Behind the main hall, the temple keeper, a man in his forties surnamed Jiang, had taken over his father's position. With several generations of his family serving as temple keepers, it was practically a family business, and by his generation, he had grown considerably lax.
Funny enough, Temple Keeper Jiang did not believe gods actually existed. If they did, how could generations of his family have never seen one? Clearly, all this talk of gods was just a way to fool idiots.
Of course, the more idiots, the better. They provided his food and drink for nothing.
Today, Temple Keeper Jiang had fetched a small pot of wine to his room, with a plate of peanuts on the table. He poured himself a cup and drank it, then exclaimed, "Good!"
He pinched a peanut between his fingers and popped it into his mouth. Toasty, crisp, and fragrant, it filled his mouth with flavor. He shook his head and sang, "May everyone in the world be muddleheaded, and I alone be clever."
He drank with his eyes half closed, preparing to take a midday nap.
Just then, he suddenly heard someone screaming out front. The voice was so terrified that the temple keeper shuddered, spilling half his cup of wine. He frowned. "Who's making a scene? Aren't you afraid of provoking the gods' wrath?"
Shouting as he threw on his outer robe, he went out front and found a man he knew yelling in panic. The moment the man saw him, he lunged forward, grabbed his clothes, and said, "A divine manifestation! A divine manifestation! Someone's talking inside! Lots of people are talking!"
What the hell?
The man's shouting made the temple keeper's head ache. He hurriedly "peeled" him off himself and said in exasperation, "Stop, Zhang Sanlang! What nonsense are