Chapter 17:  Earned Money Should Be Used for Charity

Including the maid who died that morning, there were six souls in this mansion, leaving three more, all of whom were maids in the household.

They all had families, and in order to allow their families to live better lives, they agreed to forgive.  Madam Wang compensated their families with one thousand taels each.

For the maids, one thousand taels was an astronomical sum. They were sold into the mansion as maids for only a dozen or so taels. One thousand taels for their lives, they felt, was not a bad deal.

Qingli watched, feeling a pang in her heart. In this era, human life was truly like grass.

But she couldn’t change any of this.

Madam Wang was overjoyed. Now, as long as her son could be reincarnated properly, she was willing to give up all her wealth.

Only Xiao Panpan remained unwilling to forgive.

Madam Wang, with a heart full of fear, went to plead with her. “Miss Xiao, it was the Wang family who wronged you. You and A-Can had feelings for each other. Please, have mercy and save him!”

Xiao Panpan said coldly, “My enemy will only be reborn as a pig or a dog in the next life. I’m very happy about it. Why should I help?”

Madam Wang was utterly helpless and could only turn to Qingli for help.

“Master, is there any other way? Miss Xiao refuses to forgive. Can my son still be reborn as a human?”

Qingli shook her head. “No, Madam Wang. If he’s reborn into the animal realm, he’ll only be reborn as an animal for life after life.”

Hearing this, Madam Wang was even more despairing. With a sob in her voice, she said, “But Miss Xiao refuses to forgive. What can we do?”

Qingli thought for a moment and said, “It’s only natural for Miss Xiao to be unwilling to forgive. Others are willing to forgive, not because they truly want to, but because they choose their families over themselves. Miss Xiao’s family must have treated her poorly, even very badly. That’s why she’s unwilling to sacrifice herself for her family. Miss Xiao’s actions are right. Madam Wang, from beginning to end, you and your son are the ones who are wrong.”

Madam Wang was helpless. She knew this, but what could she do now?

Xiao Panpan glanced at Qingli, but said nothing.

Qingli turned to Madam Wang and said, “There is one more way. You yourself can accumulate good deeds for Master Wang. For every person you help, your sins and Master Wang’s sins will be lessened.”

Madam Wang immediately said, “I’m willing. I’m willing to do good deeds. Please guide me, Master.”

Qingli nodded. “Good. From now on, you should eat vegetarian food, recite Buddhist scriptures, and live frugally. Every day, you should offer alms and help the needy. As long as it’s a good deed, you can do it. If you do it, you’ll have merit, and you’ll be able to offset your sins.”

Madam Wang was used to living a life of wealth and luxury. To spend her entire life eating vegetarian food, reciting Buddhist scriptures, and living frugally, she didn’t know if she could persevere.

But she didn’t hesitate. For her son, she was willing to suffer for a lifetime.

“Good, I agree.”

Qingli nodded. “Alright, then I’ll send Master Wang to be reincarnated.”

“By the way, Master Wang said before that his concubine was pregnant. Master Wang was destined to have no children, so that child wasn’t his.”

Madam Wang suddenly became furious. “What? That hussy actually put horns on my son?”

Madam Wang paced back and forth in anger, wishing she could kill that little hussy right now. Before, she had been happy, thinking that at least the concubine had left a child for her son, and that their family wouldn’t be without an heir. Their Wang family wouldn’t die out.

Now, she was told that that wasn’t her grandson. Madam Wang was about to go crazy.

“No, I have to go ask that hussy. Someone, bring Zhao Fen to me.”

Qingli looked at the furious Madam Wang and couldn’t help but remind her, “Madam Wang, if you commit more sins, then I’ll be powerless to help.”

Madam Wang suddenly came to her senses. Her reason returned to her.

“Stop! Don’t go.”

Madam Wang called out to the maid who was about to step out the door. Then, her whole body seemed to age instantly, and her eyes lost their vitality.

“Master, I won’t kill her. I’m just too angry. I thought our family would have an heir after all, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

Qingli said calmly, “Your family’s affairs are your business. How you solve them is up to you. But you can’t just kill people at will.”

Madam Wang nodded helplessly. “Alright, Master, I understand.”

Qingli began to send Wang Can to be reincarnated. After the Ghost Gate opened, she also sent the other ghosts to be reincarnated, except for the couple and Xiao Panpan.

After all the souls had left, Qingli looked at Xiao Panpan and said, “Miss Xiao, I’ll send you to be reincarnated.”

Xiao Panpan glanced at Madam Wang and her son. Before, her resentment was too strong, so she was trapped in this mansion. Now, seeing that everyone had chosen to forgive, and that Wang Can could still be reincarnated, she suddenly felt indifferent. Wang Can was dead, and Madam Wang would only be able to eat vegetarian food and live frugally for the rest of her life. Neither of them had a good outcome. She had let go.

She nodded at Qingli, saying, “Alright, thank you.”

Xiao Panpan also walked into the Ghost Gate, disappearing into the darkness.

Madam Wang could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Qingli glanced at her and said, “Madam Wang, remember that what you say must be strictly followed. Otherwise, the consequences after your death will be far worse than being reborn as an animal.”

Madam Wang was both puzzled and scared. Was there a punishment worse than being an animal for life after life?

Seeing the confusion and fear in her eyes, Qingli continued, “The so-called Underworld has eighteen levels of hell, and each level’s suffering is something no human can endure. Madam Wang, take care of yourself!”

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang truly dared not entertain any more thoughts. She was wholly focused on doing good deeds, hoping for a favorable outcome after death.

Qingli instructed that the ghost couple should return and look for her at the inn where she was staying, then returned to the inn herself, of course, also receiving a considerable reward.

In an instant, she became wealthy.

However, this money was not meant for her alone.

With a large sum of silver in hand, Qingli cheerfully went to the market to buy herself many delicious treats.

Afterward, she packed up a lot of food and placed it all into her Qiankun Bag, heading toward the abandoned temple on the outskirts of the southern part of the city.

She had inquired with the townspeople and learned that this was a gathering place for beggars, so she went there with purpose.

Whenever she received a large sum of money, her Master said she should spend half, as it would help accumulate merit.

At the abandoned temple in the south of the city, the children who had gone out begging had returned. The few children who came back brought only a meager amount of food that was hardly enough to share.

Yet they did not fight over it. Instead, they distributed it in an orderly manner, giving the food first to those in most need.

Qingli expected to see a dirty, chaotic environment, but she found it much tidier than she had imagined. There was neatly stacked firewood and torn clothes hanging on branches to dry, along with some pots and bowls, clearly showing signs of life.

In the dilapidated temple, many children were sitting and eating, while some had not eaten. Those who hadn’t were calm, not attempting to snatch food. For those who were eating, every bite seemed precious, savored slowly, their eyes filled with longing and reluctance for the food.

Qingli’s arrival caught the attention of one child.

“Is someone there?”

As the boy spoke, all the children looked toward her. A slightly taller boy, around ten years old, stood up and walked toward Qingli.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The boy’s clothes were all patched up. Although they were worn and tattered, they were not particularly dirty. His face was smeared with mud, making it hard to see his features, except for his bright brown eyes.

Qingli smiled warmly at him and then took out the food, releasing an enticing aroma that made all the children unconsciously swallow.

“I’m here to bring you some food.”

Qingli extended a large bag of meat buns toward the boy, but he did not take it. Instead, he looked at her suspiciously.

Even though the smell of the meat buns was tempting, the boy remained cautious and did not dare to eat.

“Why are you giving us food? We don’t know you.”

The boy spoke with suspicion.

None of the children in the broken temple came forward; they merely watched Qingli curiously without rushing to snatch the food as she had imagined.

These children were quite alert.

Qingli placed the meat buns on the ground and took out some flatbreads and pastries, laying them all out.

“I earned a lot of silver today, and I thought to do some good. I asked the townspeople and learned that there are many children here without food, so I bought a lot to bring over. I have no ill intentions.”

The boy still looked at her skeptically, carefully observing her expression.

Qingli chuckled, “You little one, why are you so suspicious? I have no grievances with you. Why would I harm you? I just want to do something good and accumulate merit for myself.”

The boy spoke with a hint of sarcasm, “Is there really someone in this world who simply wants to do good deeds?”

Qingli didn’t mind his tone and nodded earnestly. “Of course there are! I’m one of them! And my Master—he’s done a lot of good deeds in his lifetime. He told me that I was abandoned as a child, and he picked me up and raised me. I’m just continuing his legacy by doing good.”

The boy looked at her with disbelief, thinking that although she was good-looking, her sweet words seemed deceptive, and she looked like someone who could easily trick others.