In the bustling and noisy Yangzhou City, with heavy traffic and people coming and going, there was an air of hustle and bustle and busyness everywhere. There was a merchant named Lin Hetang in the city. Nearly forty years old, he had been traveling all over the country for years for his family business, shuttling between various towns and cities, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the abacus and account books, only hoping to make his family business thrive and bring a rich and stable life to his family.
Lin Hetang's business covered a wide range. From silk and cloth to tea and porcelain, as long as there was profit to be made, he was willing to give it a try. At first, relying on his shrewdness, competence, hard work, and acute insight into business opportunities, he did earn a lot of wealth. His family business gradually grew in scale and he began to stand out in the Yangzhou business community. However, the business world is like a battlefield, unpredictable and constantly changing. In recent years, competition among peers has become increasingly fierce, and the market conditions have fluctuated frequently. Many unfavorable factors have emerged one after another, leaving him overwhelmed.
To maintain his business, Lin Hetang often got up before dawn to negotiate cooperation with suppliers from all over the place and deal with all kinds of customers. Sometimes, for a single business deal, he didn't sleep for several days and nights, personally escorting the goods and enduring hardships on the journey. The long-term fatigue and mental stress made him physically and mentally exhausted. His face became increasingly haggard, and his eyes lacked the luster they had in the past.
What made him even more exhausted was that the situation at home was not satisfactory either. Since he was away from home all year round, he had little time with his wife and children, and the communication between them became increasingly estranged. His wife often complained that he didn't care about the family, and the children felt strange about him. The originally warm and harmonious family atmosphere became a little 压抑 and tense. Although Lin Hetang felt guilty in his heart, he was too busy to do anything about it and could only swallow this bitterness silently.
One day, as usual, Lin Hetang was walking on the street of Yangzhou City with a tired body, his heart full of worries about his business and concerns for his family. When he walked into a quiet alley, he happened to see a Taoist priest in a shabby Taoist robe. The Taoist priest was thin and had a thin face. Although his clothes were ragged, he exuded an extraordinary and refined temperament. His eyes were deep and calm, as if he could see through all things in the world.
The Taoist priest seemed to sense Lin Hetang's loneliness and took the initiative to strike up a conversation: "Benefactor, seeing you with a furrowed brow and many worries, you might as well have a chat with me." Lin Hetang was already feeling down and in urgent need of someone to talk to. Seeing that the Taoist priest spoke sincerely, he stopped and poured out all the setbacks he had experienced in the business world and the troubles at home over the years.
The Taoist priest listened quietly, nodded slightly, and sighed softly: "Benefactor, in life, nine out of ten things are unsatisfactory. What you have experienced are all worldly hardships. However, everything has a turning point. I have a 'Fortune and Longevity Talisman' here. It was drawn with sincerity over many days according to the profound principles of Taoism and contains the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It may help you escape from your predicament. You just need to wear it on your body every day, keep a kind heart, and conform to the way of heaven, and good luck will come."
With that, the Taoist priest slowly took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Lin Hetang. This talisman was based on high-quality yellow paper, with mysterious and complex runes outlined in cinnabar. There seemed to be a faint light flowing between the runes, emitting an ancient and mysterious aura that made people involuntarily feel in awe.
Lin Hetang hesitated for a moment. Although he had heard of talismans, after years of struggling in the practical business world, he couldn't help having some doubts in his heart. However, looking at the sincere eyes of the Taoist priest and thinking of his current difficult situation, he still took the talisman with a glimmer of hope and respect, with both hands: "Thank you, Taoist priest. If it can really help me get out of the predicament as you said, I will be truly grateful."
The Taoist priest smiled and waved his hand: "Benefactor, you're welcome. Everything is fate. I hope you take care of yourself in the future." After saying that, he turned and left, disappearing at the end of the alley.
Lin Hetang carefully put away the "Fortune and Longevity Talisman". After returning home, following the Taoist priest's instructions, every morning after washing up, he piously wore the talisman on his chest, closed his eyes and calmed down for a moment, and prayed silently. At first, he didn't notice any obvious changes, but he still persisted, always carrying that expectation in his heart.
Strangely enough, after a while, Lin Hetang found that things in his business seemed to be gradually taking a turn for the better. Once, when he was negotiating cooperation with an important supplier, the other party was originally tough and had many harsh conditions, almost bringing the negotiation to a deadlock. But at the critical moment, Lin Hetang accidentally touched the "Fortune and Longevity Talisman" on his chest and immediately felt a warm current rising in his heart. His originally flustered thoughts calmed down instantly. He adjusted his negotiation strategy and won over the other party with sincerity and patience. Finally, he successfully reached a cooperation agreement and won a large order, injecting new vitality into his business.
After that, similar good luck came one after another. During a trip to expand the market, Lin Hetang met several like-minded friends. During their communication, they found that there were many opportunities for cooperation between them. With the help and support of these new friends, Lin Hetang successfully opened up new markets and his business became more and offtime-consuming.
And the situation at home was also quietly improving. As the business gradually got on the right track, Lin Hetang finally had more time to spend with his family. He began to take the initiative to care about his wife's life, accompany her shopping, chatting, and helping her with the housework. In his spare time, he would also accompany the children to read and play, making up for the fatherly love he had lacked over the years. Gradually, his wife had more smiles on her face, the children became closer to him, and the family atmosphere became warm and harmonious again.
Lin Hetang knew deeply that all these changes were inseparable from that magical "Fortune and Longevity Talisman". His gratitude to Taoism was beyond words. He often recalled the Taoist priest's instructions and increasingly understood the importance of conforming to the way of heaven and keeping a kind heart. To express his gratitude to the Taoist priest, Lin Hetang went to the Taoist temples in Yangzhou City several times, hoping to find the Taoist priest who had given him the talisman. Unfortunately, he couldn't find him each time. The Taoist priest seemed to have vanished into thin air and left no trace.
In desperation, Lin Hetang had to place rich offerings in the Taoist temple, burn incense and worship, and tell his gratitude to the gods of heaven and earth and the unknown Taoist priest. At the same time, he also shared his miraculous experience with his relatives and friends around him, hoping that when they encountered difficulties, they could also feel the protection of Taoist culture and find hope in life.
In Yangzhou City, Lin Hetang's story spread quickly, and people praised the miraculous power of Taoist talismans one after another. More and more people chose to go to Taoist temples when they were confused and helpless to seek spiritual comfort and help, making Taoist culture more deeply rooted in the local area and an indispensable part of people's lives. That small "Fortune and Longevity Talisman" not only changed Lin Hetang's fate but also made the ancient Taoist thought like a bright lamp, illuminating people's way forward, guiding them to find inner peace and the direction of life in the hustle and bustle of the secular world, passing down from generation to generation and never fading away.