Jiang Hai's eyes fixed on Jiang Ning as he said, "Alright, let's drop this. When did you learn that kind of cooking? Your mother and I know your skills well. Don't go misleading others."
"Got it, Dad. I learned from a master chef. Just don't ask too many questions. Your son wouldn't harm anyone."
Jiang Ning had no intention of revealing the system's existence, nor did he want to mention the 2 billion contract with Tang Group or his participation in the God of Cookery Competition too soon. He feared his father's heart couldn't handle the shock.
Even tens of millions had made his father, Jiang Hai, widen his eyes. With Jiang Ning's current sensitivity as a martial arts grandmaster, he could feel his father's heart rate quicken and breathing become shallow.
Tens of millions might be an astronomical sum for rural farmers, but in the city, it wasn't quite so extreme. It could buy several ordinary apartments, but it wouldn't be enough for a decent villa.
For example, the Cloudtop Villa Community where Jiang Ning and his family lived, or the Imperial Villa where Su Yunlong and his family resided—tens of millions wouldn't even be enough to buy a villa in these areas.
Jiang Hai took a deep breath. "Alright, let's move on. Now, about you and Mengmeng."
"Dad, what could possibly be going on between Mengmeng and me?" Jiang Ning asked, feigning exhaustion.
Jiang Hai glared at him. "You little rascal, Mengmeng must be almost three years old now, right?"
Jiang Ning nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"And how long has it been since you graduated from college?" Jiang Hai pressed.
Jiang Ning pulled out his phone. "Two years and two months."
Jiang Hai immediately smacked the back of Jiang Ning's head. Jiang Ning knew his father was about to lecture him, but he deliberately didn't dodge. "Ouch! That hurt! Dad, why are you hitting me again?"
Jiang Hai gritted his teeth. "Isn't it obvious? Mengmeng is three years old. That means you, you little bastard, were slacking off in college and got some girl pregnant. Should I not teach you a lesson?"
"Ah, Dad, you're talking about that? Let me explain," Jiang Ning said, clutching his not-very-sore head and putting on an exaggerated pained expression.
Jiang Hai bristled, his beard quivering as he glared at his son. "Speak up! Get to the point! Once you're done, I'll break your leg if you don't! What kind of lessons do you think I've been teaching you all these years?"
Jiang Ning explained, "Dad, Mengmeng isn't actually my and Mengmeng's biological daughter. We adopted her from an orphanage less than ten days ago."
Hearing this, Jiang Hai grew even angrier, convinced his son was trying to cover up some mistake he'd made at university. "What the hell are you talking about? How could Mengmeng be from an orphanage? She looks exactly like you did as a child!
Just like your mother always said, Mengmeng's mouth and nose are identical to yours—she's a spitting image!"
Jiang Ning spread his hands. "Dad, I have no reason to lie to you. You know what kind of person I've always been, don't you?"
Jiang Hai scoffed. "You were never honest as a kid! You were the ringleader of the village children. What good could come of that?
I still remember when you were in the first grade and led the village kids to steal longans from Grandpa Jiang Hai's tree. You were caught red-handed, and you still refused to admit it."
Jiang Ning said awkwardly, "Dad, that was ages ago. How do you still remember it so clearly?"
Jiang Hai glared at him. "What kind of question is that? You didn't even need a script to lie back then. You made me lose face completely. How could I forget?"
"Alright, Dad, let's not dwell on that. I'll tell you the truth. It's like this: I lost my job a few days ago. Then, through my college classmate Su Che—Su Meng's brother—I went to Mengmeng's house to work as a temporary 'nanny,' you know, a babysitter. My main job was to take care of Mengmeng, the adorable little girl she adopted from the orphanage.
I fell in love with Mengmeng's cuteness and decided to marry Mengmeng and raise her together. We just want to give her a warm family with both a mom and a dad," Jiang Ning explained, his words tumbling out in a rush.
Jiang Hai listened, his brow furrowed, a nagging feeling that something was amiss. "Is that so? And you and Mengmeng...?"
"We're truly married. We even got the marriage certificate."
"What I mean is, you got married so quickly. Is there any affection between you? Did you... you know, do the deed?" Jiang Hai eyed him suspiciously.
"Dad, what are you talking about? Mengmeng and I are perfectly fine. We'll have a big, healthy grandson for you soon. But Dad, I've told you the truth—you can't treat Mengmeng differently just because she's not your biological granddaughter." Jiang Ning lied.
"Son, what kind of nonsense is that? Do you think your father is the kind of man who would do such a thing?"
"Yes."
Jiang Ning nodded, his face serious.
"Oh, so you've grown up now, have you? Spreading your wings? Just wait until I get my hands on you!" Jiang Hai puffed up with anger and reached out to pinch Jiang Ning's cheek.
Jiang Ning scrambled away, shouting as he ran, "Dad! If you find out Mengmeng isn't your real granddaughter and stop loving her, I won't acknowledge you as my father anymore!"
"It's been too long since I pinched you, son. You've gotten faster, haven't you? Just wait until I catch you—I'll break your legs! Keep running, just you wait! Stop!" Jiang Hai yelled, chasing after him.
"Dad! If you swear to love Mengmeng as much as your own granddaughter, I'll stop running and let you pinch me all you want!" Jiang Ning called back over his shoulder as he ran.
In truth, Jiang Ning was deliberately slowing his pace. He just wanted to relive these playful moments with his father from their childhood.
Back then, Jiang Ning was the neighborhood king of mischief, and being chased by his father, Jiang Hai, was a common occurrence.
"Alright, your old man swears—I, Jiang Hai, will cherish Mengmeng like my own granddaughter. May lightning strike me if I break this promise. How's that, son?" Jiang Hai swore to the heavens as he ran.
In truth, father and son were on the same wavelength, their hearts beating in unison.
Not only was Jiang Ning trying to recapture memories of his childhood, but Jiang Hai was also reminiscing about his son's younger days and their shared experiences. Now, his son had grown into a man, married, and established his own career.
Those golden days were gone forever. With his son living primarily in the city, the elderly couple had only each other to rely on.
The child who used to follow him around like a shadow no longer clung to him.
His son had his own life, his own family.
And he himself was growing old day by day.
Now, father and son sat on the grassy bank of the river. "Ning'er, whether I swore or not, I'd still treat Mengmeng like my own granddaughter, just like you. Even your mother would agree, I'm sure.
It's just that Mengmeng's mouth and nose—they're truly identical to yours when you were little."
"Why don't you get a DNA test? She might actually be your biological daughter."
Jiang Ning shook his head helplessly. "Dad, there are tons of people who look alike in this world. Does looking similar make them siblings? Don't worry, Dad, your son really didn't get involved with any girls at university."
Jiang Hai still didn't believe him. "Really? Think again. Honestly, Ning'er, she looks exactly like you to me. She's your daughter."
"Ah, Dad, you're just missing a granddaughter too much. Let's not dwell on this. Whether Mengmeng is my biological daughter or not, she's my daughter and your beloved granddaughter, isn't she? That's all that matters to our family."
Jiang Hai patted Jiang Ning's shoulder. "That's right. Mengmeng is my precious granddaughter."
-----------------------
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