"Once a person becomes lazy, they will no longer be willing to work and live diligently. I don't want to exchange my glory for a bunch of scoundrels!"
Grandpa Zhao always had a way of making the younger generation in the family feel ashamed and angry, but they dared not speak out.
Other families know to seek benefits for their younger generations, but in his case, not only does he not seek them, he also stops his family from using connections.
Ah, families like theirs should start from a higher point, instead of being dragged down into the mud.
They responded with humility and receptiveness.
Seeing the resentment in their eyes, Old Master Zhao sighed inwardly. It was because he hadn't spent enough time with his children that they had been spoiled by their wives.
As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. Even if he returned with his wife and children to take up his post, their estranged relationship could never return to normal. At home, they treated each other as strangers.
"How many more years can I take care of you?" the old man said earnestly. "I have always told you to be self-reliant and not to put your future in the hands of others."
"What if I hadn't achieved great glory during those ten years, and instead had been demoted like everyone else, and then died of illness? Wouldn't you still have to rely on your own abilities now?"
"Alright, those of you who are still in school should focus on your studies and try to get into university so you can wait for the organization to arrange jobs for you. As for the others, I'll ask around and see if I can help you get jobs."
"Let me make this clear first: you'll all start from the bottom. If you're capable, climb the ladder yourself; if not, accept reality! Don't embarrass me by trying to scheme and climb the ladder!"
The crowd responded enthusiastically, believing that with the old man's intervention, they were unlikely to be treated poorly.
Would others arrange for them to work in the workshop out of respect for the old man?
“Dad,” Madam Zhao couldn’t help but say, “when you’re arranging jobs for us, please mention our work experience and strengths.”
The old man waved his hand, "I know what I'm doing!"
Everyone had left, and the woman poured the old man a cup of tea. "Grandpa, have some tea. You ate too fast just now. I've told you so many times to chew slowly and carefully so that it will help with digestion and prevent you from having a stomachache later."
The old man glanced at her and said, "Come on, just say what you want to say. If you don't show your concern once every month or two, do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"
The woman choked for a moment.
The old man was ruthless and unforgiving towards everyone. When he started to criticize, he didn't care whether you were a friend or foe; it could make you question the meaning of life.
She pursed her lips, and without further ado, stated her purpose directly: "Grandpa, I have no parents. If my aunt and uncles arrange my marriage, they might sell me for a pittance."
"You are my proper elder, so if you know anyone, could you introduce me?"
The old man glanced at her, counted on his fingers, and realized that his granddaughter was already twenty...
"Fanghua, you're twenty-six? Such an old girl, how come you haven't found a boyfriend yet?" the old man asked in surprise, beginning to reflect on his lack of attention to his family.
Zhao Fanghua is about to vomit a liter of blood!
Why? Before, she was arrogant and looked down on everyone, wasting her time until she was twenty-one or twenty-two, when she heard the news that the old man was going to return to Kyoto to retire.
You should know that all the best talents in the whole of Xia Hua are in Kyoto. She thought it would only be a year or two, but who knew it would be delayed again and again until 1982!
Isn't she quite old?
However, she also came to terms with it. Although she was getting older, she was still a young woman with good education and a good family background. She could find an outstanding young man who was three years younger than her, or even an older man with children. Such a person must have achieved something.
"Grandpa, who will treat a child without parents like a treasure?" Zhao Fanghua asked, tears welling in her eyes. "Am I, a young woman, supposed to go around telling everyone I'm looking for a boyfriend?"
The old man pursed his lips, not believing her explanation. "What kind of person are you looking for?"
"As long as he's ambitious and treats me well, that's fine," Zhao Fanghua quickly stated her conditions. "And he can't have any bad habits!"
The old man nodded, looking somewhat worried: "Your requirements are quite high, but it's just that someone like you makes it difficult for Grandpa to ask others for your help."
Zhao Fanghua's smile froze slightly. How could such conditions be considered high? Don't all good men possess such qualities?
"What's wrong with me? Grandpa, I'm your own granddaughter. Why don't you worry about my marriage and instead keep criticizing me?"
The old man chuckled: "Isn't this just my habit of telling the truth?"
"Tell me, you're considered average-looking at home, right? It's just that when you go out, the best you can do is dress well. What's that saying again? Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse."
"You're just so-so in your studies, barely making it to high school graduation. Now college students are in high demand, so won't you be left behind as a high school graduate?"
"You're so calculating, your little eyes are always darting around, I don't know where all these scheming things come from. If you were good enough and stable enough, you wouldn't need to ask anyone for help, wouldn't many outstanding men be eager to have matchmakers come to our house to propose marriage?"
Zhao Fanghua trembled with anger, gritting her teeth to maintain her last smile: "How can you talk to your own granddaughter like that? If you're not happy about arranging my wedding, just say so. I, I'll move out tomorrow. Anyway, I'm only staying here because I'm relying on you."
"If you won't help me, how can I have the face to stay and have to put up with other people's attitudes all day?"
Grandpa Zhao nodded. "Alright, moving out is fine. She's a 26-year-old spinster. What kind of behavior is it to stay at home?"
"Now the organization encourages young people to date freely, so you can follow the trend and find someone yourself. That way, you won't complain that Grandpa didn't do his job well and found someone bad. I won't have to worry about holding back some good young man."
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