He Xiang went on explaining it to me.
"The word shang itself can mean 'to go,' as in shang xue-going to school.
"So shang cesuo, 'going to the toilet,' is simply a neutral expression.
"The word xia can also mean 'to go,' as in xia di gan huo-going out to work in the fields. It generally refers to doing hard labor.
"In ancient times, there was a saying that a gentleman kept his distance from the kitchen.
"Kitchen workers were at the bottom of society, and their work was hard, so people said xia chufang-going into the kitchen."
When He Xiang finished, she looked up at me.
Her little eyes narrowed, her small mouth spread into a grin, showing tiny white teeth and sweet dimples...
For some reason, the expression on her face at that moment remained etched deep in my mind like a photograph, vivid and clear.
Only many years later did I learn that this had been the last time I would ever see her!
Many teachers and friends lamented that heaven was jealous of her talent, but I knew all too well that the root of this tragedy lay in ignorance of feng shui.
That ignorance was fatal.
Nothing matters more than life and death.
Everyone must die eventually. Sooner or later, we all face the ultimate questions: why should we live? What value is there in our existence?
We eat to live, but living cannot be only about eating.
In our lifetime, we should do something for the world, leaving at least some small trace behind.
I hope that more people can understand the principles of yin and yang and the five elements, and avoid the needless harm that ignorance brings.
It was this wish that led me to write this book.
Of course, all that came later.
Just then, my phone suddenly rang, and my mother's excited voice came through the earpiece. "Sanhe, why aren't you home yet? Hurry back!"
Mom was in good health and full of energy. But from her tone that day, it sounded as though something wonderful had happened.
I said goodbye to He Xiang and hurried home.
When I arrived, sure enough, we had a visitor.
My mother warmly introduced him as Uncle Feng from the neighboring village.
Uncle Feng had big eyes, wide nostrils, and a broad face. He was tall and powerfully built.
I greeted him politely.
My mother launched into her explanation, practically glowing with excitement.
"Uncle Feng has a daughter older than you, and she's really something! After graduating, she went to Singapore to study. Now she's working while doing her master's, and she can even send money home every month.
"I hear she's also found a boyfriend from a rich family. He's loaded, and they're getting married soon!"
"She's not all that remarkable," Uncle Feng said, showing off under the guise of modesty. "But she's kindhearted. Even though she's doing well over there, she still thinks of people back home. If any of our neighbors want to go to Singapore for a master's, she can help them apply..."
I had no idea where this Uncle Feng had sprung from that day. I had never met him before.
But his words certainly struck a chord with me.
There I was, a full-grown man, yet with the meager salary I earned fresh out of university, after deducting my monthly living expenses, I could barely afford gifts for my family during the holidays.
Yet this young woman could send money home every month. What I had made of myself was downright embarrassing. The more I thought about it, the more ashamed I felt, until I couldn't help asking, "Uncle Feng, could I apply to go to Singapore? What would I need to qualify?"
"I hear you graduated from a top university. With your qualifications, you're sure to get into the National University of Singapore.
"Once you're there, she can find you a part-time job. You'll easily make over ten thousand a month. You won't even spend it all, so you can send some back to your parents.
"And after two years, you'll have a master's degree to boot..." Uncle Feng poured it on.
"Is it easy to find a part-time job that pays over ten thousand?" I still had one last shred of reason left.
"No problem. Leave it to her. She's been there a long time and knows plenty of bosses." Uncle Feng put my mind at ease.
His words beat against my heart like drumsticks, drawing me into dreams of the future.
The National University of Singapore ranked higher worldwide than either Tsinghua or Peking University.
I'd earn more than I did now-several times my current salary in one leap!
And I'd pick up a master's degree from the National University of Singapore along the way.
While my parents were still young and healthy, it was the perfect time to go abroad and broaden my horizons.
We were all neighbors, so there was no need to worry about being scammed...
The little abacus in my head clicked away. It never once occurred to me to wonder why I had met two silver-tongued people that day whom I had never seen before.
As soon as Uncle Feng left that evening, I eagerly began discussing going to Singapore with my parents, brimming with enthusiasm.
My parents were old-fashioned. Though they saw how much his daughter was earning, they still hesitated at the thought of my giving up my teaching job.
But a man's ambitions should reach far and wide. How could I let a job title confine the limitless possibilities of my future?
After this brainwashing barrage of rosy promises, we soon reached an agreement: I would go to Singapore!
I wasted no time applying for a passport and visa, resigning from my job, and making every preparation to let my dreams take flight.
Only when I had my visa and plane ticket in hand did I suddenly realize that Singapore lay on the equator, directly south of China. Was this the "heading south" part of "up south, down north"?
Could it really be so uncanny? Could fate really be calculated?
For no apparent reason, I thought of the old Taoist. I wondered where he was now, and whether I would ever see him again.
Before you continue