I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 262 Wild Girl, Chen Liuer

Tianjin has been quite turbulent lately. Xu Qing thought he was being targeted by extremist heretics, but he never expected it to be two immature kids.

Having lured the other party into a narrow alley, Xu Qing silently abandoned his plan to kill and collect the body.

"Speak! Who sent you? What is your purpose? If you don't tell the truth, I'll send you to school to see your teacher!"

The little girl hiding behind the boy was only two or three years old and didn't know what a school meant, but hearing Xu Qing's tone, she subconsciously felt that a school must not be a good place.

"No one sent us, we came on our own!" The boy seemed unafraid of Xu Qing at all. Despite his young age, he spoke with an air of confidence and maturity.

"You came alone? You've got some nerve! Tell me, why are you following me? Aren't you afraid I'm a bad guy?"

Xu Qing raised his eyebrows and glared, deliberately trying to scare the two unruly children.

"Don't be afraid! I think you're a good person. The moment I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity, just like seeing my mother!"

"."

Xu Qing's face darkened. He disliked people saying two things about him the most: that he was incompetent and that he was a good person.

"Stop following me, or you'll regret it!"

Xu Qing threw down a vicious remark, then turned and walked back.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the narrow alley, the two mischievous kids followed him out. He headed towards Jingxia Street, and the two kids followed him there as well.

Xu Qing suddenly turned her head, and the boy immediately turned to look at the top of the wall. The little girl belatedly realized what was happening and also looked at the top of the wall.

"."

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, then suddenly changed direction and turned back the way he came. When the two children saw him walking out of the street, they also changed direction and followed him.

This time, Xu Qing finally understood. Putting the girl aside for the moment, the bear cub with the pigtail sticking straight up was coming for him!
"Come, come!" Xu Qing waved with a smile, but when the little rascal came running up to her, Xu Qing's face suddenly darkened, and she pointed into the distance and shouted, "Go home and find your parents! Don't follow me anymore, you hear me?"

Although Xu Qing holds the divine office of the Goddess of Childbirth, it doesn't mean he enjoys taking care of children.

As for that kind of unlucky zombie, kids should stay as far away from him as possible.

However, when Xu Qing made his harsh statement, the two children froze on the spot. Then, the little girl following behind Xiongwazi pouted, and Xu Qing immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Sure enough, the little girl burst into tears the next moment. The little boy, who was acting like a little adult, didn't think anything of it and even turned to comfort the girl, telling her not to be afraid and not to cry.

But the girl was crying so hard that he couldn't soothe her at all. After all, she was only five or six years old. The boy was at a loss and his little mouth also twitched, and he started crying loudly.

"."

Xu Qing felt extremely disoriented and thought to himself: I'd better run away quickly!
Otherwise, if the neighbors or acquaintances saw it, they would think he was bullying a child.

However, just as Xu Qing was on high alert and preparing to use the Divine Travel Book to escape, the little girl behind him suddenly sobbed and stammered out a sentence:

"I...I don't have parents anymore! My dad doesn't want me anymore! Waaah—"

"."

For some reason, Xu Qing suddenly felt like slapping himself.

Inside the coffin maker's shop, two children were eating mung bean porridge around a small, narrow coffin.

This small, narrow coffin was ordered by a customer from Xu Qing half a month ago. The customer said that the weather was hot and his child had died while playing in the river. He needed a small coffin to contain the body.

Xu Qing asked how big the child was, and the other person replied, "Not very big, thin, about three feet tall."

It was already late, so Xu Qing told the other party to come and pick it up the next day. The two had agreed on this, but half a month passed and the other party still hadn't come.

Xu Qing simply used the small coffin as a small dining table. When there was leftover food, he could simply lift the coffin lid and put it inside, which was incredibly convenient.

On a sweltering summer day, Xuan Yu sat on the counter, sticking out his tongue repeatedly as he drank the mung bean porridge in front of him.

When it had almost finished drinking, it raised one of its front paws, licking its saliva while glancing towards Xu Qing.

"What are your names, and where do you live?"

Xu Qing didn't feel hot, but he still took a banana leaf fan and sat on the armchair fanning himself back and forth, trying to adapt to local customs.

"My name is Chen Liuer. I have three homes. Which one do you want to ask about?"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said curiously, "Why don't you tell me everything? Maybe I know some of your elders."

The mischievous boy with his pigtails sticking straight up started saying, "My first home was in Qushui Township outside the city. My father was the owner of a cloth shop named Chen Feng, and my mother's surname was Yin. My second home was in the city government office. My godfather was named Chen Guangrui, and he was the county magistrate."

When Xu Qing heard the name Qushui Township Cloth Shop, it sounded familiar. When he heard the shopkeeper mention that his godfather was Chen Guangrui, Xu Qing understood the boy's background.

About four years ago, Sister Jin from Baosheng Temple rescued a baby from the river while washing clothes. The baby was delivered to Sister Jin by Xu Qing using a fertility scepter.

Later, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen family cloth shop was killed by Yuan Hu, but Chen Feng, the head of the Chen family, believed that it was Sister Jin who did it and that she stole his child.

The magistrate presided over the trial and eventually discovered that Yuan Hu was the real murderer of the eldest mistress, and that the eldest mistress, out of jealousy that her concubine had given birth to a child, had thrown Yin's child into the river.

After the Chen family case was over, County Magistrate Chen Guangrui specially summoned Chen Feng to the court, saying that he felt he had a connection with the child, so in front of all the yamen runners, he formed a godparent relationship with Chen Feng's family and adopted a son.

And that godson is none other than Chen Liuer, who is standing right in front of us.

Chen Feng was concerned about his reputation, and since his wife had embarrassed him, he instructed Xu Qing to deal with her as he pleased. When the county magistrate tried to exonerate Sister Jin, Chen Feng, for the sake of his own reputation, insisted on turning white into black, wanting to make Sister Jin's murder and child theft case an ironclad one.

Chen Guangrui was insightful and perceptive, and he saw through what kind of person Chen Feng was, which is why he decided to adopt him as a son.

Although Madam Yin and Chen Liuer survived, they made Chen Feng lose face. If he goes back, he will most likely harbor resentment towards Madam Yin and the child.

Both families share the surname Chen, and Sister Jin said that the baby was saved by the miracle of the Goddess of Childbirth. Chen Guangrui felt it was a coincidence, but he also couldn't bear to do it, so he simply became godparents to Chen Feng to save face for him. Only in this way could Chen Liuer grow up carefree.

Xu Qing looked at Chen Liuer, who was almost as tall as his legs, and felt a strange feeling in his heart.

He often performed rituals to help the dead find peace and send them off to the afterlife, but saving someone and meeting them again years later, seeing them grown up and full of life, was a completely different feeling.

There are indeed many mysteries between life and death.

Xu Qing smiled slightly and continued to ask, "You said you had three homes, but you've only got two. Where is the other one?"

After slurping up the last mouthful of mung bean porridge, Chen Liuer, with her little braid sticking up, said in a childish voice, "In the Baosheng Temple on Ziyun Mountain! My godmother is the temple keeper of the Baosheng Temple." Sister Jin?
Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, thankfully the child hadn't mentioned that his godmother was the Goddess of Childbirth.

“I know Sister Jin, the temple keeper of Baosheng Temple. How did you come to recognize her as your godmother?”

Chen Liuer blinked and said, "My mother said that my godmother saved my life. If I hadn't been with her, I wouldn't exist, so she is also my mother."

"How many mothers do you have now?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow.

"One, two, three, I have three mothers!"

Chen Liuer counted on his fingers, as if reciting a familiar story: "One for my mother, one for my godfather's house, and one for the Baosheng Temple, that makes three!"

The little brat spoke without thinking, and as soon as he finished speaking, the little girl next to him, who was sipping her mung bean porridge, pouted again and burst into tears.

"What's wrong? Did you burn yourself?"

Chen Liuer carefully picked up the rice bowl in front of the little girl and tasted it to see if it was hot or cold.

"Pah! This bean soup has gone bad! No wonder you're crying!"

Hearing this, the little girl with a red hair tie and a white dress managed to hold back her tears and said, "You have three mothers, but I don't have a mother anymore!"

After that, another earth-shattering wail erupted.

When the crying subsided, Xu Qing rubbed his head and asked, "What's her name? Where did you meet her?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Liuer perked up: "Her name is Guai Guai, and I picked her up outside Baosheng Temple!"

Is your family from Zhongzhou? Why do you bring everything back from there?

Xu Qing asked the little girl where her home was, and she burst into tears, saying that her father didn't want her anymore and that she had no home.

Xu Qing then asked, "It's been hot lately, have you gone to the river or the pond to play?"

The little girl shook her head.

"So what are your plans for the future?"

The little girl stood up, went behind Chen Liuer, and grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Seeing this, Xu Qing shook her head: "Go back to where you came from, don't keep your family waiting."

Seeing the little girl's lips pout again, Xu Qing quickly came up with a clever idea: "Look, there's a cat! A cat that can do backflips!"

Xuan Yu: "."

"I was just kidding, go back now! There are scammers and giant zombies that eat children outside, it's terrifying."

Watching the two children leave hand in hand, Xu Qing turned her head and glanced at the two bowls of porridge on the narrow coffin.

One of the drinks, which had been seasoned and had added yellow buds, was already empty.

The other bowl of porridge, which contained no additives, smelled of rancid water, the kind that only develops after three or four days.
Xu Qing cleaned up the dishes. To him, the two children seemed to be just a minor incident that didn't affect anything.

Until the second and third day, apart from when Shang Shaoyang came to escape the heat at midday, Xu Qing would always see Chen Liuer bringing a little girl to his shop to play in the early morning or evening. However, compared to before, the two of them now had a suspicious, sunken-eyed foster mother by their side, who seemed to have poor sleep quality.

The few times the foster mother came, she never dared to enter Xu Qing's shop, making it seem as if some demon or monster was hiding in his shop!
Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these trivial matters. Most children lack patience, and even the most enthusiastic ones usually only last for three to five days. Once the novelty wears off, they settle down.

Besides, Xu Qing figured that the little girl wouldn't be coming back many more times, so he simply let them be.

At noon that day, Shang Shaoyang arrived as scheduled. In terms of punctuality, he was almost as punctual as the elderly people who came early in the morning to collect eggs when Xu Qing's shop was giving them away!

"Brother Xu, come and take a look at my dog, how is it?"

Xu Qing glanced over and saw that Shang Shaoyang was followed by a scruffy, ugly little mongrel.

Upon seeing Xu Qing, the dog immediately began whimpering and trying to burrow under Shang Shaoyang's crotch.

"You bought this?" Xu Qing asked with a look of disgust. There are so many breeds of dogs in the petting market, such as Frost Harriers, Spotted Leopards, Royal Lion Dogs, or even a black and white spotted Western Pirate Dog. Why did you pick such a dirt clod?
Shang Shaoyang chuckled and said, "I didn't buy it. I picked it up on the road. This dog is very intelligent. A few days ago, I gave it a steamed bun. Today, when I passed through Dongdaokou Alley, several rebels from the Cangyi Group rushed out to kill me. When this dog saw me fighting with them, it didn't say a word and immediately bit one of them on the neck, refusing to let go even in death!"

"Those are all people who live on the edge of a knife. This dog is grateful and has a special connection with me. As for those expensive dogs, even if they wanted me to keep them, I wouldn't want them!"

Just as Xu Qing was about to speak, he noticed the little mongrel in front of Shang Shaoyang's feet whimper a few times and collapse to the ground, barely breathing.

"Damn it! He must have been injured by those Cangyi Gang members."

As he spoke, Shang Shaoyang was about to take the dog to the clinic when Xu Qing stopped him. Then, he popped a Huangya Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine) from his sleeve, which could strengthen the body and nourish the internal organs, and put it into the little dog's mouth.

"This little guy is just hungry. Look, he ate a candy and he's stopped whining."

Shang Shaoyang blinked and asked, "Could I have two of those candies?"

"."

Xu Qing ignored Shang Shaoyang.

It was the cusp of noon and afternoon, and the weather was quite hot. Shang Shaoyang was taking a nap on the armchair by the door, while a small, yellowish-brown mongrel lay at his feet, both snoring.

Xu Qing remained behind the counter, his thoughts already entering the Blood Lake Dharma Realm. Through the Dharma Realm statues, the scene of Baosheng Temple came into view.

Recently, the number of worshippers at Baosheng Temple has continued to grow steadily. Xu Qing could feel that Baosheng Temple was now comparable to any major temple in Tianjin, and at most, it was only slightly inferior to the Tianshi Mansion.

The Celestial Master's Mansion has always been fond of monopolizing incense offerings. Chen Guangrui submitted memorials several times, explaining the importance of the conservation manual and wanting Emperor Jingxing to have it printed and distributed in batches to various prefectures and counties. This would definitely have a great effect on the population growth and development of the Dayong Dynasty.

However, these memorials never received a response. This was partly due to Emperor Jingxing's neglect of state affairs, and partly because Emperor Jingxing brought up the matter, but was always blocked by the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The Celestial Master's Mansion doesn't interfere much in politics, but it cares a great deal about the official and private temples throughout the Dayong Kingdom. The fact that the conservation manual came from the Baosheng Temple couldn't be hidden from the Celestial Master's Mansion, since the sample of the manual already stated that it came from the Baosheng Temple.

If such things were to spread throughout the world, the position of the Celestial Master's Mansion as the number one temple would probably be in jeopardy.

Xu Qing was unaware of Chen Guangrui's efforts. At this moment, while inspecting Baosheng Temple, he saw not only worshippers but also a little girl sitting under the drum stele that recorded the duties and name of Baosheng Niangniang.

The little girl hugged her knees, watching the pilgrims coming and going, praying for children, and the adults who had already become parents and came to fulfill their vows. Her gaze grew increasingly desolate.

(End of this chapter)