Outing

Early the next morning, Lu Zheng habitually showed his face in the Great Jing Dynasty first. He practiced a set of saber techniques in the rear courtyard, then ate the millet porridge Aunt Liu had cooked.

"Is Young Master not going out today?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment. "Not this morning. This afternoon, I'll take a stroll around the candy shop."

"Alright, then I'll have my wife prepare your midday meal." Uncle Li replied, then added cautiously, "Oh, right. The second young lady of the Liu family came looking for 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 beyond the city with them."

"Today?"

"Seems so." Uncle Li nodded.

"Alright, I understand."

Lu Zheng nodded, returned to his room, and traveled back to the modern world.

"Hello, President Du. Good morning!"

"Mister Lu, hello, hello!"

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

"Certainly. Do you have any requirements? Or should I send you pictures of all kinds of swords?"

As the saying went, the first meeting was unfamiliar, the second familiar. Having already sold him one sharpened Embroidered Spring Blade, Du Lin did not put on airs this time.

"The scabbard doesn't need to be too ornate. The style should preferably lean toward daoist aesthetics. Hmm, or you can send me the photos."

"You want one to go with daoist robes, right? Fine, I'll take a look. Actually, it's no problem if there isn't one. There's an old master craftsman in my shop who can smelt and forge one by hand. The brass ornaments on the scabbard and hilt, as well as the patterns on the scabbard leather, can all be custom-made."

Impressive! Top-end! "Alright, send me the photos first. If there's nothing suitable, I'll commission one." Lu Zheng replied. "Oh, right. Didn't I buy two blades before? Could you sharpen the one that didn't have an edge?"

"Sure. Bring it to the shop when you have time."

Shortly after the call ended, Lu Zheng received dozens of photos on his phone. Du Lin had already filtered them once, removing all the excessively ornate swords and those that could not be sharpened.

Lu Zheng flipped through them quickly and soon took a liking to one sword.

It was in the Longquan Sword style, with a black cowhide scabbard painted with pale cloud patterns in white, while its brass fittings had been cast into cloud-patterned lattices.

It suited Lu Zheng's expectations quite well.

So Lu Zheng ordered that sword and, without another word, transferred the payment directly through WeChat.

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

"Alright, though I might not arrive on time. I'll call you before I head over."

"Good!"

After hanging up, Lu Zheng casually grabbed some snacks and soon returned to ancient times.

"Is Lu Family's eldest son at home?" Liu Qingquan called from the entrance.

"I'm here!" Lu Zheng answered. He walked into the front courtyard and saw Uncle Li leading Liu Qingquan around from the screen wall as well.

"You should just call me Big Brother Lu. Can I call you Qingquan?"

Lu Zheng truly could not stand hearing the term "eldest son." What bad luck! "Oh, okay!" Liu Qingquan did not object. Calling him Big Brother was indeed a little more intimate than calling him eldest son.

That bag of fruit candies from the other day had already bought her over. If she did not listen to him, what if he stopped giving her candy in the future? If they became big brother and little sister... then it should be only natural for a big brother to give his little sister candy, right?

"I heard you want to go on an outing beyond the city?"

"Yes, yes! Is Big Brother Lu coming? My sister and I rented a carriage, and we're about to set off!"

"Just you and your sister?" Lu Zheng could not help asking. "Aren't Uncle Liu and Aunt going?"

"Father is still busy setting up the medical clinic, and Mother isn't going." Liu Qingquan shook her head.

Lu Zheng nodded. The Great Jing Dynasty was enjoying relatively peaceful times now. Though petty thieves, hooligans, robbers, and bandits were unavoidable, most of them could not make much of a showing and would not dare openly appear around the county town in broad daylight.

"Where are you going?"

"Peach Blossom Glade south of the city. I heard there's a ten-mu Peach Forest there, with peach blossoms in full bloom. It's especially beautiful."

"I heard there's even a Peach Blossom Fairy in the Peach Forest. Lots of people have seen her."

"There are also many huge peach trees in the forest. Sometimes little monkeys from the deep mountains come to play there. It's really interesting."

The moment play was mentioned, Liu Qingquan's eyes immediately lit up.

"Big Brother Lu, come with us?"

"Sure."

It was just going out for fun—there was no technical skill involved—so Lu Zheng agreed without hesitation.

When Liu Qingquan brought Lu Zheng over, Liu Qingyan smiled sweetly. "Greetings, Lu Lang."

"Greetings, Miss Liu."

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

"The wine Lu Lang brought the day before yesterday was truly good. My father slept all the way until broad daylight."

Lu Zheng smiled. "As long as Aunt doesn't blame me for getting Uncle Liu drunk."

"How could I? The fruit wine you brought was delicious too. There isn't any wine like this on the market, so clear it is like water. Did you brew it yourself?"

"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded and decisively claimed the credit.

"Then you really shouldn't open a candy shop. Opening a tavern would make more money." Liu Qingquan cried. "No, wait, you should open both!"

Meeting Liu Qingyan's clear gaze, Lu Zheng smiled and blinked, then explained to Liu Qingquan, "These wines are not easy to brew, so they aren't suitable for selling in a shop."

Liu Qingquan only half understood, but she was talked around. Liu Qingyan, however, understood from the look Lu Zheng gave her.

"Lu Lang has considered things more thoroughly. Qingyan's thinking was inadequate."

Liu Qingyan was intelligent and perceptive, immediately understanding that Lu Zheng would rather earn less than draw greedy eyes upon himself.

They were not short of money anyway, so why invite trouble for themselves? In truth, Liu Qingyan's guess was both right and wrong. This was indeed one reason Lu Zheng did not want to sell liquor at the very beginning, but his main purpose was actually to use this high-proof liquor to befriend cultivators.

Not to mention if this high-proof liquor filled every street—so long as there were other channels to obtain it, how could it still highlight his uniqueness? "Of course, if Uncle Liu wants to drink, I can provide as much as he wants anytime." Lu Zheng said with a smile.

The words sounded perfectly ordinary, but Liu Qingyan naturally noticed that Lu Zheng was looking at her appreciatively as he said them. Her jade-like face flushed like drifting sunset clouds, and she lowered her graceful head.

"What about candy? Can I eat it whenever I want?"

Liu Qingquan decisively shattered the atmosphere and looked at Lu Zheng with a face full of expectation.

Liu Qingyan let out a breath of relief, while Lu Zheng decisively reached out and patted Liu Qingquan's head. "Of course. Eat whenever you want. When you run out, tell me and I'll replenish it for you."

"Really?" Liu Qingquan's eyes lit up. She immediately pulled a cloth pouch from her robes, took out a green hard candy, and put it in her mouth.

Apple-flavored. So sweet!

Lu Zheng smiled and took another cloth pouch from his robes.

Liu Qingquan's eyes brightened.

Lu Zheng poured out several preserved plums and handed them to the Liu Family Sisters. Then he said to Liu Qingquan, "Your sister can eat them, but you're eating candy right now. Wait until you finish the candy before eating these, otherwise you won't be able to taste the sweetness."

Liu Qingquan nodded repeatedly. Blushing shyly, Liu Qingyan accepted the preserved plums. Hearing Lu Zheng's words, she could not help smiling as she placed one in her mouth.