spring bite mark

Chapter 218: Scumbag
The moment those last words were spoken, the lively conversation at the dining table fell into an eerie silence.

The Jiang family stared blankly at Huo Mingcai, then at Yan Changye, thinking they were hallucinating.

Yan Changye had already gotten up and was slowly walking towards the kitchen.

"Brother Huo, you asked the Crown Prince to peel garlic?" Jiang Tiancheng asked again, uncertainly.

Huo Mingcai shook his head: "I would like to ask him to do something else, but apart from being able to peel garlic, he can't do anything else. He once managed to make a bowl of egg drop soup, but it was so bland that it tasted like water."

"Dad," Yan Changye clicked his tongue lightly, "the Jiang family is also my in-laws. You should at least give me some face in front of them."

"Alright, I'm not saying anything more. Want to peel some garlic?"

Yan Changye elegantly rolled up his sleeves: "Come on, why wouldn't you come?"

After saying that, the three of them went into the kitchen together.

The Jiang family members exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts pounding with shock. This pampered young master, whenever he visited the Jiang family, who dared to point fingers at him? In a place as greasy and filthy as the kitchen, let alone letting Yan Changye's noble feet get even a speck of dirt, even Jiang Tiancheng and Jiang Che almost never set foot there.

Chen Suyan only cooks when the banquet director comes to eat, to show that she values ​​him. But she doesn't cook the dishes herself; she just prepares a side dish. A professional chef has to cook the real thing.

Moreover, Yan Changye's arrogant nature is well-known among the wealthy families of the capital.

Yet this arrogant and fastidious young master, just because of a single sentence, willingly stepped into the kitchen to peel garlic. This extreme contrast made the Jiang family feel it was all too real.

It wasn't until Huo Mingcai personally served the steaming hot Laifeng fish to the table that the dish was finally brought to the table:

"As expected of a master chef, his skills are excellent. I have learned a lot from him! Brother Jiang, come, come, try some Chongqing specialties."

Yan Changye sat back down and personally placed a piece of fish on Jiang Manman's plate, his tone full of affection:

"Madam, I didn't cook the fish, but I peeled the garlic inside."

Jiang Manman tasted it and said, "It tastes good."

Yan Changye smiled as he looked at the stunned Jiang family members: "Want to try some?"

The young master peeled the garlic himself and deliberately invited Jiang Tiancheng, who never eats spicy food, to take a bite.

Just eating can feel a bit restrictive.

All sorts of topics were brought up.

Jiang Manman first spoke softly to Jiang Tiancheng and Chen Suyan about her experience of recognizing her relatives in Chongqing. Then she talked about some of her experiences in Chongqing. At this point, Jiang Che was particularly good at chiming in, and with the addition of the outgoing Huo Yungui, the three of them quickly livened up the atmosphere.

Yan Changye didn't talk much, but it was clear that he was in a very good mood.

Jiang Tiancheng and Huo Mingcai had already become sworn brothers and started drinking together:
"Brother Huo, to be honest, we were quite apprehensive when Manman was first looking for her family, but we didn't expect the Huo family to value her so much. I also like Brother Huo's character very much. If you don't mind, our two families must visit each other more often in the future! As for Manman, let's not distinguish between your family and mine. She belongs to our family together, so let's not fight over her or take her away."

Huo Mingcai's eyes were already red: "Brother Jiang, you are our family's greatest benefactor. Over the years, we have tried every possible method to find our daughter, and we have even prepared for the worst. It felt like the road to finding our daughter was dark and hopeless. It is already a blessing that the child was alive after being abducted, but she was adopted by you and raised so well. For this alone, I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life!"

Jiang Tiancheng sighed, "Brother Huo, the person you should thank the most for this is the Crown Prince."

Huo Mingcai was slightly taken aback: "He married my daughter and treats her very well, which makes me very happy."

Jiang Tiancheng chuckled: "Back then, it was the Crown Prince who personally brought Manman to the Jiang family, giving us such an outstanding daughter."

This was the first time the Huo family had heard about this, and they all looked at Yan Changye.

Yan Changye's lips curled slightly. Jiang Manman knew his personality; he was probably too lazy to explain.

She said softly, "Back then, I was rescued from a human trafficking den. The police helped me find my relatives but couldn't, and the original plan was to send me to an orphanage. It was Yan Changye who brought me to the Jiang family, where I met my current parents." Huo Mingcai looked at Yan Changye, his eyes reddening even more. After a moment of sighing, he couldn't help but stand up and give Yan Changye a warm hug.

"Good son-in-law, thank you! From now on, I'll treat you like my little princess!"

"I'll let you be a little emperor." Yan Changye's shirt was stained with the smell of alcohol from Huo Mingcai's hug, but he showed no displeasure. He simply said, "Don't make me peel garlic anymore, it really stinks."

The two families hit it off. After dinner, Yan Changye and his group didn't leave immediately; they sat together for an afternoon tea and even played two rounds of mahjong.

Yan Changye played Chongqing mahjong with the Huo family.

Jiang Manman and her family played Beijing Mahjong.

Jiang Manman was clumsy, playing both Chongqing mahjong and Beijing mahjong with difficulty. Several times, after finishing his own game, Yan Changye would also turn the tide for his wife's side, leaving Jiang Che amazed.

"Brother-in-law, everyone in the circle says you're incredibly good at mahjong, and it's true. No wonder those young masters from super-rich families would specially arrange mahjong games to curry favor with you from time to time."

Yan Changye subtly fed his brother-in-law a card, raising an eyebrow slightly: "I stopped hanging out with those shady friends a long time ago. Ask your sister, I go home on time after get off work to play with her."

Jiang Manman paused, her hand holding the mahjong tiles still. That scoundrel, making suggestive remarks in public...

Fortunately, others couldn't understand the precise definition of the word 'play' between Yan Changye and Jiang Manman.

"Sis, your husband loves you so much, when are you going to make it official?" Jiang Che sighed. "Every now and then there are rumors circulating in the industry that some rich heiress is suspected to be Mrs. Yan, and I get anxious every time I hear them."

Yan Changye raised his peach blossom eyes slightly, gave his brother-in-law an appreciative look, and replied in a serious tone, "Madam, what Jiang Che said makes some sense. How about we pick a time to make it official? Otherwise, those messy women will try to ruin my reputation all over the capital..."

Jiang Manman didn't take it to heart: "We'll see. I'm quite enjoying the peace and quiet right now."

Yan Changye: "..."

Huo Mingcai and Wang Ying heard it clearly. They exchanged a glance, and their gazes toward Jiang Manman became even more meaningful.

Her own youngest son did something outrageous, giving her son two fathers. Her son-in-law was already generous enough not to hold it against her, but now she's even secretly married him, not even giving him a legitimate identity. Her son-in-law is really wronged.

"My dear child!" Wang Ying pleaded earnestly, "Our family has never had a bad woman in all our generations, so don't break this tradition!"

Jiang Manman: "..."

She simply didn't want to be surrounded by the halo of Lady Yan Changye, so how did that get her associated with being a scumbag?
Yan Changye chuckled softly, his voice languid: "Our mother is right, Madam, please don't treat me badly."

After playing a few rounds of mahjong, Yan Changye accompanied his two fathers-in-law to the study for tea, where they also chatted about men's work.

The Jiang family is large and powerful, and Jiang Tiancheng is a little too busy to manage everything. He has been thinking about cultivating Jiang Che as a successor, but in terms of young successors, there is no one in the entire capital more experienced than Yan Changye, the crown prince who took over the Yanjing Group at a young age.

Although the Huo family was small, owning only two small supermarkets and a farm, even if Yan Changye didn't mention it, Jiang Tiancheng knew very well that this young master, who was always generous to his own people, was even willing to peel garlic. He knew that the resources he would give to the Huo family later would definitely be substantial. Therefore, he also wanted to bring Huo Mingcai along to talk about topics in the high society circle.

Jiang Manman, along with the two mothers and their two children, went to another space to chat about their private matters.

Seeing that he had nothing to do with Huo Yungui, Jiang Che picked up a set of car keys and asked Huo Yungui:

"Brother Yun Gui, shall I take you for a drive around the capital?"

Huo Yungui's gaze fell on the car keys in Jiang Che's hand, and the overwhelming sense of familiarity made him pause for a moment: "Okay."

　This book is nearing completion. It is expected to be finished early next month.

　　(End of this chapter)