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She had never been taught Mandarin, specifically the Henan dialect spoken in Kaifeng.

She learned it from watching TV dramas! She can only understand it, she can't speak it very well!

After traveling for half a day, the carriage suddenly stopped. A guard rode back and said, "Greetings to Old Madam Cui and Miss. The He family's carriage has arrived. He Daxian greets Old Madam Cui and has come to pick up the young master and Miss."

It seemed the carriage sent by the second branch of the family had arrived. Madam Cui, reluctant to part, instructed the maid to pack her things, repeatedly telling her to visit often in the future. Su Chen agreed to everything, thanked her, and then specifically thanked Cui Shiran as well. They changed carriages, and the two families went their separate ways. He Su Shi rode alongside on horseback, and soon they arrived at the He family's residence in the capital.

The carriage entered through the back door. Su Chen entered before she even noticed. As soon as the carriage stopped, three or four old women and maids surrounded her, saying auspicious words to help her out of the carriage.

After landing and regaining her footing, He Su Shi walked over from the other side and gave her a reassuring look. The two entered the hospital and met He Zi Yuan and his wife.

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I've used two people from the Shenzong era—the sons of Zhenzhu Ji and Xiangmin Gong. Just to clarify, they weren't from the Huizong era.

P.S.: If it's convenient for you all, could you please give me some recommendation votes? They're really scarce...

Chapter Three, Ziyuan

The promotional function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now! The He family's official residence in the capital was acquired by He Qufei in his youth. Over the decades, it went from bustling to deserted, and then back to bustling again, but it has always been constantly expanding. The two followed the old woman for a long time before finally getting on the right path. Su Chen was thinking of something when he suddenly slowed down and pulled Su Shi aside, whispering, "When we meet, should we greet them?"

He Su said in surprise, "Nonsense! You have to call out even if you can't. It'll be a bit of a stretch, but it has to be passable."

Su Chen looked miserable and gritted her teeth, saying, "I still can't say it." Seeing that He Su Shi looked like he was going to blame her, she quickly added, "How can you say it? You call him Dad and Mom, but this time it's different from calling someone Grandma or Aunt. If I asked you to call someone else Mom, could you do it?" Dad and Mom are extremely intimate terms, and it's really inappropriate to just call someone you don't know at all.

He Su Shi looked utterly helpless. "How old are you anyway? Why are you still acting like this at a time like this?"

"I just arrived and haven't seen them for several years, so it's normal that I can't shout it out." She said rather unhappily, "Give me a few days to think it over and make some preparations before shouting it out. Anyway, I can't shout it out right now."

He Su sighed, "I was just talking about you, but I can't bring myself to call you..." Hearing his irritating tone, Su Chen almost kicked him to the left!

Hearing the noise behind them, the leading old woman assumed the two were discussing the mansion and began to describe it: "Young master and young lady, look, this is the garden. It would be perfect for resting there when you have some free time. That's where our servants live, and this is where the masters live. Madam has been busy for days preparing for your return, cleaning and arranging all the large rooms. I went to see them this morning. They're spacious and bright, the most comfortable place to live."

Since the topic of servants' quarters had come up, Su Chen asked, "Have the servants been settled in their lodgings?" The old woman replied with a smile, "They've already been arranged to stay and pack their things, so you don't need to worry, Miss."

Su Chen walked along, surveying her surroundings. The He Mansion in Kyoto wasn't much different from the He Mansion in Suzhou; both were gardens in the Suzhou-Hangzhou style. However, this mansion was much older, and in places constantly exposed to sun and rain, much of the paint had peeled off. Furthermore, the mansion seemed to have many inscriptions and calligraphy. She had been counting for five minutes and had already seen five plaques with over ten inscriptions, and the handwriting was almost entirely different in each place, especially along the corridors where inscriptions and poems were ubiquitous on the wooden domes and walls.

She thought to herself that it was good that they were all poems and the like, not just some random tourist postcards.

The old woman in front was also clever. Seeing that Su Shi and his sister were interested in the inscriptions, she catered to their interests and said, "These were all left by guests. I don't know when this habit started, but all guests who come to our mansion leave something behind." She pointed in a general direction in the distance with a look of reverence, "The inscription on the door of the Second Master's study was even bestowed by the current emperor."

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, a maid hurried over and gave a deep bow when she was about seven or eight steps away, saying, "This servant, Xiaoxian, greets the young master and young lady. The second master and mistress are receiving important guests in the front hall, but Prince Cheng and his wife have arrived unexpectedly. Since they have no choice, they have asked the masters to rest in the side hall for a while."

Prince Cheng? The one whose son went missing? Why is he here? That man is no good.

Once inside the side hall, the old woman handed the two women over to the maids. The maids helped them change their clothes and wipe their faces before sending them away to He Su Shi.

Su Chen, holding a teacup, recounted what he had heard that day to He Su Shi. He Su Shi already knew this. "Nan Yu is alright; he was accidentally kidnapped by hooligans. But Zhen Zhu Ji is in a terrible state; she was captured by the Crown Prince's faction. I wonder what will happen when she is rescued."

"How do you know who was arrested and who was accidentally kidnapped?" Su Chen asked, puzzled. He Su Shi recounted the official notice and the information he knew, then reasoned it out, adding, "Nan Yu was kidnapped accidentally. Once the thieves hear the news, they'll naturally be afraid. If we send people to search, we'll most likely find her. It's also possible that the thieves will release her out of fear. Unfortunately, Zhenzhu Ji was kidnapped by those involved in factional strife, so it won't be so easy to find her." Seeing Su Chen's somewhat somber expression, he said, "Since it's factional strife, one should be aware of this. It's just that it's hard on your own children."

Su Chen remained silent, taking another sip of tea. Although the side hall was small, it had everything one needed. She looked around and, having heard that the room had been furnished by her own mother, Madam Wu, asked, "What kind of person is Madam Wu?"

He Su Shi glanced around the room and said, "It's quite elegant."

"I quite like him, though." She sighed. "I wonder what kind of person he is. I'm actually a little worried."

Hearing her say that, He Su Shi reached out and held her hand, saying, "No matter what, you're not the only one who has to call me Mom."

No matter how much speculation there is, the conjectures about Wu and He Ziyuan are just that—conjectures. As for what Prince Cheng was talking about with the couple in the hall, the two siblings discussed it for a long time but still couldn't come to a consensus.

Finally, Prince Cheng left, and the maid named Xiaoxian came in with a smile, "Young master and young lady, the prince has been seen off outside, and the madam is urging you to go out!"

The two followed him out, shuffling along. When they arrived at the main hall, the maids laid out cushions. Su Shi and Su Chen, following the rules, could not raise their heads first, so they knelt and kowtowed to the couple's feet. Then they heard a clear male voice say, "Get up quickly."

Su Chen stood up, and the maid beside her put away the cushion. She could finally look up at people again.

He Ziyuan and Wu Shi should have been sitting, but perhaps because they felt sorry for their two children, they both stood up. Although the two of them were standing side by side, He Sucheng glanced at He Ziyuan at a glance.

My first impression was—is this guy really over thirty?!

He Ziyuan was very handsome, tall and thin, and looked a bit frail, making people wonder how he managed to become a field researcher and travel around with such a physique, and how he endured the hardships of ocean voyages.

To be fair, He Su Shi looks somewhat like He Zi Yuan, but not by much. He Su Shi has a very effeminate appearance, with an unnaturally beautiful and delicate face. But He Zi Yuan doesn't.

He Ziyuan's features weren't particularly striking, but he possessed a comfortable and gentle temperament. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary scholar, but upon closer inspection, his eyes and brows seemed spirited, yet upon further examination, they appeared calm again. Logically speaking, someone who had spent nearly twenty years navigating the ups and downs of officialdom shouldn't possess the same gentle, jade-like demeanor as He Ziyuan, regardless of his character. However, it was precisely this gentle, jade-like quality that simultaneously conveyed a sense of steadfastness and world-weariness.

Su Chen was stunned for a moment.

After a while, she realized what was happening and knew she should call for help, but hesitated and couldn't bring herself to do it. She turned around to wait for He Su Shi. When she turned, she saw He Su Shi's face filled with shock, his expression as if he had been struck by lightning. Startled, before she could react, He Su Shi involuntarily let out a sharp shout—

"dad……"

The sound was mournful, with a drawn-out ending that seemed to never end.

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Regarding bonus chapters for every 500 votes: I'd like to add a bonus chapter every 500 votes~~ I'll add one now (hehe, that way I can only add a bonus chapter once every one or two months~~).

Thank you to everyone who gave me recommendation votes!

Chapter Four, Memory

The promoter function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now!!! What's going on here?!

Su Chen stared at He Su Shi in astonishment. His chest was heaving violently, his fingers were trembling, and his face was strangely flushed. His eyes were fixed on He Zi Yuan, but he was clearly not fully conscious. Knowing something was wrong, she grabbed his sleeve forcefully, trying to bring him back to his senses, but it was completely useless. She became furious and dug her nails into his flesh. Only when she felt them digging in did He Su Shi gasp for breath, staring intently at He Zi Yuan. After a long while, he cried out in anguish, "Father."

Although He Ziyuan felt that the situation just now was not quite right, he was filled with guilt and shame after seeing his sixteen-year-old son for the first time. He was also quite happy to see his son's handsome character and his daughter's delicate beauty. He quickly agreed. Wu Shi couldn't help but step forward and hug the two of them, tears streaming down her face, calling out "child," "son," and "darling" repeatedly.