She doesn't think she's doing badly, but she really lacks that bursting ambition.
After a long silence, Huang Xiaosan spoke up, "Mother, we were wrong."
He really shouldn't have projected his own thoughts onto Han Yi, after all, their positions are truly different.
Others have built such a large business at a young age, while he is still sucking the blood out of his family.
There's really no comparison!
“We were wrong,” said Boss Huang with a heavy expression. “We should learn something from Brother Han Yi.”
Boss Han discovered that Han Yi's thinking was different from the vast majority. He was never satisfied with his current achievements and kept striving to climb higher, never stopping.
He felt this approach was somewhat extreme, but he also had a vague feeling that only in this way could he achieve far more than others.
He admired him somewhat.
“Well,” Huang Lao Er touched his nose, “we were wrong, weren’t we?”
He didn't really feel like he wasn't ambitious; he just wasn't as extreme as Han Yi.
However, since his brothers had all admitted their mistakes, he was determined to share in their misfortunes.
“However, even so,” Jiang Nuan said gently, offering a sweet treat, “in my heart, you are steady, reliable, dutiful, and filial children. You are the best kids. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so there’s no need to worry about them. Just learn from your strengths and make up for your weaknesses.”
One sentence was enough to get the three of them incredibly excited.
"Don't worry, Mother," Huang the eldest immediately and solemnly promised, "We will definitely work hard and earn lots of money for the family."
Seeing this, Han Yi was very envious.
He lost his mother at a young age, and his father was unreliable, so he was mostly taught by his grandfather.
After my grandfather passed away, I had no one to consult with, so I had to make decisions on my own and bear the consequences myself.
I don't know how many detours I took and how many lessons I learned to get to where I am today. If only I had the guidance of elders...
Don't think about it, the more you think about it, the more bitter you'll feel.
After calming down, Han Yi said, "Auntie, you're exaggerating. My nephew's personality isn't good; he's too impulsive and prone to causing trouble."
For example, this time, if someone hadn't pointed it out, who knows what the outcome would have been.
Forget about befriending the future Grand Secretary; the Han family might even be wiped out.
Although unwilling, I had no choice but to abandon my plans.
If he were alone, he could still take a gamble, but not now. The old man is still alive, pampered and more difficult to take care of than a young girl, so he has to be well taken care of.
"There's no need to belittle yourself. If you didn't have this kind of personality, the Han family might have already declined."
"Brother Han Yi," Huang Xiaosan asked, "what's going on with the new top scholar?"
"What else can we do?" Han Yi took a sip of tea, suppressing the bitterness on his tongue. "If things are beyond our control, we should stop now."
He should stop before the important figures notice him, otherwise they won't hold it against him. Otherwise, a few words from them could ruin the Han family's business.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan's eyes darted around. "Have you ever thought about giving it another try?"
“I’ve thought about it, of course I’ve thought about it, but I dare not,” Han Yi took another sip of tea, almost as if he were drinking wine. “Since ancient times, talented men have often been romantic. I originally wanted to spend a lot of money to invite the courtesan Mei Yu to perform at Ju Quan Lou to attract her here, get to know her a bit, and then plan for the future.”
"Looking back now, it was pathetic how stupid I was."
If this person didn't know that I had investigated him, he certainly wouldn't have thought much of it. Now, even a fool could see my intentions.
If he had known this would happen, he should have been more cautious and more discreet in his actions.
"The honey trap," Jiang Nuan nodded, "is indeed very effective."
Especially Meiyu, who was an absolute beauty.
"Auntie, please don't laugh at me," Han Yi said, blushing awkwardly. "It's just a trivial skill."
Jiang Nuan gave Han Yi a meaningful look and murmured, "Luckily you haven't done that yet. Mei Yu isn't so easy to manipulate."
Although Jiang Nuan hadn't had much contact with Mei Yu, she knew that Mei Yu was a shrewd person with her own plans, and that it wouldn't be so easy for others to scheme against her.
“I don’t think it’s a scheme; at most, it’s mutually beneficial,” Han Yi retorted. “The courtesan may be beautiful, but she is still a woman of the world. There’s no harm in following such a promising new scholar.”
"You've forgotten one thing: the top scholar is the prime minister's son-in-law."
"This..." Han Yi asked, puzzled, "What does it have to do with anything?"
It's perfectly normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines; even the emperor, let alone a prime minister, couldn't interfere.
"When the woman is strong and the man is weak, the inner quarters are too stable."
"What do these things have to do with what we're about to talk about?" Huang Lao Er asked doubtfully.
"We've gotten a bit off-topic," Jiang Nuan cleared her throat, getting back to the point, "Do you know when this top scholar will come to our Ping'an County?"
"Within five days," Han Yi said uncertainly, "no more than seven days at most."
“It’s better to be uncertain,” Jiang Nuan clapped her hands. “Let’s plan a new event, give it our last bit of effort, and leave the rest to fate.”
"Auntie," Han Yi's eyes regained their light, "what are your thoughts?"
“Well,” Jiang Nuan said directly, “Since you want to get to know this person, let’s be upfront about our intentions.”
"What do you mean by that, Aunt?"
“It means exactly what it says,” Jiang Nuan spread her hands, “all your scheming is just to befriend this new top scholar and then take advantage of his influence. Schemes and tricks are annoying. You might as well put them out in the open.”
"After all, you're just taking advantage of the situation, not asking for something in return."
Jiang Nuan's last sentence was both a reminder and a warning.
“Even so,” Han Yi thought for a moment and understood the difference between the two, “it’s hard to make people feel good about it!”
“Not necessarily,” Jiang Nuan said slowly. “Those in positions of power consider things from a different perspective than those in positions of power. As long as you let them see your value without causing them to resent you, they won’t turn against you.”
"Really?" Huang Xiaosan was somewhat skeptical. "What if he particularly dislikes this kind of thing? Wouldn't that backfire?"
“Xiao San, you’re being naive,” Han Yi said, his eyes flashing. “People in officialdom are different from ordinary people. We can’t judge them by our standards. If this man were truly aloof and inflexible, he wouldn’t have earned such a reputation, much less have married a woman from a high-ranking family.”
As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at Jiang Nuan gratefully, "Auntie, thanks to you today, otherwise my nephew might have been bleeding from his head before he realized he was wrong."
"That's going too far. With your temperament, you'll figure these things out sooner or later."
Han Yi could indeed understand it, but he was well aware of the difference between sooner or later.
If you wait until your family is destroyed and your loved ones are killed, what good will it do to understand these principles? It will be too late.
Thinking of all this, Han Yi solemnly stood up and bowed three times to Jiang Nuan, saying, "Nephew thanks Aunt for your guidance."
Jiang Nuan did not dodge, but looked at Han Yi with gentle eyes. "I am on good terms with your father and treat you like my own nephew. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to come to me. I may not be able to help much as a woman, and I can only share my thoughts. Ultimately, you have to make the decision yourself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com