“Oh, don’t worry, don’t worry. There are two monkeys on the mountain here that escaped from a monkey trainer. These two monkeys are especially annoying, but don’t worry. I’ll have someone come install anti-theft windows tomorrow, and I guarantee the monkeys won’t get in again.” The young woman hurried in to explain.
Shui Miao glanced out the window. “Wow, those monkeys are fast. They disappeared in a blink?”
“Yeah, right? These two monkeys are particularly clever. Many people have tried to catch them but failed. Everyone around here says they’re monkey spirits. Fortunately, both are male. Otherwise, this little mountain would definitely be overrun with monkeys. Oh, by the way, if you want this room, I have ready-made glass at home. When my husband comes back, he can replace the glass for you. As I said before, you can rent the room for free.”
“Hehe, this room is actually quite nice…”
Shui Miao nodded appreciatively. Although this room wasn’t as good as the main room, how could a tenant possibly claim the best room for themselves?
“Alright then, I’ll go get the key for Xiaoli right away.”
The young woman was indeed a decisive and efficient person. She hurried back to her own room, retrieved the room key, and handed it to Xiaoli. She also told Xiaoli that water and electricity would be free, and if Xiaoli had time in the future, she could help tutor her son. In fact, the young woman’s son was only two years old and was being taken care of by his grandparents at his grandmother’s house.
Xiaoli was full of energy and immediately started cleaning up.
Xiaoli was capable of doing any kind of work. She found some glass and replaced the broken pieces herself.
Shui Miao helped carry the clutter down to the storage room on the first floor. The young woman and Zhang Hanya also joined in to help. Before long, the room was completely emptied, leaving only the task of cleaning dust, which was no big deal for Xiaoli. She fetched a rag and a basin and started cleaning energetically.
At this moment, Xiao Huo and Xiao Tu returned.
“Master, those two monkeys must have eaten something strange. They actually possess strong earth-element spiritual power. Xiao Tu and I came back to report to you. If possible, we’d like to ask for your permission to go find Xiao Jin and the others to search the entire mountain. Perhaps there’s a treasure hidden somewhere on this mountain.”
“Yeah, Master, the monkeys’ spiritual power is too strong. They can see us, and they’re very cunning. They keep running in circles on the mountain and won’t return to their nest. Our only option is to search the entire mountain.”
Xiao Jin and Xiao Tu spoke one after another.
“No need to bother them. You two can keep searching slowly. Anyway, I’m not in a hurry. Xiao Jin and the others have their own things to do.”
Shui Miao, wary of Xiao Jin and the others, refused to let them come.
Xiao Huo and Xiao Tu, hearing this, could only continue their search.
※※※
Just then, hurried footsteps were heard at the front gate. Shui Miao turned his head and saw a tall, thin, clean-cut young man in his twenties wearing glasses. The young man was clutching a leather briefcase and ran into the house with an excited expression. Seeing Shui Miao, he immediately reached out to shake his hand, saying repeatedly, “Hello, hello! You must be the feng shui master who cured my wife’s leg condition. Thank you so much!”
The young man looked very energetic and full of vitality.
When Shui Miao saw him, he felt a refreshing and congenial sensation.
“Hehe, Brother, you’ve got great eyesight! You recognized me at first glance?” Shui Miao was somewhat surprised but took a closer look at the young man. Behind his glasses were a pair of very lively eyes. People with such eyes were usually extremely intelligent.
“Hehe, of course! You just look different from ordinary people. There’s something very special about your aura. I can’t exactly describe what it is, but there’s a kind of transcendent quality about you, so I was sure you were the feng shui master who cured my wife’s leg condition.” The young man said as he handed over his business card.
His name was Li Moran. He was twenty-eight years old, had been married for three years, and worked as an accountant at a unit.
Li Moran’s wife was Mu Ying. They were college classmates. Mu Ying was a straightforward and outgoing woman. The young couple lived together very happily and lovingly. However, for the past year or so, Mu Ying’s leg condition had been getting worse, causing Li Moran great worry. Today, when his wife’s leg suddenly recovered, he was overjoyed and immediately left work early to rush back home.
When he met Shui Miao, he also felt a sense of congeniality.
When Mu Ying saw her husband return, she hurried downstairs excitedly. Seeing that his wife’s leg was indeed healed, Li Moran was so moved that he almost wanted to kneel and make Shui Miao his master. However, Shui Miao, reminded by Zhang Hanya that the party was about to begin, quickly got to the point and led everyone upstairs.
“Brother Li, the main room of your house has the best feng shui and is most conducive to boosting your fortune. You should move your living quarters here and use the middle room as a study. I suppose you’ve arranged it this way because you think this room is the Wen Chang position?”
With someone as straightforward as Li Moran, Shui Miao didn’t like to be evasive and spoke directly.
“Yeah, I looked it up online. The east side is the Wen Chang position. This room has a big window, so isn’t this the best place?” Li Moran looked at Shui Miao with confusion, hoping for his guidance.
Shui Miao shook his head and smiled. “That’s exactly what I just told your wife—you’ve only learned the superficial aspects. One of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Wen Qu Star, governs the fame, fortune, and luck of scholars. The position where it flies to is the Wen Chang position. The Wen Chang position can help people focus their thoughts, sharpen their minds, and improve their exam luck. However, many people only look for the Wen Chang position based on the layout of the house, which is not actually correct. It can be divided into the Mingzhu Wen Chang position (the one determined by one’s birth date and time), the Liunian Wen Chang position (changing annually), and the general Wen Chang position. The one you found is only the general Wen Chang position. The Mingzhu Wen Chang position is determined by one’s birth date and time, and it is the most effective and stable. For example, those born in the year of Jia have their Wen Chang position in the southeast; those born in the year of Yi have it in the exact south; those born in the year of Bing have it in the southwest; and those born in the year of Ding have it in the exact west. I won’t go into details here. Then there’s the Liunian Wen Chang position, which changes annually based on the yearly cycle. The Liunian position refers to the feng shui of the house each year. Don’t think only humans can have their fortune read—houses have fortune too. Finally, there’s the general Wen Chang position. Many people who don’t know how to find their Wen Chang position just know that the Wen Chang position is associated with wood and should be in the east, so they look there. This isn’t necessarily wrong, but it’s important to understand that the Wen Chang position found this way is the weakest. Among the three, the strongest is still the Mingzhu Wen Chang position.”
He had said a lot in one breath, all of which Shui Miao had memorized by rote.
Pausing for a moment, Shui Miao continued, “For ordinary people who don’t know how to find the Wen Chang position, they can stand at the center of the house, stay still, calm their minds completely, and look around slowly after a while. The place that makes them feel the most peaceful is their Mingzhu Wen Chang position. If you can also find the Liunian Wen Chang position, you can place a bookshelf there. If conditions allow, place a Wen Chang pagoda on the bookshelf. For the general Wen Chang direction, you can place a bookcase. Don’t put clutter on the bookcase; preferably, place feng shui items like Wen Chang brushes. Then, through the house’s decoration, colors, furnishings, potted plants, and other items, you can harmonize the five elements’ energies in the room. This way, when you study diligently, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort.”
“Of course, there are also many details regarding the arrangement of the Wen Chang position.”
Shui Miao thought for a moment and told Li Moran a few of the most important points. “For example, the atmosphere. If the chosen Mingzhu Wen Chang position is in a corner of the house that isn’t well-ventilated, you must find a way to remedy it, allowing fresh energy to enter and stale, polluted air to escape, to maintain the spiritual vitality of the Mingzhu Wen Chang position. Another point is enhancing the Wen Chang fortune. You can buy some books and calligraphy paintings. Previously, placing Wen Chang brushes and Wen Chang pagodas was also a key aspect of enhancing the Wen Chang position. However, there’s one most important point—the desktop where you study and work. Because the Wen Chang position usually displays its spiritual energy on the desktop. Since the Wen Chang position is associated with wood, a green desktop is best, as green symbolizes vitality. Compared to a green desktop, a natural wooden desktop is like comparing dead fish to live fish. Although it can still be eaten, the taste and nutrition are completely different. Also, enhancing the Wen Chang fortune shouldn’t be done randomly. Adults can use stronger feng shui items to enhance their fortune, but children cannot. Children should use feng shui items appropriately. Adults can place Wen Chang pagodas on their desks, but children absolutely cannot—they can only be placed far away on a bookshelf. The reason is actually very simple. A child’s fortune cannot withstand too much good luck. If the fortune is too heavy, it will have the opposite effect. It’s like eating food. Once you’re full, that’s enough. Eating too much becomes a burden.”
After hearing this, Li Moran nodded repeatedly, clearly gaining much insight. After a pause, Li Moran asked another question: “Master, under normal circumstances, isn’t the Wen Chang position related to windows? The common understanding is that only under the window is the Wen Chang position. Is that a misunderstanding?”
“This cannot be completely denied, nor can it be entirely confirmed. It depends on the specific situation. If the window is noisy, the sunlight is glaring, or there’s strong wind, then this place isn’t a good spot for studying. If this place happens to be your Mingzhu Wen Chang position, then you must find ways to overcome these issues. If you can overcome them, that’s best. If not, you can only give up this spot. Therefore, houses also have good and bad distinctions, and this is the reason. You work in an office job. If you buy a house with a wood element, then good fortune will come to you. But if unfortunately, you bought a house with a fire element, then your bad luck won’t be far off. In life, the first thing is your home, the second is your fortune, the third is feng shui, the fourth is cultivating virtue, and the fifth is studying. Under acceptable Mingzhu conditions, you should start from these points. The first priority is your home, as it has a very significant impact on your fortune.”
Shui Miao spoke eloquently, sharing his insights on the Wen Chang position.
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