So first, the three children were sent back to Qianli County Government Office, and then Yang Xiaomei returned to Tonglin County with everyone and moved into Lu Zheng’s house with Mrs. Yang, living in the side courtyard, next to Old Huang.

Although it’s unclear why, it’s evident that Yang Xiaomei is very cautious of strangers, even holding a hint of mistrust towards Lu Zheng and the others who saved her and her grandmother.

This evoked even more compassion from Liu Qingyan, who decided to help them by taking them in.

"There are so many pitiful people in the world; I can’t help them all, but helping one is better than none. Moreover, Yang Xiaomei is really pitiful. She’s still young; if she stays in the mountain village, collecting herbs every day, who knows when an accident might happen and she’d be gone."

In the warm main bedroom, Liu Qingyan lay in Lu Zheng’s arms and spoke thus.

Lu Zheng gently stroked Liu Qingyan’s back, smooth as jade, nodding, "If she behaves well this month, we’ll give her grandmother a Jade Ginseng King Pill."

Liu Qingyan smiled sweetly and kissed Lu Zheng, "You’re quite generous."

Lu Zheng chuckled, "There’s cause and effect. If it weren’t for Yang Xiaomei, we wouldn’t have met the Ginseng Doll. By the way..."

"What is it?" Liu Qingyan asked, turning her head.

Feeling the fluffy tail below teasing him, Lu Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "Have you ever heard of the Immortal Spirit known as Enlightenment?"

Liu Qingyan’s face flushed at the words, but she laughed softly, "I’ve never heard of it, but with Lu Lang’s great luck, you might just stumble upon one someday."

Lu Zheng nodded and turned over, "Then let’s continue!"

Liu Qingyan’s eyes shimmered like water, and she couldn’t help but softly exclaim, "Lu Lang, Qingyan can’t take it anymore~"

"But you were just teasing me!"

...

Yang Xiaomei is actually named Yang Caiyi, a name given by an old scholar from the village.

Her parents never returned after they went into the mountains a few years ago, leaving her to rely on her grandmother and the help of neighbors.

Previously, she only picked wild fruits outside the mountains until last year when she learned from a book on medicine left by her father, leading her to gather herbs for a living.

She just turned nine this year.

Already quite mature for her age.

Indeed, after Liu Qingyan helped Mrs. Yang with acupuncture and medicine, seeing Mrs. Yang’s health visibly improving, Yang Caiyi woke up before dawn to assist Aunt Liu in making breakfast.

Then she waited early at the door to set off with Liu Qingyan, only to be given candy by Du Yueyao, who then took her to Renxin Hall.

Shen Ying took the Ginseng Doll back to Peach Blossom Plain while Lu Zheng brought Lin Wan to Yizhou Prefecture, partly as compensation, as she had been there for several days without properly exploring.

...

"Feels so familiar!"

Yizhou Prefecture was much larger than Tonglin County, resembling the scenes Lin Wan had seen in TV dramas.

The buildings stood in close succession, and the streets were bustling with traffic.

The people walking around were mostly city merchants, making it hard to see farmers, and their attire was noticeably better than those in Tonglin County.

There were shops selling gold lacquerware, copper and tin wares, fortune-tellers, matchmakers...

Each store seemed absent in modern times, and they were better and more prosperous than those in Tonglin County, reminding Lin Wan of the Qingming River Painting. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Why didn’t you settle down in Yizhou back then?" Lin Wan asked.

"Yizhou is a big city, and I was an undocumented person at the time, so I dared not come to Yizhou," Lu Zheng said with a smile, "Later on, there was no need."

Lin Wan pouted, "Of course, with a Fox Girl Medical Immortal and a Peach Blossom Fairy, who don’t even return to modern homes, let alone move to a big city."

At this point, Lu Zheng naturally remained charmingly ignorant.

Holding Lin Wan’s hand, he pointed to a storefront straight ahead on the street, "I bought my first Phoenix Tail Zither at this shop, an old establishment with quite good quality."

Lin Wan grinned and didn’t expose Lu Zheng’s little schemes, instead hand in hand, walking into the "antique" music store.

"Is this gentleman here to look at zithers?"

Seeing the graceful gentleman with a stunning lady entering together, the shopkeeper quickly came forward to greet them personally.

But he apparently had forgotten Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng nodded, "Just looking around. I bought a Phoenix Tail Zither here a few years ago and found it handy. But if there’s a better new zither, I wouldn’t mind purchasing another."

The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up, carefully observed Lu Zheng again, recalling the zither purchase, "Ah, it’s you, sir!"

Back then, Lu Zheng played a new tune that amazed many, prompting the shopkeeper to smile, "You came at a good time. A few days ago, we acquired a fine zither from a pupil of the master zither maker Ouyang Kui...please wait!"

This was a major customer, not only knowledgeable about zithers but also wealthy, prompting the shopkeeper to warmly lead them inside, retrieving a zither from the wooden racks.

"This zither’s style is a Dragon-Head Zither, albeit slightly different, named Dragon Sound."

Lu Zheng chuckled, "That zither maker certainly is bold, naming it like that without fearing trouble with the Dragon King?"

"We’re just ordinary folks, choosing auspicious names; the Dragon King wouldn’t hold a grudge over it, right?" the shopkeeper laughed, "Besides, this is from Master Ouyang Kui’s disciple. If the Dragon King is displeased, he should go to the Capital City to discuss with Master Ouyang; we just have it for sale."

Lu Zheng raised his eyebrows, recognizing that Ouyang Kui was indeed a famous zither-making master residing in Zhongjing.

"Keep going." Lu Zheng nodded and smiled.

"This zither is made from hundred-year-old dragon-head pine, dense in texture, producing deep sound with lingering resonance, the finest instrument in our shop in recent years."

The shopkeeper placed the Dragon-Head Zither on an offering table in the store, smilingly inviting Lu Zheng to try it.

Lu Zheng smiled at Lin Wan, then sat at the table and gently stroked the strings.

"Zheng—Zheng—Zheng—"

A tune began, its sound lingering and reverberating.

After playing half a piece, Lu Zheng pressed the strings down to halt the music.

"How is it?" the shopkeeper eagerly asked.

"Not bad." Lu Zheng nodded, then shook his head, "But not quite good enough. Is this the best zither in the shop?"

The shopkeeper couldn’t help but explain, "Sir, this is an acclaimed zither made by a direct disciple of Master Ouyang Kui, each having a name. If not for the apprentice returning home to Yanzhou, we wouldn’t have acquired this zither."

This zither’s quality surpasses the Phoenix Tail Zither we sold you years ago; you said the Phoenix Tail Zither was handy, why find this Dragon Sound inadequate?

Lu Zheng waved his hand, "No rush, shopkeeper. I’m not saying this zither isn’t good; I’ve just seen an even better one, so I want to buy a top-quality zither."