Traveling back to the Northern Song Dynasty: Picking up a princess as my wife

Li Zhen smoothly arranged everything, then started his sleek and imposing BMW, gracefully merging into the torrent of traffic on the highway. Outside the window, the scenery flashed by like scenes from a film reel, but his heart was preoccupied with another concern.

With a light touch of the fingertip to the Bluetooth button on the steering wheel, the hands-free system quietly activated. That familiar yet slightly urgent voice instantly pierced the quiet air inside the car—it was Fang Zhen calling. The screen flashed "Missed Calls: 99+". Behind these numbers lay a sense of anxiety and anticipation. Perhaps the actual number of calls had already exceeded what these cold numbers could bear, but the phone screen could only stop there.

A knowing smile appeared on Li Zhen's lips as he pressed the call-back button, as if he could feel his old friend's urgent concern across time and space through the invisible radio waves.

With a soft "beep," their worlds were once again intertwined, and a story about friendship, waiting, and reunion quietly unfolded as they sped along the highway.

"Beep—beep—," came the long, drawn-out tone from the other end of the phone, each ring seeming to pound on Li Zhen's taut heartstrings. "Hello, is this Li Zhen? Oh my god, you finally answered! My heart was pounding like a tin can on a hot plate!"

Li Zhen lightly pressed the accelerator, his gaze focused on the road ahead, his tone tinged with helplessness and apology: "What's wrong, Fang Zhen? Why are you in such a hurry? Didn't I tell you, the signal in those mountainous areas is like playing hide-and-seek? The first thing I thought of when I stepped into the house was to call you back."

On the other end of the phone, Fang Zhen's voice was choked with sobs, almost breaking down in tears: "Li Zhen, something terrible has happened! Our company...it's been shut down by the Market Supervision Bureau and the Tax Bureau! They say someone filed a formal complaint, and I asked Cao Hua to check it out. Guess what? It's that Wang Pengfei, that ungrateful bastard! I...I'm completely bewildered, I don't know what to do!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhen frowned, unconsciously slowing the car slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the tense atmosphere between them: "Don't rush, Fangzheng, let's take it one step at a time. First, calm down and understand the specifics. Wang Pengfei made a report? There's probably some grudge or entanglement behind this that we don't know about. You first have someone organize all the materials, especially the evidence that can prove our innocence. We need to speak with facts. At the same time, I'll contact my friends in relevant departments to see if we can find out more information. Remember, especially in situations like this, we must not lose our composure."

Through a conversation, it turned out that Wang Pengfei reported him for selling cultural relics and having unexplained assets. It was likely due to various connections. With the intervention of relevant departments, Li Zhen's company was temporarily shut down.

That wasn't the end of it. Even Cao Hua's company was implicated. Their company's accounts were frozen by the banking regulatory authorities, and their boss was trying to smooth things over with various connections.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yingluo, holding the child, asked with concern, "Husband, have you encountered any trouble?"

Li Zhen gripped the steering wheel tightly and let out a long breath: "It's okay, let's take Yuchen home to meet his grandparents first, and we'll talk about the rest when I get back."

Night fell gently on this road where people longed to return home. Li Zhen drove through the network of highways, and after more than two hours of speeding, the outline of his home finally emerged gently in the dim light.

The wheels slowly came to a stop, carrying the dust of the journey and unfinished stories, before stopping in front of that familiar and warm home door.

The door opened slightly, and an elderly couple, their faces filled with anticipation and bewilderment, had been waiting for some time. Their shadows stretched long under the dim streetlights, creating a scene that was both heartwarming and slightly mysterious. Time had etched its marks on their faces, but it had not diminished their longing and joy at being surrounded by their children and grandchildren.

However, this sudden "surprise"—a baby in swaddling clothes—mixed the joy with a sense of bewilderment and astonishment. After all, their son, Li Zhen, had only been married for a little over a month; how could the family have suddenly gained a new member?

Li Zhen had already made up his mind. He stepped forward lightly, his eyes filled with tenderness and guilt towards his family, and slowly began to weave a lie that was both reasonable and heartwarming. He explained in a gentle voice that he and Zhao Yingluo had secretly conceived this child before deciding to spend their lives together.

Time flies, and the baby is already over a month old. Now we are bringing him home so that we can witness the growth of this little life together in the warmest embrace of our family.

Although these words were not entirely true, they were filled with deep affection and responsibility. After hearing them, the elderly couple's doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of love and gratitude.

They gazed at the little life in Li Zhen's arms, their eyes glistening with tears—tears of boundless joy at the arrival of the new life and deep anticipation for a bright future for this little family.

The night grew deeper, but the lights in the home shone even brighter, illuminating the way home for those returning and warming every heart yearning for reunion. At this moment, love and understanding transcended all doubts and misunderstandings, making this family even more complete and happy because of this unexpected "gift."

After the car came to a stop, Li Zhen's father hurriedly opened the car door to hug the child, but was slapped by Li Zhen's mother.

At this moment, Xiao Yuchen had already fallen asleep. Li Zhen's mother held her little grandson in her arms with a face full of joy, as if she were holding the most precious thing in the world.

The elderly couple completely ignored Li Zhen and his wife and simply carried the child back home.

Li Zhen, who had just gotten off the bus, pouted and said to Zhao Yingluo, "See? They say grandparents love their grandchildren more, but this guy is just like your dad."

Zhao Yingluo pinched Li Zhen's arm hard: "How can you talk to your elders like that?"

Li Zhen gently stepped over the threshold and into his quiet little courtyard, but the scene before him made him chuckle to himself.

The courtyard seemed to have transformed overnight into a fairytale warehouse, with all sorts of toys displayed in abundance, layer upon layer, almost overflowing the courtyard walls. Each one was wrapped tightly, exuding an air of unopened novelty and allure.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that the phone call he had hurriedly made to his father while speeding along the highway had, in just two hours, given rise to this "toy extravaganza."

What made him both amused and exasperated was that his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner and caught sight of a delicate little bicycle, lying there quietly, like a "giant" that was completely out of place among the slightly childish toys around it.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart, mixed with a touch of helplessness—after all, the tender little life in his family had just been gently born into the world at the age of one month old, and that bicycle was undoubtedly an expectation and dream for him in some distant future.

This scene filled Li Zhen with countless emotions. His father's urgent and profound love was so openly displayed in the toys scattered throughout the yard. Each toy carried the father's endless doting and expectations for his grandson, and even though some of them far exceeded his current needs, they still conveyed a warmth and sweetness that transcended time.

He gently shook his head, a tender smile on his lips, and began to tend to this ocean of love, pondering how to settle these treasures one by one, so that in the future, as the child grows, they will each blossom with their own joy and surprise.