"My dad can dance with a sword, and he's really good at it!"

"My dad can fly very high. Last time, my sister's kite got stuck on a tree, and my dad flew up and took it down immediately."

"My dad can weave grasshoppers, and he weaves them beautifully."

…

The young voices echoed one after another, making Shen Xinyan, who was behind the bushes, want to laugh. Just as she was about to walk out, she heard Shen Feng and Cui's eldest son ask softly, "Ang'er, what about your father? What would your father do?"

Anger's eyes rolled around, and after a while he said in a crisp voice: "My father can embroider!"

"Ang'er, you are lying. Only mother can embroider. Father can't!" a child retorted loudly.

"No, my mother can embroider, and my father can embroider too. They embroider very beautifully, even prettier than what mother embroiders!" Ang'er said angrily when he saw that they didn't believe him.

"Really?" A doubtful voice.

"Of course it's true. Those who lie are not good children. I never lie!" Ang'er puffed out his little chest and said proudly.

Then he added loudly: "Your father can do it, and my father can do it too, but my father can do it, and your father can't, so my father is still the best!"

"Anger's father is so awesome!"

"Hmmmm, that's amazing, he even knows things that his mother knows."

"Oh, if only my dad could embroider, he would be even better than Ang'er's dad!"

…

"Puchi!" Shen Xinyan couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

Ang'er, who was surrounded by his friends, spotted her figure and immediately ran over with his short legs, calling out in a crisp voice, "Grandma!"

Shen Xinyan stroked the little boy's face with a smile, and the other little guys gathered around, chattering non-stop and vying to speak.

"Grandma, I learned five more Chinese characters today. The teacher praised me!"

"Grandma, grandma, I learned one more word than he did today!"

"I learned a new poem yesterday. Second Grandmother, do you want to hear me recite it?"

"Aunt Shen, your thousand-layer cake is really delicious. Can I bring a few pieces back for Dad?"

Great-aunt, grandmother-in-law, second grandmother, Aunt Shen... all kinds of titles refer to the same person - Shen Xinyan, who patiently listened to their every word.

Shen Xinyan always had a gentle smile on her face and responded to their childish words one by one.

Not far away, Wei Junhang, who had just returned home, stood beside the rockery with a smile on his face, taking in the entire scene.

Time flies, and it seems that in the blink of an eye, the woman with a bright smile in the flowers has walked hand in hand with him for decades. Now, they have become grandparents, and the whole British mansion is always filled with the childish laughter of children.

After finally coaxing the little ones to follow their nannies to wash their hands and faces, Shen Xinyan raised her eyes and met Wei Junhang's smiling face.

She couldn't help but smile, and walked slowly towards him: "You're back? Didn't you say you'd be back later?"

“When Qiao Liu learned that Madam Xu had left Dun Dun in our house, he had no mood to sit still and slipped away early,” Wei Junhang explained.

Shen Xinyan chuckled: "Is he planning to take the son away and make the mother suffer?"

"No, he was planning to force a one-for-one delivery." Wei Junhang answered seriously.

Shen Xinyan laughed out loud and glared at him: "You just love to stand by and watch other people laugh, don't you?"

Wei Junhang laughed but did not deny it.

"Was it Ying'er who brought Ang'er back? Could it be that she had quarreled with Lingfu again?" He asked again as he watched his grandson Ang'er skipping back to the house holding the wet nurse's hand.

"Ying'er brought it back. When did the couple stop quarreling? Just wait and see. Lingfu will be here in less than half an hour. By then, it will only take a cup of tea for the two to reconcile." Shen Xinyan disagreed.

Haven't these two enemies had enough petty quarrels? Surely they will make up soon and face each other with one gun.

"This is really a case of matching the lid to the pot." Wei Junhang laughed.

The two chatted and laughed as they headed towards Funingyuan.

"Uncle, aunt." On the way, they saw Wei Chengqi taking a walk with his pregnant wife from afar. Wei Chengqi and his wife also saw them and hurried forward to greet them.

Wei Chengqi's wife was not from a high-class family, being only the daughter of a fifth-rank civil servant, but her quiet personality was very similar to Wei Chengqi. Shen Xinyan originally thought that if these two taciturn people were together, they would be completely deaf and dumb, and would have nothing to say to each other, until she accidentally saw them together in private one time, and then she realized that she had really guessed wrong.

Except for Wei Chenglin who was far away in the northern border, all the younger men in the Duke's Mansion had already married. Now even Wei Chengqi was about to become a father. In contrast, Shen Xinyan couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Seeing her staring at the backs of Wei Chengqi and his wife without saying a word, Wei Junhang felt strange at first, but he understood after a little thought. After a while, he took her hand and said softly, "In another half a year, Chenglin will return to Beijing."

"What did you say?" Shen Xinyan was stunned, somewhat unable to believe what she heard.

If she were to live to her current age, the only thing she would not be able to let go of would be her eldest son Wei Chenglin who is far away in the northern border.

There were many times when she saw Yang from the second house having fun with her grandchildren. Although she did not show it on the surface, she was very jealous in her heart.

Sometimes she even wondered, would her son never be able to get married because Zhou Wanning had remarried in this life?

"Yes, His Majesty has agreed, and the official sent to replace him has already set off. Chenglin will be able to return to Beijing in half a year at most." Wei Junhang replied.

Shen Xinyan was surprised and delighted: "That's great! If mother knew this news, she would be very happy!"

Perhaps it was because she was always concerned about the marriage of her eldest grandson, but the eldest princess lived longer in this life than in the previous one. This time, in the days before the eldest princess passed away, Shen Xinyan stayed by her side almost every step of the way, using all her skills to make her happy, until she gradually passed the death barrier of her previous life, and then she was completely relieved.

She felt that the most painful thing in her two lifetime memories was knowing that someone she cared about was about to pass away, and trying every possible way to avoid it for the other person, but in the end she was powerless.

For example, the Lady Dowager Jing'an in this life, and her father-in-law in this life - the former Duke of England.

One passed away earlier than his previous life, and the other died at the same time as his previous life.

Wei Junhang had a smile on his face, but his brows were filled with worry.

Although the eldest princess looked fine and in good spirits, he could see that her health was no longer as good as it was in the past. If she had not been worried about something, she would have followed the old duke long ago.

This is also the reason why he sent his eldest son back to Beijing early.

***

Northern Xinjiang.

Wei Chenglin rode his horse across the endless grassland. The sky was cloudless and the air was filled with the scent of green grass, which blew against his face with the breeze, bringing a refreshing fragrance.

He pulled the reins, turned around and looked at the vast land, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Over the past three years, the situation in the northern border has gradually stabilized. Although the conflict between the Rongdi people and the people of the northern border cannot be completely eliminated, it has been greatly reduced. The Rongdi people have gradually integrated into the local area, and the government's influence has also greatly increased.

At least, in the past year, he no longer had to personally lead the charge to provoke conflicts between the Rongdi people and the people of the northern border.

"General, are we going back to Beijing?" A boy of about fourteen or fifteen rode up to him and asked.

"Yes, I'm going back to Beijing!" Wei Chenglin's smile faded slightly, his expression filled with nostalgia.

It has been many years since we last met, and I don’t know how my grandmother and parents are doing at home, and whether they are doing well as you said in the letter.

"Is the general going back to marry the general's wife? If so, Miss Mo will be heartbroken." The young man asked with a smile.

"Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to damage Miss Mo's reputation." Wei Chenglin frowned and said disapprovingly.

The boy stuck out his tongue at him, knowing that he didn't like to hear these words, so he quickly changed the subject.

The general is good in every way except that he doesn't like to talk or laugh. But even so, it can't stop the girls who like him from coming one after another, especially the daughter of the prefect Mo in the city, who is getting more and more courageous and has no intention of giving up.

A betting game has been secretly set up in the camp, betting on when the young lady of the Mo family can capture the cold-faced general. Unfortunately, the cold-faced general is now going back to Beijing, and Miss Mo's kindness may be let down.

And there will definitely be quite a few people who lose money due to this gamble.

Wei Chenglin did not notice the regretful expression on his face. He was only thinking about his relatives far away in the capital, especially the Grand Princess. From his father's letters in the past, he knew that his grandmother had been missing him all these years.

Whenever he thought of the Grand Princess's kind face, he felt so angry that he wished wings grew from his ribs, allowing him to fly back to his family in the capital in an instant.

The eldest princess in the capital also soon learned the news that her eldest grandson was about to return to the capital. She was so excited that she kept saying hello and her eyes were wet unconsciously.

Seeing this, Shen Xinyan stepped forward and said with a smile, "The promise that Lin made to mother before leaving Beijing is about to be fulfilled. I wonder if mother has a suitable candidate for grandson's wife in mind?"

The eldest princess certainly remembered what Wei Chenglin had said to her before he left Beijing. It was because of those words that she held on and dared not let herself fall.

How could she be willing to just close her eyes and kick her legs before her eldest grandson's wife came in?

The Grand Princess laughed and said with some pride: "Of course there is."

"Yes?" Shen Xinyan just said it casually to coax her, but she never thought that she actually had a candidate. She was surprised for a moment.

"I wonder which family this girl is from?" she asked.

"I had my eyes on this girl last year. She was the most suitable for Lin Ge'er. However, I didn't know when Lin Ge'er would be able to return to Beijing, so I didn't dare to say anything. I just kept an eye on her."

"If we are destined to be together, and this girl hasn't been engaged before Lin Ge'er returns to Beijing, then I will take charge and arrange for her to be engaged for Lin Ge'er; if we are not destined to be together, then this is the only way."

"Now it seems that this girl and our Brother Lin are indeed destined to be together!" When she said this, the eldest princess could not hide her pride on her face, and she looked like she was several years younger.

"Whose girl is she? My mother really attracts me." Hearing her say this, Shen Xinyan became even more curious and asked with a smile.

The eldest princess seemed to be deliberately keeping the secret: "Who will Lin Ge'er replace in the Northern Frontier?"

"Replacing General Huang who is unable to perform his duties due to a recurrence of his old illness."

"When did General Huang return to the capital?"

"Normally, he would have been able to return to Beijing after completing the official handover. However, the doctor diagnosed that General Huang's injuries made it difficult for him to travel long distances, so he stayed in the northern border until his condition improved last year, when he returned to Beijing." Seeing that she was in high spirits, Shen Xinyan also accompanied her around.

"Does General Huang have a daughter who is waiting to be married?"

"As far as I know, there is a... Could it be that the person my mother is talking about is this Miss Huang?" Shen Xinyan finally came to her senses.

The eldest princess smiled with satisfaction: "Yes, it is this girl!"

"This is a little surprising to me. Why would mother like Miss Huang? Miss Huang has lived with her father in northern Xinjiang since she was young, and only returned to Beijing last year."

There were some things Shen Xinyan didn't say. In the eyes of the ladies of various mansions, this Miss Huang was indeed not a good candidate.

First of all, this girl grew up in the Northern Frontier. What is the Northern Frontier? In the eyes of the people in Beijing, it is a barbaric place, and the people there are barbarians. Naturally, this girl Huang is also half a Northern Frontier barbarian.

Secondly, this Miss Huang is the eldest daughter of General Huang. Mrs. Huang passed away several years ago, and General Huang has never remarried. This eldest daughter who has never been taught by her biological mother has never been a good candidate for a daughter-in-law in a wealthy family.

Finally, the beauty of women nowadays is fair and delicate. Miss Huang grew up in the northern border where the wind and sand are strong and the sun is fierce, so she is not fair and tender. Of course, it is not to say that Miss Huang has a bad appearance, but compared with the young ladies who are used to being delicate in the capital, she is indeed not delicate enough.

There was one thing that Shen Xinyan was embarrassed to tell others, which was that Miss Huang's fate was indeed not very good. She lost her mother at a young age, married the wrong person, and lived a miserable life for half her life.

"This girl is a rough jade. If she is well polished, she will be able to support the family with Brother Lin in the future. It is ridiculous and lamentable that people are used to judging people by their appearance and are trapped in rules and regulations, not knowing how to make gold and jade."

"Although this girl lost her mother at an early age, she has taken on her mother's duties over the years and managed everything in the mansion in an orderly manner. It can be seen that she is extremely intelligent."

"He was filial to his father, nurturing his younger brother, fulfilling both filial piety and righteousness, and never complaining about the world or others, which shows how broad-minded he was."

"In terms of character, there are few girls like her in the whole capital. I have watched these days with a cold eye, and I feel both distressed and fortunate."

"I feel sorry for this child who has been criticized for no reason. Fortunately, those vulgar people don't know the value of gold and jade. This also gives us the opportunity to pick up a bargain!" The eldest princess sighed.

"Mother thinks so highly of this girl. It would be a real pity for our family if we couldn't marry her." Shen Xinyan said.

"We'll just wait for Brother Lin to come back and ask him what he thinks, then we'll send someone to propose marriage." The Grand Princess made the final decision.

Shen Xinyan responded with a smile: "Just as mother said."

At this point, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finally reached an agreement on the choice of Wei Chenglin's wife.

Five months later, Wei Chenglin, who had been away from the capital for more than three years, finally returned.

As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down in front of the elder without saying a word and kowtowed several times respectfully.

The eldest princess wanted to stop him, but Wei Junhang held her tightly to prevent her from going forward, and shook his head at her inaudibly.

The eldest princess understood what he meant, and stood quietly by with tears in her eyes, watching helplessly as her eldest grandson's forehead soon became red and swollen.

"Grandma, I am an unfilial grandson..." Wei Chenglin choked.

"You are really unfilial, making your elderly grandmother worry about you." Wei Junhang said slowly.

Wei Chenglin bowed his head again.

"Now, after years of self-exile, have you figured it out? Have you let go of what you should let go of? Are you prepared to take on what you should take on?" Wei Junhang asked seriously with sharp eyes.

Wei Chenglin met his gaze calmly and said slowly, "I have been through a lot in the past few years. I have been through life and death many times. I have survived many dangers. Now that I have escaped danger, I look back on my life and it seems like a dream."

"The past cannot be retrieved. I just think that the most important thing in life is responsibility."

Wei Junhang's expression finally eased. He walked over to help him up, patted his shoulder, and said softly, "Go see your grandmother and mother."