Although A Jin had successfully dealt with his parents, he knew that an even bigger challenge awaited him. As the saying goes, "Old ginger is spicier," and his family was no exception. Sure enough, early the next morning, a phone call summoned him to speak with the old general—his grandfather.
As soon as A Jin stepped into the traditional courtyard of his grandfather's home, he saw Uncle Liu watering the flowers under the eaves. Uncle Liu had been his grandfather's former bodyguard, a man with a temperament that suited A Jin's. After retiring, he stayed behind to take care of his grandfather's daily needs. When A Jin had gotten into trouble as a child and been punished, Uncle Liu had often pleaded for him, so A Jin had always respected the old man. He walked over with a smile and greeted him, "Good morning, Uncle Liu."
Uncle Liu, seeing him, put the watering can aside and gave him a once-over, nodding. "You're alright. You scared us half to death."
A Jin scratched his nose and laughed carelessly, "I'm fine, not a single hair out of place."
"Talking nonsense again. Who cares about counting your hair? You're the one who's carefree. The old boss nearly had a heart attack when he heard the news."
"It's not that exaggerated, is it?" A Jin laughed, thinking to himself that his grandfather was no ordinary old man. He'd been on the battlefield since he was a teenager, having seen everything from cannibalism to every kind of disaster. He certainly wasn't one to get easily rattled. So, hearing that his grandfather had almost had a heart attack seemed a bit far-fetched.
Uncle Liu shook his head, pointing inside. "Sigh, just take it seriously, will you? Everyone's waiting for you inside."
A Jin waved goodbye to Uncle Liu, walked through the corridor, and immediately sensed a chilling aura the moment he entered. He straightened his back. Upon entering, he saw his grandfather sitting in the middle, looking displeased. His two uncles sat on either side of him, both with serious expressions. The scene looked like a tribunal. They were only missing the chant of "Powerful!"
A Jin's mood soured, but he quickly plastered a polite smile on his face and asked, "Grandfather, did you want to see me?"
"Hmph." His grandfather didn't even bother to speak to him.
Instead, his eldest uncle spoke up, though his tone carried some reproach. "How long has it been since you came by? You didn't even think about visiting your grandfather, just creating trouble and making the old man worry."
A Jin scratched the back of his head, laughing, "Been busy lately?" He moved toward the opposite sofa, but before he could sit, he heard a furious roar: "Who gave you permission to sit?!"
He immediately stood up, staring at his furious grandfather. It was clear that his grandfather was furious. He quickly stood at attention and said respectfully, "Grandfather, I..."
The old general struck the floor with his cane, his voice booming like thunder. "What nonsense! Don't you know your own limits? You jumped into the water recklessly, and I raised you to serve society, not to cater to those unworthy women!"
A Jin's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm exterior and said, "Grandfather, it's a misunderstanding. Please let me explain..."
"No need to explain. I don't care about your business with that woman. What matters now is this: find a good woman from a respectable family, get married." His grandfather's tone was firm.
A Jin frowned. "What's going on? Wasn't this supposed to be my decision? Didn't you promise me that I could handle my marriage my way?"
"Now it's still your decision. Let your uncles pick a few suitable candidates, and you can choose one." His grandfather's words were final.
A Jin's annoyance grew. What kind of "decision" was this? He bit his lip but held back his anger. Instead, he turned his attention to his eldest uncle. The eldest uncle set down his tea cup, speaking earnestly, "A Jin, you're 32 this year. As the saying goes, 'By thirty, a man should stand.' It's time for you to settle down. How about this—I have a few friends with daughters around the right age. Let's arrange a meeting, and if you get along well, you can start courting with marriage in mind."
"Minister Zhang's second daughter is good too. She's five years younger than you, just returned from studying abroad, and studied management. She can help with your business," the second uncle added.
A Jin felt his annoyance rise even more. He realized these people had obviously already had a meeting, and now they were just waiting for him to step into the trap they'd set. He couldn't be bothered to keep up appearances anymore. Coldly, he said, "No need to trouble yourselves. I don't want to get married right now."
"This matter is non-negotiable. Whether you want it or not, you're getting married," his grandfather said firmly, knocking his cane on the floor again.
A Jin was getting frustrated. It seemed like his grandfather hadn't eaten breakfast and had already blown his top. He didn't want to waste any more time with them. He said, "If you called me here just for this, there's nothing more to discuss. I have business to take care of at the company." He glanced at his grandfather and added, "Grandfather, your heart seems fine, but your temper might be getting a bit too fiery."
Without waiting for their response, A Jin turned and walked out. As he passed through the door, he heard a loud shout from behind, "You little bastard, stop right there!" A tea cup flew past, smashing against the door frame and falling to the ground in pieces. A Jin didn't flinch, his steps steady as he walked out. Uncle Liu, who had been waiting at the door, saw him and sighed, saying nothing as he went back inside to calm the others.
As A Jin walked out of the gate, he could still hear his grandfather's booming voice from inside. "Little brat, think you can spread your wings now and ignore me? Don't think I can't control you..."
A Jin rubbed his temples, thinking to himself, "Maybe this stubborn, unreasonable personality of mine really is inherited from my grandfather." The Chen family had always been full of characters, but at least they could all talk things through. When he was young, he felt that being surrounded by people who cared about him was a blessing. His grandfather had always treated him better than his own grandsons. But now, that attention was starting to feel more like a shackle, and the more critical moments he faced, the more it made his head hurt. His exams, his career, and now his marriage—it felt like every step was a battle.
Inside the house, after his grandfather had thrown his tantrum and was exhausted, Liu Uncle helped him back to his room to rest. The living room finally quieted down. The eldest uncle looked at his younger brother, confused, and said, "This has been brought up before, but I've never seen him react like this."
The second uncle, thinking for a moment, said, "Could it be related to that woman? A Jin nearly died for her. Maybe he's serious about her?"
The eldest uncle frowned, silent.
"Should I look into it? If there's something going on, we should act quickly."
"Don't jump the gun. You know A Jin's temper. He doesn't respond to pressure. If we push him too hard, even a fake problem could turn real. But a little investigation won't hurt. If it comes to that, we'll know what to do."
A Jin drove to the company and received an international long-distance call from Chen Zui. He was surprised to hear that the guy had gone to Japan again. Chen Zui immediately asked, "Bro, how did you end up with that woman?"
A Jin paused for a moment before realizing that Chen Zui was talking about Lin Wan. He heard Chen Zui continue, "If she's at the base, she's like a female Bin Laden. If she's in Iraq, she's like a human bomb..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
"Little Xi told me about your near-drowning. Bro, that woman's out to get you. She hates me but couldn't get to me, so now she's going after you. You should stay away from her."
A Jin sneered, "Stop calling her 'that woman.' She has a name. Don't you remember it?"
There was silence on the other end, and it was clear that Chen Zui felt guilty. A Jin sighed and said, "I can handle this myself."
"Bro, I'm just worried about you. I made mistakes, but you have to bear the consequences. I..."
A Jin suddenly had a headache. He paused for a moment and then said, "Chen Zui, we're in this together. If something happens to you, I won't just stand by. But you're twenty-seven, not seventeen. It's time for you to mature. I can't keep managing you for the rest of your life."
After hanging up, A Jin's mind was filled with thoughts of a chessboard, only three pieces on it: a pawn crossing the river, a general hiding in the old nest, and a rook, invincible. The rook protected the general, but the pawn could cross the river because the rook allowed it. The rook had several chances to capture the pawn, but couldn't bring itself to do so...
This game should have been over by now, but the player had made a mess of it. A Jin shook his head, remembering a saying: "Is there a way to achieve both in this world?"