Chapter 6: The Predestined Benefactor (Part 1)
"Very well, just because of your auspicious words, I, the young master, have made up my mind to go to the capital this time." Young Master Zhang elegantly closed his fan, struck the handle against his palm, and commanded, "Shitou, reward him with two taels of silver."
Lin Qing City has a canal dock, and the market is bustling with activity. Naturally, there are many fortune tellers with signs proclaiming themselves as half-immortals and iron-mouthed seers, and quite a few of them are doing good business. Therefore, it wasn't long before Young Master Zhang set his sights on a fortune teller who was operating under the guise of Xie the Half-Immortal—mainly because there was a large crowd gathered around Xie’s stall, reminiscent of the fortune teller from Zhang's memory who had confidently predicted his success in the imperial examination. With a rough idea in mind, Young Master Zhang pushed through the crowd and approached Xie's stall, yet he did not take the initiative to speak, preparing to wait for Xie the Half-Immortal to say that line—"Ah! This gentleman, your eyebrows are adorned with color, and your eyes are spirited; you could be a pillar of the nation. If you were to go to the capital for the examination, you would surely succeed."
"Enough of the nonsense, just give the reward!" Young Master Zhang huffed. Zhang Shitou, feeling helpless, had no choice but to follow the order and took out 2 taels of silver, stuffing it into the hands of the grinning Song Tiezui, gritting his teeth as he said, "Take it, this is the reward from our young master for you!" At this point, Zhang Shitou lowered his voice again, speaking through clenched teeth, "If our young master doesn't go to the capital, then this 2 taels of silver is no problem for you—if our young master listens to your nonsense and really goes to the capital, I will definitely smash your stall when I get back!"
Song Tiezui is a wandering sorcerer, naturally unafraid that Zhang Shitou would truly come to find him, so he smiled and replied honestly: "My surname is Song, my given name is Xiance, and I reside at the Hengtong Inn in the city. This young man can come to the inn anytime if he wishes to find me." However, it is unfortunate that our young master Zhang, lost in ecstasy, had already walked far away and did not hear the name Song Xiance mentioned by Song Tiezui.
Zhang Shitou responded with a sound and approached to confront Song Tiezui. Unexpectedly, Song Tiezui said, "Wait a moment, my friend, may I first explain the details of this matter?" Young Master Zhang snorted coldly and said, "What is there to say? I do not believe you can even name a flower."
"Rest assured, my friend, this is not the first or second time I have done this," Song Tiezui replied with a smile. Young Master Zhang snorted coldly and then shouted at Zhang Shitou: "Shitou, let's go, we are heading home for dinner."
Young Master Zhang thought carefully and indeed found it to be the case. Although he had already lived two lifetimes filled with misdeeds, he had never committed an act of abusing his parents. That old man raised such a son, and he should be taught a good lesson. However, Young Master Zhang was not willing to let the matter rest. He fiercely asked that Song Tiezui, "Even so, can you tell the old man to hand over his unfilial son to the authorities?"
"There is a play; it's not bad that this foolish boy made a trip to Beijing for nothing." After receiving a slap from Young Master Zhang, Song Tiezui felt secretly pleased and boldly said, "As long as Young Master goes to the capital, I guarantee you will be among the top three. If you succeed, I will drink your wedding wine"
After wandering for more than an hour, the pampered young master Zhang gradually began to lose his patience. He found a bridge pier on a bridge in Lingqing City that was not yet fully completed, sat down, and while fanning himself to rest, he pondered in his heart, "Is the story of Zhang Haogu fictional? Otherwise, why hasn't the fortune teller who said I would top the imperial examination appeared? Or perhaps the time has not yet come, but today is already the twenty-sixth day of the first month, and the imperial examination is about to begin. If he doesn't show up soon, I won't even have time to rush to the capital. Damn it, could it be that the story of Zhang Haogu mentioned in the crosstalk is all fake? In history, there was only a local rich young master named Zhang Haogu, and there was no such thing as rising three ranks in a row?"
Young Master!" Zhang Shitou howled like a pig, thinking to himself that the Young Master must truly have a problem with his mind. This fortune teller surnamed Song was clearly talking nonsense, yet the Young Master actually rewarded him with money? Moreover, it was an exorbitant amount of two taels of silver?
Upon hearing this, Young Master Zhang could not help but feel a sense of admiration for Song Tiezui. This subtle method of persuasion was indeed quite effective. Having understood this point, Young Master Zhang released the collar of Song Tiezui's clothing and snorted, "I suppose you have a bit of cleverness, but if you dare to deceive me, I will definitely make you spend your days in prison!"
Eh? Could it be that he is the fortune teller destined for me? Young Master Zhang's heart, filled with disappointment, began to stir again. However, the sharp-nosed Song Tiezui did not even glance at him, turning around to assist an elderly man with white hair onto the bridge, walking straight past Young Master Zhang. Feeling angry, Young Master Zhang cursed under his breath and was about to head home for dinner when Song Tiezui and the old man stopped by a wooden pile, pointing at the pile used for building the bridge, whispering mysteriously in the old man's ear.
Ah!" Xie Bansian exclaimed in surprise. Young Master Zhang was first startled and then delighted, thinking to himself, could it be that the story of Zhang Haogu is true? Unexpectedly, Xie Bansian continued, "Isn't this Young Master Zhang? Has the young master come to my stall today to inquire about marriage fate? Or is it to seek fortune?"
"That young master of yours is foolish, what does it have to do with me?" Song Tiezui muttered to himself, smiling as he accepted the silver. He had made up his mind to deal with that old man's unfilial son, and then he would leave immediately, continuing his travels, leaving Young Master Zhang with no one to hold accountable.
"Get lost, stop bothering me." Young Master Zhang was in an extremely bad mood and kicked Zhang Shitou with his leg. Although Young Master Zhang and Zhang Shitou had grown up together since childhood, the force of this kick was not great. However, in order to appease Young Master Zhang, Zhang Shitou exaggeratedly retreated more than ten steps, shouting loudly, "Ouch, Young Master, your skills are truly improving, I am almost..." Before Zhang Shitou could finish his flattery, he suddenly felt as if his backside had collided with something, and a scream akin to that of a slaughtered pig erupted, "Ouch! Can't you watch where you're going, you brat?" "Ouch, Young Master, your skills are truly improving, I am almost..." Before Zhang Shitou could finish his flattery, he suddenly felt as if his backside had collided with something, and a scream akin to that of a slaughtered pig erupted, "Ouch! Can't you watch where you're going, you brat?"
"Young Master, you must come out for a stroll. Where shall we go?" Zhang Shitou inquired. Young Master Zhang closed the spring palace fan and, tapping the palm of his hand with the fan handle, said: "Let’s find a fortune teller. Make sure to observe carefully for the Young Master; the fortune-telling booth that is the busiest, we shall go there."
Young Master Zhang had not finished speaking when the local people of Linqing could no longer contain their laughter, though they dared not laugh out loud in front of Young Master Zhang due to his formidable influence. Zhang Shitou and Xie Banshen were left speechless, their mouths agape for quite some time. However, Young Master Zhang was already mentally prepared; upon seeing Xie Banshen's expression, he felt reassured and quickly made an excuse for himself: "Don't be anxious, I noticed that there have been candidates passing through Linqing every day on their way to the capital for the imperial examination recently, so I was just making a joke—how have business matters been lately?"
Young Master Zhang was already in a bad mood, and Zhang Shitou, who accompanied him on his shopping trip, was being rather insensitive. He approached and asked, "Young Master, didn't you say today you were going to find a fortune teller? After visiting so many fortune tellers, why aren't you asking anything and just wandering around their stalls?" Young Master Zhang was feeling annoyed and lazily waved his fan, unwilling to respond to Zhang Shitou. However, Zhang Shitou took another step closer and asked with concern, "Young Master, the doctor said you had a head injury; could it be because of that? If not, should I take you to see the doctor again?"
Call the soul! Young Master Zhang suddenly realized. In the memories of the former Young Master Zhang, it was mentioned that the sorcerers of this era possess a peculiar skill, which allows them to inflict illness or even death upon their victims by using the victim's name, hair, and clothing, and they can steal the victim's soul essence for their own use—today, this old man Song Tiezui is clearly practicing a form of soul calling by posting his son's name on a bridge pile. Thinking of this, our Young Master Zhang felt a surge of anger, saying to himself, "You scoundrel of a sorcerer, instead of coming to predict my success in the imperial examination, you go and deceive a poor old man. Your conscience is even darker than mine. Just wait, I will make you taste the consequences!"
Thanks to Master Tuo, business is still quite good. At this, Xie Banjian let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly smiled, saying, "If the young master wishes to inquire about marriage and wealth, please feel free to ask." Young Master Zhang was greatly disappointed and, feeling too lazy to engage in further conversation, directly led Zhang Shitou and turned to leave. Not having walked far, a loud burst of laughter erupted behind them, and they could vaguely hear someone laughing and saying, "Not even able to recognize your own name, yet you want to be the top scholar? Did you get knocked out at the dock the day before yesterday and still haven't woken up?" Even Zhang Shitou quietly complained beside him, "Young master, you have taken this joke too far—who in Lingqing City doesn't know that you have never studied since childhood and can't even write your own name? What do you have to become the top scholar?"
Who says I can't write my own name? I can write the three characters "Zhang Hao Gu" in Simplified Chinese!" Young Master Zhang, feeling extremely frustrated, muttered as he waved his fan again, and, not willing to give up, shouted at Zhang Shitou, who was laughing to the side: "Shitou, let's go, continue looking for the next fortune teller."
"You, the sorcerer with the surname Song, what nonsense are you spouting?" Zhang Shitou was displeased and thought to himself, how could the young master go to the capital for the imperial examination? The young master does not recognize a single character, how could he possibly take the exam? However, just as Zhang Shitou was preparing to settle accounts with the babbling Song Tiezui, our young master Zhang suddenly pushed him aside and, filled with excitement, asked Song Tiezui: "You say I can surely succeed in the imperial examination if I go to the capital?"
In front of Xie Banjian, a small incident occurred, and Young Master Zhang had become much more astute. He no longer directly asked fortune tellers whether he could achieve the top scholar position, but instead recalled the story of Zhang Haogu rising three ranks in succession. He searched the streets for fortune-telling stalls, hoping for a stroke of luck. Each time he encountered a fortune-telling stall, he would circle around it three times, waiting for the fated fortune teller to appear. However, the reputation of the former Young Master Zhang was indeed too loud in Lingqing City; almost everyone knew that Young Master Zhang was illiterate. The fortune tellers were not fools either, and they certainly would not foolishly compromise their integrity by claiming that our new Young Master Zhang would definitely achieve the top scholar position in this examination. Thus, Young Master Zhang and Zhang Shitou ran around until their legs were nearly broken, yet not a single fortune teller offered a word to our Young Master Zhang, saying, "Ah! This gentleman, your eyebrows are bright, and your eyes are spirited..."
At this point, things should have dissipated, but the problem arose when Song Tiezui was about to leave. Suddenly, he touched the large bump on his head caused by Young Master Zhang's blow—Song Tiezui immediately felt anger rising within him, thinking to himself, "You brat, your strikes are indeed ruthless, indiscriminately hitting without regard for right or wrong, almost breaking my head! This won't do, you must suffer a bit!" With this thought in mind, Song Tiezui hurriedly called out to Young Master Zhang, "Brother, please hold on, I have something to say!"
"Stone, let's go home." Finally, we found the fated fortune teller, and Master Zhang's mood immediately improved greatly, planning to return home to ponder whether it was truly worth the trip to the capital. Meanwhile, Zhang Shitou, with a mournful expression, followed behind. Once the cheerful Master Zhang had walked far away, Zhang Shitou quickly ran back, grabbed the collar of that Song Tiezui, and asked in a low, menacing voice, "Mr. Song, what is your name? Where do you live?"
Lin Qing City remains as prosperous as ever. As noon approaches, the streets are still bustling with tourists, and the sounds of voices are deafening. On both sides of the street, stalls line up like a dragon, with a myriad of merchants present, creating a scene reminiscent of a flourishing era. However, for Young Master Zhang, witnessing this scene brings a different feeling. "If we do not quickly devise a way to save the Ming Dynasty, it will not be long before the Manchus invade, turning this place into a land of corpses, with not a single rooster crowing for a thousand miles. — Originally, it would not matter if all these people were killed, but if it comes to my head, then it would be a serious problem."
"What is it?" Young Master Zhang turned around and asked lazily. Song Tiezui smiled and said, "My friend, I see that your eyebrows are bright and your eyes are spirited; you could be a pillar of the nation. If you were to go to the capital for the imperial examination, you would surely succeed.
"Did you hear that, my friend?" Song Tiezui, despite being beaten, remained unflustered and merely responded with a foreign accent. Young Master Zhang smirked and said, "So what if I heard it? Shitou, come help me capture this sorcerer and take him to the yamen."
"What a living immortal, truly a living immortal!" The old man with white hair expressed his gratitude profusely, and after repeatedly thanking them, he tearfully took his leave. Young Master Zhang remained silent until the old man had walked far away. Feeling extremely displeased, Young Master Zhang rushed forward to block Song Tiezui, first striking his head hard with the handle of his fan, then grabbing his collar and sneering, "What a wicked sorcerer, daring to use soul-calling sorcery in our Lingqing City, inciting a father to harm his own son? Come, let’s go to the magistrate’s office!" Zhang Shitou, who had grown up wearing the same pants as Young Master Zhang, understood immediately and also shouted, "If you don’t want to go to the magistrate’s office, then pay a hush money!"
"Living immortal, if you teach me to do this, what should I do if my son really dies?" the white-haired old man asked tearfully. Song Tiezui replied with a smile, "Elder, please rest assured, as long as your son sincerely repents and turns to goodness, and shows filial piety towards you and your old partner, you can burn the other talisman I gave you to ashes, dissolve it in water, and drink it, and he will recover as before."
"Fortune-telling? Young Master, haven't you always been skeptical of such things?" Zhang Shitou found himself increasingly perplexed by Young Master Zhang, with whom he had grown up wearing open-crotch pants. However, Zhang Shitou was, after all, the closest and most trusted servant of Young Master Zhang. Although he did not yet understand the Young Master's intentions, he still respectfully obeyed the order and, together with Young Master Zhang, searched the streets for a fortune-teller.
What did you say? Young Master Zhang felt as if struck by lightning—this statement was related to his future and fate. Young Master Zhang had reviewed it in his memory no less than a hundred times, yet now, with a fateful fortune teller standing before him uttering these words, he still felt his breath catch, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest, and only one thought remained in his mind: "Is that story true? Can I really become an official?"
"My friend, things are not that simple," Song Tiezui said with a grin. "If we were to directly send his son to the authorities, give him a few dozen lashes, and then release him, wouldn't he hate his parents even more?" At this point, Song Tiezui sighed and added with a wry smile, "Moreover, my friend, do you really believe that there is such a thing as soul-calling sorcery in this world? Even if it did exist, I wouldn't believe in it."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." The sharp-nosed, monkey-faced man was still somewhat reasonable. Seeing Zhang Shitou's attitude shift from arrogance to humility, he did not pursue the matter further, waved his hand, and stood up. It was only at this moment that our Young Master Zhang and Zhang Shitou realized that this sharp-nosed, monkey-faced man was still holding a fortune-teller's sign, which not only depicted a bagua but also bore the three characters 'Song Tiezui'—two of these traditional characters were the same as their simplified counterparts, so Young Master Zhang was able to make a rough guess.
"So what's wrong with that? Young master, am I not the same?" Young Master Zhang asked with righteous indignation. Song Tiezui smiled and said: "My good fellow, your family background allows you to play like this. Not to mention anything else, just the Tang Bohu spring palace painting fan in your hand is enough to support a family for a lifetime. Can that old man, who relies on farming for a living, afford to raise such a son? Moreover, his son even abuses his parents. Just yesterday, because he couldn't get money from his own mother to gamble, he beat her up with a stick. Can you do such a thing, my good fellow? Can that old man, who relies on farming for a living, afford to raise such a son? Moreover, his son even abuses his parents. Just yesterday, because he couldn't get money from his own mother to gamble, he beat her up with a stick. Can you do such a thing, my good fellow? What harm does it do to such a son if he suffers a couple of times?"
What are you doing?" Young Master Zhang was extremely curious and cautiously leaned in to eavesdrop, faintly hearing Song Tiezui whisper: "Old man, you can find those bridge-building craftsmen for help, and have them attach the talisman with your son's name written on it to the top of this wooden stake. This way, the craftsmen just need to hammer this wooden stake once, and they can take away a bit of the energy of your unfilial son who has beaten his old mother. After hammering for ten days, your unfilial son will...
"You little thief, what are you howling about after I bumped into you lightly? Trying to extort me?" Zhang Shitou, knowing he hadn't hit too hard, cursed carelessly as he turned to check the situation. However, upon looking, he was taken aback; the person he had bumped into was extremely small, not even three feet tall, with a sharp mouth and a monkey-like face, looking more like a ghost than a human. At first glance, he resembled a macaque—more accurately, he bore a striking resemblance to the famous figure from Shandong, Wu Dalang. Although Zhang Shitou's bump was not heavy, it had knocked the person over completely. With no other choice, Zhang Shitou went over to help the sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced individual up and politely apologized, saying, "Sir, I sincerely apologize, I truly did not see you just now. Are you hurt?"
Young Master Zhang's heart was filled with joy, which suddenly soared to the clouds. However, Young Master Zhang was unwilling to give up and coldly snorted, saying: "That's not it. I want to calculate my future. Can you tell me, will I succeed in the imperial examination this time and achieve the top scholar?"
Song Tiezui shook his head and explained with a smile: "Actually, I just wanted to scare that unfilial son of the old man. After the old man uses the talisman, I will whisper in his son's ear to let him know about this matter. Many people believe in ghosts and gods; once his son learns of this, he might become so frightened that he develops an illness even without being sick. Then I can suggest that he return home to show filial piety to his parents, begging for their forgiveness and removing the evil spell from him. Perhaps this opportunity will lead his son to reform and treat his parents well from then on. This is the long-term solution."
Young Master Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then asked: "So you are deceiving that old man?"
This gentleman, do you know why that old man just ruthlessly called for his own son's soul? Song Tiezui smiled and said: Because his only son is in his twenties, yet he spends his days idling about, indulging in drinking, gambling, and all sorts of vices.