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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing this answer, Luzi suddenly felt that his previous behavior was somewhat disgraceful. In order to extract information, he even resorted to provoking the Five-Year-Old Child. When he heard the surname mentioned by the Little Kid, Luzi merely smiled slightly and did not continue the topic.
Children always love to hear stories, so Luzi decided to share tales of his past encounters with the Little Kid. Unbeknownst to them, by the time the two of them returned to the Cottage, they had already become quite familiar with each other.
Although the food was coarse, it was more than enough for the famished Luzi, surpassing all delicacies in the world. While expressing his gratitude, he dug into the meal with gusto.
During this time, the woman urged the child to go back inside and sleep. After receiving Luzi's promise to continue telling stories the next day, the Little Kid reluctantly pouted and returned indoors. After all, it was already late at night, and soon soft snoring could be heard from within.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Luzi picked up a Ceramic Bowl to sip some hot water and rinse his mouth. At that moment, hearing the contented snoring made him chuckle and shake his head. He looked up just in time to see the hostess holding General Armor with a look of sorrow, and he sighed inwardly.
"Forgive my boldness, but is your husband named Meng Wu?"
Upon hearing this name spoken aloud, even though she was mentally prepared, the woman couldn't help but be taken aback. She turned to wipe away her tears and knelt down to pay her respects to Luzi. "Does the Great General know my husband?"
Not only did he know him; they were practically as familiar as could be!
Despite any differences in official rank, Luzi did not dare let his sister-in-law bow to him. At that moment, disregarding any notions of propriety between men and women, he quickly stepped forward and supported her small arm. With a gentle pull, he helped her up from nearly kneeling on the ground before turning around and kneeling down himself to pay respects to Sister Meng.
"Sister-in-law mustn't do this; it should be me who bows to you. I serve alongside General Meng in the Qin Army's infantry division. Brother Meng and I are comrades; we are all family!"
"Is it not said that there are no clothes between comrades who rise together in arms!?"
Hearing this, Luzi smiled and nodded in agreement. "We are brothers in life and death, sharing armor and destiny!"
Finally, the woman from the organization once again paid her respects to her brother and recounted her past to Luzi. She originally came from a family in Qi State. Although they were not wealthy, they lived comfortably without worries. Her father, Jiang Gong, ran a medicine shop and was able to treat minor ailments with ease.
Meng Wu, who was on an assassination mission, was pursued by the Official Family and severely injured. He desperately fled into the Jiang Family's backyard, having no strength left to escape. If it weren't for the kind-hearted Jiang Family's young lady risking her life to protect him, Meng Wu's head would have likely been displayed on the City Wall as a warning to those with ill intentions.
As Meng Wu gradually recovered, he felt grateful for the Jiang Family's life-saving assistance and decided to stay and help them. His honesty and capability greatly pleased Jiang Gong. In those years, as long as one was willing to work hard, it was still possible to support a family.
Moreover, during that time, the social atmosphere in Qi State was decadent, and public opinion served as a driving force that exacerbated the situation. This led many young people to be filled with fanciful fairy tales. Regardless of their actual abilities, they would boast about starting businesses and establishing industries whenever they met someone.
What is the foundation of a nation? The younger generation had no concept of this at all and even questioned Confucianism established by Confucius and Mencius.
The older generation had grown up studying the teachings of sages and looked down upon these self-righteous young people. While lamenting the decline of morals and values, they expressed concerns about the future fate of the country.
What is a successor? It is undoubtedly those young people who understand the importance of being pragmatic and grounded, inheriting the theoretical foundations passed down by the older generation. Their task is to carry forward and expand upon these traditions rather than accept foreign ideologies that undermine their nation's foundation.
Disrespecting old traditions is akin to forgetting one's roots. How can someone who forgets their own ethnicity pass on old traditions? The foundation of a nation lies in its own civilization; it is precisely because of this civilizational heritage that one can stand at the pinnacle of the world. You say all Feudal States revere Confucianism, yet those from its birthplace seem eager to criticize and denounce it.
Is this some kind of joke from heaven? Or have you long lost your own beliefs?
For the older generation, young people starting businesses is not inherently wrong; after all, there are still those who strive for greater heights. But at least you should know your own limits, right? If you don't even know who you are, aiming too high comes with a heavy price.
As Jiang Gong himself belonged to this older generation that disapproved of current trends, he preferred young people who understood hard work over those who spent all day dreaming at home about success.
This world may seem unfair, but in reality, it is relatively fair. Your pragmatism and efforts will always be rewarded because heaven does not deceive. Just as Jiang Gong was worrying about his daughter's marriage prospects, Meng Wu—who had a complex identity—approached him.
If we set aside Meng Wu's identity, the boldness and responsibility of the Qin people are fully embodied in him. How could Jiang Gong possibly know Meng Wu's identity? After repeated tests yielding satisfactory results, he decided to betroth his eldest daughter to Meng Wu.
Luzi had firsthand experience of Meng Wu's luck. When he heard about this tremendous fortune that befell Meng Wu, who had been hidden away in the Qi State, he suddenly realized that the Jiang family's luck must have been diverted by old Meng. Otherwise, how could he be unaware of such an event happening in Qidu City? Moreover, he had secretly fathered a five-year-old child!
As expected, life always brings surprises. With the emergence of the unfortunate Meng, the Jiang family soon faced significant upheaval. Following Jiang Gong's death, the collapse of their pillar led to the rapid decline of the Jiang family.
Meng Wu's brother-in-law, Jiang Zhuang, the youngest son of the Jiang family, partnered with others to start a business behind Jiang Gong's back. To raise funds, he mortgaged the Jiang family's residence. The one renting it out was Hou Shang, the brother-in-law of the Prime Minister of Qi, Housheng.
The so-called partnership was a facade; the true intention was to defraud the Jiang family of their assets. The pharmacy established by Jiang Gong was located in a bustling area of the capital and had long been eyed by Hou Shang. After repeated failed attempts at extortion, he found Jiang Zhuang's unscrupulous friends to scheme against the Jiang family. The subsequent outcome led to the ruin of the Jiang family, and their disdainful descendant, Jiang Zhuang, also did not escape; he was imprisoned and exiled to the border, resulting in his disappearance.
Despite Hou Shang's questionable character, he surrounded himself with a group of unscrupulous individuals. To prevent any retaliation from the Jiang family, they suggested using government means to secretly eliminate all direct relatives of Jiang Gong.
At that time, knowing he could not compete with them, Meng Wu used his connections to save this fiancée who had not yet entered his household and entrusted her to a brother in Shangdang for her livelihood. As for all necessities, they were covered by his salary. It was also during this time that Meng Wu began drinking. Faced with life's helplessness, he could only resort to this method to alleviate the pain hidden within his heart.
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