Mother and daughter clung tightly to each other as they chatted and walked toward the front door.
The servants frantically followed behind, carrying Jiang Li’s luggage, and shared in the joy.
The young mistress was back, and the house was bustling once again.
By the time Jiang Yan, carrying his luggage, got out of the car, there was nobody to be seen at the entrance.
Turning his head, he saw Wen Jiaojiao instructing the driver to drive away.
Jiang Yan, left standing alone: "....."
No, that can’t be right.
So, he’s just invisible then?
Lin Manru led Jiang Li into the living room, also arranging for someone to wheel in Jiang Cheng.
As Jiang Li entered, she saw the old man sitting on the sofa.
He had been waiting somewhat anxiously just a second ago, but as soon as he saw someone come in, his face immediately sterned up.
The old man’s gaze shifted to Jiang Cheng, his anger visibly rising.
"You little scoundrel, your grandfather thought you were the most obedient in this family, but instead you sneak off to a TV show and get yourself into this state!"
Seeing the old man about to strike him with his cane, Jiang Cheng quickly shrank his neck and wheeled his chair behind the sofa.
"I’m sorry, Grandpa, I didn’t mean to, I know I was wrong...."
Lin Manru was trying to intervene from the side, "Dad, don’t be angry, Jiang Cheng is still young, it’s normal for him to be a little mischievous. He’s already hurt , please don’t hit him anymore."
The grandfather huffed and put down his cane, "From now until the end of the year, you’re getting no more pocket money!"
He looked at Jiang Li for help.
Jiang Li slowly blew on the tea in front of him and said in a calm voice, "Whatever Grandpa says, goes. You see, I’m useless to you."
Jiang Zhao Yuan huffed again, apparently pleased that Jiang Li was on his side, but then he grew stern again, placing his hands behind his back and looking at Jiang Li.
"Come upstairs with me."
Jiang Li put down the teacup, handed the luggage to a servant, assigned Ji Yanbai to Jiang Ye to take downstairs, and then went up to Jiang Zhao Yuan’s study on the second floor.
The man had already taken his seat in the rosewood chair; seeing her enter, he immediately adopted the austere demeanor of the head of the household.
"How do you plan to deal with that money?"
Jiang Li coming into the money was something he couldn’t even dare to dream of.
Yet, it was his granddaughter, the one who used to give him the most headaches, who had managed to earn five hundred million from appearing on a TV show.
That was no small figure; it could directly rival the entire assets of the Jiang Family.
Although the girl seemed steadier than before, she was still a child at heart. If she were fickle-minded and was duped by someone with intentions, all would be for naught.
Jiang Li knew that Jiang Zhao Yuan meant well.
But to others, it sounded a bit harsh, as if he was eyeing her money.
As always, the old man hadn’t changed at all over the years, still as obstinate as ever with his words.
Jiang Li smiled and took a seat opposite him.
"Don’t worry, Grandpa, I won’t squander the money. I have my own plans for it."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhao Yuan’s mood chilled by a third.
See? Just as he had thought!
"What are your plans?"
"I plan to invest in a movie. The five hundred million should be just enough to cover the cost, or maybe even not quite enough."
Before Jiang Li had finished speaking, the old man’s mood had gotten even colder by five parts.
This young girl is going to be cheated out of her money!
Without him, this family was going to fall apart!
"What nonsense," the old man hit the cane forcefully, standing up, "What kind of movie investment requires that much money? They are clearly targeting your money! How can you be so naïve? The money is still there, right? Break off contact with them tomorrow, and if it comes to it, I will call the police."
Jiang Li found it almost laughable.
"Grandpa, don’t be agitated, just listen to me for a second."
"This investment is something I had planned to get involved in before going on the show. I went on the show to see if I could raise the money, and now that I’ve succeeded, I will of course be invested."
Jiang Zhao Yuan was half convinced, "You mean you had your eye on this from the start? What movie requires so much money? What does a little girl like you know about investing?"
Seeing that the old man still didn’t trust her, Jiang Li simply switched tactics.
"Although I don’t understand investment, I know how to fortune-tell, Grandpa. When I met the movie’s director, I knew he was bound to become famous. His ’wealth star’ is weak but has the ’food god’ and the ’injuring official’ to support it. Next year is a strong year for him, with his ’annual pillar’ indicating prosperity in wealth. So, why shouldn’t I seize this opportunity?"
"Moreover, my third aunt’s company is gradually picking up. I previously made a small investment and now I’m about to receive dividends of several million. With the previous show’s bonus included, I’ll have around ten million to put together. Allowing my third aunt to join me in this movie investment could take her company up a notch, so why not do it?"
Listening to Jiang Li’s thorough explanation, Jiang Zhao Yuan was totally stunned.
In his memory, Jiang Li had always been a wild and troublesome girl—even a bit unscrupulous.
How come she now talks about business even better than this old man?
What shocked him more was how fluently she spoke about mysticism.
Combining what he had heard before, Jiang Zhao Yuan finally realized how formidable his granddaughter was, and couldn’t help but ask,
"Where did you learn these fortune-telling techniques from?"
Jiang Li had already prepared her wording, "I met a lame Daoist when I wasn’t attending school. He said I had a natural affinity and passed on some secret methods to me. I happened to be interested, so I self-studied a bit."
This haphazardly concocted excuse actually fooled Jiang Zhao Yuan.
He himself was a believer of mysticism, naturally understanding that talent was far more important than effort in this field.
It just hadn’t occurred to him that his most underestimated granddaughter might be a hidden master.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Zhao Yuan spoke again, "So, when you mentioned that there might be issues with our family’s cargo ship, you figured it out from calculations?"
"Yes, Grandpa," Jiang Li answered, "So, was I right?"
Jiang Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, sat down, and the look he gave Jiang Li changed.
"You were very accurate. Indeed, there were problems on the original route, but thankfully because of your warning, our family didn’t suffer any losses. In fact, we even made some unexpected gains."
Jiang Li smiled, "That’s good, then. So, Grandpa, do you believe what I said now?"
Jiang Zhao Yuan didn’t want to believe it, but he found it hard not to at this point, sighing deeply, "The waves behind drive on those before. Your dad had been worrying about you, but judging by the looks of it now, you are the hope for our Jiang Family."
"That money was the result of your own efforts; you may spend it however you wish."
"I know that," Jiang Li lifted her lips in a smile, "Grandpa was just worried about me, afraid that I’d get scammed. Thank you, Grandpa."