The next morning, after receiving the news that Chen Ling was coming, Mrs. Jiang was very happy. She ordered the servants to clean the house inside and out, and also called Jiang Shengxing back from the company.
Calculating the time, she felt that Chen Ling was about to arrive, so she went to the gate to greet him in person.
"Mrs. Jiang." Chen Ling smiled at Mrs. Jiang. The lady in front of him looked much better than before and was in high spirits.
Mrs. Jiang held the young man's hand affectionately and said, "Next time you come, you must tell me on the first day so that I can ask the driver to pick you up."
"Okay." Chen Ling agreed verbally.
After walking quietly with Mrs. Jiang for a while, he explained the purpose of his visit today: "Mrs. Jiang, I came here today because I have something to ask you."
"We are all family, just say whatever you want to say, no need to be secretive." Mrs. Jiang smiled and spoke from the heart. On the third day after Chen Ling moved the grave of the Jiang family member, her husband was successfully discharged from the hospital.
Now she completely regards Chen Ling as her benefactor.
Chen Ling subconsciously grasped the seal on his chest through his clothes and felt it carefully. He confirmed that the air around him was hot and stuffy, not cool. He said in a calm tone: "I want to inquire about Mr. Jiang Yu's affairs."
The Jiang family is filled with a lively atmosphere today because a distinguished guest is coming.
But when Mrs. Jiang invited the distinguished guest in, the housekeeper and the servants discovered that the atmosphere between the host and the guest was a little subtle, anxious, tense, awkward, and there was a sense of urgency in it.
Chen Ling had not expected that one of his questions could make Mrs. Jiang feel so anxious. The two of them sat on the sofa for a while, looking at each other in silence. The silent atmosphere was broken by the butler who came up to serve tea.
Mrs. Jiang came back to her senses, took the teacup and placed it in front of Chen Ling, and said dryly: "Mr. Chen, please have some tea."
Chen Ling held the teacup with both hands and took a sip. The tea was fragrant and refreshing.
Putting down the teacup, not wanting to waste any more time, he asked directly, "Mrs. Jiang, is there anything you can't say?"
"Yes..." Mrs. Jiang paused, then said, "No, it's not inconvenient at all."
There was a car parked outside the villa. Jiang Shengxing got out and walked quickly. After entering the door, before he had time to greet everyone, he noticed that his wife and Chen Ling had something wrong on their expressions.
He paused for a moment while taking off his coat, frowned, put on a smile and walked closer: "Mr. Chen, it's rare for you to come here. If you don't mind, we can have a few drinks at noon."
"I don't drink." Chen Ling didn't want to repeat the mistake he made in the bathroom that day, so he decided not to drink at all from now on.
Jiang Shengxing didn't care about being rejected. Just as he was about to say something else, his wife suddenly called him, "Shengxing, I have something to tell you."
Judging from the situation, he wants to talk alone.
Jiang Shengxing felt that this was a bit rude, but his wife didn't even give him a chance to speak. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the garden behind the villa.
"Mr. Chen wants to know about our ancestors." Mrs. Jiang didn't want to listen to her husband's nonsense, so she went straight to the point.
"What?" Jiang Shengxing's calm face showed surprise, "Why would he ask about that person for no reason?"
"How would I know?" Mrs. Jiang clasped her hands together and said worriedly, "I'm worried that something has happened."
The existence of Jiang Yu is an open secret within the Jiang family. If it were an outsider, it could not be told casually. But Chen Ling was different. He was the one who moved the grave of his ancestors smoothly and without any problems.
Jiang Shengxing and his wife returned to the living room and took Chen Ling to the study alone.
The study is located on the easternmost side of the second floor. Looking out, you can see a clear lake. The sunlight fills most of the room, making the entire space bright and clean.
After entering the room, Jiang Shengxing asked Chen Ling to sit down first, and then stood beside the desk and asked, "What does Mr. Chen want to know?"
"Mr. Jiang Yu's life story." Chen Ling said, "And their family relationship."
Jiang Shengxing pursed his lips into a straight line, and three wrinkles appeared on his forehead, making him look very conflicted.
After a moment's silence, he turned around, took down a wooden box from the bookshelf, and took out an ancient book.
The word "family tree" is written on the book. It is neither new nor old, and should be a later copy. The side is bound with the most traditional thread, and the cover is a dark blue piece wrapped in satin.
Chen Ling took it and gently opened the first page. The first person’s surname was Jiang, but not Jiang Yu.
He looked up at Jiang Shengxing, and at the other's signal, he continued to flip backwards.
The second page still didn’t have Jiang Yu’s name, nor the third page, fourth page, fifth page…none of them.
Jiang Yu, a being respected and feared by the Jiang family, an evil spirit worshipped by the Jiang family's ancestors, was not even recorded in the family tree.
Chen Ling closed the family tree and put it on the table: "Mr. Jiang, you want to tell me that Jiang Yu has no blood relationship with the Jiang family."
"It can be said that none of us knows his origins and his relationship with the ancestors of the Jiang family." Jiang Shengxing put the family tree in the box and put it back on the top of the bookshelf. He returned to sit down opposite the desk and continued, "But the Jiang family must worship him for generations and must not disobey the orders of the ancestors."
Chen Ling: "In exchange, he will ensure the prosperity of the Jiang family for generations. Is that right?"
It can be found from historical data alone that the Jiang family's luck has never been cut off. Even in the most turbulent times, the Jiang family was still able to maintain its foundation and find a way out.
In life, fortunes change and good luck cannot always be with you, but the Jiang family has done it.
Jiang Shengxing nodded and said, "Yes, but whether to continue to bless the Jiang family depends entirely on the wishes of the ancestors themselves."
"Have any of you seen him?"
Chen Ling didn't mean to scare anyone, he was just curious, but Jiang Shengxing was so scared that his face turned pale, and he quickly waved his hands: "No, absolutely not, we don't have that blessing."
Chen Ling thought to himself, I don’t want this blessing either.
"Mr. Chen, do you have anything else to ask?"
Indeed, Chen Ling half-drooped his eyelids and spoke in a low voice as if he was asking about some unspeakable secret: "Can you tell me how long Mr. Jiang Yu lived?"
“Well…” Jiang Shengxing seemed to have encountered a difficult math problem. He moved his lips up and down as he calculated silently.
After a while, the calculation came to a conclusion: "The Jiang family has gone through at least hundreds of generations. If we have to calculate, the ancestor should be at least a thousand years old."
Chen Ling: “…” This is just a rough estimate.
These days, ghosts that are decades old are rare treasures.
Wines of Jiang Yu’s vintage are definitely great treasures to be stored in cellars.
Seeing the young man's depressed face, Jiang Shengxing was puzzled and hesitated, "Mr. Chen, you came here today to inquire about the past of our ancestors. Is it because something happened after the tomb was moved?"
What could Chen Ling say? He couldn't say that your ancestor slept with me in the middle of the night and even went to the bathroom to peek at me.
He rubbed his brows in distress, shook his head and said, "No big deal, just curious."
Jiang Shengxing had been in the business world for so many years, how could he not see that this was a lie? It was just that the other party didn't want to say it out loud for some reason.
Since the young man didn't say anything, he didn't ask any more questions. He just said, "If you need any help, please let us know. The Jiang family will do their best to help you."
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang." Chen Ling smiled sincerely. The order with the Jiang family was too cost-effective. Not only was the reward generous, but there was also a big lucky bag to follow up.
The topic has almost come to this point. Jiang Shengxing looked at the time and it was almost time for lunch. "Mr. Chen, please stay for lunch. It's rare for my wife to cook today. You can have a taste of her cooking skills."
Mrs. Jiang hasn't had any sex for more than ten years. Today's meal was entirely intended to express the Jiang family's gratitude to Chen Ling, and also to let Chen Ling know that the Jiang family is interested in developing a long-term friendly relationship with him.
Chen Ling did not refuse and followed Mr. Jiang out of the study. When he passed the corridor and saw the faded and yellowed wedding photo on the wall, he immediately remembered that he had not asked the most important question.
"Mr. Jiang." Chen Ling was used to being straightforward, but today, for some reason, he was unable to ask.
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Jiang Shengxing showed great patience: "Just say what you want to say. We are not outsiders."
"That's right," Chen Ling took a deep breath, "Is the old ancestor single? Did he have a wife before?"
Jiang Shengxing: “…”
This question is really unique, tricky and strange.
Jiang Shengxing recalled carefully: "As far as I know, there is no such thing, otherwise it would definitely be noted in the family tree."
Chen Ling did not give up and asked again: "Is it possible that it was missed when copying the family tree?"
"Impossible." Jiang Shengxing said firmly, "Three people must be present at the same time when transcribing the genealogy, and it must be checked many times after transcription is completed. There is absolutely no way there will be any mistakes or omissions."
Chen Ling felt hopeless, and his last bit of hope was shattered.
He unconsciously clenched his fists and squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: "Did the ancestor tell you in your dreams that he wants to be single?"
Jiang Shengxing: “…No.”
He looked at the young man who was trying to control his emotions with suspicion, and a terrible guess came to his mind, "Mr. Chen, could it be that you..."
"I didn't, I know nothing!" Chen Ling's whole body was filled with the sign of trying to cover up something.
Jiang Shengxing didn't notice anything wrong and even breathed a sigh of relief. After all, a drama that transcends life and death like "Ghost" was too unrealistic and there was no reason why he would actually run into one.
In order to reassure Chen Ling, he nodded vigorously to show that he believed in him and would never think too much about it.
Although Mrs. Jiang seldom cooks, her cooking skills are very superb. She stir-fries vegetables that are refreshing and crisp, stews chicken soup that is fresh and fragrant, and stews pig's trotters that melt in your mouth. From the presentation of the dish to the taste, she truly demonstrates what a master chef is.
Chen Ling was in a heavy mood. The delicious lunch no longer tasted good. After the meal, he drank tea with the Jiang family for a while and then stood up to say goodbye.
Jiang Shengxing personally escorted him. When they were about to reach the fork in the road leading out of the city, the young man next to him suddenly said, "Mr. Jiang, I have something to do in the old city. Just drop me off at the subway station ahead."
"Let me take you there."
"Need not."
Hearing a hint of determination, Jiang Shengxing stopped persuading the driver and asked him to stop the car on the side of the road ahead.
After the young man got off the bus, he quickly disappeared into the subway station entrance with the crowd. The driver slowly started the car and looked up at the boss in the rearview mirror: "Mr. Chen is a very nice person, not arrogant at all."
The first few masters that the Jiang family invited, regardless of whether they had any skills or not, put on airs as masters. They were picked up and dropped off by cars, and they always asked the boss to come to their door in person to urge them.
The driver found it magical and unbelievable that such a big boss could endure all this just to move a lonely grave.
Jiang Shengxing silently withdrew his gaze from the window and said nothing, but from the expression in the rearview mirror, he agreed with this statement.
Chen Ling came out of the subway station and followed the navigation on his phone. It took him about ten minutes to reach the Fanxing Sculpture Studio.
The sculpture studio is a little busier today, and the teaching room is full of young boys and girls who are learning to paint.
In contrast, the other teaching room was much quieter. Apart from the clay sculpture teacher who was concentrating on his creation on the stage, there were only a few students sitting below to observe. They were relatively older and probably signed up for the class for their interest or hobby.
The carving master who had promised to help carve the stele heard that Chen Ling had arrived and walked out from the end of the corridor.
"Why did Mr. Chen come here today? I haven't finished carving the stone tablet yet."
"I wanted to tell you to make two more small tablets." Chen Ling sent the dimensions and the name of the person who erected the tablets recorded on his mobile phone to the master and instructed, "Just make marble tablets, and carve them carefully."
The carving master nodded repeatedly and took a screenshot of the received information to save it to avoid accidental deletion.
"Mr. Chen, the stone tablet for Jiang Yu that you asked me to carve last time is halfway done. I'll take you to have a look now."
The amount of information Chen Ling just received at the Jiang family was too much, and he didn’t want to read it at all.
However, the master was so enthusiastic that he did not give him the chance to refuse. At this time, he had already turned the corridor and disappeared around the corner.