Book 4: Chapter 72:2: Hoshiguma: How Expensive! Part 2
“Then, Elder Sister Hoshiguma, would you like to have your future read? Considering you are my elder cousin’s colleague, I’ll not charge you this time.”
“…On my account? Then why did you charge me for my first divination?” Ch’en found Chen Heng’s words strange.
“Elder Cousin, be reasonable. When I first divined your future, I did not charge you. The first time was so I would not have to return to the Lungmen Guard Department with you, so I did not charge you. As for the second divination, Elder Sister Swire paid for it. You did not spend any money.”
Ch’en thought for a while and realized it was as Chen Heng said.
“…Chen Heng, after hearing that, I now feel you two cousins conspired to scam me of my money.” While Ch’en had accepted it, Swire, who was listening in on the conversation, suddenly felt upset.
“Elder Sister Swire, you are overthinking. Back then, Elder Cousin did not know I was her younger cousin. Otherwise, I would have been too embarrassed to use her to trick you.” Chen Heng gave a perfect answer to Swire’s difficult comment. However…
...You just said it earlier, right? You used the shithead dragon to trick me?” Swire shrewdly noticed what Chen Heng let slip.
“It was just a joke. There’s no need to be so agitated. By the way, Elder Sister Hoshiguma, would you like your future read?”
“Alright. I’ll give it a try.” Hoshiguma walked behind Swire and patted Swire’s shoulder, wanting to swap seats with her.
“Elder Sister Hoshiguma, there are now four methods before you. The crystal ball, the tarot cards, the wooden lots, and the tortoise shell. Pick one.”
“Old Ch’en, First Young Miss, which method is best?” Hoshiguma was unfamiliar with these four, so she asked the experienced Swire and Ch’en.
“Just casually pick one, as there’s no difference. I now suspect these four items on the table are just props for Ch’en’s younger cousin. He did not use any of them when making that last divination yesterday.”
“…I agree with the char siu cat this time.”
“Is that so? It’s that convenient? The tortoise shell and bronze coins, then.” Hoshiguma had heard of some divination methods before. The tortoise shell and bronze coins were an ancient divination method of Yan.
“Then, Elder Sister Hoshiguma, what would you like read?”
“Just casually choose one. It’s fine. I’m not picky.”
“…Alright.”
Chen Heng picked up the tortoise shell before him. Then he placed the three bronze coins on the table into the tortoise shell. After shaking it a few times half-heartedly, he poured the coins out. However, he did not even bother looking at the coins after pouring them out.
Actually, the tortoise shell and bronze coins were the real deal. When Chen Heng accompanied Nightingale and Skadi shopping yesterday, he found it in his spatial storage item when he had nothing to do. The tortoise shell and bronze coins were spiritual items, able to attract good fortune and ward bad omens. Unfortunately, he did not know how to use them.
Although Chen Heng had learned about the Classic of Changes before, he did not have any Spiritual Energy, thus could not bring out the Classic of Changes’s true effects.
[TL Note: The Classic of Changes, also known as I Ching or Yi Jing, is an ancient Chinese divination text and one of the oldest Chinese classics. Here is its Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching.]
“Shithead dragon, have you noticed your younger cousin is getting increasingly half-hearted? Yesterday, he at least glanced at the wooden lot I drew. Now, he could not even be bothered to look.”
“I noticed.”
“How is it? Do you see something?”
“This…Elder Sister Hoshiguma, did you used to have a little brother called Ah Faat? It’s been a year since he left Lungmen?” When mentioning this, Chen Heng glanced at Ch’en, who appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
[TL Note: Phal, better known as Ah Faat, was a member of Hoshiguma’s gang. The little brother reference is not from a familial relationship but from that of a junior gang member. Triad members see each other as family, so they address each other as brothers or sisters. Here is Phal’s profile: /wiki/Phal.]
“That’s right. You can even see that?”
“What I mentioned is not the result. Actually, this brother will suffer a calamity seven days later. You eventually send him off. However, you can set your mind at ease. He will die for Lungmen, and he will die peacefully.”
“For the entire Lungmen? How do we resolve this calamity?” Set my mind at ease, my ass! This great me’s little brother is going to die! How am I supposed to be at ease?!
“I’ll give you these two medicinal pills. You can give your little brother the pill in the small bottle; it will barely preserve his life. If you can get him medical care in time, he can survive. As for the medicinal pill in the bigger bottle, consider it a gift to you from a friend. After you consume it, some of the hidden injuries in your body will heal. I won’t charge you for this pill. Don’t stand on ceremony. I also gave one to Elder Cousin and Elder Sister Swire.”
“Thank you, Little Brother. However, I cannot take your medicinal pill for nothing. State a price. Your Elder Sister Hoshiguma has worked in the Lungmen Guard Department for many years and has some savings.”
“Since Elder Sister Hoshiguma said that, I’ll give you a discount: 2,000,000 LMD.”
“Huh? How much did you say again? Did I hear wrong?”
“Elder Sister Hoshiguma, I don’t know if you heard wrong, but I’m certain I said the right words: 2,000,000 LMD.”
“…”
“Just joking.”
“Phew! I was thinking that no matter how expensive these two pills are, they wouldn’t cost 2,000,000 LMD, right?”
“When I said I was joking, I wasn’t referring to the price; they are indeed worth 2,000,000 LMD. When I said I was joking, I meant, I won’t charge you. Even if you want to pay, I won’t accept it.”
“…” Hoshiguma stared blankly at the two bottles in her hand. Then she cast a pleading gaze at Ch’en.
“Hoshiguma, just accept it. This is for your little brother.” When speaking of Ah Faat, Ch’en could not help feeling guilty. The calamity and the Reunion Movement attack would happen seven days later…if her informant died, she definitely held significant responsibility. After all, she had groomed him to be her informant and sent him undercover to the Reunion Movement.
“That’s right. Hoshiguma, just accept it. Don’t underestimate Ch’en’s younger cousin. Although he set up a stall here, he is actually secretly wealthy. My wealth is visible, but her younger cousin’s wealth is hidden. Furthermore, it is a wealth that all wealthy people dream of.”
Hoshiguma accepted the medicinal pills Chen Heng gave her. After they chatted for a while, the three left.
Some time later, Chen Heng looked at a pathway some people occasionally took yesterday. Right now, it was already empty and silent; he probably would not get any more customers from that direction today. Hence, he shouted towards the west out of boredom, “Out with it! What is the point of hiding?”
Then, no one answered Chen Heng. This made him look like a fool.
“…You are asking for trouble. I shouted, and you refused to come out. Doesn’t that make me look silly?”
Chen Heng didn’t take any unnecessary action. Instead, he tapped on the table with his right index finger. Then…
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