Two cars drove all the way to the last row of houses in the compound.
This row of houses consisted entirely of detached villas with courtyards, and the courtyards were quite spacious.
Looking at the residential layout, which was completely different from the front, it seemed like land that had been incorporated later.
The cars stopped in front of a three-story villa courtyard.
Yu Jinghai, the driver, got out of the car first and opened the rear door for Shen Jianrong. Shen Jianrong alighted.
Li Zhengguo, in the passenger seat, also got out and opened the rear door on his side for Tian Jing. Tian Jing then got out of the car.
Shen Jianrong walked around the back of the car and came to hold Tian Jing's hand. "Please, this courtyard is our residence here."
The two ladies entered the open courtyard gate first.
Yu Jinghai beckoned to Li Zhengguo, and the two also entered the courtyard.
Yu Ziyu called out to Li Weibao, "Let's go, it's not your first time here."
Two orderlies in the courtyard saluted Shen Jianrong and Yu Jinghai. "Madam, Commander."
Shen Jianrong was surprised. "Did my father come?"
An orderly replied, "Yes."
Shen Jianrong realized, "I thought I had locked the door, how did the courtyard gate get opened?"
"This old man said yesterday he wasn't coming, but he snuck in today."
"How did he get in? We've been guarding the gatehouse for a long time."
As she spoke, she had already pulled Tian Jing into the living room on the first floor.
A kindly old man was sitting on the sofa in the living room.
The old man waved as soon as he saw Shen Jianrong. "Can't I get a car you don't recognize to come in? You stand aside."
Saying this, the old man stood up and extended his hand to Tian Jing. "Little Tian, I've long admired your name. Old man, I must thank you for saving my life."
Tian Jing quickly extended her hand to shake the old man's. "Uncle Shen, I don't deserve it. It was simply your fate to survive."
"Haha, right, right, fate to survive! I'm back again, aren't I?"
Old Master Shen vigorously shook Tian Jing's hand, then released it and pointed to the sofa. "Quick, sit down and talk."
Then, Old Master Shen said to Li Zhengguo, who had just entered, "Little Li, don't be so formal. Little Tian is my savior, and you were also a participant."
"Without the wild vegetables and ginseng slices you sent, I truly wouldn't be here today."
"Great kindness needs no words. Now that we're in-laws, I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Li Zhengguo sat down beside Tian Jing. "Old Commander, it's better if you remain formal. I'm most afraid when you're not formal."
"You rascal," Old Master Shen pointed at Li Zhengguo. "Are you trying to trap me with your words? I intended to be informal with Little Tian, don't you butt in."
"Dad," Shen Jianrong sat down beside her father. "Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo are tired. Can we talk about it after I've settled them in and they've rested?"
"Fine," Old Master Shen readily agreed. "I heard Little Li brought some local specialties. Ask the housekeeper to prepare them."
Li Zhengguo stood up. "Old Commander, I brought you a jar of authentic stewed meat from Kushan, and another jar of pot-stewed meat. I'll go get them."
"No!" Old Master Shen suddenly stood up. "Since you brought them from so far, there must be more than one jar. You're trying to fool me, I'll go take a look together."
Li Zhengguo stopped. "I really only brought one jar."
Old Master Shen pushed his back. "Go on, you brought me one jar, and a few jars for Jinghai and the others, right? Give them all to me, they won't be used to it."
Yu Jinghai protested. "Who says I won't be used to it? I lived there for over ten years."
"I say so," Old Master Shen glared at Yu Jinghai. "You just won't be used to it."
His father-in-law glared at him, and Yu Jinghai dared not argue further.
Shen Jianrong quickly followed him out. "Dad, you have high blood pressure."
Old Master Shen flicked his arm. "Even if I have eight high blood pressure, I will eat Kushan stewed meat and pot-stewed meat."
Tian Jing also followed out. "Sister Shen, don't worry. The stewed meat is made from air-dried wild boar, and the pot-stewed meat is from pigs raised by our family, weighing less than 200 catties."
"My mother-in-law always makes a lot like this, just to send to Little Bo and the others."
Shen Jianrong slowed her steps. "Hearing you say that, I'm relieved. My dad has high blood pressure and a craving for meat."
"Every time, he eats meat while complaining that it doesn't taste as good as Kushan stewed meat."
"I always thought it was because he was starving back then, and everything tasted delicious."
"Hearing you say this, I realize that Kushan stewed meat and pot-stewed meat are made with great care."
"They are indeed made with great care," Tian Jing nodded. "But I can't make them. My mother-in-law's is the most authentic; she learned it from her mother-in-law."
As the two walked out of the courtyard, they saw Old Master Shen staring blankly at the seven-seater car, whose space, except for the two front seats in the driver's cabin, was packed full of local specialties.
Shen Jianrong was also surprised. "No wonder you took so long on the road."
She pointed to the egg trays stacked to the roof by the car door. "These, these egg trays are full of eggs?"
Yu Ziyu, who was standing by his grandfather, winked at his mother. "They're wild eggs! Grandma Li raises hundreds of wild chickens."
"Oh my!" Shen Jianrong happily turned and hugged Tian Jing.
"That's wonderful! We have nowhere to buy wild eggs, and when we occasionally see them for sale, we worry they've been fed with feed and don't dare to buy them."
Old Master Shen came back to his senses and called out, "Little Wang, Little Xia, come quickly, come and move things, bring the car over, and take it away now."
"Yes."
"Yes."
The two orderlies came out.
Shen Jianrong heard this and quickly let go of Tian Jing, stepping forward to pull her father back. "Dad, sit in the living room. I'll arrange it for you."
"No need!" Old Master Shen ripped off his arm. "Here, I can choose freely. What I choose to leave is yours."
"Are you sure?" Shen Jianrong didn't believe him. "Won't Big Brother, Second Brother, and Big Sister come to divide it?"
Old Master Shen paused, then moved away from the car door. "Forget it, you divide it. Give me a little more."
Shen Jianrong winked at her daughter. "Take Grandpa to the living room to talk, Xiao Bo."
Yu Ziyu linked arms with her grandfather and turned back towards the courtyard.
"Grandpa, I'm marrying someone from Kushan soon, aren't I?"
"If you want to eat it, I'll drive to Kushan overnight to get it for you, okay?"
"This time, Uncle Li and Auntie brought specialties for everyone to share."
"Right!" Old Master Shen, who had been dispirited, brightened up again.
"When Little Bo is not convenient at the team, you often go back to take care of his parents."
"And when you come back, bring some specialties to take care of Grandpa. Yes, that's it."
Listening to Old Master Shen, Tian Jing couldn't help but smile, and at the same time, she felt a little sad. What Old Master Shen remembered was not just the delicious food from Kushan?
It was also the occasional warmth received during that period.
She said to Shen Jianrong, who was counting, "The vegetables and dried wild game can be mailed. These are very common in our Kushan."
Shen Jianrong's face lit up with surprise. "Very common, does that mean there are a lot of them?"
"Not exactly," Tian Jing shook her head. "Because we sell them to tourists, and home-style restaurants also need these ingredients."
"If you want them, I can store them for you regularly. It'll be enough for a few families to eat, but if you want to do business, the supply won't be enough."
Shen Jianrong was not disappointed. "I don't want to do big business, I just want to do this kind of proxy buying."
"You don't know how popular these things you brought are here?"
"When some of my good sisters find out, if I don't bring them, they'll eat me alive."
"And I can go to Kushan, which I've longed to see."
When she went to pick up her father back then, her eldest brother had stopped her, saying it wasn't proper for a young lady to run around.
Now, she had relatives in Kushan, and she was no longer a young lady. What reason would her eldest brother have to stop her?
"You are most welcome!" Tian Jing nodded. "That can be arranged. As long as it's not for large-scale sales, I can still store some for you."