The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

In late spring, a gentle breeze carries the faint fragrance of flowers, freely weaving through the streets and alleys of the small town. A horse-drawn carriage, decorated in a simple yet elegant style, slowly travels along the cobblestone road. The wheels roll over the stones, making a rhythmic "gurgling" sound, as if softly singing a song of time.

Inside the carriage, Gongsun Ruotang, dressed in a plain brocade robe, with a graceful figure, gently lifted a corner of the curtain with her fair fingers, her eyes like water, as she focused intently on counting the wildflowers blooming freely by the roadside.

The wildflowers, some red and some yellow, were scattered among the grass, swaying gently in the breeze, as if having a silent conversation with Gongsun Ruotang.

Sitting opposite her was Si Yunchen, dressed in a black robe, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his face cold and stern with a hint of majesty, but when he looked at Gongsun Ruotang, a touch of tenderness unconsciously appeared in his eyes.

The carriage jolted slightly, and Si Yunchen leaned forward a little. Suddenly, he reached out and grasped Gongsun Ruotang's wrist. His deep, magnetic voice echoed softly in the small carriage: "Does Madam still remember when you smashed the medicine basket here back then?"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Ruotang was slightly taken aback, raised her eyes to look at Si Yunchen, and a complicated expression flashed in her eyes.

She gently withdrew her hand, the movement elegant and natural, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against the thin layer of dust on the window frame. Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable certainty: "Ah Chen, you've misremembered."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze peering through the gap in the carriage curtain into the distance, as if recalling the past. "It was Senior Brother Yuwen who broke the medicine basket; I merely took the blame for him and received ten slaps on the hand."

Her voice was still echoing in the carriage when a familiar humming suddenly came from outside. The tune was a little off-key, but it was full of unruliness and freedom: "Which bastard is making fun of me?" The voice came from afar, with a hint of mockery and teasing.

Cheng Huan, who was sitting idly to the side inside the car, lit up instantly upon hearing the voice. Like an excited little rabbit, she hopped to the car curtain and reached out to lift it and jump down.

With quick reflexes, Si Yunchen grabbed Cheng Huan by the back of her collar and pulled her back. Si Yunchen pretended to be serious, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Cheng Huan, you've already come of age..." Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Cheng Huan's exclamation.

"Father, look! We've arrived!" Cheng Huan excitedly pointed to the mountain gate ahead, her eyes wide with surprise.

Following the direction the little princess pointed, everyone looked and saw the plaque of Qingyu Manor hanging high, gleaming with an ancient luster under the sunlight.

Beneath the plaque, Madam Yu Luo, dressed in a close-fitting outfit and holding a feather duster, was chasing Yuwen Mo around the courtyard. Yuwen Mo dodged left and right while taking a few swigs of wine from the flask in his hand, a cynical smile on his face.

Zhuang Yichen, dressed in an elegant white robe, sat on the threshold with a book on his lap. Looking at the chaotic scene before him, he shook his head helplessly, muttering repeatedly, "What kind of behavior is this? What kind of behavior is this…"

As evening approached, dusk, like a soft piece of silk, quietly spread across the sky, casting a hazy veil over the entire resort.

Gongsun Ruotang, dressed in dark clothes, moved with the lightness of a cat in the dark night, and silently made her way to the manor's kitchen.

The kitchen was filled with the lingering aroma of food, and the rich flavor of the rice wine seemed to be an invisible hand, drawing her in.

Her eyes darted around, searching for traces of rice wine in every corner.

Just as she was tiptoeing to open a wine jar, she suddenly heard a slight noise.

She was startled and quickly moved to the side, her heart pounding like a drum.

A head slowly peeked out from behind the stove; it was Si Yunchen.

At this moment, Si Yunchen was completely devoid of his usual aloof and self-possessed emperor demeanor. He was squatting behind the stove, intently peeling chestnuts.

A small pile of chestnut shells had already accumulated beside him, and he was still tightly holding a chestnut in his hand, trying hard to peel off its hard shell.

Gongsun Ruotang and Si Yunchen looked at each other, unsure of how to react, when a slight noise came from the roof beam.

Immediately afterwards, Chenghuan crouched down and dangled half her body from the beam. Her eyes sparkled as she excitedly exclaimed, "Is this where Mother used to steal beggar's chicken?" Her voice echoed in the kitchen, as if suddenly making the quiet space lively and bringing those interesting stories from the past to life.

Before Gongsun Ruotang and Si Yunchen could respond to Chenghuan, Zhuang Yichen's steady voice suddenly rang out from behind: "There's still half a [animal] buried under the third brick in the stove." Gongsun Ruotang was so startled by this sudden voice that she almost screamed.

Her face flushed, and instinctively following Zhuang Yichen's instructions, she squatted down and reached for the third brick in the stove. When her fingers touched the brick, she pried it open and actually found a package of oil paper.

Upon opening the oil paper package, a charred chicken leg appeared before everyone's eyes. In the dim light, the chicken leg actually glistened with oil, as if telling a story of the past.

With a creak, the window was gently pushed open, and Yuwen Mo climbed in through the window carrying a wine jar. Seeing the messy yet amusing scene inside, a smile crept onto his lips as he teased, "Junior Sister's skill at stealing food has even been perfectly mastered by Huan'er." His voice broke the brief silence, making the whole scene even more lively.

Upon hearing this, Si Yunchen suddenly threw the chestnut shell he had just peeled at Yuwen Mo, feigning anger as he said, "So it was you who corrupted Ruotang!" In an instant, the kitchen was filled with laughter and joy. The friendship among everyone deepened in this little episode, and the memories of sneaking food and past anecdotes lingered like the aroma in the kitchen, refusing to fade away.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the path behind the mountain. Gongsun Ruotang led Chenghuan along the winding path toward the treehouse hidden in the woods.

Half of the bamboo fence around the treehouse had collapsed. However, the honeysuckle vines twining around the fence remained lush and green, displaying their tenacious vitality. These honeysuckle vines were planted by Gongsun Ruotang herself when she was seven years old.

Upon entering the courtyard, one could see Si Yunchen with his sleeves rolled up, intently digging in the dirt. His dark casual clothes were covered in mud, and beads of sweat clung to his forehead, but his movements were remarkably practiced and focused.

"Plant the peach trees here, and they'll bear fruit when Huan'er gets married," Si Yunchen said without looking up, seemingly full of confidence in his plan.

Cheng Huan suddenly peeked out from behind the tree and said with a grin, "I don't want peaches, I want to dig up the cricket jar that my cousin Gongsun buried!"

Gongsun Ruotang was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on her face. However, the smile instantly turned somewhat bitter, because she suddenly remembered the cricket jar.

That jar was actually a gift from Si Yunchen, given to her in the name of her brother Gongsun Lin, when she came of age. At the time, she cherished it dearly. But now, things have changed, and that jar is probably buried deep underground, forgotten by everyone.

Thinking of this, Gongsun Ruotang's eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly turned her head away so that Chenghuan wouldn't see her expression.

When Zhuang Yichen arrived, he saw the three of them sitting around a pile of charcoal fire under the old locust tree, enthusiastically roasting sweet potatoes.

The charcoal fire blazed, illuminating Gongsun Ruotang's unadorned face, making her appear exceptionally beautiful and charming, as if she had returned to the image of a young girl pounding medicine in the medicine shed years ago.

"Grandmaster." Gongsun Ruotang smiled and gently broke open the roasted sweet potato. Instantly, a sweet aroma wafted out. However, the scalding honey syrup accidentally splashed onto her fingertips, causing her to tremble slightly.

"Mother!" Cheng Huan suddenly pointed to the treetop and shouted excitedly, "Look! Grandpa Zhuang's wig!" Everyone looked up and saw that Yuwen Mo was hanging upside down on the branch, tightly clutching the ribbon that Zhuang Yichen used to tie his hair.

Lady Yu Luo, carrying a medicine hoe, caught up breathlessly. This sudden scene startled all the sparrows in the tree, causing them to flutter and fly away, creating quite a lively scene.

As they parted, a light spring rain suddenly began to fall from the sky, like cow's hair or flower needles, gently sprinkling down. Upon seeing this, Si Yunchen hurriedly took off his outer robe and gently draped it over Gongsun Ruotang's head to shield her from the fine rain. "You're very happy. When Chenghuan is older and can stand on her own, I will often bring you back."

The carriage slowly drove out of the mountain gate. Gongsun Ruotang couldn't help but look back. She saw Zhuang Yichen and his wife standing side by side, quietly standing in the misty rain. Their white and black hair were covered with glistening raindrops, like a beautiful ink painting.

Just then, Cheng Huan suddenly pulled out a small earthenware jar from her bundle as if by magic, and said with a grin, "I replaced the cricket jar with Father Emperor's private seal!" Upon hearing this, Si Yunchen's face instantly turned somewhat embarrassed. He subconsciously reached for his waist, only to find that the place where the private seal used to be was now empty.

Upon seeing this, Gongsun Ruotang couldn't help but burst out laughing, laughing so hard that she bent over backwards and finally collapsed against the carriage wall.

The mountain wind swirled the peach petals, making them flutter like a flock of butterflies chasing after the carriage. All of this, in a fleeting moment, made one feel as if they had returned to their carefree childhood.