“Why are you suddenly asking about your sister?” Gu Tingyi, feeling downcast, looked at his son with some curiosity.

Gu Shaoqing, however, anxiously looked at Gu Tingyi. “Father? Where is Shen Qing now?”

Gu Tingyi rarely saw his son so emotionally out of control, and for a moment, he was stunned. “Shen Qing? He already left. He left early this morning. What’s wrong?”

Gu Shaoqing’s hands trembled with excitement as he grabbed his father’s wrist.

His voice was firm as he said, “Father, it’s my younger sister. She has returned.”

“What? Who are you talking about?”

Gu Tingyi was also shocked.

He grabbed Gu Shaoqing, thinking he must have misheard.

“It’s my younger sister! Shen Qing is my lost sister from years ago!” Gu Shaoqing couldn’t believe that Shen Qing had just left.

She clearly already knew her true identity, but why did she refuse to acknowledge them?

He was certain that she had figured out who she was, which was why she had come to help them.

“But isn’t Shen Qing a boy? How could she be your sister?” Gu Tingyi was momentarily unable to process the information.

Gu Shaoqing took a deep breath to calm himself before explaining, “She is actually a girl. And Father, haven’t you noticed how much she resembles Mother? I also saw a small red birthmark behind her left ear. She must be our little sister. Otherwise, why would she go to such great lengths to bring us supplies and even risk her life to save me?”

Gu Tingyi felt as if his mind had exploded with a deafening roar.

The joy and excitement he felt at that moment surpassed even the victory against Xiyue.

His daughter had returned—his daughter was alive, and she had grown into such an outstanding person.

No wonder her temper was so much like his.

It turned out that she was truly his precious daughter.

“I… I need to go after her. She can’t have gone far! My Wanwan, my daughter!” Gu Tingyi was so overwhelmed that he spoke incoherently, immediately stepping forward to chase after Shen Qingwan.

But Gu Shaoqing stopped him.

“Father, please calm down. Since Little Sister isn’t ready to acknowledge us yet, she must have her reasons. You know where she lives, right? Once we finish things here, I’ll go with you to bring her home.”

From what they had observed, Shen Qingwan seemed to be living well.

Although they were eager to reunite with her, the pressing matters in the Northwest were more urgent.

Besides, if she hadn’t accepted them yet, there had to be a reason. For now, knowing she was safe and well was enough; there was no need to rush the reunion.

Gu Tingyi finally calmed down upon hearing this.

Yes, their current affairs weren’t finished—he couldn’t leave just yet.

Not long after Shen Qingwan left, news of her deeds in the Northwest military camp spread like wildfire.

People spoke vividly of how she had rescued the young general and burned down Xiyue’s supply camp, as well as how she had cleverly acquired a thousand warhorses.

Even Chen Bin, who was usually a man of few words, became animated when talking about Shen Qingwan’s exploits.

Although she had left, her reputation remained in the Northwest camp.

She never mentioned to Gu Tingyi about the soldiers who had previously looted the civilians in Xijiang City.

Though they were at fault, the fact that they had not deserted despite being on the brink of starvation proved they were still loyal to the cause.

Shen Qingwan believed they were worthy of forgiveness.

Moreover, after she delivered the grain, Gu Tingyi sent men to distribute food to the town’s people, compensating for the soldiers’ previous actions.

This showed that Gu Tingyi was aware of the situation.

Although he had officially forbidden his men from taking food from civilians, some still broke the rule out of desperation.

Gu Tingyi did not condone such actions, but he also understood—the soldiers were human too.

While civilians could leave Xijiang City if they ran out of food, the soldiers had no choice but to stand their ground.

Before going to the Northwest, Shen Qingwan had assumed the troops were merely facing food shortages and hadn’t imagined that people had already died of starvation.

But upon arriving, she learned that more than 300 soldiers had already perished.

If not for the grain she brought that night, even more lives would have been lost.

As for those who had stolen food, they didn’t keep it for themselves—they had shared it with their dying comrades.

Perhaps this was why Gu Tingyi hadn’t punished them.

At this time, Shen Qingwan had already left Xijiang City and was on her way back.

Since she was no longer in a hurry, she hired a carriage for the journey.

Though she had to drive it herself, it was much more comfortable than riding a horse.

As she traveled away from the Northwest, she felt a sense of relief—perhaps because she had found a long-lost father and brother.

By the time she returned to Suzhou City, it was already early October.

Shen Qingwan first visited her shop to make sure everything was running smoothly.

After confirming that all was well, she went to the courtyard at the back to see her mother.

During the time Shen Qingwan had been away, Ye Minglan had been rather bored.

Rong Yunshuang occasionally took her out for strolls around the city or to visit the shop.

When she was at home, she would spend time doing needlework, making clothes for Shen Qingwan.

Worried about Ye Minglan’s eyesight, Rong Yunshuang wouldn’t allow her to sew at night.

So, she would work on the clothing bit by bit each day.

By now, the outfit was almost finished.

This was the first piece of clothing she had made for her daughter since she had grown up, so she poured her heart into it.

When Shen Qingwan arrived, she saw her mother sitting at a stone table in the courtyard, carefully sewing. It was already October, and the climate in the North was chilly. The cold in the air was evident.

Ye Minglan was so focused on her sewing that she didn’t notice Shen Qingwan approaching. It was Rong Yunshuang who saw her first.

“Ah! Mistress, you’re back!”

Hearing Rong Yunshuang’s exclamation, Ye Minglan finally looked up. The moment she saw her daughter, her face lit up with joy. She quickly put down her sewing and stood up, walking toward Shen Qingwan.

“Wanwan, you’re finally back!”

Ye Minglan had no idea that Shen Qingwan had been in the Northwest; she assumed she had been busy with business.

Now that her daughter had returned, she was overjoyed, her worries instantly fading away.

“Mother, how is your health? Your hands are so cold! The weather is getting chilly—you should dress warmer.”

Shen Qingwan held her mother’s hands, finding them icy to the touch. It seemed like she had been sitting outside for a while.

“I’m fine, my health is good. I don’t feel cold at all—it’s your hands that are too warm. Come, let’s go inside.”

Ye Minglan led her daughter into the house, while Rong Yunshuang hurried to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Inside, the mother and daughter chatted for a long time. Ye Minglan was concerned about her, asking many questions.

Though Shen Qingwan didn’t mention her trip to the Northwest, she patiently shared many amusing stories she had encountered along the way.