Chapter 899 Riding a Tiger and Being Difficult to Dismount
As soon as the master said this, the eyes of the noble ladies were cast on Matsumoto Keiko's face.
It's like a luxurious and fragrant neon light.
Envy, curiosity, anticipation, and excitement were like various colors that alternated and flashed in their eyes.
But in fact, for Matsumoto Keiko herself, not only was she shocked, it could even be said that she was filled with disgust and resistance.
First of all, she is not used to being skin-to-skin with strangers, especially she does not want to make contact in public that exceeds the reasonable range.
Secondly, deep down, she doesn't believe that anyone can predict the future.
Yes, most Japanese people are very superstitious and are famous for their enthusiasm for predictions.
In this country, the passion for mysterious events and the love for predicting the future can be said to have no distinction between age and occupation.
Even historically speaking, the Japanese upper class have never stopped being tricked by fortune telling and palmistry.
Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, whenever war broke out between China and Japan, it was basically the result of the deception and bewitchment of these charlatans to cater to their superiors and please the Japanese rulers.
Not to mention the modern Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, I was really confused and won the bet.
This allowed Japan to take control of the major powers, and it was famous for decades with narrow victory, and once became the hegemon of Asia.
Therefore, under the influence of this, Takashima Yoshie, who not only helped Ito Hirobumi persuade Emperor Meiji to send troops to invade China, was praised as the "Master of Yixue".
Forecasting has become even more popular in Japan, ushering in a golden age of fame and fortune for Japanese swindlers who rely on this industry.
From before the war to after the war, Japan had more and more "masters" who enjoyed fortune-telling.
What about horoscopes, fortune telling, palmistry, divination, and fortune telling, everything is prosperous.
These industries can even open stores openly and operate legally.
Some people not only have tens of thousands of followers, but also open specialized schools, write and publish, and appear on variety shows.
There are even many people who have entered the halls of the upper class and have become exclusive fortune tellers for the powerful to predict the future for generations.
It can be said that it is precisely because of this that Japan has become a country with rampant religions and countless ghosts and monsters.
But you must know that Matsumoto Keiko is not purely Japanese, she is actually a Korean expatriate.
Since she was a child, she has lived in "Koreatun" in the Putian area of Tokyo.
And her father has never changed his nationality and has been living in Japan under the name "Han Yingming".
It is precisely for this reason that she has always stood firmly in the anti-war camp.
After becoming famous in the Japanese film industry, she not only went to China for friendly exchanges on behalf of Shochiku Pictures many times, she even participated in the Sino-Japanese anti-war film "An Unfinished Game of Chess".
And the most important thing is that when she was a child and lived in a Korean expatriate community consisting of dilapidated houses, Matsumoto Keiko's neighbor was an old woman who made a living by fortune telling.
The old man who lived alone, whom she called "Achunpo" since she was a child, was a well-known qi physiognomist in Choson.
He would often read Feng Shui and fortune tellers to North and South Koreans who left their villages after their business was prosperous, and he lived until Keiko Matsumoto was in junior high school.
But when the old lady was alive, she would often use divination to tease little Matsumoto Keiko, and then she would take the initiative to reveal the secrets.
He would warn her earnestly.
"Look, Qingzi, you are rich and blessed. These words are all lies. In fact, I can only see through your inner thoughts, just like magic. So you must not believe other people's sweet words.
People who rely on divination are stupid. How can they entrust their happiness to others? The so-called predictions are all lies. Divination can neither teach us to solve problems correctly nor make life easier. Remember, those who are addicted to divination
Women will never be happy. You must create your own destiny. Only if you know how to work hard and are willing to give, you can become a reliable person when you grow up..."
"But...then is there such a thing as blessing from gods and Buddhas in the world? If not, why are there so many shrines and temples?"
At first, the little Matsumoto Keiko still had some doubts about the old lady's words.
However, the old woman's wiser response gave the young woman a correct outlook on life.
"Qingzi, Qingzi, your little mind is still very good at thinking. Yes, of course there is such a thing as blessings from gods and Buddhas. But gods and Buddhas will not bless everyone, and it is definitely not what you can imagine.
.Do you know the saying 'If the Buddha does not cross, everyone will cross by himself'? What are gods and Buddhas? Gods and Buddhas are the beliefs in your heart. What do so many people go to shrines and temples to worship? It is nothing more than what they worship
Just ask for what you want. Especially for the rich, today is the morning sun and tomorrow will be the sunset. They live a trembling life and find it difficult to feel at ease. They only pray to God out of reverence for their fate. But it is better to ask for yourself than to ask for others. Just worship.
What’s the use? If you want your wishes to be fulfilled and happiness to come true, in addition to having a firm belief, you must also be willing to work hard and sweat, only then will you be blessed by the gods and Buddhas..."
In this way, benefiting from the old man's advice, Keiko Matsumoto has always been a hard-working person in her career when she grew up.
Since embarking on the path of performing arts, she has been constantly studying acting skills and filming movies.
She never believed in any so-called predictions about the future.
Even if she encountered an unfortunate supernatural event, she never wavered in her faith.
Not to mention that he didn't do as many rituals as others to eliminate disasters and solve problems, and he didn't even ask for hexagrams and prescriptions.
I just went to Sensoji Temple to pay my respects, just like ordinary people, throw in a hundred yen and make a wish.
Instead, he became increasingly wary of the magicians, knowing that someone would definitely want to take advantage of this loophole and plot against him.
Just like the situation we are encountering now.
So her immediate reaction was to wave her hand reluctantly, showing humility and politely declining.
"No, no need. Master, let's clarify the doubts of the director's wife first. My life is going well and I don't have any worries."
But this time, don't say that the magic stick locked his lips and showed a sullen look on his face.
Even the ladies no longer work.
What a great opportunity!
There is so much excitement here, who is willing to give up the opportunity to pry into the privacy of celebrities?
So these ladies with the rising spirit of gossip put their best efforts into practice and actively tried to persuade them.
Mrs. Kuroda's mood is like her appearance. Her heart is revealed when she opens her mouth, and her courage is revealed when she opens her mouth.
"Hey, why do you think this is perfunctory? Didn't there be a problem with Miss Matsumoto's tissue paper advertisement the year before last? We all know it. This master is a famous onmyoji in the entire Sumida District. It's not easy for him to be the chairman of the board.
I just invited you here. Miss Matsumoto, don’t make the mistake of missing such a good opportunity?”
Mrs. Miyamoto, who has a good-looking appearance, is thoughtful and thinks that Keiko Matsumoto is concerned about privacy issues.
"Matsumoto-san, let the master take a look at you. Please rest assured that everyone here is very strict with their mouths and will not spread gossip to others."
Mrs. Ohno lured him with benefits, "Matsumoto-san, we are acquaintances. I am not afraid to tell you the truth. Business people are really afraid of evil spirits. Although I can understand Matsumoto-san's grievances, I always have to worry about my husband's opinion.
I know your purpose very well. You might as well let me take a look. As long as there is no serious problem, I am willing to help smooth Tasiqi's advertising next year."
Then she looked at the director's wife, "There are also Christmas activities, welcome activities and company annual meetings of Nishiura Department Store. Mrs. Nishimura also hopes to invite you to be the host. Is that right?"
So the director's wife looked up and responded gracefully with a smile to show her approval.
Then, Michiko Harada covered her mouth in surprise and expressed her envy in a playful manner.
"Sister, the two ladies are so generous and kind to you, so please let me see it quickly! What are you waiting for?"
At this time, Matsumoto Keiko's situation became a bit embarrassing, and she was unable to stop riding a tiger.
Indeed, the reason why a circle is a circle is that everyone needs to converge, not specialize, let alone stand out from the crowd.
What's more, the Japanese themselves value being gregarious, and society as a whole has a serious herding effect, extremely rejecting individuals who are different from others.
So after thinking about it, Matsumoto Keiko felt that she seemed to have no better choice, and it could only be the result of compromise.
"Well, please ask this master to take a look at it for me."
She tried her best to suppress the conflicting emotions in her heart and said this.
Leave no flaws, make your smile dignified and calm, and let your demeanor blend naturally and elegantly into the happy and relaxed atmosphere of your lady.
Then he slowly stretched out his right hand.
The outline of this hand is slender, delicate and soft, and the transparent nails are as attractive as almonds.
Seeing the long-awaited magic stick, I couldn't help but let out a long breath, and sweat broke out on my forehead.
I watched as the hand that had always been the most reluctant and the most itchy reached out.
His fat fingers couldn't help but move, and his eyes showed uncontrollable anxiety.
He was pleased that his patience had been rewarded, imagining the feeling of the prey about to fall into his hands.
However, at the last moment, Matsumoto Keiko was sensitive to the evil look in his eyes and the secret joy on his lips.
Unable to restrain herself, she almost vomited.
So I just let my white and stretched hand tap the fingertips of the magic stick, and it floated back like a soft ribbon, and tightened my body like a conditioned reflex.
The duck that was about to enter the entrance just flew away!
Everything that happened suddenly, to the magic stick, was like an obscure ancient scripture that provoked and humiliated him.
He had no choice but to hold back his subsequent methods, and only a torrent of anger poured into his inner body and mixed into his Dantian.
But he still couldn't have a seizure.
Not for anything else, just because Matsumoto Keiko is an actor!
And she is no ordinary actor, she is a professional-level movie queen!
"Oops! I violated a taboo!"
Keiko Matsumoto, who took away her right hand, deliberately looked panicked.
"What's wrong?"
The ladies were all puzzled and looked at her in astonishment.
"Sorry, so sorry, I forgot. I completely forgot. Last month, I actually went to Miaoho Temple to pray. Master Wanghai, the leader of the Shingon Sect, specifically told me not to do divination or pray to spirits for ninety-nine days... As a result
I...I almost forgot all about it today...I'm sorry, ladies. I'm sorry, this master!"
Matsumoto Keiko was so frightened that she kept bowing and apologizing to everyone present, and she did so with great courtesy.
So after everyone looked at each other, their attitudes became ambiguous.
"It turns out to be like this, then... let's just forget it and stop looking at each other. Zen masters can't fight against Onmyoji..."
Mrs. Miyamoto must have really believed it, otherwise she would not have taken the initiative to help smooth things over.
"You can't fight against evil spirits, otherwise it won't work."
Michiko Harada was more alert and took advantage of the situation to help Matsumoto Keiko speak.
Mrs. Ohno raised her eyebrows and was somewhat dissatisfied with the etiquette.
"Really. Miss Matsumoto, you should have said it earlier. This is so embarrassing and so rude!"
Mrs. Kuroda was more concerned about saving face for the master, so she curled her lips and said a few mean words.
"Ms. Matsumoto, it can only be said that you are out of luck. The onmyoji today came because of the director's wife. Next time you want to do divination, you may not have such an opportunity again."
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I was too careless and let down everyone's kindness. However, you are so broad-minded. You can definitely fit the Himalayas into it..."
Matsumoto Keiko expressed her apology very skillfully, which made several noble ladies feel sorry for her, and they couldn't help but smile with pride.
In this way, with her wit, the magic stick could no longer be pretentious and could only walk down the steps slowly.
"Well, the days ahead are long and the days ahead are long. Then let's change to the next one."
He said yes, but the meaning was not fulfilled. He felt regretful and turned his target to others.
Michiko Harada was not polite and took the initiative to ask for help.
She stretched out her slender, agile and coquettish hand generously, letting the magic stick play with it and look at it at will.
However, it is a pity that for Matsumoto Keiko, the oldest and well-informed wife of the director, this situation is really difficult.
Although she smiled, she didn't say anything about the result.
But the way she stared at Matsumoto Keiko and the reflection of the crystal lenses exuded a solemn pressure that was completely opposite to the warmth on the surface.
This undoubtedly fully illustrates one thing, her eyes are not rubbed with sand and cannot be deceived.
So on this day, Keiko Matsumoto, who came full of hope, failed to get what she wanted, and her trip was almost in vain.
Because even if she sent the paintings, she still failed to please the director's wife.
In the end, I only got a commercial performance commitment for a Christmas event. The conditions were quite harsh.
Not only do you need to work outdoors, but the pay is only a modest 2.8 million yen, and you also need to raise your own clothing.
This is enough to show that because of her poor performance today, she was resented and disliked by the director's wife who originally had a good impression of her.
The price of this kind of activity is undoubtedly a humiliation for her, it is clearly like giving a few small coins to a beggar.
But to be honest, Matsumoto Keiko doesn't regret it at all. The only thing she regrets is that she shouldn't have come to this place and attended this party.
Because what disgusted her more than that Onmyoji was the food at these ladies' gatherings.
Matsumoto Keiko couldn't believe that these clean, well-dressed and spotless ladies would actually use the reproductive organs of hunted whales as food.
They are actually superstitious that such things can bring them physical and mental happiness.
So unable to wait for the party to end, without even eating a bite, Matsumoto Keiko made another excuse and escaped from the private room of Sakura Garden Restaurant like she was escaping from a nightmare.
Michiko Harada chased her out and took her to the parking lot.
When I was alone in the elevator, I couldn't help but complain about her.
"Sister, you are so disrespectful today. You could have earned at least 50 million yen, but it has turned into such a small fraction. I feel sorry for you. Why do you have to be so arrogant? What a loss...
…”
But Matsumoto Keiko couldn't say a word.
As soon as she got out of the elevator, she no longer cared about her image.
Just guarding the trash can at the entrance to the elevator in the underground garage...vomited.