His Domineering Lover
Chapter 497

"Well, it is some preparation. I will have a negotiation with this R company today. I would like to know more about it." Tracey took the contract negotiation as an excuse. Wilson wiped away the residues on the corner of his mouth after swallowing a toast and drinking a glass of hot milk, "It is closely related to a mysterious oriental family." "How mysterious?" Tracey was curious.

"I have not much information about this company, and I can't guarantee that what I tell you is true."

"Well, go ahead." Tracey pricked up her ears.

Wilson started, "About a hundred years ago, the late Qing Dynasty was a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and in turmoil."

"Right then, some capable families immigrated to the US for their own futures. R family is one of them and has its own peculiarities."

"China was a patriarchal society during and before the Qing Dynasty, wasn't it? Men dominated the country and lay down regulations for women."

Tracey nodded. She learned this history Wilson mentioned in middle school.

Because of the opium and invasions from other countries, the late Qing Dynasty was in a state of chaos and confusion.

The knowledge from the textbook came back to Tracey when Wilson mentioned it. Those distant histories seemed vivid to her now.

"Yes, foot-binding for women, polygamy, and low esteem for women, all these are reproduced in the costume dramas."

Wilson continued, "Then imagine, in such a background, there was a family."

"Different from other ones, this family was headed by women, and its offsprings are all female."

Tracey shook her head, "I've never heard of such a family. Did this family really exist in that circumstances?"

"I believe so. It is said that this ancient bloodline could be dated back to Ming Dynasty or earlier."

"No one knows exactly how long the bloodline has existed. And I have no idea why only women are born. Maybe baby boys are abandoned?"

"Anyway, the heirs of this family are all women. And men marry into this family. Even today, one hundred years later, the president of R Company is a woman, and she is also the patriarch of this R family." Tracey's heart skipped a beat at Wilson's mention of the patriarch because it was her mother!

"Wilson, this is incredible. Is there anything else?" She asked.

"Yes. I heard that this family is cursed, and its offsprings have a shorter lifetime one generation than the last one."

"For example, one hundred years ago, the great grandmother of the incumbent patriarch led her family to the US and died in her 70s."

"The lifespan of her grandmother is 60 years, and her mother had lived for only 50 years. Do you notice the rule?"

Tracey was startled at what Wilson said, "The lifespan of each generation is shortened by 10 years?"

"Yes. As science and technology develop, humans have a longer and longer lifespan. But this family is a reverse case."

"This age interval of 10 years could be a coincidence. However, if it is not, the incumbent patriarch has only..."

The glass of hot milk dropped from Tracey's hand before Wilson finished his speech. The glass blared, and the hot mild dripped down the table.

Everyone around was attracted by this noise. Tracey was stunned, for her mother was 39 years old now.

The waiter came quickly to clean up. Wilson handed Tracey a tissue to wipe the milk on her clothes, but Tracey seemed to be in a trance, motionless.

"Tracey, what's wrong with you?" Wilson waved his hands before Tracey's eyes. As Tracey didn't respond, Wilson pinched Tracey slightly.

Waking up from her trance, Tracey looked terrified. Wilson was worried about her.

"Tracey, are you alright? You look pale."

"Wilson, do you know the death causes of those previous patriarchs?" Tracey wished that this was just a coincidence. How could such a ridiculous thing exist in the world? "Illnesses. However, no one knows what those illnesses are." Wilson said emotionlessly, "Does this family have anything to do with you?"

"No, not at all. Tell me more about this R family. Tell me everything you know."

Tracey was emotional. She clutched onto Wilson's arm tightly, as if a drowning person grasped a piece of driftwood.

Tracey's reaction surprised Wilson, but he went on, "I heard that this family curse was related to their ability of divination.11

"Divination?" Tracey felt that the story became weird.

"Well, divination has been popular all the times, no matter the ancient times or now."

"It is said that this R family is a mysterious line of a fortune-teller. Their ancestors served emperors only, and their services included replaceing burial places for emperors, geomancy, predictions on the future of the country, and so on."

"There were also some fortune-tellers who served the husbandmen, but they could only forecast the future of ordinary people, while the R family forecast the fate of a country."

"Most fortune-tellers are blind because they leak the secrets of the future. It is said so."

"And this lifespan curse in R family results from that their ancestors leaked too many secrets of the future."

What Wilson said sounded like a plot of a movie, and Tracey was uncertain of what to believe.

Wilson looked serious.

Tracey felt upset. There were mysteries science failed to explain in this world. If what Wilson said were facts, Tracey's mother came to her 40s this year!

That meant her mother would die soon, and maybe that was why her mother disowned her. Tracey felt panic while there were so many questions in her mind. "Wilson, I am full. I will go prepare my negotiation now. See you!"

"Let me accompany you home." Wilson was worried about Tracey, who was distracted.