Chapter 97: Returning to Pick Someone Up

Madam Gu’s eyes widened in surprise. She put down the wooden bucket in her hand, her face full of disbelief: “Ruolan?”

Shen Ruoxi flinched first, then froze for a moment. After a long while, she seemed to recall something and said timidly, “Little Sister?”

Shen Ruolan lifted her skirt, rushed in, and embraced the two of them: “Mother, Eldest Sister! Sob, sob, I’m back!”

The three of them couldn’t help but hug each other and cry.

Nanny Yang, who accompanied Shen Ruolan back, looked at the brand new stone courtyard walls, the bright house, the chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and sheep in the courtyard, as well as various vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers.

Her eyes flickered. This is what it looks like to be so poor that you can barely afford a pot?

Could it be that the Empress Dowager and Princess Wuyang have been deceived all these years?

She looked at the three of them hugging each other and crying, feeling disdain in her heart, but showing no sign of it on her face. She stood respectfully by the side, waiting.

After waiting for a while, seeing that they were crying endlessly, she spoke up to remind them. After all, they still had to rush back to the capital.

They couldn’t stay for too long.

She bowed respectfully and reminded, “Madam, Old Madam, crying too much is bad for your health. The Master and the Princess would be heartbroken if they knew.”

Only then did Shen Ruolan stop her tears and let go of Madam Gu and Shen Ruoxi.

Nanny Yang continued, “Didn’t Madam and the Princess prepare many things for Old Madam? This old servant will bring them down now.”

“Alright, thank you for your trouble, Nanny Yang.”

Shen Ruolan looked around, seeing the vibrant and flourishing courtyard, and then glanced at the large bucket of red bean sweet soup. Her heart, which had been worried all day, finally relaxed.

Indeed, with that one hundred taels of silver, life wouldn’t be too bad.

And Mother is a capable person.

“Mother, how did you move to Peach Blossom Village? I just went back to our village and asked around to find out.”

“It’s better here.” Madam Gu wiped her tears. She had many questions to ask, but seeing Nanny Yang bringing in gifts one by one, she didn’t ask in the end. She just said, “Why did you suddenly come back, child?”

After so many years without any news, what was the reason for her sudden return?

But seeing her daughter dressed in fine clothes, with delicate skin and a radiant complexion, looking even better than when she left, it seemed that her life in the capital was not bad.

This put her mind at ease.

Now their life was also getting better. The family had earned silver, and that person had not reappeared.

Xingnong had received the Emperor’s reward.

Xinghui had started school.

Everything was peaceful and safe.

The Empress Dowager must have stopped caring long ago, right?

Otherwise, her daughter wouldn’t be living such a good life!

Madam Gu’s anxieties of recent days finally dissipated.

It was good, they had finally overcome their hardships!

She would be content if life continued like this.

“I missed you all so much, so I came back. Has Eldest Sister’s illness recovered? That’s great! Where’s Xingnong? Where are Xingqing and Xinghui? I came back this time to take them to the capital. Thank you for raising them all these years, Mother.”

Madam Gu: “…”

~

Shen Xingnong had just finished making one dish and was about to start on the second when the restaurant’s waiter hurried in and said, “Miss Xingnong, there’s a young master named Gu Xihe looking for you outside. He said someone came to your house and asked you to go back.”

Shen Xingnong was stunned for a moment. Who came to her house? Why was she being urgently called back?

She took off her chef’s hat, untied her apron, and said to the chefs, “Masters, I have something to attend to at home. I’ll come back tomorrow. I’m truly sorry.”

She had planned to finish today, but she didn’t expect something to come up at home.

If it wasn’t urgent, Madam Gu wouldn’t have asked Gu Xihe to come find her.

A group of chefs waved their hands generously: “It’s alright, tomorrow is the same. Be careful going home, Little Master! Come back when you’re done, we’ll wait for you.”

“Yes, it’s alright, Little Master, just remember to come early tomorrow! Be careful going home!”

Shen Xingnong nodded, then said to the waiter, “Please tell Young Master Shen that I have something to attend to at home and will come back tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

After giving her instructions, Shen Xingnong quickly walked out.

✿✿✿

Upstairs, upon hearing this, Shen Hanyu said to Shen Nan, “Go and see her off.”

“Yes, sir!”

Outside the restaurant, Gu Xihe was waiting, drenched in sweat and panting. When he saw Shen Xingnong come out, he immediately said, “Sister Xingnong, Aunt Ruolan is back! She said she wants to take Xingqing and Xinghui to the capital. They’re in a hurry to leave, so Granny asked me to tell you to come back quickly.”

Gu Xihe was the grandson of Second Great-Uncle Gu Yudong, 16 years old this year, and the fastest runner in the village. That’s why Madam Gu asked him to notify Shen Xingnong.

Shen Xingnong was stunned. Shen Ruolan was back?

Gu Xihe stepped forward, grabbed Shen Xingnong’s hand, and ran: “Let’s go back quickly. They’re leaving.”

Caught off guard, Shen Xingnong stumbled, “Wait, I need to borrow a carriage.”

At this moment, Shen Nan stopped the carriage in front of them. With an expressionless face but a respectful tone, he said, “Miss Xingnong, Young Master asked me to take you back. Please get in the carriage!”

The two hurriedly got into the carriage.

~

When Shen Xingnong rushed back, she only saw a pile of gifts on the table.

Madam Gu and Shen Ruoxi were wiping their tears.

Xinghui’s eyes were also red.

The room was filled with the sorrow of parting.

Shen Xingnong: “…”

They left?

Shen Xingnong looked around, “Grandmother, where’s Xingqing?”

She couldn’t have just left for the capital, could she?

Why would Xingqing go with her?

Besides, who would return home after more than ten years and leave in less than half a day?

Shen Ruoxi wiped her tears: “Xingqing went to the capital.”

Who knows if they will ever see each other again!

Little Sister was gone for more than ten years and came back for less than two hours.

Madam Gu wiped her tears, “Your aunt came back and took Xingqing to the capital. She has urgent matters in the capital and couldn’t delay, so she left before you came back. She said she would come back next time to take us to the capital to play, and she bought you some trinkets from the capital.”

Who cares!

Shen Xingnong turned and ran out: “I’m going to bring Xingqing back.”

Madam Gu quickly stopped her: “What’s the rush, child? They’ve been gone for half an hour. How can you catch up?”

It would take Gu Xihe about half an hour to run to the city, and it would take them less than half an hour to return by carriage.

She couldn’t even wait for this short amount of time?

Shen Xingnong frowned: “Grandmother, who knows what she’s up to, taking her away after less than half a day at home? If we don’t chase after her now, it’ll be difficult to catch up once she’s gone!”

How could she just take Xingqing away? Why would Xingqing go with her?

Shen Xingnong was furious!

Madam Gu sighed: “They’ve been gone for half an hour. They’re probably already on the boat. How can you chase after them? Listen to me first, there’s no rush to pick her up now.”

Wasn’t she worried about what Shen Xingnong was worried about?

But this was the Empress Dowager’s decree.

“On the boat?” Shen Xingnong frowned.

“Your aunt said there’s a boat going to the capital today, and the next direct boat to the capital is in ten days. Traveling by land would take several more days. There’s a palace banquet in a few days, and she has to attend, so she left in a hurry. She’ll stay longer next time.”

Shen Xingnong sneered, anger surging in her heart: “What a tight schedule, leaving as soon as she picked someone up, without even a moment to spare. Then why didn’t she come back earlier? Did she say anything about suddenly taking Xingqing to the capital?”

She’ll stay longer next time. When is next time, in another ten years?