In those years, Han Qiang would often say these words, bringing them up whenever he attended an event or banquet.
Every time it's mentioned, there's a genuine smile on her face, as if she's truly helplessly troubled by happiness.
No one refuted him, since most of what he said was true anyway.
But many people also laughed at him behind his back.
Logically speaking, the Han family is large and prosperous, and with proper development, it should be able to become the largest family in Yuzhou. So why was it overshadowed by the Chu family?
The mutual deference and brotherly respect that Han Qiang talks about is simply impossible in a large family. It's obviously sarcasm, yet he's saying it so enthusiastically.
However, he was young and strong at that time, and he was doing a good job as the head of the family. It was impossible for him to abdicate easily, and he was not in a hurry to find a successor.
He can still keep a close eye on his children.
This second young master is Han Mingzhi, who was just speaking and taking charge of the situation. He was born to Han Qiang's second wife in the same year they got married.
At the time, Han Qiang was somewhat inclined to marry because of the pregnancy. Later, many people spread rumors that Han Mingzhi was not Han Qiang's son at all, saying that the birth date did not match, that they did not look alike, and that their personalities were not like those of the Han family.
In short, there are many suspicious points no matter how you look at it.
As the conversation progressed, Han Qiang gradually began to have doubts, realizing that he simply didn't like Han Mingzhi.
"Old Han, I really didn't expect you to listen to those people's nonsense. How could you not know whether Mingzhi is your son or not?"
At that time, he and his wife often argued.
Finally, the wife couldn't withstand the immense pressure and went directly to get a paternity test to confirm the father-son relationship.
Han Qiang then realized that someone had deliberately sown discord, hoping to make a fool of the Han family.
It's common for large families to scheme against each other; more often than not, family members plot against each other, and Han Qiang was one of those who were plotted against.
In his fury, he also ordered that anyone who was heard to speak nonsense again would not be spared.
However, over the years, a rift has formed in Han Qiang's heart. Even though he knows that Han Mingzhi is indeed his son, he still can't feel close to him.
"Old Han, what can I say to you? If I had known you would be like this, how could I have ever married you? You're a divorcee, and I'm still a virgin!"
His wife was both angry and anxious to see that he and their son were becoming increasingly estranged. Their arguments did not decrease, and the more they argued, the less their relationship improved.
"What are you saying? Don't I already know that Mingzhi is my son? How have I treated him? Haven't I been good enough to him?"
At the time, Han Qiang was young and impetuous, and even though he was in the wrong, he couldn't admit it.
"You know what I mean."
Han Qiang's second wife was not actually a sharp-tongued person, but she was indeed prone to being unforgiving when she was in the right.
At the time, Han Qiang was the head of the Han family, so the woman he set his sights on was naturally no ordinary person.
Offending them is unacceptable; indulging them is also unpleasant.
"I don't know, you keep talking about these things all day long. Have I starved you or shortchanged you on food or clothing?" Han Qiang was furious.
“What do food and clothing matter? I’m just saying, how will Mingzhi view you as his father? Is doing a paternity test something to brag about? It’s one thing if the result isn’t good, but it just happens to be your child…”
In the end, Han Qiang would always slam the door and leave, leaving his wife in tears.
Han Mingzhi showed a strong understanding of these things even when he was a child. Although he never said it, he was very dissatisfied and resentful towards Han Qiang.
You don't think I'm your son? Fine! Then I won't treat you like my father.
Moreover, he often watched his parents argue, and while feeling sorry for his mother, his hatred for Han Qiang gradually deepened.
Therefore, he wanted everything from Han Qiang to make up for himself and his mother.
At that time, his biggest target was his older brother, Han Mingyuan.
Han Mingzhi believed that as long as Han Mingyuan withdrew from the competition, he would be the most qualified person.
The Han family owed him far too much, and it should have been in his hands all along. After his mother's death, this idea could no longer be hidden, and Han Mingzhi began to gradually reveal his true colors.
So as Han Qiang has gotten older over the years, he has taken over the management of many things in the Han family.
Han Mingzhi was also a capable man, and he gradually eroded Han Qiang's power, eventually sidelining him.
But precisely because of this, Han Qiang disliked him even more, and hesitated to reveal some important secrets he held, and clearly became wary of him, making it impossible for Han Mingzhi to bypass him and directly become the new head of the family.
However, this couldn't stop Han Mingzhi too much...
As for the third young master—whose name is Han Mingliang, he was Han Qiang's first real child born to a mistress. Han Mingliang is only two years younger than Han Mingzhi, and they were born when the rumors were at their peak.
At that time, Han Qiang was arguing fiercely with his second wife, which made him even more enamored with the gentle embrace of his mistress.
However, because he still has a legal wife, and Han Qiang is unwilling to marry a mistress, fearing that she might not behave properly and would cause him distress, he cannot give the mother and son a legitimate status.
The more this happened, the more guilty Han Qiang felt, so he gave Han Qiang generous financial support.
The mistress only got together with Han Qiang because he was rich and powerful. From the beginning, she had decided to eat, drink, and have fun. After having a child, she took the child along for the fun. Except for not having a good social status, they had everything.
The mistress is not greedy; whether Han Qiang comes to see her or not, she is content with having a child.
But because of this, Han Mingliang was a good-for-nothing from a young age, a typical playboy, and unfortunately, he inherited his mother's looks and was very attractive to women.
Han Qiang occasionally felt a headache coming on when he saw him like this.
He couldn't help but say, "Mingliang is so old now, he can't just keep drifting along like this, he has to find something to do."
"What are you doing? Whether he does it well or not, don't all your sons care about him? I'd rather my son be a failure than get involved in your messy affairs and end up harming my son."
The mistress was clever, and under her tutelage, Han Mingliang only made minor mistakes but never major ones. Even though Han Qiang was frustrated with his son's lack of progress, he didn't have a good solution. Moreover, the mistress's arguments were very convincing.
On the one hand, seeing that they were not competing or fighting, Han Qiang felt at ease. On the other hand, he did not have that much time and energy to keep an eye on Han Mingliang.
Now, more than ten years have passed, and his mistress has inevitably aged and lost her beauty. Han Qiang remembers that she has never had any ambition to compete with him over the years and has always been well-behaved and honest. Although he doesn't visit her often anymore, he still provides her and Han Mingliang with enough.
The mistress was still very satisfied with this, while Han Mingliang seemed to be waiting for money to fall from the sky, with his future plans being taken care of by his mother.
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