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The man froze in his place. "You mean...?"

"Exactly as you imagined," Chu Yuening smiled. "The tomb owner's wife fell in love with you after your patient consolation, and her affections shifted."

Upon her words, an eerie silence descended upon the crowd.

The neighbors never would have expected such a twist to unfold.

"One moment the tomb owner's body isn't even cold, the next his widow is infatuated with the culprit who engraved the wrong epitaph?"

A few people in the crowd couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess now we understand why the tomb owner keeps haunting you every night."

"If he hadn't, wouldn't he have had to attend your wedding the next time he returns?"

The man felt awkward. "I didn't expect things to turn out this way either."

At the same time, he felt aggrieved. But it was too late for regrets; he should have just focused on his work and not meddled in comforting the family, which led to this entire predicament.

"Master Chu, what should I do now?"

"It's simple," Chu Yuening offered a solution. "First, you need to replace the tombstone."

The man listened attentively, nodding along. "Don't worry, even without Master Chu's advice, I'll change it back tonight and apologize to both families."

"Then, you must burn more paper figurines for the tomb owner."

"Paper figurines?" The man was confused at first but then understood. "You mean burn more companions for him?"

Chu Yuening explained, "While his resentment isn't too strong yet, you should alleviate it. Otherwise, not only will you be in danger, but his wife will be as well."

Her gaze fell on the man's shoulder, where a faint black aura had already attached itself. If they waited any longer...

The man nodded repeatedly, paid the divination fee, and hastily left the scene.

Chu Yuening stood up and walked to the glass cabinet. She opened the ice box, scooped two bowls of tapioca pearls, added coconut milk, and then returned to the small wooden table with them. Placing one bowl across from her, she said, "You must have come a long way. I only have sweet soup here, I hope that's not an issue?"

The second fortune-teller was an elderly lady who sat on the chair with a sense of unease. Her silver hair was neatly tied at the back of her head, and her thin ankles were exposed from rolled-up pants, with mud stains around her worn-out rubber slippers. She nervously clasped her knees from time to time.

Upon seeing the sweet soup, the old lady felt a bit awkward. "I don't mind, but dear child, all the money I've saved is for this fortune-telling. I can't afford to pay for the sweet soup."

Living in a fishing village by the sea, dozens of kilometers away from Temple Street, she had heard from fellow villagers who had visited the street that there was a renowned fortune-teller whose predictions were eerily accurate, albeit with a long queue.

Determined to find someone she had been searching for a long time, the old lady learned about the queuing rules and set off from her fishing village late at night, making her way into the city to Temple Street.

By the time she arrived, there were already three people ahead of her in line. Knowing that the fortune-teller only saw the first two clients, she didn't lose heart and continued to wait, planning to rest for the night if necessary and return the next day.

Unexpectedly, one by one, the others left due to various reasons, making the old lady the second lucky one.

Chu Yuening smiled gently. "Auntie, the sweet soup is my treat. It's almost noon, please have some."

"Thank you, dear child," the old lady replied, holding the large bowl with both hands. Her nails were filled with dirt, and she seemed a little embarrassed. However, as she looked at the tapioca pearls in the bowl, her empty stomach growled, so she picked up the spoon and began to eat hastily.

Having not eaten or drunk anything since early morning, the old lady devoured the food quickly.

Chu Yuening waited patiently.

Finally, the large bowl was emptied.

The old lady wiped her mouth with her sleeve, placing the bowl on the table before her voice tinged with anxiety. "I want to find Feifei, she's disappeared, I can't locate her anywhere. Little sister, can you help me find out where she is?"

Neighborhood gossips outside couldn't resist asking.

"Feifei? Is she your granddaughter?"

"Feifei isn't my granddaughter, I don't have any children," the old lady replied, her deeply lined face filled with melancholy. "Feifei is a dog. But in my heart, I've treated her like my own daughter."

Chu Yuening listened quietly.

"Feifei is so well-behaved, she never bites anyone. She's been with me and Old Baiyi (the old man) for ten years. In all that time, she's never wandered off, always staying by our side. But three days ago, Feifei suddenly vanished, and no matter how hard I search, I can't find her." As the old lady spoke, her expression grew more anxious, her mud-covered Liberation shoes stomping the ground repeatedly.

Seeing the old lady's shabby attire, the neighbors could tell she wasn't financially well-off. Thus, someone suggested,

"Auntie, it's just a dog. Is it worth spending two hundred yuan to have your fortune told just to find it?"

"Indeed, Auntie, get another one. For two hundred yuan, you can buy a bunch of local dogs."

"It's been three days already. The outcome can't be good."

"Also, could it be that Feifei went out to play with your husband at home?"

Amidst the chatter of her neighbors, the old lady's eyes, lined with wrinkles, glistened with tears. "She couldn't have gone with my Baiguyi. Because..."

Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Baiguyi passed away last week."

The neighbors sighed in sympathy.

Two widowed elders, childless and without family, now left with one alone in this world after the other's departure.

"Thus, I must find Feifei no matter what," the old lady suddenly burst with emotion, gripping Chu Yuening's hand tightly, as if grasping onto a lifeline. She pleaded, "Little sister, please, help me."

Chu Yuening patted the old lady's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll definitely help you. Do you have Feifei's birth chart?"

The neighbors were puzzled. "Why? Do animals even have birth charts?"

Chu Yuening released her grandmother's hand and, noticing the curiosity of the onlooking neighbors, she explained, "A person's 'ba zi' refers to their birth year, month, day, and hour in the Chinese zodiac system. Just as humans have a 'ba zi,' so do animals."

The neighbors appeared to grasp the concept partially.

"I see, so that's how it is."

"Since that's the case, Grandma, quickly provide Feifei's 'ba zi.' Master Chu is very skilled in fortune-telling; with the 'ba zi,' it should work for sure."