nycdaug Chapter 18 Your husband has found another woman
Chapter 18 Your husband has found another woman
Zhou Liyun couldn't help but start to have doubts.
People who usually set up fortune-telling stalls are quite old. This young woman looks delicate and youthful; she must be quite young. Why is she out here telling fortunes?
And she also wants one hundred taels of silver. Is she truly capable, or is she just a fraudster?
Zhou Liyun wasn't sure.
However, she came from a merchant family and was not short of money; one hundred taels of silver was no problem for her.
The girl also said that she wouldn't charge if the fortune telling was inaccurate. If the fortune telling was wrong, she would definitely ask for her money back.
So, she sat down directly opposite Qin Wanying, with Zhou Liyun's maid standing beside her.
There were quite a few pedestrians around, and seeing someone sit down in front of the fortune-telling stall, they became curious and gathered around.
Most of these people were just there to watch the show.
Some people didn't believe it and thought the girl was trying to scam them, and they even considered exposing her.
Qin Wanying stared at the woman in front of her for a few seconds through the eyes behind her veil, and was startled.
It really comes to whatever you want.
This person turned out to be Zhou Yonglu's sister.
She sat up straight and asked, "Sister, what brings you here today?"
Qin Wanying's voice was sweet and soft, clearly that of a young girl, probably only fifteen or sixteen years old.
This made Zhou Liyun despise her even more and feel that she had no real talent or ability.
So he said to Qin Wanying, "Miss, since you are a fortune teller, then tell me, what do I want to know today?"
If I can't even say this, then there's no point in continuing.
Those around Zhou Liyun felt that her question was somewhat unreasonable.
When you go to a fortune teller, do you ever ask them what you want to know?
They're fortune tellers, not mind readers.
Some people sympathize with Qin Wanying, feeling that she encountered a difficult opponent as soon as she started setting up her stall.
Some people think Qin Wanying is a fraud, and this is a good opportunity to expose her true colors.
Qin Wanying wasn't angry when she heard the question; she just smiled gently.
"I think this lady is here to predict whether your brother will pass the imperial examination and, by the way, to predict your marriage."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Liyun's pupils dilated in shock.
She actually knew what she wanted to be!
She clearly only decided to have her fortune told on a whim. Even the content of the fortune telling was something she came up with on the spot.
This little girl actually knows? Is she really a divine being?
Thinking of this, Zhou Liyun's expression became more respectful, and she sat up straight.
"Master, I never imagined you could actually know what I came to have my fortune told. You truly are a reclusive master. I apologize for my rudeness earlier."
As soon as Zhou Liyun finished speaking, the people around her sighed.
"This little girl can really figure out what people are here to ask? She's really amazing."
"I think this woman is a plant; the two of them are putting on an act," someone said in a low voice.
Qin Wanying heard some of the surrounding chatter, but she didn't pay it any mind.
In a few days, many people will come to my place because of my reputation, and it will be difficult to get a divination from me.
"You're too kind, sister. I'm young, so it's only natural that you don't believe in my abilities," Qin Wanying replied politely.
After Qin Wanying finished speaking, Zhou Liyun's impression of Qin Wanying improved considerably.
I never expected this girl to be so capable and polite. Even though I had just offended her, she wasn't angry at all.
Qin Wanying smiled: "Pay the money first, then have your fortune told." She didn't want to be taken advantage of.
Zhou Liyun was not short of money. Knowing that this young girl was really capable, she directly ordered her maid to give her a silver note of one hundred taels.
Qin Wanying told Chunying to put the silver notes away and continued, "Your younger brother did very well in the exam; he's the runner-up this year."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Liyun opened her mouth wide.
She had originally thought that she would be grateful if her younger brother could even pass the imperial examination at the provincial level. She never expected him to be the second-highest scorer!
Because Qin Wanying had already stated what she wanted to be, Zhou Liyun had already largely believed her.
"After passing the imperial examination with the second-highest rank, one's official career will be smooth sailing, and one will enter the Imperial Treasury and be promoted one after another."
Zhou Liyun covered her mouth.
What? They actually said his younger brother will be admitted to the Imperial Academy?
The Zhou family had been merchants for generations, and no one had ever produced an official. The Imperial Treasury was something she wouldn't even dare to dream of.
Her husband, Tian Guang, had always looked down on their family ever since he passed the imperial examination and became an official.
He clearly rose through the ranks by studying in a merchant family, but after becoming an official, he looked down on those merchants.
If her younger brother really does become the second-ranked scholar and enters the Imperial Academy, wouldn't that be a huge slap in the face to Tian Guang?
The people around fell silent.
He ranked second in the imperial examination and entered the Imperial Treasury.
Is this something an ordinary person would dare to predict?
There's only one person who got second place. If it weren't for this person, wouldn't it be a slap in the face to the fortune teller?
Moreover, they even specified which temple they were visiting, which suggests that not just anyone would dare to make such a claim.
The people who had originally wanted to expose Qin Wanying fell silent, puzzled.
They thought the girl would say something unrealistic, like she was destined for high school or becoming an official.
But the details were surprisingly specific.
Could it be that this young girl truly possesses real talent and learning?
At this moment, someone in the crowd whispered, "I think this fortune-telling woman looks like the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, and the wife of Tian Taizhu."
"Now that you mention it, she does look familiar. Her younger brother's name seems to be Zhou Yonglu. Could it be that he really is the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination?"
"And what about marriage?" Zhou Liyun continued to ask.
Qin Wanying said, "It's a family matter, and it's not convenient for others to hear. Please come inside with me, sister." With that, she stood up and went inside.
Zhou Liyun and her maid followed.
Xuemei closed the door.
The people outside were full of curiosity, wanting to hear what was going on in Tian Taizhu's family. They couldn't hear anything for a while, and their gossipy hearts were not satisfied, making them quite anxious.
After closing the door, the two sat down inside.
“Sister, I’ll be frank. Your husband has found another woman, the daughter of a rank-eighth-grade clerk in the Water Conservancy Bureau.”
“Your husband is just a ninth-rank Taizhu (a minor official title), how can he let the daughter of the Dushuijian (a minor official title) become his concubine? He wants to divorce you and marry someone else.”
Zhou Liyun immediately felt her heart skip a beat.
It took her a while to realize what Qin Wanying meant.
She stared wide-eyed at Qin Wanying, bewildered. She couldn't believe that all those years of supporting her husband's education would end up like this.
She married Tian Guang, believing she had married for love.
However, after marrying into the family, she discovered that Tian Guang's mother was extremely mean and critical, constantly criticizing her, saying that she had not conceived since marrying into the family, and making her stand in a dignified manner for an entire morning.
She endured it all; after all, no daughter-in-law can resist her mother-in-law's temper.
At first, Tian Guang would comfort her, but after he passed the imperial examination and became an official, he stopped pretending and never gave her a kind look.
And you even asked why my mother scolds and punishes you? If you did everything perfectly, would my mother treat you like that? You should really reflect on your own problems!
She also argued with Tian Guang, and Tian Guang couldn't win the argument, so he disliked her even more.
She never expected that Tian Guang would want to divorce her!
The maid behind her was also indignant, feeling sorry for her mistress.
Over the years, the master has been eating and using the wife's things, but now that he's become an official, he actually wants to kick the wife aside!
"Young lady, are you sure what you're saying is true? Could you have misread it?" Zhou Liyun still held onto a sliver of hope.
Qin Wanying wasn't angry when Zhou Liyun questioned her. "It's absolutely true. If you go home now, you'll definitely see that woman and your husband engaging in debauchery in broad daylight."