Chapter 269

It was late at night, and a storm was raging outside, with thunder and lightning.

The self-operating loom was still creaking, and many undyed plain embryo cloths were hanging in the room, swaying back and forth as the wind blew, looking particularly terrifying in their pale whiteness.

At this time, little Shiyue and the Embroiderer had just met, and both were a bit cautious.

Little Shiyue heard that the Embroiderer was a female ghost, and a strange female ghost at that, so she was a bit scared in her heart.

Although the Embroiderer was a ghost, she usually lived alone in a separate courtyard and had never seen other ghost objects. Seeing a peer for the first time, she was even more nervous than the child.

"Eh? Godmother? No, no, how can this be! How can I be her godmother? Sir, please don't shame this concubine."

"Why can't it be? She is a ghost, and you are a ghost. You are older than her; taking a goddaughter will also provide some support in the future."

Xu Qing kept a straight face and said it quite convincingly, but in reality, he was just afraid of raising children and wanted to dump this little girl on the big girl to raise.

Hearing this, the Embroiderer waved her hands and shook her head repeatedly, shyly saying: "This concubine has not experienced human affairs and is still... still an unmarried woman. How can I be a mother?"

"Not a mother, and besides..."

Seeing the Embroiderer biting her lip and not speaking, Xu Qing finally shook his head helplessly and said: "Forget it. Since you don't want to be her godmother, I won't force you."

"It's just a pity that this child lost her mother at such a young age. Other children return home from school, jumping and skipping, and can eat a hot meal made by their mother. Little Shiyue can only stay outside, picking up small wooden sticks and tracing them one by one on the cold ground..."

"Do you know what she is tracing?"

The Embroiderer shook her head, indicating she didn't know.

Xu Qing's tone was faint: "First trace a round head, then draw two curved and thin eyebrows, and underneath is a pair of smiling eyes. These eyes are her mother's eyes, but she can't remember them clearly anymore, so she can only draw them according to the intimate, warm feeling in her dreams."

"Finally, there are two soft lines drawn for arms, as if they can open up. That is the embrace of little Shiyue's mother."

Seeing the Embroiderer frown, still unmoved, Xu Qing was not in a hurry. He continued:

"When little Shiyue sees the drawing on the ground, she feels her mother is still by her side. In the twelfth lunar month, the weather is freezing cold. She takes off the small embroidered shoes her mother made before she died. Although the shoes are already very broken, she still holds them in her arms like treasures."

"She curls her small body into them so carefully, so gently, into the mother's embrace that she drew on the ground, which has no temperature. It seems that this way she can feel her mother's warmth..."

"Don't say anymore! Sir, please don't say anymore!"

After hearing this, the Embroiderer wanted to slap herself, thinking to herself how she could have said she wouldn't be her godmother in front of the little girl; this was too hurtful!

Although little Shiyue didn't quite understand Xu Qing's words, when she heard the word "mother," she could also understand the general meaning.

That was that her mother was truly gone, and even if she wanted to find her, she could only beg others to find a godmother who wasn't her biological mother.

And the godmother didn't seem to want her...

The little girl's sorrow rose from her heart, and she let out a "wa" cry, crying as sadly as could be.

A ghost's tears are different from a normal person's. When they fall, they are light and graceful points of light, like snowflakes falling on a sunny day, melting before they touch the ground.

Hearing the child cry, the Embroiderer was at a loss. Seeing this, Xu Qing cleared his throat and said: "The child is aggrieved in her heart. As her godmother, why don't you go and coax her?"

Two ghosts, one big and one small, who had not seen much of the world, how could they be the opponents of Xu Qing, the great demon king? The Embroiderer felt both guilty and distressed: "This girl is so pitiful. Come to godmother's side quickly. In the future, if you miss your mother, come to godmother's place..."

After soothing the little girl's emotions, the Embroiderer asked Xu Qing:

"What is her name?"

"Shiyue."

"Ten months?" The Embroiderer was puzzled.

Xu Qing smiled: "Shi, nurturing sprouts, just like spring buds blooming, receiving heaven's grace and sprouting, is the vitality of grass and trees. Yue is the ancestor of yin, gentle and quiet, and also the period of ten months of pregnancy, implying the perfection of life and the final birth."

"People say that one finds life after being placed in a dead end. Although this child died, her heart was never stained by resentment."

Xu Qing sighed: "This may be related to her young age and pure heart..."

At this point, Xu Qing suddenly paused.

"Little Shiyue's biological mother often called her 'Guai Guai' (Good Girl) before she died, often teaching her to be obedient and sensible. Could it be..."

Ghosts all have their attachments. The Embroiderer's attachment was the hatred of her father's murder and the destruction of her family, which allowed her to linger in the world.

That Shiyue could not be affected by resentment might be because what she was attached to was related to Lady Ye's teachings before she died.

Recalling the conversation between Lady Zhang and her before little Shiyue died...

"Your mother often called you 'Guai Guai' because she wanted you to be obedient. As long as you are obedient, you can see your mother."

"If I am obedient, can I see my mother?"

Xu Qing had a faint realization. He turned to look at the little girl who was timidly asking and answering questions with the Embroiderer, and finally smiled with relief.

The Embroiderer knew needlework, could sing operas and tell stories, and was literate. Most importantly, she was also a female ghost.

Xu Qing really couldn't think of anyone more suitable than the Embroiderer to guide this little girl's growth.

"The Baosheng Temple is not like other halls. The people chosen must be of excellent character. Shiyue is pure by nature. As long as she is well-cultivated, she may be able to take charge on her own in the future."

Xu Qing was extremely concerned about the Baosheng Temple. The incense there was extraordinary. According to the current growth rate of believers, I'm afraid it won't be long before the temple needs to be expanded again.

It was not impossible that people in other villages, feeling grateful, would spontaneously build branch temples of the Baosheng Goddess. If there were not enough manpower, Xu Qing would have to find a way to destroy these temples that he couldn't manage...

Xu Qing understood the principle of "better to have nothing than to have something inferior" better than any other immortal.

The immortals in Jinmen, and even the immortals scattered all over the world, were mostly of the "fur-wearing and horn-bearing" kind. In the face of more and more incense, it was difficult for them to remain rational.

Xu Qing was different. He had been a human before he died, and he had seen no less than ten thousand "lanterns" in the Scripture of Salvation.

If the experiences of these people were all counted on him, it would be more than one hundred thousand years.

The more people he saved, the more complex human nature Xu Qing saw.

And those immortals, as well as the deities in the temples existing in the secular world, rarely understood these simple and easy-to-understand principles.

Perhaps some understood, but in the face of countless incense, how many could remain clear-headed?

Xu Qing took precautions and laid out his plans so that one day, even if the temple had no one to look after it, there would be someone worthy of trust to act as his deputy in supervision.

After settling the big and small ghosts, Xu Qing turned around and inspected this separate courtyard at the Water Gate Bridge again.

Compared to two years ago, this separate courtyard had been reinforced and rebuilt twice. Xu Qing used the Daoist Bai Yun's "Virtual God Body Protection Method" to replace the "Shadow Locust Tree Substitute."

The old Daoist's substitute method was much stronger than the "Substitute Stake Method" he practiced. The Virtual God Body Protection Method could not only use the tree stake but also use the architectural feng shui layout as a substitute.

That is to say, the feng shui of the entire Water Gate Bridge separate courtyard, including the shadow locust tree in the backyard, had become his substitute stake, and he was the "eye of the formation" for this feng shui layout.

The feng shui of the Water Gate Bridge separate courtyard was excellent; the only thing that needed improvement was the structural strength.

For this matter, Xu Qing specifically went to the Ancient Path of the Yin River and asked the Eight Banner Marshal to collect "Heavenly Spirit Bones" for him.

Heavenly Spirit Bones, also known as the crown of the head, were an indispensable material for refining Heavenly Punishment Bricks.