On the other side, after receiving the news delivered by Leng Si and Leng Wu, Xu Fu and Su Minghui couldn't even wait to stand at the city lord's mansion entrance. They rushed from their temporary residences to the street where Su Muqing and the others were expected to pass.
Not long after, Old Man Tianji and Gongsun Zan also received the news. Considering the elderly age of the two elders, Xu Fu and the others had them temporarily residing in the city lord's mansion before the official distribution of areas was finalized. Now, they only needed to wait at the entrance for Su Muqing and the others to return.
Su Cuiping and Lin Rongrong were in the backyard of the city lord's mansion, taking stock of the remaining supplies in their Qiankun bags. They suddenly heard someone shouting that the City Lord had returned, so they quickly fastened their Qiankun bags and rushed outside.
Xu Fu and Su Minghui ran several streets, panting, and then could go no further. This was because the road ahead was completely blocked by onlookers who had heard the news and come to watch the excitement.
They all stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to look into the crowd. Despite the sheer number of people and the darkness, they couldn't see much, but everyone's spirits were high, and no one intended to leave.
Xu Fu found it strange. Even if the City Lord and the others returned, it shouldn't have caused such a commotion. Besides, didn't Old Fourth say that Muqing and the others were returning by carriage? In such darkness, what could these people possibly see?
"Make way, everyone, don't block the road. Elder Xu and Village Chief Su are here. Please step back." Leng Si and Leng Wu shouted loudly while stretching out their arms to clear a path for Xu Fu and Su Minghui to push through.
Nearly half the people in Huaxia City were refugees who had been aided by Xu Fu and Su Minghui. Therefore, the titles of Elder Xu and Village Chief Su held considerable influence in the hearts of these common people.
The crowd began to retreat, intending to make way. However, there were too many people. As they moved back, some inevitably stepped on others, and some were pushed down.
The most unfortunate were those who were shorter. Trapped in the middle, they could neither move forward nor backward, and their faces were almost contorted by the pressure.
"Ouch! Who stepped on my foot..."
"My foot..."
"Stop pushing, I'm suffocating..."
In an instant, the crowd became chaotic, and the already lively street turned even noisier. Curses, moans, and cries were mixed with the shrill cries of children.
Su Muqing, sitting in the carriage, frowned as she looked at the scene outside. If this continued, what would happen if a stampede occurred? The streets were lined with half-finished houses on both sides, and such pushing and shoving could easily cause casualties.
Lu Yuzhi also noticed the problem. He took out several large searchlights, opened the sunroof of the carriage, stood on the roof, leaped into the air, and quickly hung the searchlights on the surrounding unfinished buildings.
The sudden appearance of light caused the pushing crowd to stop immediately. Those who had been stepped on or squeezed finally had some space to save themselves. After the risk of a stampede passed, people looked up at the man in black with long, silver-white hair in astonishment.
Who was this person? Why could he emit light? Wasn't it said that the City Lord was a woman? Could this be a god descending to earth?
While everyone was stunned and amazed, Xu Fu and the others finally pushed through the crowd and reached the front of the carriage. When he saw the person standing on the roof, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.
They were back! That young general, once clad in splendid robes and full of youthful vigor, had finally returned.
Princes and Princesses, did you see? The young master's poison is cured, and he has come back to life. You can rest assured now! When he makes a comeback and fights his way back to the Great Yu Dynasty, you can depart in peace after he avenges his grievances!
Seeing the old man's excessive excitement, Lu Yuzhi, fearing he might be overwhelmed and fall ill, quickly stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and comforted him. "Uncle Xu, my poison is gone, my powers have recovered, and we are all back safely. Why are you crying instead? Please stop crying!"
"This old servant is crying tears of joy, tears of joy... Look at me, I'm getting old and useless. Today is supposed to be a joyous occasion, yet I'm shedding tears and bringing bad luck." Xu Fu said, feeling a bit embarrassed, and wiped the tears from his face.
Su Minghui squeezed forward, not seeing Su Muqing, and turned to ask Lu Yuzhi, "Qing丫头? Qing丫头, where is she?"
"Uncle, we are here! The carriage door is blocked, and we can't get out." Su Muqing waved to Su Minghui and then handed Su Muxuan out of the sunroof.
Lu Yuzhi stepped forward to catch the little milk bun, and then Su Muqing also climbed out of the sunroof. After she emerged, Leng Ren and Leng Feng also followed her out.
Su Minghui finally saw the siblings and quickly stepped forward to take Su Muxuan from him, then carefully examined Su Muqing.
"Good, good, good, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. You've fed Brother Xuan so well, Uncle feels some weight holding him. Muqing, you've also changed a lot. You've grown taller and fatter in a few months!" Su Minghui was overjoyed to see them, grinning widely, his eyes shining with happiness.
Seeing the moisture in his eyes, Su Muqing felt a bit touched, but with so many people blocking the way, it was indeed inconvenient. So, she smiled and said to Su Minghui and Xu Fu, "Uncle Xu, Uncle, it's so late, please let everyone go back for dinner! We've been on the road for a long time, and we're all a bit tired now."
Upon hearing her words, Su Minghui slapped his forehead in annoyance. "Yes, yes! Look at me, I got so happy that I forgot about this. In this cold weather, you must have had a hard time on the road, and you need to get back and rest quickly."
"Everyone listen, all of you quickly return to your designated spots, have dinner, and get a good rest early. Don't delay tomorrow's work." Xu Fu took the large megaphone hanging around Leng Si's neck and shouted to the surrounding onlookers.
After Xu Fu finished speaking, Su Minghui took the megaphone and continued, "Everyone, hurry back! The mealtime today has been delayed. Each person only has time for one stick of incense. If you're any later, you won't get dinner today!"
Hearing Village Chief Su say that there would be no more food, the crowd finally started to leave, looking back reluctantly as they headed towards the few central resettlement areas. However, they all felt a sense of regret.
Especially those standing on the outermost edge. It was dark all around at night. Even though there was some light later, they were too far away. When they asked the people around them, no one could even see what the City Lord looked like.
"Alright, let's go now too!"
About ten minutes later, the people present had gradually dispersed. Su Minghui, holding Su Muxuan, led the way with a smile.
Leng Feng grabbed Su Minghui, who was about to move forward, and said to Su Muqing, "Miss Su, please let Uncle Xu and the village chief sit in the carriage. Lao Da and I can run back."
Su Muqing nodded, thinking it was a good arrangement. "Okay, we'll go back with Uncle Xu and them. You guys follow Batian and Taishan back."
Leng Feng patted his chest. "Yes, Miss. You go back first, we'll be here."
Xu Fu and Su Minghui looked at the strangely designed carriage with some trepidation. They had seen motorcycles before and thought they were magical enough. Seeing this new carriage now, they didn't know how to describe it.
Lu Yuzhi opened the carriage door and helped them into the back seats. The two sat there somewhat awkwardly. When the carriage started and moved forward slowly, their eyes were the only things that dared to move, and their bodies were completely stiff.
Sitting in the carriage, they reached their destination in just a few minutes, crossing several streets. The entrance to Wuji had changed significantly. The surrounding rubble and trees had been cleared, leaving a wide open space. Passing through this open space led to the small square of the original Wuji Gate.
Lu Yuzhi parked the carriage by the side of the small square. Old Man Tianji and the others had been following the carriage since they saw it approaching. Su Muqing opened the car door and stepped out. Before she could even steady herself, she was embraced tightly by two people.
"Muqing, it's so good that you're finally back, I've missed you so much!"
"Sister Mumu, why did you take so long! Where's Brother Xuan? Why don't I see him?"
Su Cuiping and Lin Rongrong each gave her a big hug and then started looking for Su Muxuan.
Su Muqing gestured towards the back seat of the carriage. "Look, he's in the carriage, being held by Uncle!"
Su Cuiping walked over and opened the back door. Sure enough, she saw her father and Uncle Xu sitting there, their eyes fixed ahead, looking as if they had been startled.
Su Muxuan saw that the two of them had no intention of getting out of the car and struggled to break free from Su Minghui's embrace. However, his strength was too small. Just as he was about to fail, Su Cuiping suddenly opened the car door. He quickly extended his chubby little arms, his face pleading for a hug and rescue.
Su Cuiping picked up Su Muxuan and looked at the two of them with a hint of strangeness. "Dad, why aren't you and Uncle Xu getting out of the car?"
"Heh, hehe... It's nothing. Dad has never ridden in such a car before, so I'm a bit curious and want to sit for a while longer to experience it." Su Minghui chuckled awkwardly, giving himself and Xu Fu a reason.
Of course, he wouldn't say that they were waiting because they didn't know how to open the door. When they got into the car earlier, Lu Yuzhi had opened the door from the outside, so they both assumed the latch was on the outside and that the door could only be opened by someone from outside.
Su Cuiping nodded. "So that's it. Okay, Dad, you and Uncle Xu can sit for a bit longer! We'll go in first. You guys should come out soon and don't sit for too long, or you might get motion sickness."
After she finished speaking, she prepared to close the car door, but Su Minghui reached out and stopped her. "No, no, don't close the door. Just leave it open... it's cool!"
Su Cuiping looked at the thick snow reflecting the light around them and felt that her father was acting strangely. Wasn't it cold enough? Well, she decided not to bother with it! If he wanted to play, let him play!
Seeing the girls walk ahead, laughing and chatting, Su Minghui immediately crawled out of the car, followed closely by Xu Fu.
After getting out of the car, the two looked at each other. It turned out that the young master and Muqing had such a difficult journey! Although the carriage was very fast, it was too uncomfortable to ride in. It was stuffy and dizzying, and there was a feeling of nausea.
Lu Yuzhi was talking to Old Man Tianji and Gongsun Zan in front of the carriage, waiting for the two of them. Seeing them get out, everyone then walked towards the entrance together.
When Su Muqing and the others reached the main entrance, they saw that the plaque that originally read "Wuji Gate" had been replaced with "City Lord's Mansion." At this moment, Madam Wang and Madam Zhou also hurried out from the mansion to greet her.
When the two heard that they had returned, they immediately put down their work. They had originally intended to wait on the street. However, Elder Xu said that Su Muqing and the others would definitely not have had time for dinner when they returned at this hour, so he arranged for the two of them to come to the city lord's mansion to prepare some food.
"Qing丫头, you're finally back."
"Miss Qing, it's been several months. Are you all well?"
The two elders had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Even though Su Muqing's condition was clearly very good, she had not only grown taller and fatter, but her face was also more beautiful than before. Nevertheless, they pulled her over and meticulously examined her from head to toe.
Su Muqing knew they were concerned about her, so she cooperated fully with their examination and even turned around a few times for them to see more clearly. "How is it? Is everything alright? Not even a scratch on the skin. Are you both relieved now? Let's go inside and make something to eat. I'm hungry."
"Alright, Mother, Aunt Zhou, our City Lord is hungry. Let's hurry inside and get her some food!" Su Cuiping joked, putting her arm around everyone and leading them inside.
The group of women went towards the kitchen, laughing and chatting. The men sat directly in the hall, and Lu Yuzhi recounted the events of their journey to Xu Fu and the others in detail.
Leng Si and Leng Wu only saw Lu Yuzhi and Su Muqing at first. After they drove away, they discovered a giant black bear following behind the carriage, and Leng San was already getting along very well with it.
Before the two could finish being surprised, an eagle suddenly flew in from outside the city and landed beside them. After hearing Leng Ren's introduction, they once again felt disbelief.
At the same time, the three of them felt a sense of immense regret. Originally, all ten of them had left with the young master and Miss Su, but in the end, they all stayed in Huaxia City.
However, looking at the greatly changed Huaxia City, their sense of loss and regret gradually subsided. As Miss Su said, "Heaven made me talented and useful; a thousand pieces of gold are scattered but return again."
Everyone is unique, and everyone's existence and role are different. Although they couldn't go on adventures with them this time, every brick and tile of Huaxia City was built under their watchful eyes. Perhaps even the cement ground they were stepping on now was mixed by their own hands back then. Wasn't this also their contribution?