CHAPTER 376: CHAPTER 369: RETURNING HOME TO HONOR THE ANCESTORS

On the second day, Sisi and her group set out for Ningbo, taking a train to Shanghai first and then driving from Shanghai to Ningbo, which was more convenient.

Upon arriving at He Mansion, Mu Xiulan’s eyes reddened, and tears flowed down as she sincerely knelt in front of the ancestral tablets of the He Family, respectfully bowing her head several times and murmuring words that nobody could quite catch.

Qiao Xingbang was stunned by the magnificence of He Mansion. He had thought his own 10,000 square feet villa was sizable, but it was merely the size of one living room compared to He Mansion!

"Sisi, I didn’t expect your family to be quite wealthy!" Qiao Xingbang said with envy.

"Of course, if our family weren’t wealthy, bad people wouldn’t have come to harm my Daddy and Mama."

Sisi pursed her lips, implying an unspoken understanding that if not for bad luck, a beauty like her Mama wouldn’t have fallen into her Old Dou’s hands.

Qiao Xingbang, of course, understood and chuckled awkwardly, developing a new impression of Mu Xiulan. He and his brother Qiao Zhenbang had always thought of her as destitute, eying their father’s money. Now, it seemed, her former husband had been much wealthier than their father!

"We have another villa too, not as big as this one but with nice scenery. I’ll take you there when there’s a chance," Sisi added.

"Where is it?" Qiao Xingbang was curious, realizing that she had more than just one property.

"There are seven or eight, in fact. It would take several days to see them all, so we can talk about it some other time when we’re free."

Sisi boasted on purpose, also signaling to Qiao Xingbang not to think that her Mama lacked confidence; The Qiao family’s money didn’t amount to much in the eyes of the He family.

Indeed, when Qiao Xingbang heard about the seven or eight villas, he immediately showed utmost respect. To Hong Kong people, a house is a mountain of gold, and with Sisi’s family owning so many, they were sitting on mountains of gold.

Sisi was satisfied with Qiao Xingbang’s reaction; her efforts to show off had not been in vain.

Ningbo is not far from Shanghai, just a two to three-hour drive. Therefore, they stayed in Sisi Garden for one night and set off for Ningbo early the next day.

The Mu Family did not reside in Ningbo City but in an area close to Xiangshan, within the coastal region. The ancestral home of the Mu Family was not far from the sea, just a half-hour drive away.

The ancestral home of the Mu Family was very similar to the Mo Family big house, but it was more opulent and slightly less elegant.

Qiao Xingbang’s mouth gaped wide enough to fit an egg upon seeing the meandering ancestral home of the Mu Family and did not bother to ask Sisi any more questions, fearing another blow to his ego.

Many relatives of the Mu Family were still alive, and they had been notified beforehand that Mu Xiulian from overseas was returning to pay respects to her ancestors and were told to host her properly.

The local people did indeed host her well; not only did the Clan Leader of the Mu Family show up but so did the local government officials, full of enthusiasm.

The Clan Leader of the Mu Family was about sixty years old, called Mu Xiusheng, and he recognized Mu Xiulan. Upon seeing her, tears streamed down his face.

"Xiulian, you’re finally back. We thought your family had no one left. Where are Uncle, Aunt, and your brother Xiu Zhu? How are they?" Mu Xiusheng cried bitterly.

Xiulian’s tears also flowed freely, "Second Cousin Brother, my Daddy, Mama, and brother have all gone missing. We have not had contact for these years."

"Sigh, as long as there’s no definite news, there’s still hope. Perhaps we will receive their news before too long," Mu Xiusheng consoled Mu Xiulan.

Sisi observed that this Second Cousin Brother seemed to have a good relationship with Xiulian, with a genuinely calm and happy aura.

"This must be your daughter Xiulian, right? She looks exactly like you when you were little!" The Clan Leader recognized Sisi immediately upon seeing her.

"Hello, Second Uncle!" Sisi greeted sweetly with a smile, and Tian Xinhua and Qiao Xingbang followed suit.

"This is my future son-in-law, and this one is my stepson; both are good kids."

Mu Xiulan didn’t conceal anything from Mu Xiusheng, her second elder cousin from a different branch of the family, with whom her family had the closest relationship. It was almost like they were immediate family, so she didn’t feel the need to hide anything that had happened to her.

Mu Xiusheng found it strange upon hearing her. Wasn’t Xiulian married off to the He Family in Shanghai? How did she suddenly have a stepson? Could it be that Xiulian and He Xuewen had separated?

Mu Xiusheng looked suspiciously at He Xuewen and Mu Xiulan. Something seemed off; although they both had smiles on their faces, the estrangement between them was evident, and they also stood quite far from each other, not as intimate as before.

Alas, it seems Xiulian has had her fair share of troubles over the years! The thought of Uncle Seven’s family, from whom there had been no word to date, made him feel the onset of sadness.

Mu Xiusheng had a large family, with great-grandchildren on the way, and they seemed to be doing well enough, free from worries about food and clothing. However, at this time, a commoner’s "doing well" was limited to just having enough to eat and wear; any aspirations for more were impractical.

Mu Xiulan, along with Sisi, paid respects to their ancestors and took Sisi and the younger generation to visit the Mu ancestral home. She introduced them to the various courtyards – which one was hers as a child, which belonged to her elder brother, as well as those of her maternal grandparents.

Qiao Xingbang had an idea when he saw these exquisite houses and whispered in Sisi’s ear.

"Sisi, Brother Chunfeng is planning to shoot a new movie set in the Qing Dynasty and is looking for a mansion with a Prince Mansion style. He hasn’t found a suitable location yet, but I think your family’s courtyard would be quite fitting. How about we let Brother Chunfeng film here?"

Filmmaking? Sisi looked at the Mu family’s somewhat rough-hewn houses. Isn’t this a bit lacking? But can Hong Kong people come to the Mainland to shoot films now?

"Why worry about finding a Prince Mansion when I have two actual ones in Beijing? But can Brother Chunfeng and his crew make it over here?"

Sisi thought of the large estates that she had recently acquired, one was a Prince Mansion and the other a Commandery Prince Mansion, both with more grandeur than the Mu family’s home, which at best could only be considered a delicate Jiangnan garden home.

Qiao Xingbang had already braced himself for Sisi’s real estate holdings, so hearing that she owned two actual Prince Mansions didn’t surprise him much.

"Yes, your side is encouraging us Hong Kong people to come over now, so there definitely won’t be any issues. I will call Brother Chunfeng later on," Qiao Xingbang replied cheerfully.

"Why are you so enthusiastic about Brother Chunfeng’s film production?" Sisi felt it was odd, as Qiao Xingbang was not usually so altruistic.

With glee, Qiao Xingbang replied, "Brother Chunfeng said that if I can find a suitable estate, he’ll let me act in a role."

Sisi couldn’t help but burst into laughter, sizing him up and down, with a look that said what was obvious to any discerning eye. Qiao Xingbang felt so annoyed that he wanted to curse, but seeing Tian Xinhua beside him looking unamused, he did not dare.

"What role?" Sisi asked, struggling to hold back her laughter.

"A First-rank Blade Guard, handsome and elegant, literally like a fine tree amidst the breeze, a graceful and beautiful man!" Qiao Xingbang declared with immense pride.

Sisi couldn’t contain herself any longer and collapsed laughing into Tian Xinhua’s arms. Tian Xinhua also found it quite funny. With Qiao Xingbang’s burly and rough looks, a beautiful man?

Tendons on Qiao Xingbang’s forehead throbbed as his eyes turned red, furious and wanting to give this couple a harsh lesson for daring to mock him, Second Young Master Qiao. Couldn’t he play the role of a beautiful man?

Hmph, a bunch of ignorant bumpkins. Brother Chunfeng himself said that with his looks, he is the epitome of an ancient standard of male beauty!

He Chunfeng gave a wry smile: My lord, didn’t I say that under duress from you?