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The passing of your father occurred in March, didn't it?

"Yes, two years ago, Father went on a spring outing with his friend and unfortunately got caught in a landslide."

Someone in the crowd recognized Yuan Tianbo.

"Amazing, she predicted Tianbo's father's passing. Seems quite accurate."

"A hundred and twenty yuan for a reading, and she can divine that much? Not bad."

"What else will she predict?"

Chu Yuening continued her reading.

"You're currently forty-five. Your prominent nose indicates good fortune in wealth now, but your birth chart only shows a slight inflow of financial luck. In your earlier years, your business ventures were not prosperous, and you switched through multiple industries, all somehow connected to fire."

Yuan Tianbo was thoroughly convinced, his eyes widening with admiration.

She was right again.

"If it weren't for the fact that I'm meeting Chu Yuening for the first time today, I'd have thought we were old friends," Yuan Tianbo remarked.

Chu Yuening explained, "I did indeed switch jobs quite a few times in the past – as a restaurant chef, a fireworks handler, and an electrician, all involving fire. During my time with the fireworks, I almost got blown up."

"Your zodiac sign is Metal, and Fire restrains Metal. Thus, jobs related to fire are not suitable for you. However, Earth nourishes Metal, and your dried goods store essentially falls under the Earth category. It complements your zodiac, making this business very comfortable for you, without any significant setbacks," she continued.

"Exactly," Yuan Tianbo nodded vigorously. "In the past two decades, there hasn't been a single accident in the shop, not even minor incidents like workers slipping. I always thought it was just good luck, but there's actually so much depth to it."

Whispers began to spread through the crowd.

"So, the mishaps at my company – from falling to stepping in dog poop – are due to my zodiac being incompatible with the company? Hmm, seems risky. Maybe I should call in sick today."

"..."

"Friend, if you want to skip work, just do it. No need to make excuses."

"Oh, right. Then I won't go to work today."

"..."

"Predicting a profession from over a decade ago seems rather eerie. Could it be that you two have colluded?"

"Colluded with whom? I've already said we don't know each other."

Chu Yuening finally arrived at the core of her analysis, "Your children's houses on both sides aren't particularly prosperous, and one of them is entirely dim. For men, it's left for sons and right for daughters. You should only have a single son."

Yuan Tianbo nodded repeatedly.

"But there's more," Chu Yuening continued. "Not only do you have one son, but you yourself are also an only child. Tracing back several generations, your Yuan family has been a line of only sons. In other words, for ten generations, the lineage has been passed down through a single heir."

The audience erupted into an uproar upon hearing this.

Ten consecutive generations of only sons! Who would dare to make such a prediction? Who even had the ability to?

Even Yuan Tianbo was momentarily stunned. If not for his father mentioning their ancestors' history, he wouldn't have known this fact.

"Yes, for ten generations, my family has had only one son. This has always been a deep-seated concern in our family, as our descendants have been scarce. After having one son, all males in the family lose their fertility, unable to have more children."

The crowd stirred once more.

Divine! Truly divine!

To calculate someone's fortune and delve into their family line ten generations back—when have they ever encountered such an accurate fortuneteller?

"Your position of officialdom is luminous. Logically speaking, even if you don't hold an official position, your son should," Chu Yuening continued with the reading. "Does he work for the Hong Kong government? His rank will still rise in the future. Encourage him to dedicate himself to his work."

Yuan Tianbo nodded repeatedly, fearful of interrupting Chu Yuening's reading.

"May I ask a question?" Yuan Tianbo ventured cautiously, and Chu Yuening encouraged him to proceed.

Recalling the family's peculiar legacy, he inquired, "Why does the male line of the Yuan family lose their fertility after the birth of their first child?"

Chu Yuening responded with a question of her own, "Nine generations ago, did your ancestor have a general in the family?"

Yuan Tianbo recollected the dusty family records stored away, "Indeed, there was a general."

"Does your family tree mention any tales of affection between that general and his spouse?" Chu Yuening queried further.

"It's recorded." Yuan Tianbo, though puzzled by the connection between the general's story and the fact that the Yuan family had a single heir for ten generations, still gave an honest response.

After all, General Yuan had only one wife, from a humble background. Even after becoming a high-ranking general, he remained devoted to his spouse, showing her even more affection. Unlike the traditional patriarchal society, the general held his wife in extraordinary esteem, and stories of his love for her were still recorded in their family genealogy.

"Exactly as it should be," Chu Yuening smiled gently. "Back then, the general, moved by his wife's hardships in bearing children, vowed to lose his own fertility as a sign of commitment, including all future generations of the Yuan family."

Upon learning the truth, Yuan Tianbo's expression was a mix of astonishment and amusement.

Ancestor... if you wanted to play such a game, why involve us all?

The onlookers were equally amazed.

"Thankfully, my family doesn't have such an ancestor."

"A single vow has burdened ten whole generations."

"They say many children bring blessings, but the Yuan family truly has it rough."

"But looking at Tianbo's situation, one such offspring is better than a dozen. He's in government service; I'd trade three of my sons for one like him any day!"

After serious contemplation, Yuan Tianbo found that having just one child wasn't really a big deal. When his wife was giving birth, he had stood outside the delivery room, listening to her cries. At that time, he wished he could have undergone sterilization so that she wouldn't have to go through such pain even once.

Seeing that Yuan Tianbo didn't seem interested in pursuing the matter, Chu Yuening couldn't help but inquire, "Don't you want to know how it can be resolved?"

Yuan Tianbo waved his hand dismissively. "If I can't bear to see my own wife suffer through childbirth, how much more for our descendants?

As for whether or not they want more children, that's their decision to make. The oath has been in effect for ten generations, and it's not something that can be undone overnight. Both I and my son have grown accustomed to this unique family legacy, so it's just too troublesome to bother with now."