Li Jianyue was very sharp and understood a little of what her great-grandfather was getting at. At the same time, she didn’t fully understand it either. She laughed merrily when she heard his instruction and said, “Got it!”
……

  Indeed, using the children to spill the beans was a very effective move. Just as Li Jinnan and Ye Youyou reached home, a call came from the old manor.

  Ye Youyou looked at the time and felt that it was just about right to go grocery shopping. When she looked back, she realized that Li Jinnan had answered the call.

  She looked toward him and found that his face was full of smiles as he replied into the phone, “Yeah. I do have one.”


  On the other side of the line, Qin Shuhua became very excited and asked, “Really? What does she look like? What is her personality like? Where is she from? Has she had a boyfriend before? Is her family background clean?”


  The whole barrage of question left Li Jinnan speechless for a moment. He stopped laughing and replied, “Mom, you asked me so many questions at one go. How am I to answer all of them?”


  “Then, let me ask you the most important question,” his mother said. “Do you really like her? Does she like you? It had better not be a case where you’re having a huge crush because you’ve never had a girl before, while she isn’t interested in you in the least. That won’t be fun at all.”


  Qin Shuhua’s worry wasn’t without its merits. Li Jinnan had been in the army a long time. Although he had already retired, the bearing of an army man remained. It wasn’t just his bearing. The way he spoke and his daily habits were in line with the strict military teachings.

  How is a normal girl going to be able to tolerate it?

  Li Jinnan just laughed and replied, “That won’t happen at all! Look how handsome and charming your son is! What’s there not to like?”


  Qin Shuhua was driven to laughter. She retorted, “Yeah right! I’m being serious!”


  “I’m being serious too. Actually…… We’ve already been together for a while. I just didn’t tell the family.” Li Jinnan took a moment to consider his words before he said, “I was afraid you’d find her too young.”


  That statement set the alarm bells off in Qin Shuhua’s mind. She asked, “How old is she? Please tell me she’s of legal age. Otherwise, no way!”


  “How is that even……” Li Jinnan was utterly defeated by the direction of his mother’s thoughts. He replied, “She’s younger than me by five years.”


  Qin Shuhua let out a sigh of relief, “You scared me to death! A five-year age gap isn’t big. Just look at your second brother and his wife. Their age gap is six years. Back then, when your grandfather wanted your second brother to marry Qianci, I was thinking that the six-year different would cause their zodiacs to collide and they’d be unable to get along. But look, they’re fine. Being young isn’t a problem, as long as she’s clean.

  “Don’t worry. She’s definitely clean,” Li Jinnan guaranteed. “Grandfather knows the people in her family. Her family background is definitely clean.”


  Qin Shuhua gave another sigh of relief and whispered, “Is the lady beside you now?”


  “Yeah,” he replied.

  “Hide away for a moment. I would like to speak to you about something else,” his mother said.

  When Li Jinnan heard how secretive Qin Shuhua was behaving, he knew her words weren’t going to be simple.

  Indeed, once he moved to a quiet corner, Qin Shuhua said, “I’m not referring to whether her family background is clean or not. Regarding that, I have absolute trust in you. What’s crucial is whether she’s had a boyfriend before. Is she still a virgin and is her body still pure?”


  Li Jinnan felt uncomfortable when he heard that and replied, “Mom, what on earth are you saying? Obviously it’s something I have to take responsibility for. That’s why I’m with her.”


  Qin Shuhua understood his meaning when she heard that and said, “As long as you know your limits. I heard you came back just now. Why didn’t you come in?”