NABC Chapter 22 Encounter in the Temple
Chapter 22 Encounter in the Temple
Cen Jing then noticed a popular fortune-telling stall not far away and turned to Chen Maorong, saying, "Old Chen, aren't you supposed to be making some changes? Why don't you get a fortune told?"
Chen Maorong laughed and said, "This doesn't have any real impact."
To get promoted smoothly, the most important thing is to do your job well and gain recognition and appreciation from your superiors.
Cen Jing rolled her eyes at him: "Don't I know? I'm just saying this for good luck."
"Okay~" Chen Maorong didn't want to dampen his wife's enthusiasm, so he naturally agreed. Chen Sui felt a little bored, so she went to the side to tease the kitten.
Cen Jing took Chen Maorong's arm and walked over to ask, "Master, how much does it cost to get one of these fortune sticks?"
A young man who looked like he had just entered the temple said, "Ten yuan a piece."
"OK."
Cen Jing paid the money and asked Chen Maorong to shake the divination tube according to the rules. The latter silently recited some basic information such as names and birthdays, and after shaking it for a while, he turned the tube upside down, and a divination stick fell out through the small hole.
"Sir, it's 15 yuan if you need your fortune told," the young man added before even seeing the fortune slip, not noticing that Chen Maorong's expression grew increasingly serious after seeing it.
"Master, how do you interpret this poem?"
The young man looked up and the four lines of the fortune slip appeared right in front of him.
"Traveling through numerous dangers and obstacles, carrying water and mud, crossing mountains again and again."
He longed to seek employment in a foreign land, but had not yet returned, traversing thousands of mountains and rivers.
The young man felt a chill in his heart. He could retreat, but advancement was difficult. He could only maintain the status quo and should not aspire to a high position. At first glance, this poem was definitely a bad omen.
People come to the temple to draw lots hoping for good fortune and auspicious omens. Who would put such an extremely unlucky lot in their own lot-drawing container?
The key point is that the customer just mentioned asking about their career, and the interpretation of this divination poem is absolutely perfect and could be the worst possible outcome.
"This...this..." The young man hesitated for a long time, unable to come up with a solution.
Chen Che went over to take a look and gasped inwardly, but his face was still full of smiles as he said earnestly, "Uncle, this is a very good fortune reading. Do you mind if I say a few words?"
Chen Maorong was in a good mood before he drew a fortune stick, but after he drew one, he felt a little unhappy. Chen Che could say that this was a good fortune stick, but he wanted to see what kind of tricks he could come up with.
"you say."
Chen Che nodded, pointing to the signature, and said, "Look at the first sentence: 'The journey is fraught with obstacles and dangers. A perilous road is not a dead end; it is a necessary trial before advancement. If you can withstand the tests of the company and the organization, these difficulties will become your confidence and weight in the company in the future. There is no such thing as a smooth promotion in this world; it all depends on your own efforts and maneuvering, doesn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Maorong pondered it for a moment. Following this logic, it seemed to make sense. He had rejected many bids, which had caused some companies to hold a grudge against him and spread rumors about him. Fortunately, his work was documented and could withstand scrutiny, so he had a clear conscience and could sit firmly in his position.
"Good, please continue." Chen Maorong nodded in approval.
"Carrying water and mud while crossing mountains may seem like a heavy burden, but water represents wealth and earth generates gold. In reality, these are all hidden assets, such as your subordinates. You lead them to finalize one project after another, traversing mountains and valleys, and overcoming one difficulty after another."
"The last two sentences are even clearer. 'Not returning to a foreign land' does not necessarily mean a different place. It could mean that a larger department needs you to lead, or that it is not impossible that you are needed to be the head of a new company."
As Chen Che spoke, he watched Chen Maorong's ashen face gradually improve, and finally, he couldn't help but smile. He realized that his words had struck a chord with Chen Maorong, and said to the young man beside him.
"Master, is this the meaning behind the fortune slip?"
The other party nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right."
This is a real expert! He came to my rescue; otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to handle the current situation.
I would never have been able to come up with such a clever way of saying black as white.
Chen Che spoke eloquently, and Chen Maorong's opinion of him rose considerably. It was rare for a college graduate who had just graduated from high school to be so shrewd and worldly-wise. Moreover, he happened to be his daughter's college classmate. It was never a bad thing to associate with someone like him.
Their moment of glory should come to an abrupt end, leaving their impressions as they are.
Chen Che smiled and said, "Uncle and Aunt, it's almost time. I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave now. Welcome to Suzhou!"
"Oh, okay, okay." Chen Maorong nodded habitually. This young man made him feel so comfortable that he even wanted to invite him to have lunch together, but after thinking about it, he realized that they weren't that familiar with each other yet, so he gave up on the idea.
Chen Che found Chen Sui, who was intently playing with the cat and nibbling on it. The big orange cat, which had been fed by tourists and was quite plump, was lazily basking in the sun with its eyes half-closed, showing off its belly without any concern. It was purring comfortably as Chen Sui petted it.
"Class monitor, I'm leaving." Chen Che greeted him from the side.
"Oh, bye-bye." Chen Sui waved goodbye.
Just as Chen Che was about to leave, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't given her the bracelet yet, and almost forgot about the important matter. So he took the bracelet out of his pocket and gave it to her: "It's for you. Welcome to Suzhou."
Chen Sui was a little surprised to receive the gift, followed by a touch of shyness from receiving a gift from a boy, and then a feeling of joy: "Thank you."
He had no pockets on him; he'd left his bag in the car, so he simply wore it on his hand.
Having explored most of the sights here, the parents and their two daughters met up to prepare for the next classic destination.
As they walked and chatted, Chen Maorong remarked that the young man was quite nice and that his daughter could learn a lot from interacting with him more often.
Chen Sui pondered her several conversations with Chen Che, lost in thought.
Cen Jing immediately noticed the bracelet that had inexplicably appeared on Chen Sui's wrist and asked, "Nannan, did you just buy this?"
"Uh..." Chen Sui didn't expect this. She received a gift from a boy and her parents found out. What should she do?
Should I lie to my mom and say I just bought it, or should I honestly tell her it was a gift from Chen Che?
After thinking about it, I decided to tell the truth and confess that it was Chen Che who gave it to me.
Cen Jing said "Oh," took Chen Sui's hand and looked at it. The texture didn't seem like cheap stuff from a roadside stall, and the color looked like it had been nurtured for a long time.
Fortunately, Chen Sui had honestly answered that it was a gift from Chen Che, otherwise there would be no way to explain why the bracelet was of this quality.
One lie can create a loophole that requires countless more lies to cover it up.
Cen Jing didn't say much, just told him to keep it safe, and casually asked about Chen Che's family background and financial situation.
Chen Sui frowned and replied, "Mom, how would I know?"
"Hehe, I might look into it sometime."
The family visited all the attractions as planned, but the heat dampened their enthusiasm, or perhaps the absence of Chen Che diminished the fun. The overall atmosphere was not as relaxed and pleasant as it had been at the beginning in Xiyuan Temple.
Indeed, the most interesting thing about a place is its local people, especially because of that particular person.