Chapter 254: The Feng Shui Layout with Double Drawbacks

Brother Ye, did your shop previously catch fire? After everyone sat down, I used my rudimentary plum blossom numerology to calculate, then frowned and asked Ye Liang.

Ye Liang was pouring tea for me; hearing this, he froze and said, "Brother, how... how did you know?"

I didn't answer; instead I went on: "A fire did happen, but it shouldn't have caused the restaurant owner any loss. On the contrary, he turned disaster into profit and came into a large sum of money. Therefore I concluded he must have received a substantial compensation."

As soon as I finished, Ye Liang nodded eagerly: "Exactly, that's exactly it. When my older brother was still running this restaurant, a wealthy youngster caused trouble here. After getting drunk, he had someone set fire to the place. But the youngster's father was rich, afraid his son would go to jail, so he gave my older brother a large compensation."

"Hey, wait, I said, brother, how did you know?" Ye Liang, while recounting the restaurant's earlier accident, only halfway through came to his senses, looked at me in surprise and asked.

"Hehe, I know a bit of feng shui and numerology; I figured it out from the layout and calculations." I smiled, leaned over, and pointed out the window to Ye Liang: "Look at your restaurant—there's a straight road heading straight toward it, and ahead there's a factory whose roof top resembles a triangular hammer-arrow. In numerology, three represents fire. Moreover, that triangular tip looks like an arrow piercing your restaurant. Combined with last year's fire cycle and the restaurant's location being metal, they form fire overcoming metal, so last year was the year when the preceding shape's overcoming was strongest, causing the fire... Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I explained."

Finally, I bluntly explained: "Simply put, the restaurant's layout is a mix of benefits and drawbacks—a straight road facing the door and a fiery arrow aimed at the building. If the owner has a strong destiny and it's suitable, they could turn misfortune into fortune and become rich; but they could also end up burned out with nothing. Your older brother was lucky and gained a large sum of money. But you..."

Saying that, I also hesitated.

"Ah, so you're a master! I have eyes but don't recognize Mount Tai—I've been rude to you." After hearing my explanation, Ye Liang didn't wait for my reaction; he immediately grabbed my hand and pleaded: "Please, please help me—I've spent all my savings to take over this shop. I just wanted to scrape by with a couple of meals a day, but in the month since opening, business has been terrible; even just paying rent is a struggle... Please, please help me—I know about incense oil and such."

"All right, all right, all right, Brother Ye—don't call me master; just call me by name, and don't mention incense oil." I waved my hand, cutting off Ye Liang's lament. Finally, I shouted outright.

To speak from the heart, the moment Ye Liang and I sat down, I already regarded him as a friend; I hope my modest knowledge can help him, and I have no intention of seeking any profit. Don't think this relationship developed too quickly—sometimes, for me, becoming friends comes down to just feeling and getting along.

In my view, friendship should not change because of circumstances or each other's status. I despise hypocrisy, and even more so flattery. I look down on you—no matter how wealthy, how high your status, how great your achievements—I still won't respect you. By treating you as a friend from the heart, I hope that regardless of poverty or wealth, status or identity, we can all speak freely without reservation.

Since we're friends, mutual help is natural; why should I lower myself because I need something from someone? So-called flattery, to me, is actually a thorn that makes me feel I'm drifting away, losing a genuine feeling.

Perhaps I'm naturally unsuited for this line of work; I don't like being worshipped, nor do I want to be constantly surrounded by flattery. What I like is living in a corner, without having to fake smiles to greet people. Even if the stage clothes are glamorous and crowds gather, what I truly want is to have someone keep me company in that corner, quietly chatting—just that.

So when Ye Liang flatteringly called me "master," I felt uncomfortable. Because I never intended to take any payment; I simply thought Ye Liang was kind and a good person. I naturally ought to help him—nothing more.

However, after Ye Liang learned I was a numerologist, no matter what he said, his tone always carried a hint of politeness, lacking the naturalness I initially saw in him.

I suddenly recalled the story of the bathhouse, the monkey and the Maitreya Buddha inside. I've forgotten how many friends, after gaining power, became people from another world relative to me. I've also forgotten how many childhood friends, approaching me with caution and restraint... Perhaps this is just life—destined to move forward slowly amidst gains and losses.

"Brother Hai Sheng, what do you say I should do with my restaurant? Should I change the layout?" Ye Liang nervously grabbed me and asked; this was only after I'd struggled for a while to get him to stop calling me "master" and start calling me "brother."

"If you want to... but before that, you must prepare one thing." I held my teacup and pointed with my other hand to the left corner of the restaurant.

In the upper left corner of the restaurant there is a deity vase, with a statue of Guanyin placed on it. This Guanyin is not mere decoration; it has been properly consecrated and is a living statue. Beneath the statue is a large fish tank, in which several koi swim.

"This statue—it's a Guanyin statue, what's the problem?" Ye Liang was puzzled and gave me a convoluted argument, saying that this Guanyin is the South Sea Guanyin, and placing the Guanyin's vase above the fish tank corresponds to that meaning.

"First, I don't know where you learned that, but I can say it's nonsense." I rubbed my forehead and pointed a finger: "First, regardless of what deity you place—even if it's not a wealth god—deity statues should not be too close to a fish tank. Because the fish tank is a moving object; any moving object generates airflow and stagnant impurities, especially when the tank is below, the impurities rush upward, which is especially serious. If you built an outdoor pond and placed a Guanyin statue there, it might not be a problem. But if it's inside a house and concerns wealth luck, then you're completely wrong."

"Second." I continued: "Guanyin is compassionate, vegetarian, and does not kill. Yet you run a restaurant serving beef, pork, dog, mutton—all kinds of meat, a mingling of five vapors. Think about it in simpler terms: having Guanyin constantly smell those five mixed vapors, how could she be happy? A vegetarian who daily faces these forbidden items—how could she possibly have the energy to bless you?"

I have always believed that feng shui, numerology, and mountain divination are founded on human nature; they serve people, transcending life yet serving it. Therefore they shouldn't be overly mysterious, and as a numerologist I should explain things in the simplest, most plain terms for those who don't understand. That's why I dislike being cryptic and prefer to stay close to everyday life.

Through my explanation, Ye Liang gradually grasped some principles; I advised him to pick a day to send the Guanyin away and then invite Lord Guan (Guandi) back to protect him.

Afterward, Ye Liang asked me again how to neutralize the triangular arrow on the roof of the factory across the street.

I pondered for a while and told Ye Liang: "Actually, you don't need to worry about it. First, this year's luck is no longer Geng metal, and once the fire clash pattern has been activated, it hides the sixty-year cycle. Moreover, when I walked by earlier I saw a relocation notice for that factory—it should be demolished soon. So the triangular hammer-arrow on its roof can be completely ignored."

However... the entrance facing the straight road is always a harmful influence; water coming straight in is most inauspicious—a straight road is like a spear. Around here are factories, sparsely populated, so the White Tiger's killing energy rushes straight at us; even if we ignore the opposite triangle arrow, we still need to block this incoming killing energy.

After a while, I finally came up with a practical feng shui method to neutralize the harmful energy: install a foyer, yes, that is, install a foyer. Earlier, Yuan Qiu introduced me to a doctor who had encountered a rather troublesome feng shui master who, without checking the natal chart, hastily used a foyer to neutralize the harmful energy.

The method is correct, but it's too rigid, unable to adapt as needed, and overlooks that the foundation of feng shui is to serve one's destiny.

The term "foyer" may be hard for ordinary people to grasp, but I've explained before that a foyer is essentially a screen; in feng shui it neutralizes harmful energy by using the screen to divide the airflow generated by the magnetic field, blocking it so the flow goes to both sides—a method very close to daily life and with a rhythmic quality.

Ye Liang's restaurant is called Xiangwei Mansion; its interior layout and name style originally followed a retro route. Installing a screen inside to partition, and adjusting the exterior layout and ceiling design, would not cause any damage—on the contrary, it could bring that retro style to its fullest expression. Of course, this advice is given only after I learned Ye Liang's natal chart.

After hearing my suggestion, Ye Liang rested his chin on his hand, thought for a while, then hesitantly said: "Brother Hai Sheng, this isn't bad, but my restaurant follows a mass-market line, serving home-style dishes; if I make the ambiance too high-end, people might be afraid to come in."

"The ambiance can be high, but the price can stay moderate." I patted his shoulder, struck a gun‑holding pose, flashed a dazzling set of white teeth, put my arm around him and grinned: "Trust me, Brother Sheng walks the world with integrity—he won't cheat heaven or earth, and certainly won't cheat you."

Before I could finish speaking, someone suddenly slapped the back of my head hard. I winced and turned to see Han Duo looking at me with a cold stare.

That crazy woman—makes people lose all manners.