Lu Xingyao eagerly waited, hoping the ancestor would take notice of the items he had carefully chosen.
Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao had already slipped the silver bracelet onto her wrist and, noticing the jade pendant nearby, her eyes lit up. She picked it up, admiring its intricate design.
Seeing the bracelet and jade pendant disappear, Lu Xingyan couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Lu Xingyao, however, widened his eyes in disbelief, “What?!”
Why had the ancestor chosen the two things Uncle bought? They were clearly items meant for women!
Lu Qing chuckled to himself, knowing now that his youngest son indeed had a good eye. With so many options, the ancestor had picked what his son had chosen. He felt relieved, happy that the deity had appreciated his son’s offerings.
As Gu Xingzhao admired the jade pendant, she slipped it into her pocket. She then scanned the remaining items, intending to pick a couple more.
Lu Xingyao watched with bated breath, his eyes glued to the offerings. Surely it’s my turn next, he thought.
But then, he saw the silver bowl disappear from the corner.
At that moment, Lu Xingyao heard the sound of his heart shattering.
Meanwhile, Du Hangwu’s heart raced. The deity had selected his offering. He had been right—the Lu family’s deity seemed to appreciate such gold and silver items.
After picking another couple of items, Gu Xingzhao, still munching on a plum blossom cake, decided to let Lu Qing handle the rest. But before leaving, she noticed the wine jar that was prominently placed.
“Lu Qing, is this wine for me too?”
Lu Qing immediately replied, “Yes, ancestor. My grandson Xingyao selected it, saying it’s a fine-aged brew, a gift for you.”
Gu Xingzhao stared at the wine for a moment, tempted. An aged brew, huh? What a shame—unlike the cake, she couldn’t enjoy it right away. Taking it back would be tricky, and restoring it would take too much effort.
“You can keep the wine for yourselves. Thank Xingyao for his thoughtfulness on my behalf.”
Hearing that she didn’t want the wine, Lu Qing couldn’t help but be amused, though he kept a serious expression, pretending not to care. “Such a pity,” he said.
Gu Xingzhao glanced at Lu Qing, sensing his true feelings. The old man was clearly thinking about that wine, yet here he was, playing it cool.
Lu Xingyao must have inherited his stubbornness from Lu Qing.
After choosing a few more items, Gu Xingzhao noticed Lu Xingyao’s hopeful eyes glued to the ink set. Although she didn’t need it, she figured leaving it behind might disappoint him. With a slight hesitation, she picked up a stick of ink.
The moment the ink stick vanished, Lu Xingyao practically jumped with joy. He glanced from his grandfather to his uncle, a beaming smile on his face. See? I do understand our ancestor!
Lu Qing, watching his grandson’s exuberance, chose to say nothing. Just a moment ago, Xingyao had been staring anxiously, practically willing the ancestor to choose his offerings.
Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd stared wide-eyed as they watched the pile of offerings shrink, piece by piece. Everyone was on edge, hoping their item would be selected.
One man, whose silver longevity lock had disappeared, leapt up in joy. He grabbed the person next to him, pointing at the empty spot, “Did you see that? The deity took my son’s longevity lock! Took it! My wife is definitely going to give birth to a blessed child now!”
“Congratulations! Congratulations!”
“So jealous, man. You’re so lucky.”
The man beamed with pride. Since the deity had taken his son’s lock, he felt certain his wife would have a safe and healthy delivery.
Gu Xingzhao, overhearing the exchange, glanced at the longevity lock in her hand. So it was meant for an unborn child? She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should put it back. Sigh, she thought, I’ve already taken it, no point returning it now.
She checked the system panel and noticed her offering value had increased by over two hundred points. Not bad. “Lu Qing, I’m grateful for everyone’s offerings today. Please let them take back the rest. I’ll send some food shortly as a token of my thanks.”
Lu Qing looked at the remaining items. The ancestor had only taken a few, so the rest clearly didn’t catch her interest.
Meanwhile, the onlookers were still waiting eagerly, hoping their offerings would be chosen. But instead, Lu Qing made an announcement.
“Our deity has thanked everyone for their generosity today, but she wishes for you all to retrieve your offerings.”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
“The deity’s not coming back?”
“Seems like she’s already been here. Didn’t you see the things disappearing?”
“But she didn’t take mine…”
“The deity is a divine being—obviously not just anything can catch her eye!”
The man whose longevity lock had been taken chimed in, “Look at what you offered! A used comb? And someone even put out yesterday’s stale bread. We’re lucky the deity didn’t get angry!”
Those who had offered such items blushed in embarrassment. The man who had placed the bread turned red, muttering, “It was an oversight on my part. At least the deity wasn’t offended.”
He hadn’t expected anything in return—he had simply wanted to express his gratitude for the deity saving his life twice. That bread had been his only possession, saved from the previous day, but it was all he had to give.
Soon, Gu Xingzhao returned with an assortment of snacks and cured meats, which she handed to the Lu family. “Lu Qing, I’ve placed some food here for you to distribute. Consider it my thank-you gift to everyone.”
She paused for a moment before adding, “Make sure to give something to the person who offered the bread.”
Lu Qing was puzzled, “Ancestor, you’re fond of bread?”
He had noticed the offering but hadn’t seen the deity take it.
Gu Xingzhao smiled, “It wasn’t about the bread itself. Some people offer in hopes of receiving something in return. But this person gave the only food he had left—a sign of sincerity.”
She knew these exiled people were surviving on just two pieces of bread a day. Sometimes, when rations were scarce, they only got one. Though the bread wasn’t delicious, it was their lifeline, and the heartfelt gesture meant more than any material gift.
Lu Qing nodded in understanding. “I’ll make sure of it.”
After Gu Xingzhao left, Lu Qing called his sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to distribute the food. When the woman who had offered the comb came to retrieve it, she was handed a small bag of food instead.
She blinked in surprise, “What’s this?”
Lu Xingyao replied, “Our deity thanks you for your offering. Everyone who gave sincerely today is receiving food.”
His words, though directed at the woman, echoed for everyone to hear.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
“Food?! We’re getting food?!”
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