Chapter 3 - Levels Of Cultivation (2/2)

“It seems that he is just like the others, full of empty talk and no real action.”

She was slightly disappointed at Chen Fan. She had thought that this boy from the countryside would be different than city boys, but it seemed that she was wrong.

The decoration in Auntie Tang’s home was elegant, in style, and exquisite in their craftsmans.h.i.+p. From the paintings on the wall to the blue-white porcelain vase on the table, it was evident that the Tang family was not only wealthy but also well-educated and had good taste in fine arts.

After entering the hall, Chen Fan saw a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa, wearing a pair of black rimmed gla.s.ses. He was watching the news on Tv.

He was Jiang Churan’s father, Jiang Haishan!

He was the deputy director of the Chu Zhou City. Although his rank was not high, he was close to Chu Zhou City’s power center.

Chen Fan bowed to him, and Jiang Haishan nodded absently.

“Come and grab a seat. Ran-ran, why don’t you go to the kitchen and make some tea for your dad and our guest? Can you guys wait a few minutes for dinner? I need to heat up some dishes.” Auntie Tang spoke as she entered the kitchen.

Jiang Churan nodded and took out a box of purple clay tea set made by a renowned artist from the Town of Yixin.

Chen Fan was pleasantly surprised by Jiang Churan’s tea-making techniques; her movement was fluid and smooth like flowing water while her focus on the craft didn’t allow a single drop to be spilled. It was evident that she had trained under a skilled teacher—a detail that Chen Fan did not notice in his previous life.

Jiang Haishan’s eyes were glued to the TV, and he didn’t turn around to face the guest until the news was over.

“How is your father, Reeve Chen doing? The last time I met him was at a government meeting six months ago.”

“He is doing well. Thank you for asking.” Chen Fan said politely.

Chen Fan’s father was the deputy magistrate of the Si Shui County, and although his rank was similar to that of Jiang Haishan, his jurisdiction was a remote county instead of a bustling city.

Jiang Haishan nodded, “Your father is young and full of potential. His proposal, the “Sustainable Development of County Economy and the Selection and Application of Environmental Protection Policies,” was praised by the mayor. The mayor said that your father has an international perspective, and he agreed with your father that the future economic development is inseparable from environmental protection.”

Chen Fan nodded with a blank smile. Why would he think that a high school boy would be interested in boring politics? If Chen Fan could have understood half of what Jiang Haishan had just spilled out from his mouth, he wouldn’t have bankrupted his mother’s company.

Seeing that Chen Fan was not interested in he said, Jiang Haishan frowned slightly and then changed the topic.

“I have heard from your auntie that your mother’s real estate company in Zhong Hai City is developing very fast. Many experts are predicting that the country’s property market will grow substantially next year. Your mother has chosen a good field.”

Chen Fan smiled and said, “My mother’s company was insignificant compared to that of Auntie Tang.”

Jiang Haishan shook his head. “You think too highly of her. Her company hired only a dozen people, earning merely hundreds of thousands a year. How would that compare to your mother’s corporation.”

Chen Fan hurried a humble reply, “I am not being modest at all. My mother had only a few people working under her, and that’s all the help she gets. She had to run between the contractors and the developers and deal with endless paperwork. It’s a hard job with not that much money.”

“Oh?” Jiang Haishan frowned.

What Chen Fan had told him was drastically different than what he had heard from his wife. Judging by his first impression of the boy, Jiang Haishan was convinced that Chen Fan was not lying. Therefore, he wagered that the rumors about Chen Fan’s mother he had heard before were exaggerated.

Chen Fan’s description of the company sounded more realistic, as well. It was started by a woman and her daughter in a place where they knew no one and had no connections. Building up a real estate empire so quickly seemed too good to be true regardless of how hard the mother-daughter pair had worked.

So thinking, the smile on Jiang Haishan’s face faded away slowly.

“How are your grades?” Jiang Haishan asked.

Chen Fan smiled and said, “I was the top five hundred in our county, and I have heard that your daughter ranked in the top fifty at the school. I think I will need her help at school.”

Si Shui County had the lowest education ranking among all counties under the Chu Zhou City government. Without being in the top ten in the Si Shui County, Chen Fan had no chance in entering even a second-tier university, much less a top-tier.

Jiang Haishan’s brow furrowed even deeper after hearing Chen Fan’s answer; the remaining traces of a smile on his face evaporated completely.

“Your mother had sent you to Chu Zhou City to study, not for fun. Your family can only help you for a while, but not forever. If you want to be successful, you have to rely on yourself. Education is a stepping stone, no matter which field you are in.”

Chen Fan was caught off guard by Jiang Haishan’s sudden outburst. He erased the smile he was wearing and answered, “You are right, Uncle Jiang.”

Although achieving high academic standing was not Chen Fan’s highest priority, once he advanced in his cultivation, getting into a top-tier university should be a piece of cake.

After exchanged a few more words with Chen Fan, Jiang Haishan was disappointed by the boy’s lack of knowledge and ambition. He could not help but secretly shake his head in disappointment. It was evident that what his wife had told him about the boy was simply not true.

He had also met the son of the deputy mayor and was very impressed by his appearance as well as his wealth of knowledge in economics and politics. Chen Fan failed to measure up to his most basic requirement for a future son in law.

It seems like I have a lot to talk to discuss with my wife, Jiang Haishan lamented in his mind.

He knew his wife wanted to set up his daughter with the son of her best friend. He didn’t protest her plan at first, but after meeting Chen Fan for the first time, he realized that he had to weigh-in.

My daughter would not fall for him anyway, Jiang Haishan thought. He was confident in his daughter’s judgment.