The Li family compound was much livelier than usual as dusk approached.
During the day, Sister Liu went to Liu Yang's yard. After returning, she sent her youngest son to take the twins and Xingxing and Yueya to play. Then she kept thanking Old Lady Li.
"Auntie, you haven't seen it yet! The yard has been renovated so well, it's all neat and tidy, and all the wooden furniture and utensils are ready."
"This time, the master has really spent a lot of money. The whole courtyard, inside and out, has been tidied up. It must have cost two or three hundred taels of silver!"
Grandma Li gave her a reproachful glare, then laughed and said, "Over the years, although our two families don't share the same surname, we've long since become like one family. Zhensheng is the eldest uncle; is it really worth you talking about him repairing a courtyard for his married nephew?!"
"Besides, Liu Yang and Jia Yi will be settling down here in the future, and they will be our family's support. We can rest assured if we give them a good home."
Sister Liu nodded repeatedly, her heart filled with warmth and joy.
"Auntie is right. Now that Liu Yang has a house and a wife here, I don't need to worry about him anymore. I just hope he'll be successful and help the family more."
"From now on, I'll keep Xiao Er by my side. Whether he studies or does business, as long as he can take care of us in our old age and fulfill our filial duties, that's enough."
Zhao Yuru brought Wenjuan into the house, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Sister Liu is right to think that way. With so many children, it's impossible to keep them all by your side."
“Look at my two children. Jiaxi was a naughty child and disappeared as soon as he grew up. Fortunately, Jiahuan got married early and gave me a grandson.”
After saying that, she pulled Wenjuan to sit down and said, "This trip was delayed, otherwise, I might have been able to have another granddaughter by the end of this year."
Everyone laughed, which made Wenjuan blush.
Just then, Li Zhensheng returned from outside with Jiayi, Liu Yang, and Maoge'er.
Grandma Li was very happy and called her son over to talk.
Li Zhensheng is very busy with business in Quanzhou and also has to arrange his nephew's marriage. It's rare for him to get home before dark.
"Boss, are things settled outside?"
"That's about it, Mother, don't worry. Just wait for our new granddaughter-in-law to come home!" Li Zhensheng said with a smile, a strange joy in his expression.
Grandma Li couldn't help but pat her son and scolded him, "What are you grinning about, child? Did you find some silver outside?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yang, Jia Yi, and Mao Ge'er all laughed.
Zhao Yuru was observant and noticed that their gazes kept drifting towards the doorway, so she looked over there.
At the entrance stood a tall, thin young man, dressed in coarse gray clothes and wearing a straw hat that covered half of his face. He looked somewhat familiar.
"Brother, is this the manager of the shop?"
Out of curiosity, Zhao Yuru asked a question. Before Li Zhensheng could answer, the young man raised his head, revealing a bronze face and a mouthful of white teeth...
"Xi...Xi-ge'er!" Zhao Yuru exclaimed, rushed over and hugged the young man, bursting into tears.
Grandma Li and the others were startled, not knowing what had happened.
The room erupted in chaos the moment the young man removed his straw hat, revealing a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar to everyone.
"Xi-ge'er, it's Xi-ge'er!" Old Mrs. Li rushed forward, hugged Jia-xi's other arm, and cried tears of joy. "You naughty boy, you finally came back! You worried your grandma to death! You're finally back, you're finally back!"
Tao Hongying and her team were preparing the meal in the kitchen when they heard a commotion inside. She was still holding a kitchen knife when she rushed in.
Upon seeing Xige'er, she threw down the kitchen knife and rushed over, asking frantically, "Xige'er, where's An'er? Why hasn't An'er come back!"
Everyone fell silent because of that sentence.
More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to Jiaxi, fearing he might say something terrible; their hearts were practically in their throats!
Fortunately, Jiaxi didn't delay for a moment and said, "Ange'er is safe and sound. He's waiting at sea for me to gather information and send it back. He'll be back soon!"
"Waaah, thank God! Ange'er is back too, waaah, they're all back!" Tao Hongying's legs went weak and she sat down on the ground, bursting into tears.
What mother doesn't worry about her son?
It's been almost three years, and she misses her son constantly, but because she's afraid of upsetting the old lady, she can't show it at all and can only wipe away her tears in secret.
Now that she finally knows her son is safe and sound, she can no longer hold back and bursts into tears, letting out all the bitterness in her heart.
Zhao Yuru understood her feelings all too well and wanted to say a few words of comfort, but in the end, the two sisters-in-law hugged each other and cried together.
Granny Chang and Xia Qing, who came from Suijintan, knew what was going on, but the servants in the front yard who had been bought locally didn't understand.
Hearing the commotion in the backyard, everyone was startled and dropped what they were doing, asking what had happened.
Cat Brother, with red eyes, quickly stepped in to comfort her and had the gate closed.
Finally, he arranged for Zheng Qi to lead men to guard the second courtyard's hanging flower gate before he felt at ease.
For a time, only family members remained in the backyard.
Jiaxi was pulled to sit down next to Grandma Li, and she began to tell him about their experiences after leaving home.
Going to sea, though it sounds like just two words, actually involves too many dangers.
Even with thorough preparations, it's still impossible to avoid all unexpected situations.
Jiaxi and Jia'an, along with three hundred people from the Foreign Affairs Department, set sail on three large ships to secretly investigate the national strength of their neighboring countries.
Unexpectedly, after only a month at sea, they encountered a storm, leaving only one of the three large ships stranded on the coast of a small country.
They rested in the small country for a full six months before continuing their voyage, passing through seven or eight countries before finally returning to Quanzhou.
They worried that if too much time passed and communication was interrupted, something might have changed in Tianwu. So, Jia'an led the fleet to stop on an island five or six hundred miles away, while Jiaxi returned first to investigate.
After hearing that everything was back to normal in Tianwu, he went to the family shop and happened to run into his uncle...
As time goes by, what is lost is not only time itself, but also the inevitable growth that comes with it.
The mischievous and unruly boy has been tempered by the trials of his voyage. Now he's tanned, thinner, and taller, but he's also matured and become more composed.
Surrounded by his family, Jiaxi talked animatedly about the wonders of the sea or the customs and culture of foreign lands, often making his family laugh out loud.
Grandma Li doted on her grandson and kept calling for dinner to be served.
Soon, the food was served, and Jiaxi immediately transformed into a glutton, eating and drinking voraciously, wishing she had eight arms.
He mumbled between bites, "Waaah, finally I can eat home-cooked food again! Ange and I were practically drooling with hunger while we were out there, we were even dreaming about it!"
"Slow down, eat slowly! We're home now, you can eat as much as you want!" Grandma Li kept putting food on her grandson's plate.
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru were also busy serving rice and soup.
As for Li Zhensheng, Jiayi, Liu Yang, Maoge'er, and the others, they can only look after themselves...
After finishing their meal, Li Zhensheng said to the old lady, "Mother, I'll take the boys to the study to look at the nautical charts and find out where An'er and the others are, so I can send someone to pick them up. Don't worry."
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