A Wedding Invitation

The rain stopped early the next morning.

Sunlight streamed in slantingly through the dilapidated eaves.

Elena rubbed her eyes, got up, picked some fruit behind the temple, quickly ate a little, and then rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

She first cleared away the weeds around the God of Wealth Shrine one by one, then picked up some withered branches and leaves and piled them aside. After all this work, although the God of Wealth Shrine was still dilapidated, it no longer looked so desolate.

During this time, the God of Wealth advised her many times.

Tell her she doesn't need to rush, he can easily do these things.

But Elena didn't listen even once.

She insisted on doing it herself, squatting on the ground, pulling at the roots until she was covered in sweat.

"Grandpa God of Wealth, I know you gods are very powerful, able to clean these up with a wave of your hand." She looked up and smiled in his direction, "But I'm just a mortal. This is all I can do for you. Please don't mind."

Now that she has no ties left, even if she dies here, no one will know.

What good is it if my father is still alive?

After her mother died, her father wanted to sell her to a brothel for money. At that time, Elena was so desperate that she thought about ending it all. But whenever she thought of that, she would remember her mother's last words.

Even if I have to die, I should wait until I've fulfilled my mother's dying wish before I die.

She was lucky that time; she managed to escape when her father was drunk.

She started searching, and only recently, in an old, brittle book, did she find records of the construction of Fortune God Temples and God of Wealth Shrines dedicated to the God of Wealth in various places back then.

But as she searched, she discovered that not only was the Fortune God Temple gone, but even those God of Wealth Shrine built in remote locations had long since disappeared. Some had been taken over by other temples, while others were abandoned and reduced to piles of rubble...

Upon discovering this, Elena headed straight for this most remote place.

If it's not here yet, it's probably even less likely to be found elsewhere.

Fortunately, she eventually found it.

Seeing Elena bustling around for him, it would be a lie to say that the God of Wealth wasn't moved.

He could sense the other person's kindness and sincerity.

Perhaps I should make a change myself.

At that moment, the God of Wealth stood up and walked towards the temple gate.

The sunlight outside was perfect, streaming in through the dilapidated eaves and spreading a small patch of warm gold at his feet. But just as he was about to step over the threshold, those scenes from five hundred years ago uncontrollably flashed through his mind again.

The kneeling believers, the chaos that swept through the empire, and the emperor's last words before his death.

"I regret that I worshipped the God of Wealth in the first place."

The God of God of Wealth stopped in his tracks.

He stood at the threshold for a long time, then turned around and walked back into the corner.

No matter how bright the sunlight is outside, it can't reach that corner.

--Let's not go out.

If he doesn't go out, someone else will come in.

"Grandpa God of Wealth, I've finished cleaning. I'm a little tired now, so I'll fix up the temple roof this afternoon. Also, this is what I just saw: wild chrysanthemums, so fresh and clean. I'm giving them to you, Grandpa God of Wealth, as a way to bring peace."

Elena held a bunch of Wild Chrysanthemums and placed them before the altar.

A delicate fragrance wafted through the air. The God of Wealth gazed at the bunch of Wild Chrysanthemums. Throughout the entire encounter, the other party had not uttered a single word about money, nor had they asked for any blessings or fortune.

Don't you want to make a wish?

"If you make offerings to me, you can have one wish granted. Whatever money or jewels you desire, I can give them to you."

"Grandpa God of Wealth, I don't need it. I'm just fulfilling my mother's wish."

Elena wanted nothing; in her eyes, that money was less important than a single hair on her mother's head.

This is the second time the God of Wealth has felt a surge of emotion.

Countless people once prostrated themselves before his god, flattering and worshipping him with devotion, all asking for wealth, riches, and glory.

Everyone was asking him for things, but she wanted nothing; she only wanted to fulfill a vow for her mother.

He could bestow upon the world vast sums of money, relieve them of poverty, and alleviate their suffering. Yet, when someone offered him a bunch of wild chrysanthemums worth little more than a few coins, he didn't even have the courage to accept it.

Of all the riches in the world, there is no price to be paid for pure sincerity.

The God of Wealth reached out and gently touched the bunch of Wild Chrysanthemums.

The petals were soft, glistening with morning dew, and carried a hint of the fresh scent of the mountains and fields.

"Thanks."

"Grandpa God of Wealth, you're welcome."

Elena responded, but her heart ached terribly.

Looking at the dilapidated scene around her, she knew without a doubt that this Grandpa God of Wealth hadn't received any decent offerings for a very, very long time.

Now, she simply picked a handful of Wild Chrysanthemums by the roadside, and the other party insisted on sincerely thanking her, a mere mortal.

Grandpa God of Wealth, you're in such a sorry state.

No, she needs to try harder.

Oh, and incense too.

Her mother had once told her that Gods need to be offered incense. Perhaps she should try to earn more money to buy some incense for the Grandpa God of Wealth.

Thinking about it this way, she realized she couldn't leave yet.

It seems I'll have to postpone my visit to my mother again.

From that day on, Elena began her journey to make money. She thought that even if she only saved a few more copper coins, she could burn more incense for the Grandpa God of Wealth.

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

For convenience, she simply built a small hut not far from the God of Wealth Shrine and settled down there.

She planted all sorts of flowers and plants around the cottage, and there were flowers blooming in every season.

She didn't neglect the area surrounding the God of Wealth Shrine either, planting flowers in concentric circles.

The God of Wealth asked her why she planted so many, and she answered confidently:

The flowers I picked and placed on the altar withered within two days.

It can be planted around the house, so that the Grandpa God of Wealth can see it whenever he wants.

Elena had no idea what going out meant to the God of Wealth.

Even the God of Wealth didn't know what he meant to Elena.

The human and the god quietly changed each other without either of them realizing it.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Elena's encounter with the God of Wealth.

On this day, the God of Wealth received a wedding invitation.

"Grandpa God of Wealth, I'm getting married. This is my wedding invitation."

Elena stood before the altar, handing over the red invitation card in her hand, her voice filled with undisguised joy.

"I never imagined that anyone could like someone like me. But every single moment I spend with him is filled with happiness. He accommodates me, understands me, respects me, and is tolerant of me. I think that in this world, besides you and Mother, no one has ever treated me better than him."

"I know you are a god, and you certainly cannot come."

"So, I've brought you this wedding invitation. I hope our joyous occasion will ease your sorrow."

After Elena finished speaking, she bowed respectfully to the Deity Statue again before turning and leaving.

Outside the temple gate, the sun shone brightly, and her fiancé was waiting for her, waving from afar.

She ran over quickly, her skirt billowing in a light breeze.

The God of Wealth sat in the corner, watching the red figure disappear outside the temple gate, then lowered his head and looked at the wedding invitation on the altar.

He stared for a long time, so long that the sunlight outside moved from one end of the altar to the other. He looked out of the temple, a strong urge to go outside rising in his heart.

The God of Wealth picked up the wedding invitation and walked step by step to the temple entrance.

"Ten years. She's been with me for ten years. How many decades does a human life have? Now she's getting married. Do I not even have the courage to offer my blessings?"

As he spoke, he stepped over the threshold that had once seemed insurmountable to him.

The moment I stepped out of the temple, sunlight shone on the God of Wealth.

It's warm and cozy.

He had seen the flowers before him many times in the temple, but none were as splendid as they were now.