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Three years ago, a young woman named Xiao Y came to me on a friend’s recommendation, seeking an analysis of her life pattern and guidance for her future path.
She had made up her mind with great resolve, preparing her materials and the customary red envelope before booking her appointment.
I still remember clearly: before I began explaining her destiny chart, she was visibly anxious — she simply didn’t know what truths would be waiting for her once the veil was lifted.
Student Question: How can I expand my social circle and increase my chances of meeting men?
Hello Master, I’m a divorced single mother who works as a yoga teacher. My days are spent teaching classes and then going home to practice yoga, play piano, and read. My social circle is very narrow — how can I meet quality men?
Master Chi’s Response:
First, you need to clearly define what “quality men” actually means to you.
You and I alike should be willing to admit it openly: we are ordinary people, nothing more.
In this world, we are not particularly important. Without us, the world keeps turning — the sun rises just the same.
After all, beyond ourselves and a handful of those closest to us, no one else truly cares what happens to us.
But this is precisely why we must treasure this hard-won life — and live it well.
Every time I see a question like this, I feel a deep sense of exasperation.
Because almost without fail, the answers that follow are a crowd of people debating whether you should or shouldn’t wash the dishes — what happens if you do, what happens if you don’t.
It’s like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law drama. These petty domestic questions can be recycled endlessly without ever repeating themselves. That’s some reliable content gold right there.
Today belongs to the sisterhood. I had planned to put together some pretty images with a few warm, sentimental lines — something easy and fitting for the occasion.
But the moment that thought crossed my mind, what came instead was the truth. Something I genuinely want to say to you: Dear girl, I need you to understand.
Life is not meant to be easy. This world will not grant you special privileges simply because you are a woman. And if you’ve enjoyed a brief moment of what people call “gender privilege” — trust me, one day you will pay it back with interest.
Since I began sharing profile pictures and background images back in February, I’ve lost count of how many readers have written back to say: “It’s incredible — after using the images Master Chi shared, I genuinely feel at ease, and things have been going so much more smoothly.”
Honestly, I feel grateful myself. Because this at least confirms that we, as human beings, do need beautiful and auspicious things to quietly tip the scales in our favor.
In communities dedicated to the dating woes of accomplished women in major cities, there is no shortage of what I call the “polished elite” — middle-class women with solid family backgrounds and impressive credentials: 985/211 undergraduates, top overseas master’s degrees, raised by families who invested enormous time and money in their development. They’ve put in the work themselves too — holding core positions at major platforms, using spare time to build side businesses, with cars, homes, and savings well sorted. Their looks and figures are above average. They don’t pinch pennies at dinner, they reciprocate gifts, they carry themselves with proper upbringing. And yet, they still can’t find the right person. The core reason: men at their level are simply too rare.
It only takes two steps to lock a person at the bottom of society.
Use fragmentation to erode macro-logical thinking ability. Use shame to erode participation. What we call being “locked at the bottom” is not a problem caused by class stratification — it is a requirement of class stratification.
Class stratification typically flows from the top down. When the top is blocked, nothing flows down. At its core, it’s about resources becoming overly concentrated in certain places, and the further down you go, the more barren the resources become.
Every year as the New Year approaches, my private contact information becomes impossibly busy — phone calls and private messages buzzing nonstop.
This is also when friends from all walks of life come to book readings with me, looking to understand what the coming year holds in store.
Just last night, a client I’ve known for years came to me in a rush, begging me to fit her in sometime after the Spring Festival — the sooner the better.
At last, at last — the Guimao year has only a few days left before it’s truly gone.
I know this too: for most of you, the Guimao year wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Nearly everyone went through their own trials, big or small — their own share of hardships.
So as the new spring approaches, it’s only natural that the mood isn’t exactly electric.
But this year has to be seen through — there’s no getting around it.