Mrs. Steele asked Olive Steele and Chloe Malan to accompany her to Baohua Temple.
For people of Mrs. Steeleâs age, Buddha didnât exist if they didnât believe it, but also existed when they believed it. They didnât ask Buddha to bless them all the time, but sometimes, they did.
Olive Steele and Chloe Malan laughed at this. Itâs okay for the old lady to have a belief, but it was weird that she was not religious at all. She worshipped Buddha according to her importance and liking. But, she still donated her money anyway.
Baohua Temple subsidized a group of children who were out of school every years. So, it was not a problem to donate a few more.
Why not do good deeds in the name of Buddha, right?
She made a wish last year. Before Chloe Malan moved in, she wished Olive Steele found a good husband.
Now that her wish was fulfilled, Mrs. Steele wanted to come to fulfill her promise.
However, Chloe Malan was puzzled, âGodmother, itâs all about Olive, right? Why are you dragging me into this?â
âAfter fulfilling this promise, I will make a prayer for you. I hope that you can marry next year.â Mrs.
Steele laughed.
âDo you want to drive me away, Godmother?â Chloe Malan asked with a sad face. She didnât want to leave. After all, she didnât know what a real home, warmth, and care were.
Mrs. Steele glared at her, âWhere do you think Iâm kicking you? My house will always be your house, but Iâm no longer young. I cannot accompany you for a lifetime. You should find a reliable man that you can rely on for the rest of your life.â
âI donât want to get married.â Chloe Malan said.
Mrs. Steele smiled, âYou donât want to get married but you accept Aobaâs love. Youâre contradicting yourself.â
âI just donât like that old witch, his mother. She can go ahead and curb his son!â
Olive Steele who was driving couldnât help chuckled, âAre you telling me that he doesnât temp you? I donât believe it. Do you believe it, Mom?â
âI donât.â Mrs. Steele smiled.
âChloe, be honest to yourself. Youâre afraid of marriage, but you still have expectation. You fall in love with Aoba, you hate his mother, and not every man is like Bruce Lynn. Also, his mother will not act like that forever. Have a little faith will you? Weâre women of Luo City will definitely change that old Jiangcheng lady.â Olive Steele playful tone never failed to make Chloe Malan smiled.
Mrs. Steele said, âI think Aoba is serious with you. If you can make it with him, you and Olive will also be future companions, if not forever.â
âIâll ask Buddha to let that old witch understandââ Chloe Malan said.
âChild, how can you talk like that? Mrs. Hoyle is a hateful lady, but you donât have to curse her like that.â Mrs. Steele interrupted and hit her.
âWhy are you hitting me? Iâm not cursing her. I just want Buddha to enlighten her soul. I hope she stopped being so cocky and look down on people.â
âThatâs more like it.â Mrs. Steele sighed.
Let alone Chloe Malan and Aoba Hoyle, even Olive Steele was still walking on eggshells with Mrs.
Hoyle.
Her daughter was filial and smart. She treated people with courtesy. How could she be so unlovable in the eye of others?
Perhaps, it was because she failed to give her a good family background.
Olive Steele didnât know what her mother was thinking right now, âThat wish is good.â Chloe Malan said.
However, wishes were nothing but wishes. They could pray to Buddha, but Buddha wouldnât be able to really help them. Itâs all in them.
They parked the car in the parking a lot and saw the temple was crowded.
Baohua Temple would have more visitors during the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. On May Day, tourist would crowd the place.
Mrs. Wen was familiar with the place. She hoped everything went smoothly.
Olive Steele looked at the tall and solemn Buddha statue in the hall and listened to the bells. She was awed.
She knelt down on the futon next to her mother and held incense to start praying. If it was possible, she would wish her family a healthy, safe, and happy life. Also, she wished her mother-in-law would stop torturing her daughter-in-laws. She wished Chloe Malan a happy home and Norton Geve a healthy body.
Worshippers came and left the place. Perhaps, there were too many prayers that Buddha couldnât grant each and every one of it. But, it was useful for a safe feeling.
âWhat are you doing here?â
The sudden voice buzzed in Olive Steeleâs ear. It turned out that Mrs. Steele and Chloe Malan was praying around the temple and Mrs. Hoyle suddenly came up beside her.
âDoes Mrs. Hoyle believe in Buddha too?â Olive Steele asked.
âDoes it matter?â Mrs. Hoyle was puzzled.
Olive Steele smiled lightly and said, âBuddha said that saving a life is better than building a seven level pagoda.â
âIf I die, you will have no obstacles. Wouldnât it be more like your wish?â this problem had troubled Mrs.
Hoyle for days. She couldnât figure out why this woman desperately trying to save her.
Olive Steele put her incense and crossed her arms, âIf you die, Alan will be sad. I just want him to be happy. Youâre just a mother who loves your son deeply. You do everything for him. Iâm also a mother. I can understand your rejection toward me. Although Alan disagrees with your practices, he still respect you in his heart. I donât expect you to like me, but I just cannot see someone die when I lend a hand.â
âWhy donât you use this matter to approach me, let me be grateful to you, and maybe accept you?â
This was also a mystery for Mrs. Hoyle. If it was someone else, they wouldâve taken advantage of this opportunity, but this woman didnât.
This women saved her with all her might.
Mrs. Hoyle suddenly found herself unable to figure out the woman in front of her. She tried to find clues from her face, but she could only see a smile.
âMrs. Hoyle, will you accept me?â
âNo.â
âThatâs it then. Why should I push you and disgrace myself?â Olive Steele bowed to Buddha and got up slowly.
She turned around and saw a figure coming.
âWhy are you here?â Ophelia Meyer asked aggressively.
Olive Steele smiled gently, âMiss Meyer, Buddha is not your own.â
Why are the likes of you worshipping Buddha? Iâm afraid you have done something sinful that you need to ask Buddha for a peace of mind.â Ophelia Meyer snorted.
âI donât believe in Buddha because Buddha wonât let me get Mrs. Hoyleâs approval smoothly nor that Buddha will grant your wish to ruin my relationship with Alan. However, I respect Buddha and this belief.â Olive Steele shook her head.
From the moment Ophelia Meyer appeared, Chloe Malan noticed a movement here. She was afraid that Olive Steele would be bullied, so she quietly left Mrs. Steele and rushed over. With a sarcastic tone, she said, âOh, it turns out that a snake dare to come to a Buddhist temple and worship like she is innocent.â
âItâs none of your business. Itâs not your home.â