Luck My Life

A long time ago,

our ancestors came from China to Nanyang.

They came with dreams, their craft,

and a set of mahjong tiles.

When they arrived, they toiled day and night.

Life was hard.

They played mahjong sometimes to unwind, but the rules were hard to learn.

How could they make the game faster,

simpler, and more fun?

An idea struck.

The ancestors created the four animal tiles:

Cat,

rat,

rooster,

and centipede.

Catch one and you get a point.

Pretty cool, right?

Make a good pair.

Even if you don't win,

you still get bonus points for fun.

From then on, Nanyang mahjong found its own style.

Every household had its own rules, and the game kept evolving.

People still argue after hundreds of years. "Do flower tiles count as points?"

"What's the point limit?" "Can I win with chicken hand?"

And so,

mahjong became a part of life,

a friend in every home.

As long as there's a celebration,

the weekend, grandma's birthday, or whenever you feel like it…

We can play a round!

Look!

I finally caught this centipede.

So lucky.

Five points.

Flower draw. Come.

Better not let her self-draw and win.

Not so easy.

Baby.

Dad is no longer with us. It's just you and me now.

Give me a winning tile, and make my day.

No self-draw.

Self-draw win!

A good child matters more than a good husband.

I can't believe she self-draw won.

Alright, we know you self-draw won.

So dramatic.

It's dripping.

No, her water broke.

- What do we do? - Call an ambulance.

- Yes. - There's no time.

It's

reached customs.

Quick!

Put her on the table.

Hurry.

Get ready.

Scissors.

Push harder.

The baby is out.

Cut the cord.

You've done ribbon-cutting events. Do it!

That's ribbon, not flesh.

I don't dare.

Hold on.

I'll do it myself.

Here. Cut it yourself.

One, two…

Aren't I cute?

Many people play Mahjong to pass the time.

But it could be someone's life story,

just like

my life story.

Since I was born, I've been blessed with incredible luck.

I felt bullet proof.

Bad luck could

never come near me.

Good, we'll talk later.

Everyone,

run!

Try harder.

Uncle, it was so dangerous earlier.

Why didn't you run?

How do you expect me to run?

That's true.

Take this.

Why are you giving me money?

It's not from me.

It's from the heavens.

Thank you.

Truth be told,

you won't find someone as lucky as me in all of Singapore.

Don't believe me?

In Master Zhang's words…

He said I am a…

Moron! Do you know how to play mahjong?

Do you need a new phone case?

Is Master Zhang here?

Yes. Scan the QR code for a queue number.

Oh no.

I should have thrown the nine dots.

"The Secret Shrine."

"Eighteen generations of accurate fortune telling."

"Only the third generation so far."

Master Zhang?

Number 18.

Name?

Surname, Zhuo.

Name, Tian Cai.

It means "born lucky and rich."

That's most unusual,

boss.

All your fingers shine gloriously.

Your life is full of aura.

Your palm shows the signs of greatness,

like a wave of good fortune coming.

You're destined to be rich

with a once-in-a-century fortune.

Blessed with a smooth life.

So rich you've got no worries.

Can you say it in modern terms?

In today's words,

it's "prosperity and good fortune."

That's right.

This is a fact I already knew,

but hearing it from Master Zhang himself

feels really amazing.

Hey, boss. Not so much.

Just a token will do just fine.

Not only am I rich and talented, I have plenty of admirers too.

I'm so lucky even girls stand in line to get close to me.

But I have my standards, you know?

The woman I choose must be

first class.

Tian Cai, dear, is this nice?

Sure.

You can try this model.

- Dear, how about this? Is it nice? - It's nice.

This is pretty too. Try it.

- How about this? - Even nicer.

You didn't even look.

Would you prefer I look at you but not be able afford these watches,

or not look at you, but buy you all three watches?

All three?

Look at my life. Smooth sailing with great fortune.

Good things follow me everywhere.

When will you make time to visit your mom?

- I'll make time when I'm not busy. - When will you not be busy?

I'll be free when I'm not busy.

We'll talk again. Bye.

Your mom is so annoying.

She calls you every day.

You're annoying too. I buy you stuff every day.

- Shall we return all these items? - No.

Let's go, dear. Let's go shopping again.

- More shopping? - I only have three dresses,

three necklaces,

three watches,

and one bag.

You know me well.

Okay, let's continue shopping.

I have everything, especially money.

You have everything?

How about a wife?

Isn't freedom great?

Marriage is a death trap. How can it beat the three watches I bought you?

The watches are worth a condo on Orchard Road.

But what if one day, due to a bad mood, you stop buying me stuff?

My investment account has your name on it.

This is way better than getting married, right?

What if one day

your luck runs out?

If that happens,

you can leave me anytime.

I won't blame you for being cold-hearted, but that day will never come.

True. If I left, it'd be like killing the golden egg that lays the goose.

It's the goose that lays the golden egg, smartie pants.

Going drinking with my friends. Take pics and send them to your friends.

- Show off your boyfriend, okay? - Definitely!

I'm the luckiest woman in the whole world.

I thought my life would be easy.

Then, everything came to a halt.

My life would take

a drastic turn.

Tian Cai,

what are you doing for work now?

I don't have a job.

Jobless? Or retrenched?

No way.

Tian Cai is the godson of the fortune god. Money rolls in without him doing a thing.

Making money is so easy. Invest, and you will surely make money.

My luck is just a bit better. I won't be unlucky.

Your turn.

Still got perfect aim?

Of course, some things never change.

This spot?

Zhuo Tian Cai,

I told you not to litter.

Don't you get it?

Xinyi is so cool.

Our class monitor from Aichong Primary 3A.