Chen Guangrui possesses extraordinary insight, understanding both the events and the human heart. He figured out what kind of person Chen Feng was, which led to the decision to adopt a foster son.
Although the Yin family and Chen Liu'Er survived, they had inadvertently caused Chen Feng to lose face. If he returned, he would likely harbor resentment towards the Yin family and the child.
Both families shared the surname Chen, and Sister Jin also claimed that the baby was saved by Bao Sheng Empress's divine intervention. On one hand, Chen Guangrui felt it was a coincidental opportunity; on the other, he could not bear the circumstances, so he decided to form a symbolic familial relationship with Chen Feng, satisfying his pride and ensuring that Chen Liu'Er could grow up carefree.
Xu Qing looked at Chen Liu'Er, who was already about as tall as his leg, feeling a mysterious sensation.
He often performed rites for the deceased, sending souls off with a smile, but saving someone and then meeting them years later and seeing how lively they'd grown was a completely different feeling.
Between life and death, there's truly much mystery.
Xu Qing smiled slightly and continued to ask, "You mentioned three homes, but there are only two. Where's the other one?"
Chen Liu'Er finished his last bite of mung bean porridge and said with a childish voice, "It's at Bao Sheng Temple on Ziyun Mountain! My godmother is the temple priest there."
Sister Jin?
Hearing this, Xu Qing sighed with relief, thankful that the child didn't claim his godmother to be the Bao Sheng Empress.
"I know Sister Jin at Bao Sheng Temple; how did you recognize her as your godmother?"
Chen Liu'Er blinked and said, "My mom said godmother saved my life; without her, there wouldn't be me, so she's also my mom."
"How many moms do you have now?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow.
"One, two, three... I have three moms!"
Chen Liu'Er counted on his fingers, speaking enthusiastically, "One mom, one at my godfather's mansion, and one at Bao Sheng Temple - exactly three!"
The little boy spoke carelessly, and just as he finished, the girl next to him sipping her porridge suddenly pouted and began to cry loudly.
"What's wrong with you, did you burn yourself?"
Chen Liu'Er cautiously picked up the bowl in front of the girl and tasted it to check the temperature.
"Yuck! This bean soup is spoiled! No wonder you're crying..."
Upon hearing this, the girl with red ribbons in her hair wearing a white dress tried to hold back her tears and said, "You have three moms, and I don't even have one!"
And then she burst into tears again, crying fiercely.
After her cries subsided somewhat, Xu Qing rubbed his head and asked, "What's her name? Where did you meet her?"
Chen Liu'Er perked up at the question: "Her name is Guai Guai, I found her outside Bao Sheng Temple!"
Is your family from Zhongzhou too, that you dare to pick up anything and bring it home?
Xu Qing asked the little girl where her home was, and she just wailed, saying her father had abandoned her, and she had no home.
Xu Qing asked again, since it's been hot recently, did she go to the river or pond to play?
The little girl shook her head.
"Then what do you plan to do next?"
The little girl stood up and grabbed Chen Liu'Er's coat hem.
Seeing this, Xu Qing shook his head: "Wherever you came from, you should return, so your family won't worry."
Seeing the girl pout again, Xu Qing quickly thought of an idea and said, "Look, a cat that can do backflips!"
Xuan Yu: "..."
"Just kidding, go back! Outside, there are tricksters and zombies that eat children, they're terrifying."
Watching the two children leave hand in hand, Xu Qing turned and glanced at the small narrow coffin with two bowls of porridge.
One had added ingredients, the Yellow Bud Pill had already been consumed.
The other bowl, with no additives, emitted a sour aroma that only comes after being left for three or four days.
Xu Qing cleaned up the dishes; the two children seemed to be just a small episode in his life, unable to affect anything.
Until the second and third day, apart from Commerce Shaoyang coming over at noon to cool off from the heat, Xu Qing continuously saw Chen Liu'Er bringing the little girl to his shop to play in the mornings and evenings. But compared to before, now there was an additional suspicious, deep-eyed stepmother accompanying them.
The stepmother never once stepped into Xu Qing's shop during her visits, as if there was something monstrous hidden inside!
Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these trivial matters. Most children lack patience, and any enthusiasm usually only lasts for three to five days; once the novelty fades, it settles down.
Additionally, Xu Qing thought the little girl wouldn't be coming around much longer, so he just let them be.
At noon that day, Commerce Shaoyang arrived as expected, punctual as usual. Almost as reliable as the elders rushing to get eggs during Xu Qing's shop promotions first thing in the morning!
"Brother Xu, come and see, how is my dog?"
Xu Qing took a look and saw a scrappy little mutt, dirty and seeming somewhat battered, trailing behind Commerce Shaoyang.
The dog saw Xu Qing and immediately whimpered, trying to squeeze under Commerce Shaoyang's crotch.
"You bought this one?" Xu Qing looked with disdain at Commerce Shaoyang, considering the many dog breeds at the Flower and Bird Market like Frostflower Eagle, Spotted Panther, Palace Lion Dog... or even a black-and-white Western Pirate Dog; how could he end up choosing this dirt clump?
Commerce Shaoyang chuckled: "I didn't buy it; I found it on the road. This dog is almost human-like; a few days ago, I tossed it a bun, and today when I passed through East Gate Alley, some rebel from the Yihetuan stormed out, trying to take my life. The dog fought alongside me, biting one of them on the leg and wouldn't let go!"
"Those rebels are people who live by the knife. This dog shows gratitude and fate; I don't care for those noble dogs, even if they paid me to keep them!"
Xu Qing was about to speak when he saw the small brown dog behind Commerce Shaoyang whimper a few times and fall to the ground, barely breathing.
"Something's wrong! Must be hurt by those Yihetuan!"
Saying so, Commerce Shaoyang prepared to take the dog to the clinic, but Xu Qing stopped him. He flicked a nourishing Yellow Bud Pill from his sleeve into the dog's mouth.
"This little guy is just hungry; look, once you give him a sweet bean, he's quiet."
Commerce Shaoyang blinked and asked, "Can I have a couple of those sweet beans?"
"..."
Xu Qing didn't bother responding to Commerce Shaoyang.
As noon turned to afternoon under the bright sun, Commerce Shaoyang lounged on the Master's Chair sleeping, with the small yellow dog curled at his feet, both snoring.
Xu Qing sat behind the counter, while his mind entered the Blood Lake Dharma Realm. Through the statue in the realm, the scene of Bao Sheng Temple unfolded before him.
Recently, the incense at Bao Sheng Temple steadily grew. Xu Qing could sense how the temple was no less than any major temple of the Jin Sect, perhaps only behind the Celestial Master's Mansion in some aspects.
The Celestial Master's Mansion habitually monopolized incense offerings. Chen Guangrui petitioned several times, demonstrating the significance of the conservation manual, aiming for Emperor Jingxing to publish the manual and distribute it widely to every prefecture and county, greatly benefiting Dayong's population development.
However, these petitions never received a response, partly due to Emperor Jingxing's neglect, but also because references to this topic were blocked by the Celestial Master from the Celestial Master's Mansion.
The Celestial Master rarely intervened in governmental affairs, but was extremely particular about the public and private temples across Dayong. The conservation manual originating from Bao Sheng Temple, couldn't escape the Celestial Master's notice, as it's labeled as originating from Bao Sheng Temple.
If such a publication spread nationwide, the Celestial Master's Mansion's temples might lose their top position.
Unaware of Chen Guangrui's endeavors, Xu Qing inspected Bao Sheng Temple, noticing aside from worshippers there were also children sitting under the drum base, engraved with Bao Sheng Empress's roles and honorifics.
Qu Shui Village
The two children, having eaten their fill, turned and ran out of the Funeral Shop, to the doorway, with hair styled high.