Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 915 - 911: Nighttime

In the early March evening of Xiajing, the breeze still carried a refreshing coolness. The crowds outside Shenwu Gate in the Forbidden City gradually dispersed, the shadow of its red walls stretching long under the setting sun.

Grandma held Tang Tang’s little hand as they walked slowly on the cobblestone path. Seeing the vendor selling candied hawthorns not far away, she couldn’t help but smile and ask, "Did you have fun today? Was exploring the Forbidden City tiring?"

"Oh~ oh~"

Tang Tang tilted her small face up, responding with cheerful sounds, but her gaze wasn’t on Grandma; instead, she was staring intently at the ground—someone had dropped a small red five-star flag, the red fabric slightly dusty but still vibrant.

She tugged on Grandma’s hand and quickly walked over, carefully bending down to pick it up.

There was no wind at the moment, so the flag drooped softly in her palm. Tang Tang furrowed her small brows and leaned closer, gently blowing on the flag’s surface.

A magical scene unfolded—a light breeze suddenly emerged from nowhere, lifting the flag gently, making it flutter. The small red flag unfurled in the sunset, like a tiny flame dancing in her palm.

"Han~"

Tang Tang immediately raised her hand, presenting the fluttering little national flag to Grandma, her little face filled with pride, looking utterly adorable.

Grandma laughed out loud, amused by her, and reached out to pat her small head, "Well done!"

As she unconsciously turned her head to look around, the nearby willow branches were still, and even the leaves on the ground didn’t stir—where was the wind coming from?

Before Grandma could think further, her gaze caught a familiar figure standing in the shade of a tree not far away, hands behind his back, smiling at them.

"Si Yuan?"

Grandma’s voice instantly rose, filled with surprise and joy.

She had never expected Shen Siyuan to come to Xiajing, let alone waiting for them here.

"Oh~ oh..."

Tang Tang saw Shen Siyuan too and immediately tugged Grandma’s hand, pointing forward nonstop. The small trinkets hanging from her wrist jingled melodiously.

Before Grandma could react, Tang Tang had freed herself, and with her short legs, she ran toward Shen Siyuan like a joyful little monkey, arms wide open, her little shoes making a "tap tap" sound on the cobblestones.

"Han~"

Reaching Shen Siyuan, Tang Tang leapt straight into his arms, tightly wrapping her little arms around his leg. Then, as if presenting a treasure, she raised the little flag in her hand, also displaying the dazzling trinkets on her wrist and neck, as if showing off her "spoils" of the day.

Shen Siyuan bent down to pick her up, lightly tapping her nose with his finger, "Did you have fun today?"

Tang Tang didn’t hear, only knew to grin widely, her small head snuggling against him, especially affectionate.

At this moment, Ruan Hongzhuang, Taozi, and the couple Shen Jianjun also came up from behind. Ruan Hongzhuang looked at Shen Siyuan and curiously asked, "Didn’t Dou Dou, Duoduo, and Xiao Yue come with you?"

"They went to Duoduo’s house. Her sister-in-law made special sugar pastries and insisted they stay for dinner."

Shen Siyuan explained with a smile, turning his gaze naturally toward Huang Huijuan and Jiang Yingxue standing aside, "Mom, where are you planning to go now?"

As soon as he called "Mom," both Huang Huijuan and Jiang Yingxue responded almost simultaneously—

"Oh! We were just about to have dinner!"

Huang Huijuan spoke first, not forgetting to give Jiang Yingxue a glare.

Jiang Yingxue, not to be outdone, cleared her throat and said, "We plan to have some roast duck first, then go back to the hotel to rest. Grandma was out all day and her legs are tired."

The two exchanged a glance, a hint of competitive flair in their eyes, making Shen Jianjun beside them cough lightly, subtly tugging on Huang Huijuan’s clothes.

Holding back laughter, Shen Siyuan walked ahead with Tang Tang in his arms, "Perfect, I’ll join you; I haven’t had dinner either."

Ruan Hongzhuang followed beside him, taking advantage of no one paying attention to secretly pinch his waist. She could easily tell that Shen Siyuan had deliberately called out "Mom" earlier to tease the two elders.

Shen Siyuan turned his head slightly, giving her a helpless look, yet there was a smile hidden at his mouth. This little interaction between them was full of tacit understanding.

This trip to Xiajing, aside from Shen Siyuan’s family, Jiang Yingxue also specially came along.

Ruan Xiangqian had intended to come too, but work obligations kept him in Si Ming.

On the way, Ruan Hongzhuang recounted the story of Tang Tang picking up those items.

Shen Siyuan looked down at Tang Tang in his arms, who was busy playing with the small flag, and said with a smile, "Let’s just hand them over to Mao Sanmei and let her keep them for Tang Tang."

He had long been accustomed to Tang Tang’s "magic"; whenever this child went out, she always found peculiar things. It would be troublesome to turn them in every time; it was better to let her keep them as playthings for now and decide what to do with them when she grows up.

When it came to eating roast duck, the group didn’t choose the most famous Quanjude, but opted for Four Seasons Minfu next to the Forbidden City,

This was something Taozi had checked in advance. It’s said to be a "rising star" in the roast duck scene in Xiajing. The duck is roasted in a fruitwood oven, and the crispy skin melts in your mouth. Dipped in sugar, you can taste a faint fruity aroma. The duck meat, wrapped in sweet bean sauce and Beijing scallions, rolled in a thin pancake, is utterly satisfying with each bite.

However, at this location, there are many tourists, and without making a reservation a few days in advance, you could wait to the point of questioning your life choices.

Fortunately, these trivial matters were naturally arranged by someone for the entire process.

As soon as the group arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, a lobby manager in a crisp suit quickly came up to greet them, respectfully leading everyone inside, "Mr. Shen, the private room is ready inside. It’s very quiet, rest assured."

The private room is at the innermost part of the second floor. Upon opening the door, one sees soft armchairs arranged around a rosewood round table. On the wall hangs an ink painting of lotus flowers, and outside the window, you can see the night view of the Forbidden City’s corner tower.

Most thoughtfully, there are also a few small plates of snacks on the table—pea cake and "donkey rolling," both traditional Beijing snacks, evidently prepared in advance.

In addition to the signature roast duck, everyone ordered a whole table of dishes.

The braised pork pot was stewed until it was soft and flavorful, the cabbage in the soup absorbed with the aroma of meat.

The Beile roast meat was served sizzling on an iron plate, with the aroma of lamb mixed with the sweetness of onions, one bite and your mouth waters.

The scallion braised sea cucumber was tender and bouncy, with a rich sauce that could be mixed with rice to eat two big bowls.

The most popular was the honey-glazed crispy prawns—the prawns were split, deveined, and fried to a golden crisp. Drizzled with a secret honey sauce, the sweet and salty flavors intertwined, and even the shells could be chewed directly. The prawn meat was firm and plump, not dry at all.

From the moment she sat down, Tang Tang had her eyes on this plate of prawns. As soon as the dish was served, she reached out her chubby little hand to grab, but Mao Sanmei hurriedly stopped her and used chopsticks to pick one and place it in her bowl.

The little one swallowed it in a couple of bites, her eyes instantly lighting up. She pointed at the plate and exclaimed "Oh oh," asking for more.

In the end, this plate of prawns, except for Grandma who tried one and found it too sweet to continue, was finished off entirely by Tang Tang. She even scraped the sauce on the plate clean with a spoon, her little belly round and full like a little ball.

As everyone was enjoying the lively meal, Shen Siyuan’s phone suddenly rang.

He answered the call and heard Song Meixian’s crisp voice: "Mr. Shen, good news! Grandma Xiulan has been found!"

He had just mentioned the matter of helping Grandma find her best friend, Liu Xiulan, to Song Meixian in the morning. By the afternoon, there was news. The efficiency of the Special Affairs Bureau surprised even Shen Siyuan.

Song Meixian explained Liu Xiulan’s history in detail over the phone.

Back then, Grandma’s friend Liu Xiulan returned to Xiajing, but due to the large number of educated youths returning to the city, she wasn’t allotted a formal job. She was finally arranged to work as a temporary worker at a food factory.

But Liu Xiulan was an ambitious person. She took the college entrance exam the following year and got admitted to the Foreign Languages Institute in Xiajing in the same year.

After graduation, she entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later was stationed in the Philippines.

In 1988, she went to study in the United States, pursuing a Master’s in Commercial Law at Boston University. After returning to China, she worked at the Ministry of Justice, engaging in legal-related work until her retirement.

She made outstanding contributions to China’s legal field.

In short, Liu Xiulan is also an exceptionally remarkable woman.

"She is now retired and living in Luo’er Alley. I’ll send you her current address and photos to your phone later." Song Meixian added, "Do you need us to help arrange a meeting?"

"No need, it’s not a bother. I will personally take Grandma there tomorrow and accompany her for a stroll around Xiajing’s alleys," Shen Siyuan declined with a smile, his tone full of gratitude.

"This time you have really been a great help. It’s been a lot of trouble for you all."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all! Grandma Liu’s information was easy to find in the system, it didn’t take any effort," Song Meixian laughed and reminded a few times, "Feel free to contact if you need anything," then hung up the phone.

Shen Siyuan put away his phone and looked up to meet Ruan Hongzhuang’s curious gaze—she didn’t speak, but her eyes were clearly asking, "Who was it, you’ve been talking for so long?"

Shen Siyuan quietly glanced at Grandma, who was beside him wiping Tang Tang’s mouth. Ruan Hongzhuang instantly caught on and didn’t ask further—she knew there must be news about Grandma’s best friend.

Sitting next to Shen Siyuan was Taozi, who, seeing the two exchanging glances, felt a little dissatisfied. She quietly kicked Shen Siyuan under the table with her toes and deliberately pouted, like a child throwing a tantrum.

Shen Siyuan was amused by her actions and picked a piece of Beile roasted meat she liked and placed it in her bowl, "Don’t fuss, eat more."

A simple gesture instantly soothed Taozi’s little mood.

She lowered her head, and a subtle smile crept onto her lips—in truth, both she and Ruan Hongzhuang were swayed by Shen Siyuan’s gentle coaxing.

The warm yellow lights in the private room glowed, the night outside grew darker, the corner tower of the Forbidden City lit up, and the faint glow in the night seemed particularly gentle.

Grandma looked at the lively scene before her, then at Shen Siyuan who was holding Tang Tang, her heart full of warmth. This was a completeness she never dared to dream of before.