2 The Light of Providence

Lu Zheng passed by the front yard and told Aunt Liu that she didn't need to prepare lunch for him. Then, he walked out of his residence.

The streets of an ancient city filled with vitality appeared before Lu Zheng's eyes.

Lu Zheng's residence was located in Tongyi Lane, northeast of Tonglin County. The residence was relatively large, and the street was also wide. Lu Zheng's residence was not far from the end of the street, so as soon as he stepped out, he saw people carrying shoulder poles or pushing small carts to sell breakfast food.

There weren't many rigid rules in the great Jing dynasty. There was no curfew, and there were no rules about selling food in the area, so there were mobile vendors everywhere. Other than a few main streets and some specially designated areas, there were many vendors scattered along the street.

"Young Master Lu!"

"Good morning, Young Master Lu!"

As Lu Zheng had bought a house, he had been waking up early in the morning to go shopping for the past few days. He had even bought a few types of breakfast foods out of curiosity, so those who set up stalls in the vicinity knew him.

Lu Zheng nodded and bought a vegetable bun from Aunt Li, who was pushing a cart.

A bun cost two cents. The wild vegetables were picked by Aunt Li herself outside the city the day before. With some vegetable oil, it had a delicate fragrance and a little sweetness.

Munching on buns along the way, Lu Zheng soon arrived at his destination.

Qingsheng Teahouse.

The largest teahouse in Tonglin County that was open for breakfast and lunch. Lu Zheng came here to listen to the storytellers in the teahouse who would often ramble about strange things from all over the world. Although they were not fully believable, they were still an important source for Lu Zheng to understand the great Jing dynasty.

Lu Zheng had been here for five consecutive days. Listening to the storytellers, he had gained an understanding of the world.

...

After spending the morning and rewarding the person with 15 copper coins, Lu Zheng had his lunch in the teahouse. Then, he strolled off to his next destination.

The Gemstone House.

As the name suggested, this shop sold all kinds of stone objects, such as inkstones, paperweights, stone seals, and all kinds of raw stones. They could be customized according to the customer's request.

Lu Zheng had been spending a lot of money in the great Jing dynasty these days. He had thought for a long time but could not think of anything valuable that he could bring back.

Books, calligraphy, and paintings? But the artists in this world were not famous in his era.

Gold and silverware? In his world, they were worth a lot of money. If Lu Zheng were to purchase them in bulk, it would easily attract the attention of people with bad intentions.

As for the other handicrafts, they couldn't be sold for much even if he brought them back.

The last thing that inspired Lu Zheng was the jade seal in his mind. Perhaps there were some stones that were not valuable in the great Jing dynasty but were very valuable in modern times?

For example, the Zhanguo Red Agate and the Field-yellow Stone had been quite popular these days.

In the past few days, Lu Zheng had returned to the modern world to study all kinds of jade. He made sufficient preparations before heading to the Gemstone House to see if he could pick up any scraps.

"Young master, do you need an inkstone? We sell all kinds of stone tools like Aoyama stones, obsidians, and red quartz. "

After all, Tonglin County was only a county, and stone tools were not daily necessities, so few people came to visit. Now that there was finally a customer, the owner was very enthusiastic.

"I'm just looking around."

Lu Zheng replied courteously and then looked at the various stone tools in the shop.

Then, away from the owner's field of vision, the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile.

As expected, there were some good stones here!

Although he figured that the stones were expensive from where they were placed, was the money in the great Jing dynasty worth anything?

"This seal..."

Lu Zheng pointed at a fist-sized red seal on the shelf without hesitation.

It was as red as blood, with a hint of gold at the bottom. The color was vibrant and beautiful.

"Young master has good taste. This is the Phoenix Blood Stone produced in Yao Prefecture's Phoenix Mountain. It is as red as the blood-wing dragon and the gold is similar to the color of the autumn leaves of the wutong, symbolizing that the Phoenix is resting..."

Lu Zheng listened to his nonsense. He couldn't show that he was rich.

However, seeing that Lu Zheng had no reaction, the owner did not continue. In the end, he announced the price.

"30 kan!"

"It's too expensive, 20. "

"Young master, this is the best Phoenix Blood Stone with a golden base. It's one in a million…"

"25 kan, or forget it."

"I'll wrap it up for you!"

In the great Jing dynasty, one could buy 200 catties of polished rice with 1 kan. If one catty of polished rice cost 5 yuan, 25 kan would be equivalent to 25000 yuan in the modern world. It is a luxury good.

But was this considered expensive to Lu Zheng?

Besides, Lu Zheng's house only cost him 300 kan.

Although Lu Zheng didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, he still had to make some money because he was about to run out of food in the modern world.

The shopkeeper even gifted Lu Zheng an ink pad. Lu Zheng paid for it with cash and left the place, satisfied.

...

For the entire afternoon, Lu Zheng strolled from the east to the west of the city. He bought a few more trinkets for his house, but he did not carry them with him. Instead, he paid for them and had the shopkeeper deliver them to his residence in Tongyi Lane.

Lu Zheng felt that the service in the great Jing dynasty was even better than that of the modern world. All of them provided delivery service.

...

When he returned home in the evening, he saw a dirty old beggar resting under the eaves of his house.

The old beggar's hair was white and he was dressed in tattered clothes made of sackcloth. His face was covered in dirt, but he looked very relaxed. He rubbed the dirt on his face and sniffed the air. It was obvious that he had smelled the fragrance coming from Lu Zheng's house.

Aunt Liu made a dish using the spices that Lu Zheng brought from the modern era.

Lu Zheng sniffed. It seemed that Aunt Liu had steamed chicken today.

"Young man, are you the owner of this house?" The old beggar showed his yellow teeth, "Can you give me a chicken leg?"

Lu Zheng instinctively frowned. As a young man who had lived in a modern socialist city all his life, he had never seen such a dirty beggar before.

However, Lu Zheng regained his composure in the blink of an eye and did not reveal any disgust.

Everyone was equal, he should empathize and respect others. These were the most basic qualities of young people in the new era.

"Alright!" Lu Zheng agreed decisively.

"Eh?" This time, it was the old beggar's turn to be confused. He studied Lu Zheng carefully and couldn't help but ask, "Really?"

"It's just a chicken leg, wait a moment." Lu Zheng smiled as he walked past the old beggar and knocked on the door.

"Uncle Li, open the door!"

"The young master is back!"

A series of footsteps could be heard. Uncle Li opened the courtyard door and stood to the side, waiting for Lu Zheng to enter.

"Give him a chicken leg, a bowl of rice, and two steamed buns."

Uncle Li finally noticed the old beggar sitting under the roof.

"Where did this old man come from? You're in luck. This is a special spice from the young master's collection. You've never tasted it in your life!"

They were both poor people, so Uncle Li didn't look down on the old beggar. Instead, Lu Zheng's kindness gave him a sense of security.

"Young man, can you give me some wine?" The old beggar said.

"Sure." Lu Zheng nodded.

He had already given him a meal, so he didn't mind giving him some wine as well.

The old beggar was all smiles as he sat under the eaves, waiting for food. When Lu Zheng entered, he saw Aunt Liu setting up the dining table in the main hall.

"Young master, the meal is ready!"

"Sure."

Lu Zheng ate in the main hall while Aunt Liu and Uncle Li ate in the kitchen.

Then, just as Lu Zheng was about to pick up his chopsticks, the jade seal in his mind suddenly glowed!

The moment the white light appeared, Lu Zheng immediately knew what it was.

Lu Zheng passed by the front yard and told Aunt Liu that she didn't need to prepare lunch for him. Then, he walked out of his residence.

The streets of an ancient city filled with vitality appeared before Lu Zheng's eyes.

Lu Zheng's residence was located in Tongyi Lane, northeast of Tonglin County. The residence was relatively large, and the street was also wide. Lu Zheng's residence was not far from the end of the street, so as soon as he stepped out, he saw people carrying shoulder poles or pushing small carts to sell breakfast food.

There weren't many rigid rules in the great Jing dynasty. There was no curfew, and there were no rules about selling food in the area, so there were mobile vendors everywhere. Other than a few main streets and some specially designated areas, there were many vendors scattered along the street.

"Young Master Lu!"

"Good morning, Young Master Lu!"

As Lu Zheng had bought a house, he had been waking up early in the morning to go shopping for the past few days. He had even bought a few types of breakfast foods out of curiosity, so those who set up stalls in the vicinity knew him.

Lu Zheng nodded and bought a vegetable bun from Aunt Li, who was pushing a cart.

A bun cost two cents. The wild vegetables were picked by Aunt Li herself outside the city the day before. With some vegetable oil, it had a delicate fragrance and a little sweetness.

Munching on buns along the way, Lu Zheng soon arrived at his destination.

Qingsheng Teahouse.

The largest teahouse in Tonglin County that was open for breakfast and lunch. Lu Zheng came here to listen to the storytellers in the teahouse who would often ramble about strange things from all over the world. Although they were not fully believable, they were still an important source for Lu Zheng to understand the great Jing dynasty.

Lu Zheng had been here for five consecutive days. Listening to the storytellers, he had gained an understanding of the world.

...

After spending the morning and rewarding the person with 15 copper coins, Lu Zheng had his lunch in the teahouse. Then, he strolled off to his next destination.

The Gemstone House.

As the name suggested, this shop sold all kinds of stone objects, such as inkstones, paperweights, stone seals, and all kinds of raw stones. They could be customized according to the customer's request.

Lu Zheng had been spending a lot of money in the great Jing dynasty these days. He had thought for a long time but could not think of anything valuable that he could bring back.

Books, calligraphy, and paintings? But the artists in this world were not famous in his era.

Gold and silverware? In his world, they were worth a lot of money. If Lu Zheng were to purchase them in bulk, it would easily attract the attention of people with ulterior motives.

As for the other handicrafts, they couldn't be sold for much even if he brought them back.

The last thing that inspired Lu Zheng was the jade seal in his mind. Perhaps there were some stones that were not valuable in the great Jing dynasty but were very valuable in modern times?

For example, the Zhanguo Red Agate and the Field-yellow Stone had been quite popular these days

In the past few days, Lu Zheng had returned to the modern world to study all kinds of jade. He made sufficient preparations before heading to the Gemstone House to see if he could pick up any scraps.

"Young master, do you need an inkstone? We sell all kinds of stone tools like Aoyama stones, obsidians, and red quartz. "

After all, Tonglin County was only a county, and stone tools were not daily necessities, so few people came to visit. Now that there was finally a customer, the owner was very enthusiastic.

"I'm just looking around."

Lu Zheng replied courteously and then looked at the various stone tools in the shop.

Then, away from the owner's field of vision, the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile.

As expected, there were some good stones here!

Although he figured that the stones were expensive from where they were placed, was the money in the great Jing dynasty worth anything?

"This seal ..."

Lu Zheng pointed at a fist-sized red seal on the shelf without hesitation.

It was as red as blood, with a hint of gold at the bottom. The color was vibrant and beautiful.

"Young master has good taste. This is the Phoenix Blood Stone produced in Yao Prefecture's Phoenix Mountain. It is as red as the blood-wing dragon and the gold is similar to the color of the autumn leaves of the wutong, symbolizing that the Phoenix is resting ..."

Lu Zheng listened to his nonsense. He couldn't show that he was too rich.

However, seeing that Lu Zheng had no reaction, the owner did not continue. In the end, he announced the price.

"30 kan!"

"It's too expensive, 20. "

"Young master, this is the best Phoenix Blood Stone with a golden base. It's one in a million…"

"25 kan, or forget it."

"I'll wrap it up for you!"

In the great Jing dynasty, one could buy 200 catties of polished rice with 1 kan. If one catty of polished rice cost 5 yuan, 25 kan would be equivalent to 25000 yuan in the modern world. It is a luxury good.

But was this considered expensive to Lu Zheng?

Besides, Lu Zheng's house only cost him 300 kan.

Although Lu Zheng didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, he still had to make some money because he was about to run out of food in the modern world.

The shopkeeper even gifted Lu Zheng an ink pad. Lu Zheng paid for it with cash and left the place, satisfied.

...

For the entire afternoon, Lu Zheng strolled from the east to the west of the city. He bought a few more trinkets for his house, but he did not carry them with him. Instead, he paid for them and had the shopkeeper deliver them to his residence in Tongyi Lane.

Lu Zheng felt that the service in the great Jing dynasty was even better than that of the modern world. All of them provided delivery service.

...

When he returned home in the evening, he saw a dirty old beggar resting under the eaves of his house.

The old beggar's hair was white and he was dressed in tattered clothes made of sackcloth. His face was covered in dirt, but he looked very relaxed. He rubbed the dirt on his face and sniffed the air. It was obvious that he had smelled the fragrance coming from Lu Zheng's house.

Aunt Liu made a dish using the spices that Lu Zheng brought from the modern era.

Lu Zheng sniffed. It seemed that Aunt Liu had steamed chicken today.

"Young man, are you the owner of this house?" The old beggar showed his yellow teeth, "Can you give me a chicken leg?"

Lu Zheng instinctively frowned. As a young man who had lived in a modern socialist city all his life, he had never seen such a dirty beggar before.

However, Lu Zheng regained his composure in the blink of an eye and did not reveal any disgust.

Everyone was equal, he should empathize and respect others. These were the most basic qualities of young people in the new era.

"Alright!" Lu Zheng agreed decisively.

"Eh?" This time, it was the old beggar's turn to be confused. He studied Lu Zheng carefully and couldn't help but ask, "Really?"

"It's just a chicken leg, wait a moment." Lu Zheng smiled as he walked past the old beggar and knocked on the door.

"Uncle Li, open the door!"

"The young master is back!"

A series of footsteps could be heard. Uncle Li opened the courtyard door and stood to the side, waiting for Lu Zheng to enter.

"Give him a chicken leg, a bowl of rice, and two steamed buns."

Uncle Li finally noticed the old beggar sitting under the roof.

"Where did this old man come from? You're in luck. This is a special spice from the young master's collection. You've never tasted it in your life!"

They were both poor people, so Uncle Li didn't look down on the old beggar. Instead, Lu Zheng's kindness gave him a sense of security.

"Young man, can you give me some wine?" The old beggar said.

"Sure." Lu Zheng nodded.

He had already given him a meal, so he didn't mind giving him some wine as well.

The old beggar was all smiles as he sat under the eaves, waiting for food. When Lu Zheng entered, he saw Aunt Liu setting up the dining table in the main hall.

"Young master, the meal is ready!"

"Sure."

Lu Zheng ate in the main hall while Aunt Liu and Uncle Li ate in the kitchen.

Then, just as Lu Zheng was about to pick up his chopsticks, the jade seal in his mind suddenly glowed!

The moment the white light appeared, Lu Zheng immediately knew what it was.

The light of providence!