anxious; he hadn't expected that even when using internal energy, he still couldn't defeat Xiao Yu. It seemed that Xiao Yu hadn't used his full strength against Ah Hu earlier.As time passed and the m...Chapter 42 Marching On

The car picked up Xiao Yu and headed straight for Jade Spring Mountain.

Although Xiao Yu had been to Jade Spring Mountain before, he still felt an inexplicable emotion upon arriving there again. The mountain was still guarded by numerous sentries; even though Director Liao Linhua accompanied him this time, the sentry at the main gate stopped them anyway. Liao Linhua took out a document from his bag.

Director Liao frequently entered and exited Jade Spring Mountain and naturally knew the rules. He had already arranged all necessary procedures for Xiao Yu yesterday; he handed over the file with Xiao Yu's photograph to the on-duty colonel.

The colonel carefully examined the document, confirmed its validity, then walked up to the car to compare Xiao Yu's appearance with the photo before saluting him and allowing his guard to let them pass.

Xiao Yu thought that this round of inspection was much stricter than when he came last time; back then a mere glance sufficed for clearance. This time, even Liao Linhua who frequently entered Jade Spring Mountain had been strictly checked.

After getting into the car, Director Liao smiled at Xiao Yu and said, "Because this is your first visit, you're subject to stricter checks, but it won't happen again in the future!"

Director Liao was aware of who Xiao Yu was. As the living secretary to Old Zhong, he could be considered an intimate confidant of Old Zhong's. Many times when Old Zhong talked at home, Director Liao wasn’t excluded from conversations, so he knew that it was Xiao Yu who had saved Old Zhong. Moreover, Old Zhong, Madam, and Marshal Zhuo all viewed this person differently. Therefore, Director Liao treated Xiao Yu very courteously; otherwise, although Director Liao was only at a bureau level position, many deputy provincial officials would be polite when they met him, so why should he treat such a young man like Xiao Yu with special courtesy.

After the car entered the mountain road of Jade Spring Mountain and passed by seven or eight checkpoints along the way, none of them stopped to check Xiao Yu again. Previously, when Xiao Yu visited for the first time, it was just a cursory look around; this time, with Liao Linhua accompanying him, he meticulously explained the history of Jade Spring Mountain and where certain officials had once resided.

Zhong Laoshi's residence is a small Western-style building with a neatly trimmed lawn in front, surrounded by iron railings. This contrasts significantly with the traditional Chinese courtyard where Old Man Zhuo resides.

The moment they entered the gate, joyful laughter came from inside the house. When Xiao Yu stepped into the room, he found over ten people sitting and chatting on the sofas and chairs in the living room.

"Little Brother Xiao! Grandpa told you to hurry upstairs!" Seeing Xiao Yu enter, Zhong Tao greeted him with a smiling face.

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned towards Xiao Yu. Even though Xiao Yu is usually calm and composed, being stared at like some rare treasure made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, so he hurried up the stairs.

The people in the room burst into laughter when they saw Xiao Yu’s flustered state. This was because Zhong Tao had described Xiao Yu as a miraculous figure earlier on; saying he could even rival Hua Tuo. Seeing that Xiao Yu is just like an ordinary person, their sense of distance towards him shortened considerably.

In the living room on the third floor, Zhong Sishan's family and his son’s girlfriend He Miao were accompanying the old lady in conversation. Although the old lady had moved to the Zhong residence, Zhong Sishan’s family didn’t move in as they were used to a simple life and felt very uncomfortable here. Moreover, when they arrived this morning, they chose not to mingle with the rest of the relatives downstairs but instead came up to accompany their mother. Years of different living conditions have created an invisible barrier between Zhong Sishan’s family and the other relatives.

Seeing Xiao Yu arrive, the old lady and the Zhong Siyuan family all stood up.

"Little Yu has come! Come, sit down quickly!" The old lady grabbed Xiao Yu's hand hurriedly as she invited him to sit next to her. As for Xiao Yu, he felt great respect towards this elderly woman who had waited a lifetime for the love in her heart. Reflecting on Zhong Laoshi and the old lady’s life which was separate yet happy, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but think of his own mother; whether she is happy This can only be known by herself.

Shortly after, some close relatives from the Zhong family began to arrive. Although the old lady didn’t want a grand ceremony, everyone in the family was notified. Otherwise, it would cause misunderstandings if a distant relative came and couldn't recognize her as an elderly person. As more people arrived, the spacious living room on the first floor became crowded; some people who weren’t close relatives left to other reception rooms or went up to the third floor to chat with the old lady. Xiao Yu then joined Zhong Sishan and his son Zhong Tianming downstairs while Li Xianghua, Zhong Sishan's wife, and He Miao stayed upstairs to converse with the women and children.

Zhong Jianguo took Zhong Siming away on the first floor to chat with his peers.

Xiao Yu, on the other hand, was chatting in a corner with Zhong Tianming, Zhong Tao, and some of the collateral-line relatives of the Zhongs.

Seeing everyone dressed formally while he himself wore casual clothes, Xiao Yu felt extremely uncomfortable. He thought to himself that it was all due to Old Zhong’s fault for saying they were just having a meal with family members, how could anyone have known there would be so many people

In the Zhong family, only direct-line descendants knew about Xiao Yu healing Old Zhong; collateral-line juniors had no idea. Seeing Xiao Yu in casual clothes that looked like street market goods, they all showed disdainful expressions.

However, Zhong Tao paid no attention and kept chatting with Xiao Yu, hoping to change the negative impression he left on him before.

At this moment, Elder Duke Zhuo was also being supported by a major military officer as he entered the courtyard. Old Zhong led his family out of the door to greet him. Seeing Old Zhong in wedding attire, Elder Duke Zhuo smiled and said, "Mountain Farther! After enduring hardships, sweetness has finally come."

"Yes, if it weren't for you and Xiao Xiao, I and Ni would have met in the afterlife!" Old Zhong sighed and then suddenly laughed: "But everything was worth it!"

The wedding banquet was held on the second floor. Following what Grandma said, Old Zhong had only invited a few relatives to eat together, but the second-floor dining room clearly underwent some preparation work. A large red 'double happiness' character was pasted on the wall facing the main gate. In festive Tang suit, Old Zhong looked radiant and so did Grandma.

Standing in front of the big red double-happiness character were Old Zhong and Yang Ni; Elder Duke Zhuo then loudly announced according to ancient rites: "Kowtow to heaven!"

"Bow to the elders!!"

"Bride and groom bow to each other!!"

After the ceremony, Old Master Zhuo said to Old Master Zhong and Madam: "A lifetime of waiting! A lifetime of anticipation! A lifetime of regrets! All of these will become past once today is over. I hope you have a happy future!"

Following this, Old Master Zhong and Madam sat on the grand red chairs marked with double happiness symbols, while the younger generation from the Zhong family began to serve tea as a sign of respect. The family members lined up in groups according to seniority, starting with Zhong Jianguo and Zhong Simshan.

After completing the ritual, Old Master Zhong and Madam stood up and walked towards Xiao Yu: "Brother Xiao, for your great kindness, we must express our gratitude by bowing to you!"

When Xiao Yu saw that Old Master Zhong and his wife were about to bow to him, he quickly moved aside and said hurriedly: "Old Master Zhong, what are you doing I saved you because of your character! If you had been someone heartless or disloyal, I wouldn't have helped."

"Whether we live now is thanks to you. Regardless of the reason, you are our greatest benefactor! Without you, my husband and I would already be facing Marx with a lifetime of regrets!"

Upon hearing Old Master Zhong's words, many collateral relatives from the Zhong family who were unaware of the reason behind Xiao Yu’s actions stared at him in shock. Some young people secretly felt relieved; when they saw this casually dressed young man at Old Master Zhong's wedding ceremony and thought about scolding him for his improper attire, but Xiao Yu was busy talking to Zhong Tao and didn't have a chance to do so—otherwise... At this thought, they all wiped the cold sweat off their foreheads.was serious.The old lady extended her left hand as instructed by Xiao Yu. However, when extending it, her expression showed great pain; with every inch she stretched out, her eyebrows furrowed tightly...