Chapter 147: Surprisingly Unable to Read Palms

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Although Shen Guodong felt somewhat nervous inside, he nodded and said, “Yes, Granny. I’m Yueru’s husband.”

“Yueru has had a hard life. Since you married her, you must treat her well. Don’t behave as recklessly as you did before.”

Hearing Granny’s admonition, Shen Guodong nodded. “Don’t worry, Granny. I really was out of my mind before, but I’ve come to my senses now.”

Only then did Granny nod.

“I already knew something was different when Yueru stopped coming by these past few days. Whenever she feels even a little wronged, she usually runs straight to me. But she hasn’t come for more than ten days now, so I figured her husband must have started treating her well again. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have forgotten about me for so long.”

As soon as she said this, Liu Yueru’s face flushed crimson. “Oh, Granny, you’re teasing me again. My husband is right here.”

“When have I ever stopped coming to see you?”

“Didn’t I bring him here to visit you today?”

Granny smiled and nodded. “I watched Yueru grow up. Now that she can live happily, I’m satisfied.”

Shen Guodong put an arm around Yueru and said, “Don’t worry, Granny. Since you watched Yueru grow up, you’re practically one of her guardians. I promise you, right here in front of her, that I’ll treat her well from now on.”

Granny smiled. “I believe you.”

Liu Yueru walked over and took Granny’s hand. “Granny, how have you been living lately? Do you need me to buy you anything? Please keep this money. It’s what I brought to fulfill my vow today.”

When Granny saw Yueru take out the red envelope, she immediately pushed it back. “Oh, you two have only just reconciled. You must have plenty of expenses ahead of you, so keep it for yourselves. I’m just an old woman living here, and the temple provides vegetarian meals. There isn’t much I need money for.”

“That won’t do,” Liu Yueru said. “You once read my fortune and told me that my husband would change and come to his senses. I’m here to fulfill that vow. This is an offering to Buddha, not a gift for you.”

Upon hearing this, Granny smiled. “All right, then. I’ll accept it.”

She quietly took the red envelope from Liu Yueru.

Seeing Granny accept it, Liu Yueru looked as delighted as she had when she was a child. “There’s one more thing I’d like to trouble you with today. Could you read Guodong’s fortune and tell us how this year is likely to unfold for him?”

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Granny shook her head. “From the moment I saw you bring your husband here, I could already tell. You must trust him completely by now.”

Shen Guodong, sitting beside her, shook his head. “To be honest, I failed miserably before. Recently, I’ve just been trying to make up for some of it wherever I can. That’s why I’ve been doing all this.”

Granny nodded. “I know. Come inside with me. It’ll at least be cooler indoors. It’s still terribly hot outside.”

After following Granny inside, they discovered that the small room was not very large. It appeared to be a simple one-story house, but because it was hidden deep within the bamboo grove, it was unusually quiet and pleasantly cool.

The room was also spacious and brightly lit.

Liu Yueru sat down expertly on a meditation cushion, and Shen Guodong followed suit, sitting cross-legged beside her.

The old woman trembled as she brought out two bowls of tea and placed one in front of Shen Guodong. “I don’t have anything valuable here, only the sort of food ordinary families eat. Please don’t stand on ceremony.”

Shen Guodong shook his head, picked up the tea, and drained it in one gulp. It was a scorching afternoon, after all, and anyone would have wanted to finish a bowl of tea the instant they saw it.

Seeing him drink so heartily, Granny nodded. “There’s more tea over there. Pour yourself another bowl if you want.”

With that, Granny took Liu Yueru’s hand and examined her. “Yueru, you look quite well lately. Your complexion is good.”

“Yes, Granny,” Liu Yueru replied with a nod. “Life has been going fairly well recently, so I wanted to bring my husband here and have you look into what lies ahead for us.”

After drinking two bowls of tea, Shen Guodong said to Granny, “Why don’t you take a look at my fortune too?”

He had never really believed in such things. But since Liu Yueru was so enthusiastic, he figured he might as well let her read him. It certainly could not do him any harm.

When Shen Guodong extended his hand, Granny silently took it and examined it. Then she felt his pulse.

Shen Guodong looked puzzled. Wasn’t she supposed to be reading his palm? Why had she started taking his pulse? Though confused, he said nothing.

Granny’s brows gradually knitted together. “How strange.”

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After a while, Granny shook her head. “This is extraordinarily strange.”

“Sir, I can only make out your palm lines vaguely. It seems that when you were thirty, some sort of shadow appeared and blocked everything beyond that point. I can’t see the lines after that.”

Shen Guodong shook his head. “Granny, is it really that serious? I feel perfectly fine.”

Hearing this, Liu Yueru grew nervous. “You really can’t see anything? How is that possible? You read my fortune accurately before.”

Granny shook her head. “I can read yours clearly enough, but this gentleman’s seems rather blurred. Forget it. If I can’t read it, then there’s no point forcing it.”

After muttering to herself for quite some time, she shook her head at Shen Guodong. “Let’s leave it at that.”

Shen Guodong was completely bewildered. What was going on with this old woman? Could she really not even read his palm?

Liu Yueru was equally baffled. Her husband seemed perfectly normal to her. Why couldn’t Granny read his palm at all?

Seeing Granny muttering to herself, Liu Yueru said, “Well, if that’s the case, then forget it. Could you at least give my husband a protection charm? And one for my younger sister as well?”

Liu Yueru was quick-witted and interrupted Granny’s thoughts. Granny no longer dwelled on the strange matter of Shen Guodong’s palm and fortune.

She nodded. “Protection charms? These two amulets were made by me on the mountain just a few days ago.”

Shen Guodong accepted the so-called protection charm. It was similar to what people in modern times called an amulet, though this one had been made in the shape of a small scented sachet. A faint fragrance seemed to linger inside it.

He accepted it and thanked Granny.

Liu Yueru took the other amulet, nodded, and said, “Thank you, Granny.”