Jiang Cheng just walked under the veranda when he heard Second Grandfather's voice from the main room, with a bit of a tease: "Big Brother, you're on your third refill of tea and still staring at the door. If Jiang Cheng is stuck on the road, waiting won't help."
Then came Grandfather's voice, a bit louder than usual, with a hint of anxiety: "I checked the weather forecast, the airport isn't congested today, and Chen Ping said he picked him up. By now, he should have arrived..."
"Grandfather, Second Grandfather, I'm back..."
The two elders stood up abruptly upon hearing the voice.
"My dear grandson!" Grandfather's shout came first, filled with joy and affection.
Almost the instant the voice sounded, Jiang Cheng saw his grandfather walking quickly out of the main room.
He wasn't wearing his usual Zhongshan suit, but a light gray Chinese-style buttoned shirt. A small silver badge was pinned to his collar, and he held a cigarette between his index and middle fingers.
Although Jiang Cheng didn't know what the badge represented, it looked quite extraordinary.
With a smile, Jiang Cheng stepped forward and carefully supported Grandfather's arm, afraid of hurting him.
He could clearly feel the skin on the old man's wrist was somewhat loose, no longer as tight and elastic as when he was young, but that strength was still there.
It was as if time hadn't weakened Grandfather's physical strength. "Grandfather, sorry for making you wait. It was a bit slow coming out of the exclusive channel at the airport."
Great-Grandfather reached out and patted Jiang Cheng's arm.
The force was neither heavy nor light, carrying a familiar warmth. "You're finally here! When I heard from Chen Ping this morning that you were coming back, I was happy all day. I finally see you."
"Grandfather, you should smoke less. How was your recent physical exam?"
"I've been smoking less lately, very rarely. The exam was all good. Didn't I tell you on the phone last week?"
"Grandfather, even if it's good, you should still smoke less..."
"Alright, alright, I know. Now that you're back, I won't smoke..."
Jiang Chenghong, who followed out a step later, looked at Great-Grandfather and said cheerfully, "Now that Jiang Cheng is back, someone is finally here to manage you. My dear grandson, besides your grandmother, I've never seen anyone make your grandfather look so guilty."
The moment he saw Jiang Chenghong, Jiang Cheng subconsciously looked him up and down.
"Second Grandfather, how are you doing?"
Speaking of this, Jiang Chenghong's mood was clearly good.
"Oh, dear grandson, you wouldn't believe it. I don't know if it's because I'm staying here with Big Brother, but my health is much better. I haven't coughed up blood for a long time, and my condition is actually improving. Even the doctors find it miraculous."
Great-Grandfather added, "Yes, ancestors be praised. Chenghong's spirit looks better than before. There was a time he was always lying down, and I was so worried. Now he can occasionally help me water the garden..."
Although Jiang Cheng asked occasionally, he felt more at ease every time he did.
It had to be said, the healing card was indeed incredible.
Since Qiu Zheng couldn't stand up, he could only push his wheelchair to the door and shout to Jiang Cheng, "Little Jiang."
Jiang Cheng noticed Qiu Zheng waving at him with his mechanical arm.
The movement looked much more natural than before.
"Uncle Qiu, your complexion looks good too..."
Qiu Zheng laughed heartily, "Kyoto is a good place, especially Uncle Jiang's place. It's truly a land of blessings. I often come here to soak up some of that luck, and my spirit feels completely refreshed."
Seeing Qiu Zheng, Jiang Cheng thought of the [Healing] he got because of Annie.
If one day he ended up like Qiu Zheng, as long as he had the [Healing] function, wouldn't it repair severed limbs and organs?
If so, that would be too heaven-defying.
But he had the dream come true system, so such a day was impossible for him.
After a few words, Grandfather ushered Jiang Cheng inside.
Jiang Cheng glanced at the Eight Immortals table. Sure enough, there was a white porcelain jar on it, with a faint scent of garlic wafting from the opening, and a plate of freshly sliced braised meat next to it.
Jiang Cheng had mentioned these two dishes were delicious before, so every time he came, Grandfather had someone prepare them.
He looked at the painting in front of the Eight Immortals table.
Jiang Cheng spoke up, "This painting has been changed?"
"Yes, it was a gift from a disciple of the old painter Li Keran. It depicts the Sea of Clouds at Mount Huang. I haven't been there in a long time, and seeing this scenery made me nostalgic, so I had it hung up."
Jiang Cheng took a look and shook his head: "The painting is good, but hanging it next to your own calligraphy of 'Serve the People,' it suddenly feels a bit inferior."
Although he knew Jiang Cheng was just trying to make him happy, he still laughed.
"You, you just know how to make me happy."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's expression turned playful. He pulled Jiang Chenghong and Qiu Zheng and asked, "Second Grandfather, Uncle Qiu, am I wrong? My grandfather's calligraphy is indeed good. Not just this one, but the other one, 'Bowing my head to serve the children like a willing ox,' the lines are full of steadiness. You can see how exquisite his brushwork is."
"That's for sure. If my big brother weren't a man of great affairs, he would have definitely become a calligrapher..."
Qiu Zheng immediately agreed: "It's just a pity it can't be photographed and shared. Otherwise, those famous ones now couldn't even compare to my Uncle Jiang."
"You three rascals just know how to..." Before he could finish, a special phone in Great-Grandfather's pocket vibrated.
After taking it out, Great-Grandfather adjusted his glasses.
As his finger swiped across the screen, his smiling face slowly sank. The light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit, and even the curve of his mouth collapsed.
Noticing this, Jiang Cheng quickly asked, "Grandfather, what's wrong?"
Great-Grandfather shook his head, put the phone back in his pocket, and said, "Nothing. Sit down. Come, let's eat."
Jiang Cheng looked at Jiang Chenghong, his eyes full of confusion.
Jiang Chenghong sighed and lowered his voice: "Dear grandson, don't ask. Your grandfather's soul has been in Sea City these past two days. There's no news yet about that big ship that's supposed to go on a trial voyage. He's staring at it every day, afraid something might happen."
Hearing this, Qiu Zheng spoke up: "You should rest assured. We will definitely succeed."
At this, Great-Grandfather patted Qiu Zheng's shoulder with some heartache.
He knew Qiu Zheng had come to rely on Jiang Jianming as a dual preparation, though he had his own motives.
But every time he saw the child's empty sleeves and pant legs, his heart ached as if it were being wrenched.
These were all injuries sustained for the country...
"I remember when I was young," Great-Grandfather suddenly spoke, his voice lower and tinged with bitterness. "I went to the Pretty Country to visit an aircraft assembly workshop. They led us around, smiling, but their eyes were full of contempt. I forced myself to look high-spirited while discussing cooperation with them, but my heart was in a panic—back then, we had tenth-generation fighter jets, but civilian aircraft relied entirely on imports. If they said they were out of stock, we were helpless."
"As soon as I returned, I decided to develop civilian aircraft. At that time, the Pretty Country was strangling us just like now, issuing a series of bans just to find ways to prevent us from rising."
"They even took the opportunity to directly shut down GPS once because they sensed our determination, causing our Huaxia cargo ships to be trapped at sea for over a month. At that time, most countries were laughing at China. Because there was no positioning, the ships we sent for aid could only spin in circles. Back then, how many people mocked us..."