Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 180 - 173 He Mansion

Chapter 180: 173 He Mansion

He Xuewen took Tian Sisi to the old He Family mansion, which is located on Fenyang Road, not far from the famous Bai Mansion (fictional). Originally part of the French Concession, this area boasts many European-style villas. Walking down this road lined with French plane trees, one might think they were in Europe.

"Wow, Daddy, our house is so beautiful!"

Upon seeing the grand and pure European-style He Mansion, Tian Sisi couldn’t help but exclaim aloud. Even in the 21st century, this villa wouldn’t be out of place; instead, it acquires an added layer of graceful aging that those modern exquisite villas can’t compare with.

"Of course, it’s beautiful. Our He Mansion and the Bai Mansion were built by the same company, apparently an American architecture firm. Just building this mansion took seven or eight years. I hadn’t been born yet; it was your great-grandfather who had it built."

He Xuewen looked at the familiar house before his eyes and felt a warmth in his gaze. He never imagined that in this lifetime, he would be able to return and bring his daughter with him, too. But he didn’t know whether the three of them could ever be reunited as a family?

Feeling a surge of emotion, He Xuewen quickly lowered his head to cough, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. Tian Sisi pretended not to notice and grasped He Xuewen’s hand, attempting to offer him some comfort.

He Xuewen took out a bunch of keys from his bag, selected one, and inserted it into the villa’s main door. "Click," the door opened, revealing the shiny marble floor inside and pieces of white cloth, which looked somewhat frightening.

Tian Sisi suddenly felt a shiver and unconsciously gripped He Xuewen’s hand tighter, "Don’t be afraid, Ah Nan, this is our home."

"Mhm."

Tian Sisi was actually quite puzzled in her heart. According to the history, she learned from her previous life, a large garden house like the He Family’s should have been confiscated by the government a long time ago, right? But now it seems that this house is still under He Xuewen’s name?

"Daddy, I heard from my younger uncle that many Western-style houses in Shanghai were confiscated by the government. Why wasn’t ours confiscated?"

He Xuewen snorted coldly, "Our family owns more than just this Western-style house. Others like Huaihai Road, Hongqiao Road, Yu Garden Road, and Xinhua Road all have villas, a total of eight sets, though none as large as this one. Those Western-style houses have all been confiscated by the government, and now some government officials are living in them."

"As for this mansion, it is the He Family’s ancestral home, the largest and the finest. It should have been confiscated as well, but Liu Jinyi thought the He Family’s treasure was in this mansion, so he stepped in to preserve it, and it has remained under my name."

He Xuewen thought it was amusing. Liu Jinyi really ended up losing more than what he tried to steal. However, he should also thank Liu Jinyi, for if it weren’t for his self-interested act to preserve this mansion, who knows how it would have been defiled by those people?

"These are the ancestral tablets of the He Family, Ah Nan, come and pay your respects!"

He Xuewen led Tian Sisi into a room filled with ancestral tablets and a few photos. Tian Sisi obediently knelt down and kowtowed three times.

"Ancestors of the He Family above, your unfilial descendant He Xuewen has brought his daughter to salute you. Here, I, Xuewen, want to inform all the ancestors that my daughter Sisi is the true heir to the He Family. She has found the He Family’s true treasure. I also pray to you all to bless me, Xuewen, with the ability to revive He Family Wine and restore its former glory in my lifetime!"

He Xuewen knelt on the ground, worshipping devoutly, with tears brimming in his eyes.

"Daddy, are the people in these photos Grandpa and Granny?" After He Xuewen finished his kowtows, Tian Sisi asked as she looked at the photographs on the wall.

"Yes, these are your great-great-grandparents, these are your great-grandparents, and these are your grandpa and granny."

With each introduction made by He Xuewen, Tian Sisi would knock her head on the ground and murmur to herself, "Ancestors of the He Family, although I’m not truly a member of the He Family, I will definitely help Daddy make He Family Wine renowned and loved even by foreigners. You can play in peace down below, and I’ll offer my tributes to you during every festive season."

Perhaps it was psychological, but Tian Sisi always felt that her great-grandfather was smiling at her, with kind and benevolent eyes, "Daddy, great-grandpa is smiling at me."

"Don’t be silly, your great-grandfather was simply smiling when the photo was taken." He Xuewen found it amusing yet exasperating, as children are prone to saying such silly things.

Tian Sisi giggled, and He Xuewen carefully wiped clean each ancestral tablet and photograph. Tian Sisi helped too, and once they were done, they kowtowed a few more times before moving to other rooms.

He Mansion was very large, three stories high with an attic, a big lawn at the front, and a garden with a pond at the back. According to He Xuewen, it covered nearly 10,000 square meters, with a building area of also about 3,000 square meters. With every word he said, Tian Sisi’s heart thumped wildly, almost leaping to her throat.

Oh my goodness, a 10,000-square-meter western-style house, and in the heart of Shanghai, no less!This is literally a mountain of gold! It must worth at least a hundred million, right? Tian Sisi suddenly felt that God really must be her own ancestor, to have given her such a wealthy Daddy!

Tian Sisi’s face flushed with excitement, and He Xuewen thought she was overheated, so he suggested that Tian Sisi rest for a while before continuing their tour. Tian Sisi shook her head; with the He Family’s house being so large, they might need a long time to see everything.

The mansion had many antiques and pieces of furniture, and He Xuewen mentioned that some were made of huanghuali and zitan woods. Tian Sisi thought for a moment before asking, "Daddy, are these things valuable?"

"Of course they are valuable. These were once used in the palace; your great-grandfather and grandfather went through a lot of trouble to get them," He Xuewen said with a laugh.

"Then I’ll put them away to prevent others from damaging them, or great-grandpa and grandpa would be upset."

He Xuewen felt the same. Although these items weren’t the most valuable things in the He Family, they were the painstaking efforts of his father and grandfather. He nodded in agreement, and Tian Sisi smiled, carefully storing some of the valuable furniture and antiques in the Space under He Xuewen’s guidance.

"Ah Nan, this room is yours, decorated by your Mama and me."

They arrived on the second floor, and He Xuewen pushed open a room with pink decor, speaking nostalgically. The room was thoughtfully arranged, truly a luxurious Princess Room, which clearly reflected the joy He Xuewen and Mu Xiulan must have felt back then.

Tian Sisi noticed the sorrowful expression on He Xuewen’s face and knew he must be missing Mu Xiulan again. After a thoughtful pause, she deliberately asked, "Daddy, what kind of person was Mama? Is she still alive?"

"You look very much like your Mama, both are beautiful. But your Mama was very strong, a formidable businesswoman, even better at handling money than your Daddy."

He Xuewen spoke softly, a faint smile on his lips, "Daddy doesn’t know if your Mama is still alive, but he will try hard to find her. Perhaps your Mama will appear one day!"

Tian Sisi had to restrain herself several times from revealing that Mu Xiulan might already be married, but she couldn’t say it; how would a little kid like her know such things? Sigh, she would have to wait for the right moment in the future, just hoping that He Xuewen won’t be too heartbroken later. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)