Chapter 499: Homecoming

Chapter 499: Chapter 468: Homecoming

Yun Jiao first set foot on her island. She needed to put the pearl mother shells into the sea lake.

The moment she stepped onto the familiar island, a feeling of comfort washed over her.

‘I’m finally back.’

They had traveled day and night on the way back, cutting down the journey time considerably.

Dragging a large bag of pearl mother shells, Yun Jiao walked to the edge of the sea lake, where her eyes met with someone on the island.

CLANG…

A basin of meat that Yun Linhai was holding fell to the ground.

Yun Jiao looked at him, too.

First, she smiled, then her eyes turned red.

“Dad.”

Yun Linhai froze for a second, then ran over and swept Yun Jiao into a hug.

“Jiaojiao, it’s really you, Jiaojiao. You’re back, you’re really back…”

Yun Jiao nodded. “Yes, I’m back.”

Yun Linhe also came out of the villa. “Big Bro, what was that loud noise…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. He stared at Yun Jiao with wide eyes, his face a mask of disbelief.

“Jiaojiao!!!”

His shout was so loud it startled the sea eagles in the trees, sending them flying.

「A few minutes later…」

Everyone’s emotions settled down. The smiles on Yun Linhai and Yun Linhe’s faces were exceptionally bright.

“It’s been three years. You’re finally back. You have no idea how worried we were about you.”

“You’ve grown so tall. Our Jiaojiao is a young woman now.”

Yun Jiao joined them in feeding the Clouded Leopards around the house.

About a dozen hungry little Clouded Leopard cubs, unafraid of Yun Jiao, trotted happily after them.

Yun Linhe sighed. “Those three over there are the youngest litter. Their mother died.”

Yun Jiao’s hand paused. She then crouched down and petted the three cubs, which were only about three months old.

“This place has basically become a nursery for Clouded Leopards. I don’t know what they’re thinking, but they always run over here after giving birth. They bring several cubs at a time, and we can’t just stand by and watch them starve.”

Besides, the big cats didn’t mind them; in fact, they seemed to quite like them.

That’s why they had to come to the island from time to time to feed them.

If nothing else, there were more than enough fish in the sea.

“It’s not like our family can’t afford it, so we just thought, the more the merrier. These little guys are pretty smart, too.”

Yun Jiao nodded.

After feeding them, they went to check on the horses.

Many parts of the island were now sown with grass seeds that the horses liked, and they would also bring hay over to feed them on normal days.

Plus, the island was large enough that even the fenced-off area provided plenty of room for them to move around. They were truly carefree on this island.

Oh, and the number of horses had grown from two to six.

There was one half-grown horse and two foals.

The sea eagle pair had also hatched a new clutch of three chicks, which weren’t old enough to leave the nest yet. The two parents had to go out hunting every day, working themselves to exhaustion.

Of course, sometimes when they felt lazy, they would wait for Yun Linhai and the others to come feed them.

When Yun Linhai and the others fed the Clouded Leopards, they would also prepare enough food for the sea eagles.

If Yun Linhai and the others didn’t come, and the pair felt too lazy to hunt, they would fly to Bailong Village to get food from Yun Jiao’s family.

It was like they had found a shortcut to raising their young.

Someone also came to clean the house on the island every week, so it wasn’t dirty.

Everything was perfect.

Afterward, Yun Jiao returned to Bailong Village with her dad and uncle.

It was then that Yun Jiao finally understood a phrase she had learned before.

Trepidation upon returning home.

It turned out that after being away for so many years, one really would feel nervous about returning, but there was even more anticipation.

Just as they got off the boat, someone shouted from a distance.

“Is that Yun Jiao? Is Yun Jiao back?!”

“What? Yun Jiao’s back?!”

“It really is Yun Jiao! Yun Jiao is back!!!”

And so, within a few minutes, more and more people knew that Yun Jiao had returned.

Aside from the tourists, the whole village was buzzing with excitement.

The tourists were confused.

“Who’s Yun Jiao? Why are they so excited?”

“I don’t know, but that girl is gorgeous. I almost thought a fairy had descended to the mortal world.”

Her features were delicate, her skin was so fair it seemed to glow in the sun, and her hair color was beautiful, making her look like she was of mixed heritage.

Yun Jiao was soon surrounded, with everyone pulling her aside to ask all sorts of questions.

Looking at all the familiar faces, Yun Jiao was quite patient.

“Jiaojiao, we heard from your parents that you went to study abroad?”

“How promising! You’re the first person from our village to study abroad.”

“You’re finally back. We all missed you.”

Yun Jiao had been “abroad” for three years. She wasn’t someone who could disappear without being noticed; if she was gone for even ten days, people would start asking where she went.

So, after some discussion, since Yun Jiao was away, they had simply concocted the excuse that she was studying abroad.

Surrounded by people, she made her way home. Before she even arrived, someone had run ahead to inform Shen Yunlian and Granny Yun, who came running as soon as they heard the news.

“Jiaojiao, my dear Jiaojiao!”

Granny Yun, Grandpa Yun, and their two daughters-in-law ran over excitedly. The crowd in front of them tactfully parted, clearing a path for them to meet Yun Jiao.

As soon as they met, Yun Jiao was surrounded by the four family elders.

“Oh, Jiaojiao, you’re finally back! Grandma missed you to death, WAHHH…”

It should have been a happy occasion, but amidst the joy, they couldn’t help but cry.

It was truly a case of crying tears of joy.

Yun Jiao’s eyes also reddened as she let them hug her.

After a while, their emotions calmed down, and they pulled Yun Jiao over to inspect her.

“You’ve grown taller, but why are you so thin?”

Yun Jiao wasn’t actually thin; her figure was well-proportioned.

She had a thin layer of muscle that wasn’t obvious, and her lines were smooth and graceful.

After all, she often swam in the sea. Her waist looked very slim, but she actually had V-lines.

But in the eyes of the elderly, she was far too thin, and it pained their hearts to see it.

Yun Jiao said, “I really didn’t suffer.”

She just couldn’t get used to the food abroad.

But in the sea, she ate quite a lot.

Later, when everyone on the Flame saw she couldn’t get used to Western food, they even hired a chef who could cook Chinese cuisine specifically for her.

She had a huge appetite, eating three to four times more than an ordinary person.

But she ate a lot and moved a lot, often diving into the deep sea, which burned a lot of energy. So she had no excess fat, but she wasn’t skinny either. She was curvy where she needed to be.

It was just that her figure looked slender and delicate, and her features were so exquisite she resembled a porcelain doll, making her seem easy to bully.

In reality, if you were to face her fists, those seemingly small hands could easily shatter a person’s bones.

Back home, despite not having seen each other for three years, there was no sense of distance between Yun Jiao and her family.

A little later, Yun Chenbei and Mr. Mu also arrived.

“Jiaojiao.”

Yun Chenbei, who had face blindness and a bit of social anxiety, was now a young man.

“Fourth Brother.”

Yun Jiao turned her head and gave him a smile.

It had only been three years, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Yun Jiao’s nine older brothers had all become outstanding geniuses in their respective fields.

Yun Chendong and Yun Chenxi were now a battalion commander and a deputy battalion commander, respectively.

Yun Chen Nan had become a genius scientist specializing in mechanics and had been recruited into a national research institute. Due to the special nature of his work, he rarely had time to come back.

Sometimes, it was normal for them not to hear from him for an entire year.

Yun Chenbei was a famous sculptor and architect.

He could even restore many ancient buildings, giving him a significant position in historical circles.

He loved making models of buildings. Each model was incredibly realistic and based on real historical structures. Every time he released a new one, people would scramble to buy it.

Yun Xiaowu was already a darling of Olympic swimming. With his good looks, he had even become a major star in the world of sports.

Yun Xiao Liu had taken over his master’s private kitchen and was now a very famous chef. People had to line up for a chance to eat his cooking.

Last year, Yun Xiaoqi had officially earned Mr. Qin’s approval and gone to Shanghai. He was now formally recognized as Qin He’s son and was studying by his side.

He called home almost every day.

Yun Xiao Ba, on the other hand, had made a name for himself in the world of antiques.

He had been cultivated by Ancient into a refined and scholarly young gentleman, like an heir raised in a prestigious family with a deep heritage.

Not only was he proficient in the four arts of zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting, but his eye for appraising antiques was also unparalleled among the younger generation. He had already worked with Ancient to restore ancient paintings and porcelain from the national museum’s collection.

And Yun Xiaojiu, needless to say, was still young but was already an undisputed top-tier star in the entertainment industry.

Although Yun Jiao had been away, she was still quite up-to-date on her brothers’ situations.

But for now, the only one at home was Yun Chenbei, with his social anxiety and face blindness.

In the afternoon, Yun Jiao was treated to a heartwarming feast by her family.

She successfully ate until she was stuffed.

The Yun family fell silent as they watched her eat five large bowls of rice in a row, along with so many other dishes.

‘Jiaojiao really can eat more and more.’

Still, being able to eat well is a blessing!

Shen Yunlian looked at her daughter’s slender figure.

“How can you eat so much and still have such a flat stomach?”

Yun Jiao rubbed her stomach. “I don’t know.”

She slumped ungracefully into a chair. ‘Home really is the most comfortable place.’

Outside, as a leader, she had to be at least somewhat conscious of her image.