Lu Xingyan held the two items in his hands, and the more Lu Xingyao looked at them, the more dissatisfied he became. He shook his head repeatedly. “Come on, Uncle, these are clearly things a young girl would wear. You really don’t know how to pick gifts.”
They were fine for pleasing a little girl, but how could they be suitable for offering to their great and majestic ancestor?
Lu Xingyan glanced at the items his nephew was holding. Leaving aside the brushes and paper, the pastries looked like a decent offering. But why had he also bought a jar of wine?
“You sure know how to shop.”
Lu Xingyao grinned proudly. “Of course! The shopkeeper said this jar is an aged, fine wine. I’m sure our ancestor will love it.”
If not, his grandfather might be the one tempted.
Lu Xingyan said nothing more.
When they returned to the group, they were greeted by the sight of their family waving them over from a distance. Lu Xingyao quickened his pace. “Grandfather, we’re back!”
Lu Qing smiled as he watched them approach. The other family members hurried forward to take the items from Lu Xingyao’s hands.
“Oh! You even bought wine!” one of them exclaimed.
Hearing this, Lu Qing’s gaze fell on the wine jar. “Why on earth did you buy wine?”
Lu Xingyao, brimming with confidence, replied, “Grandfather, I figured we’ve got food, so we shouldn’t lack drink either. The shopkeeper mentioned this was an aged fine wine, so I thought our ancestor would appreciate it.”
Lu Qing was speechless.
He suddenly regretted letting his grandson handle the purchases. He wasn’t sure if the ancestor drank wine, but he certainly wouldn’t mind a taste himself.
Then Lu Yang chimed in, looking at the silver bracelet and jade pendant in Lu Xingyan’s hands. “Third Brother, why’d you only get a silver bracelet and pendant? Why didn’t you buy something gold?”
Looking at the two items, he clicked his tongue. They seemed too modest. If it had been up to him, he would’ve chosen something far better.
Lu Qing, however, glanced at the bracelet, noticing it was delicate and suited for a woman. It seemed like a good offering for their ancestor. The jade pendant was also elegant, simple but not too flashy. Not bad at all.
It appeared his decision to send his third son was the right one.
But before Lu Qing could voice his approval, his grandson interrupted, “Exactly! I already said Uncle wasn’t thinking straight, picking out only these two things.”
Lu Qing shot his grandson a sharp look. “Less talking, more doing.”
They had given him so much silver, and all he managed to buy was a jar of wine? He could’ve at least gotten two jars!
That afternoon, the Lu family set up a makeshift altar on the ground, laying out a cloth and arranging the purchased items neatly on it.
Even Du Hangwu walked over, greeted Lu Qing, and placed his silver bowl on the cloth. It had cost him all the silver he had left. If the Lu family’s god didn’t appreciate it, he was out of luck.
Several of the other officials who had asked for help in buying offerings also placed their items on the cloth. Then they lingered nearby, their faces filled with anticipation.
The Liu family, not having much to offer, pulled together a few trinkets and added them to the makeshift altar. They figured it was the thought that counted.
The other exiles watched from a distance, puzzled. “What are they up to over there?”
“No idea…”
“I saw some of the officials take the Lu family to town earlier. They brought back all sorts of things. Maybe they went shopping?”
“By the looks of it—with candles and all—they’re probably making an offering to their god.”
“An offering?”
“But they’re just putting everything on the ground. Isn’t that disrespectful?”
One of the exiles, curious, called out to a nearby official. “Sir, what’s going on with the Lu family over there?”
The official, who hadn’t been able to accompany the group to town and was feeling annoyed at being stuck with guard duty, snapped, “Can’t you see? They’re making an offering!”
The exiles exchanged glances. So, the Lu family was really offering to their god. But those offerings weren’t exactly luxurious. Would a god even care for such ordinary items?
One of the braver exiles pulled out a silver lock he had hidden in his clothes and quietly approached the Lu family’s makeshift altar, placing the lock in a corner of the cloth. It had been meant for his unborn child, but he had been imprisoned before he could give it to his wife.
He silently prayed, asking the god to protect his wife and child.
Seeing this, the other exiles quickly followed suit. Though they had seemed destitute moments before, they somehow managed to produce small trinkets, placing them on the cloth as offerings.
Each of them muttered their own private prayers, hoping for a bit of divine favor.
The Lu family didn’t stop them. After all, their own offerings seemed a bit meager.
Lu Zhou, however, frowned. This was their family’s god—how could they let outsiders offer tribute?
“Father, is this really okay?” he asked.
Lu Qing stroked his beard. “It’s fine. If these people wish to offer their respects, who are we to stop them?”
Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao received a system notification and hurried back. She quickly turned on the television to tune into the scene from the past.
On the ground, she saw a cloth laid out with all sorts of offerings—exquisitely wrapped pastries, a jar of wine, candles burning on either side, and incense wafting smoke into the air.
Her system was buzzing with alerts, showing a steady increase in tribute points. She was ecstatic.
There were so many offerings, and the variety amazed her—long-life locks for children, jade rings, embroidered pouches, small knives, even wooden combs. It was quite a sight.
“Lu Qing, are all these things from your family?”
Hearing their ancestor’s voice, Lu Qing realized the deity had arrived. “Only some of them,” he explained. “Most were contributed by others who also wish to thank you for saving them.”
Gu Xingzhao chuckled. “No need to be so formal. There are too many items for me to carry. I’ll just take a few. The rest, I’ll leave for you to return to their owners.”
Lu Qing nodded quickly, his eyes widening as he watched closely, eager to see what the ancestor would choose.
Gu Xingzhao lingered for a while before feeling a bit hungry. She hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so she picked up a couple of the pastries and took a bite. The soft, sweet flavor melted in her mouth, with a delicate hint of plum. It was delicious!
The people nearby gasped audibly, their eyes widening in shock.
“The… the pastries!” someone stammered.
They had clearly seen the full package of plum pastries, but now, two pieces were missing right before their eyes!
Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao had already tucked the entire package of pastries into the large bag she had brought with her.
There were more gasps. “They’re gone!”
“The pastries are gone!”
Lu Xingyao couldn’t help but glance over at the startled onlookers. What a bunch of novices—had they never seen a god at work before?
He hoped his carefully chosen inkstone and brush set—and especially that jar of wine—would catch the ancestor’s attention next.
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