The next day, the mother took a day off from work to stay home and care for Lian. In the afternoon, seeing that Lian looked well, she practically dragged him out for a walk. Lian didn't even have a chance to refuse.
Along the way, the mother transformed into a nagging housewife again, constantly "criticizing" Lian's lifestyle and attitude.
Fortunately, the mother and son weren't on a specific route, and somehow they ended up near the school.
Lian saw the dome of Xiang Temple and felt like he'd seen a savior, then deliberately led his mother outside the temple.
"Mom, there's a Taoist temple here! It looks like an ancient site… why don't we go in and take a look?" Lian tried to persuade his mother.
His mother looked up, thinking that since they were out for a walk anyway, it wouldn't hurt to visit something, so she nodded and followed Lian to the outside of the temple.
"Mom, it looks like we need to buy tickets," Lian said, pointing to the ticket window.
"What? We need tickets? Forget it, we won't go in. All Taoist temples are the same anyway. No need to waste money."
His mother was a clever and calculating wife, always keeping a tight budget.
Lian was stunned when his mother hesitated.
Unexpectedly, the heavily made-up ticket seller at the window, after seeing Lian and hearing his mother's words, chimed in: "There aren't many visitors this afternoon. You can go in if you want. No need to buy tickets."
Hearing this, his mother's habit of never missing a bargain kicked in right away. Thinking "it's free, why not?" she pulled Lian toward the gate.
So the sentence becomes:
Lian stared at the ticket seller in surprise, completely confused.
The ticket seller gave Lian a cold "humph," then turned away, ignoring the two.
Muttering to herself, "That stinky Taoist priest..." Having vaguely heard the woman's complaints, Lian roughly understood. The Taoist priest Pingshan had probably spoken to this woman, and from now on, he wouldn't have to pay an entrance fee.
Upon entering the Taoist temple, his mother finally stopped nagging; after all, they were there to visit.
Although most of the buildings in Xiang Temple were restored, they still retained some historical relics, and the reconstructions were done as faithfully as possible to the originals, giving it a distinctly antique feel.
Lian remembered that his mother had an art background and possessed a certain level of artistic appreciation.
It was perfectly normal for her to focus her attention on the architectural landscape.
There weren't many actual visitors in the temple, but there were some worshippers. And from their conversations, it seemed that the incense at Xiang Temple was quite effective.
Last time Lian visited, the Taoist priest Pingshan led him directly to his bedroom, without much interaction with the other people there. This time, he gained a better understanding of the temple.
Lian felt he had broadened his horizons, while his mother showed great interest in the "incense" mentioned by the worshippers.
Soon, Lian saw Pingshan. The Taoist priest sat around a rectangular table, seemingly giving guidance to several worshippers.
But Lian knew that selling the ritual tools and Taoist scriptures on the table was probably his real purpose.
When Lian saw Pingshan, Pingshan also noticed him. He smiled at Lian, gesturing for him to wait a moment.
Shortly, the Taoist priest easily dismissed the surrounding worshippers with some kind of talk. He then came over to meet Lian.
Lian gestured toward his mother and whispered, "That's my mom. She doesn't know I've been here before. I'll ask for your help when we meet."
Pingshan, being clever, naturally understood the meaning behind Lian's words, but still didn't understand: "What's there to hide?"
Lian pointed it out: "My family works for the government, and my grandfather is a strict government man. If he knew I'd associated with a drunken Taoist like you, he'd definitely be unhappy."
Pingshan protested in a low voice, "Fine, young man, when did you ever see me drinking? Why do you have to label me with such an unpleasant term as a drunken Taoist? Even though we're friends, if you talk nonsense, I'll sue you for defamation!"
Lian chuckled to himself.
His mother noticed Lian and Pingshan's conversation and came over.
Pingshan reacted quickly, immediately changing to a serious tone to calm Lian down.
Lian was surprised that Pingshan knew some traditional medicine, judging his current weak condition from his complexion.
And his diagnosis was basically the same as the doctor's.
Hearing this, his mother felt like she had found a kindred spirit and quickly discussed his illness with Pingshan.
Listening to Pingshan's conversation with his mother, Lian was completely impressed by Pingshan's ability to persuade people.
With just a few words, he had tricked his mother into happily running off to buy incense and make a wish.