Time for a get-together

"You should give them cash. Give them a little shock." Ye Huan knew that because his grandfather doted on him, his aunt's family held some resentment toward the old man. Only later, after they went to the provincial capital to buy a home and spent a great deal of the old man's money, did they stop complaining.

Actually, aside from his immediate family, Ye Huan felt little affection for relatives. Perhaps it was because he had spent over a decade away. Other than being especially close to his grandfather, he really did not care about the others.

His grandfather nodded. He did not care, not even about his son's opinions. In his lifetime, what hadn't he seen? Would a man who had fought tigers care about such things?

He only cared about this grandson, because his grandson had been by his side since childhood, learning martial arts and medicine from him, accompanying him into the mountains, and drinking with him. So the old man had left everything he had to his grandson, and it was not entirely because of the family heirloom.

It was more because of the companionship Ye Huan had given him since childhood. His daughter's family had also lived in the village, but his daughter's son was not close to him. He had been willing to teach that boy martial arts and medicine too, but the boy had flatly refused. Even practicing a standing stance would send him home to complain that his grandfather was abusing him.

In the end, with his daughter weeping and sniveling, he had given up the idea, even though what he had been teaching was not the Ye Family's core secret martial techniques.

Later, the year Ye Huan started high school, his daughter's family had also made a fuss about moving to the provincial capital. Disheartened, Ye Wuju had sold half a tiger's skeleton to help his daughter settle down, considering it her share of the family assets.

Until this time, when Ye Huan came home and said he would not be leaving again, no one had known that the old man had sat at home alone, laughing until he cried. Ye Huan knew his grandfather was happy, but not how happy he was.

So when someone sprang out to bully his grandson, Ye Wuju was like a maddened tiger. The fact that he had not killed Old Eight's entire family meant he still retained some reason.

He did not mind shielding his grandson for a while now. Only once his grandson had grown strong would he dare leave without worry. But what he did not know was that his grandson could not bear to let him go. The daily ingredients and Spirit Spring Water were pushing his grandfather toward living to two hundred.

"Actually, it wouldn't matter if I didn't give them a cent. But although they moved away, at least they haven't completely forgotten their roots. They still remember to come see me during the holidays," his grandfather told Ye Huan.

"Grandpa, you decide these things. Don't worry, I have no objections. Honestly, in another few years, I believe even eighty million won't mean much to me." Ye Huan had confidence in himself.

Leaving everything else aside, what was that eight-hundred-year-old wild ginseng worth now? What if, in another few years, he cultivated it past a thousand years? What would it be worth then??

Besides, there were the mountains out back. With the abilities he would have in the future, he did not believe he would be unable to find treasures in such an ancient primeval forest. His space had come from a piece of jade he had found in that forest, after all.

His grandfather nodded. "That I believe. Hahaha!"

Grandfather and grandson laughed heartily together.

Before dinner, Ye Huan was cooling off in the pavilion when his phone rang. Seeing that it was Chen Xixi, he answered.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"This Saturday at five in the evening, in Jinling. There'll probably be fewer than twenty people this time. A lot of them are around Su Province, so we decided to hold it here where I am. I'll make the arrangements," Chen Xixi said.

"Sure. Send me the location when the time comes. I'll head over myself," Ye Huan replied.

"Okay. There's a Jubao Mountain not far from where I live, and a Lehe Hotel at its foot. It's pretty decent, good enough for a meal," Chen Xixi said. The location was rather out of the way, so she explained it clearly to her classmates.

Her father actually lived over in Jinling's Hexi area. She did not like living with her family, because her father lived with the wife he had later married and their family, so she had rented a place over in Xianlin, far away from them. Once she went to work in Magic City, she would give up the rental here.

Jubao Mountain was where she often went hiking for exercise, so she knew there was a restaurant at its foot. It was not particularly upscale, but it was decent enough. It was a get-together; there was no need for anything five-star or six-star. That was terribly vain.

Although her family had money, she did not. She had been used to living frugally since childhood, unlike her younger half brother, who was used to spending lavishly. Since her teens, Chen Xixi had known her father's heart had shifted toward his new family, so from then on, she had not troubled them for anything except tuition. Starting in high school, she had earned her own living expenses through part-time jobs.

After starting university, she had stopped asking her family even for tuition. She would not go home for so much as a single day all year. When she returned to the country this year, she had not told them, and they had not asked. They might not even have known which country she was in.

As for the cost of studying abroad, she had earned it all through competitions, tutoring, and summer and winter holiday jobs over the years from high school through university.

Her college entrance examination score back then had been more than enough to stay in Jinling and attend the best university, but she had gone to Shenzhen partly to get away. The other reason was that the university there had promised her a full scholarship.

"Okay, I'll look it up and head over then. I'll also check whether there's anywhere nice to stay nearby. I'll definitely need to spend the night," Ye Huan said with a smile.

"Sure, take a look yourself. I'm not very familiar with the other places either." After replying, Chen Xixi said goodbye and went to notify the others.

Ye Huan checked the address, then searched the surrounding area. The most frequently recommended place was a large hotel called the Buckingham Grand Duke. It looked pretty good, so he booked a room with one large bed online, checking in that Saturday.

It was Wednesday today, so there were still two days to go. On Friday, he would pick up the money and look around to see whether there was any gold he could buy, then set off for Jinling by car that afternoon. It was over a thousand kilometers, so he reckoned he could arrive on Saturday morning, sleep at the hotel that afternoon, and attend the get-together that evening. Just right.

Then on Sunday, he would drive back, spending two days enjoying the journey as a road trip. In all his years, he really had hardly ever traveled, firstly because he had no time, and secondly because he had no money.

At dinner, he told his family about going to Jinling on Saturday. In any case, he was not much use at home right now, so his parents nodded in acknowledgment.

"Grandpa, want to come have a look around with me?" Ye Huan asked.

"No, no. I don't want to go anywhere now. I'll just stay home." His grandfather waved his hand like mad.

Everyone smiled. Ye Huan secretly told his grandfather not to worry about the money. He would get a safe and put it in a bank's safe-deposit vault. In reality, he planned to leave it in his space for a few days.

His grandfather had complete confidence in how his grandson handled things and nodded without saying anything.

They had finished the wild game at home. A few days earlier, his father had found the village butcher to slaughter a free-range mountain pig. With the aroma of the red-braised pork, Ye Huan alone wolfed down two bowls of rice. Even little Jingjing ate four or five chunks of meat.

"Jingjing, get up every morning and keep Great-Grandpa company, okay? Uncle will be back in a couple of days." Early Friday morning, Ye Huan spoke to Jingjing over breakfast.

The main thing was that she was not his own daughter. Otherwise, taking her out to have fun for a couple of days would have been no problem.

Jingjing nodded obediently. "Then you have to come back soon, Uncle."

"Mm-hmm, definitely. Uncle will buy Jingjing a big toy. Hmm, how about Tibbie?"

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Uncle." Jingjing's eyes crinkled into crescents.