Ice Crystal Dew Drink

"Who are you?" Lu Xiaoxiao hugged Wang Shouzhe's arm and glared at Wang Luojing. "Hurry up and let go of my cousin Shouzhe's hand. A girl like you has no shame at all."

In the Changning Guard region, most aristocratic clans did not particularly follow generational naming for their daughters, choosing names rather freely. Because the Ping'an Wang Clan had a long history, Ancestor Zhouxuan had personally established generational names for its women, and this rule had naturally been passed down.

"I'm Fourth Brother's little sister. Fourth Brother dotes on me the most." Wang Luojing refused to yield in the slightest as she hooked herself around his other arm, mocking, "I think you're the shameless one, throwing yourself into Fourth Brother's arms the moment you met him."

"You're lying. Cousin Shouzhe dotes on me the most." Lu Xiaoxiao puffed up her cheeks. "Every time we meet, Cousin Shouzhe brings me gifts."

"Fourth Brother treats me best. Just the day before yesterday, he gave me an Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycomb to play with. It was worth over two hundred Qian Gold." Wang Luojing lifted her chin, looking utterly smug.

"Cousin Shouzhe, I want an Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycomb too." Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt thoroughly outdone and began clinging to Wang Shouzhe, acting coquettishly. She had always been pampered, and likely had no idea what an Amethyst Spirit Bee even was.

"Uh..." Wang Shouzhe was instantly speechless. Why had these two little girls started fighting over him the moment they met? Luojing in particular—she was actually a year younger than Lu Xiaoxiao. She was usually quite well-behaved, yet now she was competing for his affection.

"Shouzhe, you really bought an Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycomb for a child to play with?" Her uncle Lu Zhengjie, who had been accompanying them, was also astonished. "That's far too extravagant and wasteful. Let's see how you plan to get past your cousin now."

Over two hundred Qian Gold was an enormous sum for either the Wang Clan or the Lu Clan. Take Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai's Fishing Brigade: ten boats braved wind and rain all year long, working bitterly hard just to earn a profit of around two hundred Qian Gold.

As one of the Wang Clan's pillar industries, Fenggu Farm had two hundred tenant households and several thousand mu of farmland. Even at that scale, its annual earnings were only six or seven hundred Qian Gold—and that was merely book profit.

This time, they had prepared some gifts for the Lu Clan, but they really were all just little trinkets.

"Uncle, there are hidden circumstances behind this." Wang Shouzhe smiled bitterly. "How about you try persuading my cousin? Even if I sold myself right now, I still couldn't buy an Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycomb."

"I don't have the ability to persuade her." Lu Zhengjie hurriedly shook his head. "That girl is the most doted upon in the family. Even the ancestor spoils her, and my elder brother can do nothing with her. Shouzhe, you should pray for your own blessings."

Even the ancestor spoiled her?

Wang Shouzhe was somewhat dumbfounded. The Lu Clan's ancestor, Lu Mingsheng, was a direct descendant of the Lu Clan's Mingsheng generation. He had to be over a hundred years old by now, right? By generation and bloodline, he was Wang Shouzhe's maternal great-grandfather.

Most ancestors of the great Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans did not like showing themselves. Ordinarily, every one of them remained in secluded cultivation, their hearts set on taking another step forward. They only emerged to steady the situation during major events.

In Wang Shouzhe's eighteen years of life, he vaguely remembered seeing Ancestor Mingsheng only a handful of times. He had been summoned personally only once: when he was seven and his aptitude had tested rather well, Ancestor Mingsheng had summoned him, offered a few words of praise, and rewarded him with some resources.

One had to know that Wang Shouzhe's aptitude was already close to mid-grade, yet he had received only such treatment. What virtues or abilities did little Lu Xiaoxiao possess that she could earn her great-grandfather's favor...

But things had come to this. Wang Shouzhe could not produce a gift worth two hundred Qian Gold, and even if he could, he would not bear to give it away. He could only brush Lu Xiaoxiao off. "Xiaoxiao, that honeycomb was something your cousin got as a bargain..."

"Waaah! Cousin Shouzhe doesn't like me anymore! Sob sob, Cousin is bullying me!" The moment she heard that she would not have one, Lu Xiaoxiao immediately felt completely outdone. Crying, she ran back into the house.

Meanwhile, Wang Luojing clung to Wang Shouzhe's arm with the smug air of someone who had defeated a "bad person," making him roll his eyes. She really was just a little girl, getting jealous over even this.

But it was only a minor interlude, and Wang Shouzhe did not care.

Afterward, led by her uncle Lu Zhengjie, Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luojing arrived together at the main hall of the Lu Clan's ancestral residence.

At the same time, Lu Zhengxiong, the Lu Clan's Clan Leader, and his principal wife, Lady Wang, were already waiting inside in formal dress.

Lu Zhengxiong was already in his fifties. He had a square face and three wisps of beard, giving him an imposing and distinguished bearing.

His principal wife, Lady Lu Wang, was Wang Shouzhe's own eldest paternal aunt—Wang Liuling. She was already over fifty, but she had maintained herself well. With her careful attire, she looked like a beautiful woman in middle age as she sat there.

"On behalf of my fifth younger sister Wang Luojing, Shouzhe pays respects to Uncle and Aunt." Wang Shouzhe stepped forward and performed the proper salute of a junior meeting elders. Earlier, he had sent a family retainer ahead to announce that this trip was to visit his elders, not a formal meeting in his capacity as Clan Leader.

"Shouzhe, quickly, no need for formalities." Lu Zhengxiong stepped forward to support Wang Shouzhe, looking him up and down. "It has been quite some time since we last met. Shouzhe, you have grown to such a degree already."

"Zhe'er, Zhe'er." Wang Liuling also stepped forward and took Wang Shouzhe's hand with great affection. "You have only just become Clan Leader, yet you are already rushing about everywhere. It truly has been hard on you."

Wang Liuling had previously gone personally to the Wang Clan to mourn. She had already wept for the death of her younger brother; the dead were gone. What she cared about now was Wang Shouzhe, her own nephew.

"Uncle, Aunt, it is not hardship worth mentioning." Wang Shouzhe said, "Our Wang and Lu Clans are joined by blood. Watching over and helping one another is simply our proper duty."

Because his birth mother had been a direct daughter of the Lu Clan, Wang Shouzhe had felt deeply attached to the Lu Clan since childhood. The exchange marriages between the direct lines of the two clans in the previous generation had also made their bloodlines especially close.

After some brief pleasantries, Aunt Wang Liuling drew Wang Luojing aside to talk.

Lu Zhengxiong then sat opposite Wang Shouzhe for a conversation. However, what he brought out to entertain him was not ordinary spirit tea, but the Yingxiu Lu Clan's specialty, Ice Crystal Dew Drink.

The Lu Clan occupied the advantageous waters of Yingxiu Lake. Not only had they achieved some success in aquatic farming, they had also enclosed a patch of "spirit water" specifically to cultivate an underwater spirit plant—Crystal Dew Grass. Crystal Dew Grass bore thumb-sized spirit fruits resembling grapes, yet transparent as cicada wings. After extracting the juice within and chilling it, it became an excellent beverage.

With one sip, an icy, crystalline sensation traveled down his throat into his stomach. Then the coolness spread throughout his entire body, making him shudder from head to toe. He immediately felt as though his marrow had been cleansed and his flesh remade, his whole body incomparably refreshed.

Come to think of it, this was only the third time Wang Shouzhe had drunk Ice Crystal Dew Drink. It was a spirit beverage with scarce production; just one cup cost several Qian Gold. Even direct descendants of the Lu Clan rarely had the chance to drink it.

The Yingxiu Lu Clan was not an especially powerful clan, with only one ancestor holding down the fort. Yet their Ice Crystal Dew Drink was a major specialty. At present, most of its production was supplied exclusively to the Purple Mansion Academy, while a small portion was shared among the direct descendants of several powerful clans.

Wang Shouzhe did not know how much net profit it brought in each year, but he estimated it could not be less than eight or nine hundred Qian Gold.

Besides Wang Shouzhe's cup, Wang Luojing also received one. It was her first time drinking such a fine beverage, and her eyes went wide.

After the fine drink came another feast of Spirit Food, leaving the Wang siblings brimming with vigorous qi and blood.

Then they naturally got to the main matter. Wang Luojing would cooperate with the Lu Clan members in an insect eradication operation. The method was simple: they only needed to copy the way the Shanyang Gongsun Clan had handled it. Moreover, the Yingxiu Lu Clan did not have much farmland, only six or seven thousand mu, so it would not be too difficult to deal with.

Wang Shouzhe had originally intended to help as well, but before setting out, he received a message from Ancestor Mingsheng summoning him to meet.

This left Wang Shouzhe inwardly uneasy. Could it be that Lu Xiaoxiao had gone to Ancestor Mingsheng to make malicious complaints, causing Ancestor Mingsheng to form a poor opinion of him?

But that absurd thought only flashed through his mind. Ancestor Mingsheng was the Sea-Stabilizing Needle of the Yingxiu Lu Clan—how could he involve himself in petty squabbles between children?