Chapter 23 Uncle and Ji Ruyan

Chapter 23: The Maternal Uncle and Ji Ruyan

The eldest maternal uncle, Jiang Shan, runs a fruit supermarket. Compared to the refined Jiang Cheng, he has a much rougher appearance. He has a son and a daughter. His older cousin, Jiang Yuan, is already married, and the three children are all his—the two boys are twins.

His cousin, Jiang Ning, is reportedly working in the capital now. Through her own efforts, she managed to secure a managerial position at a well-known company before turning thirty, which is quite impressive. She seems rather reserved; when Lu Jingtang greeted her, she merely glanced her way and gave a slight nod.

Lu Jingtang didn't dwell on it. The family sat together in the living room, chatting, with various fruits and snacks laid out on the table. The eldest aunt enthusiastically peeled an orange and handed it to her, her gaze repeatedly drifting towards the bags of goods next to the TV cabinet—all New Year's gifts that Ye Xixi had asked her to bring.

"You've graduated, right, Youyou? Are you working at the Fu family's big company now?" the eldest aunt asked.

Lu Jingtang nodded. The aunt continued, "Oh, since your uncle is the boss, surely he'd arrange a leadership position for you? Your sister is already a manager at a big company too."

"No, everyone starts from the grassroots," Lu Jingtang said calmly, popping an orange segment into her mouth.

Hearing this, the aunt clearly didn't believe her and spoke without thinking, "How can that be? They wouldn't just let you be a small employee. Maybe they don't value you at all."

Her words made the eldest uncle and cousin somewhat uncomfortable, as if they were secretly hoping she wasn't doing well with the Fu family.

The aunt wanted to ask more, but Grandma Jiang interrupted, "Alright, that's enough questions. I'm going to the kitchen to prepare lunch."

The living room atmosphere became a bit awkward. Lu Jingtang took off her scarf and stood up to help. "Grandma, let me give you a hand."

"Good, you can keep Grandma company and we can chat," Grandma Jiang agreed, knowing that Lu Jingtang would feel awkward staying in the living room.

After the two left, the eldest aunt pouted in annoyance. "She really dotes on her granddaughter, doesn't she? Can't even ask a few questions. She's never been this doting with her great-grandchildren."

Since it was New Year's Day and his niece had finally come to visit, Jiang Shan didn't want to argue with his wife and simply said in a low voice, "Enough, don't say any more."

But the aunt persisted, "Hmph, no matter how nice she is to her, that girl is just an ungrateful wretch. Look how clever she is—she didn't stick with her own grandmother and maternal uncle but chose to follow an outsider. Isn't it just because they're rich?"

Jiang Cheng had just finished a phone call and walked in as she was saying this. His face turned cold. The moment she saw Jiang Cheng enter, the aunt immediately fell silent.

Jiang Cheng placed his phone on the coffee table and said coldly to Jiang Shan's wife, "If you don't want to eat, you can leave now. Don't forget who was wailing outside the hospital room back then, shouting that she couldn't raise Youyou."

When Lu Jingtang's parents passed away, she suffered severe emotional trauma and didn't speak for days, only showing some reaction to Fu Xiaqing. At the time, the old lady was in poor health, and he was still in college. Logically, Jiang Shan, as the maternal uncle, should have been the most suitable to raise Youyou, but Liu Xue (the aunt) was completely unwilling and even caused a scene at the hospital.

Fu Xiaqing happened to witness it, and perhaps that was why he decided to adopt Youyou. Otherwise, the child would have had a hard time with someone like his sister-in-law.

Liu Xue wasn't about to leave now; she planned to find an excuse after the meal to take those gifts home. Being put down like that by her brother-in-law, Liu Xue's face darkened, especially since neither her husband nor her son took her side.

Jiang Ning, for her part, wanted no part in the drama. Since moving to the capital, she felt even more that such a family environment was beneath her efforts, so she didn't speak up for Liu Xue either.

In the kitchen, Lu Jingtang was unaware of the tense atmosphere in the living room. After all, she was there to see Grandma Jiang; what others thought didn't matter to her.

Fortunately, after the meal, Jiang Shan's family left. Before going, Liu Xue casually took a few bags from beside the TV cabinet. Both Jiang Cheng and Lu Jingtang saw it but couldn't be bothered to intervene.

Jiang Cheng wasn't married and still lived at home.

Grandma Jiang's small courtyard was truly comfortable. Since they had eaten late, no one was very hungry by evening. The three of them simply set up a table in the yard, brewed a pot of floral tea, and enjoyed some sweets—it was absolutely delightful.

Lu Jingtang held a glass cup and chatted with Jiang Cheng. "Maternal Uncle, what do you do for a living?"

"Guess," Jiang Cheng said with a smile. Though he was already forty, Jiang Cheng looked barely thirty. Grandma Jiang had been a great beauty in her youth, so her children were naturally good-looking. Jiang Cheng resembled his mother more, with a gentle and refined demeanor, fair skin, and the charm of a mature man.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "A designer?"

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. "Close enough—I'm a screenwriter."

Lu Jingtang grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Impressive."

Grandma Jiang laughed. "Your maternal uncle, he studied finance in college, but after graduating, he suddenly decided to write scripts. It made me so angry at the time."

Lu Jingtang took out her phone and searched Jiang Cheng's name. Sure enough, he had a Baidu Baike entry and had won quite a few awards. "So, Maternal Uncle, you've collaborated with Ji Ruyan before?"

Hearing Ji Ruyan's name, Jiang Cheng paused while pouring tea. After a moment, he replied with a slightly odd expression, "Yes, we worked on a film together. I won Best Screenwriter for it, and she won Best Actress."

Lu Jingtang continued to scroll through the entries. Jiang Cheng and Ji Ruyan had even been rumored to be romantically involved. She secretly glanced at Jiang Cheng—the news was from ten years ago. Back then, Ji Ruyan was only 17, while Jiang Cheng was already 27. How could there be rumors? It was said that Ji Ruyan got the role through Jiang Cheng's connections; otherwise, given her status at the time, she would never have been cast in such a major production.

The rumors were detailed and persistent. Ji Ruyan herself never responded, and it wasn't until Jiang Cheng later revealed he had a girlfriend and the film director came forward to clarify the casting process that the gossip gradually died down.

The elderly go to bed early, so Grandma Jiang went upstairs to sleep at nine, leaving Lu Jingtang and Jiang Cheng sitting alone in the courtyard.

Lu Jingtang took a photo of the soft yellow light in the yard and posted it on her social media with the caption: "Staying up late."