Grandma Wang widened her eyes and raised her voice in retort, "How could I possibly mistake him for someone else? I'm perfectly lucid! I'm telling you, if you don't get yourself married this year, I'm disowning you as my daughter!"
Zhao Linger nodded repeatedly and replied, "Alright, alright, I get it, Grandma. Don't be angry. Why don't we go home first? You haven't been home for several days now."
However, Grandma Wang still shook her head stubbornly, arms crossed over her chest, and said huffily, "Go home? I'm not going back! I'd be worried to death by you the moment I got back... Look at other people's daughters. None of them are like you, still unable to find a husband in their thirties!"
After saying that, Grandma Wang noticed Jiang Cheng standing aside. She looked him up and down before asking, "And this is...?"
Seeing this, a spark of inspiration flashed in Zhao Linger's mind. She winked her large, watery eyes at Jiang Cheng, signaling him.
Then, she tilted her head slightly and said in a sweet, coquettish voice to the kind-faced, white-haired elderly lady beside her, "Grandma, this is my... boyfriend."
Receiving Zhao Linger's signal, Jiang Cheng immediately placed his arm gently around her slender, soft shoulders.
He politely addressed the elderly woman, "Hello, Grandma. My name is Jiang Cheng, and I'm her boyfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Zhao Linger's grandmother, Wang Juan, was dressed in an exquisite cheongsam and possessed a very elegant temperament.
Although her previous conversation with Zhao Linger showed some symptoms of dementia.
She spoke with refined manners and clear articulation.
Combined with the comfortable and pleasant nursing home environment.
It could be inferred that Zhao Linger's family background was quite good, at least belonging to a well-to-do family.
After all, families that can afford to send their children to study abroad are generally not doing too badly.
Suddenly being held by Jiang Cheng like this, Zhao Linger's cheeks instantly turned crimson, as if an electric current were pulsing through her entire body.
Her heart also began to race uncontrollably.
Hearing this, Grandma Wang was first taken aback.
Her originally somewhat clouded eyes suddenly lit up like a torch, instantly radiating a bright and burning light.
Her entire face became radiant with joy.
She excitedly turned to another old lady beside her, her voice trembling slightly with excitement as she said, "Did you hear that? My girl has found a boyfriend!"
The old lady next to her immediately responded with a beaming smile, "Oh, that's wonderful! Now you can finally stop nagging about this all day."
As she spoke, she gently patted the back of Grandma Wang's hand in congratulation.
"Oh, you have no idea. I have nothing else to worry about in this life except for her," Wang Juan said, lightly clutching her chest as if trying to calm the irrepressible excitement in her heart.
Hearing this, Zhao Linger immediately said to the other old lady, "Good afternoon, Grandma Wang."
Upon hearing this, a kind and amiable smile appeared on Grandma Zhao's face.
She nodded gently and replied, "You little girl, you've come to take your grandmother home again."
"Yes. Has my grandma been okay these past few days? Has she caused you any trouble?" Zhao Linger leaned in and whispered into Grandma Zhao's ear.
Grandma Zhao quickly waved her hand and comforted her with a smile, "She's fine, she's fine. Just the same as before. Sometimes she gets a bit confused and loses her sense of direction. But don't worry, the staff here take excellent care of her. There's no problem at all."
Old Lady Zhao approached Jiang Cheng and said with a face full of smiles, "Is this really your boyfriend? He's quite a talent, not bad at all."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Linger's face flushed with shame. She opened her mouth to deny it, but it was already too late.
At that moment, Wang Juan moved quickly to grab her and pull her to her side.
Turning her back and lowering her voice, she asked cautiously, "You brat, is this... really your boyfriend?"
Zhao Linger immediately nodded with certainty, "Yes, isn't he handsome?"
"He does look good, but how did he take a liking to you?"
Hearing such skeptical words, Zhao Linger was indignant. Pouting her small mouth, she quickly retorted, "I'm good-looking too, okay? Of course he's with me because I'm beautiful."
As she spoke, she didn't forget to toss her hair confidently.
However, Wang Juan didn't seem to buy into Zhao Linger's self-indulgence and poked her head lightly with a finger.
She said with a hint of reproach, "Look at him. He's over 1.8 meters tall and looks very young. And you? You're already in your thirties and still so full of yourself. I'm telling you, you'd better cherish him."
Zhao Linger rolled her eyes speechlessly, "I know. So can we go home now? I bought the rice wine you love."
"Go home for what? You finally got a boyfriend; why aren't you out on a date? Why go home with me? I'll go back by myself later, don't worry about me."
"Do you even know the way home?"
Asked this, Wang Juan was stunned for a moment, then, as if provoked, she started shouting, "Why are you talking so strangely? How could I not remember the way home?"
But as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly fell silent again, tilting her head as she tried hard to remember.
As she thought, her previously calm face gradually turned sour.
Her brows furrowed tightly, and she kept muttering to herself, "How exactly do we get home? I... I seem to have forgotten a bit..."
Seeing this, Zhao Linger's heart sank, thinking things had taken a turn for the worse.
She was filled with regret, wishing she could slap herself twice.
It was all her fault for being too quick-tongued. She hurriedly softened her voice and soothed her, "If you can't remember, then don't think about it. I... let's go sit over there for a while, okay? We have a guest today."
After Zhao Linger skillfully changed the subject.
The originally anxious Grandma Wang finally began to regain some of her composure.
The expression on her face was no longer as tense as before.
Then, Grandma Wang waved warmly to Jiang Cheng and said with a smile, "Come, come, young man. I'm sorry. Let's go sit over there first. Come."
After saying that, she led the two of them toward a pavilion not far away.
The three of them entered the pavilion and sat on the cool, comfortable stone benches.
Not long after they sat down, several elderly people suddenly gathered around.
These seniors were all smiles, their eyes focused on Zhao Linger as they began to ask questions all at once.
Faced with this situation, Zhao Linger couldn't help but feel a bit awkward and embarrassed.
Seeing the same question come up again, Zhao Linger felt even more bashful this time.
Her intention was merely to coax her grandmother home; she hadn't expected so many bored elderly people to suddenly appear.
As Zhao Linger's cheeks gradually flushed.
Jiang Cheng, standing beside her, couldn't help but curl his lips slightly. He replied on her behalf, "Hello, grandpas and grandmas. I am her boyfriend. Thank you all for taking care of Grandma Wang."
Seeing Jiang Cheng speak so politely, the elderly people present were like a boiling pot, showering him with praise.
One white-haired old man stroked his beard, his eyes full of admiration, and nodded, "Not bad, not bad. This handsome young man is tall and sturdy, and he looks very dignified."
Another old lady chimed in, "A perfect match, a perfect match. Young man, Linger is very filial. She comes to see her grandmother every day or two. We are all so envious."
A short but energetic old man approached, gave Grandma Wang a thumbs-up, and said cheerfully, "Wang Juan, you're truly blessed. This grandson-in-law is really a talent."
Hearing the chorus of praise, Grandma Wang's wrinkled face blossomed with joy, her eyes crinkling into slits.
Laughing, she pointed a finger at the last old man who spoke.
She pretended to be angry and said, "What nonsense! I think you're going senile. This is my son-in-law, not my grandson-in-law."
Everyone was used to Grandma Wang's cognitive issues and didn't bother to contradict her.
They even went along with her words, "Yes, yes, yes, I remembered it wrong."
For a moment, laughter filled the entire courtyard, making the atmosphere very lively.
Zhao Linger quickly laid out the various delicious snacks she had carefully packed on the table and warmly invited everyone to have a taste.
Seeing this, the group didn't hold back and quickly sat around Jiang Cheng.
Looking at the curious and burning eyes around him, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his heart.
In all his years, this was the first time he had experienced being stared at by a crowd like a monkey in a zoo.
As the saying goes, "People love a good show and never tire of gossip."
Joining in the fun, seeing something new, and chatting about family matters was undoubtedly a great joy in life for these retired and idle elderly people.
Grandma Wang immediately pushed the food in front of Jiang Cheng, "Eat, eat. I haven't even asked what your name is yet."
"My name is Jiang Cheng. 'Jiang' as in 'Jiangshan', and 'Cheng' as in 'Chengxin'."
As soon as he finished, everyone couldn't wait to voice their opinions.
"Jiang Cheng, that's a good name. It sounds very nice."
"Yes, there's a core sentence in The Doctrine of the Mean:'Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is the way of men.' This is a supreme level of human cultivation. To choose a name with such profound meaning, your parents must be very learned!"
When the white-haired old man finished speaking, the smile on Grandma Wang Juan's face grew even brighter.
It was as if she were more pleased than if she had heard her own child being praised.
As for Jiang Cheng, he was somewhat embarrassed.
He hadn't expected the name Brother Cheng to suddenly become so meaningful when explained this way.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Grandma Wang Juan asked impatiently, "Jiang Cheng, how old are you this year?"
To prevent Wang Juan from asking more later, Zhao Linger cut in and replied, "He's 22 this year."
If Jiang Cheng had answered that he was only 19, Wang Juan would probably have been dumbfounded.
For an elderly person with Alzheimer's like Wang Juan, when the condition flares up, it's not just simple cognitive confusion.
In severe cases, it can even lead to a significant regression in cognitive ability.
At this moment, in Wang Juan's mind, she firmly believed that Zhao Linger was her precious daughter who was already in her thirties.
If Grandma Wang Juan knew that her thirty-something daughter was dating a boy who was only 19, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Grandma Wang Juan might even start giving Zhao Linger trouble because of it.
Seeing Zhao Linger answer first, Wang Juan gave her a glare and then muttered, "Only 22? Isn't that a few years younger than my girl? But that's fine too; being younger means having a healthier body..."
Wang Juan looked at Jiang Cheng and then asked, "What does your family do?"
Hearing this interrogation that sounded like it was coming from a Mother-in-law, Zhao Linger couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She instinctively glanced at Jiang Cheng and then quickly said, "Why are you asking that?"
Hearing this, Wang Juan was immediately dissatisfied. She widened her eyes and glared at Zhao Linger, retorting crossly, "What's wrong? Can't I even ask?"
After saying that, Wang Juan ignored her daughter and turned her face directly toward Jiang Cheng. She asked with a soft, gentle smile, "Jiang Cheng, I'm just trying to get to know you. You won't mind, will you?"
Seeing that Zhao Linger was a bit flustered, Jiang Cheng, who was sitting beside her, immediately pressed her hand and patted it twice to reassure her.
Then he replied with a smile, "It's only natural, Auntie. My father runs a construction company, and my mother is in charge of the accounting for both the family and the company."
His father was indeed the CEO of a construction company now; there was no doubt about that.
Although Jiang Cheng always had a vague feeling that he might have more than just this one identity.
However, based on the information currently available, that seemed to be the case.
As for his mother, Li Yan, her main daily work was to carefully audit the company's various bills.
Not only that, but she also had full control over all the family's finances.
So, Jiang Cheng was telling the truth.
This was the first time Zhao Linger had heard Jiang Cheng talk about his family situation.
But she was somewhat skeptical about what he said regarding the construction company.
With her own professional quality and experience, it wasn't difficult to easily estimate Jiang Cheng's general family economic conditions.
One should know that although Xingchen Company had not yet gone public, Zhao Linger and Chen Xueer were well aware of its estimated value.
To be able to put forward such a huge amount of capital for investment, if Jiang Cheng's family only ran an ordinary small private construction company, it would probably be hard to achieve this.
Unless the scale of this construction company was unimaginably massive?
But in Huaxia, there were no private construction companies that could match Jiang Cheng's net worth.
The only ones that could match Jiang Cheng would be Huaxia's state-owned enterprises... but then the question arises: if they are state-owned, that money wouldn't end up in Jiang Cheng's pocket.
Calculating it this way, only one hypothesis remained: they must have other unknown industries hidden behind them...