At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

It wasn't as grand as I'd imagined, nor as mysterious as I'd envisioned beforehand.

Spider webs covered half the wall above the Buddhist shrine.

Su Che vaguely heard a hissing sound, but he couldn't tell if it was a snake coiled up or something else.

On the ground in front of the shrine, there was a farmhouse cushion used as a prayer mat, covered in dust.

In front of the Buddha statue, some rotten fruit was placed on a small table.

The holy water evaporated, leaving the offering plate covered in stains, causing the two women to frown.

"Wow...it looks like it hasn't been taken care of in a really, really long time..."

Seeing this scene, Yuan Xiao couldn't help but shake his head and click his tongue. "I reckon it's been going on for several years."

"Yes, it's likely that none of the villagers in this village come here to worship anymore. The ashes in the incense altar have all been blown away."

An Qing's heart sank.

For some reason, seeing that the ancient Buddha had been ignored for so many years, she felt a sense of discomfort and frustration.

"You guys do it here. Just let me know if you need anything, and I'll be waiting outside."

Su Che placed the large and small packages here, then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

He was going to check if there were any dangerous wild animals nearby, so that the two little ones wouldn't be unsafe inside the house.

"Okay! Then don't go too far!"

Yuan Xiao was also afraid of encountering something strange, so she whispered something to his back.

With him by my side, I have nothing to fear; he is the only embodiment of security.

"it is good."

Su Che's voice faded into the distance.

The two little ones watched him disappear through the courtyard gate, then exchanged a glance.

"We can move now! Let's hurry and get the formation set up before 8 o'clock!"

"Uh-huh."

An Qing nodded and immediately cooperated.

He took out disposable wet wipes, dry paper towels, and other items he had prepared beforehand from the bag and began wiping away the dust that had accumulated in front of the shrine.

And they replaced the cups and plates with new ones, and filled them with fresh fruit.

The tribute fruits consisted of four kinds: peaches, apples, oranges, and bananas.

Peaches represent longevity and happiness; apples symbolize peace and good fortune; oranges signify reunion and happiness; and bananas bring wealth and prosperity.

Offerings of fruit cannot be placed haphazardly; certain unlucky fruits must never be chosen—such as pears and strawberries.

Pears represent "separation," while strawberries represent "bad luck."

Before coming here, An Qing had a thorough understanding of this matter and avoided dangerous varieties.

At that moment, seeing that two plates were empty, she felt something was amiss, as if something was missing.

“Yuan Xiao, look, we’ve set out four plates, which is theoretically enough. But the Empress Dowager had two empty offering plates here before. I think instead of taking them away, we should fill in the original contents on those two plates. Wouldn’t that be more reasonable?”

"Yes, yes, I've also heard that we shouldn't take the Empress Dowager's things off the altar."

The child thought for a moment, and then a brilliant idea suddenly flashed into his mind—

"Then let's put the snacks my sister made up there!"

"??"

"Wouldn't it be nice to give the Empress Dowager some baked goods?"

"...Is this reasonable?"

“That makes sense. After all, He can only look at it, not eat it. If we put it out there, we’ve done our part.”

"Good good..."

An Qing couldn't find the problem for a while, so she could only watch as the child worked around and solved all the problems on the offering plate.

Immediately, Yuan Xiao put on gloves, poured out the holy water, wiped the cup dry, and poured in fresh spring water, which was still ice-cold.

"Giving the Empress Dowager a sip of chilled mineral water should have a good therapeutic effect."

She chattered on and on.

"...I hope so."

The two women coordinated their attacks.

The house cat wiped the dust off the small table and its gaze fell on the prayer cushion in front of the Buddhist shrine.

He picked up the large broom that was placed to the side and swept all the dust off the ground to the outside, leaving a clean ring. He also took a damp cloth and wiped the mat from top to bottom.

"This should create some space."

She wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and looked with satisfaction at the newly renovated Buddhist shrine.

"The time is 7:59, and the checkpoint has completed its arduous task."

"If we serve the Empress Dowager well, she'll probably show her her power because of our sincerity, right?"

"Who should make a wish first?"

"You come first, cats first."

"..."

An Qing hesitated, then asked, "May I make a few wishes?"

"Uh……"

Yuan Xiao's face tightened as she pondered, "I hadn't thought of that. It's not mentioned in the book either..."

She felt that if one were to make a wish to the ancient Buddha, as long as one was sincere, there should be no limit to the number of wishes one could make.

"I think thirty or fifty is not excessive."

"Are you here to buy goods? We can't overcharge, it'll leave a bad impression on the Empress Dowager."

An Qing extended her slender fingers, fingertips pointing upwards, and explained:

"You see, it's just like dating. You can't make too many demands on the first date. You have to take it step by step, gradually revealing your fangs. That way, the other person will get used to your requests and slowly fulfill them all. You understand?"

"Oh! I see! I completely understand now. So this is how you manipulate A-Che. I've learned something new."

Yuan Xiao benefited greatly from what he heard.

The ancient Buddha sat cross-legged in the shrine, smiling at the two little ones' amazing performance.

"Okay then, since we're short on time, let's each make three wishes, no more, no less, and we'll make up for any shortfall later. We can think of other wishes next time."

"also."

The two women reached an agreement that neither of them was allowed to secretly ask for more.

So, An Qing took the lead in kneeling on the cushion, pressing her palms together, closing her cat-like eyes, and began to pray for divine inspiration—

"Your Majesty, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am An Qing, an unknown painter and songstress."

I don't want much. I just want my owner to like me a little more, so that he'll want to touch me every time he sees me.

I want him to be able to hug me when we sleep together at night, instead of deliberately keeping his distance or wearing pajamas. Isn't it hot in the middle of summer?

"Also, when I behave well, he should praise me more, reward me more, and spend more time with me. He can't always prioritize other cats' feelings when he's out; he should also look at me."

"After that, you need to set aside some time for my dates... the kind that are one-on-one, without anyone else... I'm just that selfish, so please don't laugh at me, Your Majesty. Hmm..."

"More than three? I forgot, but let's add one last one anyway—"

“I want him to write about me in his book.”

"—Write me into his future works, as the female lead, the only and most important female lead, and depict me. I want to be the most important part of his heart."

"Please! Please!!!"

"Show your power!!! Empress Dowager!!!"

—Buzz.

An Qing felt that

at this moment,

Something has changed.

I don't know if it's just my imagination.

He opened his eyes and looked at the statue of Buddha.

I have a vague feeling...

His expression was like a smile.

"..."

"I hope you're not laughing at me..."

Feeling guilty, An Qing stood up and gestured for Yuan Xiao, who was grinning from ear to ear, to take over Xu Yuan's place.

"now you."

"puff……"

Yuan Xiao had been observing the cat the whole time, and from the changes in her expression, she could guess that the cat must have made a tremendous, "difficult to fulfill" ultimate wish.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

“Anqing, let me tell you, there’s a reason behind making a wish.”

What do you mean?

"You can't get fat in one bite. For example, if you say, 'I'm going to become the richest person tomorrow,' that's too far-fetched a fantasy and unlikely to come true."

She explained:

"You have to choose the kind of things in life that you're just a little short of, but often just that little bit is what makes them impossible to achieve."