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"Don't forget what you promised Mom?"

Su Rouer hurriedly called after Ju Geer.

Ju Geer stopped in his tracks, pouted, but still remembered: "...I know, Mom. I’ll go with you to the Daoist temple in a couple of days to pray."

Only then did Su Rouer nod in satisfaction.

Xingxing, however, was very curious: "Ju Geer, where are you going?"

"To the Daoist temple to pray. Want to come along?"

"What’s a Daoist temple?"

Xingxing asked curiously.

Ju Geer hmm-ed thoughtfully, racking his brains to summarize: "The Daoist temple is really pretty, and... you can make wishes there! Yeah, it’s a place for making wishes!"

Xingxing got excited, her big eyes shining eagerly: "...I wanna go!"

Ju Geer and Xingxing then turned to look at Su Rouer together.

Truthfully, Su Rouer was still a little upset with Xingxing this time. But after everything that had happened, her mindset had shifted slightly. She knew Xingxing wasn’t at fault—it was those outsiders who bullied who were at fault.

Looking at Xingxing’s wide, shining eyes, she paused, then smiled. "Of course you can come."

Chapter 80: The Nameless Daoist Temple

When Li Chunhua heard Su Rouer was going to the Daoist temple to burn incense and pray, she got the same idea.

"...I want to ask the gods to bless my fourth sister Donghua, so she finds a good, dependable husband."

Li Chunhua explained this to Wei Pozi.

There was actually another matter she wanted to pray for, but she was too embarrassed to mention it in front of Wei Pozi.

Li Chunhua also hoped to ask the gods for a chance to have a sweet little girl of her own.

She had originally thought that two rambunctious boys were enough for the family. She wasn’t young anymore, and after so many years without another pregnancy, she figured her childbearing days were over.

But lately, seeing her sister-in-law Bai Xiaofeng pregnant again, and with Xingxing being so adorable, she had started wishing for a daughter.

Still, Li Chunhua felt she was too old to openly share this wish with Wei Pozi.

Fortunately, Wei Pozi had never been the kind of mother-in-law to mistreat her daughters-in-law. She said right away: "You’ve all worked hard during the harvest. It’s time to rest... If you want to go to the Daoist temple, then go."

Thrilled, Li Chunhua ran to tell Su Rouer that she’d go with her to the temple to pray.

Remembering all the kindness Li Chunhua had shown her before, Su Rouer hesitated briefly but didn’t refuse and agreed.

Bai Xiaofeng also really wanted to go, but she was currently pregnant. The Daoist temple was in the mountains, requiring a trek along a steep and dangerous path. Neither Wei Pozi nor Yu Erhu would let her go, so Bai Xiaofeng had to give up.

However, on the day Li Chunhua, Su Rouer, Ju Geer, and Xingxing left for the Daoist temple, Bai Xiaofeng pulled Li Chunhua aside and said, "Big sister-in-law, I’ve been dreaming of butterflies flying around me these past few days. Old folks in the village say it means I’ll have a daughter. But I’m still worried. When you’re there, could you also light some incense for me and ask the gods to bless me with a girl?"

Li Chunhua said yes right away.

After all, she also wanted the gods to give her a daughter—throwing in Bai Xiaofeng’s request wouldn't be any trouble.

Happy, Bai Xiaofeng took out ten copper coins from her little cloth purse.

"Sis-in-law, since you're lighting incense and praying for me, I can't let you pay for the incense." Bai Xiaofeng insisted on pressing the money into Li Chunhua's hand.

Li Chunhua knew there was a saying that the money for incense shouldn’t be paid by others, otherwise the gods might get the incense but not the right karma.

She took the money without fuss.

Su Rouer watched from the side and kept quiet.

The two adults took both children to the famous Taoist temple that supposedly worked miracles.

The mountain trail was tough going, with some sections so narrow that the adults struggled more than the sure-footed kids.

Ju Geer and Xingxing breezed through the tricky part with ease.

In contrast, Li Chunhua and Su Rouer had to support each other, helping each other along.

After nearly half a morning’s journey, the two adults and both children finally arrived at the Taoist temple tucked away in the mountains.

Xingxing looked up.

To her eyes, the temple was grandly built, with an air of mystery she didn't understand.

The temple had no sign. Upon entering, they found a small yet exquisite courtyard.

In the courtyard was a tiny pond.

Beside the pond lay a shiny smooth rock—so polished that it seemed someone often sat there feeding fish.

On the other side of the pond stood a huge tung tree.

Though it was already midsummer, the tree was still in bloom, albeit sparsely. Occasionally, a few flowers floated down into the pond, creating faint ripples. Soon, several fish would swim over quick, nibbling at the petals.

Xingxing watched, her mouth slightly open, lost in thought.

Ju Geer, ever mischievous, picked up a small stone from the side and chucked it into the pond - plop!

The fish, busy nibbling at the paulownia flowers, scattered in fright.

Xingxing gave Ju Geer a helpless look.

Ju Geer grinned. "Stop staring. Isn't the sun bothering you?"

With that, he pulled Xingxing toward the main hall, where the statue of the temple’s founding patriarch was enshrined.

Xingxing went along with him but whispered, "Ju Geer, what if you hit a fish?"

Ju Geer got even cockier. "Even better! We could roast it!"

He sounded all excited, as if he were rolling up his sleeves for the task.

Xingxing stared. "But... but these are the temple’s fish. We can’t do that..."

She worried, "Ju Geer, you shouldn't be mean like that."

Ju Geer tapped lightly on Xingxing’s little head. "Can't a guy joke around? And I didn’t even hit one, did I?"