Upstairs, Old Xie was adjusting his Zhongshan suit. Hearing Xie Wang's words, he nodded seriously: "I know, I won't be harsh with him. He's my comrade's grandson, so he's practically my grandson too."
Having arranged everything, Xie Wang said in a low voice, "I'll go and greet Shuangjiang."
—
When Xie Wang picked up Ling Shuangjiang, it was already around 10 a.m. Ling Shuangjiang sat in the passenger seat holding the gift, feeling uneasy.
Although this was just to attend a birthday banquet, it was also his first time meeting the Xie family elders. Unlike Xie Wang, who was so outgoing and could call them "Mom and Dad" on the first meeting, he was somewhat intimidated by communicating with the elders.
Xie Wang noticed his nervousness: "Don't be afraid. My parents are very gentle. Although Grandpa is a bit serious, it's just on the surface. He must really like you."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded: "Will all your relatives and elders be attending today? Approximately how many people will there be?"
Xie Wang: "More than forty."
"Wow, so many relatives!" Ling Shuangjiang placed the gift on her lap and looked straight ahead. "I'm going to the theater with Grandpa tonight. Are you planning to stay at Grandpa's house tonight?"
Xie Wang: "It's up to you. If you feel awkward, we'll go back. If you feel more comfortable with them, we'll stay here."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded: "Okay."
Soon, the car arrived at the Xie family's old residence, and Xie Wang took Ling Shuangjiang's hand and got out of the car together.
The Xie family's old house is a villa located on a hillside in the suburbs, and it has a history of several decades. The courtyard here is very large, and dozens of cars can be parked inside without feeling cramped or narrow, and the view is still wide open.
When Xie Wang led Ling Shuangjiang inside, many relatives were already sitting in the living room. When they saw Xie Wang arrive, they all stood up to greet him.
But what everyone is more curious about is Ling Shuangjiang's identity.
Dozens of eyes were fixed on her, but Ling Shuang smiled gently, her demeanor poised and graceful.
Ye Wangshu was chatting with his sister-in-law, and they were talking about Ling Shuangjiang and Xie Wang.
My aunt's family looked down on celebrities, and said sarcastically, "I thought Xiao Wang would marry a rich girl, how come he ended up liking a celebrity?"
Ye Wangshu's smile faded: "So what if he's a celebrity? As long as he has good character and is truly in love with Xiao Wang, I'll support him. Besides, Shuangjiang comes from a scholarly family with a rich cultural heritage. His grandfather was Mr. Lin Xiangzhi. You must have heard of him, right?"
The aunt frowned: "Then I think, Xiao Wang—"
"You don't need to think it's your opinion, Xie Wang's opinion is fine."
Unwilling to deal with his aunt any longer, Ye Wangshu got up to greet Ling Shuangjiang.
"Hello, Auntie." Ling Shuangjiang nodded slightly to her. "I met you once at the London Art Salon a few years ago. I noticed that you were quite interested in oil paintings, so I prepared a gift for you. I hope you like it."
Ye Wangshu asked in surprise, "That happened a few years ago? You saw me back then?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "I was doing social practice there at the time, and I happened to see you."
Xie Wang's mother is Ye Wangshu, and Ling Shuangjiang only found out a couple of days ago.
He recognized the name immediately upon first glance, and it wasn't until he looked through old photos from his social practice that he truly remembered Ye Wangshu.
That art salon was a high-end art appreciation event, attended by people who love oil painting.
Therefore, Ling Shuangjiang gave Ye Wangshu a precious item that he had acquired by chance while studying in England as a gift.
He didn't tell Xie Wang about this beforehand.
Ye Wangshu smiled charmingly, "Good child, thank you for thinking of Auntie. Are you tired? What would you like to drink?"
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and shook her head: "Not tired."
Ye Wangshu liked Ling Shuangjiang more and more as he looked at him, and took his hand and led him to sit in the center of the living room.
Xie Wang was deeply moved, not expecting that Ling Shuangjiang had prepared a gift for his mother.
Especially since this gift wasn't chosen randomly and dates back several years, it's enough to prove Ling Shuangjiang's thoughtfulness.
Many of Xie Wang's siblings of the same age were also present. Although they had already guessed Ling Shuangjiang's identity, they still asked curiously, "Auntie, can you introduce this boy to us?"
Everyone knows Xie Wang has a bad temper, so it's best to avoid communicating with him if possible.
Therefore, everyone only asked Ye Wangshu, and no one dared to ask Xie Wang directly.
Ye Wangshu held Ling Shuangjiang's hand and raised an eyebrow at Xie Wang: "Should I introduce them or will you do it?"
Xie Wang sat down next to Ling Shuangjiang, crossed his long legs, and held his hand tightly: "My little prince, my little baby, Ling Shuangjiang."
The living room fell silent for a moment, and the unanimous gazes made Ling Shuangjiang extremely embarrassed.
He whispered a reminder: "Be normal."
Xie Wang smiled and raised his eyebrows: "My beloved, Ling Shuangjiang."
Chapter 59 Little brat, watch me teach you a lesson
"Frost has arrived."
In the quiet and awkward atmosphere, a deep and steady voice rang out.
On the second floor, Old Xie, leaning on his cane, surveyed the living room. Everyone looked up at him simultaneously. Ye Wangshu quickly stepped forward, helped Old Xie, and they slowly descended the stairs.
Ling Shuangjiang stood up and nodded: "Hello, Grandpa."
Old Xie was very energetic, with sharp and clear eyes, and didn't look like an eighty-year-old.
He carefully examined Ling Shuangjiang's features and remarked, "She looks a bit like your grandfather."
Perhaps moved by the scene, Mr. Xie's eyes became a little moist.
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and gently stepped forward to tentatively take Xie Lao's arm. "Grandpa, let me help you."
Old Xie gently patted Ling Shuangjiang with his calloused hands, "Good child."
Xie Wang observed everything with a faint smile in his eyes.
It seems he was overthinking it.
His Xiaoshuangjiang was always polite and considerate, which made him likable to everyone.
"Is this the Frost's Descent?" Xie Wang's aunt asked.
My aunt's name is Xie Suixin. Her company is in the foreign trade industry. When the family business was divided, she received 30% of the shares from Mr. Xie, but due to poor management, the company went bankrupt one after another.
They've only managed to recover thanks to Hengtai's assistance over the past few years.
When the family business was divided, Old Master Xie treated everyone fairly. Each of his children received half of the family property. Xie Suixin was determined to pursue overseas trade, so he sold his shares to his brother, preparing to make a grand move. However, he encountered the financial crisis and lost everything.
Ye Wangshu and Xie Yun were capable, and with the help of her family's powerful background, they gradually developed the crumbling Hengtai into the multinational corporation it is today.
Therefore, the aunt didn't dare to ask for too much and always stayed very close to her brother's family, since she still needed Hengtai to build connections.
But not long ago, her husband's younger sister returned from studying abroad. In order to strengthen family ties, she wanted to introduce her sister-in-law to Xie Wang.
But when she mentioned this to Ye Wangshu, she learned that Xie Wang had someone he liked.
Although Xie Lin was also quite good, he had no real power in the Xie family, so she had always been eyeing Xie Wang.
Before coming here today, she had heard rumors that Xie Wang was bringing his boyfriend back, and she had been wanting to meet Ling Shuangjiang for a long time.
But from what I just learned, Xie Wang really likes Ling Shuangjiang, so it's probably going to be difficult for him to bring them together again.
However, it's worth a try.
"Dad, this is a jade pillow I bought for you. It will keep you cool in the summer." Xie Suixin winked, and her husband immediately handed the gift to her father.
Old Master Xie gently stroked the jade pillow with his hand, his voice low and deep: "The quality is not bad."
Xie Suixin massaged Xie Lao's shoulders: "Of course, what could be better than a gift for you?"
"Hmph." Old Master Xie snorted: "You care about me so much, yet I haven't seen you once in half a year. On the other hand, Xie Lin and Xie Wang come to see me often."
Xie Suixin's expression changed slightly: "I've been too busy lately."
Old Master Xie didn't want to argue with her, and smiled, "You're quite filial, I really like the gift."
"I'm glad you like it." Xie Suixin looked at her husband. "I don't know anything about these things. His sister spent a long time choosing."
Old Xie was indeed interested: "That child, didn't he settle down abroad?"
Xie Suixin's husband said, "No, my sister's research company recently opened a branch in China and sent her to serve as the CEO, so she came back."
Mr. Xie exclaimed, "This girl is truly promising."
“Yes,” Xie Suixin said meaningfully, “She’s only 27 this year and doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. If you have any good resources, you should definitely keep an eye out for her.”
Old Xie nodded: "No problem."
Ye Wangshu immediately understood Xie Suixin's deeper meaning and said to Xie Lao, "Dad, I have some resources here. I'll keep an eye out for them for Suixin."
Mr. Xie: "That works too."
Xie Suixin started by introducing her gift, and the others followed suit. Just then, Xie Lin was picked up by his father and presented his handmade cane to the old man like a precious treasure, clinging to his arm and acting coquettishly.
"Grandpa, let me tell you, I chopped the wood for the cane myself. Isn't that my favorite gift?"
Old Master Xie replied indulgently, "Yes."
At this moment, Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly at Xie Wang.
Currently, he has a basic understanding of the personalities of Xie's relatives.
"What did Xiao Wang prepare for Grandpa?" Xie Suixin spoke to Xie Wang, always very humble, without the airs of an elder.
Xie Wang smiled and said, "I've prepared a granddaughter-in-law for Grandpa."
Old Xie chuckled: "You really got a good deal on this."
Seeing that Xie Wang was hesitant to take out the gift, Ling Shuangjiang handed the box she had brought to Old Master Xie, saying, "May you live to be eighty, and still have sharp hearing and eyesight at a hundred. May you live as long as the mountains and rivers remain evergreen and your life be everlasting."
Old Xie gently took the box: "Ah Jiang even prepared a gift for me?"
Ling Shuangjiang nodded gently: "This is Xie Wang's and my sentiment."
Old Master Xie and Xie Wang exchanged a glance, and Old Master Xie said gently, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
When the slender brocade box was opened and its contents were seen, Xie Wangcai suddenly realized that what Ling Shuangjiang had given him today was not the item he had picked out at the antique shop the other day.
Xie Wang stepped forward and helped Ling Shuangjiang unfurl the kesi painting.
It must be said that the moment the door was opened, almost all the relatives in the room who knew about antiques gasped in shock.
Mr. Xie is already eighty years old and has seen countless antique masterpieces, but when he saw this kesi painting, he was still so amazed that he couldn't take his eyes off it.