The Snake-Catcher

Clunk! Clunk!

The snake-catcher's hard-soled shoes struck the ground with a heavy, muffled sound as he walked.

Everyone in the market kept their distance from him, unwilling even to make eye contact, as if he were not a snake-catcher but a venomous snake himself, ready to pounce and bite.

This made Gu Ning'an, sitting cross-legged on the ground with a calm expression as he observed the snake-catcher, stand out even more.

"Dear heavens, why's he heading our way?" Zheng De muttered, his voice tinged with nervous irritation as goosebumps prickled all over his skin.

Gu Ning'an, unfazed, said casually, "Don't be afraid. I told you, he doesn't have any snakes on him."

"I've been terrified of snakes since I was a kid... When I wouldn't settle down at night, my mother used to threaten to send me to become a snake-catcher. I'd straighten up right away..." Zheng De explained with a wry smile.

Ah, childhood trauma, Gu Ning'an thought, nodding in understanding.

Meanwhile, the snake-catcher had arrived at Gu Ning'an's stall. He glanced down at the words written in front of him:

[Calligraphy: Bring your own ink and paper.]

[Fortune-telling: Pay what you will.]

After reading the signs aloud, the snake-catcher sized up Gu Ning'an. Inwardly, he thought, This scholar has guts, I'll give him that. Not afraid of me... but his business sense could use some work.

Fortune-telling and calligraphy? Those are two entirely different trades. How can you do both at once?

Standing nearby, Zheng De, with his years of experience as a vendor, realized this was a prime opportunity for Gu Ning'an to get his first customer. But to his dismay, Gu Ning'an remained silent, not even asking the man a single question.

As the snake-catcher turned to leave, Zheng De gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and called out, "Sir! Please wait a moment!"

"Mr. Gu is excellent at fortune-telling, and his writing is exquisite too!"

"Just look at those characters. Written as if carved in stone—each stroke clear and vivid!"

Hearing Zheng De's enthusiastic sales pitch, the snake-catcher turned back, now intrigued. He looked at Gu Ning'an and asked, "Sir, your sign says 'pay what you will.' What does that mean?"

Gu Ning'an replied calmly, "After I read your fortune, you may pay whatever you feel is appropriate. If you have no money now, you can pay later."

The snake-catcher raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Even if I only give you a single coin?"

"That's fine."

"And if I come back in a year to pay that coin?" the snake-catcher asked, his tone rising with amusement.

"That's fine too."

Hearing these two definitive answers, both the snake-catcher and Zheng De were stunned, their eyes widening as if they had turned to stone.

Zheng De, in particular, was practically screaming internally, Mr. Gu, if you run your business like this, you'll starve to death!

But with the customer standing right there, Zheng De couldn't exactly start lecturing Gu Ning'an on pricing strategies.

At best, it would drive the customer away. At worst, the customer might smash their stalls in frustration.

Actually, no... only my rattle-drum stall would get smashed, Zheng De thought, his mind racing. After all, Gu Ning'an's 'stall' is just a few words written on the ground. What's he going to smash? The dirt?

The snake-catcher introduced himself, breaking the tension. "My name is Meng Wu." Sitting cross-legged across from Gu Ning'an, he continued, "I'd like you to read my fortune."

Before Meng Wu could mentally prepare himself, Gu Ning'an spoke decisively: "Your brows are shadowed, and your forehead has darkened. Ominous signs are evident... In short, you're facing a disaster involving bloodshed."

As soon as these words left Gu Ning'an's mouth, Zheng De's entire body tensed up. His heart leapt into his throat as he stared at the snake-catcher, whose brows were furrowed so tightly they seemed knotted together.

Mr. Gu! Oh, Mr. Gu!

You were so good at comforting me earlier. Why are you throwing around predictions of 'bloodshed' the moment it's the snake-catcher's turn?

Zheng De's inner voice screamed in despair. But with the atmosphere so tense, he didn't dare make a sound.

"Heh... Anyone in the snake-catching trade faces the risk of bloodshed every single day." Meng Wu waved dismissively and continued, "In a few days, I'll be heading to a new location to catch snakes, a place I've never been before. Can you divine whether this trip will go smoothly?"

Clang!

Meng Wu removed the iron tool hanging at his waist and tossed it to the ground, startling Zheng De into a shiver.

The act carried a clear sense of intimidation, as if to say that if Gu Ning'an didn't utter something favorable soon, he might be the one to suffer bloodshed today.

Zheng De, his brow twitching violently, silently prayed, Heavens above, please grant Mr. Gu some mercy in his words...

"There's no return from this trip," Gu Ning'an said, his tone light yet resolute.

Those four words hit like a hammer. Zheng De felt dizzy, his legs going weak beneath him. In his daze, he could already imagine his stall being smashed and himself beaten senseless.

"This gentleman here!" Zheng De blurted out, desperate to salvage the situation. "Mr. Gu has a blunt way of speaking—don't take it to heart!"

"Your trip will surely be smooth, smoother than smooth!" he added, straining every nerve to prevent trouble.

"Quiet," Meng Wu commanded, raising a hand to silence Zheng De. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture toward Gu Ning'an and asked, "Sir, in the face of such peril, is there a way to avoid it?"

Gu Ning'an raised two fingers. "There are two paths to choose from. One is to turn back, the other is to find life within death."

After a moment of contemplation, Meng Wu shook his head. "I fear I have no choice but to go forward. Turning back is not an option. May I ask, sir, what does 'finding life within death' mean?"

Gu Ning'an shook his head. "A fortune cannot be fully revealed. If I tell you everything, both the path of death and the path of life will change."

"Remember this: when you face danger, seek survival amidst it, and only then can you escape this calamity."

With that, Gu Ning'an picked up a stone and drew a solid circle on the ground, shading its center until it was completely filled. Then, at a small distance from the first, he drew an empty circle.

Thud!

Setting the stone down, Gu Ning'an pointed to the two circles and said calmly, "Life and death are separated by a fine line. If you grasp the moment, resolving this danger will be as simple as turning your hand."

Meng Wu stared at the two circles for a long while. He then reached over to Zheng De's stall, picked up a rattle-drum, and poked two holes through its surface with his finger.

"Sir, which circle represents the path of life?"

Gu Ning'an shook his head. "It doesn't matter. When the time comes, you will naturally understand."

"Very well!" Meng Wu tucked the rattle-drum into his chest, grabbed his iron tool, and stood up abruptly. After bowing deeply to Gu Ning'an, he flipped his palm to reveal roughly five taels of scattered silver.

Bending down, he placed the silver onto the solid circle Gu Ning'an had drawn. Laughing heartily, he said, "I consulted three fortune-tellers before you. They all spoke pleasant words that comforted me, yet left me feeling uneasy."

"Today, though you spoke not a single kind word, I strangely feel at peace."

"Consider this five taels a deposit. If I find the path of life, I'll return with a greater reward!"

With that, Meng Wu turned and strode off.

But just as he took his first step, Gu Ning'an called out, "Wait."

Swish!

Meng Wu stopped and turned back, bowing slightly. "Sir, is there more advice you wish to give?"

Gu Ning'an gestured toward the stall beside him. "The rattle-drum costs ten wen each. No bargaining."

Meng Wu froze for a moment, glanced at Zheng De, and then counted out ten copper coins, placing them on Zheng De's stall.

Turning to Zheng De, he said, "Brother, thank you for stopping me earlier."

With that, Meng Wu disappeared into the bustling market.

Zheng De, utterly baffled, turned to Gu Ning'an and stammered, "Mr. Gu, just now... was he thanking me?"

"Why would he thank me?"

Gu Ning'an smiled. "Perhaps for lending him a rattle-drum?"