Chapter 532: Enduring Humiliation

There was no gold, silver, or jewelry, no confidential documents in the secret compartment, only four or five thin sheets of paper.

It was a letter Erya wrote to him.

Even though she might have written it in a sloppy manner every time, even though Yun Ting had read it over and over again countless times and could even recite it by heart, he would still read it over and over again.

As he watched, he closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and thought about the little things they had experienced together over the past few years.

Erya's mouth has never spared him.

But if something happens, she will really go.

When she was wronged, she really felt sorry for herself.

In a blink of an eye, it has been a year since we last met.

shining.

In all her letters, she never mentioned the word "bitterness".

But, how can it not be bitter?

Is it less painful to be exiled thousands of miles south, or to stay in Jiangxi and run a business?

But Erya never said it.

When she wrote to him, she would either tell him that everything was fine or tell him what problems she had encountered and how to solve them.

Clean and efficient, just like before.

After going to Qiongzhou, her mood became noticeably more cheerful.

She said she was trying hard to learn the Li language, talking about those beautiful shells, strange fruits and seafood, and how they were constantly promoting the integration of the Li and Han peoples in Qiongzhou...

She also has a big dream, which is to sail far away and see what is at the end of the world.

A gentle smile unconsciously appeared on Yun Ting's lips.

Zhuozhuo, you are really amazing.

You live the way you want.

If you persevere in pursuit of your goals, you will eventually achieve them.

My dear Zhuozhuo, thousands of miles away in Qiongzhou, in the turbulent business world, you have grown into a kapok tree that can stand on its own, tough, passionate, and blooming with your own light.

I'm working on it too.

I can't let you leave me behind too much.

I will also be able to stand firm in this dangerous place.

He certainly knows what he's doing.

Playing the role of a fawning and unscrupulous jester beside the prince.

He hated himself for being like that.

But he had to persevere.

Because this is the reality, if you want to survive and live well, you must compromise.

Because only by climbing up the big tree of the prince and becoming an indispensable "celebrity" around him can one have the power to change the situation at the most critical moment.

What he wanted was never the prince's favor, but the voice and influence that this favor brought.

His ultimate goal is to pave the way for Xiao Yan to return to Beijing, and also for the people of the world—

Change to a wise ruler!

He endured Zhang Heyao's disgust, the contempt of court officials, and the pain of playing a clown in front of the prince, all for the sake of achieving his goal in the future.

"We are all working hard, Zhuozhuo."

Yun Ting folded the letter carefully and put it back into the secret compartment with gentle movements.

He walked to the window, opened it, and let the cold night wind blow on his face.

His gaze became sharp and firm again as he looked towards the imperial city, which symbolized the center of power.

They are all heading towards the same future.

For the sake of a future where they could stand side by side with honor, he could endure the mud and darkness of the moment.

Yun Ting did not stay here overnight.

Because he had to return to the Duke's Mansion so as not to worry his grandmother and father.

When the old lady of the Duke's Mansion saw him, she mentioned his marriage.

The old lady was very resentful about the Jiang family's unfair behavior in snatching the bride, and always said that she would find someone better than Lu Huan for Yun Ting.

But Yun Ting smiled and said, "Grandma, have you forgotten? Didn't my father ask the Imperial Observatory? They said I shouldn't get married before I'm twenty?"

"I think the money was too little," the old lady said. "If you send him another letter of money, he will change his mind."

"Grandma," Yun Ting smiled, "First establish a career, then start a family. The Duke's Mansion has a century-old foundation, and it's still waiting for your grandson to support it. Isn't that right, big brother?"

He looked at Yun Rui beside him meaningfully.

Yun Rui's career has not been successful in recent years, but he has become increasingly adept at flattering his grandmother.

As the elderly get older, it is inevitable that they will become confused.

But Yun Ting will not give Yun Rui any chance to take advantage of.

Loss is not a good thing, so it’s okay to suffer it once.

"You, you," the old lady shook her head helplessly, "How much time can getting married take up in you? All these people are already taking care of it."

"That won't work. Look at how many families have troubled their backyards, like Zhang Heyao, tsk tsk." Yun Ting criticized Zhang Heyao without any hesitation, "Take your time to find the right one, there's no rush."

In the past, he would feel a little guilty.

After all, my grandmother is old, and letting her have her own child as soon as possible is also filial piety.

But now Yun Ting has changed his mind.

He still has a long life ahead of him.

Don't ruin the rest of your life because of foolish filial piety.

What his grandmother wants to see is that he lives a good life.

Forcing yourself to smile is just deceiving yourself.

He only likes Arya.

How can he be considered a man if he can't even fight for the person he likes?

At this moment, Erya has not rested yet. She is counting on her abacus, calculating this month's income and expenditure.

When she stopped, Lu Qiniang asked her, "Erya, how much did you lose this month?"

"Not bad, I didn't lose money, I made twenty taels, basically it was nothing."

"Profit?" Lu Qiniang couldn't believe her ears.

How is it possible to make money?

You have to know that the current stage is the stage of "winning people's hearts", so no matter whether it is the Han people or the Li people, the conditions they offer in the exchange of goods are very generous.

Lu Qiniang thought she was "losing money to gain publicity", but she actually made money?

"Mother, there's no gain without profit," Erya said with a smile. "Tell me, if business isn't very profitable, then why are so many people willing to go into business when agriculture is prioritized over commerce?"

It's for money!

Although now almost all the lower-class people in Qiongzhou, whether Han or Li, feel that they have ushered in the best days they have ever had.

But she can't lose money either.

They can't afford to spend money with their little money.

This is a protracted war.

Only a balance between income and expenditure can sustain long-term development.

"Awesome, awesome." Lu Qiniang looked proud.

"Of course." Erya said proudly, stretching lazily, "Where are my father and third sister? Why haven't they come back yet?"

"He went to the beach again." Lu Qiniang said, "It seems your father is thinking about where to build a few watchtowers to keep an eye on the movements of the Japanese pirates."

"Japanese pirates?" Erya asked, "Are there still Japanese pirates here? We've been here for so long and haven't encountered any."

"That thing is like a flood," Lu Qiniang said, using an analogy. "You might not encounter it for several years, but when you do, it's devastating."

So she felt that Xiao Yan was right.

As a human being, you have to have plans.

"Even if there are Japanese pirates, aren't they a formidable force?" Arya said dismissively, "My father can fight off a whole bunch of them by himself."

"We can't rely on your father alone. Besides, your father said that we can't stay in Qiongzhou forever. We can't wait until we leave and Qiongzhou becomes a mess again."