"Young master, our shop deals in all kinds of gold, silver, and jade jewelry. What would you like to see?"
"I want a golden hairpin."
"Alright! Please wait a moment!" The shopkeeper gestured with his hand, then turned to the shelf behind him and picked up two copper hairpins.
"Look at these two, one is 'Peony Blooms in All Seasons', and the other is 'Peacock Spreads Its Wings to the Southeast. What do you think?"
Lu Zheng pouted, "They are quite beautiful, but I want a golden hairpin, not a copper one."
The shopkeeper paused, "A real golden hairpin?"
Lu Zheng nodded, "A real golden hairpin."
"Young master, you are very generous."
A charming voice sounded from behind, and Lu Zheng didn't need to turn around; the image of that lovely lady had already entered his mind.
A golden hairpin weighs at least one tael, which is ten thousand coins. Adding the craftsmanship and material loss by the goldsmith, the store sells it starting at fifteen thousand coins.
The shopkeeper smiled broadly, waved his hand to put the two copper hairpins away, then took out a string of keys from his clothes and turned to unlock a cabinet.
The woman came to Lu Zheng's side, leaning half her body on the counter, turning sideways to look at him, a smile blooming on her face, "The lady has left, young master need not be so cautious."
Lu Zheng chuckled, "Hello, young lady. I am merely a stranger to you..."
"Call me Ningyu," the woman said with a smile, "May I ask your name, young master?"
It was the first time Lu Zheng encountered such a forward young lady, leaving him a bit overwhelmed.
"That lady is truly fortunate, to win young master's favor," Ningyu said.
Lu Zheng shook his head, "It's I who am fortunate, to be admired by a lovely lady."
Ningyu paused, seemingly not expecting Lu Zheng to reply like that.
In the span of two lines of dialogue, the shopkeeper returned with three boxes.
He glanced at Ningyu, gulped, but focused on the business at hand, opening each wooden box for Lu Zheng's viewing.
"Young master, please look. These three golden hairpins: one is 'Jade Butterfly Collecting Flowers Welcomes Spring, one is 'Cyan Bird Carrying a Letter Brings Love Back', and the other is 'Lark Standing Alone Ties Blue Silk'. They are the handiwork of a master craftsman, the only such treasures in Tonglin County!"
Lu Zheng nodded, pulled out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, and cushioned the hairpin with it before taking it from the box.
The shopkeeper's eyes shone brightly; just from this action, Lu Zheng's temperament seemed noble, as if royalty stepped into the mortal world.
And Ningyu, her gaze deepened, stretching out her tongue to lick her lips, as if encountering a rare delicacy.
Lu Zheng examined each, "The Jade Butterfly is too ornate, the Cyan Bird too exposed. I'll take this 'Ties Blue Silk'. How much is it?"
"Young master, you have an excellent eye. Don't be fooled by the simple design of this "Ties Blue Silk, it's intricately carved with solid interlocking loops, thus heavier."
The shopkeeper was busy praising when Lu Zheng's gaze stopped him, prompting him to quote the price urgently, "The total is twenty thousand coins."
Lu Zheng chuckled, putting the hairpin back into the box, and with the shopkeeper's disappointed gaze, gently said, "Wrap it up for me."
"I can also give you... Hey? Hey! Alright, alright, I'll wrap it up for you!"
Although the hairpin already came in an individual box, the shopkeeper found a piece of silk cloth from somewhere to bundle the box for easy carrying.
Lu Zheng took the bundle, nodded to Ningyu, then turned around and left. "Young master" Ningyu called out.
Lu Zheng stopped and turned, just in time to see Ningyu sweep past him in a fragrant breeze.
"Unmarried man, and unmarried woman, why must you treat me so coldly?" Ningyu tucked a handkerchief into Lu Zheng's collar, "Young master's heart is filled with beauty, I was captivated at first sight. I do not seek a lifetime, just a passionate love. If the young master is willing, you may come to Chunfeng Building to find me, I can ensure you experience the utmost earthly pleasures."
Watching Ningyu leave, Lu Zheng stood bewildered.
No wonder everyone loves going to Chunfeng Building. If the quality is , even modern Heaven on Earth would have to bow and say, "I yield!"
Ningyu's matter was just a minor episode, Lu Zheng has been in the Great Jing Dynasty for two months and hasn't visited Chunfeng Building. Now that he has developed a close relationship with Shen Ying, he certainly won't go to
Chunfeng Building for fun.
Isn't the ghost Peach Immortal enchanting enough? Just thinking about it is thrilling!
With the golden hairpin in hand, Lu Zheng looked around; Ningyu's figure was no longer visible, and Liu Qingyan and her sister had likely left too.
Lu Zheng sighed with relief, holding the box and continued strolling.
In fact, speaking of jewelry, though the materials in ancient times were good,
their styling and intricacy were no match for modern alloy products.
Lu Zheng previously checked online, and various ancient-style accessories only cost a few dozen yuan but are quite exquisite.
Industrial craftsmanship has its flaws; Lu Zheng thought for a moment, still deciding to buy a piece of pure gold from ancient times as a gesture, otherwise, it feels a bit perfunctory.
As Lu Zheng walked, he found himself outside a calligraphy and painting shop.
This time, no one came forward to greet him.
Calligraphy and painting belong to refined matters; hawking them in the street is lacking in elegance.
The shopkeeper of the calligraphy and painting shop sat inside, and upon seeing Lu Zheng, merely nodded, gesturing with a hand to invite him to look around.
Lu Zheng returned the smile and swept his gaze casually over the shop's contents before stepping out.
Though the items were nice, they were still Mortal Items. Compared to Lu
Zheng's current level after exchanging three strands of Qi luck, they already seemed inferior.
Thus, Lu Zheng was inspired.
Though a golden hairpin was sufficient, isn't there a demand for romance among girls now?
What if he made a gift by himself? Wouldn't that increase the favorability to the max?
Going home, time travel.
Lu Zheng took a taxi to the Academy of Fine Arts, found a stationery shop, and bought Xuan Paper, watercolor, and brushes, carrying large bags home.
As for why buy them in the modern era...
It's naturally because modern watercolor paints have much more variety of colors than ancient times, saving Lu Zheng the time for mixing colors. Returning to ancient times, Lu Zheng spread the Xuan Paper on the table, opened the brush, mixed the colors, recalling in his mind the painting skills he learned, and decisively started painting.
Lu Zheng's studies were in traditional painting, but when buying books, he also picked up some on sketching, considered the foundation of fine arts.
With Qi luck exchange, though mainly enhancing traditional painting. foundational skills like sketching also improved.
Thus, relative to general ancient artworks, Lu Zheng's painting incorporated some unique progressive lavers and light-visual effects.
Sketch emphasizes technique, traditional painting emphasizes meaning, thus Lu Zheng's painting naturally balanced both.
Very soon, a 'Summer Peach Grove Painting' appeared under his brush. The painting depicted a serene Peach Grove, a graceful maiden leaning against a tree, admiring the flowers, her expression delightful, truly as beautiful as the flowers, outshining them.
It was precisely the scene of Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan's first outing together to Peach Blossom Plain.