A flicker of worry seemed to cross the man's face as he asked the question.
"I'm Wen Ying. And you are? My grandmother... she's already passed on."
The man was taken aback for a moment, then sighed. "Your grandma was right again."
Only after he finished speaking did Wen Ying learn that the man's surname was Zhang. He ran a grocery store nearby, very close to Grandma Wen's clinic, making them neighbors. The last time Uncle Zhang saw Grandma Wen, she had told him they would never meet again in this life and had hoped he would look after her granddaughter from time to time.
After he finished, Uncle Zhang's gaze swept to the sign. "Psychological Counseling?"
He seemed confused by the name. "Aren't you going to continue running your grandma's traditional Chinese medicine shop?"
As he spoke, he peered into the clinic. It was completely empty. The traditional medicine cabinets he remembered were all gone.
This was the first Wen Ying had heard that Grandma Wen was a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine.
"I don't know anything about traditional medicine. I just recently got my psychologist's license, so psychological counseling is all I can offer."
Upon hearing this, the disappointment in the man's eyes was palpable.
"Well, just get me a peace charm then."
"A peace charm? Uncle Zhang, are you having some kind of trouble?"
Uncle Zhang's face was a mixture of disappointment and a sliver of hope. "Grandma Wen once said you knew talisman painting. Don't tell me you don't?"
Wen Ying shook her head. "I'm a psychologist, I don't do talisman painting. But Uncle Zhang, if you have a problem, you can tell me about it. Perhaps I can help?"
Hearing this, Uncle Zhang let out a heavy sigh.
"It's no use, it's no use... If you need help with anything in the future, just come find me at my shop." With that, Uncle Zhang turned to leave.
"Uncle Zhang, wait!"
Wen Ying looked at Uncle Zhang. A vast, oppressive mass of dark clouds loomed over his head.
It was even tinged with a hint of red.
'This is a sign of extreme misfortune,' she thought. 'At its peak, it could be life-threatening.'
'But from his face, Uncle Zhang doesn't seem like a bad person. On the contrary, he looks simple and honest.'
'How could he be so plagued by misfortune?'
"Little Ying, is there something else?" Uncle Zhang didn't seem to be in the mood.
"Uncle Zhang, before you came here, weren't you almost hit by an egg thrown from a window above?"
"How did you know that?"
"I also know that you were chased by a stray dog this morning. And last night, on your way home after closing the shop, you ran into a drunk and got into a small scuffle, injuring your back."
Uncle Zhang stared at Wen Ying, his eyes wide with shock. "You've inherited Grandma Wen's mantle?"
"Uncle Zhang, it's a psychological deduction. I am a psychologist, after all. I inferred all of this from your facial expressions, your words, and your behavior. If you trust me, pay me one thousand, and I can help you resolve this."
Uncle Zhang gave Wen Ying a strange look. He might not have much education or worldly experience, but he still knew what a psychologist was.
And the one thousand she was asking for was a bit steep. Back in the day, Grandma Wen had only charged him two hundred for talisman paper.
'All in all, this kid seems unreliable,' he thought. 'She's probably just making wild guesses.'
'But then again, Grandma Wen helped me in the past,' Uncle Zhang decided. 'I might as well just give her the one thousand!'
'But after this, I'm never coming back.'
"Let's scan the code."
After receiving the payment, Wen Ying invited Uncle Zhang to have a seat.
"Uncle Zhang, you're currently plagued by a string of misfortune. You've been facing danger every single day. Even though you've come out of it unscathed so far, the situation seems to be escalating. You're worried that the next time, you might not be so lucky. You've wondered about it yourself, haven't you? You feel you've been a good person your whole life, so you don't deserve this. Am I right?"
Uncle Zhang's expression immediately turned to one of agitation, as if he were clutching at a final straw. "Yes, yes, that's it exactly! I had no idea your psychological counseling was so incredible, Little Ying! So, what should I do?"