CHAPTER 1: THE JADE SHAMBHALA

Set in the misty mountains of 1980s Taiwan, Lin Xiu-Ying manages The Jade Shambhala, a tranquil tea house where she uses tasseography to guide travelers through their futures. While preparing a seasonal spring blend, she receives a prophetic vision of impending abundance shadowed by a devastating loss. The chapter concludes as a frantic, rain-soaked traveler unexpectedly enters her sanctuary.