The group settled down there, and the next day, they got up early to go out and check out the situation.
"Knock knock knock! Is anyone home? Our master would like to invite you to the front hall for a chat." They had barely sat down when someone knocked on the door.
The group exchanged glances, got up, opened the door, and walked together toward the front hall.
When they arrived, the three brothers were already there, and there were some things that looked like food on the table. When they saw the group, they stood up and invited them to sit down.
"Come, come, let me introduce you. I am the boss here, named Li Zeyu. This is my second brother, named Babo."
"Gossip?"
"Pfft!" The Third Prince couldn't help but burst out laughing. My goodness, who's so talented to name someone "Gossipmonger"? Hahahaha.
Wen Xuerou was speechless and secretly gave him a nudge with her hand, making the Third Prince struggle to suppress his laughter.
"Sir, you misunderstood. His name is Barbo." He introduced him again, seeing his younger brother's somewhat angry face.
"Oh! Sorry, I misheard."
"This is my third brother, his name is Gao Te."
Hello!
"Well, since you've come from afar, we want to show you the proper hospitality. So we prepared some food early this morning. The living conditions here aren't great, so please excuse the poor conditions."
"polite!"
"Let's start eating!" the leader said. The group didn't stand on ceremony. In other people's homes, being too polite would be seen as disrespectful, so they all started eating!
Sui Yi's eyes lit up as she looked at the vegetables. She hadn't expected to find things from Earth here—this was a sweet potato, this was cabbage, and that was… This was an unexpected bonus!
After the meal, someone came and removed all the food, and we started preparing to discuss serious business!
"Mr. Li, I wonder where you got this food from? If you have any extra, could we exchange it?" Wen Xuerou recognized that this was food from Earth and wanted to grow some in her space.
"These things were very difficult for us to obtain from other places, and their survival rate after planting is quite low. However, if you need them, we can send you some." The eldest brother was as elegant as a chrysanthemum, full of vigor and spirit.
"Thank you!" Wen Xuerou was very happy to have found something that was practically extinct.
What are your plans for the future?
"We want to go out and see the local customs and culture."
"That's great, I'll go with you. I also want to visit my mother while I'm at it," Li Zeyu said gently.
“Great! With Mr. Li showing us around, I’m sure we won’t miss any of the beautiful sights.”
"Haha! You flatter me!"
Half an hour later, the group walked through the market. The roadside vendors were calling out their wares, and the items they sold were either local specialties or things they had never seen before, which made Sui Yi and Wen Xuerou very excited. This was tough on Nie Shangheng and the Third Prince, who were just there to accompany them, with the head of the gang also coming along.
"Mr. Li, since you're accompanying us shopping, may we also visit your mother later?" Wen Xuerou thought that since everyone else was accompanying her, it wouldn't be appropriate for guests not to visit their homes.
"Of course, you're most welcome. Let's prepare some things to take with us!" The Third Prince was also quite curious about what kind of woman could have raised such a gentle, refined, and courteous person.
After choosing their gifts, the group arrived at the Li family's house. It was just an ordinary house, simple and unpretentious, a stark contrast to the home of someone managing a large corporation. Logically, the Li family should be considered one of the wealthiest families on the planet, but the mother's residence was merely quiet and secluded.
“My mother doesn’t like crowded places, so she lives here. When she was young, she was a woman who was just as capable as any man, and she was very generous. Now she prefers peace and quiet!” Li Zeyu explained.
“Oh! Then we’d like to get to know your mother even more.” Sui Yi smiled, admiring this lady with such refined tastes.
"Mom!" Li Zeyu called out as he pushed open the door.
"It's Yu'er!" Before long, a noblewoman came out. Judging from her figure, she was still charming and did not look old at all. She exuded a peaceful aura.
"This is my mother."
"Greetings, Madam!" the men greeted.
"We have distinguished guests?" The woman smiled, sizing up the group. Upon seeing the Third Prince, she paused for a moment, but quickly recovered. However, the others present were all astute enough to notice this slight change. Did she know the Third Prince? Or did he resemble an old acquaintance?
"Please have a seat. It is truly fate that you have graced my humble abode with your presence. May I ask where you have come from?"
"To be honest, we're from the capital, investigating something," Sui Yi replied.
"Oh! This young man looks a bit like an old friend. May I ask who your father is?" the woman asked the Third Prince.
"My father's surname is Long!"
The woman's expression changed; upon learning his identity, she seemed relieved.
“I’ve seen you before, when you were very young. I never imagined that so many years would pass, you would grow up, and I would grow old.”
"Have you seen me before? I don't know who you are..." The Third Prince frowned and asked in confusion.
"Sigh! That happened a whole hundred years ago. It's a ridiculous story. Wasn't your father named Long Yushi?"
"It is indeed my father." The group exchanged glances, wondering if there was some other dramatic twist in the story.
"That's right. When I was young, in my early twenties, it was a time when one is truly carefree and willful. Because of my excellence, I fell in love with a very impressive person in college. He loved me deeply, and I loved him too. Our relationship was passionate and intense; we were willing to die for each other. We even secretly pledged our lives to each other. But people's hearts are fickle, and life is unpredictable. Inevitably, there will be friction and misunderstandings when two people are together. After the misunderstandings were cleared up, our relationship became even stronger. However, his status was not ordinary, and he couldn't give me the life I wanted. Later, we broke up. Although I still loved him, certain events occurred that destroyed this unforgettable love." Love. My family, because of some things they did, were exiled here. I was unwilling, but this place is easy to enter but hard to leave. I fought tooth and nail, and somehow I had the chance to go back. But when I returned, the reality was one of utter despair and heartbreak. He had already married and had children. I didn't have the courage to go to him, so I returned as well. Gradually, some people here came from the capital, and they told me about things in the capital. Finally, I learned that he had become the head of the empire. I felt relieved. We had no chance. Life was still long. With my family's arrangements, I got together with someone here who loved me.
“That person is my father, and aren’t you Aunt Zhi?” the Third Prince suddenly asked.
"It should be." After hesitating for a moment, he answered with some confusion.
“That’s true. My father hasn’t forgotten you; he still talks about you to this day.”
"Really? That's not important anymore. This reminiscing is like talking about an old friend." He sighed, shook his head, and said, "Those days are something to be nostalgic about."
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