Xie Yuchen looked at the large horse before him, allowing his older brother to hold him as he sat astride the horse's back. Only after his grandfather had also mounted did he ask in a soft voice, "Grandfather, does Great-Aunt have a lot of big horses to ride?"
Looking at his excited little grandson, Master Xie Jiu replied, "Yes, when we get there, I'll have your Great-Aunt teach you how to ride." With that, he looked at the person leading the way ahead. The closer he got to seeing her, the more impatient he felt, wondering if his younger sister still looked the way she did in his dreams.
The person leading the way suddenly turned his head. "Miss has also prepared a pony for the Young Master. She originally wanted to let it grow a bit more before sending it to the Xie Residence. I'm sure you'll love it when you see it."
The smile on Xie Yuchen's face grew even wider. "Really? I have my own little horse?" He loved little horses, and there were no small animals at home. He used to envy Wu Xie because Fifth Master's household had many small dogs, but now he had a pony too—one that was better than Wu Xie's puppy.
The guide coaxed Xie Yuchen along the way while traveling at a leisurely pace. When the three horses finally stopped, Master Xie Jiu—the gentle and refined Master Xie of the Nine Gates—gazed into the distance at the figure standing before the door and instantly burst into tears. "Yaoyao."
Xie Nanyou walked closer and looked at her older brother, whose eyes were brimming with tears. "What? Brother, do you not recognize me anymore?" Then she looked at the child hiding behind her brother. "Xiaohua, you look so handsome. Come here, let's go home," she said, waving to the curious Xie Yuchen.
Xie Yuchen tentatively grabbed the hand in front of him. "Great-Aunt?" He had imagined what his Great-Aunt would look like many times—gentle, serious, kind—but he had never imagined someone this stunning.
Xie Nanyou curved the corners of her mouth, using one hand to grasp her brother's hand and the other to pull the little one's small hand. "Xiao Yi, you two go bring the pony over. In a while, I'll teach my little grandson how to ride."
With that, she walked into the courtyard, and the three of them entered the living room. Xie Nanyou sat with Xie Yuchen on the daybed, looking at the man beside her as she handed him a handkerchief. "Brother, you're at this age, yet your tears are still so worthless."
As she finished speaking, she picked up a prepared damp handkerchief to wipe Xie Yuchen's hands, picked up a piece of pastry from the table, and pressed it into those little hands. "You must be hungry. Dinner will be ready soon, so eat a piece of pastry first to line your stomach."
Looking at Xie Nanyou, who hadn't changed at all from how she used to be, Master Xie Jiu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, placed the handkerchief on the table, and looked at the person before him. "As I've grown older, I've become rather sentimental." He then glanced at Xie Yuchen, who was busy eating. "I should have come to see you much sooner, but..."
"I know. Brother, you don't need to say these things. If we really must talk about whose fault it is, it's me, your younger sister, who hasn't done well." A gentle smile graced Xie Nanyou's face.
She had always kept her eyes on the Xie Residence, which was why she was able to send things over in time when trouble struck, and she also knew that this aging brother of hers in front of her had been holding her in his heart.
Seeing the housekeeper walk in from outside, she said, "Brother, you must find this person familiar. He is Uncle Xu's son." She patted the pastry crumbs from Xie Yuchen's hands and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go, it's time to eat."
Looking at the familiar face, Master Xie Jiu wore a warm smile. As the steward of their mother's shop, Uncle Xu had been the person their mother trusted most. When Xie Nanyou left, she had taken those elderly servants with her, and he hadn't expected to see him again now. "Thank you for taking care of Yaoyao," he said, patting his shoulder as the two of them walked out of the room together.
Xie Nanyou looked at the two men behind her. "Why aren't you hurrying?" With that, she was already leading Xie Yuchen into the adjacent room.
In front of the dining table, Xie Nanyou pointed to a chair nearby. "Ansheng, sit down as well. Uncle Xu didn't get scolded a few times back then for sneaking candy to Brother." She then looked at her brother and, seeing him nod with a smile, added, "Our Xiaohua mustn't learn from your grandfather; eating too much candy will give you a toothache." As she spoke, she picked up some food and placed it in Xie Yuchen's bowl.
"Uncle Xu only got scolded by Mother; as for me, I had to memorize quite a few extra books because of it." He looked at Xu Ansheng beside him with a nostalgic expression. When their parents were alive, he and his sister had lived carefree lives. Later on, their parents passed away, and his sister left as well...
Xu Ansheng looked at the Head of the Xie Family with a nostalgic expression. "When my father was alive, he once said that Eldest Miss had him secretly give the Young Master candy so that the Young Master would have the motivation to memorize more books."
Xie Nanyou looked at her brother. "Who told you to be such a glutton? Those books were not memorized in vain."
After a dinner filled with laughter and chatter, Xie Nanyou watched as the child was led off to sleep by Xu Ansheng, then sat in the parlor with the Head of the Xie Family, each holding a cup of tea to aid digestion. "Did Brother come to see me because of Xiaohua?"
The Head of the Xie Family put down his teacup. "I know that when you left back then, it was for the good of the Xie family, but this time I have no other choice. Xiaohua is still too young, and I am now merely holding on for one more day at a time. Yaoyao, come back. Xiaohua needs you." He would no longer be able to watch his grandson grow up, but he wasn't worried, because Yaoyao was still here, and she would take good care of him.