Fortunately, following Gu Qingcheng's instructions in the letter, Dai Fa not only observed the area but also set up a treatment zone nearby, where the afflicted refugees were housed. Zhu Liang took meticulous care of them, and apart from one elderly person who couldn't endure it, they were all saved. Phoenix Village was safe. Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo continued their journey.
The next day, Gu Qingcheng piloted the yacht towards Jinsha City. They were lucky and finally arrived at Jinsha City at 4 PM. However, as they traveled, observing the surroundings, their hearts grew heavier. It turned out that in the area around Jinsha City, floodwaters had submerged many low-lying villages, and even the once bustling Jinsha City was more than one-third submerged. Only houses built on higher ground were spared, including Prince Xia's mansion. Gu Qingcheng felt a slight relief upon arriving at Jinsha City and seeing that many areas were not yet flooded. She docked the boat by a deserted riverbank, disembarked, and then, with Mi Guo, walked towards the city gates. As they passed through the city gates, the guards demanded to see their travel permits. Gu Qingcheng presented the waist token that Prince Xia had given her during the extreme cold. To her surprise, the token proved very useful. The guards respectfully allowed Gu Qingcheng to enter the city. Once inside, Gu Qingcheng discovered that the northern part of the city, being low-lying, was largely submerged. The southern and eastern parts, being higher, were currently safe. Having been away for over half a year, Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo had a deep affection for Jinsha City, a place they had lived in for a long time. Seeing it now, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. It was a pity that the current prosperity would soon be shattered by natural disaster. As Gu Qingcheng walked, she saw many homeless wanderers by the roadside, and some people were selling their children, marking them with grass. The sold children shivered, looking utterly pitiful. But with no food and no assets, the parents could only cruelly sell them. Even if sold as servants, they would at least have food to eat and a chance to survive, rather than starve to death. Gu Qingcheng, unable to bear it, had Mi Guo take out some silver fragments and throw them before the kneeling children as they passed.
The two soon set off on the road towards Ya Mountain. Being high-lying, Ya Mountain appeared to be safe. Gu Qingcheng was both anxious and excited at the thought of seeing her parents soon. When they reached the foot of Ya Mountain, they saw that the ice slope, which had previously been covered in snow, had melted away, revealing the hundred steps completely. Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo saw the steps and ran up them. Having already taken the Strength Pills, their physical fitness was already superior to that of ordinary people, so climbing the steps was no effort. In no time, the two quickly reached the summit. At this point, they saw the courtyard gate ajar, and Wangcai barked "woof woof" and ran out with Kele. It turned out they had sensed their presence from afar, and indeed, it was them. Upon seeing Gu Qingcheng, Wangcai excitedly rushed towards them. Gu Qingcheng hugged Wangcai's head and couldn't stop stroking him. Wangcai thoroughly enjoyed it, nuzzling his head into her embrace and whimpering. Kele, on the other hand, was a bit more reserved. While it didn't leap onto them, its body was honest, rubbing against Mi Guo and Gu Qingcheng's legs with a cat-like gait, which was quite amusing. Hearing the commotion from the cat and dog, footsteps could be heard from within the house. Gu Qingcheng released Wangcai's head and looked up to see her father and mother coming out. Seeing them safe and sound, Gu Qingcheng was overjoyed. She rushed over, hugging her father, then her mother, filled with excitement. Mi Guo, being more shy, rushed to them with excitement, his face red, and said, "Dad, Mom, we're back." "Good, good, it's good that you're back safe," Gu Chaobei and Hu Lanfang said, their voices choked with emotion upon seeing their two children return safely. "Oh, you're back so quickly. We only received Qingcheng's letter saying you were returning the day before yesterday. We thought it would take you at least ten days to half a month, but you suddenly appeared." Hu Lanfang excitedly patted her daughter's back. "Dad, Mom, what were you doing yesterday? I didn't see you get anything, and I was so worried," Gu Qingcheng quickly asked. Hu Lanfang and Gu Chaobei exchanged glances, their expressions peculiar. Gu Qingcheng felt as if there was something fishy going on. For a moment, they didn't answer, only saying to them, "Hurry inside. You two have grown so much in less than half a year. Mi Guo, you've grown at least 10 centimeters, you're almost at my shoulder." Gu Chaobei patted Mi Guo's shoulder and praised him. Upon hearing his father say he had grown taller, Mi Guo puffed out his chest like a proud rooster, and everyone laughed.
After entering the house together, Gu Qingcheng saw that the residence had hardly changed, except for some flowers and plants in the yard, which her mother had likely planted. On the ground lay a "boomerang," a tennis ball training artifact, likely used for their daily exercise. Apart from that, everything was the same as when they had left home, giving Gu Qingcheng a warm feeling of being home. The family reunited joyfully. After settling down, Hu Lanfang asked, "Qingcheng, you both came out, how is Phoenix Village? Is it alright?" "It's fine. Everyone is doing their own thing, and each sub-team leader is trustworthy," Gu Qingcheng replied confidently. "I was just worried that you, being so impetuous, might not arrange things properly before leaving, and might make a mistake," Gu Qingbei expressed his concern. "Don't worry, the villagers respect big sister. They won't have any ulterior motives," Mi Guo affirmed. Gu Qingcheng did not go into too much detail about the loyalty testing system. In fact, she had tested each sub-team leader before leaving, and only felt at ease leaving when their loyalty score was above 90. If their loyalty had been below 90, she would have replaced them. Hu Lanfang smiled and said, "Old Gu, we must trust them. After half a year away, look how much more mature they've become. They are now in charge of a village's affairs, and I believe our daughter can consider everything well. Alright, it hasn't been easy for the two children to come back, let's quickly cook a meal to reward them." "Hehe, okay." Gu Chaobei listened to his wife and went to prepare the meal. Mi Guo insisted on helping with the cooking. Gu Chaobei, knowing his genuine love for cooking, didn't politely refuse and began cooking with his son, creating a harmonious scene. Hu Lanfang chatted with Gu Qingcheng, eagerly sharing their life on Ya Mountain after they had left. Their life on Ya Mountain could be described as a leisurely semi-retirement, quite pleasant. Apart from the occasional anxiety of dealing with Prince Xia's mansion, they had no other major worries. When Princess Xia was giving birth, Gu Chaobei was also invited to oversee the process. Fortunately, it was a smooth delivery, and she gave birth to a son. Prince Xia was overjoyed and doted on his wife and youngest son. Of course, his eldest son, born to his previous consort, was somewhat out of favor. The family intrigues within the prince's mansion were far from over. Hu Lanfang recounted the recent events.