"Who are you?" Lu Xiao Xiao wrapped her arms around Wang Shoujie's arm, glaring at Wang Luojing and saying, "Why don't you quickly let go of my cousin's hand? You're not even ashad as a girl."
In the Changning Guard area, most families didn't follow a strict naming convention for their daughters, and instead allowed them to choose their own nas. The Ping'an Wang Clan, however, had a long history, and Ancestor Zouxuan had personally established a naming convention for the girls, which had been passed down through the generations.
"I'm Fourth Brother's sister, and Fourth Brother loves the most," Wang Luojing said, not backing down, and teasingly added, "I think you're the one who's not ashad, throwing yourself into Fourth Brother's arms the mont you see him."
"You're lying, my cousin loves the most," Lu Xiao Xiao said, her face red with anger. "Every ti we et, my cousin brings gifts."
"Fourth Brother is the best to , and just the other day, he gave an Athyst Spirit Bee hive worth over 200 gold coins to play with," Wang Luojing said, proudly tilting her head.
"My cousin, I want an Athyst Spirit Bee hive too," Lu Xiao Xiao said, feeling like she was being outdone, and started to act coquettishly, pulling on Wang Shoujie's arm. She was usually spoiled and didn't know what an Athyst Spirit Bee was.
"Uh..." Wang Shoujie was speechless, wondering how two little girls could start fighting over him the mont they t. Especially Wang Luojing, who was actually a year younger than Lu Xiao Xiao, and was usually well-behaved, but was now vying for attention.
"Did you really buy an Athyst Spirit Bee hive for the kids to play with?" Lu Zheng Jie, who was accompanying them, was also shocked. "That's too extravagant and wasteful. I don't know how you'll get past your cousin's test."
Over 200 gold coins was a huge sum of money, whether for the Wang Clan or the Lu Clan. It was like Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai's fishing fleet, which had ten ships and took a year to earn a profit of around 200 gold coins.
As one of the Wang Clan's pillar industries, Fenggu Farm had 200 tenant farrs, thousands of acres of farmland, and operated on a scale that earned only around 600-700 gold coins in profit per year, and that was just the book profit.
This ti, when coming to the Lu Clan, they had also prepared so gifts, but they were just small trinkets.
"This matter has hidden implications," Wang Shoujie said with a bitter smile. "Why don't you try to persuade my cousin? Now, even if I'm sold, I couldn't afford an Athyst Spirit Bee hive."
"I don't have the ability to persuade her," Lu Zheng Jie quickly shook his head. "This girl is usually the most spoiled, and even the Old Ancestor dotes on her. Eldest Brother can't even handle her. You're on your own, cousin."
The Old Ancestor dotes on her?
Wang Shoujie was stunned. Lu Ming Sheng, the Old Ancestor of the Lu Clan, was the direct descendant of the Lu Clan's Ming lineage, and was already over 100 years old. In terms of generation and bloodline, he was Wang Shoujie's great-grandfather.
The Old Ancestors of the major Martial Clans rarely liked to show their faces. They usually closed themselves off for cultivation, thinking about how to make further progress, and only ca out for major events.
Wang Shoujie had lived for 18 years, and could count on his fingers the number of tis he had seen Ming Sheng Old Ancestor, with only one ti being summoned by him, when he was 7 years old and had his talent tested, and was praised and rewarded with so resources.
To know that Wang Shoujie's talent was already close to mid-grade, yet he only received such treatnt. Lu Xiao Xiao, this little girl, what virtue did she have to be doted on by her great-grandfather...
However, things had already co to this, and he couldn't take out a gift worth 200 gold coins, even if he could afford it, he wouldn't want to give it away, so he could only placate Lu Xiao Xiao with a sentence: "Ha ha, that hive was sothing my cousin picked up..."
"Wow My cousin doesn't like anymore, wah wah, my cousin is bullying ." The mont she heard she didn't get it, Lu Xiao Xiao felt completely outdone, and cried as she ran back to her room.
Wang Luojing, on the other hand, was holding onto Wang Shoujie's arm, looking like she had won a victory over a "bad person", which made Wang Shoujie roll his eyes. She was really a little girl who would eat vinegar (get jealous).
However, this was just a small interlude, and Wang Shoujie didn't mind.
Later, under Lu Zheng Jie's lead, Wang Shoujie and Wang Luojing arrived at the main hall of the Lu Clan's main residence.
At the sa ti, Lu Zhengxiong, the patriarch of the Lu Clan, and his wife, Wang Shi, from the Wang Clan, were already dressed in their formal attire, waiting in the reception hall.
Lu Zhengxiong was already in his fifties, with a square face and a three-inch-long beard, exuding an air of dignity.
His wife, Lu Wang Shi, was none other than Wang Liuling, the elder sister of Wang Shoujie's father, Wang Shoujie. Although she was already over fifty years old, she looked much younger due to her good maintenance and dressing, sitting upright like a middle-aged beauty.
"Greetings, Uncle and Aunt," Wang Shoujie said, bowing according to the etiquette for juniors eting seniors. He had already sent a servant to report his arrival earlier, and this visit was to pay respects to his elders, not to et with the patriarch of the Lu Clan in an official capacity.
"Please, no need for such formalities," Lu Zhengxiong said, coming forward to support Wang Shoujie, sizing him up from head to toe. "It's been a while since we last t, and you've grown so much."
"Ah, my dear nephew," Wang Liuling also ca forward, holding Wang Shoujie's hand affectionately. "You've just beco the patriarch, and you're already working so hard. It's really tiring you out."
Aunt Wang Liuling had previously gone to the Wang Clan to mourn the death of her brother, and now she was more concerned about her nephew, Wang Shoujie.
"Uncle, Aunt, it's not a big deal," Wang Shoujie said. "As mbers of the Wang and Lu Clans, we are connected by blood and should help each other. It's only natural."
Because his birth mother was a direct descendant of the Lu Clan, Wang Shoujie had deep feelings for the Lu Clan from a young age. The exchange of direct descendants between the two families had also made their bloodlines extrely close.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Aunt Wang Liuling pulled Wang Luojing aside to talk.
anwhile, Lu Zhengxiong sat down with Wang Shoujie to chat, but instead of serving the usual spiritual tea, he brought out a special product of the Lu Clan - the Ice Crystal Dew Drink.
The Lu Clan controlled the Yingxiu Lake area, not only making a na for themselves in aquaculture but also setting aside a "spiritual water" area to cultivate a type of underwater spiritual plant - the Crystal Dew Grass. The Crystal Dew Grass produced a type of spiritual fruit the size of a thumb, similar to grapes but transparent like a cicada's wings. The juice inside, when iced, made an excellent drink.
One sip, and the cool, refreshing feeling flowed down the throat and into the stomach, imdiately spreading a sense of clarity throughout the body, making one feel refreshed and invigorated, as if they had just been cleansed from the inside out.
This was Wang Shoujie's third ti drinking the Ice Crystal Dew Drink, a rare and precious beverage. Even the direct descendants of the Lu Clan rarely got to drink it, and a single cup was worth several tens gold coins.
The Lu Clan of Yingxiu was not a very powerful family, with only one elderly ancestor sitting in charge. However, their Ice Crystal Dew Drink was a major specialty, with most of the production supplied to the Purple Palace Academy, and a small portion shared among so powerful families.
Wang Shoujie didn't know how much profit they made in a year, but he estimated it wouldn't be less than eight or nine hundred gold coins.
Apart from Wang Shoujie's cup, Wang Luojing also received one. It was her first ti drinking such a fine beverage, and her eyes widened in amazent.
After the drink, they were treated to a spirit food feast, which left Wang Shoujie and his sister feeling energized and refreshed.
Next, they naturally moved on to the main topic. Wang Luojing would work with the Lu Clan mbers to carry out the pest extermination operation. The thod was simple, just like the one used by the Shanyang Gongsun Clan. Moreover, the Lu Clan's land was not too vast, only about 6,700 acres, making it not too difficult to handle.
Originally, Wang Shoujie had also wanted to help, but just before he was about to leave, he received a ssage from the Ming Sheng Old Ancestor, summoning him to et.
This made Wang Shoujie's heart skip a beat, wondering if Lu Xiao Xiao had gone to the Ming Sheng Old Ancestor to tattle, causing the Old Ancestor to have a bad impression of him?
However, this absurd thought only flashed by, and the Ming Sheng Old Ancestor was, after all, from the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, and wouldn't get involved in petty squabbles between children.
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]
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