With all sorts of strange thoughts swirling in their minds, no one dared to reveal their feelings despite the old man's presence, but the gazes directed at Chen Xiao were inevitably varied and complex.
only……
When everyone saw that Chen Xiao was standing next to Zhang Xiaotao, who was as beautiful as a flower, it was not only because she was pretty, but also because her clothes and appearance clearly indicated that she came from a big city in the east. In addition, she had a petite and affectionate manner and was holding hands with Chen Xiao affectionately—they were definitely not siblings, but practically had the word "couple" engraved on their foreheads!
What's going on here? The Xiao family's youngest son-in-law is flirting with another woman right in front of the old man?!
The old man seemed quite pleased with it!
In the layered courtyard, the servants lined up, sprinkling clean water on the ground and offering fragrant tea in welcome.
The heads of the Xiao family's main branches were all waiting for the old man to receive them, but to everyone's surprise, the old man led Chen Xiao and the girl beside him directly into the inner courtyard, then closed the gate and sent someone out to give an order: "The old man is tired from his journey, we can talk about it tomorrow."
Everyone stared at each other, unsure how to guess the old man's thoughts, and could only disperse.
"Hehe, these guys probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
The old man sat in a grand chair in the main hall, and Chen Xiao sat to his left.
Actually, Chen Xiao wasn't comfortable sitting in this hard armchair; he was used to sitting on sofas. However, he had a lot of questions on his mind along the way, and now that he finally had a chance to ask, he could only endure it.
"Old man, now that you've lured me here, it's time to tell me everything clearly."
The old man nodded with a smile, tapped the blue bricks on the ground with his dragon-headed cane, and after a short while, several young men came out respectfully from behind, carrying several thick booklets in their hands.
"This is our Xiao family genealogy. Your mother's name is in it... Take a good look and you'll understand."
Chen Xiao frowned as he looked at the several thick booklets.
"This is a copy. The original is kept in the ancestral hall. Feel free to look through it." The old man took a pipe from a young man next to him, took two puffs, and put it on the table.
"Our Xiao family has a history of being officials. One of our ancestors was a high-ranking official who served in the central government. However, the current Xiao family in Lingnan is a branch that came from the north during the late Qing Dynasty. They settled here and have grown and multiplied over the past hundred years to achieve the family we have today. I won't show you the older family genealogy, but the one in your hand is a record of our branch that came here from Lingnan."
Chen Xiao nodded, filled with questions, and turned to the first page.
On the first page, the several Xiao surname names that Chen Xiao saw were probably the ancestors of this branch of the family in Lingnan.
What Chen Xiao didn't notice was that on the very first page, there was a name that was somewhat related to him, but Chen Xiao couldn't remember the origin of that name.
“Xiao Jinglong, Xiao Jing'en, Xiao… Xiao Mingyue.” Chen Xiao casually clicked his tongue: “Xiao Mingyue, Mingyue… a very nice name.”
Chapter 259 of the main text: [I'm 'back']
Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, a strange light flashed in Old Master Xiao's eyes. He then smiled gently and said seriously, "Don't talk nonsense. You must show respect to your ancestors."
Then the old man sighed and said quietly, "Speaking of which, the prosperity of our Lingnan branch is thanks to Xiao Mingyue. We probably wouldn't even know where we are now."
Chen Xiao looked at the old man with some surprise, but the old man had already picked up a cup of tea in front of him, taken a small sip, and then smiled faintly: "Alright, I'm tired from the journey and really don't have the energy to compete with a young man like you. I'm going to rest. You can stay here and read on your own."
He paused, then added, "You'll stay in this house for now. It's best not to go out to the front unless absolutely necessary. Heh heh! Those people at home are probably already waiting for you to come back. You should stay in my back quarters for now. Don't wander around. As long as you stay here, no one will bother you. Hmm… meals will be brought to you at mealtimes. You'll stay in the left wing at night; everything will be taken care of."
As the old man finished speaking, he deliberately glanced at Zhang Xiaotao and smiled somewhat strangely, "I, the old man, don't usually interfere much in the affairs of young people, but since she's in my house, she has to follow some rules. Tonight, the little girl will stay in the right wing room. Hehe... it's dark, so you young people shouldn't go into the wrong room."
Hearing the teasing tone in his words, Chen Xiao hadn't reacted much, but Zhang Xiaotao immediately blushed. Although she deeply loved Chen Xiao and had long since decided he was the one for her, she was still a virgin. While they were intimate, they maintained a respectful distance—of course, if Chen Xiao made any advances, Zhang Xiaotao would readily agree. However, when they were in Japan, Chen Xiao had some reservations. Now, with his amnesia, there was an even greater distance between them, and they wouldn't engage in many intimate actions.
"Grandpa, you're so disrespectful! How dare you say such things to us young people!" Zhang Xiaotao raised an eyebrow; she was known for her fiery temper. Grandpa Xiao laughed heartily: "Younger? Since you consider yourself my younger, didn't you almost kick this old man the other day?"
Zhang Xiaotao blushed, but quickly stood up, bowed to the old man, and then obediently brought over a cup of tea, saying cautiously, "I really didn't know your identity at the time. I was so rude. Please, sir, have some tea."
Old Master Xiao laughed heartily, seemingly quite pleased with himself. However, he took a sip of tea from the cup, then patted his thigh and said, "I'm leaving now. You young men and women, I won't keep you from having your private conversation."
Watching the old man walk out through the back door of the main room, Zhang Xiaotao hung her head dejectedly, sighed deeply, ran a few steps to Chen Xiao's side, pinched him, and said reproachfully, "It's all your fault! The old man probably still holds a grudge against me!"
Chen Xiao smiled slightly and looked at Zhang Xiaotao. Although he had lost many of his memories, he could still feel happy being with this girl.
Moreover, in the subtle details of her daily actions, he could fully feel the girl's deep affection for him. This extremely harmonious joy seemed to come from an instinct. Even though his memory was blank, Chen Xiao enjoyed this feeling very much.
After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly pulled Zhang Xiaotao gently into his lap. Zhang Xiaotao, having been pulled by him, had no reason to resist her beloved's affectionate gesture. She sat on Chen Xiao's lap and immediately hooked her arms around his neck, her face full of joy as she looked at him with delight.
Since reuniting with Chen Xiao, he hadn't remembered her. When they were together, Zhang Xiaotao was always the one initiating intimacy with Chen Xiao, but he seemed somewhat resistant, let alone making any intimate moves in return. Now, suddenly being pulled into his arms, Zhang Xiaotao's heart fluttered with joy. Her bright eyes filled with tenderness, almost overflowing with affection. She rested her head obediently on Chen Xiao's shoulder, her slender fingers gently tracing patterns on his neck.
Chen Xiao also felt a strange tenderness in his heart. The girl in his arms was his girlfriend. Although he didn't remember anything about their past, this intimate feeling of being inseparable seemed to transcend memories.
Chen Xiao's hand was already on the girl's soft, slender waist. Zhang Xiaotao trembled instantly, opened her rosy lips, and glanced at Chen Xiao with a resentful look. Chen Xiao smiled gently and whispered, "Thank you."
"Hmm?" Zhang Xiaotao's eyes were somewhat blank.
"Thank you for being with me," Chen Xiao said softly. "You came all the way from Shanghai to here with me, even putting aside your work..."
Zhang Xiaotao shook her head, but simply hugged Chen Xiao's neck and nuzzled his shoulder with her cheek.
At this moment, Chen Xiao felt surrounded by a warm and soft body, and his heart was filled with indescribable peace and joy. It was as if all the pressure had disappeared, and he felt extremely light. He immediately held Zhang Xiaotao in one arm and picked up a family genealogy book in the other, and began to carefully turn the pages.
Zhang Xiaotao was, after all, a girl, and her physical strength was not as good as a man's. She was already exhausted from the long journey. Now, leaning against Chen Xiao's chest, she felt happy and relaxed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Chen Xiao flipped through the family genealogy book, a tumultuous collection of records, yet he seemed completely absorbed, reading until the sun was setting before finally finishing one volume. Feeling slightly drowsy, he casually tossed the book aside and glanced at the person in his arms. He saw Zhang Xiaotao fast asleep, her breath soft, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her rosy lips facing him. A surge of tenderness welled up in Chen Xiao's heart, and he couldn't resist lowering his head to gently kiss those rosy lips.
Zhang Xiaotao gave a soft "hmm," as if talking in her sleep. Chen Xiao smiled gently, picked her up, and carried her out of the main room.
The side rooms on both sides of the house had been prepared. Chen Xiao carried Zhang Xiaotao into the right side room, placed her on the bed, covered her with a quilt, and then got up to leave. Just after Chen Xiao left, Zhang Xiaotao, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes, looked at the door with a resentful expression, and sighed softly in her heart: "Coward." But then she touched her mouth and suddenly felt unbearably shy, her face flushed, and she buried her head under the quilt.
The two had clearly established a relationship before, kissing and hugging, but now that Chen Xiao has lost his memory, their actions seem like those of a young couple falling in love for the first time, with a touch of innocent sweetness.
Chen Xiao walked alone into the courtyard, put his hands behind his back, and looked around.
The old man's inner residence was closest to the hillside, but on the side facing the mountain, there was a bamboo grove, which suggests that the old man was a man of refined taste.
The saying goes, "One has bamboo to live in, meat to eat, and wine to drink."