I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

The next morning, the entrance to the old dyehouse became lively.

Huang Shouzhou was efficient this time. He had just released the news the night before and found five or six workers who were used to renovating old houses for Chen Qinghe the next day.

There were bricklayers, carpenters, and an old hand who specialized in clearing wells and ditches. They were all wearing short jackets and undershirts with towels draped over their shoulders. As soon as they entered, they looked the old dye house over from head to toe.

The leader was a carpenter surnamed Deng, in his forties, with thick arms and a tanned face, clearly someone who spent his days climbing up and down beams.

He walked around the front yard, then went to the back yard and knocked on the old pillars before turning back and saying, "The place is big enough, and the beams aren't completely rotten. If we really want to fix it, it's not hopeless. But there's a lot of work to be done. The front needs to be demolished, the back needs to be cleared, and the well needs to see the light of day again."

Huang Shouzhou, standing to the side, immediately chimed in, "Just focus on your work, you won't be shortchanged on your pay."

Carpenter Deng glanced at him but ignored him, instead turning to look at Chen Qinghe.

As Liang Zhongren mentioned yesterday, the current owner of this place is that young Taoist priest from the Sanxuan Temple in Fu'anli.

He didn't take it too seriously at first.

But when I actually met the person, I felt that something was different.

He was so young, and dressed so simply, yet he stood there with such composure, as if this messy old dyehouse had already taken shape in his eyes.

Chen Qinghe didn't waste any words, he just spread out the drawings he had made last night.

"In the front yard, we'll leave the main beams untouched, replace the rotten wood, and lift the threshold. In the back yard, we'll dismantle the old frame on the west side, clear out the well, and re-dig the drainage ditch. On the east side, we'll keep three rooms in the bungalow, demolish two to make room for ventilation. Before we start work, we'll clear out all the old dye vats, wooden frames, and waste materials from the front and back."

Upon hearing this, Deng the carpenter's expression became more serious.

These arrangements are not something an outsider can just casually come up with.

It's not simply about "repairing a house," but rather about prioritizing what's important in mind.

"Does Master Chen want to turn this place into a Taoist temple?"

"right."

Carpenter Deng nodded: "Then we need to clear out the old odors first. All those dye vats in the front yard need to be moved, and I also need to check the well in the back yard. If the well walls haven't collapsed, it can still be used."

After saying that, he ordered his men to start working.

The group of people split up and got busy.

Some people dismantled door panels, some carried old wooden frames, and some moved the broken jars and buckets piled in the corner out one by one.

The old dye shop, which was originally lifeless, was instantly brought to life by the arrival of people. The sound of hammers, footsteps, shouts, and the friction of wood.

Huang Shouzhou stood at the door, watching, feeling inexplicably happy.

This is decent.

The Sanxuan Temple had never seen anything like this before.

Chen Qinghe didn't blindly follow along; he simply walked slowly around the yard, watching the workers dismantle the structure, observing the dust rising from the ground, and checking if the front and rear air vents were moving in the correct direction.

He knew that the worst thing about temple renovations wasn't slowness, but chaos. With so many people and so many hands, if there wasn't someone to keep things in check, things that should be preserved could easily be torn down along the way.

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from the backyard.

"Amin, go up there and loosen that crossbeam!"

"I'll go, then I'll go."

Huang Shouzhou subconsciously peeked out and saw a tall, thin young man in his early twenties already stepping onto the wooden ladder and about to climb onto the old cloth drying rack.

That frame was so old that the wooden pillars underneath had turned black, and it didn't look very stable.

Chen Qinghe glanced at it only once before saying, "Come down first."

The young man was startled, his foot already on the ground. He turned around and asked, "Master Chen, what's wrong?"

"You shouldn't climb high today," Chen Qinghe said calmly. "Come down and let someone else go up."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

The workers stopped what they were doing and all looked over in this direction.

Amin was also stunned, then smiled somewhat awkwardly: "Master Chen, I'm here to work, not to be given instructions. Besides, it's just climbing a ladder, it's not that strange."

Someone nearby chuckled.

Carpenter Deng didn't laugh, he just frowned. He'd been in this business for a long time, and he was actually a bit superstitious. Old houses, old beams, old wells—what hadn't he seen?

But he couldn't just order his men to leave because of a single word.

Chen Qinghe walked up to the ladder and glanced at Amin.

"You didn't sleep well last night. Your eyes are red, and there are dark circles under your eyes. The web between your thumb and index finger of your left hand is newly cracked, and your palm feels hard but weak. This means that you've been unable to exert yourself for the past two days. More importantly, the sole of your right shoe is worn unevenly, causing your center of gravity to shift outward when you walk. If you step on this old wooden frame today, you might accidentally step into the air and injure either your leg or your back."

Amin's smile froze instantly.

Because all of these points were accurate.

He didn't sleep well last night. His mother coughed all night, and he only managed to doze off for a short while before dawn.

I stepped in water again when I went out this morning, and the soles of my shoes are worn unevenly, but I haven't had time to change them.

Huang Shouzhou, who was standing nearby, immediately brightened up when he saw this.

This is the real Chen Qinghe.

They don't necessarily have to resort to trickery every time, but they manage to subdue people's hearts with just a few words.

Standing on the ladder, unsure whether to go forward or backward, Ah Ming finally managed a dry, "Master Chen, did you figure this out from my fortune telling?"

"It depends on the person," Chen Qinghe said. "Fate is fate, and survival is survival. You're not suited for this today."

Carpenter Deng realized what was happening and immediately shouted, "Get down! Let Old Xu go!"

Amin blushed and quickly climbed down from the ladder.

After another older worker went up, Deng the carpenter also went over to take a look. As soon as he loosened one end of the crossbeam, the old wooden frame cracked in half with a "crack", and a large amount of rotten wood chips came crashing down.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the courtyard.

Fortunately, the person who went up was an experienced one and was prepared. He jumped backward down the ladder and only got a splinter on his shoulder.

But if it had been Ah Ming who went up just now, he would probably have fallen hard.

Amin stood below, his face pale.

This time, no one in the courtyard laughed anymore.

Carpenter Deng dusted off his shoulders, turned to look at Chen Qinghe, and his expression had changed.

"Master Chen, your eyesight is really sharp."

Chen Qinghe didn't respond to that, but said, "It's the first day of construction on this old house, so let's take it easy. Nobody should rush to put up the beam today. Let's clear the front yard, dredge the back ditch, and make sure the well opening is visible first."

Carpenter Deng readily agreed: "Okay, I'll do whatever Master Chen says."

That one sentence, "Listen to Master Chen," was enough to sway the crowd.

The people who worked behind them were noticeably more cautious, and no one dared to act recklessly just because they had some experience.

Even Huang Shouzhou couldn't help but puff out his chest, standing at the door watching the workers come and go, feeling proud of himself.

When it was lunchtime, the workers squatted in the corner of the courtyard to eat, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Ah Ming, holding a boxed lunch, hesitated for a long time before finally approaching Chen Qinghe.

"Master Chen, you just said that I shouldn't climb mountains today, what else is there?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Shouzhou almost burst out laughing.

That's how they took the bait.

Chen Qinghe looked up at the young man, his tone still calm: "Your fate isn't bad, it's just that you've been rushing things these past few years, and rushing makes you prone to making mistakes. Your elders at home aren't in good health, and you're always worried about them, so you can't concentrate on your work. Don't think about changing jobs or going far away for the next six months. Focus on securing your current job, save up some money, and when your luck turns around in the fall, go find work in the west. You can earn more there than you do now."

Amin's eyes widened when he heard this.

How did you know I wanted to go to the shipyard in Sai Wan?

As soon as he said that, several workers eating nearby looked over.

Chen Qinghe simply said, "You have broad shoulders and strong hands; carpentry isn't a long-term career for you. Your heart isn't in this; you're looking for bigger opportunities. But the time isn't right yet. If you force it, you'll likely suffer losses."

Amin was immediately convinced and nodded repeatedly.

Even Deng the carpenter couldn't help but glance at Chen Qinghe a couple more times.

These roughnecks were used to seeing fortune tellers on the street, but nine and a half out of ten were just spouting nonsense. Someone like Chen Qinghe, who didn't raise his voice or intimidate, yet whose few words hit the nail on the head, was truly rare.

Huang Shouzhou, watching from the sidelines, felt an itch to shout out the Sanxuan Temple's signboard again.

But Chen Qinghe didn't continue speaking, and just looked down at the blueprints in his hand.

The front yard has been half cleared.

The pile of bricks next to the well is also being moved outward little by little.

He couldn't help but look up.

Although the Sanxuan Temple in front of him was different from the one in his mind, it would make him more familiar with it!