Three days later, Madam Wu's scratches had begun to scar over, and the terrible itching had vanished entirely. Having waited in vain for news of the Seventh Daughter, I decided to return to Feiyu County first to see Cheng Susu, and then proceed to the capital of Shuangcheng Nation to search around. Larger places must have better intelligence networks. Waiting here any longer would yield no further progress; I might as well try my luck out in the world. That fellow Madar said he would help me, but information is scarce here. I don't know if he has made any progress in Shuangcheng, so I might as well go check it out.

Linglong knew we were returning to Feiyu County tomorrow, so she dragged me and Dali Wan out to buy some rare items to take back. Girls are meticulous about such things; it wouldn't do to return from a trip to the provincial capital without a few gifts.

Dali Wan was incredibly strong, moving like a gust of wind while carrying a sack of iron coins. He adamantly refused to leave them in the guest room, claiming it wasn't safe and fearing they might be stolen. He ended up serving as Linglong's purse, and I made him carry everything we bought. With someone so patient and strong accompanying us, shopping was far less stressful. I just needed to buy a pile of snacks, and he would be grinning from ear to ear.

The Prefectural offices were indeed much livelier than the county seat. There were four or five times as many common folk selling goods on the streets as in Feiyu County, and the variety of merchandise was greater too. As we walked, I noticed many stalls engaged in bartering, and a few merchants who had come from outside the city even refused iron coins, as they were of little use back home, preferring to trade for cheaper goods instead—which infuriated Linglong.

Seeing a stall selling dough figurines by the roadside, I stopped. I let the two of them wander off on their own while I squatted by the stall to watch the spectacle and rest my aching legs. The dough on the Twin Stars must be different from flour on Earth; judging by the smell, it seemed to be made from polished rice. This dough lacked elasticity, yet under the hands of the master artisan, it continuously transformed, quickly taking the shape of some unknown little monster—perhaps a legendary divine beast from their folklore. The cultures of the two planets had developed independently, and having just arrived, I naturally couldn't grasp everything.

I was completely engrossed, but the old dough figurine master had already finished. He placed the figurine on his stall, then looked up at me. At a single glance, his expression changed drastically, followed by a sudden thud as he performed a grand bow. "This humble commoner deserves death! I never realized Your Majesty had arrived. Please forgive my offense, Your Majesty."

I had been squatting on the ground, and the master's fright caused me to abruptly sit down too. I brushed the dirt from my trousers, quickly got up, saw that some people in the market were starting to notice us, and pulled the dough figurine master to his feet. "Old sir, what are you doing? Speaking such nonsense—you're not afraid of the government punishing you? I am!"

The master looked utterly confused. "Aren't you the current Emperor? Strange. I have studied physiognomy for decades and have never been wrong. Your complexion and destiny are clearly not that of an ordinary person. Let me look again... Impossible, impossible! You should clearly be the Nine-Five Sovereign, how can you not be the Emperor?"

The master's assertion startled me greatly. In what way was my status on Earth different from that of an emperor? The entire Earth Federation belonged to the Zhao family. The economies and militaries of all affiliated nations were controlled by the Federation, and as time passed, their dependence on the Federation would only deepen until they were fully integrated. At that point, I would be the sole power in the world—was I not more than an emperor? But how could he see this? I never flaunt myself; I am approachable and without airs. How could he discern the face of the Nine-Five Sovereign? Did this place truly have immortals capable of fortune-telling?

I certainly would not explain Earth's affairs to the dough figurine master. "Master, you are mistaken. I am Zhao Qian from Feiyu County, definitely not the person you just named. Please, do not speak such things carelessly in the future, or someone with ill intent might overhear and cause trouble."

"No, no," the master studied me again, looking from side to side. "You should clearly possess the noble status of being above ten thousand people. Have I grown old? Am I no longer useful? Are my eyes growing dim?"

"Yes, old sir. It's not unusual for one your age to misjudge people. I truly am not the person you mentioned; I am Zhao Qian, here to treat Governor Wu's wife."

"Oh, you must be Divine Physician Zhao. My apologies, my apologies. No one in Feiying Prefecture has been ignorant of your great name these past few days. I never imagined you would be so young. If that is the case, I truly am old; to mistake Divine Physician Zhao for the Son of Heaven of our dynasty."

I was curious. "Old sir, could you perhaps tell me a little about your skill in reading people?"

The master chuckled. "It's nothing worth mentioning, nothing worth mentioning. I've already embarrassed myself in front of Divine Physician Zhao just now; how could I bear to make a fool of myself again?"

It seemed the people of this world were very secretive about their unique crafts. After a brief exchange, I prepared to leave. The dough figurine master handed me the figure he had just made. "This is for you. I saw how deeply absorbed you were watching; I never thought the Divine Physician had such a childlike side."

Not far behind the figurine stall, a few young beggars were playing with stones. By pure chance, a dazzling reflection shot into my eyes. I couldn't help but look up, seeing several small, dark hands flipping and turning several uniformly sized pebbles. In the sunlight, the stones constantly flashed with dazzling brilliance.

I knew they didn't have glass here, so what kind of stones were reflecting so strongly? I excused myself to the dough figurine master and walked over to investigate. Seeing them was no small shock; my heart began to pound. Just a few days ago, when Governor Wu gave me a bag of coins, I thought even a bag of diamonds placed before me wouldn't stir my heart. Yet now, just a few diamonds made my heart race. No one is immune to greed; I just wasn't greedy for trivial wealth.

The few little beggars were clad in rags, looking sallow and malnourished. But in the bright sunshine today, the group gathered cheerfully, playing with stones. The stones in their hands were unmistakably top-grade, colorless diamonds. I wasn't unfamiliar with such things; Xiaoyudui had given one to each of the women previously. I remembered the one Zhang Xiaoya wore was given out at the High School alumni meeting, shocking everyone present. Yet, every single diamond in the hands of these little beggars was no less impressive than the one Zhang Xiaoya possessed.

I squatted nearby, watching the little beggars play with the diamonds. Seeing me, richly dressed yet finding entertainment in their game, they began to pay attention to me, mostly with wary expressions.

Seeing them stop playing, I asked, "Little friends, what are you playing with?"

One of the younger ones, with the least caution, replied, "Playing with sunstones!"

"Sunstones?" I asked, confused. "Like these in your hands?"

The little beggar said, "Yes, look." As he spoke, the little one held a diamond up to the sun and shook it. Indeed, dazzling rays shot out. Although these natural diamonds hadn't been cut, their inherent facets could still reflect sunlight, and the way they flashed made my heart stir a little.

"Where did you find these stones?" I inquired.

The little fellow stopped answering, but his eyes were fixed intently on the dough figurine in my hand. I offered him the figurine. "Take this, and tell big brother where you got these sunstones."

The little fellow excitedly took the figurine, burst into a wide smile, and then shoved the four or five diamonds in his hand into mine. "They're all for you! Hahaha, there are plenty by the river outside the city. I made a profit, I made a profit..."

I was caught between laughter and tears. This object, so priceless on Earth, was worth less than a dough figurine here. The other little beggars watched the first one trade a handful of worthless 'stones' for a long-desired figurine, their eyes full of envy and longing, surrounding me without speaking.

When Linglong and I parted earlier, she had given me a few iron coins. I took one out, turned back, and handed it to the dough figurine master. "Old sir, could you please make a few figurines for these little friends?"

The master held up the iron coin. "Oh, if you give me one iron coin, this entire stall is yours! This item is too valuable; I can't make change. You should trade something else. I accept anything; once I save enough, I'll sell it at the pawnshop."

Many vendors were reluctant to accept the iron coin for the same reason—inability to provide change. It seemed monetary reform in Shuangcheng Nation was imperative. If diamonds are as abundant as that little beggar claimed, perhaps they could substitute for the inherently unstable iron coin. However, this was a matter for their Emperor; I should focus on finding my wife.

"No need for change, old sir. Make them the figurines. Make a couple extra; look how envious they all are."

The eldest of the little beggars asked, "If we give you sunstones, will you give us figurines?"

I weighed the few diamonds the first beggar had just pressed into my hand. They were absolutely top-grade, colorless diamonds—each piece worth a fortune back on Earth. But the initial joy of seeing them had long since faded. Looking at the expectant eyes of the children, I said, "Yes, one for everyone."

The beggar immediately placed the diamonds in my hand and ran off. "I'm calling dibs on the next one! Don't leave, I'll go get the others!"

The remaining beggars immediately scrambled to press their diamonds into my hand, then squatted by the figurine stall, eagerly awaiting the master to begin. Finally, one little fellow managed to secure the first one. He clutched his figurine, ran to the side, peeked at it, and then licked it. These figurines were edible, but using such an artistic creation as food was a terrible waste of skill.

Seeing a rice noodle stall nearby, I announced to the crowd, "If you're hungry, go eat rice noodles there; I'll pay. You can keep the figurines to play with. It would be disrespectful to this grandfather's skill if you ate them!"

As soon as I said this, the area around the figurine stall instantly cleared. Children certainly liked figurines, but hunger was a more pressing concern. The owner of the noodle stall, hearing that someone was paying, didn't readily believe it—what if he was cheated out of payment for a free meal? He walked over himself to inquire.

I took out an iron coin and gave it to him. "Pay for as much as they eat. I’ll give you more if this isn't enough."

The noodle stall owner glanced at the group of little beggars looking starved as hungry tigers. He gruffly said, "Enough, enough! It's enough to stuff them all!" It seemed this band of beggars caused him trouble regularly.

The dough figurine master picked up the iron coin I had given him. "Do I still need to make them? I knew they would only take them back to eat."

"Make them. One for each, so they can play with them after they're full." After a moment of thought, I added, "Old sir, are these stones common here?"

The master glanced over. "These sunstones are very common in a river valley three li outside the city. I have traveled across the entire territory of Shuangcheng Nation, and to my knowledge, there are only two other places where these stones are abundant. This material is too hard and the pieces too small; they're only useful for laying road foundations. Even using them for play is risky; they have sharp edges that can cut your hands. It's only because these children see how transparent and shiny they are that they pick up a few to play with."

I sighed. How could they be so poor yet use diamonds to pave roads? If people on Earth knew, wouldn't they curse them for their wastefulness? However, their technology here is backward, and these precious gems seem to have no current use. Perhaps in the future, when the two planets establish passage, I can trade some Earth products for things here, but that will have to wait until I find my wives and return to Earth.

"I... I have one 'Flame Diamond' here. Do... do you want it?" A small, dirty hand offered a large, red diamond. She clearly had only just begun to grasp the Shuangcheng language; her pronunciation was clumsy and awkward, but her voice was surprisingly clear.

Heaven have mercy on me! Clatter, the pile of diamonds in my hand slipped onto the ground. My heart and hands trembled for a long time before I shakily reached down to retrieve the Flame Diamond. "I want it! What is your name?"

Her messy long hair obscured the beggar girl's face, but anyone paying close attention would notice her build and shape clearly indicated she was a girl. "I... I don't know my name. This 'Flame Diamond' is very valuable, of course... of course, I know the diamonds here are worthless..."

I hastily cut her off. "No! That's what others think. In my eyes, it is priceless! I must thank you profusely. I will pay a huge sum to purchase this 'Flame Diamond.' Are you hungry? I'll accompany you over there to eat."

"R-really? You're not deceiving me, are you?" The beggar girl clearly couldn't believe it, and her voice trembled with excitement.

Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't see her appearance, but her voice was so familiar, and her silhouette so intimate. I wanted to rush forward and hug her, weeping uncontrollably, but I held back. She was Zhou Ni; I knew she was Zhou Ni. But she didn't know who she was. It seemed all the women's memories had been damaged by the power within the wormhole; they had probably all suffered amnesia. But thankfully, Zhou Ni must still remember quite a bit from before, otherwise, she wouldn't know the term 'Flame Diamond.'

I was no longer the impulsive child I once was. Seeing Zhou Ni in such tattered rags tore at my heart, but I suppressed the urge to reveal myself, knowing that acting rashly might frighten her away or give her a bad first impression of me now, making it much harder to win her back.

Leading Zhou Ni into a decent little restaurant, I suppressed the excitement boiling inside and pretended to be casual. "Order whatever you like. This diamond is worth a fortune, and I intend to buy it at a high price. I will deduct the meal cost from that."

Zhou Ni, with her disheveled hair and ragged beggar's clothes, sat timidly in the corner of the table, occasionally sneaking a glance at me. "Really? After all this time, I've finally met someone who recognizes treasure. They... they all said this was just a worthless stone; no one wanted it at all."

"That's because they don't know quality. By the way, do you have any more? I'll buy however many you have. How about we go into business together? You can be my assistant..." Seeing Zhou Ni shrink further into the corner with a hint of fear, I quickly stopped. Saying more might scare her away.

Being so enthusiastic on our first meeting, it was bound to make this girl, Zhou Ni, suspicious. I felt frustrated. She was clearly my wife, and though we hadn't consummated our marriage, we had shared much intimacy. Yet now, we were behaving like total strangers.

"I have a few more at where I live, and the quality is even better than this one. One of them is a deep blue Flame Diamond. If you want it, I can go get it later," Zhou Ni whispered.

I quickly responded, "Good, I'll accompany you back later. The food is here; you should eat first."

Zhou Ni picked up her chopsticks but cautiously asked me, "Can I ask them to come in and eat too?"

I looked outside at the group of little beggars peering in anxiously. "Whatever you like. If their stomachs have room, let them in. Besides, this is with your money; I can't control that."

Zhou Ni beckoned the little beggars outside. The group rushed in with a clamor. Although they had already stuffed themselves with rice noodles, this small restaurant served dishes with meat and fish—a higher class establishment than the open-air noodle stall. No matter how full they were, they scrambled inside for a proper feast.

Seeing Zhou Ni wolfing down her food, I couldn't bear to stay longer. I wiped the tear streaks from my face and quietly slipped out to the restaurant entrance. Regardless, I had to keep Zhou Ni by my side and never allow her to suffer any more indignities. But what strategy could I devise to make her believe I would stay by her side?

"Master, so you were here! Dali Wan and I have been searching everywhere for you. Why are you so careless? Running around alone—what if you run into bad people?" Linglong arrived, looking quite annoyed, followed by Dali Wan, from the dough figurine stall.

I smiled. "Haha, what bad people could there be in broad daylight? Are the things bought? Let's go eat first."

Dali Wan started toward the restaurant as soon as he heard "eat." "Brother Zhao Qian, you truly are a good person. You give us money and treat us to a meal! I won't leave your side from now on!"

I shouted to the counter, "Boss, open another table over here!"

The boss, having hit a major customer jackpot today, rushed over to greet us. I handed him an iron coin. "Open a table for these two as well. Bring whatever dishes you specialize in."

The boss took the money and replied readily, "Certainly! But, Master, that little beggar girl is ordering chicken, duck, and fish too. Should I serve them?"

I pulled out another iron coin. "Is this enough?"

The boss quickly took it and nodded. "Enough, enough! I'll serve their dishes immediately!"