Lu Qing was so startled that he dropped his cane, clutching the e-reader tightly with both hands, afraid that a mere tremble might cause him to damage the divine object.

Lu Yang swallowed nervously and reached out to touch this miraculous object, but before he could, Mrs. Xu slapped his hand away.

The sharp “smack!” echoed loudly in the quiet night, drawing everyone’s attention.

Mrs. Xu shot her husband a warning glance. This was their daughter’s item, and if he dared to break it, she’d have his head for it.

Lu Yang sheepishly retracted his hand, gazing longingly at the divine object in Lu Qing’s hands.

“If I’d had this back when I was studying, I would’ve been more dedicated than even my older brother! I’m only like this now because I didn’t have these resources growing up,” he thought to himself.

Gu Xingzhao taught Lu Qing how to use the e-reader, glancing at Lu Yang mid-lesson. “He talks a big game, but he’ll probably end up using it to read novels,” she mused.

Lu Qing was deeply engrossed in the lesson, following the instructions with his fingers, as one book after another appeared on the screen. It was truly astonishing—a divine object indeed!

His heart grew increasingly anxious. If this divine item made him nervous, how could he entrust it to his young granddaughter without worrying it might get broken?

Gu Xingzhao reassured him, “It’s fine, it’s not something important. Studying is what matters.”

It was just two e-readers, costing about two thousand yuan each. The wealth the Lu family had brought her far outweighed this small expense.

Lu Qing finally relaxed a bit and brought the device over to Princess Shunyu. The princess was smart; she learned how to use it after just one lesson.

Lu Youtang, still at an age where play was more appealing, fiddled with the device, much to Lu Qing’s anxiety. Thankfully, she quickly set it back on the table, allowing his heart to settle.

Lu Yang envied his daughter immensely. The device she held was worth far more than any cane, scarf, or pair of gloves.

“Ah, but this good fortune doesn’t fall on me, the father. Why didn’t the divine ancestor appear when I was young?” he lamented.

Just then, Princess Shunyu let out a small cry of surprise. She had accidentally knocked over the small dish of water while setting the device down. The water spilled out and onto the cloth, turning black as ink the moment it touched the fabric!

Shunyu, startled, tried to wipe it away with her hand. To her amazement, though the black stain appeared on the cloth, there was no ink residue on her hand—just a normal water mark.

She picked up the brush, dipped it in water, and wrote on the cloth. The water turned black as it touched the surface.

However, she soon noticed that the area where the water had spilled earlier was slowly clearing up. The black color faded, and the cloth returned to its original state, leaving no trace behind!

Shunyu was so astonished that she nearly broke the brush in her grip.

Lu Qing, witnessing this, was equally shocked.

“What kind of object is this? How can it do such things?” he wondered.

Gu Xingzhao explained, “Since you’re sleeping outdoors, I thought ink might be inconvenient, so I found this cloth. It only requires water to write as if it were ink. Once the water dries, the ink will vanish, making it much easier to practice calligraphy.”

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to buy them proper ink, brushes, and paper, but given their current circumstances, even washing hands was a luxury, let alone taking a bath. Using the water-writing cloth was simply more practical, even if it got knocked over—it wouldn’t be difficult to clean up.

“For now, you’ll have to make do with this. Once your situation improves, I’ll provide you with regular ink, brushes, and paper.”

Lu Qing marveled at the wonder of the object, his mind going blank for a moment as he realized the vast gap between mortals and the divine.

If not for the ancestor’s kindness, they might have never encountered such miraculous items in their entire lives, which far exceeded their understanding.

“Thank you, Ancestor. On behalf of the others, I thank you for your generous gifts.”

Gu Xingzhao smiled. “No need to keep saying ‘thank you.’ Since you call me ‘Ancestor,’ this is simply what I should do.”

“If you’re truly grateful, perhaps you could give me some rare treasures when your situation improves,” she thought, but she didn’t say this out loud. After all, the Lu family currently had nothing. Even as a joke, it would only add to their burdens.

While checking her offerings balance later, Gu Xingzhao noticed that the system had deducted over a thousand yuan in taxes.

She cursed internally. “This damn system—good for nothing except collecting fees!”

Grumbling, Gu Xingzhao resolved to accumulate more offerings so she could repair more ancient artifacts and make more money. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about a thousand yuan like she did now.

She watched Lu Youtang practice calligraphy and listened as Lu Qing taught Shunyu. Before she knew it, she was lost in the lesson. The old man exuded a scholarly aura as he taught, looking dignified and elegant, as if he were back in the royal court.

Her stomach suddenly growled, pulling her from her reverie. Gu Xingzhao stood up, rubbed her belly, and prepared to return to the modern world to cook dinner.

Suddenly, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, catching her attention. “Instant noodles!” she realized.

Following the scent, she found Lu Xingyao and Lu Xingyan eating on their own. They had overturned a bamboo basket, using it as a table for their instant noodles. The lids had just been removed, and Lu Xingyao was already devouring his noodles eagerly.

As he slurped the noodles soaked in broth, his face was filled with satisfaction.

Lu Xingyao urged Lu Xingyan, who was sitting beside him, “Hurry up and eat, Uncle. It won’t taste as good once it gets cold!”

These two bowls of noodles were ones that their second uncle had hidden away, too reluctant to eat them. Taking advantage of the fact that his uncle was busy helping his sister study, Lu Xingyao had quickly seized the chance to eat them.

Lu Xingyan had been resting with his eyes closed when his nephew suddenly appeared with two bowls of noodles, insisting they eat together. In reality, Lu Xingyao wanted him there as a shield in case they were caught.

And indeed, as Lu Xingyao had predicted, he had prepared a second bowl as a precaution. If Lu Yang discovered them, he could hide behind his frail uncle, knowing that Lu Yang wouldn’t dare take it out on his brother.

However, Lu Xingyan wasn’t hungry. Over the past couple of days, he had begun to feel his body returning to its former state—tired, heavy, and with frequent coughing. As a result, he hadn’t had much of an appetite.

He didn’t mention it, not wanting to worry the others or receive any special treatment, especially since his father was already old and he didn’t want to add to his burdens.

“I’m not hungry,” he said.

Lu Xingyao looked up in surprise. How could his uncle not be hungry? He was sure he hadn’t seen him eat much today. Could he be mistaken?

When Gu Xingzhao arrived, Lu Xingyan vaguely sensed a presence, his heart rate quickening slightly. However, since it wasn’t very pronounced, he didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was just due to his weak condition.

Gu Xingzhao licked her lips and looked at Lu Xingyan. “Since you’re not eating, I won’t be polite then!”

After all, it was her gift to them, so what was wrong with eating a bowl herself?

Lu Xingyan was taken aback. “?”

Gu Xingzhao squatted down beside Lu Xingyao, grabbed a fork, and quickly dug into the noodles.

Lu Xingyan watched in a daze as the noodles rapidly disappeared. Did the ancestor eat a bit too fast?

Lu Xingyao finished the last bite of his noodles, not even swallowing before reaching for the other bowl. Just as his hand extended, his uncle grabbed him by the wrist.

Lu Xingyao was bewildered. “???”

“You’re not eating, so why won’t you let me?” he thought.