"Where's your mother-in-law? I'm back. I should go and pay my respects to her."

Su Luo didn't notice the word "come back" in his words; she only heard him say that he wanted to pay his respects to Zhao Ruyun.

When visiting someone's home, paying respects to the elders is the most basic etiquette, and Su Luo felt that his behavior was perfectly normal.

"Shi Shuang said that my uncle's child is having a full-month celebration tomorrow, and my mother-in-law went to help. The whole village is there now, so let's stay home and wait for my mother-in-law to come back."

The villagers love to gossip about all sorts of things, and Su Luo didn't want to be told that she had brought back a wild man from the capital.

"It's good to wait for her to come back."

Just as the two were about to enter the main courtyard, Nangong Chiyu stopped, his body stiffened, and a murderous look appeared on his face. He threw a dagger away.

The dagger flew towards a rooftop of the Chen residence. Following Nangong Chiyu's movement, A Zhao and another guard jumped down from that spot shortly after.

Both sides were on guard, ready to draw their swords.

Who are you?

Su Luo only knew that A Zhao and the others were protecting them in the mansion, but she never knew where the two secret guards were hiding.

Unexpectedly, Nangong Chiyu discovered the two of them as soon as he arrived.

"Stop! Ah Zhao and the others are the family's bodyguards, not bad people."

Su Luo waved her hand, telling A Zhao and the others to leave. She told them not to worry about Nangong Chiyu, as everyone who came to the manor was a guest.

"Su Luo, these two bodyguards are quite skilled. Where did you get them?"

He feared someone might try to harm Su Luo, and such bodyguards were not easy to train.

"Nangong Qing gave it to me. He's a prince, so it's normal for him to have such secret guards."

Knowing what happened behind Nangong Qing, Su Luo was able to understand many of the events that had occurred.

"It's him again, Su Luo. If you want bodyguards in the future, I can give them to you too."

Su Luo took it as a joke. The two went to the main courtyard, and Chunhua and Qiuyue followed closely behind.

"Madam, it's good that you're back. Was your journey safe?"

The two maids were well-behaved and sensible, and very meticulous in their work.

"I'm fine. We have some guests at home today. Go to the east courtyard and tidy up for them to stay tonight."

Nangong Chiyu sneered inwardly. Su Luo kept calling him "guest" over and over, unaware that he had already arrived home.

"Yes, madam."

In the outer room of the study, the table was covered with account books that Butler Shi had not yet finished calculating. Su Luo should go and finish reading them with him when she arrived.

"Madam Su, I've made all the arrangements."

When Butler Shi came in, he saw Su Luo looking at the account books. He walked closer and then spoke to Su Luo one by one.

"With Lady Su away, the soy sauce factory added another drying yard, which increased the village's accounts."

Su Luo nodded. There were too many accounts to keep track of in the village. Only Steward Shi could keep track of them. Steward Shi also had to manage the affairs of the manor, as well as the business and the estate. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't working hard.

"I understand. Butler Shi, you've worked hard too. I'll settle these accounts with you."

Just as Butler Shi was about to sit down, he noticed that there was another person behind the bookshelf in the study. As he looked at Nangong Chiyu, Nangong Chiyu also happened to turn around and look at him.

Upon seeing that face that resembled Yan Chuan's, Butler Shi froze in mid-air, his posture about to sit down completely still.

He hadn't really looked at this person closely. Who was he? He looked so much like the young master. Could it be that the master had returned?

Su Luo noticed his confusion. Butler Shi's expression was the same as when she first met Nangong Chiyu.

"Butler Shi, his name is Nangong Chiyu, and he is my friend."

Hearing Su Luo say this, Butler Shi sat down and nodded to Nangong Chiyu. It seemed that he had overthought things; this person just looked like the young master.

But Lady Su said his surname was Nangong, which is the imperial surname, and besides, the name seemed familiar.

Nangong Chiyu, Steward Shi remembered, wasn't that the name the emperor bestowed upon the general who defeated Beiliang?

He was also granted the title of Prince Yu, the only prince of a different surname in the dynasty. He had heard some of this in the capital.

Suddenly, Steward Shi stood up from the stool and knelt down on both knees: "This old servant greets Your Highness Prince Yu."

Nangong Chiyu raised an eyebrow. Even a steward from a small village could guess his identity. This Chen family was truly extraordinary.

"Get up. In Changping Village, I am not some Prince Yu."

"Yes, Your Highness Prince Yu."

Su Luo wasn't surprised, after all, Steward Shi was from the capital, so it was normal for him to have heard of Nangong Chiyu.

"Nangong Chiyu, Steward Shi and I need to look at the accounts for a while. Why don't you take a walk by yourself, or go to the East Courtyard to rest? Go find Yan Chuan, he will take you there."

Aunt Dong and Aunt Ma have started cooking in the kitchen. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

"good!"

There are no traces of him in this courtyard, but it was built by Su Luo herself, and his family lives here.

After he came out, he didn't go to find Yan Chuan, but instead strolled around the Chen residence, where even the flowers, plants and trees were full of vitality.

It was much more lively than his Prince Yu's mansion. There was even a vegetable garden in the west courtyard, with a long tree branch stuck in the soil.

On the other end was a tattered piece of clothing. He laughed when he saw it because when he was a child, his mother used this method to scare away birds while planting vegetables in the field.

This way, the birds will think there's something there and won't dare to steal the crops.

This piece of land at home must have been cultivated by his mother herself; she's a person who can't sit still.

After wandering around for a while, he stopped at a secluded door. The door was tightly closed, and the words "ancestral hall" were written on it.

He had heard that the Chen family had divided their property, but could the ancestral hall also be divided?

Out of curiosity, Nangong Chiyu opened the door of the ancestral hall.

The first thing he saw were two memorial tablets. As he got closer, he realized that one was his father's and the other was his own.

The memorial tablet for Chen Huaixu was framed with gold trim, and for a moment he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

If Su Luo doesn't acknowledge him, she still made a memorial tablet for him; if she does acknowledge him, he's nowhere to be found, so she made a memorial tablet for him, even with gold trim.

"Su Luo, do you really want me to die?"

While shaking his head, he wrapped his father's memorial tablet in red cloth and put it down before lighting incense and kowtowing to his father.

Meanwhile, in the front yard, Zhao Ruyun returned from Chen Ping'an's house and saw Su Zuo as soon as she arrived at the door, learning that Su Luo and Yi Huan had returned home.

She grinned happily and ran to the study in the front yard: "Luo Luo, Huan Huan, you're back! You're finally back!"

Rushing into the study, I saw Su Luo and Butler Shi doing accounts, with Yan Chuan and Yi Huan lying there nearby.

"Grandma, Grandma, walk slowly, don't fall."

"Grandma, Grandma..."

Zhao Ruyun was overjoyed. She had been looking forward to it day and night, and finally Su Luo and Yi Huan came home.

"Hey! I'm not hurt. I'm so glad you and your daughter are back safe and sound. It's all thanks to our ancestors' protection. Let's go to the ancestral hall together to offer incense and pray for their blessings..."