Picnic

The next morning, Lu Zheng habitually showed his face in the Great Jing Dynasty, practiced a set of saber techniques in the backyard, and ate the millet porridge cooked by Aunt Liu.

"Young Master, are you not going out today?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, "Not going out in the morning. I'll go to the candy shop in the afternoon."

"Alright, I'll have my wife prepare lunch for you." Uncle Li replied, then cautiously added, "By the way, the Second Miss Liu from the Liu family came to see you yesterday, but you weren't here at the time."

"Oh?" Lu Zheng asked, "Do you know what it was about?"

"I heard she wanted to invite you to go on an outing with them."

"Today?"

"It seems so." Uncle Li nodded.

"Okay, I understand."

Lu Zheng nodded and returned to his room, crossing back to modern times.

"Hello, President Du, good morning!"

"Mr. Lu, hello, hello!"

"It's like this, President Du, I'd like to order another sword from your shop, a sharpened one."

"Sure, what are your requirements? Or should I send you pictures of various swords?"

As the saying goes, familiarity breeds ease. Having already sold a sharpened Embroidered Spring Blade, Du Lin didn't stand on ceremony this time.

"The scabbard doesn't need to be too fancy. The style should lean towards Daoism. Hmm, or you can send me the photos."

"Matching Daoist robes, right? Okay, let me see. Actually, it doesn't matter if we don't have one. I have a master craftsman in my shop who can do manual casting. The brass decorations on the scabbard and hilt, and the patterns on the scabbard leather, can all be custom-made."

Impressive! High-end! "Okay, send me the photos first. If there isn't a suitable one, I'll order a custom-made one," Lu Zheng replied. "By the way, I bought two sabers from you before, can you sharpen the one that wasn't sharpened?"

"Sure, bring it to the shop when you have time."

Shortly after the call ended, Lu Zheng received dozens of photos on his phone. This was after Du Lin had already screened them, excluding various overly ornate and unsharpenable swords.

Lu Zheng quickly browsed through them and soon found a sword he liked.

A Longquan Sword style, with a black cowhide scabbard, light cloud patterns drawn with white lines, and brass decorations cast into cloud pattern hilts.

It matched Lu Zheng's expectations.

So Lu Zheng ordered the sword and, without saying a word, directly transferred the money via WeChat.

Lu Zheng's straightforwardness pleased Du Lin. "You can come and pick it up anytime tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, but I might not be on time. I'll give you a call before I come."

"Alright!"

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zheng grabbed some snacks and quickly returned to ancient times.

"Is Lu Zheng at home?" Liu Qingquan's voice came from the door.

"Yes!" Lu Zheng replied, walking into the front yard, where he saw Uncle Li leading Liu Qingquan around the screen wall.

"Just call me Brother Lu, can I call you Qingquan?"

Lu Zheng really couldn't stand the term 'Dàláng', it was inauspicious! "Oh, okay." Liu Qingquan didn't object. Calling him 'big brother' did sound more intimate than 'Dàláng'.

That bag of fruit candies had already won her over. What if he didn't give her candy in the future if she didn't listen to him? If they became big brother and little sister... it should be a matter of course for a big brother to give his little sister candy, right?

"I heard you want to go on an outing?"

"Yes, yes, are you going, Brother Lu? My sister and I rented a carriage, and we're about to leave!"

"Just you and your sister?" Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Aren't Uncle Liu and Auntie going?"

"Father is busy with opening the medical clinic, and mother isn't going." Liu Qingquan shook her head.

Lu Zheng nodded. The current Great Jing Dynasty could be considered a peaceful time. Although there were still petty thieves, thugs, and bandits, they were mostly insignificant and wouldn't dare to appear openly around the county town during the day.

"Where are you going?"

"Peach Blossom Glade south of the city. I heard there are ten acres of peach trees there, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom, it's especially beautiful."

"I heard there's a Peach Blossom Fairy in the peach forest, many people have seen her."

"There are also many large peach trees in the peach forest, and sometimes little monkeys from the deep mountains come to play in the peach forest, it's very interesting."

Speaking of playing, Liu Qingquan's eyes lit up immediately.

"Lu Zheng, Big Brother Lu, let's go together?"

"Sure."

Going out to play doesn't require any special skills, so Lu Zheng readily agreed.

Seeing Liu Qingquan bring Lu Zheng, Liu Qingyan smiled sweetly, "Lu Lang is well."

"Miss Liu is well."

Lu Zheng climbed into the carriage behind Liu Qingquan and sat properly to one side.

"The wine that Lu Lang brought the day before yesterday was really good, my father slept soundly until dawn."

Lu Zheng laughed, "Auntie, don't blame me for getting Uncle Liu drunk."

"How could I? The fruit wine you brought was also very delicious. There's no such clear, water-like wine sold on the market. Did you brew it yourself?"

"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded, readily admitting it.

"Then you really shouldn't have opened a candy store, opening a tavern would be more profitable." Liu Qingquan exclaimed, "No, you should open both!"

Meeting Liu Qingyan's clear gaze, Lu Zheng smiled and winked, then explained to Liu Qingquan, "These wines are not easy to brew, so they are not suitable for opening a store to sell wine."

Liu Qingquan seemed to understand, but was easily persuaded, but Liu Qingyan understood after receiving a look from Lu Zheng.

"Lu Lang is still more considerate, Qingyan's thinking was inadequate."

Liu Qingyan was intelligent and perceptive, and immediately understood that Lu Zheng would rather earn less money than attract greedy eyes.

They weren't short of money anyway, so why make trouble for themselves? In fact, Liu Qingyan's idea was both right and wrong. This was indeed one of the reasons why Lu Zheng was unwilling to sell wine in the early stages, but Lu Zheng's main purpose was to use this high-proof liquor to befriend cultivators.

If this kind of high-proof liquor was available everywhere, and could be obtained through other channels, how could he highlight his uniqueness? "Of course, if Uncle Liu wants to drink, I can supply it at any time." Lu Zheng said with a smile.

This sounded normal, but Liu Qingyan naturally noticed that Lu Zheng was looking at her with admiration when he said this, and her jade face flushed, and she lowered her head slightly.

"Then, can we eat the candy whenever we want?"

Liu Qingquan decisively ruined the atmosphere, looking at Lu Zheng with anticipation.

Liu Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, while Lu Zheng decisively reached out and ruffled her hair, "Of course, eat it whenever you want, and tell me when you're done, and I'll replenish it for you."

"Really!" Liu Qingquan's eyes lit up, and she immediately took out a cloth bag from her arms, took out a green hard candy and put it in her mouth.

Apple flavored, so sweet!

Lu Zheng smiled and took out another cloth bag from his arms.

Liu Qingquan's eyes lit up.

Lu Zheng poured out a few salted plums, handed them to the Liu sisters, and then said to Liu Qingquan, "Your sister can eat them, you're eating candy, wait until you finish the candy before eating this, otherwise you won't feel the sweetness."

Liu Qingquan nodded repeatedly, Liu Qingyan took the salted plum shyly, smiled after hearing Lu Zheng's words, and put it in her mouth.