"Rustle, rustle—rustle, rustle—"
Peach Blossom Plain, that's the sound of playing mahjong.
...
After having a sumptuous lunch at ho, primarily comprised of various seasonings and cooking thods, Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu almost swallowed their tongues in delight.
In the afternoon, Lu Zheng fetched a new carriage from ho and took Zhu Yushan and his wife for a trip to Peach Blossom Plain. Only then did Zhu Yushan realize that Lu Zheng actually had a Peach Blossom Fairy as an extramarital partner.
No wonder he didn't have ti for official duties...
Zhu Yushan shook his head, feeling that he had uncovered the truth...
Li Hanyu didn't think too much about it, but was quickly drawn to the ga of mahjong, playing happily with Shen Ying, Liu Qingyan, and Xiaocui.
Lu Zheng didn't play the zither for entertainnt today, as he couldn't neglect the guests, right? So he pulled Zhu Yushan to set up a chessboard, divided the black and white pieces, and played two gas.
After two gas, Zhu Yushan felt that their chess skills were quite similar. They entangled in the middle, but in the end, due to his oversight, he lost by two stones.
Later, when they got tired of playing chess, they held teacups, standing behind their wives, watching the ga.
"This mahjong ga invented by Brother Lu... is quite interesting!" Zhu Yushan exclaid, "I rarely see my wife so invested in any ga."
"Get rich!"
"Pung!"
"Nine bamboos!"
"Haha, I win!"
"Pay up, pay up!" Li Hanyu happily spread the seven tiles left in front of her, revealing her winning six and nine bamboos.
After collecting three Copper Coins, Li Hanyu gleefully urged, "Continue, continue!"
"Sister Li, if you have nothing to do, you can co and play often." Shen Ying smiled.
Li Hanyu turned to look at Zhu Yushan, blinking at him, making him feel uneasy, "I am friends with Brother Lu; it's good for you all to interact more."
"Heehee!" Li Hanyu turned back and continued to build the Great Wall.
Zhu Yushan blinked, feeling an ominous premonition.
"Don't worry." Lu Zheng and Zhu Yushan went to the courtyard to admire the peach blossoms, "Sister-in-law is also a cultivator, much more self-controlled than mortals. Today is just her first encounter, and she's very enthusiastic; she'll get better with ti."
Zhu Yushan nodded, "Indeed, no one is perfect, one must examine oneself three tis a day."
"Buzz!"
Three threads of Light of Fortune were credited.
Lu Zheng was quite satisfied, nodding and murmuring, "Jade Seal, upgrade!"
Feeling the vastly improved aura within, Lu Zheng asked, "Has Brother Zhu started cultivating?"
Zhu Yushan nodded, "My father-in-law guided in cultivating a thod called 'Water Moon Circulation Internal Cultivation thod,' combining the Three Treasures for longevity. I'm mostly reading, not cultivating much. It's only recently that I've started to feel so Qi Sensitivity."
As he spoke, Zhu Yushan raised his hand, and a slightly cool aura circulated beside it, shimring with a gentle glow.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin; it seed like it had only been two or three months since his marriage?
Luckily, I'm a hang-on player too!
"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded, "Brother Zhu should work hard; successful cultivation gives vitality and enables you to serve the people and address their concerns."
Zhu Yushan pondered for a mont, then nodded and said, "Indeed, Brother Lu is right. I was previously misguided; I should focus more on cultivation."
"Buzz!"
Two threads of Light of Fortune were credited.
Lu Zheng smacked his lips and turned to glance at Zhu Yushan with a peculiar look.
"Brother Lu?" Zhu Yushan checked himself, finding his clothes neat, then touched his face, "Is there sothing on my face?"
"No." Lu Zheng shook his head, "I was just admiring Brother Zhu's integrity and humility."
"That's common sense. Among three people, there must be sothing to learn from one. Isn't that exactly what we should do?" Zhu Yushan said.
"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded, forming a hypothesis in his heart.
Zhu Yushan's luck had arrived. Barring surprises, it was this marriage with the River God's Mansion, and he was extraordinarily talented in cultivation, hence his flourishing fortune with a substantial base.
And the fact that just by speaking a few words, he could tap into Zhu Yushan's fortune again indicated that Zhu Yushan's current base fortune mainly stemd from this chance, without additional accumulation from personal insights and wisdom.
Now, offering him so pointers to accelerate his growth, the Heavenly Dao bestowed new Light of Fortune upon him, which the Jade Seal started to reap from.
Even though each withdrawal was small, every bit adds up.
So, how much more can you grow?
Thinking of this, Lu Zheng turned his gaze toward the house, wondering how she could be a well-accomplished daughter of the River God's Mansion, yet beco fascinated with mahjong without changing her fortune?
...
In the mid-3 PM, the ladies finished their ga and walked out of Taohua Village together to enjoy the sunset glow over the Peach Blossom Forest.
"Indeed, it's like a red sky over Tianshan, with earthbound flas in the clouds, so beautiful." Li Hanyu remarked.
"In a few months, when the peach trees bear fruit, Sister Li, rember to co visit again." Shen Ying laughed.
"I will indeed co to trouble you." Li Hanyu laughed.
After a simple al at Taohua Village, the group bade farewell to Shen Ying and took the carriage back to Tonglin County. However, Zhu Yushan and his wife did not enter the city but instead said goodbye to Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan and disappeared into the night along the official road outside the city.
"It's really hard to believe that Young Master Zhu studied for twelve years and never once entered the exam hall!"
"This year there shouldn't be any problem. With the provincial exams in May and the autumn imperial exams in October, he might achieve the rank of Advanced Scholar before next year." Lu Zheng said, "After that, it's all up to him to choose his path."
"From the River God's Mansion allowing him to study and take exams, it seems that this marriage is just a nominal title." Liu Qingyan said.
"Indeed, it's unclear what the Lu River God is thinking." Lu Zheng shook his head, deciding to stop pondering it.
...
The next day, Liu Qingyan attended to Lu Zheng as he got up, and then went directly from the Lu Family to Renxin Hall.
After tidying up, Lu Zheng went out of the city and ventured into the mountains, heading northeast to the place with the Stalactite Spring.
Ever since discovering that Stalactite Spring, he would visit about once a month; sotis, due to rain, he would go more frequently.
This ti, however, with so many recent affairs causing delays, it had been too long since his last visit, and without replenishnt, Zhi Ma was about to run out of supply.
As before, Lu Zheng navigated through the forest, familiar with the route, to the small valley beside the stream, and quietly approached the rocky cliff, where he took out several bottled waters to start collecting.
It had been a long while since Lu Zheng's last visit, and with no recent rain, the trickling flow from the stone wall was intermittent. Lu Zheng climbed two more feet up the cliff before finding a crevice to fill another bottle.
"Hmm, maybe this will do?" Lu Zheng looked at the two bottles in his hand, "Either way, it's enough for now. I'll co back when it rains."
Just as he was about to slide down the cliff, a voice ca to Lu Zheng's ear, "Young friend, the spring inside the cave is abundant, you can fill up before leaving."
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