92: Finally home

Inside the ancestral hall.

Chu Qinhui, who had been lost in thought for a long time, trembled slightly, and his eyes regained their clarity.

Seeing her husband regain his senses, Jiang Nian let out a slight sigh of relief.

Xu Yinyue, in Jiang Nian's arms, looked at the offering table but didn't find the young, ethereal figure, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Chu Qinhui first looked at Jiang Nian, giving her a subtle nod, then turned to Xu Yinyue and said:

"Regardless of whether what you just saw was real or not, we truly have no news of anyone who was conscripted. Why don't you stay in your grandfather's courtyard for now? If we get any news, we'll inform you immediately, how about that?"

The little girl was silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head, "I want to go home. Grandpa promised me he'd come home to celebrate the New Year with me."

How could she not wish that the scenes she saw were false? She remembered her promise with her grandfather, so even if it was just his Soul, her grandfather would definitely come back to celebrate the New Year with her.

She wasn't afraid. She could see the Souls of the deceased, so perhaps her grandfather could stay by her side longer this way.

With that, she walked to the side, respectfully bowed to the two of them, and was about to leave the courtyard.

Chu Qinhui gave Jiang Nian a look, and Jiang Nian quickly took two steps, placing her hand on Xu Yinyue's shoulder.

"You'd be all alone if you went back, which would be quite lonely. Why not stay at my house? I have a daughter about your age, and I'm sure you two would get along well."

The little girl seemed to have a strong will, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to travel alone over mountains and rivers to the Chu family to find her grandfather.

She shook her head firmly, "I want to go home and wait for Grandpa. I'm afraid he won't find his way back."

Perhaps the continuous three days without news had made the little girl accept that what her eyes saw was some kind of reality.

Compared to when she first arrived today, the little girl's emotions were much more stable and she had become more subdued.

"Home is where people are. The town hasn't been peaceful these past few days, and a little girl like you staying home alone would truly worry your grandfather.

Just settle down with peace of mind. Perhaps when your grandfather returns, he'll be able to see you at our house right away," Jiang Nian gently advised.

Chu Qinhui also added, "No matter what, you should at least go and see the courtyard where your grandfather lived."

...After the couple's persuasion, the little girl finally agreed to stay in the courtyard where her grandfather used to live.

She pulled out ten Origin Rune Stones from her brocade pouch, "This is for my accommodation."

Jiang Nian pushed her hand back, "How could our Chu family lack food and drink for a little girl like you? I see you're about the same age as my daughter,

She doesn't have many playmates here. If you can become friends with her, I'll be perfectly content."

Xu Yinyue's eyes flickered, wondering what she was thinking, and finally nodded hesitantly.

Seeing her agree, Jiang Nian smiled slightly and personally led her to the small courtyard where her grandfather once lived.

Chu Qinhui also breathed a sigh of relief beside them. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to forcibly confine a little girl in the Chu family; it was best if she agreed to stay on her own.

It got dark very early. Because it was the last day of the year, every household no longer saved lamp oil, and the villages and towns became brightly lit.

Warm yellow light spilled through window lattices, doorways, and lanterns onto the glistening snow, as if illuminating the way home for those who were away.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch."

In front of the Chu family's main gate, a somewhat thin figure slowly walked over.

In the footprints he left, there was a faint reddish mark. His clothes were still relatively intact, but his face was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to clearly see what he looked like.

The warm light from the two lanterns at the gate cast his shadow into two from different directions.

The somewhat lazy gatekeeper smelled a faint scent of blood and quickly looked up, seeing the eerie figure standing at the gate.

The plump gatekeeper was startled. He frantically shook a red silk ribbon beside him while standing up and nervously shouted:

"Who is at the gate? Quickly state your name. On New Year's Eve, our Chu family cannot entertain."

The eerie figure at the gate stood still for a while before a familiar voice came out,

"What entertainment? I'm returning to my own home, do I need to be entertained?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the gatekeeper ran out of the room next to the main gate, came under the lantern, and only then clearly saw the face of the eerie figure.

Seeing that it was Chu Jingyu, he almost jumped up in excitement, quickly shouting joyfully towards the courtyard:

"The family head is back! The family head is back!"

Chu Jingyu raised his right hand, "Stop, stop, stop. Why are you shouting so loudly?" With that, he stepped over the threshold and walked into the courtyard.

The gatekeeper scratched his head, feeling a bit strange looking at the family head's retreating back as he entered, but couldn't pinpoint what was strange at the moment.

Just as he stepped through the door, he immediately encountered two Chu family Guards. They had been summoned by the gatekeeper's tugging of the red silk and the ringing of bells.

But seeing that it was Chu Jingyu, they were first surprised, then quickly bowed and cupped their fists, "Welcome home, Family Head."

"It's nothing, you two can go back. Are Xiao Fan and the others in the main hall?"

One of the Guards replied, "Yes, Family Head. The young masters just gathered in the main hall, preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner."

Hearing the words 'New Year's Eve dinner,' Chu Jingyu paused for a moment, then revealed a bitter smile. He hadn't expected seven days to have already passed.

Nodding to the two Guards, Chu Jingyu continued deeper into the courtyard.

The two Guards watched Chu Jingyu leave. One of them showed a hint of melancholy in his eyes and rubbed his left arm towards the other Guard.

Inside the main hall.

Jiang Nian introduced Xu Yinyue, who was temporarily staying at their home, to her family and had her sit next to Chu Shenghan.

The other members of the Chu family welcomed Xu Yinyue's arrival. At Jiang Nian's hint, Chu Shenghan even moved closer to Xu Yinyue, whispering girl talk.

Before long, Xu Yinyue, whose emotions had been tense, gradually relaxed under Chu Shenghan's comfort.

Chu Shengyuan looked around at everyone seated at the round table and loudly asked his father:

"Dad, when is Grandpa coming back?"

Chu Qinhui was somewhat silent regarding this question. What Chu Shengyuan asked was the same question he had been asking himself for days in the ancestral hall. It was ultimately a question without an answer.

"Oh, Xiao Yuan misses Grandpa?"

The sudden voice from outside the door caused the atmosphere in the entire main hall to abruptly freeze.

Everyone looked towards the door. An old man, dressed in a brown robe with a square face, now wearing a gentle smile, who else could it be but Chu Jingyu?

Chu Shengyuan didn't have many other thoughts. He didn't know what Chu Jingyu had been doing all these days; he only knew that his grandfather, who had been away from home for so long, had finally returned.

So he excitedly rushed to the door and into Chu Jingyu's arms, "Grandpa, you're finally back!"

Chu Jingyu stretched out his right hand and patted Xiao Yuan's head, "Yes, Grandpa is back."

Chu Shengyuan wrapped his arms around his grandfather's waist, suddenly feeling something was wrong. He didn't feel Chu Jingyu's left arm.

He raised his head and asked in confusion, "Grandpa, where's your left arm?"

Meanwhile, standing inside, Chu Qinhui, who had seen clearly that his father's left arm was missing, had turned pale.