Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2562 - 2498: You Call That Being Careful?

Naturally, the call came from Jiang Shiheng himself.

During the previous call, the banquet had demanded their full attention, allowing no chance for a thorough chat. Both Jiang Shiheng and Cheng Cheng fretted over whether Chiang Xiao remained troubled, so they dialed her up right after getting back to their courtyard dwelling.

"Little hasn't hit the sack yet, has she?" From the crisp tone in Chiang Xiao’s voice, Jiang Shiheng could tell she was wide awake.

"Nope, she's been sketching away the whole night."

Nothing but Talisman Diagrams.

"I get that you love painting, but try not to burn the midnight oil too much; it'll wreck your eyes, got it?"

"Dad, I understand."

In her mind, Chiang Xiao reflected that thanks to the Spatial Medicinal Field and Spring Water, her vision stayed exceptionally sharp, completely unharmed.

Naturally, she kept that thought to herself.

"Feeling worn out emotionally from tonight?" Chiang Xiao took the initiative to inquire. "What exactly did Old Man Lu say? Did he get under your skin?"

With a soft laugh, Jiang Shiheng replied, "He's probably the one fuming more. Little, no need to fret excessively; we'll watch our steps better going forward."

"And that Cheng Cheng—is that your idea of being careful?" Chiang Xiao shot back instantly.

Jiang Shiheng shot a look at Cheng Cheng, who lingered close by.

Cheng Cheng instantly realized his sister must have ribbed him once more.

Yet this time around, he owned up to it fully. Whatever words she threw his way, he took them without a peep of protest.

Truth be told, his carelessness had caused it all. No excuses—just owning the mistake.

"He's learned his lesson now and will tread more cautiously ahead. This mishap rang the alarm bells loud and clear," Jiang Shiheng let out a sigh. "Truth is, our soft hearts blinded us to just how cutthroat the opposition truly is."

Folks who are upright and pure-hearted frequently get the short end against those sly and malevolent schemers; initially, they're bound to face setbacks, so Cheng Cheng wasn't wholly at fault.

Still, this episode would enlighten Cheng Cheng for good.

Chiang Xiao let out another huff.

The blue-capped bottle held nearly pure Spirit Spring Water.

Meant as a desperate lifesaver for Ah Liu originally, it ended up going to Cheng Cheng instead.

Of that blue-bottled Spring Water, she'd handed Ah Liu just two tiny vials.

That's why she figured it was time to seize a chance for a swift jaunt to D State and restock their reserves.

Cheng Cheng needed it most of all.

She had to pass him the Peace Talisman too.

At these thoughts, Chiang Xiao found herself sighing involuntarily.

"Dad, Old Man Lu was pushing you hard to wed Lu Shuangshuang, wasn't he?"

"No sweat there. You know your dad won't ever cave in, and I sure won't bow to his wishes."

"Still, plenty in the Jiang Family crave the Lu Family's backing, right? The heat on you must be intense."

"Great-grandpa's backing me completely these days," Jiang Shiheng assured her.

He and Cheng Cheng hadn't made it home until past ten because they'd stopped by Old Master Jiang’s residence first, absorbing heaps of his insights.

Tonight's banquet yielded real fruits.

For one, the Lu Family's agitation was plain, fueling their drive to force a marriage with Lu Shuangshuang.

Yet it sharpened Old Master Jiang's sight too, exposing the real issues at play.

Before, Old Master Jiang might have placed faith in every Jiang Family member, assuming all pulled toward a shared goal, so he'd seen no issue in their words.

But teetering on death's doorstep during his crisis, he'd pinpointed the true flaws.

Now he approached not only the Lu Family but fellow Jiang clansmen with sharp wariness.

This shift brought him a far cooler, more level-headed gaze on everything.