Lin Fei deduced the hexagram: Earth above, Thunder below. Earth-Thunder-Fu, the hexagram of Return; to return is to go back to the origin. This hexagram signifies something lost that shall be found again.
He then examined the first line, "Return, not far." It meant that the lost item had not gone far and would be recovered quickly. "Not far and return" — with the mountain below and water in the north, it pointed to a place where creatures were grazing leisurely. The hexagram would respond within two hours.
The mountain below, water, and the northern position clearly pointed to the cattle grazing freely in Longquan Ravine.
After deciphering the hexagram, a smile appeared on Lin Fei’s face. Since there was only one Longquan Mountain and one river called Longquan Ravine near Longquan Village, Aunt Cuiyun’s cow would certainly be found.
"Aunt, your cow is grazing just to the north of Longquan Ravine. You should go fetch it quickly," Lin Fei said to the woman.
"What? Right to the north of the ravine? How could you possibly know that?" Zhang Cuiyun asked, looking astonished.
"Hehe, I studied a bit of divination in the past. I cast a hexagram for you just now, and it shouldn't be wrong. You should go take a look; if you wait too long, who knows where it might run off to."
"Really? Alright, whether you're telling the truth or not, I'll go have a look first."
Anxious to find her cow, Zhang Cuiyun, though skeptical, hurried out of the gate toward the ravine.
Lin Fei walked to the fields and saw his sister-in-law, Mo Xinlan, hunched over, weeding. Sweat had soaked through her faded clothes. She would occasionally straighten up to rub her lower back, clearly suffering from severe lumbar disc herniation.
Bao’er was squatting in the shade of a tree, quietly playing with some ants. She was already five years old; if not for their family’s financial struggles, she should have been in kindergarten in town by now.
In fact, this plot of land had remained fallow for a long time. Back when the family ran a construction company, they hadn't had the time to farm. Later, after the family crisis and the company's collapse, Mo Xinlan had been forced to reclaim the land to make a living.
Seeing his sister-in-law working so hard and recalling the hardships she had endured over the past two years, a wave of deep sorrow and guilt welled up in Lin Fei’s heart. He silently swore that he would make sure his poor, admirable sister-in-law lived a good life, and that the vile Liu Jinshan would pay for his crimes in blood!
"Bao’er, what are you playing with?" Lin Fei walked over to Bao’er and squatted down.
"Uncle, I'm playing a game with the ants," Bao’er said, lifting her rosy little face.
"Xiao Fei, what did the hospital say?" Mo Xinlan asked, stopping her work when she saw her brother-in-law return.
"I’ll finish the last month of my internship and start work tomorrow," Lin Fei replied.
"Oh, and after the internship ends, do you plan to work at the hospital?" Mo Xinlan wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked again.
"I don't want to work at the hospital. I’m planning to open my own clinic."
"Open your own clinic? Where would you get the capital?" Mo Xinlan frowned, finding Lin Fei’s idea somewhat unrealistic.
"I’ll figure out the funding. Sister-in-law, it’s too hot; stop working. Let's go back, and I’ll treat your back. This condition shouldn't be neglected," Lin Fei said with concern.
"Oh my! Xiao Fei, you’re truly a miracle worker! You were absolutely right! I really did find our cow by the ravine! Hahaha!"
"Xiao Fei, you really are a good soul. No wonder the Bodhisattva protects you! You’re our village’s divine diviner!"
As the two were talking, Zhang Cuiyun walked over leading a fat, healthy ox, showering Lin Fei with praise.
Hearing Aunt Cuiyun’s words, Mo Xinlan was baffled. "Xiao Fei, what’s going on?"
Lin Fei explained how he had used divination to help Aunt Cuiyun find her cow.
"Wow, really? Your divination skills are that amazing? Then hurry and cast one for us—when will we get rich? Hehehe!" Mo Xinlan felt this was a novelty and asked with a laugh.
Seeing her smile so brightly, Lin Fei realized how truly beautiful she was, and how long it had been since he had seen her look so happy.
"Hehe, my cultivation is still shallow. For now, I can only predict things within three days, and I’m not even sure how accurate it is," Lin Fei said, scratching the back of his head with a humble grin.
"Hehe, that’s fine. We have a divine Zhuge Liang in our family now; we won’t have to worry about not getting rich in the future, right?" Mo Xinlan teased.
In truth, Lin Fei knew his sister-in-law didn't truly believe it. After all, the chances of guessing correctly in a case like finding a cow were high. Longquan Village was only so big—where else could a cow go? It would be either under the mountain or by the river. Helping Zhang Cuiyun find the cow wasn't enough to prove his supernatural ability. But Lin Fei knew clearly: as long as he cast a hexagram, every single one would prove true.
Back home, Lin Fei began treating Mo Xinlan’s lumbar disc herniation. This condition was common but notoriously difficult to cure completely. Through acupuncture to clear the meridians and massage to channel the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Qi into the affected area, Lin Fei completely healed her condition.
It was an instant, total recovery.
However, during the treatment, the elegant curves unique to a woman and the faint, delicate fragrance she emitted made Lin Fei feel quite awkward. Mo Xinlan was indeed a great beauty, but Lin Fei felt only deep respect for his sister-in-law and dared not harbor any improper thoughts.
Mo Xinlan, however, was not overly restrained in front of him, having tended to him for the past two years. When Lin Fei performed the massage, her heart strings had inevitably trembled. Having been widowed for over two years, she was in the prime of her life and was, after all, a normal woman. How could she not have those kinds of thoughts?
In Mo Xinlan’s heart, the exact role and position of her brother-in-law were hard to define. Sometimes, she truly thought of Lin Fei as her own man, though she knew such thoughts were absurd. Now that Lin Fei was healthy, having recovered into a tall, handsome, and promising young man, she felt that if he didn't mind her, forming a family of three would be quite nice. She believed that her late husband, Lin Yue, would bless them from heaven.
However, Mo Xinlan could see that the way Lin Fei looked at her did not seem to carry those intentions.
"Wow! I have to say, your medical skills are truly incredible! It doesn't hurt at all!"
Mo Xinlan stepped off the kang, twisted her waist, and felt extremely relaxed. With no pain at all, she gave Lin Fei a thumbs-up.
Relieving his sister-in-law’s pain brought Lin Fei a sense of great comfort. It also gave him more confidence and anticipation regarding the medical knowledge within the legacy of the Tongtian Divination Formula.
"Lin Fei, you piece of trash, get out here!"
Just as Lin Fei and Mo Xinlan finished their lunch, Liu Er led five or six burly men into the courtyard, shouting aggressively.