Joyful Reunion (Part Four)
Grandma let An sit down next to her.
The table was laden with carefully prepared dishes.
Grandma had some of the special dishes placed next to An Yi.
An hurriedly said, "Grandma, that's enough, I can't eat this much."
Grandma finally stopped, saying, "You've come all this way."
Her words implied that she was complaining about Ji Qingzhou bringing An back so late.
An smiled but didn't reply.
She liked this grandmother very much. She didn't have the condescending attitude of a wealthy person that she had imagined. She was just an ordinary old lady who hoped that her grandson would bring a partner home.
Like those neighbors who will greet you first, they are approachable and friendly.
Su Xi found a chance to speak and asked An Yi, "Xiao Yi, I just heard you say that you graduated with a bachelor's degree, why don't you consider pursuing a master's degree?"
She was taken aback when the topic suddenly changed.
Ji Qingzhou sat next to An Yi, paying attention to An Yi's condition.
He was about to answer for An Yi when An Yi spoke up.
She realized what was happening and said, "I haven't considered it."
This statement seems to answer, yet it also seems to not answer.
However, what An said was true; she had indeed not considered pursuing a graduate degree.
She didn't have any must-do plans; she just went to university, graduated, and got a job step by step.
Moreover, she knew Su Xi's intentions were not good, and she didn't really want to know the answer to her question. She simply wanted to use this opportunity to remind her that she was not good enough for her PhD son.
Grandma said, "Our An'an is the one who has the most opinions."
Upon hearing this, Ji Qingzhou smiled slightly.
Su Xi added, "Qingzhou has been planning to pursue graduate studies for a long time."
Although she would prefer Ji Qingzhou to return to his hometown to develop his career rather than pursue a master's or doctoral degree, she is still proud to have such an outstanding son.
Su Xi smiled politely and looked at An Yi, saying, "Besides studying, Qingzhou is also very talented in the business field."
Ji Qingzhou and her grandmother were both wary of Su Xi, so Su Xi didn't want to make a direct move and instead spoke highly of Ji Qingzhou.
An Yi looked curious and gestured for Su Xi to continue.
Su Xi put down her chopsticks and bowl, her words filled with a legendary air.
It is said that when Ji Qingzhou was twenty-three years old, he revived a branch of the Ji family and then went from working at the head office to independently completing a 30 million yuan order.
An listened as if it were a story.
She didn't know these things before.
After Su Xi finished speaking, she wanted to hear An express his gratitude.
Ideally, it would be someone like Ji Qingzhou, who is very capable, while she is just an ordinary person, who recognizes her own position.
An Yi turned to Ji Qingzhou and said, "You've done so many earth-shattering things!"
The tone was complimentary, indicating genuine appreciation and praise.
Ji Qingzhou withdrew his gaze from Su Xi. "It's alright."
He said to Su Xi, "Mom, let's eat quickly, the food is getting cold."
Just then, Ji Qingzhou received a phone call.
It belonged to his father, Ji Lin.
He bowed slightly, left his seat to answer the phone, and exchanged a glance with his grandmother before leaving.
After a short while, Su Xi said there was still a bowl of soup in the kitchen and wanted An Yi to try it first to see if it suited her taste.
An had already agreed softly and followed Su Xi into the kitchen.
Grandma didn't stop her.
From the moment Su Xi entered the house, she made her stance clear: she approved of the girl and would support her.
Grandma, like Su Xi, hoped that Ji Qingzhou could take over the company, and that only Ji Qingzhou could do it.
Ji Yang had done well in the company a few years ago, but his grandmother saw through it and realized that he was sacrificing the company's future for personal gain.
It wasn't that she favored him; it was that Ji Qingzhou did a better job.
Taking over is secondary; carrying forward is the primary goal.
In today's world, where many millennia-old civilizations are gradually disappearing, the oil-paper umbrella, as a traditional cultural artifact, should be seen and remembered.
But she fully respects Ji Qingzhou's choice.
Whether it's career or marriage.
Ji Qingzhou grew up by her side, and she knew better than anyone what he wanted.
Having occupied An Yi for so long, it's impossible not to let Su Xi talk to An Yi.
Under her watchful eye, Su Xi couldn't cause any trouble.
The clay pot on the stove was bubbling and steaming.
Su Xi cut to the chase, "Xiao Yi, you should be able to tell what my attitude is towards you and Qingzhou, right?"
An nodded.
"I plan to introduce Qingzhou to a girl who is a good match for me."
The idea of "marrying someone of equal social standing" was finally brought up in the conversation that hadn't been discussed at the table earlier.
Isn't this saying that she's not a good match for him?
That is indeed true.
An responded with a soft "hmm".
Su Xi thought that she was only acting so nonchalant because she was taking advantage of Ji Qingzhou's temporary affection.
This is actually the norm for Anji.
Su Xi thought about how her day had been going badly. First, she had to wait for them to arrive late, and when they finally did, she couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Anger surged within her, and disregarding whether the old lady was there or not, she cut to the chase: "Qingzhou is destined for great things, and I hope you can leave him."
An found it amusing that she had actually encountered a scenario where someone "took this five million and left my son" in her lifetime.
Although Su Xi hasn't mentioned money yet, it shouldn't be difficult for her to come up with five million.
Her expression remained indifferent, and she didn't show it. At this moment, laughing would only add fuel to the fire for Ms. Su.
An had already begun to consider how to defend himself.
Ji Qingzhou's voice came from behind her.
“Mom,” Ji Qingzhou called out, her voice tinged with barely perceptible anger, “I think I made myself clear before.”
Ji Qingzhou went to An Yi's side, patted her head, and said, "Go back and have dinner with Grandma first."
An has obediently left.
She didn't want to waste her breath arguing with Su Xi.
After An left, Ji Qingzhou reiterated his stance to Su Xi, with a slight warning in his tone.
Ji Qingzhou said, "I brought her back today out of respect for you as an elder. I didn't bring her back so that you would hurt her."
Su Xi laughed in exasperation, "Qingzhou, think about it carefully. I'm doing this for your own good."
Ji Qingzhou said coldly, "When you were getting a divorce so easily, did you ever think about me?"
Su Xi was taken aback; it was understandable that he had grievances against them.
He added, "But I have never asked anything of you or Dad."
Su Xi was flustered when Ji Qingzhou rarely mentioned his childhood.
Not long after, she left the old house.
They left in such a hurry that they didn't even say goodbye.
Ji Qingzhou turned off the small fire that had been burning for a long time.
The casserole was still warm, and the pot was still bubbling.
He lifted the lid; it was the soup he had told his grandmother to make.
While at Zhushuiyuan, An had already drunk a few extra sips of that dish.
He ladled out the soup.
He originally intended to go upstairs to his study to make a phone call, but he was still worried and lingered at the top of the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his mother and An Yi.
He placed the soup on the table and observed An Yi's expression.
Nothing happened.
It's as if nothing happened.
After sending An back to the restaurant, seeing that her grandmother and An were chatting happily, Ji Qingzhou went upstairs to continue her phone call with her father.
Father probably learned from Su Xi that he had brought An home.
On this point, they were on the same side, but his opposition was not as strong as Su Xi's.
Ji Lin got straight to the point: he hoped Ji Qingzhou would consider it carefully, as An was not the most suitable candidate.
Ji Qingzhou said, "Dad, your career didn't rely on a woman, and neither do mine."
"And she's a good person."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a voice said, "Think it through yourself."
He didn't continue the topic and instead brought up the issue of company development.
Grandma still resented Ji Qingzhou for helping his parents, so she completely disregarded the idea of his two incompetent parents as her successors.
Fortunately, both of them had their own fields of work, and the Ji family was not very large, so the scene of wealthy families scheming against each other for money and status did not develop.
Su Xi is quite well-known in the financial world.
Ji Lin is in the business world, dedicated to new energy and high technology, and has no interest whatsoever in how to inherit tradition.
However, he was happy to offer his son some experience and advice from the perspective of someone who had been through it all.
The two talked for a long time about the Ji family's situation.
Grandma didn't care about Su Xi's feelings; she had always been at odds with Ji Qingzhou when it came to matters of the heart.
Now that I have some time, I can have a good talk with An.
Grandma served An a bowl of soup. "Here, have a taste. Qingzhou specially asked me to add this dish."
An accepted the small white porcelain bowl, suppressing the strange emotions welling up inside her. "Thank you, Grandma."
She tasted half a spoonful, and it was exactly the same as the one in Zhushuiyuan.
She smiled gently, her eyes crinkling. "It's delicious."
Grandma was happy to see that An was enjoying his drink.
Grandma, intrigued, asked with a smile how she and Ji Qingzhou had met.
An recalled that two years ago, she was still in school.
The most important thing during that period was writing my graduation thesis.
There was a problem with her experimental design. Her supervisor didn't have time, so she asked another teacher to take a look.
She went to Mr. Guo's office at the given location.
Upon seeing the experiment, Teacher Guo exclaimed, "Isn't this Qingzhou's research direction?"
When Ji Qingzhou heard the teacher call her name, she sat up slightly and raised her head.
His gaze was calm, with a hint of surprise at being suddenly called on by the teacher, and he met An's eyes.
Only then did she notice the person in the corner, hidden by the large computer screen.
He had delicate features, and the air conditioner was on full blast, creating a gust of air that brushed against the top of his head, lifting two strands of hair that reached his eyebrows.
"Oh? Well..." The teacher handed the stack of materials back to her and said, "Go ask your senior brother. He's doing research in the same direction as you."
She obediently carried the things and walked towards Ji Qingzhou.
The teacher, remembering his friend's request for help, unscrewed the lid of the thermos in her hand, took a sip of tea, and jokingly said, "Hey, don't say I didn't guide you later, that's my most outstanding student."
An responded politely.
At first, she thought that was just the teacher's speaking style, introducing each student as the best one.
But over time, she discovered that the teacher was indeed proud of this student named Ji Qingzhou.
Ji Qingzhou excelled in her undergraduate studies and was accepted into a master's program without any doubt.
At the time, several teachers were vying to take him on as a student, and it took Teacher Guo a lot of effort to finally win Ji Qingzhou over.
He did not disappoint his teacher's expectations.
After starting his postgraduate studies, he devoted himself to scientific research and achieved many results that surprised his teachers.
They also completed their graduation thesis ahead of schedule, a task that every student dreads.
He published several articles in succession and worked with his fellow students on a project he had taken over.
Teacher Guo hasn't encountered a student who is flawless in a long time.
Ji Qingzhou stood up, took the documents from An Yi's hand, and placed them on his desk.
The look he gave An Yi just now was still fresh in her mind.
She felt as if the things in her hands had been taken away, and her whole body felt much lighter.
An Yi came to her senses and said, "Hello, senior brother, my name is An Yi."
Ji Qingzhou looked up and met An's gaze fixed on his face. "Hello, Ji Qingzhou."
Their first meeting was formal and official.
The difference is that An Yi only calls Ji Qingzhou "Senior Brother," while Ji Qingzhou only ever calls An Yi by her name.
Grandma listened to their story with the same curiosity a child would have, full of wonder.
An has explained it in great detail.
Ji Qingzhou had just finished recounting their first meeting when she came downstairs after making a phone call.
An couldn't help but let out a soft yawn.
Ji Qingzhou sat down next to An Yi and asked, "Are you tired?"
She shook her head. "It's alright."
Grandma asked Ji Qingzhou what his father wanted to say when he called back.
If she had the same goal as Su Xi, she would be the first to be dissatisfied.
She already had a good impression of An. She liked his calm and composed nature, which was far superior to the other young ladies from prestigious families that Su Xi had found.
In her opinion, Su Xi's taste in finding a granddaughter-in-law for her was even more feudal than hers.
Ji Qingzhou said, "It's nothing, just company business."
Grandma's eyes narrowed as she thought of her other grandson, "Of all you brothers, Ji Yang is the one who gives me the most trouble."
Ji Qingzhou comforted her grandmother for a while.
Her mood was clearly disturbed, so Ji Qingzhou had someone take her downstairs to rest.
As she left, Grandma said to An, "You're welcome to come anytime. Visit me often."
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