Originally, Xu Lei hadn't intended to pry into how she was doing. After all, that would go against the rules of Zen Master Bu Zhong.
But just after entering the city, he heard her family had been implicated in a legal case.
So, he decided to ask around.
Afterward, Xu Lei learned that after the young married female Devotee had successfully received his Charitable Giving...
...she had returned home, carried the child for ten months, and given birth to a son.
The child was very healthy, with well-defined features.
He was quite handsome, and as he grew older, proved to be rather intelligent.
This perfectly matched what everyone expected from the offspring of such a good-looking couple, so no one ever suspected the child wasn't theirs.
Her husband and parents-in-law were naturally very fond of him as well.
Their lives were supposed to be happy and harmonious.
But unexpectedly, they had now run into trouble.
Specifically, the female Devotee's husband was framed for a rape that supposedly produced a child, and a blood-paternity test had even confirmed it.
But the female Devotee knew, of course, that her husband was infertile.
Her husband's seed had been completely useless when he'd tried with her before.
But there was no proof.
The accusing woman insisted that the child she bore belonged to the female Devotee's husband.
And they had even performed some sort of blood-paternity test,
leaving the female Devotee's husband completely unable to defend himself.
He had been blind drunk and had no idea if he had actually slept with the woman or not.
After learning the details of the case, Xu Lei found it all rather absurd.
Because the key piece of evidence in the case was actually the "blood-paternity test."
It was claimed that when the blood of the female Devotee's husband and the blood of the child were dripped into water, they had merged.
Based on this, it was determined that the child was related to him.
The case was being handled with incredible carelessness.
Xu Lei guessed that one of his business competitors had probably framed him.
Of course, Xu Lei knew from his time on Earth that this blood-paternity test was highly unscientific.
This sort of plot device was common in television dramas, so Xu Lei had specifically looked up the principles behind it.
'Looks like I'll have to step in and help.'
Xu Lei immediately thought to himself, 'After all, this is a family with a karmic bond to the Buddha.'
The matter was also quite simple to resolve.
He just had to prove that the blood-paternity test was unreliable.
The case should be overturned then.
For example, adding Potassium Alum or using warm water could make the blood merge faster.
And if you wiped the container with salt or vinegar, the blood would coagulate separately and would never merge.
In any case, it was fundamentally inaccurate and had no scientific basis whatsoever.
As long as he could prove it was unscientific, the case would be overturned.
However, how to get this information to the young married female Devotee was a problem.
"Little Divine Monk!"
Just then, a familiar female voice unexpectedly called out from his left, "What a coincidence!"
"Greetings, female benefactor!"
Xu Lei was taken aback. "Amitabha Buddha!"
It was, unexpectedly, Zhao Xiaocha.
Having not seen her for a year, Zhao Xiaocha no longer had the naivety of a young girl; she now carried the alluring charm of a young wife.
Moreover, after marrying into the city, she had lived a pampered life, and her skin had become even fairer and more delicate.
Her features were already quite lovely, and now with her fair complexion, her overall attractiveness seemed to have increased even more.
The moment she saw Xu Lei, her eyes shimmered. Her beautiful eyes, fixed on him, sparkled as a seductive charm flowed from them.
Perhaps it was also because her husband at home was impotent.
And she had already had a taste and wanted more.
"I gave birth to a daughter."
Seeing no one around, Zhao Xiaocha blushed slightly and whispered to Xu Lei, "My husband and my parents-in-law want me to go to the temple again to pray for a son. It's just that I was in my confinement period after childbirth, so I haven't had the chance to go yet."
Now a city wife, she had unconsciously changed her manner of speaking.
She no longer spoke like a country girl.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei paused for a moment before chanting, "Congratulations, benefactor."
「A few minutes later.」
Xu Lei went to Zhao Xiaocha's family shop to sit for a while.
Originally, Xu Lei hadn't wanted to get too involved with her family.
But Zhao Xiaocha's husband had opened a small shop nearby.
Thus, as Xu Lei was passing by, Zhao Xiaocha spotted him immediately.
Her husband had seen him too, and ignoring them would have seemed deliberate.
At that moment, Zhao Xiaocha's husband was serving Xu Lei. "Divine Monk, please have some tea." He had no idea that Xu Lei was the one who had performed Charitable Giving for Zhao Xiaocha, so he simply treated Xu Lei as a respected Divine Monk.
"WAH WAH WAH." A baby's cries came from the inner room, and Zhao Xiaocha rushed in. "Mama's here, I'm here. Time for milk, time for milk. Don't cry, don't cry."
Xu Lei pictured the scene in the inner room, Zhao Xiaocha breastfeeding her child, and then recalled Zhao Xiaocha's jade-like body in the Almsgiving Room.
He couldn't help but feel his mouth go dry.
"Amitabha Buddha." Xu Lei changed the subject. "Benefactor, business at your shop doesn't seem to be very brisk..."
"Indeed," Zhao Xiaocha's husband sighed. "Business is tough these days..."
Xu Lei listened to Zhao Xiaocha's husband ramble on for a while.
"Benefactor, may I borrow a brush and paper?" Xu Lei then asked.
"Of course," said Zhao Xiaocha's husband.
Xu Lei smiled, borrowed their brush and paper, and wrote down his scientific understanding of the blood-paternity test.
Afterward, Xu Lei had Zhao Xiaocha help him deliver the papers to the home of the young married female Devotee who was embroiled in the lawsuit.
「One day later.」
Xu Lei had already returned to the temple.
But that evening, Zhao Xiaocha came to the temple once again.
Before Xu Lei could say anything...
"Divine Monk, thank you so much! After you had us deliver that letter, Madam Liang was astonished when she read it. And then, our family was given a sizable business deal from her household."
Zhao Xiaocha said gratefully, "My husband and my parents-in-law are all saying I'm the family's lucky star now."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei nodded. "Seeing you fare well, female benefactor, is this humble monk's wish."
"Little Divine Monk, if I come to ask for a son again in the future..."
Zhao Xiaocha blushed and asked, "...will you be the one to perform the Charitable Giving for me?"
Xu Lei remained silent. After all, the rules of a Zen Master Bu Zhong prevented him from giving a direct answer.
"I only want you to perform the Charitable Giving for me."
Zhao Xiaocha's eyes glistened with tears, looking utterly pitiable. "I don't want anyone else."
"Amitabha Buddha." Xu Lei could only chant the Buddha's name.
"If you don't deny it, I'll take that as a yes," Zhao Xiaocha said, having grown clever.
"Amitabha Buddha." Xu Lei chanted the Buddha's name again.
"Then I'll wait another month and come back to ask for a son," Zhao Xiaocha said with a smile.
After all, she had just given birth two months ago and still needed to rest.
Today, she had only brought some fruit to express her gratitude.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Excellent, excellent."
But then, unexpectedly...
"I'm a little... engorged again."
She caressed her chest. "Little Divine Monk, could you possibly help?"
Xu Lei paused. He happened to be a little thirsty.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei nodded and said, "A monk's duty is to be compassionate. This humble monk is naturally willing."
「Another day later.」
Zhao Xiaocha came again.
"Little Divine Monk, that Madam Liang has already had her husband's case overturned."
She said, "She came and asked me where the letter came from. I didn't say, but it seems my husband let it slip."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "It matters not. The karmic threads of this world are all predetermined."
"As long as you're not upset, Little Divine Monk, it's fine."
Zhao Xiaocha breathed a sigh of relief. But that day, before leaving, she blushed, licked her lips, and said, "I'm not engorged today, Divine Monk, but... what about you? I'll be heading back today and won't come again until next month. It's not convenient for me to get pregnant again right now, but if you want... I can give myself to you."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Am I, this humble monk, one who covets the pleasures of the flesh?"
Zhao Xiaocha looked ashamed.
「Two hours later.」
"Thank you, Divine Monk, for bestowing upon this humble woman the pleasures of the flesh."
Zhao Xiaocha climbed off the bed in the Almsgiving Room, put her clothes back on piece by piece, and then said respectfully, "You have relieved this humble woman of her boudoir's suffering."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "My Buddha is compassionate and cannot bear to see living beings suffer."
「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」
As expected, Zhao Xiaocha did not come again.
After all, her body still needed more time to recuperate.
It wasn't good for her to be running up the mountain every day.
On this day, however, Xu Lei received a visit from the young married female Devotee, the very first one to receive his Charitable Giving.
"Thank you, Little Divine Monk, for your help." She was still as radiant and enchanting as ever.
Her jade-like earrings swayed gently, making the skin of her face seem even fairer.
"Amitabha Buddha." Xu Lei simply said, "You are a pious believer, benefactor. Naturally, you are blessed by the Buddha's light."
"Little Divine Monk, I wish to ask for another son." The young married female Devotee took a step forward, her face blushing as she whispered shyly, "But I only want you to perform the Charitable Giving for me. Is that possible?"