After some thought, Ruyi believes there are two main reasons why these antiques and paintings sometimes seem to possess a spiritual quality. First, the materials used in the objects are extremely precious, such as the white jade longevity lock given by Gu Pingting and this green jade carving. These items are mostly made of jade or other rare minerals. Second, the people who made these items are highly skilled, and they infuse their works with a soul during the creation process. This is more common in calligraphy and paintings, such as Wen Cheng's ink bamboo painting in the snow.
So when she understood, her first thought was to find something to steal. Unfortunately, Huai Shan County was too small, and items containing spiritual energy were indeed too scarce. She couldn't find a single one. Now that she had come to the prefectural city, she was still hoping to find one or two to replenish the spiritual energy of her system. Otherwise, every time she saw that she only had a pitiful "one" point of spiritual energy left, she felt an urgent sense of crisis.
After careful inspection, she found that each of the two shops had a suitable item.
In a corner on the third floor of Wanbaoge, there is a jade double chrysanthemum plum-shaped cup. These cups are best sold in sets or pairs, but now only one remains, so the price is very reasonable.
Meanwhile, a piece of calligraphy in running script by an anonymous author in Boyazhai was reasonably priced because it was a fragment and the author was unknown, and Ruyi took a liking to it.
The jadeite double chrysanthemum and plum-shaped cup is worth 220 taels and contains 5 points of spiritual energy; the poem page is worth 180 taels and contains 3 points of spiritual energy. So, roughly 50 taels can be exchanged for 1 point of spiritual energy.
Even for ordinary people living in the capital city, the annual expenses for the whole family are only about fifty taels, which can only be exchanged for a little bit of spiritual energy. However, if used properly, spiritual energy can have truly miraculous effects...
For a moment, Cheng Ruyi couldn't say whether it was worth it or not.
The only unexpected surprise was that Cheng Ruyi bought a pair of jade pendants with intertwined floral patterns for five taels of silver at the inconspicuous little stall in Yun'an where she bought hair accessories for her sister. Both of these jade pendants actually contained a little bit of spiritual energy. Compared to the previous two pieces, the cost-effectiveness of this pair of jade pendants could be described as the "king of bargains".
Of course, finding a treasure wasn't easy. By the time it got late, Ruyi hadn't been able to find anything suitable and had to go back to the He family with everyone else.
The He family specially booked a private room at the most famous restaurant near their home. The decor and food were certainly not as good as Baizhenlou, but the price was affordable and the taste was good. It catered to the locals and was perfect for ordinary people.
He Nuan and her family finally appeared at dinner time.
He Nuan probably inherited all the advantages of He Gang and Cheng Hua. Her appearance far surpasses that of He Zheng. With her delicate and exquisite features and appropriate clothing, she can be described as a beautiful young woman. Even in modern times, she could easily become an internet celebrity or a young actress.
Unfortunately, He Nuan's attitude was somewhat cold, and her two daughters ate quietly and obediently without interacting with the Cheng family. Cheng Ruyi didn't pay much attention to it; perhaps they were just naturally introverted. Besides, it's normal for them to be unfamiliar and wary upon first meeting.
On the contrary, He Nuan's husband, Gao Qingshan, was very enthusiastic towards the Cheng family. He kept talking to Cheng Yunping, asking him all sorts of questions, and even tried to get him drunk. Fortunately, He Zheng stopped him in time.
Overall, the meal was quite enjoyable. After all, the Cheng family was relatively small compared to other families. In fact, everyone had always envied others who could visit relatives during holidays. Now, they never expected to actually find relatives. Everyone enjoyed the lively atmosphere of family reunion.
The next day when they left, the He family came to the dock to see them off. After spending a few days together, everyone had become much more familiar with each other, especially the children, who all cried loudly when they said goodbye.
“The city isn’t far, you can see each other anytime you want, so why are you crying like this?” Cheng Ruyi wiped Yun Le’s tears while giving the children candy to distract them.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yan said to Cheng Hua with genuine affection, "That's right, little sister! Come to Huaishan County next time. Although our place isn't as bustling as your prefectural city, it has many things that the prefectural city doesn't have, especially the spa that Ruyi opened. It's perfect for you and your brother-in-law. You must try it!"
At his age, he was overjoyed to have found his long-lost sister, but he also felt heartbroken to see her in such poor health. He had been to his daughter's spa several times and knew very well how effective it was.
"Don't worry, Second Brother, I will definitely take her to Huaishan County to find you another day. I'm just afraid that it will cause you trouble."
He Gang had served in the army for many years and his physical condition was fine; the main problem was his old injuries. However, his wife was different. She had never had a full meal since childhood, and her several pregnancies had further depleted her resources. The doctor had said that this was a severe loss of her body's essence, and she needed a lot of precious medicinal herbs to replenish it. Unfortunately, they were just ordinary people. Although seeing a doctor and taking medicine was not a problem, they still couldn't afford precious tonics like ginseng and lingzhi.
He had always felt guilty towards his wife, so he was very interested when Cheng Yan mentioned the spa.
Cheng Yan could see his brother-in-law's good intentions and was quite satisfied with his performance. "What are you saying? We're all relatives, there's no trouble at all. Just come on over!"
"Yes, Aunt and Uncle, when are you coming? Please have my cousin send me a message in advance so I can make arrangements for you. I'll make sure you have a comfortable stay and a great time in the county town!"
"Good child, you are so thoughtful!" Cheng Hua was touched after hearing this. She still liked her second brother's only bloodline very much, so she held Ruyi's hands kindly and said, "There are things to do at the government office today. Your cousin Zheng and Qingshan are both on duty and can't come to see you off. And Xiao Nuan, she... her family lives quite far away. She has to take care of the housework by herself and it's inconvenient for her to come over. Please don't mind."
He Nuan is Cheng Hua's own child, and she knows her daughter's personality best. However, she still hopes that her daughter can get along well with this niece, so she takes the initiative to explain.
"The children's work is naturally the most important thing. Besides, we're not going anywhere far, so there's no need for everyone to come and see us off!" Cheng Yan didn't care much about these things. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, it's getting late, we need to board the ship now. You should all go back. The dock is crowded and chaotic, so be careful on your way back. Go on, go on~~"
After the Cheng family boarded the ship, the He family still did not leave until the ship slowly disappeared from sight.
"Dad, Mom, I heard this is the Gu family's passenger ship, and the price is terrifying! It seems my cousin and her friends are making a lot of money in the county town; this trip's cost is equivalent to several months of Ah Zheng's salary!"
Tian Fenfang had realized early on that the Cheng family was not only doing well, but might even be much richer than her own family. That's why she wasn't afraid like He Nuan was that the Cheng family was there to freeload. On the contrary, she was actually hoping that the two families would become closer.
Moreover, her cousin Cheng Ruyi gave her a very strange feeling. Despite it being her first time in the prefectural city, she acted very calmly and did not react much to anything, which made her seem inexplicably unfathomable.
Cheng Hua knew that although her daughter-in-law appeared carefree, she was actually quite shrewd, but not malicious. So she gently slapped her hand, pretending to be angry: "Stop talking nonsense, keep an eye on the child, let's go back."
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