The wife paused for a moment, then looked at the baby in the cradle.
At this moment, Da Bao also returned from the private school. As soon as she entered the door, she happily took her husband's hand and exclaimed, "Dad, I learned a few more new words today. The teacher said I'm very smart. If I spend more time studying, I'll be able to read books by myself!"
The man held Da Bao's hand and looked at his clean and tidy clothes.
And there was the excited look in his eyes when he first entered school.
The wife met the man's gaze and instantly understood.
Long before Gu Mu ascended the throne, his eldest son always wore clothes a size too big and were always tattered. He would wear whatever other people had worn out, and he hardly ever had any new clothes.
But now, Da Bao's clothes are clean and tidy.
Not only do they have new clothes to wear, but because of the improvement in their living standards, they can even grit their teeth and send their eldest child to a private school.
You have to understand, in the past, for farming families like theirs, just being able to eat their fill was enough. At Da Bao's age, he had to help with farm work just to keep the family from starving. Going to a private school and seeking a better future was something they wouldn't even dare to dream of.
But all of this actually happened right before their eyes.
"Go ahead, I'll take care of the two children," the wife said with a smile through her tears.
The capital city.
An eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth said to his businessman father, "Father, I can't pass the imperial examinations. We already have a fortune. As long as I don't go into business and am content to be a playboy, the family's wealth will be enough for me to live on for many times longer."
His father was stunned. He had always known that his son was a good-for-nothing who could never concentrate on his studies and only knew how to climb walls and trees.
So he always instilled in his children the idea that they should just be good playboys, not mess with people they can't afford to offend, and not even think about making a name for themselves or going into business on a whim.
His child suddenly brought up this matter, which made him feel that something was amiss.
“But I don’t want to be a spoiled brat,” the young man said softly.
His father frowned, about to scold him, when he heard the young man say, "I want to join the army."
The young man's eyes were full of ambition and longing: "I know I'm not cut out for studying, and business is not for me either. But a real man should stand tall and be upright. What kind of man is it to live his whole life under his father's protection?"
"I want to join the army, make something of myself, and show my father!" the young man said solemnly, clenching his fist.
His father looked at the determined and earnest look in the young man's eyes.
Then he remembered that his wife at home was pregnant with a child.
Even if the young man dies, the lineage will not end.
He shouldn't easily dismiss someone's life.
Furthermore, his father recalled the scene of the Empress Dowager's coup. He saw from the window atop the tower a towering figure stained with blood. The figure was unrestrained and eccentric, yet he faced an enemy many times his size without the slightest fear.
This is also the kind of demeanor he aspires to—the style of a true man.
"You've returned safely; your family will always be your support," he said calmly.
He watched the young man's burly back. For many years, the government had prioritized agriculture over commerce, and the prevailing official-centric mentality meant that even though he was extremely wealthy, he had always lacked dignity.
His Majesty has never looked down on merchants; in fact, he is building trade routes to facilitate trade.
If young people can become His Majesty's right-hand men, wouldn't that be a blessing?
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