Chapter 8

Jiang Gannian’s stern reprimand made the three people who had just entered the house shudder.

Jiang Hongmei looked up at her grandfather sitting above, her legs trembling as she clung to her mother’s arm, unwilling to let go.

Du Yulan complained,
“Dad, it was obviously that girl Tiantian who took a liking to Jiuzhang’s looks and snatched him away. Why are you making Hongmei kneel?”

This was the excuse she and her daughter had already agreed upon yesterday.

After all, Cha Jiuzhang was indeed too good-looking—so much so that it was understandable for a young girl to be tempted into reckless behavior.

“Shut up.”

“You think I’m as gullible as Jiang Jianhua, easily fooled by your nonsense?”

Jiang Jianhua looked aggrieved. Why was he getting dragged into this again? He was innocent!

Jiang Gannian had always despised this third daughter-in-law’s scheming ways.

“You and your daughter know exactly what happened yesterday. If you keep making a scene, don’t blame me for stripping away even your last shred of dignity.”

Du Yulan was startled, immediately lowering her head and falling silent.

Jiang Gannian turned back to Jiang Hongmei and shouted again, “Kneel.”

This time, Jiang Hongmei didn’t dare disobey. She reluctantly let go of her mother’s arm and knelt down, looking pitiful.

“Since you look down on the Cha family, and a forced union won’t bring happiness, I won’t make things difficult for you. You’ll kneel here for two hours. From now on, you and Jiuzhang have nothing to do with each other—he will only be your brother-in-law.”

“But don’t think this matter will be let off so easily. Once we return home, we’ll see how I deal with you.”

Jiang Gannian then looked at Jiang Jianhua and his wife.

“Jianhua, I’ve already exchanged Tiantian’s birth details with Uncle Cha. Later, Chengye will take us to the Cha family’s ancestral hall to officially record Tiantian into their family registry.”

“Du Yulan, go and check all the dowry we brought from the Jiang family. Add in the betrothal gifts we received from the Cha family. Once we return from the ancestral hall, everything will be handed over to Tiantian.”

Hearing this, Du Yulan panicked. Adding everything up, it was quite a considerable sum. She had never thought of giving it away.

She instinctively looked up to argue, but when she met Jiang Gannian’s piercing gaze—one that seemed to see right through her—her lips trembled, and she could only nod in agreement.

Jiang Hongmei knelt on the ground, watching as Jiang Tiantian stood behind Grandpa Cha, flashing her a triumphant smile.

She was seething with resentment.

That was all supposed to be hers! Why should it go to that wretched girl?!

Cha Jiuzhang, seeing Jiang Tiantian’s smug expression, found it amusing.

Did this little girl even realize that once she was added to the Cha family registry, she would be bound to him for life?

—-

The Cha Family Ancestral Hall

It was Jiang Tiantian’s first time seeing the thick, ancient Cha family genealogy book.

Each time a yellowed page was turned, it felt as if a piece of history—filled with the joys and sorrows of generations past—was being gently uncovered, only to be buried again beneath the dust of time, leaving behind only fleeting moments of remembrance.

In the presence of several highly respected village elders, Jiang Tiantian’s name and birth details were formally recorded next to Cha Jiuzhang’s.

Looking at their two names side by side, Jiang Tiantian suddenly felt a sense of destiny pulling at her.

She lifted her gaze thoughtfully toward Cha Jiuzhang, only to find that he was also staring at her intently.

Under the guidance of the elders, Jiang Tiantian kowtowed in tribute to the Cha ancestors, then officially addressed Cha Father and Cha Mother as “Dad” and “Mom.”

After completing the lengthy traditional rites and settling all matters between the two families, Jiang Gannian had no intention of keeping Jiang Hongmei and her mother around to cause more trouble or give the village gossipers more to talk about.

After sharing a meal together, he firmly declined the Cha family’s invitation to stay longer and prepared to leave with his third son’s family.

They planned to travel to the county town tonight, stay overnight, and then depart for the provincial capital the next morning.

Since this trip was for his granddaughter’s marriage, Jiang Gannian made a rare exception and used an official vehicle assigned to him, taking turns driving with his son.

Cha Jizu had prepared a variety of dried mountain goods and herbal teas, packing the car’s trunk to the brim.

Jiang Tiantian stood quietly to the side, showing no sign of sadness about parting with her family.

Jiang Gannian looked at her, sighed, and finally patted Cha Jiuzhang’s shoulder with a serious expression.

“Jiuzhang, I’m entrusting Tiantian to you. Take good care of her. When you have time, bring her back to visit Grandpa.”

“Grandpa Jiang don’t worry. I will. Have a safe journey!”

With that, Jiang Gannian got into the car and drove away, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.

As they left the village, Du Yulan stared out the window and sighed,

“What a pity. This place is so beautiful, yet so remote.”

Jiang Gannian glanced at his daughter-in-law with disdain and snorted.

“Ignorant woman! You think you’re so smart, yet you have no idea. Have you ever seen a remote mountain village with roads built all the way to its doorsteps?”

Du Yulan was stunned. She hadn’t noticed that before.

“With such a complicated mountain path, and just one small village inside, why would the government spend so much money building a road?”

Jiang Gannian chuckled strangely before replying seriously,

“You’re wrong. That road wasn’t built by the government. The Cha family village paid for it themselves.”

“What?!”

The three other passengers, including Jiang Jianhua, who was driving, turned to look at him in shock.

“Dad, you never mentioned before that their village was this impressive.”

Jiang Gannian sighed. Even he hadn’t expected it before this trip.

He recalled his morning walk with Cha Jizu, where the latter had confidently outlined his vision for the Cha family village’s future. It turned out that the Cha family’s foundations ran deeper than he had imagined.

And then there was his granddaughter.

Standing among the remarkably attractive members of the Cha family, she still radiated with confidence, as if she held the future in her grasp.

That was exactly how he and his wife had once hoped she would grow up to be.

Today, she had truly impressed him.

Perhaps, among the whole third branch of his family, Jiang Tiantian was the only one with the sharpest judgment.

He glanced at the three people in the car and warned,

“You three go ahead and keep causing trouble if you want. Once you completely burn all bridges with Tiantian, you’ll regret it.”

Jiang Jianhua felt wronged.

He spent most of the year working at the research institute. He had no say in household matters, and Tiantian wasn’t close to him anyway. How was this his fault?

In the back seat, Du Yulan and Jiang Hongmei exchanged glances, a rare trace of uncertainty appearing in their hearts.

Had they really misjudged things this time?

Jiang Hongmei stared out the window, rubbing her swollen knees.

Thinking of Cha Jiuzhang’s outstanding appearance, a faint trace of regret surfaced in her heart.

That wretched Jiang Tiantian was getting such a good deal!

She clenched her teeth and vowed that once she returned, she would find a man even more exceptional than Cha Jiuzhang—just to make Jiang Tiantian furious.