
In a bustling town where incense smoke curls from every temple, a prosperous landowner named Zhao Zezhang is haunted by a single, relentless longing: the hope of fathering a child before his years run out. Desperate, he turns to a reputed “blind” fortune‑teller, a charismatic figure whose cryptic readings have already earned him a reputation as a modern‑day seer. The teller’s elaborate analysis of Zhao’s birth chart promises not only wealth but a miraculous birth, igniting the landowner’s optimism and setting a chain of events into motion.
Meanwhile, ordinary folk—beggars, merchants, and monks—navigate a world where superstition and ambition intertwine, each seeking solace or advantage in the same whispered predictions. As Zhao’s household prepares for the promised blessing, the story gently exposes the fragile balance between belief and deception, inviting listeners to ponder how far people will go when hope is wrapped in the allure of destiny.
Language
zh
Duration
~42 minutes (41K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2009-01-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1866–1910
A major voice in late Qing fiction, this Chinese novelist used sharp, entertaining stories to expose social problems and official corruption. Best known for Bizarre Happenings Eyewitnessed over Two Decades, he helped shape the modern Chinese novel at a moment of rapid change.
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