Over the next few days, Jiang Cheng shuttled back and forth between the Sihai Courtyard House and his Great-Grandfather's Courtyard House.
During this time, Jiang Cheng didn't accept any of the invitations from Wang Congcong or Shen Lang.
After all, his elders were all there; it was fine to go out and have fun once in a while.
But he still had to show his face for the occasional meal.
Plus, Su Wan had finally managed to get a few days off.
For these past few days, Jiang Cheng focused all his attention on accompanying her.
It wasn't until the morning of the 29th that she flew back to her hometown from the Kyoto airport.
After arriving at his Great-Grandfather's Courtyard House.
He ran into his mother, who was followed by an auntie carrying quite a few things.
Jiang Cheng called out, "Mom."
Hearing him, Li Yan glanced at Jiang Cheng. "Dressed so handsomely today?"
"No, is there a day your son isn't handsome? Are you going out?"
Hearing this, Li Yan nodded. "Yeah, I'm going out for a bit. Oh, by the way, your Uncle Qiu is here. Xiao He is inside too, along with a few of her cousins. Go in and see them."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng didn't show much interest.
He hadn't seen his mother much these past few days.
Jiang Cheng asked.
"Mom, where have you been? I haven't seen you much these past few days."
"I'm going to Xiangshan."
"Xiangshan? Isn't that a park? The sun is about to set, and you're still going to a park?"
Li Yan shook her head. "Not the park. I'm going to the sanatorium to see your maternal grandfather."
Hearing this, the expression on Jiang Cheng's face froze instantly, followed by a look of complete bewilderment.
"What did you say? I actually have a maternal grandfather?" Jiang Cheng's eyes widened as he muttered to himself in disbelief.
Seeing her son's shocked reaction, Li Yan couldn't help but laugh and teased, "Of course. Did you think your mother just popped out from a crack in a rock?"
"Holy crap, why didn't you say so earlier? I've been in Kyoto for so long and haven't visited him yet? This... this..." Jiang Cheng looked at his mother in shock.
Li Yan waved her hand gently and comforted him, "No rush. I know you're polite, and your maternal grandfather and the others will understand. You can go when the timing is right."
His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to his childhood.
Back then, he didn't understand what it meant to be truly "dumbfounded."
Jiang Cheng remembered curiously asking his mother, Li Yan, "Why do other kids have maternal grandfathers and grandmothers, but I don't?"
Every time Li Yan heard this question, her expression would become somewhat complicated.
After hesitating, she would only helplessly tell Jiang Cheng, "Your maternal grandparents live in a very distant place. They like a quiet life and don't want to be disturbed."
For a long time, the words "a very distant place" automatically took on another meaning in young Jiang Cheng's heart.
That was, his maternal grandparents had already passed away... Yet, he was only now being told that his maternal grandfather was actually in Kyoto?
"Then should I go with you?"
Li Yan waved her hand. "No, don't go for now. Go another time."
Seeing that Jiang Cheng seemed a bit dejected.
Li Yan waved her hand at him. "You're just a kid, don't overthink it. Go play..."
Watching his mother's back as she walked inside, Jiang Cheng was momentarily speechless.
To be honest, Jiang Cheng was indeed a bit unaccustomed to spending his first time in Kyoto.
Although it was like Chengdu, where there were many things he didn't need to do himself.
But in Chengdu, at least he could see his parents when he went home.
However, during these few days in Kyoto, let alone his mother, even Jiang Jianmin was nowhere to be seen.
The two grandfathers in the family were incredibly busy.
People were coming and going from the reception hall in an endless stream, and the number of people coming to give gifts was countless.
It could be said that everyone in the family, except for Jiang Cheng, had their own things to do.
Only he was idle, becoming a literal man of leisure.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng shook his head helplessly and walked toward the inner room.
Before even reaching the reception hall door, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa, Second Grandpa."
Before his voice had even faded, the hearty laughter and responses of the two grandfathers came from inside: "My dear grandson, you're here!"
Following that, Qiu Zheng's voice also came through: "Jiang Cheng is back!"
Hearing Qiu Zheng's words, Jiang Cheng responded with a smile and a gentle voice, "Uncle Qiu."
As soon as he spoke, Jiang Cheng stepped over the threshold of the reception hall.
The moment he entered, his gaze quickly scanned the room.
In the reception hall, besides Qiu Zheng and Qiu Yihe, there was an elderly man wearing a Zhongshan suit sitting on an agarwood chair.
His posture was upright, and his expression was serious, exuding an air of authority.
Beside the old man sat two other girls with average looks.
As his gaze swept past, Qiu Yihe smiled and nodded to greet him.
The other two girls' gazes also fell on him simultaneously.
When their eyes met, a clear flash of amazement could be seen in their eyes.
They clearly looked like they were struck by his handsomeness.
There was no helping it; after all, Jiang Cheng's charm was at 93 points.
Among guys, he was already like some legendary heartthrob.
At this moment, Jiang Cheng's grandfather noticed his arrival and quickly introduced him: "This is your Uncle Qiu's uncle, General Qiu Yihes maternal uncle, and his two other granddaughters."
After he finished speaking, before Jiang Cheng could say anything, the white-haired old man immediately stood up.
With a smile on his face, he looked Jiang Cheng up and down and said cheerfully, "So you're Brother Jiang's grandson. You're truly a talented young man. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Jiang Cheng remembered when he was chatting with his father a few days ago.
Jiang Jianmin's evaluation of Qiu Zheng's elder cousin-uncle was that he was a fence-sitter.
Seeing that his father wasn't there, Jiang Cheng immediately understood.
Despite having a preconceived impression, Jiang Cheng still maintained a humble and polite attitude, smiling and nodding at the other party, saying, "General Qiu, you flatter me."
Qiu Yihes maternal uncle waved his hand quickly and laughed heartily, "Haha, don't be so polite! Just call me Grand-Uncle Qiu!"
Following that, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle turned around and introduced the two granddaughters standing beside him to Jiang Cheng.
"Come, Jiang Cheng, let me introduce you. This is my eldest granddaughter, named Qiu Li." He pointed to the girl on the left.
Then he pointed to the girl on the right, "And this one is my youngest granddaughter, about your age, named Qiu Ya."
Although Jiang Cheng remembered they looked average from his brief scan earlier.
Hearing the name "Qiu Ya," Jiang Cheng's heart stirred, and he subconsciously looked at her more closely.
Upon looking, he saw a shy blush actually appearing on Qiu Ya's face.
She even had a slight smile and then, like a shy little girl, quickly turned her head away.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng cursed in his heart, "Goddammit!"
Give me back my Qiu Ya!!
They're all one family, so how can the genes of these two be so different from Qiu Yihe's?
Seeing Jiang Cheng staring at Qiu Yihe, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle seemed to suddenly remember her existence.
So he added with a smile, "Oh, right, I don't need to introduce Yihe, right? You two should already know each other."
Seeing Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's vastly different attitudes toward Qiu Yihe and the other two, Jiang Cheng suddenly understood.
He finally understood why Qiu Zheng had chosen to side with his father.
Great-Grandfather saw this and said to Jiang Cheng, "Don't just stand there, everyone sit down..."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng quickly nodded and then unhesitatingly walked to the chair next to Qiu Yihe and sat down.
After sitting down, Jiang Cheng turned his head, looked at Qiu Yihe with a smile, and asked softly, "What have you been busy with these past two days?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone around to hear clearly.
Qiu Yihe didn't expect Jiang Cheng to take the initiative to talk to her in front of so many people again.
While a blush instantly crept onto her cheeks, deep down she was filled with gratitude toward Jiang Cheng.
You should know that these two cousins of hers had been the apple of Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's eye since they were young.
Qiu Yihes maternal uncle doted on them and treated them like treasures.
He not only personally arranged their schools but also constantly supervised their studies.
Even after Qiu Li graduated, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle specially found her a job in an office in the city.
Although Qiu Zheng had returned to Kyoto because of Jiang Jianmin, and Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's attitude toward them had improved.
However, whenever Qiu Yihes maternal uncle was with the two cousins, he always seemed to intentionally or unintentionally overlook Qiu Yihe.
The corners of Qiu Yihe's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as she replied softly, "I didn't go anywhere else, just wandered around nearby."
Seeing Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's gaze fall on Jiang Cheng.
The Great-Grandfather sitting in the middle also seemed to notice this, and he spoke slowly, "Qiu Yihes maternal uncle, this grandson of mine rarely goes out to meet people. Strictly speaking, you're the first one to formally see him."
Hearing his words, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle was clearly surprised. He quickly withdrew his gaze, and the smile on his face faded slightly.
He quickly nodded to the Great-Grandfather and replied with a smile, "Is that so? Then it's truly an honor."
The Great-Grandfather didn't respond to these words. He remained leaning back in the grandmaster chair, which emitted a scent of aged wood, and leisurely took a puff of the cigarette in his hand.
The smoke slowly rose, blurring his features, but his sharp eyes remained fixed on Qiu Yihes maternal uncle.
Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's face, which had been smiling, suddenly seemed frozen upon realizing the Great-Grandfather's gaze, and his smile vanished instantly.
His facial muscles were tense and appeared somewhat stiff, and his eyes began to dart around rapidly, as if he were thinking about whether he had said something wrong or misinterpreted things.
The originally relaxed and pleasant atmosphere suddenly became heavy, as if time had frozen at this moment.
Jiang Cheng's originally casual sitting posture also instantly became upright. He straightened his body and gazed at his grandfather.
Although the Great-Grandfather was old, when he put on a stern face, his majestic aura was still not to be underestimated.
A powerful pressure of a high-ranking official continuously radiated from him, like an immovable mountain, making people feel endless pressure.
Jiang Cheng even noticed that beads of sweat began to seep from Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's forehead. This subtle change was particularly obvious under his serious expression.
Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's appearance now was a world apart from the casual and relaxed manner he had when he asked Jiang Cheng to call him Grand-Uncle Qiu earlier.
Like a startled golden toad, he exuded an air of tension and unease.
Even the three girls nearby, whose expressions had been relaxed, became tense under the Great-Grandfather's gaze.
They all seemed to feel that heavy pressure and fell silent in unison.
Just like that, the Great-Grandfather's eyes were like torches, staring intently at Qiu Yihes maternal uncle. As time passed second by second, the dozen or so seconds of silence felt as long as a century.
Finally, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle seemed to understand the Great-Grandfather's meaning. He slowly lowered his head and spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
"This, Brother Jiang, you also know that my health isn't as robust as yours, and my memory is even worse. You see, if someone has a relative or grandson, I might have seen them, but if I were walking outside and they greeted me, I might not even recognize them."
After saying this, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle gave an awkward smile.
Hearing this, his grandfather remained silent, but Jiang Chenghong, who was on the side, suddenly spoke up.
His voice was gentle and kind, carrying a sense of having seen through the world, as he said slowly.
"At our age, our bodies are no longer as strong as when we were young, and we can't work anymore. And people get forgetful as they get old, which is actually a good thing. Only by being forgetful can we avoid being troubled by those trivial matters, and only by being forgetful can our state of mind be more peaceful. Look at my elder brother; someone with a memory as good as his just won't do. He remembers every little thing, so naturally, he has many worries every day."
As Jiang Chenghong spoke, he chuckled. There seemed to be a sense of helplessness and teasing toward life in that smile.
However, his words didn't make Qiu Yihes maternal uncle feel relaxed at all.
On the contrary, a layer of fine sweat instantly broke out on Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's forehead, sliding down his cheeks.
Because he knew very well that Jiang Chenghong's words were by no means just simple small talk.
This was clearly a hint for him to keep his mouth shut and absolutely not reveal anything that shouldn't be said.
Otherwise, with his elder brother's personality, he certainly wouldn't let him off easily.
Qiu Yihes maternal uncle's throat felt dry. He swallowed hard and then quickly nodded, responding, "You're right, you're right. When you're old, drinking tea, taking walks when there's nothing to do, and coming here to chat with you elders—that's the way to live a leisurely and carefree life."
Seeing Qiu Yihes maternal uncle suddenly become so cautious.
Qiu Li and Qiu Ya couldn't help but glance at each other. Where their gazes met, a trace of doubt and a slight, hard-to-detect dissatisfaction were revealed.
However, in stark contrast to them, Qiu Yihe and Qiu Zheng didn't show any unusual expressions.
Only after Qiu Yihes maternal uncle said those words did the Great-Grandfather's expression soften slightly.
He said with a faint, superficial smile, "Drink tea."
Hearing this, Qiu Yihes maternal uncle breathed a clear sigh of relief and quickly responded, "Yes, yes, yes..."