Immortal Travel of Longevity

“Do you want me to say it again? I said I—”

“I heard you clearly...”

The old man studied Tang Yuerong. “What is your name?”

“Yuerong. Tang Yuerong.”

“Ah...”

The old man nodded. “I remember. A few years back, when those youngsters came to visit, they mentioned it in passing. That was the name.”

He then asked, “Are you alone?”

“There are others. They’re all waiting outside the neighborhood. I didn’t let them in.”

Tang Yuerong said, “I wanted to walk here by myself.”

Tang Yuerong shook her head.

The old man stroked his chin. “The Little Miss also went on a long journey. How am I to know if you are truly the master’s daughter? How can I let you in?”

“Little Miss?” Tang Yuerong paused. “Which Little Miss? Do you mean Aunt Yun?”

The old man shook his head.

Tang Yuerong quickly realized. “Then it must be Yu Hongjin, Little Aunt Yu?”

The old man paused before giving a slight nod. “You even know that. Then do you know that the Little Miss is a dwarf?”

Tang Yuerong frowned at this, but she shook her head. “Little Aunt isn’t a dwarf. She just can’t grow up. She is—”

Her words broke off; she didn’t continue.

The gray-haired old man nodded, then cupped his hands in greeting. “I am Tang Wenshu. Greetings, Eldest Miss.”

Tang Yuerong froze for a moment before returning the courtesy.

The old man turned around and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“The Miss has returned to the manor!”

“All servants of the Tang Manor, come greet her at once!”

Though he was advanced in years, his voice was loud and clear.

Following that shout...

A moment later, the sound of footsteps rang out.

Figure after figure appeared from the doorway.

As Tang Yuerong stepped through the gates, she saw seven or eight elderly people standing before her. Without exception, all of them were ancient. Some leaned on canes, while others had cloudy eyes, seemingly no longer able to see clearly.

Tang Wenzheng stepped forward and fell to his knees.

“Welcome home, Miss!”

Following his lead, the others behind him knelt together and called out.

“Welcome home, Miss!”

Tang Yuerong stood frozen at the sight.

Unconsciously, her eyes grew red.

She didn’t know why. Even though this was her first time meeting them, she felt a deep ache in her heart.

She was an unfilial daughter who had never once returned home, yet she was receiving such a respectful welcome. How could she bear it?

...

That night, Tang Yuerong sat in the Main Hall, keeping Tang Wenzheng by her side to talk for a long time.

“The master performed his wedding bows right here all those years ago. Back then, the Miss sat right over there, and the Little Miss hid behind that pillar. There were so many people. The county officials came, and several high-ranking mandarins arrived to offer their congratulations...”

“And Mister Chen, he came too...”

Tang Wenzheng reminisced about many things from those early years.

“In that case, Uncle Wen, you must be the one who has stayed in the Tang Manor the longest?”

“Not quite...”

Tang Wenzheng shook his head. “A few years ago, there was an old steward above me. During a heavy winter snowstorm, he was sitting in front of the stove and slowly fell silent. After that, I took over his position. That old steward should be the one who stayed in this manor the longest.”

Tang Yuerong’s thoughts drifted as she said, “Uncle Wen, tell me more about my father’s time here.”

“There is so much to tell.”

“In his early years, the master was still studying. Unfortunately, he did not achieve much academic success and ultimately had to take over the manor’s affairs...”

Tang Wenzheng recounted the events of the past, piece by piece.

He spoke of Tang Mingjing the most, followed by Yunxiang. And finally, he spoke of that quirky, eccentric Yu Hongjin who could never grow up.

“The manor was at its liveliest during the years the Little Miss was around. Back then, the Miss would wait by the door every night for her to return. When the Little Miss finally came back, she would always reek of alcohol, and she took quite a few beatings from the Miss for it.”

Tang Wenzheng grinned. “Back then, the Miss would chase the Little Miss all over the courtyard, from the front yard all the way to the back, even bursting into the master’s study. They turned the whole manor upside down. I was still young then, just a lowly servant, so I didn’t dare try to catch her. I only thought the Little Miss was very amusing.”

“I also remember one year when the Little Miss snuck out in the middle of the night to steal wine and bumped right into me. She purposely shared some of it with me just to keep my mouth shut, hehe...”

“Thinking back on it now makes me especially nostalgic.”

Tang Yuerong nodded with a smile. “Little Aunt has always been quirky and mischievous. When she lived in Shangjing a few years ago, she would also frequently steal wine from the storehouse.”

“Yes.”

“Mhm...”

...

“I was capable in my work. Since the pageboy serving the master at the time was reassigned to learn the trade from the manager, I was promoted to be the master’s attendant, following him around and running errands.”

“Those days were the most arduous, with many long journeys. I also saw with my own eyes how the manor’s business grew increasingly prosperous. But in just those few short years, the master became weathered. Though only in his twenties, he had already grown white hair...”

“At the time, I thought such busyness wouldn’t last forever. But I never expected that as the business grew larger, the master would only grow busier. Throughout the entire year, the master hardly ever rested, and he spoke less and less.”

“Eventually, the business in the north became overwhelming. Furthermore, since our Tang Manor was a newcomer up there, the master couldn’t set his mind at ease, so he went to Shangjing.”

“Cough, cough...”

Tang Wenzheng coughed.

“When he left, the master said he would be back in about two or three years and told us to look after the manor.”

Tang Yuerong paused upon hearing this, her gaze turning somewhat distant.

Tang Wenzheng took a deep breath. “Who knew that once he left, he would never return.”

Tang Yuerong pursed her lips. “Father passed away suddenly. Even right before he left us, he was still handling the affairs of the trading firm.”

Tang Wenzheng gave a slight nod. “That was just the master’s nature. It’s just that those of us here kept waiting and waiting and waiting. To be honest, I’ve almost forgotten what the master looks like.”

He lowered his head. “I hope the Miss won’t blame me for what I am about to say.”

“Please go ahead and say it, Uncle Wen.”

“In truth, the time I spent following the master wasn’t too long—just a little over a year. I can’t say I understood him deeply, but I did chat with him about many things.”

Tang Yuerong did not speak, though this was a natural reaction.

Tang Wenzheng said, “There is one thing I’d like to mention. Back when I followed the master to Shangjing City, I also witnessed that bustling world. On one occasion, I remarked in passing that the place was truly vibrant beyond compare, and that even if I were to die, I wanted to die there.”

“But the master told me that the place was no good. It was lively, yes, but ultimately inferior to his hometown. The sprawling lotus ponds back home were the most beautiful sight of all.”

“If there is an opportunity, please bring the master back here. After so much time has passed, this little longing is the only thing I remember about him.”

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