“Young master, our shop sells all kinds of gold, silver, and jade jewellery. What would you like to see?”
“I want a gold hairpin.”
“Right away! Please wait a moment!” The shopkeeper gestured with his hand, then turned to the shelves behind and picked up two copper hairpins.
“Take a look at these two, one with a peony blooming through all seasons, and one with a peacock spreading its wings to the southeast. What do you think?”
Lu Zheng pursed his lips, “They’re both quite nice, but I want a gold hairpin, not a copper one.”
The shopkeeper paused, “A real gold hairpin?”
Lu Zheng nodded, “A real gold hairpin.”
“Young master, what a lavish choice.”
A charming voice sounded from behind, and without turning, Lu Zheng could already picture the image of a captivating beauty.
A gold hairpin weighed at least one liang, equivalent to ten guan of money. With the goldsmith’s craftsmanship and material loss, shops sold them starting at fifteen guan.
Big business!
The shopkeeper beamed, waved his hand to put away the copper hairpins, then took out a string of keys from his robe and turned to unlock something.
“Young master.”
The woman approached Lu Zheng, leaning half her body on the counter, turning to face him with a radiant smile, “That young lady has left, so you needn’t be so cautious.”
Lu Zheng smiled, “You’re too kind, miss, but you and I are strangers…”
“You can call me Ning Yu,” the woman said with a smile, “May I ask your name, young master?”
“Lu Zheng.”
It was the first time Lu Zheng had met such a forward young lady, and he felt a bit overwhelmed.
“That young lady is truly fortunate to have caught your eye,” Ning Yu said.
Lu Zheng shook his head, “I’m the fortunate one to have gained the favour of such a beauty.”
Ning Yu paused, seemingly surprised by his response.
In the time it took for those few words, the shopkeeper returned with three boxes.
Glancing at Ning Yu and swallowing hard, he prioritised business, opening the wooden boxes one by one for Lu Zheng to inspect.
“Please look, young master. These three gold hairpins: one is a jade butterfly gathering spring flowers, one is a green bird carrying a love letter, and one is a lark entwining dark hair. All are crafted by master artisans, unique treasures in our Tonglin County!”
Lu Zheng nodded, pulled a silk cloth from his sleeve, and used it to carefully pick up a hairpin from its box.
The shopkeeper’s eyes gleamed, noting Lu Zheng’s refined manner, as if he were nobility descended to earth.
As for Ning Yu, her gaze deepened, her tongue lightly licking her lips, as if she’d spotted rare, delicious prey.
Lu Zheng examined each one, “The jade butterfly is too ornate, the green bird too obvious. I’ll take the entwined dark hair. How much?”
“Young master has fine taste. Though this entwined dark hair looks simple, its craftsmanship is intricate, made of solid double-twisted gold, making it heavier.”
The shopkeeper was still praising it when Lu Zheng glanced at him, prompting a quick price, “That’ll be twenty guan.”
Tch, what a rip-off!
Lu Zheng smiled, placed the hairpin back in its box, and under the shopkeeper’s disappointed gaze, said softly, “Wrap it up for me.”
“I can also… wait? Oh! Yes, yes, I’ll wrap it up!”
Though the hairpin already had its own box, the shopkeeper found a piece of silk cloth from somewhere and wrapped it into a bundle for easy carrying.
Lu Zheng took the bundle, nodded to Ning Yu, and turned to leave.
“Young master,” Ning Yu called out.
Lu Zheng stopped and turned, only to see Ning Yu brush past him with a waft of fragrance.
“Unmarried man, unwed woman, why must you be so cold to me?” Ning Yu slipped a handkerchief into Lu Zheng’s collar, “You have a heart full of brilliance, and I’ve fallen for you at first sight. I don’t seek lifelong commitment, only passionate moments. If you’re so inclined, come find me at Chunfeng Tower. I’ll ensure you experience the greatest pleasures of this world.”
Lu Zheng: w(°o°)w
Watching Ning Yu leave, Lu Zheng stood dumbfounded.
No wonder everyone loves Chunfeng Tower. With quality like that, even modern high-end clubs would bow in defeat!
…
Of course, Ning Yu was just a brief interlude. Lu Zheng had been in the Dajing Dynasty for two months and hadn’t visited Chunfeng Tower. Now, having grown close with Shen Ying, he had even less reason to seek entertainment there.
A ghost girl like Tao Xian, isn’t she alluring enough? Just thinking about it is thrilling!
Carrying the gold hairpin, he looked around. Ning Yu’s figure was gone, and the Liu Qingyan sisters had likely left too.
Lu Zheng sighed in relief, holding the box and continuing his stroll.
When it came to jewellery, ancient pieces had fine materials, but modern alloy products often surpassed them in style and intricacy.
Lu Zheng had checked online before; various vintage-style accessories cost just tens of yuan but were already quite exquisite.
Still…
Industrial craftsmanship had its flaws. Lu Zheng decided to buy a pure gold antique hairpin as a heartfelt gesture, lest it feel half-hearted.
“Done! Time to head home!”
Walking along, Lu Zheng came to a calligraphy and painting shop.
This time, no one came out to greet him.
Calligraphy and painting were matters of elegance; hawking them on the street would be undignified.
The shopkeeper sat inside, nodding slightly when Lu Zheng looked his way, making a welcoming gesture.
Lu Zheng smiled back, glanced around the shop, and then stepped away.
The items were decent but still ordinary. With his current level, enhanced by three strands of fortune, they were a step below.
And so, inspiration struck.
A gold hairpin was sufficient, but don’t modern girls crave romance?
If he made a gift himself, wouldn’t that max out the affection meter?
…
Back home,穿越.
Lu Zheng took a cab to an art academy, found a stationery shop, and bought rice paper, watercolours, and brushes, carrying bags full of supplies back home.
Why buy in the modern world?
Because modern watercolour pigments offered far more colours than ancient ones, and Lu Zheng had no patience for mixing shades.
Returning to the ancient world, he spread the rice paper on the table, prepared his brush and colours, recalled his learned painting techniques, and boldly began.
Lu Zheng had studied traditional Chinese painting, but when buying books, he’d also picked up a few on sketching, the so-called foundation of art.
With his fortune-enhanced skills, though focused on Chinese painting, his sketching fundamentals had improved too.
Thus, compared to ordinary ancient artworks, Lu Zheng’s painting added unique layers of depth and light-shadow effects.
Chinese painting values spirit, sketching values technique. Lu Zheng’s work naturally blended both.
Soon, a painting of a summer peach grove took shape under his brush.
In the painting, a serene peach grove stretched out, with a graceful girl leaning against a tree, gazing at flowers, her expression calm and radiant, her beauty surpassing the blossoms.
It was the scene of Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan’s first outing to Peach Blossom Ridge.
Done! Perfect!
