Chapter 335: A Visit to the Jiang Family
The Jeep drove south from Beiguan Village on the outskirts of the city, cutting straight through the downtown area until it reached the Second Ring Road.
After passing through a cluster of majestic ancient buildings, the vehicle came to a stop in front of a traditional courtyard house.
Although this was Li Yi’s first time here, he knew this place was truly extraordinary.
After all, they had just passed the Forbidden City—the absolute heart of the capital.
In terms of distance, this spot was no more than 500 meters from the Forbidden City—it was right on the doorstep of the imperial capital.
Wow, owning a private courtyard in a place like this was an absolute symbol of status and prestige.
Forget about money—these days, having money doesn’t get you far here!
To Li Yi’s discerning eye, it was clear that in thirty years’ time, any courtyard in this neighborhood would be worth a small fortune!
It’s priceless!
After the car pulled up, Li Yi got out carrying the gifts.
But he didn’t go inside. The armed guards at the entrance were downright intimidating—he’d better wait for Jiang Longcheng to arrive first!
It wasn’t that Li Yi was a coward; it was that these two guards exuded an extraordinary aura. They were clearly battle-hardened veterans, and the faint glint of murderous intent in their eyes was impossible to hide.
Facing men like that, even Li Yi wouldn’t dare to act recklessly!
However, to Li Yi’s surprise, Jiang Longcheng didn’t go straight inside after getting out of the car either; instead, he had someone go in first to announce his arrival.
Seeing this, Li Yi asked in surprise, “Is this your grandfather’s house?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“You have to announce your arrival even when visiting your grandfather?”
“What did you think? No, I never come here unless I absolutely have to—it’s too much of a hassle and way too stifling!” Jiang Longcheng grumbled.
“You’re taking your blessings for granted. You have no idea how many people would kill to have a relative with such high status and influence…”
Just as they were speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed through the courtyard, and moments later, Jiang Shiying strode out.
Upon seeing Li Yi, he immediately smiled and said, “You’re here pretty early. Come on in!”
Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng then followed her directly into the courtyard.
Once inside, Li Yi noticed that although the property covered a fair amount of land, it wasn’t as luxurious as he had imagined.
In fact, it looked rather simple; aside from a few fruit trees, the entire courtyard contained nothing more than a small pond.
At first glance, it didn’t look much different from an ordinary courtyard house.
If there was any difference at all, it was the presence of several guards in the eastern wing.
Following Jiang Shiying into the main hall, Li Yi immediately spotted a vigorous-looking elderly man seated in a traditional Chinese armchair in the living room—none other than the renowned “Iron-Blooded General” Jiang Dingfang.
“Grandfather, look who I’ve brought you!” Jiang Longcheng exclaimed.
“Stop making such a fuss!”
Then Old Master Jiang looked at Li Yi and said with a smile, “Young man, you must be Li Yi, right?”
“Hello, Old Master Jiang. I’m Li Yi. It’s an honor to meet an anti-Japanese hero like you!” Li Yi replied.
“What a fine young man. Have a seat!”
Li Yi immediately set the gift he was holding down in the corner, then sat down next to Jiang Longcheng.
“You didn’t have to bring anything, young man.”
“Don’t be like that. Who visits a friend empty-handed? Besides, it’s nothing valuable!” Li Yi said with a smile.
Hearing this, Old Man Jiang immediately laughed and said, “You’re a good lad!”
Just then, a woman who looked rather frail and pale pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a tray with a teapot and several teacups.
Upon seeing the woman, Jiang Longcheng immediately stood up and said, “Third Auntie, let me handle this!”
The woman smiled and said, “It’s fine, I can handle this little task myself!”
She then turned to Li Yi and said, “Comrade Li Yi, I am Shiying’s wife. Welcome to our home, and thank you for saving his life!”
Li Yi quickly replied, “Auntie, you’re too kind. I was just speaking off the cuff—it’s nothing to thank me for!”
“You’re far too modest, young man!”
Old Master Jiang, standing nearby, chimed in, “Yun’er is right. You’re a very humble young man. You saved Longcheng first, then you saved Yun’er—you’re a great benefactor to our Jiang family.”
Li Yi immediately replied, “You’re really too kind, Grandpa…”
Jiang Longcheng chimed in, “Grandpa, Third Aunt, you’re going to scare Brother Li Yi. Let’s not make this so formal, okay?”
The old man smiled and said, “Right, right, we got carried away!”
Aunt Jiang nodded and said, “Well then, you two go ahead and chat. I’ve got some dishes cooking in the kitchen; I’ll come call you when they’re ready!”
With that, she turned and walked toward the inner room.
Watching Aunt Jiang’s retreating figure, Li Yi felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity—as if he’d seen her somewhere before, yet he just couldn’t place it.
Just as Li Yi was racking his brain, trying to figure out where exactly he had met Aunt Jiang San, Old Man Jiang asked him about his family.
Li Yi could only set the matter aside and focus on chatting with the old man.
After chatting for half an hour, Jiang Shiying emerged from the inner room, announcing that the meal was ready and inviting everyone inside to eat.
Immediately, Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng helped Old Master Jiang into the dining room at the back of the house to eat.
The Jiang family’s dining room was spacious, featuring both round and square tables—clearly a result of their large household.
However, there were few people today; aside from the old man and Jiang Shiying and her husband, there were only Jiang Longcheng and Li Yi.
So, for this meal, they only used a small round table!
The table was already set with a variety of dishes—meat, vegetables, side dishes, and soup—and looked quite lavish.
Just from the spread on the table, it was clear that the Jiang family placed great importance on his visit; not only had Old Master Jiang personally come out to welcome him, but they had also prepared so many delicious dishes.
After everyone had seated themselves around the table, Aunt Jiang first served Li Yi a bowl of rice, then glanced at the table and said, “Look at my memory—I completely forgot to bring you some wine!”
As she spoke, she started to get up, apparently intending to fetch some wine for them.
Li Yi immediately said, “Auntie, don’t bother. I don’t drink!”
Old Man Jiang laughed and said, “What man doesn’t drink?”
“Old Man, drinking causes trouble, and besides, I promised my wife I’d never drink again!” Li Yi said.
“Hahaha, I never would’ve guessed you were such a devoted guy!”
Then the old man turned to Jiang Shiying and said, “Third Brother, in this regard, this young man is quite a match for you!”
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, except for Aunt Jiang San, who stood nearby with a slight blush on her face.
Jiang Shiying smiled and said, “Since Comrade Li Yi isn’t drinking, we won’t serve any alcohol today. Let’s eat!”
The old man shot Li Yi a slightly resentful glance and said, “I was hoping to get a drink off you, kid, but looks like I can’t count on that!”
Jiang Shiying immediately replied, “Dad, your blood pressure is nearly 180. You’re still thinking about drinking? Have you forgotten what the doctor told you?”
“Enough! Back in the day on the battlefield, neither brigade commanders nor division commanders could boss me around, but now that I’m old, you little brats have me tied up in knots—is that any way to treat an old man?”
“Whether it makes sense or not, you’re not having a drop of that liquor!” Jiang Shiying said.
“Ah, old age… They say even a tiger falls when it reaches the plains…”
“Stop right there. If you keep going, you won’t just be cursing me—you’ll be cursing yourself too!”
Jiang Shiying clearly wasn’t buying his father’s act and cut him off immediately.
Hearing this, everyone at the table couldn’t help but laugh.
In an instant, the atmosphere at the table became even more relaxed!