Seeing his grandson’s tear-streaked face, Lu Qing remained silent for a moment. While he appreciated his grandson’s concern, the sight was truly unbecoming.

He pulled out a cloth from his robe, handed it to Lu Xingyao, and urged, “Quick, wipe your face before the Ancestor sees you.”

How embarrassing!

Lu Xingyao took the cloth and hastily wiped his face, not particularly concerned. “Even if the Ancestor sees, it’s no big deal. He wouldn’t mind.”

Lu Qing was momentarily taken aback by his grandson’s words—He wouldn’t mind?

After a pause, he realized that only he could hear the Ancestor’s voice and knew that the Ancestor was actually a young woman. Everyone else, including his grandson, naturally assumed the Ancestor was an elderly figure.

He cleared his throat, deciding not to explain. Whether the Ancestor was young or old, she was still the revered Ancestor, and addressing her as “Elder” was a sign of respect. No harm in that.

Gu Xingzhao shook her head, feeling a mix of amusement and regret. The young man was so handsome, but when he cried, it was all tears and snot—such a shame.

By now, the Lu family had noticed the new shoes. Without a doubt, they knew these were a gift from the Ancestor!

They knelt on the ground before the shoes, bowing and expressing their gratitude. “Thank you, Ancestor, for your generous gift. We will forever remember your great kindness!”

“Thank you, Ancestor!”

Mrs. Song held the new shoes in her hands, tears welling up in her eyes, while Mrs. Xu, beside her, felt the same.

The members of the Liu family exchanged glances, surprised to find that they, too, had received new shoes.

They had never seen shoes like these before; they looked precious at first glance.

Shunyu carefully cradled the shoes, her tears falling onto them. The shoes she had been wearing were long worn out, her feet covered in blisters, swollen and bruised from the daily torment.

Every time she thought about the luxurious life she once had in the palace, compared to the harsh reality she now faced, a deep bitterness and anger towards the person in the capital filled her heart.

The appearance of these new shoes reminded her of her childhood, back when her father was still alive—the feeling of being cared for…

She realized that it was her own poor judgment that had led her to this miserable state, causing the death of her longtime companion, Cai he, and dragging the eunuch Lesheng into this suffering.

Her hatred deepened.

Over the past decade of her life, she had been a princess with no sense of responsibility, living at the mercy of others. Now, in her downfall, she could no longer afford to worry those around her.

Wiping away her tears, Shunyu removed her old shoes and tried on the new ones.

Meanwhile, Liu Xiangbai gazed at his own pair of shoes. A place in his heart that had been troubled was now slowly being soothed, and his expression softened considerably.

At that moment, Lu Xingyao stood up and quietly called out to everyone, “Try on your new shoes. If they don’t fit, come to me and I’ll exchange them.”

Only then did everyone take off their old, worn-out shoes and start putting on the new ones the Ancestor had sent.

Lu Qing, who had just applied medicine to his feet, wasn’t in a hurry to wear the new shoes.

Lu Xingyao, eager to test his new shoes, was the first to put them on. He stood up, ready to take a few steps, but he tripped over the untied laces, stumbling backward and nearly falling onto one of his relatives.

Gu Xingzhao laughed. “Doesn’t even know how to tie his shoelaces,” she thought, shaking her head.

With a sigh, she knelt down, grabbed the laces of Lu Xingyao’s shoes, and tied two neat bows.

Lu Xingyao had been embarrassed by his fall, but when he saw his shoelaces tying themselves, his ears turned bright red.

“!!!” He was overwhelmed with joy. The Ancestor was tying his shoelaces!

Lu Qing, who had been about to scold his grandson for being so careless, swallowed his words when he saw what was happening. “Ancestor, you needn’t trouble yourself like this…”

As a deity, personally tying the shoelaces of a mortal was both an honor and a burden. It made Lu Qing, as the grandfather, feel a bit uncomfortable.

Gu Xingzhao smiled. “It’s nothing. Your grandson is also my descendant, so taking care of him is no big deal.”

Hearing this, Lu Qing’s heart warmed and ached at the same time. The Ancestor was being so attentive to his grandchildren because of him!

Lu Xingyao beamed at his newly tied shoelaces. The Ancestor was so kind, and the bows were beautifully tied!

He almost didn’t want to get up and walk. He wanted to cherish these shoes for the rest of his life!

Two other family members who had witnessed the scene were filled with envy. The young master was so fortunate, constantly receiving the Ancestor’s favor—even his shoelaces were tied with such care!

Why didn’t they receive such treatment?

It must be because they hadn’t been diligent enough in the past. From now on, they resolved to compete with the young master to serve the Ancestor better!

Meanwhile, Mrs. Song had already put on her new shoes and taken a few steps, marveling at how soft and comfortable the soles were. The shoes fit perfectly—so much better than any footwear she had ever owned.

Mrs. Xu was equally impressed. “These divine items are truly extraordinary, even a pair of shoes is so well-made.”

She had grown up in luxury, always using the best things, but she had never seen shoes like these. She couldn’t help but think that if these shoes were sold, they would surely fetch a fortune.

The Lu family members, now wearing their new shoes, walked around and couldn’t help but marvel at how comfortable they were. It was the first time in their lives they had worn such good shoes. The shoes seemed to sweep away all the exhaustion and pain from earlier—they felt like they could walk for another two hours.

Lu Youtang and the other children also put on their new shoes. Children love new things, and they were overjoyed, jumping and dancing around.

Watching this, Lu Qing couldn’t help but feel happy too, even though he hadn’t tried the shoes himself. He was certain they were comfortable; the Ancestor was always meticulous.

Seeing everyone so delighted, his heart swelled with joy.

The Liu family was also thrilled, parading their new shoes in front of the young master for quite a while. They couldn’t help but express their gratitude. “Young Master, I’ve never worn such comfortable shoes before. And they fit so well. The Lu family has treated us so kindly—feeding and clothing us. It’s a shame we have nothing of value to repay them with…”

“Indeed, if only we had something to offer in return for their kindness.”

Liu Xiangbai remained silent for a long time before speaking softly, “The Lu family’s kindness in our time of need is beyond any material repayment.”

“Yes… It’s a debt we might never be able to repay, even in several lifetimes.”

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting its light over the mountains. Everyone had put on their new shoes, and their hearts were filled with warmth.

To Lu Qing’s surprise, the shoes fit everyone perfectly—no one needed to exchange theirs. Concerned that his family might have been too embarrassed to mention any issues, he sent his grandson to ask around, only to find that the shoes truly fit everyone.

He didn’t believe this was a coincidence. The Ancestor knew everyone’s shoe size so well!

His respect and gratitude for Gu Xingzhao deepened even further.

At that moment, Gu Xingzhao watched as the Lu family members walked around in their new shoes, their faces filled with surprise and joy, especially the children. Her own mood was lifted by their happiness.

She couldn’t bear to think that these people she had grown so fond of might meet the same tragic fate described in the unofficial history.