After some back-and-forth, Lu Zheng learned the boy’s name was Hu Zhou, taking his mother’s surname. As for his father, Hu’s mother shook her head, sidestepping the topic.
For over a decade, Hu’s mother had raised Hu Zhou alone, scraping by with washing clothes and odd jobs.
As Hu Zhou grew, his strength let him take on labour work, but his blunt mind and impulsive nature meant he never held jobs long, causing his mother more worry.
Later, as he matured, some ruffians took notice, flattering him into their circle. His mother’s pleas couldn’t sway him, leaving her heartbroken and lost. But something changed him, and he suddenly grew sensible.
These past few days, Hu Zhou had tempered his attitude, joining a team of porters, even earning a hundred or so wen, much to his mother’s relief.
This relief, however, loosened her resolve. Years of overwork and illness overwhelmed her body, which had been held together by sheer will, and she collapsed, fainting in broad daylight, her life nearly spent.
Had Hu Zhou not brought her to Benevolent Heart Hall, and had Liu Qingyan and Lu Zheng not returned together, she might not have survived the night.
“But you must rest for three months and take medicine daily, or you won’t last a year,” Liu Qingyan warned.
“Yes, yes!” Hu Zhou nodded eagerly, pulling his mother, “Ma, stop working. I’m earning ten big coins a day now, with lunch included!”
Hu’s mother smiled faintly but didn’t reply.
Liu Qingyan said gently, “Sister, you’ve barely escaped death. Don’t you want to see Hu Zhou marry and have children?”
Hu’s mother’s eyes sharpened, moved at last.
“But…”
“No matter. I’ll prepare your medicine. Take it daily, and in three days, come to the third house at Tongyi Lane’s entrance for acupuncture.”
“Thank you, miss! Thank you!”
“Thank you, miss, thank you, great hero! I’ll work hard to repay the medicine costs!”
Old Man Liu stood aside, stroking his beard, quiet but content.
Liu Qingyan prepared ten days’ worth of medicine, carefully instructing the pair until they understood, then sent them off.
Lu Zheng saw clearly the radiant spark in Liu Qingyan’s eyes.
“Alright, it’s nearly sunset. Time to head home,” Old Man Liu said, packing the needle case with a smile.
Liu Qingxuan nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes! Ma’s cooked pork and chicken. Sister, Brother Lu, let’s go!”
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan shared a smile, helped tidy the shop, and returned home by early you hour.
At the door, Lu Zheng said, “Uncle Liu, wait a moment. I’ll fetch two bottles of wine from home.”
Old Man Liu nodded enthusiastically, “Splendid, splendid!”
Liu Qingxuan giggled, Liu Qingyan shook her head, while Old Man Liu, oblivious, waved eagerly at Lu Zheng before calling to enter the house.
Home, traverse, fetch wine, grab gifts, traverse back. Lu Zheng returned to the Liu residence with a bottle in each hand.
Old Man Liu and his wife welcomed him warmly, inviting him to the head seat.
Old Man Liu deftly took a bottle, popping the cork with ease.
…
The homely feast was a delight for all.
The 35-degree Wuliangye was too delicious. Though not his first time, Old Man Liu drank until tipsy, needing his wife’s help to retire.
As night deepened, Liu Qingyan saw Lu Zheng to the door. After a brief chat, they fell into a comfortable silence.
“Lu Lang.”
“Hm?”
“I had some free time and sewed a sachet with angelica and sweet pine to repel insects. You can carry it.”
Liu Qingyan pulled a palm-sized sachet from her sleeve and handed it to Lu Zheng.
Her excuse was flimsy, Lu Zheng’s vitality was too strong for any mosquito to bite. And if one could, the sachet would be useless.
“Thank you, Qingyan,” Lu Zheng said, accepting it solemnly.
The sachet, woven from moon-white silk, was embroidered with golden thread depicting two lifelike mandarin ducks, surrounded by rippling water and fish, the stitching meticulous and exquisite.
“Beautiful!” Lu Zheng praised.
Liu Qingyan’s cheeks flushed, “I’m glad you like it.”
She looked at him expectantly.
“Qingyan, wait a moment!”
Lu Zheng dashed home, returning in under ten seconds with two gifts from just inside his door.
Seeing the wooden box, Liu Qingyan remained calm, but her eyes lit up at the scroll.
Lu Zheng noted it, mentally patting himself on the back.
“I picked a gold hairpin but felt it lacked sincerity, so I painted this myself. My skills are rough, so don’t laugh.”
Liu Qingyan ignored the box, taking the scroll instead.
Suppressing her shyness, she unfurled it calmly.
A summer peach grove painting, with a graceful girl leaning against a tree, smiling radiantly, met her gaze.
Even in the dark, Lu Zheng could see her cheeks burning.
Quickly rolling up the scroll, she snatched the box.
“I love it. It’s late, Lu Lang, head home!”
Without meeting his eyes, she fled inside, shutting the door.
…
Lu Zheng blinked, then smiled and returned home.
He’d thought about accepting Liu Qingyan. The key was ensuring it didn’t affect his dual-world travels.
Courtship and marriage were separate matters. He could delay for years, citing cultivation focus.
Such a lovely, virtuous girl, he’d secure her heart now, ensuring no one else could claim her.
With the jade seal in his mind, Lu Zheng was confident he’d gain greater power in a few years.
Then, he’d call his disappearances a cultivation technique, fitting his strength.
Perfect!
Home, traverse to the modern world, grab the other painting, change into dark clothes, apply a speed talisman.
Out the door, straight to Peach Blossom Ridge!
…
“Young master!”
Lu Zheng’s arrival clearly thrilled Shen Ying.
“For you, take a look!”
Shen Ying took the scroll, slowly unrolling it. A *Portrait of a Lady in a Peach Grove* appeared, the woman elegant and refined.
“Young master~”
“Hm?”
“Am I beautiful?”
“Hiss—”
Shen Ying’s eyes gleamed like water, her emotions surging, captivating Lu Zheng entirely, as if he’d ascended to paradise.
