cauldron had curling green smoke. The smoke wasn’t real smoke, but the hexagram interpretation in his mind was genuine.
The red phoenix’s heart stirs, feelings begin to bloom; Ten mouths scumbag man, his name is Zhongshan; If in this life you entrust yourself to him, Salty water with rice, destined to be alone.
After a brief consideration, Li Zian had already reached a conclusion in his heart.
“What, Mr. Li, are you unwilling, or is there some inconvenience?” Kang Xin actually wanted Li Zian to back down knowing it was difficult.
Li Zian smiled faintly. “I’ve already read your fortune just now. It’s just that what I have to say might not be pleasant for you to hear.”
“You didn’t even ask for my birth date or time, and you’ve already told my fortune?” Kang Xin looked disbelieving. “I’d like to hear what you have to say. No matter what you say, I won’t be unhappy.”
Li Zian smiled. “You were born in the year 2000, and you’re exactly 20 years old this year.”
A flash of surprise appeared in Kang Xin’s eyes, but she then said, “That’s easy to guess. Most students who come here are around that age.”
Li Zian didn’t mind and continued, “You have a boyfriend, right?”
Kang Xin was stunned for a moment, surprised. “How did you know I have a boyfriend?”
Even her father didn’t know about this. And this Mr. Li hadn’t even asked for her birth details or anything, yet on their first meeting, he figured out she had a boyfriend. How strange!
Li Zian, however, was troubled, pondering whether to tell her that her boyfriend was a scumbag man.
“You must have more to say. This isn’t something that would make me unhappy.” Kang Xin’s eyes were full of anticipation.
Li Zian sighed inwardly. Even though she would definitely be unhappy, it might be good to give her a warning. If a woman marries the wrong man, it could ruin her whole life.
“Kang Tongxue, let me give you a hexagram interpretation.”
“Okay, tell me.”
Li Zian said, “The red phoenix’s heart stirs, feelings begin to bloom; Ten mouths scumbag man, his name is Zhongshan; If in this life you entrust yourself to him, Salty water with rice, destined to be alone.”
“What does that mean?” Kang Xin could vaguely understand some of it, but she was mostly confused.
Li Zian explained, “‘The red phoenix’s heart stirs, feelings begin to bloom’ means you’ve developed true feelings and genuinely like the other person. ‘Ten mouths scumbag man, his name is Zhongshan’ – ten mouths put together form the character ‘Tian’. His name is Tian Zhongshan, right?”
Kang Xin was instantly dumbfounded. There wasn’t a trace of doubt left in her eyes when she looked at Li Zian.
However, she quickly reacted, showing displeasure on her face. “‘Ten mouths scumbag man’ – what do you mean by that?”
Li Zian said, “In this hexagram interpretation, ‘ten mouths’ doesn’t only mean they combine to form the character ‘Tian’. This line has another meaning: your boyfriend with the surname Tian is very smooth-talking, his sweet words particularly please you, right?”
“I don’t believe it! He’s not that kind of person!” Kang Xin got angry.
They say a woman in love loses IQ, and this saying truly doesn’t lie.
Li Zian ignored her feelings and explained the last two lines. “‘If in this life you entrust yourself to him, Salty water with rice, destined to be alone.’ These two lines mean if you continue to date him and entrust your life to him, you are destined to have tears with your rice, and be alone for life.”
“I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to hear it!” Kang Xin covered her ears.
Li Zian sighed. “I knew you’d be unhappy if I told you, but I still said it. This is our first meeting; I really didn’t need to upset you. But this matter concerns your lifelong happiness, so even if you’re unhappy, I had to say it. Even if it just serves as a warning for you to be more careful in your future interactions with him.”
Kang Xin turned and walked away.
“Aunt, you haven’t paid yet!” Li Xiaomei said.
Li Zian wanted to cover her mouth, but it was too late.
He had been wondering why his Little Cotton-padded Jacket was so quiet; turns out she thought he was telling fortunes to earn money!
Li Xiaomei pouted her little mouth, looking very unhappy. “She didn’t even pay. Dad, let’s not buy her painting. Anyway, her painting isn’t nice. I’ll draw one for you when we go back. I won’t charge money; you just need to turn it into a pile of chocolates for me.”
“Dad can’t take money from others.”
“Then how will you raise me?”
Li Zian: “…”
Kang Xin was already gone.
The Hanfu girl who had taken the painting for framing came over, holding a painting tube.
Li Zian put Li Xiaomei down, took the painting, and scanned the code to pay.
“Sir, you can look around some more. We have many excellent works,” the Hanfu girl said politely.
Li Zian asked, “What about Kang Tongxue?”
The Hanfu girl looked back. “I just saw her walk past. I’ll go ask for you.”
“Thank you.”
But before the Hanfu girl could leave, Kang Xin came back, holding a pen and a notebook.
“Draw what you want to show in this notebook. I’ll take it back to show my father,” Kang Xin said, her face stern, clearly very unhappy.
Li Zian understood her mood. Anyone would be upset if the person they liked was called a scumbag man, especially a girl in the throes of love. The fact that she came back to fulfill her earlier promise was already broad-minded.
He didn’t say much more to her. He walked to the wall, spread the notebook against it, and on a blank page, he drew a symbol from the Great Sluggish Cauldron’s surface, and left his phone number below the symbol.
“Thank you,” Li Zian said, handing the notebook back to Kang Xin.
Kang Xin took the notebook and turned to leave.
Just as Li Xiaomei was about to speak, Li Zian quickly covered her little mouth. “Xiaomei, let’s go to Disneyland.”
“Okay!” Li Xiaomei nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice, very excited.
Li Zian put his hand down.
“And I want to eat ice cream!”
“But our family is struggling, isn’t it?”
Li Xiaomei looked pitiful. “Even if we’re struggling, you can’t not let me eat. I won’t grow up if I don’t eat.”
Li Zian was at a loss for words, his head feeling dizzy.