Chapter 50 The Eldest Brother is Like a Mother: Goodbye to My Older Brother
As Jin Suiqing busied herself day after day, the days of Jin Shiyu's graduation and her final exams drew ever closer.
The National Academy held its Advanced Hall graduation ceremony and the Intermediate Hall's major exam on the same day. Graduation was in the morning, and the major exams began in the afternoon. The first subject was the same one she used to plot against Huang Tufeng in the story:
Comprehensive practice of legal mechanisms.
The day before graduation. Since the Jin family couldn't get an examiner, and Jin Shiyu wouldn't stay at school to take the exam, they let Jin Suiqing go, stopped watching her study, and went back to school to pack her things.
Before leaving, Jin Shiyu gave her a serious plea: "The exam is tomorrow, so study hard and don't wander off, understand?"
Jin Suiqing nodded hurriedly in agreement. As soon as he left, she rushed alone to the suburban studio to handle the aftermath.
The furnishings in the studio remained largely unchanged; chickens, ducks, geese, and vegetables still thrived and grew wildly in the yard. Only Gong Dagou had disposed of the drawing workbench and tools inside. At first glance, it seemed no different from any other ordinary household.
Inside the room, Gong Xiaoyang and Ji Saiyu were sorting through the remaining blueprints when Jin Suiqing rushed in. Ji Saiyu said, "You've arrived just in time, Princess. What should we do with these blueprints and sketches?"
Jin Suiqing glanced at them briefly, then waved his hand and said, "Sell them all."
Gong Xiaoyang: "Sell them all! Don't keep a single one?"
These blueprints all belong to the "Wind Chaser" group, and there is a considerable quantity of them, but their quality varies greatly. If they were to flood the black market all at once, not only would it cause a dispute, but the reputation of the Wind Chaser group would also be ruined.
Jin Suiqing said, "The name Zhufeng can no longer be used. What's the point of keeping it? Sell it all."
"This..." Gong Xiaoyang probed, "Are you really going to abandon the reputation we've worked so hard to build?"
Jin Suiqing's eyes widened. How could she use it? If she continued to use the name Zhufeng, Huangfu Li would surely come looking for her when she opened the factory. She was already trying to avoid these people, how could she dare to provoke them again?
“If I say no, then no. A name is just an empty title. I’m the one who drew the design. As long as I’m here, the country is here. Why worry?” Jin Suiqing put her arm around Gong Xiaoyang’s neck and painted a rosy picture. “Once the factory opens and the money comes in, you can live a life of luxury with your sister. What’s there to worry about?”
Gong Xiaoyang pouted and pushed Jin Suiqing's hand away.
Jin Suiqing signed the red contract, and Gong Dagou took the contract to Jiangnan Road to scout ahead. Sister Saiyu also entrusted her jewelry shop to a reliable person. In the future, Sister Huihong will go to Jiangnan Road with Jin Suiqing, leaving him alone in the capital. No matter how he thinks about it, he can't be happy.
Jin Suiqing guessed what he was thinking: "Gong Xiaoyang, you have a great responsibility on your shoulders. No one else can do it but you."
Gong Xiaoyang's eyes lit up: "What? What?"
"Stay in the imperial capital."
The light in Gong Xiaoyang's eyes vanished instantly: "I don't want to stay in the capital. I want to go to Jiangnan with you."
Jin Suiqing said seriously, "I'm going to open a factory in Jiangnan. I'm in Jiangnan, and news from the capital is slow. After thinking it over, I think it's more reliable to use our own people than to spend time finding a middleman. Of the rest of us, only you are in the National Academy. Staying in the capital will allow you to complete your studies and stay informed. Isn't that great?"
Gong Xiaoyang remained silent for a long time, then blushed and said, "Where's Sister Hui... Sister Huihong? Can you leave her in the capital too?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Suiqing's expression changed drastically, like a worried mother who couldn't stand him no matter what. "Where Huihong wants to go is her own decision. I won't interfere."
Gong Xiaoyang: "Aren't you her master?"
Jin Suiqing rolled up his sleeves, ready to hit him: "Hey, I'm still your master!"
Gong Xiaoyang pouted, and Jin Suiqing grabbed his collar and said, "I'm warning you, don't think that just because Huihong is indebted to the Jin family, she's inferior and can be slaughtered at will. Huihong is my benefactor and my friend. I would never dare to use my master's authority to force her, so who gave you the right to do that? If you really want to treat her well, you have to make sure she has a good life. The reason we want you to stay at the National Academy is that we hope you can make something of yourself, achieve some fame and fortune, establish yourself in the capital, and have a proper family."
Gong Xiaoyang nodded. He understood the reasoning, but he just didn't want to leave Huihong's side.
Huihong is much older than him. If she goes to Jiangnan and meets someone more suitable, and they get engaged, he won't even have the power to stop it while he's in the capital. It will be another two or three years before he gets promoted to a higher position, and then how long will it take to get another official post?
He couldn't wait.
But Jin Suiqing is right. If he continues like this and doesn't strive to give Sister Huihong a better life, how can he compete with other men?
Gong Xiaoyang said softly, "Okay, I understand."
Jin Suiqing warned again: "I don't interfere with what Huihong thinks. If Huihong wants to get married, the dowry I've prepared for her is no less than that of an ordinary young lady. If your wealth can't even compare to the dowry I'm giving you, don't even think about it."
Who can make money better than the money-grubbing Jin Suiqing? Gong Xiaoyang felt hopeless, but then she thought of Sister Huihong and was full of fighting spirit: "I will definitely get past you."
Knowing better than to get too close to the two, Ji Saiyu waited until they had finished chatting before saying, "Everything is ready, Princess, please make your order."
Jin Suiqing carefully counted the drawings, then pushed the box containing the sketches to Gong Xiaoyang: "Consider this box of drawings as my starting capital for you. Keep it in the capital and don't let me down."
Gong Xiaoyang nodded seriously, picked up the box, and left the studio.
“Young Princess, now that it’s just the two of us, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll just say what I have to say.” After everyone left, Ji Saiyu finally spoke the words that had been on her mind for a long time. “Young Princess, your status is special. The Empress has ordered that the Jin family members are not allowed to leave the capital unless absolutely necessary. So how are you going to get to Jiangnan?”
Jin Suiqing lowered her head, and Ji Saiyu couldn't see her expression. She only heard her say, "I can't say it now. Boss Ji will know tomorrow."
Judging from her tone, which contained a hint of excitement, Ji Saiyu became even more curious.
*
After much deliberation, Jin Suiqing spent a lot of money to select some fresh flowers, wrapped them up nicely, and presented them as a bouquet to Jin Shiyu.
As the saying goes, graduation marks a new stage in life, when one is about to become a beast of burden and suffer the harsh realities of society. It's worth offering a bouquet of flowers in remembrance; at the same time, it can be seen as saying goodbye to one's "older brother" in advance, bidding farewell to the last moments of brotherhood and sisterhood.
Only half a day left! Congratulations!
The flowers are not given for nothing. The custom of Kyushu continues the tradition of the Tang Dynasty, using flowers to express feelings. Giving Jin Shiyu flowers today is also so that when we are on our way out of the city in the future, we will remember her kindness even more.
Once she's no longer his sister, he must never bring up those old, trivial things he was forced to do under the system's control again.
Holding the flowers, Jin Suiqing, being a princess, was spared the awkwardness of shouting "Excuse me!" and squeezing through the crowd. Those around her, not daring to push, quickly made way for her. She happily skipped over to Jin Shiyu, handing him the flowers, "Happy graduation, brother!"
Immediately, silence fell over the surroundings. As the saying goes, one expresses feelings by picking flowers, and this younger sister made no attempt to hide it, presenting her brother with a bouquet of flowers...
Isn't it a bit too heavy?
Kim Shi-ok accepted the bouquet quite naturally. "You chose it yourself?"
Jin Suiqing boasted, "I personally picked out every single flower."
Jin Shiyu ignored the flowers and gazed tenderly at Jin Suiqing. He bent down to be at her level and leaned closer to ask, "The exam is this afternoon. How's your revision going?"
Jin Suiqing's eyes widened. Well, she kindly sent flowers, and her father, Jin Shiyu, was worrying again, always asking unpleasant questions. She turned her head sharply and met Jin Shiyu's smiling eyes. She was more beautiful than the flowers, and swallowed back the words of retort that were about to come out.
How should she answer? Is it a good answer or a bad answer?
Seeing her guilty look, Jin Shiyu dug the pit even deeper, "Yesterday, my sister clearly went out to play again, but she lied to me that she was studying. If she doesn't do well on the test, shouldn't she be punished even more?"
Jin Suiqing thought to herself, "Oh dear, I hope I'm not going to get a spanking again." She had no interest in that, so she quickly blushed and refused, "I definitely won't let you punish me this time, brother."
Jin Shiyu: "There are military orders for leading troops into battle, but can a princess just say whatever she wants?"
Jin Suiqing thought to herself, "She says so many things casually, which one are you referring to?" She said, "As a princess, I swear that I will never be last in the exam."
Jin Shiyu smiled and looked her over, "Okay, if you get last place again, it won't be the same as last time when I scolded you..."
Jin Suiqing quickly covered Jin Shiyu's mouth, her cheeks flushed red, and she glared at him angrily, her big eyes filled with tears of embarrassment and annoyance. "Brother, please stop talking!"
He chuckled twice, pulled away from Jin Suiqing's hand, straightened up, and glanced at the onlookers around him. His coldness made everyone gasp and look away in unison.
Everyone knows that although Jin Shiyu comes from a poor background, he is valued by His Highness the Crown Prince and favored by his younger sister, the Princess. He can do whatever he wants in the National Academy, and no one dares to mess with him.
It's time to disperse, disperse, disperse. Instead of going to a banquet, you're here watching the siblings being affectionate. You're blind.
Seeing that everyone had left, Jin Suiqing was puzzled and asked, "Why are they all gone? Aren't you going to chat with your classmates a little longer, brother?"
Jin Shiyu pinched the back of her neck, and seeing her awkwardly shrinking back, he couldn't help but smile and said, "We're all in the capital, we'll run into each other all the time. There are many invitations from aristocratic families, so we'll inevitably meet again. There's nothing to talk about."
Jin Suiqing pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "I originally wanted to send some flowers, but now it seems I can't shake them off."
“It’s alright if you miss the banquet later. How about I take you to Zhanxing Tower for lunch?” Jin Shiyu said, carrying flowers. “I heard that Zhanxing Tower has some new dishes. You might like them, little sister.”
Upon hearing the name Zhanxing Tower, Jin Suiqing felt an intense ache and itching on a small patch of skin on her shoulder and the back of her neck. She waved her hands repeatedly, "Forget it, let me go back to school and review the questions a couple more times. As the saying goes, 'Even last-minute sparring can be effective,' every point counts. It would be too embarrassing to be punished by my brother again."
A fleeting glint of malice crossed Jin Shiyu's eyes as he thought of the regret that he hadn't managed to seduce her into daydreaming before the exam.
My younger sister is quietly intelligent and knows how to hide her cleverness. She plans to go to the Star Gazing Tower to get some wine, go to the exam hall in a daze, and save every point she can so she can find a legitimate reason to use some underhanded methods.
Since she has declined, it's highly likely that there will be no further opportunity to punish her.
"It's alright. We'll be living in the same house for a long time, and he'll find opportunities to get closer to me." Jin Shiyu patted her head and said softly, "Go ahead."
Like a celestial being touching one's head, what arrived wasn't a longevity charm, but that damned dog-like creature. It coldly said, "You framed the female lead during the exam, causing her injury. Six hours are allotted. Countdown begins."
She suppressed her urge to complain, pulled Kim Shi-ok's hand down from above her head, and gently shook it: "Brother, I'm leaving now."
Jin Shiyu had gotten used to taking care of Jin Suiqing, and couldn't help but mutter a few words, "Remember to eat, take a nap, it's okay if you don't study."
"Hmm." Jin Suiqing turned and took two steps, then ran back and hugged Jin Shiyu's waist. Jin Shiyu was stunned for a moment, then said softly, "What, you can't bear to part with your brother?"
After calling him "brother" for sixteen years, the moment of farewell had finally arrived, and Jin Suiqing still felt a little sad.
But she doesn't have any grand ambitions for the time being, and she has no interest in power or status. Her biggest dream is to be a rich person, to draw pictures every day, and to eat, drink and have fun.
From a young age, she concealed her talents and made money by drawing drawings anonymously. Then, she planned and executed a machinery factory. All her actions were aimed at surviving and staying away from the power vortex of the Jin family.
The brother has the blood of the Jin family flowing in his veins. No matter how much he hates, he is still surnamed Jin. He can't leave the capital and can't escape Huangfu. In the end, he is just the most insignificant cannon fodder on the heroine Huangfu Feng's path to growth.
Jin Suiqing didn't dislike him at all; in fact, she felt sorry for him.
From childhood to adulthood, she witnessed the transformation in Jin Shiyu's attitude towards her, from wanting to kill her to caring for, indulging, and protecting her in every way. Jin Shiyu was an excellent older brother, ignoring blood feuds and raising her all the way, truly embodying the role of an elder brother who is like a mother.
But so what?
Everyone has their own ambitions and their own path. Jin Suiqing looked at the peace charm dangling from his waist, nodded, quickly released Jin Shiyu, and said earnestly, "Goodbye, brother."
After saying that, he ran away without looking back.
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Bonus mini-theater:
Sister: "Brother, have you ever heard the saying, 'The eldest brother is like a mother'?"
elder brother:……?
Jin Shiyu was completely baffled. Wasn't the eldest brother supposed to be like a father? How did he become like a mother? But when he tried to correct him, he felt something was off.
Kim Shi-ok then fell silent.
He didn't want to be Jin Suiqing's father, nor did he want to be her mother.
I don't want to at all.
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