Meng Fuyan was slightly taken aback. "Uncle, don't you think my current idea is wishful thinking?"
Lu Guozhong laughed and said, "I don't think so. Why should I think so? You are eighteen years old this year and have come of age. You received careful guidance from your mother when you were young. As the eldest daughter of the Meng family, you were raised as the heir for so many years. Now that the Meng family has no one left, you should be praised for taking on the heavy responsibility."
"If you were a boy, everyone would praise you for being young and promising, responsible and capable, with such ambition at such a young age, and destined for greatness. Those who advise you that since you are a girl, and given the state of the Meng family, you should protect yourself, find a stable job, get married, have children, and raise your younger brother, are just based on the stereotype that you are a girl."
"They don't believe that girls can achieve great things, they don't believe that girls are capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, but you have to understand that you are no different from boys. You can do what men do. Your mother did a great job in her career back then. If... she were still alive, the Meng family's status and connections would not have been interrupted."
Meng Fuyan was overjoyed; she hadn't expected to receive such recognition from Lu Guozhong.
So, this is how he sees girls?
"So... Uncle also supports me going abroad?"
Lu Guozhong paused for a moment, then replied, "I support you, but... I can give you another option."
Meng Fuyan was taken aback. "What choice?"
"Going abroad to contact the collateral branches of the Meng family and using their investment to bring about the rise of the Meng family, so that those who have been persecuted can return, sounds exciting, but danger is inevitable. After all, you are only eighteen years old, and without elders by your side to assist you, you have to rely on yourself for everything. This is too risky."
“You stay in the country and work for me. I can provide you with support and find ways to help the Meng family. Perhaps we can’t immediately reinstate them to their original positions, but at least we can make their lives a little better and give them a chance to live and wait for their opportunity.”
“I can also find you a good husband and arrange a good job. You can do whatever you want in China, although the process will take longer, but it will be safe enough. To be on the safe side, it’s better to stay in China.”
Actually, he didn't want Meng Fuyan to go abroad at all. She was a girl, and the country was so chaotic. Even if he sent a lot of people to protect her, he wouldn't feel at ease.
He can lend a helping hand when problems arise domestically, but he is powerless to help when problems occur abroad.
Meng Fuyan remained silent.
Indeed, for safety reasons, this is the safest method.
However, she is not prepared to make that choice.
She didn't know what the situation was between her mother and him before. Although he was her father, as a daughter, there was nothing wrong with enjoying some of her father's care. Why not enjoy it when someone is protecting you?
But she is first and foremost a member of the Meng family, and only secondly his daughter.
If I were to go and rely on my father, wouldn't my mother be unhappy if she found out? Would she feel like all the effort she put into raising me was wasted?
Blood ties cannot be changed. Occasionally enjoying some help from her father or her helping him out is nothing to be pretentious about, but matters of principle cannot be altered.
If she really did that, she would be completely under the protection of the Lu family.
“This choice would indeed be much safer, but I don’t plan to do it.”
Lu Guozhong didn't seem too surprised, but he was still worried, "Does he really have to go abroad?"
Meng Fuyan nodded, "Yes, I must go. Uncle, thank you for your willingness to help me. I am very grateful. But if I really choose this option, my influence will not be enough, and I will not be able to establish my authority. This is not what I want."
"My maternal grandparents suffered too many injuries on the battlefield in their early years, which is why they didn't live long. They left us too early. My mother tried so hard, but she could only barely maintain the Meng family's status. Originally, if she had lived, there would still have been hope for the future, but she left us too soon."
“Now that several years have passed, if I don’t grow stronger, my old connections and resources will really be lost. I can’t watch the Meng family decline like this, so there are some things I have to do myself.”
Lu Guozhong remained silent for a while before sighing, "Just like your mother, bold and ruthless."
Actually, she's quite similar to him in personality—stubborn and very assertive.
"Since you want to go, I won't stop you. Remember what I said earlier: if you were my daughter, I wouldn't just teach you how to get married and have children?"
Meng Fuyan nodded, "I remember!"
Lu Guozhong smiled, his eyes full of appreciation. He reached out his big hand and, for the first time, patted Meng Fuyan's little head, patiently instructing her, "Being a virtuous wife and loving mother, gentle and obedient, is for training someone else's daughter-in-law, not for your own daughter. You have not made a mistake in choosing this path. Your uncle appreciates this kind of girl very much."
"The world has changed. Now men and women are equal, and girls have to fight in this world just like boys. You have to remember that men are profit-driven, love to fight, and are ruthless. Since you have chosen to start your own business, you will definitely come into contact with some men in the future. Don't be shy or kind. Sometimes, you have to learn to fight for power and profit. Only by fighting and grabbing can you gain the right to speak."
"In the future, don't easily give up your career or yourself because of love or marriage. Don't take a backseat and hand over all your resources to a man. This is a big no-no. Remember, if the roles were reversed, no man would do that for you."
Meng Fuyan was somewhat surprised, not expecting Lu Guozhong to teach her these things, but she liked it!
"Yes, thank you, Uncle. I will remember that."
Lu Guozhong said earnestly, "Your younger brother is too young. In essence, you are almost the same as the only daughter of the Meng family. Only daughters are easily targeted. Men are very good at taking advantage of those who have no children. With your qualifications, I guess there should be quite a few people in Changning City who want to marry you."
"Even if you successfully return from abroad in the future, bringing a large number of orders and saving the Meng family's collateral branch, the stereotype will still hold that you are just a stepping stone in many people's eyes. They will think that marrying you will get them everything from the Meng family. Not all of these people are necessarily bad. Some are just scheming to take advantage of your value, but some genuinely want to marry you and will cherish you in the future. However, it is a fact that they will gradually take away the benefits you hold. Don't be fooled by those little feelings of love. You must remember that if they marry you, it is their duty to treat you well. It has nothing to do with whether you give them the Meng family's resources."
"If the roles were reversed, and you only gave a man love, he would never hand over his entire fortune to you and go home to raise the children, understand?"
Meng Fuyan was overjoyed at that moment.
It's been a long time!
It's been a long time since anyone has said these things to her.
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