"Qingshan Temple, that name sounds familiar!"

Qin's mother felt like she had heard that name somewhere before.

Suddenly, she covered her mouth and asked, "Qingshan Temple, is it the Taoist temple on the mountain between Jiangjia Village and Zhaojialou?"

"Oh, you've heard of it too?" Qin's father asked excitedly, "Is it really that effective?"

Upon hearing this, Qin's mother's face turned ashen, as if she were constipated.

"What kind of Taoist temple is this? It's clearly a brothel!"

"What do you mean by that?" Old Qin asked, puzzled. "Is there something wrong with this Taoist temple? Isn't it supposed to be very effective for granting children?"

“It may be effective,” Mother Qin said in a low voice, “but what’s the use of it being effective now that we’ve changed the seeds?”

"What do you mean?" Qin the eldest's heart pounded in his chest. "Mother, are you saying that those women who are praying for children go to Taoist temples to find random men?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Nobody saw it with their own eyes, it's all just guessing, but it's probably pretty close to the truth."

"Mother, are you sure?" Qin Lao Er asked, frowning.

He had never heard of these things before.

If it's true, such a secret matter shouldn't be leaked.

"Do you remember when a young woman from Lijiazhuang died a while ago and was thrown into a mass grave?"

“I remember,” Qin Laoda immediately agreed. “How could I not remember? Even the poorest family would wrap the person in a straw mat and bury them. To throw them directly into a mass grave and let the woman become a wandering ghost, what kind of deep hatred would lead someone to do that?”

"Then do you know how she died?"

"Wasn't it said he died of illness?" Qin's father frowned deeply. "Could there be some hidden story?"

"He was beaten to death, beaten to death alive," Qin's mother's voice trembled slightly, "because he was caught cheating on his husband!"

"Mother, how did you know?"

"I heard it from Aunt Xinghua. Her niece's cousin married into Lijiazhuang. That's what she said."

"What exactly happened?" Qin's father asked in a deep voice. "What does this have to do with Qingfeng Temple?"

"That's what caused all this trouble!" Mother Qin sighed, then continued, "I heard that Qingfeng Temple was effective in granting wishes for children, so that daughter-in-law went there to pray for a child. A month later, she became pregnant. She thought her suffering was finally over, but who knew she would lose her life in vain?"

"Why?" Qin Lao Er asked, puzzled. "Isn't this fine?"

"What's so great about it? I found out later that the man had injured his genitals when he was a child and couldn't have children at all."

"That man is really wicked," Qin Lao Er said, rubbing his nose. "He can't have children, so he lied to his wife about it. He didn't even tell her the truth after he married her, leaving her anxious. And when something happened, he beat her to death. He's such a scoundrel!"

Qin Laoda continued, "That kid was indeed immoral, but his wife deserved it too. She cheated on her husband; she deserved to be beaten to death."

"So it seems there's something fishy going on at Qingfeng Temple!"

"That's right, sir. That Taoist temple may look impressive, but it's filthy inside, full of shady dealings. Don't be fooled."

At this moment, Qin's mother had no intention of pushing her daughter into a pit of fire.

"Father, let's forget about it," Qin the eldest said. "There are plenty of ways to have a child. There's no need to get involved in such dirty things. If we get into trouble, the Huang family won't let it go."

“But,” Qin Lao Er said weakly, “the master said there is also a reward of five taels of silver.”

"What's going on?" Qin's mother's eyes lit up. "There's a reward money to be had?"

“Yes,” Qin’s father explained in a deep voice, “That gentleman is accumulating blessings for his child. His child was also born through the prayers of Qingfeng Temple. Once the girl is pregnant, just tell him and you will receive a reward of five taels of silver.”

"Is this a lie?" Qin's mother was very skeptical. "Who would be foolish enough to throw money around like that?"

Which of those landlords and rich men wasn't stingy and heartless?

Not withholding wages is already considered kind, why would they spend money on other things?

“How could such a wealthy gentleman possibly cheat people?” Mr. Qin weighed the silver in his hand. “Look how generous he is, giving away five taels of silver right off the bat. Are you worried he’ll renege on his debt?”

Qin Lao Er immediately nodded in agreement, "That's right, they're really nice. They didn't look down on us peasants at all. They spoke very politely, calling us 'brother' and 'little brother' all the time. They also have a very honest and simple appearance, not like a bad person."

"So, it's easy to get five taels of silver? We just need to say we've already been there."

Thinking of this, Qin's mother became excited.

The family already has seven mu of land. With another five liang, they can buy another mu. This is a major event for the family's prosperity.

“Mother, you’re thinking too simply,” Qin Laoda said, both amused and exasperated. “If the master were really that stupid, he wouldn’t have such a large fortune; he would have squandered it all long ago.”

With everyone rushing in like this, how many five-tael coins would it take to handle? Even the richest landlord couldn't withstand such a large crowd.

“That makes sense,” Qin’s father nodded. “If we’re caught lying, that person is so rich, they might arrest us and take us to the authorities. Five taels of silver is a lot of money!”

"In my opinion," Qin's mother wrinkled her nose and said, "this person isn't a good person either. If he wants to accumulate good karma for his child, why not just give him money? Why pull all these stunts? Qingfeng Temple isn't a good place either. He's already been cuckolded, why does he have to drag others down with him?"

Upon hearing this, the three men fell silent.

They realized something was wrong.

This person may not be as simple as they seem.

After a long silence, Qin Lao Er said in a low voice, "Whether he's a good person or a bad person, the money is real. Five taels of silver is something our family would have to work hard for three or four years to save up."

"Can we be sure this gentleman will really pay?"

"That's for sure. He said he has a manor next to Qingfeng Temple, and you can go there to find someone to collect the reward money."

“Mother, no matter what, the money is real,” Qin Lao Er persuaded. “Even if there really is a problem with Qingfeng Temple, if I don’t say anything, you won’t say anything either, and my little sister won’t be stupid enough to tell anyone. It’s not a big deal.”

"What if?" the eldest brother Qin said irritably, "What if the Huang family finds out? How will we explain ourselves? How will the Qin family face anyone?"

“Why can’t we explain? She did something so disgraceful to the family. Just kick her out, and no one will be able to find fault with it,” Father Qin said, not caring about his daughter at all. “It’s decided then. Tomorrow, I’ll take Nizi to Qingfeng Temple to pray for a child.”

“Alright,” Qin’s mother didn’t hesitate for long. “A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. She’s not really part of our family anymore. Let’s try to get something out of her.”

"That's right," Qin Lao Er chimed in. "My little sister has been married for so many years, and our family has only received less than three taels of silver in benefits. This time we've got ten taels. Even if there's no more filial piety from Huangshan in the future, we won't lose out!"

"What we're doing is practically selling our little sister off!" Boss Qin hesitated. "This is going too far. Is it really feasible?"

"What are you selling? Can't you speak properly?" Qin's mother's face turned black from the words. "I gave birth to Nizi. Even if I want her dead, she has to give it to me. Besides, we're doing this not only for the money, but also for her."

She hasn't gotten pregnant in seven or eight years; there might be something wrong with Huangshan. Anyway, at least she's carrying on the Huang family line!