After Qin Gang was frightened away, he immediately packed his things, closed the door, and left, never daring to provoke Shui Miao again.
Wang Tue and Zhang Blind could not get any important information from Madame Sun, but they saw the answer on her face. When they returned and found that Qin Gang had already fled, the two men became anxious and fearful, hiding in their shops and not daring to show their faces.
In this round of confrontation, Shui Miao had completely won.
But the matter was far from over—it had only just begun.
Many charlatans who ran shops nearby sensed something was off and kept their mouths shut, not daring to gossip.
Three or four hours passed, and Shui Miao lay motionless on his reclining chair, like a stone statue or a mannequin.
Around four or five in the afternoon, fortune tellers and diviners began to arrive at Ghost Street one after another.
Normally, Zhang Blind and Wang Tue’s shops were bustling with business, but today, they hadn’t had a single customer.
Meanwhile, Madame Sun’s shop was continuously filled with clients, keeping her extremely busy.
As for Shui Miao’s place, naturally, no one came.
Ordinary people who saw Shui Miao’s sign immediately thought it was a joke. Those who showed some interest took one look at the dirty, worn-out recliner beneath him and the mess inside the shop, and they understood at once—it must just be a prank.
Therefore, no one came to Shui Miao for a fortune reading.
It wasn’t until seven in the evening that Madame Sun finally saw off her last customer.
Today had been exhausting for Madame Sun and the little fox spirit on her back. To avoid provoking Shui Miao, Madame Sun had not only done her best to help clients but also charged less money than usual. Her fox spirit companion had been running back and forth, equally worn out.
Just as Madame Sun began preparing dinner, Wang Tue and Zhang Blind arrived together.
Zhang Blind had one blind eye, while the other could still see.
Zhang said his other eye was hurting, and Wang said his other leg was aching, and they wanted Madame Sun to help them.
Since Madame Sun had the little fox spirit, she understood in her heart that this was related to Shui Miao.
Thus, Madame Sun thought to herself that this couldn’t go on like this. She planned to take Wang Tue and Zhang Blind to find Shui Miao and see if they could reconcile. However, the moment she had this thought, she heard Shui Miao’s voice in her mind warning her not to meddle. Startled, Madame Sun immediately pushed Zhang Blind and Wang Tue out the door.
Feeling confused, Zhang and Wang thought of Shui Miao.
Their pain was unbearable, so the two decided to go find Shui Miao again. But just as they approached him, they suddenly saw Shui Miao vanish into thin air. Wang Tue was frightened and looked around, but could not see him anywhere.
When they returned, Wang looked back and saw Shui Miao had reappeared on the recliner.
Wang Tue was stunned—he finally realized Shui Miao was a true master!
Zhang and Wang were terrified. They hurried back, prepared gifts, carried large and small packages, and approached Shui Miao with smiling faces. This time, Shui Miao didn’t disappear, nor did he move—he remained lying there motionless, looking more like a stone statue than ever.
Before the two old men could even speak, Shui Miao said coldly, “Have you done too many evil deeds and finally received your karmic retribution, causing your whole body to ache and keeping you from sleeping?”
“Uh…”
Zhang Blind and Wang Tue looked at each other, both feeling deeply humiliated—they had lived long lives but had never felt so embarrassed.
After being frightened away, Qin Gang immediately packed up, closed his shop, and left, not daring to provoke Shui Miao again.
Cripple Wang and Blind Zhang didn’t get any important information from Aunt Sun, but they could read the answer on her face. After returning and finding that Qin Gang had fled, the two grew anxious and hid inside their shops, too afraid to show their faces.
In this round of confrontation, Shui Miao emerged completely victorious.
But the matter was far from over—it had only just begun.
Many of the charlatans running shops nearby had more or less figured out what was happening. They kept their mouths shut and refrained from idle gossip.
Three or four hours passed, and Shui Miao lay motionless on his recliner, like a stone statue or a mannequin.
By four or five in the afternoon, fortune-tellers and diviners began arriving at Ghost Street.
Normally, Cripple Wang and Blind Zhang’s businesses thrived, but today, neither had a single customer.
Aunt Sun, on the other hand, had a steady stream of clients and was incredibly busy.
As for Shui Miao, naturally, no one paid him any attention.
Most people took one look at his sign and assumed it was all a joke. Those who were slightly curious noticed the dirty, worn-out recliner he was lying on and the messy state of his shop, and they quickly concluded that it was indeed just a farce.
So, no one asked Shui Miao for a fortune-telling.
It wasn’t until seven in the evening that Aunt Sun finally saw off her last client.
Aunt Sun and the little fox spirit inhabiting her had been swamped all day. To avoid provoking Shui Miao, Aunt Sun not only served her clients wholeheartedly but also charged less than usual. The little fox spirit, meanwhile, had been running around tirelessly, utterly exhausted.
Just as Aunt Sun started preparing dinner, Cripple Wang and Blind Zhang showed up together.
Blind Zhang had one blind eye but could still see with the other. He complained that his “good” eye was hurting, while Cripple Wang said his “good” leg was in pain. They asked Aunt Sun to take a look.
Aunt Sun, with the little fox spirit inside her, knew full well that this had something to do with Shui Miao.
She thought to herself that letting things continue like this wasn’t a solution. Perhaps she should take Cripple Wang and Blind Zhang to see Shui Miao and try to mediate. But the moment this idea crossed her mind, she heard Shui Miao’s voice in her head warning her not to meddle. Terrified, she quickly pushed Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang out the door.
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang muttered to themselves, their thoughts turning to Shui Miao.
Their pain growing more intense, the two decided to seek out Shui Miao together. But as soon as they approached him, Shui Miao suddenly vanished into thin air. Cripple Wang, startled, looked around but couldn’t see anyone.
When they turned back to leave, however, Cripple Wang glanced over his shoulder and saw Shui Miao reappear on the recliner.
Cripple Wang was stunned—he finally realized Shui Miao was a true master!
Blind Zhang was equally frightened. The two hurried back, gathered gifts, and returned to Shui Miao with armfuls of presents and ingratiating smiles. This time, Shui Miao didn’t disappear, but he didn’t move either. He lay there motionless, looking every bit like a stone statue.
Before the two old men could speak, Shui Miao said calmly, “Have you done too many immoral things and now face retribution, aching all over and unable to sleep?”
“Uh…”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang exchanged glances. Despite their advanced age, they had never felt so humiliated.
“Oh, not convinced?”
Shui Miao repeated his earlier trick, removing the leaf covering his face to reveal bloodshot eyes. Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang stumbled backward, trembling uncontrollably.
“Master… Master, spare us! We were wrong, we know we were wrong!”
“Great Immortal, we’re sorry! We’ll never dare again, never again…”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang hurriedly apologized, nearly dropping to their knees.
“Hmph!” Shui Miao coldly eyed the two old men, who stood like schoolboys being punished by their teacher, not daring to lift their heads, utterly terrified. “You two old fools have wasted your long lives. Using cheap tricks from books to swindle people out of their money, committing heinous acts—it’s no wonder heaven punished you, one with blindness, the other with lameness. By all rights, you should have reflected on your actions after such retribution, yet you stubbornly refuse to change…”
“I was wrong, I’ll change, I promise I’ll change!”
“I’ll change too…”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang couldn’t gauge Shui Miao’s depth, and the more they thought about it, the more terrified they became, trembling even harder.
“Enough, no need to say more. Since the two of you can’t sleep anyway, go clean my shop. Move around, stretch your bones, get some exercise. I’m sure your aches will disappear.”
Shui Miao placed the leaf back over his face.
Hearing this, Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang felt as if a great weight had been lifted. They rushed back to fetch cleaning tools and, without asking for help, diligently and meticulously began cleaning.
Shui Miao’s shop was filthy but sparsely furnished.
One blind, one lame, they worked until midnight, finally cleaning the shop until it was spotless.
Suddenly, they realized their eye and leg had long stopped hurting!
After taking out the trash, they washed their hands and returned to bid Shui Miao farewell. To their surprise, Shui Miao was no longer on the recliner. Instead, he was crouching in front of a little girl, with a woman standing beside them.
Who were this mother and daughter visiting so late at night? Were they Shui Miao’s relatives?
Puzzled, Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang slowly approached.
Up close, they recognized the pair—a homeless mother and daughter who lived under a nearby bridge. The mother had mental health issues, and the daughter suffered from severe anemia. They sometimes begged at the shops, so everyone in the area knew them. The little girl, only six or seven years old, was especially pitiful—thin and frail.
“These snacks were gifts from the two grandfathers behind me. I don’t need them, so I’m giving them to you. Don’t be shy, eat up.”
Shui Miao unpacked the gift packages brought by Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang and offered the food to the little girl and her mother.
“Strange, this madwoman usually only takes money and never eats food from others. She’s afraid someone might drug it and harm her daughter. Why is she acting so out of character today?” Cripple Wang watched the pair in confusion. They were clearly starving—a bag of cakes disappeared into their stomachs in moments.
Blind Zhang, squinting vaguely at the mother and daughter, sighed. “Can’t you see they’re hungry? I’ll go fetch some water…”
Hearing this, Cripple Wang felt a stir of compassion and also turned to get water.
“Wait…”
Shui Miao suddenly stopped Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang. “Blind Zhang, have your granddaughter take them to your shop for a bath. Make sure they are well taken care of. Then, you and Cripple Wang move a bed into my shop so they can stay here. I’ll go find them some clothes. Later, we’ll reunite their family.”
“Reunite their family? What… what do you mean?”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang were baffled, unable to grasp what Shui Miao meant by “reunite their family.”
Shui Miao’s eyes had long returned to their clear, calm state. He stood up and took a deep breath. “Do you think I’ve just been sleeping since noon? I won’t hide it from you—I’ve been quietly sensing everything around me. When I learned of their difficulties, I decided to help them, to cure her mental illness and give them a better life. As the saying goes, ‘The cure for a heart ailment must come from the heart.’ Coincidentally, I also know that the girl’s father will soon arrive with a knife, intending to kill me.”
“Uh…”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang were dumbfounded, even more confused than before.
“Alright, alright, there’s no time to explain everything now…” Shui Miao nodded slightly. “You’ll understand soon enough. For now, carry out my instructions immediately…”
“Yes, yes!”
Blind Zhang and Cripple Wang hurried off to do as they were told.
Shui Miao repeated his old trick, removing the leaf covering his face to reveal a pair of bloodshot eyes, scaring Zhang and Wang into stumbling backward, shivering uncontrollably.
“Master… Master, have mercy! We were wrong, we know we were wrong!”
“Great Immortal, we’re sorry! We’ll never dare again, never again…”
Zhang and Wang hurriedly apologized, nearly dropping to their knees.
“Hmph!” Shui Miao coldly stared at the two old men, who now resembled students being punished by their teacher, too afraid to lift their heads. “You two old fools really have lived in vain. You’ve used the little you learned from books to swindle people’s money, doing despicable things. You’ve incurred heavenly punishment—one became blind, the other crippled. Logically, you should have reflected on your actions after receiving such retribution, but you still refuse to change…”
“I was wrong, I’ll definitely change!”
“I’ll change too…”
Zhang and Wang couldn’t figure out Shui Miao’s true abilities, and the more they thought, the more frightened they became, shaking harder with fear.
“Enough. I won’t say anything else. Since you two can’t sleep anyway, go and clean my shop thoroughly. Stretch your necks, exercise a bit, and I guarantee your pain will disappear.”
Shui Miao placed the leaf back over his face.
Upon hearing this, Zhang and Wang felt an immense relief. They rushed back to grab cleaning tools, not waiting for anyone else’s help, and began cleaning with utmost seriousness and diligence.
Shui Miao’s shop was very dirty but had few items.
One blind man and one lame man worked until midnight, finally making the shop spotless.
Suddenly, they realized their eyes and legs were no longer painful!
After finishing the trash disposal, they washed their hands and approached Shui Miao together to greet him, only to find that Shui Miao had already left the recliner, standing before a mother and daughter.
It was the middle of the night—could they be Shui Miao’s relatives?
Feeling puzzled, Zhang and Wang slowly approached.
When they got closer, they discovered the pair were a homeless mother and daughter who lived in a nearby bridge tunnel. The mother had some mental issues, and the daughter suffered from severe anemia. They occasionally came to beg, so everyone in the area recognized them, especially the little girl, only six or seven years old, thin and frail, pitiful to behold.
“These food items were gifts from the two grandpas behind me. I don’t need them, so I’ll give them to you. Don’t be shy—eat up.”
Shui Miao opened the gift packages brought by Zhang and Wang, letting the girl and her mother eat.
“That’s strange,” Wang Tue thought, puzzled. “This crazy woman usually only asks for money and never eats anything given to her, fearing poison might harm her daughter. Why is she acting so differently today?” The pair was clearly starving—within moments, an entire bag of cake had disappeared into their stomachs.
Zhang Blind, seeing the pair through his blurry vision, sighed, “Haven’t you seen how hungry they are? I’ll go get some water…”
Hearing this, Wang Tue immediately decided to go get water too.
“Wait…”
Shui Miao suddenly called out to Zhang and Wang: “Zhang Blind, have your granddaughter take them to your shop to bathe, and make sure to serve them well. Then, you two bring a bed to my shop so they can stay here. I’ll go get them some clothes now. Soon, they’ll be reunited as a family.”
“Reunited as a family? What do you mean?”
Zhang and Wang were instantly stunned, not understanding what Shui Miao meant by “family reunion.”
Shui Miao’s eyes had already regained their clarity. He stood up and stretched deeply, saying, “Do you really think I’ve just been sleeping since noon? I won’t hide it from you—I’ve been silently sensing everything around me all this time. When I learned of their plight, I decided to help them, cure the mother’s mental illness, and let them live a good life. As the saying goes, ‘the heart’s illness requires a heart remedy.’ Coincidentally, I also know that the girl’s father will soon come here with a knife to attack me.”
“Eh…”
Upon hearing this, Zhang and Wang were completely stunned and even more confused.
“Alright, alright, I can’t explain it clearly to you now…” Shui Miao nodded slightly. “You’ll understand later. Now, follow my instructions immediately.”
“Yes, yes!”
Zhang and Wang hurried off to carry out the tasks.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage