Chapter 376: Chapter 376

江丽荣’s face immediately twisted, and the first thing she thought of was her sister-in-law. The bankbook was found on the sofa at the sister-in-law’s house; this must have been done by the sister-in-law.

Then she suddenly stood up, turned around, and left, impulsively wanting to confront her sister-in-law to clear things up.

Why report it lost? On what grounds? What does this mean!

"Hey, ma’am, your bankbook." The teller behind her quickly called Jiang Lirong.

Jiang Lirong was stopped by the bank’s security, then she took the bankbook handed to her by the bank staff, suppressed her anger, thanked them, and calmed down.

She couldn’t go about it this way; it would only mess things up. After all, the way she got the bankbook wasn’t exactly aboveboard. She needed to think carefully about what to do.

If the sister-in-law swallowed the money... It’s not a worry if she did. Her nephew has money, and if worst comes to worst, Wan Chu’er isn’t lacking money either.

Mrs. Jiang hadn’t seen Jiang Lirong’s fury firsthand, but based on her understanding of Jiang Lirong, she could imagine it. After receiving a call from her son saying it was handled, Mrs. Jiang felt better, prodded her son once more about the marriage, and then hung up.

She originally thought Jiang Lirong would not be able to contain herself and would come directly to confront her. She was all prepared, even called the two sisters-in-law inviting them to dinner. Who knew that after dinner, Jiang Lirong still hadn’t come.

Mrs. Jiang maintained her composure as she saw the two sisters-in-law off, secretly thinking that Jiang Lirong was definitely holding back some big move. But she wasn’t afraid anyway because she hadn’t coveted the old folks’ things.

Two days later, Jiang Lirong came again to see the elderly lady. Mrs. Jiang saw that she didn’t mention the bankbook at all and became even more convinced that Jiang Lirong was waiting for a good opportunity to make a scene.

And Jiang Lirong was secretly observing her sister-in-law. Seeing that her sister-in-law was less enthusiastic about seeing her than before, she was even more certain her sister-in-law had dealt with the bankbook. She held back and barely kept her questioning words in her throat.

She thought this household had her sister-in-law as the most virtuous member, but didn’t expect her to be greedy too, wanting to swallow her parents’ 800,000 in silence.

Jiang Lirong squinted her eyes, thinking that when everyone was gathered, she would reveal her sister-in-law’s true colors.

Also, when she came that day, Wan Chu’er was there too. Wan Chu’er was sitting on the sofa then. When Jiang Lirong recalled it, her eyes brightened. The place she felt for the envelope was exactly where Wan Chu’er had been sitting.

Maybe Wan Chu’er knew about it too. Could it be that her sister-in-law and Wan Chu’er conspired to swallow the house and money?

Probably the sister-in-law took the money, and Wan Chu’er took the house.

The more Jiang Lirong thought about it, the more she felt it was the case, thinking she had discovered an incredible secret.

If one has dared to reach out, one must be prepared to have it chopped off.

Jiang Lirong got excited for a moment, thinking that this matter needed good planning, not only to make them return the things but also make them pay a price, best to take the opportunity to get Jiayi’s dad transferred back to Beijing.

Wan Chu’er had no idea about this. During this time, she was busy learning to cook from Mrs. Zhu and studying calligraphy from Old Sir Zhong.

The old house was a hubbub of joy.

"Mrs. Zhu, where’s the sugar? How much sugar do I put in this dish?"

"Fifteen minutes already; I think it doesn’t need twenty minutes. The meat looks tender enough; wouldn’t it get tough if I cook it longer?"

"Mrs. Zhu, I think it looks better with a bit of this vegetable leaf in the chicken soup."

Although Wan Chu’er didn’t have much talent for cooking, her intelligence made up for it. She could do three things at once, ask away tirelessly, thoroughly understand, and quickly grasp new things.

So the meals she cooked weren’t too bad; at least, Li Shan and the old man said they were good. The old man especially enjoyed them. Sometimes when Jiang Ke came over, he would also praise her.

After meals, she would take a stroll around the yard with the old man. After feeding the two babies, she would hand them over to Li Shan. Now Li Shan had a new hobby besides counting ants, which was playing with the two babies.

The two babies could now hold their heads up steadily. Li Shan would always hold one in each arm, taking them to see the trees, watch the grass, the moon, and the stars...

While Wan Chu’er sat upright in the study, practicing calligraphy with utmost seriousness under Old Sir Zhong’s sharp-eye scrutiny beside her.

She found out that the old man could be quite sharp-tongued.

"What else can your paws do besides fighting?"

"Even if Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Ya scribbled any random picture, it would look better than what you’ve written."

"Your brain? Did you forget to bring your brain?"

"Why use so much strength? Do you understand overcoming rigidity with gentleness? Forget it, you didn’t bring your brain, I forgot."

The old man’s mockery instead fueled Wan Chu’er’s competitive spirit. Each time she would sit more steadily, use the brush more skillfully, her hands becoming increasingly dexterous yet stable.

That weekend, Jiang Kechu came early. He had the breakfast Wan Chu’er had lovingly prepared, played with the kids for a bit, then went into the room with the old man.

Wan Chu’er remained fully engrossed in writing calligraphy in the study, preparing a beautiful piece for Jiang Kechu to take home and hang on the wall.

In Old Sir Zhong’s room.

Jiang Kechu held his breath and respectfully watched Old Sir Zhong, who was sitting on a rattan recliner, looking serene.

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of the grandfather clock in the corner ticking. Jiang Kechu’s heart ticked in time with the clock as he listened to Li Shan playing with the kids outside while awaiting the old man’s decision.

After a while, the old man asked, "How’s your grandpa’s health?"

Jiang Kechu replied earnestly, "We found an old traditional Chinese doctor last month. After a month of acupuncture and massage, he can now stand with a cane for a while, and his speech is a bit clearer. The doctor said that continued treatment could even help him walk a few steps."

"The things left by the ancestors are always useful."

"Yes." Jiang Kechu readily agreed.

Finally, Old Sir Zhong said, "Go if you want to, but hold the wedding before you leave, and let Chuchu go with the army then."

The old man spoke calmly, with no visible emotional fluctuation, yet there was a kind of intimidation in his voice that brooked no objection.

Jiang Kechu immediately said, "Chuchu can stay here a while longer to accompany you, and I will prepare everything over there first, then have Chuchu bring the kids over."

Old Sir Zhong lightly grunted and said, "Let them go together; Chuchu is not one to shy away from hardships."

"Don’t worry, I won’t let Chuchu face any hardships. I’ll have someone go ahead and prepare the house and such." Jiang Kechu sincerely promised.

The old man nodded and said, "Go and talk to your family, choose a time to have the wedding smoothly."

Jiang Kechu grasped the point in the old man’s words: smoothly.