Though she thought this, Shen Xiaoyan did not speak.
Kong Huangwei did not get angry upon hearing this, merely smiling and saying, "You brat, whether you came to find me, your adoptive mother, or not, aren't you here now?"
Zheng Wei's smile brightened considerably upon hearing this.
Kong Huangwei rolled her eyes at Zheng Wei and then looked down at Ruan Ruan and the other two.
"Ruan Ruan, do you still remember Grandma? Come quickly and let Grandma hold you."
The moment Ruan Ruan and the other two heard this, they threw themselves at Kong Huangwei, each hugging her leg and refusing to let go.
They chattered, asking Kong Huangwei why she hadn't come to find them.
They said Grandma broke her promise.
Kong Huangwei's smile grew even brighter as she listened to their childish inquiries.
Indeed, her grandchildren were much more fun than this brat Zheng Wei.
While they interacted, Zheng You and his wife, as well as brothers Zheng Cai, were stunned.
Zheng You pointed at Zheng Wei and asked in disbelief, "Sister-in-law, you've already met him?"
Kong Huangwei looked at Zheng You as if he were an idiot.
"Nonsense, he's my son, how could I not have met him?"
If she hadn't devised a plan and brought the three little ones here first, Zheng Wei might have stayed in that small world forever.
Of course, she wouldn't say such things.
It was alright for a mother to say whatever she pleased about her son, but in front of outsiders, she had to maintain his good image.
"Then, have you told him about his brother too?" Zheng You asked uncertainly.
Kong Huangwei's smile froze instantly upon hearing this.
Shen Xiaoyan observed the situation and guessed that this "Brother Che" must be Zheng You's younger brother, Kong Huangwei's husband, and Zheng Wei's biological father.
As if to confirm her guess, Kong Huangwei pulled Ruan Ruan and the other two towards the bamboo building.
"What's there to say? Come in and see for yourself."
Shen Xiaoyan found Kong Huangwei's attitude very strange.
If Kong Huangwei could come here alone, she must have been looking for Zheng Wei's biological father, Zheng Xiang.
But why was her attitude so indifferent when Zheng Xiang was mentioned?
Did she not intend to hold Zheng Wei's hand and tell him about Zheng Xiang, then lead them to find him?
Although she felt strange, Shen Xiaoyan did not intend to ask.
Dan Fengling must have her reasons for acting this way, so she would wait and see.
After following Kong Huangwei into the house, Shen Xiaoyan realized that this bamboo building was truly simple.
There were only a few commonly used pieces of furniture, and not a single valuable decorative item.
According to what Zheng You had just said, Zheng Xiang was his younger brother, so he shouldn't be living so plainly.
However, looking at the faces of Zheng Xiang and the others, they clearly showed no surprise; instead, they looked as if it were all to be expected.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyan became even more puzzled. What was going on?
After she followed them around a glazed screen and saw the person lying on the bamboo bed inside, she began to understand.
It was all because Zheng Xiang was lying on the bamboo bed.
Or rather, was he asleep?
Before Shen Xiaoyan could figure out the cause and effect, Kong Huangwei had already begun to explain.
"Years ago, a world-shattering battle occurred in the True Spirit Continent. Zheng Xiang was severely injured in that battle, but to protect me and the child in my womb, he brought me to that small world."
"We rescued someone there, and that person was Zheng Xiang."
"Later, Zheng Xiang wanted to know the situation in the True Spirit Continent and missed his clansmen, so he resolutely returned to the True Spirit Continent, while I stayed behind in that small world."
"Of course, I also knew that everything he did was for my own good."
"What happened later, you all know. As for his current state, I only discovered it after I returned here. He has been lying here for over twenty years!"
Kong Huangwei's voice gradually faltered at this point, her gaze fixed on Zheng Xiang on the bed, her expression complex, as if she were lost in thought.
Upon hearing this, Zheng You's face filled with even deeper guilt. "This is all my fault. Brother Che became like this for our clansmen. If it weren't for my incompetence as the Great Elder, how could things have come to this?"
Listening to Zheng You's self-reproaching words, Kong Huangwei gave a light chuckle. "Elder Brother, there's no need to feel guilty. You and I both know what kind of person Zheng Xiang is. He valued the family very highly from a young age. He might not have expected this outcome, but to have sacrificed himself for the family and preserved it, I believe he is happy, and I am happy for him."
"Although I wish my husband were by my side, I don't want to tie him to me. It's good this way; he can finally lie here peacefully, belonging only to me. From now on, I will stay by his side."
Listening to Kong Huangwei, Shen Xiaoyan felt a pang of sadness in her heart, yet looking at Kong Huangwei like this, she couldn't help but feel envious.
From that day on, Shen Xiaoyan and the others stayed there.
They built new bamboo buildings nearby and lived together, yet without disturbing each other.
Perhaps Kong Huangwei's words had inspired Zhen Lingrong, and she decided to take Lin Xin and Mi Le Fo back to the Eastern Immortal Land.
She said she wanted to return to Chang Qiu Palace to make arrangements and see if she could find the memories she had lost.
Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaoming strongly agreed. Regardless of Zhen Lingrong's final choice, it was her own matter.
Although they were her children, they could not forcefully interfere with her life.
As for Zhen Lingrong's safety, she was not worried at all.
Zhen Lingrong was already very powerful, and with Lin Xin and Mi Le Fo, as long as they weren't surrounded, the three of them could go anywhere and do as they pleased.
Still, Shen Xiaoyan took out many good things from her spatial storage and gave them to the three, ensuring their safety under any circumstances.
After sending off Zhen Lingrong and the other two, Lu Taobao also left.
Zheng You had inquired for him and learned that Fujiwara Shifei was in a sect in the Heavenly Immortal Land. He wanted to enter that sect and find Bai Ying.
This time, he would never let her leave again.
Yi Zixie and Namu Zhong also left.
In their words, the Heavenly Immortal Land was such a wonderful place; they hadn't known it before, but now that they did, they were determined to explore it thoroughly.
Shen Xiaoyan found herself quite helpless with these two people who were so fond of mountains and rivers.
After sending off Yi Zixie and Namu Zhong, Shen Xiaoyan saw Su Yan wanting to speak but hesitating.
Touching her constantly twitching eyebrow, Shen Xiaoyan gritted her teeth and said, "Speak. What do you want?"
This "you" naturally referred to Shen Xiaoming and Da Bai.
Shen Xiaoming glanced at Da Bai and then said in a low voice, "Eldest Sister, Da Bai found a teleportation array in the Heavenly Immortal Land that can take us directly to the Demon Realm, so I want to... I want to take Da Bai back."
After saying this, Shen Xiaoming seemed to gain some confidence. "Eldest Sister, after experiencing so much, I am no longer a child. With Da Bai, I will protect myself. When I conquer the Demon Realm, I will definitely invite Brother-in-law and Sister, as well as Ruan Ruan and the others, to play in the Demon Realm, okay?"
Looking at Shen Xiaoming's pleading eyes, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't muster any further objections.
After a moment of silence, she could only nod in agreement.
From then on, Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan, besides teaching Ruan Ruan and the other two, spent most of their time cleaning up after them.
There was no other way, these three little rascals were becoming increasingly mischievous.
Especially Ruan Ruan, who spent all day playing with Sa Meng in the Heavenly Immortal Land. If anyone dared to provoke her, she would electrocute them into charcoal.
Shen Xiaoyan found this quite frustrating.
If this continued, Ruan Ruan would likely grow into a little devil. She truly missed Ruan Ruan's obedient demeanor when she was younger.
In addition to cleaning up after the three little ones, Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei would also sit by Zheng Xiang's bedside with Kong Huangwei, listening to Kong Huangwei recount stories from their youth.
One afternoon, Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei were sitting in a bamboo forest.
"When can we leave too? I want to see Sister. I wonder how Rong'er is doing, does she still remember us?" Shen Xiaoyan said, looking up at the sky.
"Wait a little longer. When the children are a bit older, I'll take you wherever you want to go," Zheng Wei's voice was as gentle as ever.
After speaking, they both turned their heads simultaneously, and their eyes met, a faint smile appearing between them.
As the sun began to set, its golden rays shone upon them, as if shrouding them in a golden light.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps and the cries of Zheng Jiang and Zheng He came from the end of the bamboo forest.
"Daddy, Mommy, Ruan Ruan electrocuted someone into charcoal again."
"Daddy, Mommy, don't listen to him. It wasn't me, it was Sa Meng."