Chapter 2, Mutual Assistance

Hmm. Bai Guang nodded, and then recalled something, "By the way, it seems that the descendants of Zhuozhou... Uncle is quite the foodie as well, sharing the same interests as me. When can we be introduced to each other?"

The lazy Uncle Jufeng sat in front of the statue, looking as if he had just gotten out of bed, half-heartedly gazing at the women who sought his help. Hu Chun understood that he was memorizing them, considering whether to grant their wishes. She eagerly approached to offer a pear, and Jufeng took a bite. Although he did not show any smile or expression, he slowly said, "Rest assured, Young Master Zhang is fine. As for the length of his life, it will depend on his fate."

"If you can change, then go ahead and show me. Walking with legs is so much more convenient," Hu Chun retorted to her.

Old Bai readily agreed, "This is easy, but..." She rolled her eyes and said, "You also have to help me with something. The Hundred Demons Conference is about to start, right? Old Rhinoceros asked me to deliver fragrant pears, and as you said, I have to carry the pears, but they are full of holes, and the demon friends are not satisfied. If I take on a human form, this face... After all, once I make an appearance at the Hundred Demons Conference, it will be set in everyone's minds, and no matter how I change later, it will be considered a form of illusion. All the prominent demons from Jialing will attend the banquet; who knows if my beloved will be among them?"

Jufeng was in a bad mood, frowning and clicking his tongue, not knowing whether he was scolding Ah Hong or Hu Chun. "A little fox, with so many matters! Whether it is a boy or a girl, whether it is a son or a daughter, it is all determined by fate. I am merely responsible for the delivery; can I just casually exchange the goods?"

It was better not to mention it; once it was brought up, Hu Chun jumped up, wearing a smile that made her look quite surprised. She exclaimed sharply, "Haven't you smiled at all?!"

Hu Chun once again forced a bitter smile, still filled with disdain, "Perhaps when your face no longer resembles a basin."

Hu Chun stood outside the cave, looking around. A Hong and the others live on Shiguo Mountain; sending children should be the work of the mountain god, right? The Shiguo Mountain god is a short old man; if you don't look closely, you might really miss him.

The white light deflated, releasing a puff of smoke, and transformed back to its original form. She reluctantly admitted, "I am not very satisfied either, so let's take another look..."

Hu Chun decided to let it go, after all, they had known each other for many years, and Ah Hong's eldest daughter had even recognized her as a godmother. It wasn't a big deal, so she thought of it as a way to accumulate virtue. She reluctantly followed Ah Hong back to her fox den

Hu Chun was baffled and was about to ask again when a cheer erupted from the fox den. A Hong squealed in a high-pitched voice: "Son, son, I finally have a son!"

Hu Chun let out a sound, feeling that Ah Hong had also been in the human world for a long time, influenced by humanity. Does a fox still hold the concept of passing on the lineage? Is it possible that in a fox den, the male is favored over the female? With an increase in population, everyone casually changes dens, and there is no notion of permanent property.

"Aunt, Aunt, how have you been lately?" Although Ah Hong is a large red fox and cannot be considered a smiling face, the fox's eyes are naturally curved. With just a hint of flattery or goodwill, it can easily display a fully smiling and courteous demeanor

Hu Chun sensed that he still had some lingering thoughts, feeling quite speechless. Generally, it is already quite good for a typical fox couple to have two litters. It is said that this couple has not been lacking in their litters either, so they can be considered to have a full house of descendants. Yet, they are still striving to have a third litter, ... and still feel somewhat unfulfilled. This is a bit too ...

Hu Chunyan was envious and desired a flourishing incense offering, believing that having deities who respond to requests was one aspect, but it was also crucial for the temple to be located in a bustling and convenient area. Unlike her, whose small temple was situated in the countryside, it was not frequented by devoted believers like Zhang Laoye, who would go to great lengths in desperation.

Jufeng wore a stern expression, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and coldly retorted, "Yes, what is it?"

Uncle, is it also your responsibility to help animals reproduce?

Hu Chun sensed the malice from an old friend, threw down the stick, and carefully plucked a fragrant pear that was stuck to the back of the white light. Deliberately avoiding the small hole made by the thorns, she took a blissful bite, and indeed, it was incredibly sweet. Although this hedgehog named White Light spoke with a prickly tone, he was quite a good person, always bringing her pears whenever they met.

I said, "Old Eight..." Bai Guang looked down on her act a bit, "You only lack two pieces of merit, and you still can't transform into human form? Using your hands is much more convenient!"

Bai Guang felt unhappy and said, "How can you treat me so poorly? At the beginning, you only completed half of your merits, with black fur being black and white fur being white, resembling a cow. Did I ever mock you?"

As she momentarily lost her focus and turned back, the torch peak had already vanished without a trace

Hu Chun once again displayed a look of disdain

Early the next morning, Hu Chun hurriedly set off for the Ancestors' Temple in the west of the city, carrying a bag of fragrant pears. She thought she had arrived early enough, but to her surprise, the women who came to offer incense had already filled the courtyard. The large incense burner in the center was filled with numerous sticks of incense, offerings were piled on the altar, and a considerable amount of money for incense had already been stacked up.

From a distance, she spotted Ah Hong, who was resting in the shade under a tree in front of the Fox Immortal Temple. Compared to their last meeting, it had gained quite a bit of weight. Ah Hong could be considered a somewhat skilled fox, but with marriage and offspring, it had always fallen short in terms of celestial destiny. As a fox of its kind, Ah Hong was able to see Hu Chun's true form, and it did see Hu Chun. With a sweep of its large, red tail across the ground, the entire fox leaped up and approached with a cheerful smile.

Ju Feng saw her and felt a bit embarrassed, thinking that he would finish his work and leave without saying hello. Unexpectedly, Hu Chun greeted him with a smile and directly inquired about his sore spot

I understand, you want me to go deliver pears together. Hu Chun forced a bitter smile; in fact, she looked down on it. It was all due to her naturally smiling face, as disdain and helplessness bore the same expression.

Bai Guang could not withstand the provocation, snorted, and said with a hint of arrogance: "If it changes, then let it change!"

Ah Hong blushed, although it was not very noticeable, her speech still carried a hint of shyness. "Aunt, my wife is pregnant again with another litter, this will be our third. Considering our age as a couple, this is likely to be our last litter..."

Hu Chun realized that he was in trouble, having failed to flatter properly. He quickly forced a few more smiles and stated what Ah Hong had requested

"Give me a few, I don't like them too ripe." The shadow called out loudly from a distance, and before the words had finished, it had already run into the light; it turned out to be a hedgehog

When outside the cave, one could hear a lot of noise coming from inside, it turns out that it was just the right time, as Ah Hong's wife was about to give birth. Ah Hong, feeling anxious, quickly dashed into the cave.

"You only come to my temple when you have something to discuss. If you have something to say, go ahead. My aunt is busy and doesn't have time to beat around the bush." Hu Chun was a bit pretentious; although his tone was not polite, his paw gently touched Ah Hong's tail, not without envy. Ah Hong's fur was considered excellent even among red foxes, with not a single stray hair, except for the black tip of its tail, which was glossy and shiny, as if it could reflect an image.

"Old Bai, the reason I came this time is indeed because of this pear." Hu Chun recounted the events leading up to this moment, and then added with a hint of disdain, "Take me to find some sweet pears, the ones you brought out all have holes in them, making them unsuitable for gifting."

Hu Chun gathered the pears that had rolled all over the ground with her claws, then bit into one, smiling contentedly. Bai Guang is a foodie, especially fond of fruits. She has tasted all kinds of fruits from Jialing, and ultimately settled in Tangjia Mountain because of the fragrant pears, which can be said to reflect her aspirations.

Following the scent, a shadow darted out from the woods. In reality, it was not running fast, but due to its short legs and frantic movements, it produced a more chaotic sound than a normal animal, giving the impression of considerable speed

Indeed, a fog has arrived. Hu Chun quickly adjusted his smile, intending to speak and make a request. However, upon closer inspection, he exclaimed in surprise, for it was actually Ju Feng who had come.

Bai Guang spoke, unexpectedly indulging in lewd fantasies, and even let out a sneaky laugh

The hedgehog fairy named Bai Guang, with her smooth light, dreams of becoming a girl who is completely smooth all over

"Old Bai, you have arrived." With a request in mind, Hu Chun smiled sweetly, quickly retrieving a few chestnuts from the fire and thoughtfully placing them in front of the hedgehog.

Hu Chun rubbed his hands together and earnestly said, "Uncle, please help Ah Hong. This couple has worked hard all their lives and just wants a son. As long as you help with this, whatever you need from Hu Chun, just say the word!" Hu Chun patted his chest, thinking to himself, at most I will just go collect another bag of pears.

"Then your charm is quite significant," Ju Feng said with a cold smile, pointing at Hu Chun. Hu Chun immediately felt a gust of cold wind rushing towards her face, causing her to shiver. "You have caused me so much trouble, and when I see your smiling face, I cannot refuse you. It seems this smile is quite useful for you, so you might as well keep it on!"

Hu Chun smiled and embraced her claws, knowing that when it came to food, Bai Guang was absolutely reliable; what she said was the sweetest was indeed the sweetest. Just as she ran to the temple gate, she felt a warmth on her back, and a tuft of her hair fell off. Hu Chun was overjoyed, as it seemed this could be considered a great merit. She sincerely bowed to Ju Feng and happily returned to her territory

"In this way, we have not given birth to a single male; instead, we have only a litter of female foxes," Ah Hong lamented with deep sorrow.

As the white light gradually cooled the chestnuts, Hu Chun observed a fox standing upright, its two front paws grasping a tree stick that was the same height as itself, flipping the chestnuts in a manner reminiscent of rowing, its cheerful demeanor particularly amusing.

When Hu Chun arrived at Tangjia Mountain from Zhuozhou, it was nearly the hour of Xu. The sky was overcast, and the moon and stars were nowhere to be seen. Although it could not be said that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face, the surroundings were still shrouded in darkness, and the shadows of the trees were quite intimidating. Hu Chun kindled a fire and tossed the chestnuts she had brought from the city into the flames. Before long, the sound of crackling and popping filled the air, and a fragrant aroma wafted everywhere. She picked up a longer branch and kept stirring the fire.

As a wave of white mist dissipated, Hu Chun, with half a pear in her mouth, stared in astonishment at the humanoid figure bathed in white light. She dazedly took another bite of the pear, spat out the core, and remarked, "Your face must have been shaped by a washbasin, as it is too perfectly round..."

I estimate that my wife has given birth today, Auntie—" Ah Hong clasped her hands, her face full of hope, "The deity of childbirth has arrived, please help me discuss with her, if it is still a litter of females, then please exchange one for a male.