Chapter 1Face Reading
My name is Li Yi. I’m twenty years old and live with my grandmother in a small northern town where we run a funeral wreath and burial shroud shop. Our storefront is part of our two-story house. The first floor holds our living quarters and the shop, while the second floor has four rental units.
Since our business revolves around death, the upstairs apartments rarely fetch a good price. Most potential tenants take one look at the funeral supplies downstairs and bolt. So, our renters are usually folks scraping by—like the chubby internet café attendant in the east unit, who’s two months behind on rent. Today, I planned to confront him. If he couldn’t pay, he’d have to leave.
The other tenants, though poor, at least paid on time.
That morning, I heard the guy return from his night shift. I stormed into the courtyard through the shop’s back door, ready to channel my inner tyrant landlord.
The guy was pudgy, bespectacled, and about 5’5”. At nineteen, he was a year younger than me. Obsessed with online games, he’d taken the café job solely for free computer access. His round face had decent features, but according to face-reading, he’d never strike it rich. Any windfall would vanish quickly—or worse, bring disaster. How did I know? My grandmother taught me. Before switching to the funeral trade, she’d been a renowned fortune-teller, a “divine seer.” But after her craft indirectly caused my parents’ deaths, she vowed never to read another soul’s fate—except mine, in secret. She forbade me from practicing until her passing, so I’d never officially tested my skills.
When I cornered the guy, I paused. A red bump had swollen on his forehead and nose. In face-reading, the forehead reflects one’s yearly fortune. His had been sunken, signaling bad luck at nineteen. But the new bump hinted at a sudden upturn. The nose, representing wealth, had also reddened, slightly narrowing his flared nostrils—a sign of fleeting prosperity.
“Looks like you’re about to score some cash,” I said.
He jumped. “H-How’d you know?”
“Not just cash—you made it gaming. Sold a rare weapon tonight, right?”
He gaped. “That sword’s worth over 4,000 RMB! How’d you guess?”
Simple. His job, gaming obsession, and stress-induced acne all pointed to a sleepless grind. Plus, he’d bragged before about in-game profits.
I waved him off. “Pay up tomorrow, or you’re out.” Relieved, he scurried upstairs.
Back in the shop, Grandma rocked in her chair, eyes glued to a tiny black-and-white TV. “You did well,” she said, “but forgot one thing. He can’t hold onto money. Make him prepay a few months’ rent, or he’ll be broke again.”
Nodding, I tidied the funeral wreaths. A customer had ordered two for his mother’s service, but Grandma warned, “He won’t come. His face yesterday showed impending disaster—jail or hospital. We keep the deposit.”
When I asked why she hadn’t warned him, she glared. “I swore never to intervene. Unless you want me dead?”
I dropped it. With no customers in sight, I headed out to meet my girlfriend, Cai Xiaohua. Her mother—who despised my lack of education and income—had finally agreed to let me visit.
Xiaohua worked at a mall clothing store. We’d hit it off during a shopping trip, but her mother’s disapproval had strained things. To win her over, I’d splurged 500 RMB on a dress for Xiaohua last week—a fortune compared to my thrift-store wardrobe.
Today, I’d dress sharp and bring gifts. This lunch could make or break our future. My savings—meant for a future wife—depended on it.
