Because the convoy was carrying a large amount of goods, the group did not travel very fast. They even had to transfer to a ship for two days along the way. By the time they arrived in the capital, it was already close to July.

Not long after entering the city gate, a group of people came galloping towards them. It was Xiao Youzhi's people. He spoke a few words in hushed tones with the people, and then rode his horse to Meng Zhao's carriage.

Meng Zhao lifted the carriage curtain and met his apologetic gaze: "I have some urgent business to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't take you back to your residence."

With so many businesses under his management, and having first gone to Huainan to find her and then spent so much time with her, he probably has a lot of things to deal with by now. Meng Zhao nodded knowingly, "It's okay, we're already in the city, there won't be any danger, I can go back by myself."

Xiao Youzhi gazed at her intently, as if trying to etch her image into his heart. After a long while, he gently spurred his horse and turned to leave.

As soon as the group stopped in front of the Meng residence, Xiao Chuan heard the commotion, opened the door, and immediately rushed over to Meng Zhao, exclaiming, "Sister Meng! You're finally back!"

Meng Zhao smiled and patted his shoulder: "Yes, I'm back." She glanced into the courtyard. "Where are Mom and Dad? Are they home?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Chuan nodded repeatedly, gesturing excitedly. "The master and madam received your letter and knew you were coming back in the next few days, so they've been waiting at home."

Meng Zhao nodded slightly, but did not rush into the mansion. Instead, he first arranged for the people accompanying him, saying, "Chief Zhao, thanks to the help of you all, this trip has really saved us a lot of trouble."

Chief镖师 Zhao quickly clasped his hands in return, saying, "Madam Meng, you're too kind. If you need to go out on business again, just come to us. We'll take care of it perfectly for you."

With this cooperation, we will naturally seek them out again if needed in the future. Meng Zhao smiled and watched the group from the escort agency leave before turning to Gu Changwu beside her: "Second Uncle, the Shen family's residence is not far away. I'll have Xiao Chuan take you there. You should catch up with your godmother first, and then we can all have some fun together later."

Upon hearing this, Gu Changwu's eyes immediately lit up with excitement. He and Gu Lanying hadn't seen each other for several years. Although they exchanged letters regularly, it couldn't compare to meeting in person. He was very excited and couldn't wait to ask Xiao Chuan to take him there.

Meng Zhao handed over the goods to Huang Cui to manage, then lifted her skirt and ran into the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan quickly came out of the house to greet her, but before they could even stand properly, their daughter rushed into their arms.

"Father! Mother! I've missed you so much!"

Having not seen each other for more than two months, the two elders were worried about each other day and night. Meng Dashan loosened his embrace, took his daughter's hand and spun her around, saying with heartache, "Why do you look so thin, daughter? Are you working too hard out there?"

Meng Zhao immediately clung to her parents' arms and said coquettishly, "That's right! When I'm away from home, I have to travel and I don't see my parents. I miss them day and night and can't eat. That's why I've lost weight!"

Xu Yunrong chuckled and poked her daughter's cheek: "You silly girl, all you ever think about is running away. If you really go out, will you still care about us?" She looked Meng Zhao up and down carefully, "If you ask me, your father is just talking nonsense. I think your little face has become a bit rounder."

Meng Zhao reached out and rubbed her cheeks, stubbornly saying, "No way! I've clearly lost weight!"

Xu Yunrong said indulgently, "Alright, alright, you said you've lost weight, so you have." She took her daughter's hand with heartache and led her into the house, "Don't go anywhere these two days, just stay home and rest well. I'll ask your father to make you some good food to nourish you."

Originally, everyone planned to have dinner at the Meng family's house, but since the Shen family's house had just been renovated, Meng Zhao couldn't contain his curiosity and dragged his parents along to take a look.

The Shen family originally had only a small courtyard with one entrance, but now they have incorporated the neighboring courtyard, moved the main gate to the east, and replaced the plaque with a more imposing one. Judging from the current layout, it is now a standard three-entrance courtyard.

Gu Lanying affectionately pulled Meng Zhao to stroll around the courtyard. Looking at the exquisite courtyard, Meng Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "The courtyard used to be just an ordinary house, but now that it's been renovated, it finally looks like an official's residence."

“Indeed,” Gu Lanying led Meng Zhao to sit down in the main hall, her every move already displaying the demeanor of an official’s wife. “Before, the courtyard was small, and the maids and servants could only squeeze into one room. Now that it’s spacious, everyone is more comfortable living here.”

However, she had come from a life of hardship, and she retained her kindness, becoming more understanding of the servants in her household.

After chatting with her for a few minutes, Meng Zhao asked, "Where's my second brother? Why isn't he home?"

Gu Lanying sighed: "I heard that he took on an important case last month and has been staying at the yamen most of the time these days. He rarely comes back, so it's really not easy to see him."

Meng Dashan comforted him from the side, "Hey, it's a good thing that the young man is busy. Doesn't this just show that His Majesty values ​​him? Others would love to have this job but don't even have the chance."

Meng Zhao quietly observed everyone's expressions. It seemed they didn't know about Shen Qinghe's injury in Huainan. That was good, saving them from worrying unnecessarily.

She wanted to wait a little longer, but Shen Qinghe didn't return even after dinner, so she had no choice but to go home first.

After several days of carriage travel, Meng Zhao was still a little sore. That night, she slept soundly and comfortably. When she woke up, she stretched and felt refreshed, even her steps were much lighter.

Upon entering the dining hall, Meng Zhao saw that the table was almost overflowing with food. She sat down with a smile and asked, "Why is breakfast so lavish today?"

Xu Yunrong was serving porridge when she heard this and said reproachfully, "Isn't it because you're back? Your father got up before dawn to prepare, saying that you haven't had his cooking for so long and must have missed it."

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