Chapter 20

【I was wondering why this rhetoric sounded so familiar. Turns out it’s poverty alleviation.】

【Poverty alleviation, haha, isn’t that exactly what it is? I was wondering why these people dressed like they were from some official unit. So it’s the Poverty Alleviation Office, haha.】

【But still, it seems like they knew each other from the start. Have you ever seen the Poverty Alleviation Office treat their target beneficiaries with such… attitude?】

Indeed, the audience had never seen anyone carry out poverty alleviation like this.

Lin Dingqi didn’t dare to say he was here for poverty alleviation, shaking his head like a rattle drum: “No, no, we’re just bringing you some small gifts.”

【”Small” gifts, huh?】

【Why is he so afraid of Su Wen?】

【Su Wen, your identity has successfully caught my attention.】

Given Su Wen’s status, not just these household appliances, but even if Lin Dingqi moved the entire office building here, he could accept it without a second thought.

After a moment of consideration, under Lin Dingqi’s eager gaze, he finally gave a dignified nod: “What are they used for?”

【?? Seriously? He doesn’t know how to use these appliances?】

【If Su Wen is an ancient ancestor who crawled out from underground, then everything makes sense, lol.】

Lin Dingqi didn’t have the guts to mock the Judge for not knowing anything. On the contrary, it was his honor to explain the uses of these items to the King of Hell and the Judge, so he immediately started introducing each one.

Su Wen had an astonishing memory. After listening, he pointed at a few: “Keep these, take the rest back.”

Lin Dingqi was stunned: “But these are all very useful.”

Su Wen calmly said: “There’s no space to put them.”

Lin Dingqi: “…”

It was so pitiful that it made those who heard it sad and those who saw it cry.

The staff moved the various appliances to be kept into the temple in a grand procession. Little Qi Wu, holding her dog, followed them inside, peeking here and there, while Su Wen held several instruction manuals, reading them at a glance.

At that moment, his phone suddenly rang, and he paused to take a look.

The caller’s purpose was quite clear: “Is this Mr. Su? I’m Zhang Yuan. It’s the weekend, and if you have time, you can bring Little Qi Wu over to play with our Zhang Siqing.”

Su Wen didn’t answer immediately but called out: “Qi Wu.”

【It’s quite noisy inside with all the moving. How could the kid hear him calling like that?】

【This is when I think he’s not very smart. Every time I call my kid, I feel like I have to lift the roof off.】

The audience was still laughing at Su Wen, but within seconds, they saw Little Qi Wu poke her little head out from inside: “Dad?”

【??】

【Holy cow! How did she hear that?】

Su Wen wasn’t surprised at all. He pointed at the phone: “Do you want to go to Zhang Siqing’s house?”

Zhang Siqing! That little ghost!

Little Qi Wu nodded like a drum: “Qi Wu wants to go!”

After saying that, she ran back inside.

Only then did Su Wen reply to Zhang Yuan: “Alright.”

All this aloofness was just playing hard to get. Zhang Yuan felt a bit disdainful but still spoke politely: “Then we’ll be waiting at home. I’ll send you the address.”

“Mm.”

As soon as the call ended, Little Qi Wu ran out again, holding her little bunny backpack: “Dad, let’s go!”

“Are you going out for something?” Lin Dingqi said, “Don’t worry about this place, we’ll make sure everything is installed properly! Not even a mouse will be able to get in!”

[LOL, even mice wouldn’t bother with this place.]

“Thank you for your hard work,” Su Wen said, suddenly remembering something, “Are you free today?”

Lin Dingqi: “Yes, yes!”

Su Wen nodded: “Wait for my call later.”

Is there something he needs me for? Lin Dingqi immediately became serious: “Alright, Mr. Su.”

[Most people can’t provide assistance to this extent. I think I was being impolite to Su Wen before.]

[Is it really necessary to be so dramatic? Could they be hired actors?]

[Please don’t make baseless assumptions. It’s none of your business what they’re doing; it’s not like they’re bothering you.]

[But I’m curious, Su Wen really doesn’t seem to like the actor Zhang Yuan, so why did he agree to visit his house?]

[Their kids get along well, and Su Wen always prioritizes Qi Wu’s opinion, right?]

[We’ll see.]

This was the first time families from the “Me and My Kid” show were visiting each other, especially since both families were quite popular, so it garnered a lot of attention. As Su Wen and Qi Wu were on their way to Zhang Yuan’s house, hashtags about the two families quietly started trending.

#Qi Wu’s First Visit to Zhang Siqing’s House#

[Is this the peak of this season’s show in terms of looks?]

[They’ve already met before, and honestly, I think Su Wen won.]

[Qi Wu! Qi Wu’s looks are absolutely beyond dispute!]

[I peeked into the live stream, and Zhang Siqing is really hardworking, practicing the piano while waiting for his little friend!]

Soon, Little Qi Wu and Su Wen arrived at the entrance of Zhang Siqing’s house. Their home was a standalone villa with its own yard, which made the audience feel even more sympathetic towards Little Qi Wu’s living conditions.

But Little Qi Wu didn’t feel that way. She thought the place was beautiful, but that was all. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with the Temple of the King of Hell.

Both father and daughter had this attitude, which made the audience view them in a new light.

As soon as Little Qi Wu reached the door, she felt uncomfortable. Despite the large house, it felt oppressive to her.

After the doorbell rang, Zhu Qing quickly opened the door. She was wearing a white home outfit and politely nodded to the guests, then handed them new slippers: “Welcome.”

[So thoughtful, the slippers are suitable for kids.]

[The goddess is as considerate as ever, but she doesn’t look too well.]

Little Qi Wu put on her pink slippers and looked up: “Thank you, Auntie!”

“You’re welcome,” Zhu Qing paused, “Si Qing is still practicing the piano upstairs. Would you like to go see him, Qi Wu?”

Little Qi Wu nodded: “Sure!”

“Mr. Su,” Zhang Yuan also came over, “If the kids are playing, why don’t we adults chat downstairs?”

Su Wen’s expression was somewhat indifferent: “I’d like to see Si Qing practice the piano too.”

Zhang Yuan smiled: “The kids are just messing around with the piano, but if you want to watch, let’s go up together.”

As they walked upstairs, they noticed a small altar by the staircase.

Little Qi Wu exclaimed, “A Household God?”

Zhang Yuan paused, unable to hide his surprise: “Qi Wu knows about this too?”

Su Wen: “Qi Wu is the Temple Keeper of the King of Hell Temple.”

Zhang Yuan slapped his forehead: “Ah, I must be confused.”

He smiled: “Our family has always had the tradition of worshiping a Household God. I believe you’ve seen such things in temples and are no strangers to them.”

Worshiping a Household God usually involves well-known Ghosts and Gods or the ancestral spirits of one’s own family. However, the altar in their home was empty.

Not only that, but the altar also exuded an aura of death.

Little Qi Wu stared at the altar in confusion: “But this isn’t how you worship a Household God.”

Zhang Yuan turned around, his expression shifting slightly. The smile on his face faded as he looked at Little Qi Wu: “Children might not understand these things. You shouldn’t speak carelessly.”

Little Qi Wu wanted to say that she did understand. This wasn’t the proper way to worship a Household God, which was why their home had no God. Such practices could easily attract Ghosts.

But before she could speak, Judge Dad picked her up. Su Wen’s voice was slightly cold: “Let’s go see Zhang Siqing first.”

Little Qi Wu nodded obediently: “Okay.”

As she was carried upstairs by Judge Dad, she increasingly felt the thick Ghostly aura in the air.

Little Qi Wu quietly communicated with Judge Dad: “Dad, that Little Ghost said it was Zhang Siqing’s bad father who captured him.”

“Mm.” Su Wen already had a rough idea of the situation. An altar without a God, talismans summoning Ghosts—this was clearly the use of Evil Path methods to raise a Spirit Child for the family’s fortune. “That’s the Spirit Child he’s raising.”

“Spirit Child?” Little Qi Wu was surprised. “The one on Zhang Siqing’s shoulder?”

“Mm.”

Little Qi Wu remembered: “The Impermanence Envoys said that to send the Spirit Child to Reincarnation, we need to find his body. Is the Spirit Child here?”

Su Wen’s expression grew colder: “That’s the Spirit Child’s birth chart. The Spirit Child should be in Zhang Siqing’s room.”

Little Qi Wu understood: “That’s why the Spirit Child can’t leave Zhang Siqing.”

She then asked: “But this will harm him. Why would his father do this? Shouldn’t a father be good to his child? Shouldn’t he love his child?”

Su Wen patted her head: “Every father should indeed love their child.”

“But not everyone is fit to be a father.”

Little Qi Wu seemed to grasp it, but not entirely.

【Little Qi Wu even knows about Household Gods?】

【She’s a Temple Keeper, after all. But what I’m curious about is, when she said this isn’t how you worship a Household God, was she implying that Zhang Yuan is doing it wrong?】

【Actor Zhang’s family has had this altar for a long time. How could it be wrong? Are you really going to believe a child’s words?】

Zhang Yuan had already reached the door to Zhang Siqing’s room: “This child, we told him to rest, but he always says he hasn’t played well enough and refuses to take a break.”

As he spoke, he opened the door. To the viewers, Zhang Siqing was sitting obediently at the piano, playing a beautiful melody—a serene and lovely scene.

But in the eyes of Qi Wu and Su Wen, the room was filled with an aura of death, murky and devoid of any vitality. Especially at this moment, a Little Ghost was sitting on Zhang Siqing’s shoulder, shaking its head and swaying.

The Little Ghost covered its ears and shouted: “Stop playing, stop playing! I’ve been listening to you play since early morning. If you’re not tired of it, I am! Ahhh!”

Hearing the commotion, the Little Ghost turned its head and immediately spotted Little Qi Wu. It excitedly stepped onto Zhang Siqing’s shoulder and yelled: “It’s you, Hell King Kid!!”

Little Qi Wu’s eyes lit up: “It’s Ben Wang, it’s Ben Wang! Ben Wang is here to take you back to The Underworld!”

The little ghost was so excited that it couldn’t control its emotions, causing Zhang Siqing’s shoulder to stiffen slightly. His movements paused, and he hit a wrong note again. Realizing this, he turned back with a bit of unease.

He didn’t mean to do it on purpose. Was he going to be punished again?

But Zhang Yuan wasn’t angry. He just said, “Hearing Little Qi Wu’s voice, do you want to play with the little friend? Come here.”

Zhang Siqing pursed his lips, got down from the stool, and walked over to Qi Wu.

Zhang Yuan picked up his son and sighed, “My child doesn’t have many hobbies; he just likes to play the piano.”

Then he subtly asked Su Wen, “What about your Qi Wu? What is Qi Wu usually good at?”

Su Wen replied calmly, “Drinking milk.”

Zhang Yuan: “?”

Su Wen: “Sleeping.”

“…”

Little Qi Wu also heard Judge Dad’s words and thought he was praising her, so she immediately responded, “Yes! Qi Wu drinks milk really well! She can drink a lot of bottles in one go!”

“She also sleeps really well! Qi Wu can sleep for many, many days!”

“Qi Wu is also Sun Wukong!” She puffed out her chest, full of competitive spirit, “She can fly!”

Su Wen: “…”

He calmly covered Qi Wu’s mouth, “She’s talking about the song ‘Little Insects Flying.'”

Qi Wu: “Huh?”

Zhang Yuan’s face changed colors, and for a moment, he didn’t know if he was being teased or what.

【Hahaha, she’s not wrong. Her milk bottle is always with her.】

【So the question is, why does the milk in the bottle never run out?】

【Why not let her fly! Our little fairy should be able to fly!】

【I think Little Qi Wu is just doing what a normal three-year-old does: eat, sleep, and play.】

【Yes, I also feel like Zhang Siqing is under too much pressure. Every time I watch the live stream, he’s never idle.】

【Zhang Yuan seems to be showing off a bit, but Zhang Siqing doesn’t seem very happy.】

【Is he putting too much pressure on the child?】

“It’s indeed a child’s mentality,” Zhang Yuan forcibly steered the conversation back, “But children should still cultivate some hobbies and talents. The competition pressure for kids these days is quite high.”

Su Wen smiled, which was the first time he had smiled in front of Zhang Yuan, “Qi Wu has a talent.”

“What is it?”

Su Wen’s gaze passed through the door crack, as if looking behind Zhang Yuan, and said lightly, “For example, she knows that your altar shouldn’t be used to worship gods.”

Zhang Yuan frowned, “Mr. Su, what do you mean? What else can our altar be used for if not to worship gods?”

“Pah, he doesn’t worship me!” the little ghost said angrily, “Bad Dad wouldn’t worship me. He says he’s my dad, but he tied me up with my stinky brother! He just won’t let me go!”

Brother?

Little Qi Wu looked at Zhang Siqing in surprise, “You have a brother?”

Zhang Yuan’s face turned pale in an instant.