He Tiantian treated everyone around her with a grateful heart. However, reaching middle age, she discovered she had been living inside a full-bodied lie.
Returning to the year 1970, He Tianti...
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Huo Yingjie did not look up and gave a brief explanation.
“It’s not for me, it’s for my father,” Huo Yingjie said. “I don’t want to go into politics. I need to make sure my father is a good official. That way we can continue to live a life of power and influence.”
Hearing this, He Tiantian chuckled awkwardly and said, "Brother Yingjie is so smart, he knows how to use and manipulate his father-in-law. You can just be a good second-generation official!"
"Haha, anyway, my dad likes being an official." Huo Yingjie patted He Tiantian's smooth forehead. "This isn't about being bossed around or being taken advantage of; it's about helping her wholeheartedly!"
“Alright, then you should focus on nurturing and helping your father-in-law,” He Tiantian said. “You continue writing, I’m going to sleep now.”
Let Huo Yingjie handle these economic matters. He Tiantian knows her own capabilities, so she should focus her attention on her braised meat shop.
Huo Yingjie wrote for several nights in a row, finally completing more than twenty pages, which he copied onto new manuscript paper and handed to his father.
After Huo Zhekun took it, he initially only glanced at it a few times and was greatly shocked. Then he pondered it word by word, and didn't sleep all night.
Jiang Lifang called her once, but she wouldn't sleep even after two calls, which made her so angry that she gave up.
The next morning, Jiang Lifang grabbed her son's ear and yelled, "What did you write on those papers you gave your father? You didn't sleep all night, and no matter how much I called you, you wouldn't go to sleep. When you got angry, you even glared at me!"
In all these years, I've never seen a husband so eager!
Her husband wouldn't listen to her, so he came over to question their son.
"Mom, I have a daughter and a son now, you can't just twist my ear like that," Huo Yingjie complained, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Haha, haha!" Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua laughed loudly on the side, finding it very amusing, and thought that their grandmother and father were playing a game.
Jiang Lifang was taken aback, reluctantly letting go of his hand, and said, "Alright, then tell me properly, what exactly did you give your father? By the way, what was your father doing in Yanjing for more than half a month?"
"Actually, it's all about work. My father wants to advance further and support us. As his son, how could I let him suffer alone? So I helped him out."
Jiang Lifang looked Huo Yingjie up and down, then pinched his ear again and said, "I know you too well! You must have some wicked ideas to make your father take the lead."
"Hehe!" Huo Yingjie chuckled. "Mom, Dad, we can't stay stagnant forever. Not being able to return to Yanjing has always been a source of sadness for Dad. If we can do well in our local positions, it's not impossible for us to be transferred directly to a higher position in the future!"
Jiang Lifang understood her son's words and her husband's heart, but seeing her husband so tired, she felt very sorry for him!
“You should help your father more,” Jiang Lifang said. “These years have been tough for your father. He’s always wanted to climb the social ladder, but the Huo family’s resources are limited. After the eldest son’s family used them up, there’s not much left for our second branch of the family.”
The Huo family can at most protect Huo Zhekun from trouble, but they don't have many resources to truly help him.
Firstly, it was to avoid suspicion and prevent superiors from becoming jealous.
Secondly, as the second son, he did not receive many resources from the family.
The old man and the old woman have devoted so much energy to the eldest son's family, and that cannot be changed. Therefore, if Huo Zhekun wants to climb up the social ladder, he must work hard himself and possess extraordinary talent and ability.
Previously, Huo Yingjie may have had the mentality of "it's good to have a powerful backer," but after hearing his mother say this, he changed his mind and hoped that his father could achieve his wish.
“I understand, Mom. I will help Father,” Huo Yingjie replied. “And I will also advise him to rest well, to eat one bite at a time, and to do things one step at a time!”
“Yes, you should try to persuade him,” Jiang Lifang said. “I have a bad temper right now, and I’m ready to beat up your father if we disagree.”
Huo Yingjie smiled wryly, knowing that menopausal women were not to be trifled with, and reminded her, "Mom, you should eat quickly, or you'll be late for work."
Jiang Lifang then stopped talking.
Huo Yingjie called his father out for dinner. Seeing his father's haggard face but excited eyes, he couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "Dad, these things aren't urgent. After all, the documents haven't been released yet! If you don't take care of your health like this, I won't help you anymore. Otherwise, you'll collapse from exhaustion before you even get to the top. It's better for you to stay in the local area and work your way up to retirement!"
"Hehe!" Huo Zhekun chuckled, not minding at all. "Son, you are so talented. Don't go into research, go into politics. You will definitely be better than me and go much further."
“Alright, there are already two in my uncle’s family. You’re in politics, and if I go into politics too, it’ll be too much,” Huo Yingjie refused. “Besides, I don’t like these things. If I did like them, I would have done them even if you didn’t say so.”
"Sigh!" Huo Zhekun sighed, "What a pity, such great talent."
"It's no pity, you're very capable too!" Huo Yingjie reminded him, "Hurry up and wash up and come eat, otherwise you'll be late for work."
"Okay, I'm coming right now." Huo Zhekun smiled and locked the manuscript in the cabinet.
"Don't talk about these things outside until the official documents are issued, lest someone overhears you," Huo Yingjie reminded him. Many people already have some ideas about these things, but they are not comprehensive.
No one in politics is a fool.
Once given a hint, one's thinking will diverge and make associations.
"I understand." Huo Zhekun nodded. After so many years in officialdom, he was aware of this taboo.
He wouldn't utter a single word until the reform documents and his official appointment letter were issued.
Now that it's been said, if he's not the mayor, then it'll be someone else's achievement.
After that, Huo Zhekun stopped looking at things by himself and would discuss every detail with Huo Yingjie every night. The father and son worked together to improve the process, which made Huo Zhekun's thinking more open and his problem-solving more comprehensive.
"Your document is very good," Huo Zhekun remarked. "While implementing economic reforms, we cannot neglect other aspects."
“Yes, China is going to reform and open up, so it will attract investment. Because there are many preferential policies, many people will come to invest. However, at the beginning, there won't be many, so we will have to make arrangements ourselves,” Huo Yingjie said. “But you don’t need to worry. Mr. Qi, Tian Tian’s grandmother, and Uncle He have always wanted to invest in Nanshi. As long as there are suitable projects, they will agree to invest and set up factories here. Secondly, Nanshi was once the capital and was also the location of the Presidential Palace during the Republic of China. It has a profound historical heritage. When developing the economy, it is important to protect these historical and cultural relics and buildings, making them tourist attractions or city landmarks of Nanshi, which is very good.”