These dishes included not only precious Matsutake Fish Maw and the classic buddha jumps over the wall, but also rare delicacies like Ganoderma Lucidum Hidden Jade Cicada.
Furthermore, all kinds of seafood were readily available; it was clear that a great deal of effort had been put into this family banquet.
Looking at the sumptuous spread before him, Jiang Cheng marveled politely, "Wow, this is too lavish! Thank you, Uncle and Auntie, for your warm hospitality. I'm truly flattered."
Compared to Jiang Cheng's natural and relaxed conversation, Huang Yuqi, who was beside him, appeared somewhat constrained.
Her eyes widened as she watched several nannies in matching uniforms skillfully take turns serving the dishes, unable to help but sigh inwardly.
Although she wasn't materialistic, she had never experienced such a grand display before.
Facing such a luxurious scene, it was inevitable that Huang Yuqi felt a bit nervous and uneasy.
After all, since her graduation, she had gone to the mountains for volunteer teaching and usually had no chance to encounter such occasions.
Coupled with Richest Man Wang's powerful entrepreneurial aura, she still felt somewhat intimidated when facing him in person.
She had originally intended to just tag along with Jiang Cheng for a meal, but she hadn't expected the scale of this dinner to be even more grand and solemn than at a restaurant.
Seeing Jiang Cheng say this, Richest Man Wang immediately said, "Oh, what delicacies haven't you tasted? These are just home-cooked meals, please don't mind them. Give them a try. Oh, by the way, I personally arranged the plating for these few dishes, and these others are his mother's specialties. You two should have a taste."
After he finished, Mrs. Wang added quickly, "I haven't cooked in years, so I don't know if my skills have regressed. Try them, and if they're not good, please don't mind."
Seeing Mrs. Wang's slightly embarrassed look, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but squint his eyes and smile. "Since it's Auntie's cooking, then I must taste it properly. There's no surprise if you cook often, but there's a sense of anticipation for something rarely made."
Hearing Jiang Cheng say this, a happy smile appeared on Mrs. Wang's face. "You really have a way with words. Hurry, give it a try."
Wang Congcong followed up, "My mom doesn't cook often, only a few times a year. Jiang Cheng, just have a casual taste. You should eat more of the other dishes; those were made by the chefs and are more professional."
Hearing her son say that, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but glare at him with feigned anger. "You brat, you're not allowed to eat mine."
With Wang Congcong's teasing, the atmosphere at the dinner table instantly became relaxed and pleasant.
"Hahaha, Mom, you're joking..."
Throughout the meal, Jiang Cheng seemed to sense Huang Yuqi's discomfort.
He carefully observed Huang Yuqi's plate every time he picked up a dish.
If he noticed she liked a certain dish, he would put more into her bowl; if he saw she had little of another, he would use his chopsticks to serve her some more.
This seemingly casual yet extremely considerate gesture caused waves of emotion to rise in Huang Yuqi's heart.
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever truly cared for or been so considerate toward her like this.
She had grown up relying on her grandmother. While she hadn't suffered from hunger or cold, her grandmother didn't like her mother and therefore didn't pay much attention to her.
So, let alone receiving favoritism or affection, it was out of the question.
Usually, it was nothing but a scolding at every turn.
At this moment, she truly felt for the first time how wonderful it was to be cared for so wholeheartedly by someone.
She had originally worried that Jiang Cheng might feel awkward or uncomfortable at this dinner, so she had specifically come to accompany him.
However, the result was another reversal; it was still Jiang Cheng who was looking out for her feelings.
Since she was the person Jiang Cheng had brought, and throughout the dinner, everyone saw Jiang Cheng's thoughtfulness toward Huang Yuqi.
Once the meal was almost over, Richest Man Wang, as the host, naturally began to show concern for the guest.
"Teacher Huang, where are you doing your volunteer teaching? How is the environment? Are the conditions good?"
Seeing Richest Man Wang ask, Huang Yuqi said generously, "I'm volunteer teaching in a small village in Qinghai."
Hearing this, a look of surprise appeared on Richest Man Wang's face. "You went to such a remote place for volunteer teaching? That should be just a mountain range away from Su Province; the environment must be very harsh, right?"
Huang Yuqi nodded in response. "Yes, I originally chose another place, but I found that some Hope Primary Schools have decent conditions. Later, I saw Rongshan Hope Primary School in Qinghai mentioned in a volunteer teacher group. They were very short on teachers, so I went there."
Upon hearing this, Richest Man Wang showed appreciation and nodded repeatedly. "Judging by your accent, you're from Kyoto? There aren't many girls these days who can endure such hardships like you. How many years have you been doing it?"
Huang Yuqi replied with a smile, "I went right after graduation. It's just been a full year now."
Richest Man Wang nodded. "A year isn't short. I remember the minimum term for the 'Three Supports and One Assistance' program is two years. What do you plan to do after you finish?"
"I don't have any other plans for now. I'll probably continue volunteer teaching."
Hearing such an answer, Richest Man Wang couldn't help but feel surprised.
"You want to do volunteer teaching long-term? The environment there is more than just difficult!"
At this point, Jiang Cheng, who was on the side, couldn't help but chime in, "Yes, the conditions there simply can't be described with the word 'poor.' The entire school only has Teacher Huang and Principal Zheng as teachers, yet they have to look after dozens of children. You can imagine their pressure."
Richest Man Wang looked at Jiang Cheng with a face full of doubt and pressed, "What you mean is, you've been there?"
Jiang Cheng nodded slightly. He had originally wanted to say that he went to his girlfriend's house for Mid-Autumn Festival this year.
But when his gaze met Huang Yuqi's beside him, the words Jiang Cheng was about to say got stuck in his throat.
Wang Congcong's mind on the side was racing.
After all, last Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Cheng had shared a photo in their group of a reflection in a lake to celebrate the festival.
That had left a very deep impression on him.
Considering the relationship between him and Huang Yuqi, that reflection could never have belonged to Huang Yuqi.
Wang Congcong hurriedly said to Richest Man Wang, "Dad, you don't usually go online, so you wouldn't know. Jiang Cheng is planning to rebuild fifty Hope Primary Schools, which is why he specifically went on a field trip to investigate the situation."
Hearing this, a look of astonishment appeared on Richest Man Wang's face, and he asked in disbelief, "You went all that way specifically to investigate? Are you truly intending to engage in charitable work?"
After receiving a signal from Wang Congcong's eyes, Jiang Cheng replied nonchalantly, "Mm, actually it wasn't exactly a dedicated trip. I just happened to come across it and decided to help out while I was at it."
Richest Man Wang nodded upon hearing this and didn't continue to inquire further.
After all, to businessmen like them, the word 'charity' was often seen as a way to gain depth and reputation.
Based on his years of experience, who could know if this so-called charity was legitimate or if there were hidden motives?
He didn't want to ask, nor did he dare to ask too much.
Thus, he praised very politely and formally, "Your level of awareness is something my boy here should really learn from."
Seeing his own father steer the topic toward him, Wang Congcong felt a wave of helplessness and couldn't help but instinctively roll his eyes.
Just then, a young man dressed in a suit and leather shoes suddenly walked into the house from outside.
As he walked in, he spoke up, "President Wang, you're actually home today."
Hearing the voice, Richest Man Wang said to Jiang Cheng, "Oh, a guest has arrived. Wait a moment."
He immediately stood up from the dining table and went forward to greet him.
"Oh, Old Ma, why did you suddenly come over?"
The other party replied, "I just happened to be passing by and saw your car parked outside, so I wanted to ask why you were staying home today."
Listening to the voice, Wang Congcong said to Jiang Cheng, "Judging by the voice, it should be the CEO of Penguin who lives nearby."
Jiang Cheng instantly thought of a famous internet meme.
Why don't camels feel pain when they eat cacti?
It's actually because after a camel's mouth is stimulated by the cactus spines, their mouths automatically secrete a substance that can numb the oral nerves.
It can immediately resolve the pain, so this substance is called Ma Huateng.
Seeing the Wang family dining, Ma Huateng immediately greeted Mrs. Wang apologetically.
After the greeting, Richest Man Wang also introduced Ma Huateng to Jiang Cheng. "Jiang Cheng, this is the CEO of Penguin, Ma Huateng."
After saying that, he said to Ma Huateng, "This is my son's friend, the CEO of Xingchen Investment Company, a rising star. You should know of him, right?"
Upon seeing this, Ma Huateng hurriedly extended his right hand toward Jiang Cheng, a smile on his face as he said warmly, "President Jiang, a pleasure to meet you. I've long heard that President Jiang is a brilliant star in the business world. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation."
During this time, Jiang Cheng had already seen many business big shots, so he remained quite steady at this moment.
With a slight smile, he politely shook Ma Huateng's hand and said, "President Ma, you flatter me. I didn't expect to meet you while having dinner at Uncle Wang's house. It truly is fate."
Ma Huateng laughed. "Yes, it's quite a coincidence. By the way, I only heard about the Huayi matter after the fact. I'm truly sorry for causing you such unpleasantness."
Seeing Ma Huateng mention the Huayi matter, Jiang Cheng blanked for a second.
Then he remembered that Ma Huateng must be referring to the investment gala jointly held by Penguin and Jiaxing last time.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel surprised that a CEO of a Company with hundreds of billions in assets would actually remember such a small matter.
"President Ma, if anyone should apologize, it should be me saying sorry to you. After all, you were the hosts of that investment gala. Please forgive me for the surprises and trouble I caused you."
Ma Huateng immediately waved his hand vigorously.
"That's nothing. I've heard the whole story. It was entirely Feng Gan's own problem. Even I look down on that kind of behavior."
"Besides, I also have shares in Huayi. When the Wang Brothers brought this up to me, I was the first to raise my hand in favor of kicking Feng Gan out."
Seeing Ma Huateng state his position, Jiang Cheng replied appreciatively, "So that happened. My apologies. I was targeting Feng Gan; I didn't expect to cause you collateral damage."
After all, due to his actions, Huayi's stock had hit the limit down for several days.
Even though it recovered later, billions in market value had evaporated directly.
This was indeed indirect collateral damage to him as a shareholder.
"Don't mention it. If anyone is to blame, it can only be Feng Gan," Ma Huateng replied with a wave of his hand.
Seeing that there was such a story between Ma Huateng and Jiang Cheng, Richest Man Wang quickly and warmly ushered everyone toward the living room, inviting them to sit down for a detailed talk.
As soon as they entered the living room, Mrs. Wang hurriedly ordered the servants to bring tea and fruit to entertain the guests.
After the fruit was brought out, Mrs. Wang specifically said to Jiang Cheng.
"Jiang Cheng, thank you for the fruit you brought. I heard your grandfather grew it. It's truly an honor. I tried some as soon as I got back. To be honest, without exaggeration, this is the best fruit I've ever eaten in my life."
Jiang Cheng smiled slightly upon hearing this. "This fruit is indeed sweet. My grandfather said that because of the large temperature difference between day and night lately, the fruit grown has a very high sugar content."
Richest Man Wang immediately chimed in and asked, "Your grandfather must be quite old, right? Yet he still grows fruit himself. It seems his health is still very robust."
Jiang Cheng thought to himself that, based on his previous investigations and his grandfather's level of secrecy...
He felt that Richest Man Wang most likely didn't know his grandfather's true identity either.
So he replied calmly, "His health is quite good. He does this to pass the time when he's idle, and also to get some exercise."
"That's good, that's very good. It's a good thing for the elderly to be active. Being able to eat the melons he grew is truly an honor for our family." Richest Man Wang's tone was full of respect and gratitude toward Jiang Cheng's grandfather.
"These melons grow fast, and we can't even finish them all ourselves. I've already had someone send more over just now."
Although Ma Huateng on the side wasn't clear about Jiang Cheng's specific background, the Wang Brothers had told him the general situation before.
Coupled with the attitude of Richest Man Wang and Mrs. Wang toward Jiang Cheng, how could he not see Jiang Cheng's extraordinary nature?
Thus, he immediately began to chime in, "This muskmelon is indeed incredibly sweet and fragrant. You can taste a pure, natural flavor the moment it enters your mouth. Even the most top-tier, premium fruits can't compare to it."
After Ma Huateng finished, Richest Man Wang continued, "Old Ma, you really came at the right time today; you're in luck. Plus, you and Jiang Cheng have this history; it's fate."
"Yes, I've wanted to get to know President Jiang for a long time. I didn't expect today... ah, it's just right, what a coincidence!"
During the conversation, Jiang Cheng picked up a piece of fruit from the table, lightly brushed his arm against Huang Yuqi who was sitting beside him, and politely handed it to her.