Chapter 621: Chapter 534: I’m Back

"Do you even have to ask? People walked right past him. If he couldn’t even see them, he’d just be for show. We’d have to find you a smarter son-in-law!"

"Dad!"

"Hahaha..."

After teasing his daughter, Tang Qingshan felt hungry. Xiao Man went and cooked a pot of three-delicacy noodles using only ingredients from the Treasure Pearl Space. She first set aside a large bowl, and the father-daughter duo finished the rest. Then, content, they went upstairs. The bowl she had set aside was brought on a tray to Mrs. Ai. She would surely wake up when Tang Qingshan returned to their room, so Xiao Man wanted her to have a snack. This would hopefully prevent the two little ones in her belly from kicking her awake for food before dawn.

Xiao Man set her alarm and woke up early to exercise in the courtyard. She also took the opportunity to inspect the defensive formation around the mansion, which Gu Shaojun had recently reinforced, as well as a Spirit Gathering Array. The Tang Mansion was situated on a plot with excellent feng shui. With the addition of the Spirit Gathering Array, Spiritual Energy from all directions converged here. This created an atmosphere of pure energy, dispelling dust and miasma while nourishing the house and its vegetation. Living here naturally felt comfortable and serene.

Gu Shaojun was very talented, and with Xiao Man providing top-tier supplementary elixirs and herbs, his cultivation progressed rapidly. When he came back for the Spring Festival, Xiao Man had given him several pieces of exquisite jade she had been nurturing in her space. He used them to craft high-level Amulets. Everyone in both families, young and old, now had one. Their defensive power was considerable; used correctly, an Amulet was like having an extra life. Besides, their families were far from ordinary. If someone like Gongsun Hanshan actually dared to make a move, they would have to seriously consider the consequences. For these reasons, Xiao Man could finally leave Beijing without worry.

At eleven in the morning, Xiao Man was seen off at the military airfield by Dad Tang, Gu Qifan, Zheng Shaolian, and Gu Shaoqin. Gu Shaoqin desperately wanted to go with Xiao Man but was blocked by the others for various reasons. Gu Qifan was on his wife’s side: Tang Haocheng was already studying abroad, so their own son had to work harder. He needed to use the summer vacation for extra tutoring to catch up in the future and not fall too far behind. Zheng Shaolian’s motive, however, was pettier: ’I don’t get to go with Xiao Man, so why should you?’

Gu Shaoqin was dejected, looking at Xiao Man like a lost calf abandoned in the forest. Xiao Man couldn’t bear it and felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t backed up Shaoqin’s request to Uncle Gu, admittedly for her own selfish reasons. She quickly smiled and tried to console him, "I’ll be back soon. How about we go next time when I can stay longer? Just wait, I’ll bring you back some big yellow pears!"

Zheng Shaolian chimed in from the side, "Besides the big yellow pears, remember to go up the mountain and see if the wild grapes are ripe. Bring back a few baskets. And don’t forget..."

Gu Qifan slapped him hard on the shoulder. "You’re a grown man, and all you can think about is food!"

Tang Qingshan also shot him a glare. "If you want to eat so badly, move there yourself! All you do is boss your little sister around. Real mature!"

Zheng Shaolian just chuckled, ruffling Xiao Man’s hair. He quickly mouthed two words to her: "Dried fruit! Dried fish!"

’Xiao Man was utterly speechless. ’Has the Zheng Shaolian of this lifetime been transmigrated into or something? No matter how I look at him, something is off. He’s passionate about business and making money now. He’s the chairman of a huge corporation, yet he’s as obsessed with snacks as a little kid. He’s nothing at all like the Zheng Shaolian I used to know!’’

She waved goodbye to her family and boarded the army-green helicopter. After a flight of over three hours under a clear, sunny sky, she arrived in Wancheng.

The Wancheng Military Sub-Region had sent men to help unload the cargo. An officer, Mr. Zhang, politely invited Xiao Man to a meal. Xiao Man smiled and said she wasn’t hungry; she wanted to get back to her hometown as soon as possible because her grandparents were waiting. Mr. Zhang then offered to arrange a Jeep to take her back to Gongdao Village, but Xiao Man declined this as well, saying she could just ride in the cab of the large truck. Even so, she was still imposing on three soldiers to accompany her to the countryside, for which she was very grateful.

When the truck passed a post office, Xiao Man asked the soldier to stop. She ran inside and tried calling Gu Shaojun. Gu Shaojun knew she was flying back to the South that day and had been waiting by the phone, so he picked up on the first ring. He was delighted to hear that Xiao Man had arrived safely in Wancheng. He apologized, explaining that he couldn’t get away to pick her up. He would have two days off in a week, and then... they would talk more when they met in person!

Gu Shaojun’s voice was filled with a joy he couldn’t suppress, yet he was deliberately keeping her in suspense. Xiao Man didn’t dare feign a pout or act angry right now. The military line had a time limit, and she wished they could have spoken for just a little longer, but the call disconnected automatically before they could finish.

The soldier was a good driver, handling the military truck with speed and stability. He smiled and said it was all thanks to the road being recently repaired; a road crew had just laid down a fresh layer of gravel.

After a little over an hour, she finally saw the familiar mountain ranges, followed by the village. As the truck slowly pulled to a stop in front of her home, Xiao Man was so overcome with emotion that her eyes blurred with tears. Without even thinking to invite the soldiers inside, she pushed open the door and jumped down. The courtyard gate was already open, and the people inside, hearing the truck, rushed out. Leading the way was the lovely Xinghua, who grabbed Xiao Man’s hand and exclaimed happily,

"Grandpa, Grandma! It’s really Xiao Man! Look, she’s even crying!"

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