The courtyard in Jiangnan was as peaceful as ever. The loquats were golden, and Shen Yuewei and her maid Chuntao were watching ants move their nests under the trees with almost three-year-old An'an.

"Mommy, the ants are moving house!" An'an pointed to the long line of black dots on the ground, her voice surprisingly clear and sweet. "So amazing! An'an will help too!"

Shen Yuewei smiled as she looked at her daughter's focused little face, her heart softening. Suddenly, unusual noises of carriages and horses came from the official road outside the courtyard, accompanied by the faintly familiar shouts of the old steward of the Shen family.

An'an's little ears perked up instantly. She stood up abruptly, turning her head towards the gate, her big, dark eyes shining brightly. The next second, her clear, loud, and incredibly confident little voice echoed through the courtyard like a declaration:

"Grandpa! He's here! He's here!"

Shen Yuewei's heart skipped a beat. Almost instantly, she stood up and rushed to the courtyard gate, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled open the latch—

"Wei'er! My Wei'er!" Mother Shen's excited voice, mixed with the smell of travel dust, rushed in first and hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother!" Shen Yuewei's nose tingled, and she hugged her mother tightly, feeling the long-lost warmth.

Mr. Shen followed closely behind, his usually composed face now showing barely concealed excitement as his gaze anxiously searched over his daughter's shoulder: "Where's An'an? My little granddaughter?"

"Grandpa!" A clear child's voice rang out. An'an, dressed in a light yellow shirt, nimbly slipped out from beside Shen Yuewei's legs like a little elf. Not at all shy, she pounced on Shen's father and hugged his leg. With her pink face upturned, her eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.

Father Shen's heart was instantly filled with that smile. He picked the little dumpling up high and rubbed her face with the stubble on his chin, which he had deliberately shaved but was still a little itchy: "Oh! Grandpa's little darling! I've missed Grandpa so much!"

"Grandma!" An'an twisted her little body in her father's arms and stretched out her little arm to her mother, who had just separated from Shen Yuewei and was still wiping away tears.

"Oh! My dear grandson!" Mother Shen immediately stopped crying and smiled, and hurriedly "snatched" An'an from Father Shen's arms, kissing her cheeks and rubbing her hair, so happy that she didn't know what to do.

Shen Wenbai carefully helped Lin Qingwan, whose pregnant belly was already quite noticeable, across the threshold. Looking at the chaotic yet incredibly heartwarming reunion scene before her, at Shen Yuewei's noticeably more relaxed and composed complexion, and then at the adorable An'an, Lin Qingwan's eyes filled with smiles and emotions: "Wei-mei, we're so glad to see you all! We've missed you so much!"

The small courtyard was instantly filled with the joy of reunion, greetings, and amazement (especially for An An's quick wit and amazing memory), as well as the clamor of servants unloading mountains of chests and boxes.

As Shen Yuewei led her parents, brother, and sister-in-law into the house, she listened to her mother's rapid-fire nagging:

"Look! Your mother brought you so many good things! Top-quality bird's nest! Your sister-in-law specially found a recipe for nourishing your qi and made medicinal food ingredients! And this soft silk gauze that just arrived from Suzhou and Hangzhou is perfect for making summer clothes for you and An'an, it's so cool and breathable!"

"Your dad almost emptied his study! I stopped him from doing most of it! But that kid Song-ge'er wants to bring the whole capital to you! Look at all those huge trunks he has!"

"An'an! Look what Grandma brought you! A rattle drum! A cloth tiger! And...wait, why is this tiger-head hat so small? Oh, it's what your mother wore when she was little! And this...this goldfish bowl! Wenbai, quickly bring it in for An'an to see!"

Surrounded by novelties, An'an's little face flushed with excitement. One moment she was shaking a rattle drum, making a loud thud; the next she was pointing at the golden dragon-eye fish swimming in the tank and shouting, "Fish! Pretty!" Then she curiously picked up the obviously outdated, patched old tiger-head shoes and asked in her childish voice, "Mommy, shoes? Little ones?"

Looking at the familiar old objects that brought tears to her eyes, and then at her mother's eyes, filled with a mixture of embarrassment and anticipation, Shen Yuewei felt a surge of warmth in her heart, a bittersweet feeling mingled with a deep smile. She took the small shoes, gently stroking the stitches, her voice choked with emotion: "Yes, these are shoes that Grandma made for Mother when she was about An'an's age..."

Mother Shen's eyes reddened again. She turned her face away, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

Lin Qingwan smiled and smoothed things over: "Mother, you see, I bet Wei-mei would be happier to see these 'treasures' than to receive gold ingots, right?"

Father Shen held An'an in his arms, pointed to the biggest and most majestic goldfish in the tank, and began to vividly tell the story of "the fish leaping over the dragon gate," making the little girl giggle and clap her hands, asking, "And then? Grandpa, and then?"

The Jiangnan courtyard was instantly ignited by the air of the capital city and the overwhelming familial affection brought by the Shen family, filled with a long-lost liveliness and fulfillment. Looking at the smiling faces of her loved ones and listening to her daughter's clear laughter, Shen Yuewei was filled with immense happiness and a sense of peace. Yet, beneath this perfect harmony, a subtle but persistent worry, like vines climbing the courtyard wall, quietly entwined her heart—when would that person in the capital, his cage, truly be broken free?