“Uncle Tang?”
Tang Hong En had also sent someone to call Xia Xiao Lan. She arrived at the West Sports Field later than Ji Jiang Yuan, coming when their conversation was only halfway through.
Tang Hong En asked Xia Xiao Lan to sit down:
“I’m discussing some things with Jiang Yuan. I think you should listen too.”
Xia Xiao Lan didn’t share George’s view that Chinese officials represented backwardness and stubbornness. Listening to Tang Hong En’s lectures sometimes yielded golden wisdom – if she had been arrogant after her rebirth, President Xia had already faced humiliation and was now very modest. Even if she had become a senior executive at a large company before her rebirth, how could a Special Zone Mayor possibly give her private lessons?
Tang Hong En’s life experience and perspective were different from someone like Xia Xiao Lan who worked in the business world.
Xia Xiao Lan obediently sat down to listen, and Tang Hong En picked up where he had been interrupted, frankly acknowledging Ji Jiang Yuan’s guess:
“I indeed don’t want you to return to America. Besides personal reasons, I want to tell you that your roots are in China. This country is developing rapidly. The backwardness you see now is temporary; its changes will be swift and remarkable! Perhaps here, you won’t immediately get the high salary of an equivalent job in America, but you’ll witness this country gradually transformed through the efforts of young people like you, like Xiao Lan, and all of you university students… Trust me, this sense of achievement is more intoxicating than simply earning money.”
If Ji Jiang Yuan were studying cutting-edge subjects, a bachelor’s degree wouldn’t be enough, and Tang Hong En would encourage him to pursue further studies abroad.
But Ji Jiang Yuan studied Business Management, and Tang Hong En felt that during China’s Reform and Opening Up, where could be better for practical experience than China?
Of course, it still depended on Ji Jiang Yuan’s thoughts. If Ji Jiang Yuan preferred material comfort, then domestically it certainly wouldn’t be as convenient as America.
Xia Xiao Lan agreed with most of Tang Hong En’s views. Tang Hong En strongly supported Reform and Opening Up. By the end of ’84, reform was still like crossing the river by feeling for stones – most people weren’t sure how things would turn out. Without the ability to predict the future, unable to see that China would develop rapidly because of this correct path, Tang Hong En truly had a grand vision.
Xia Xiao Lan’s only slight disagreement was with Tang Hong En saying material conditions would be worse domestically.
For those with some ability, money was the least problematic issue.
She didn’t dare speak up, worried Tang Hong En would again say she was contaminating Ji Jiang Yuan with the business world thinking.
Ji Jiang Yuan fell into deep thought.
What did he want?
Yi Ya’s emotions were severe, and Ji Jiang Yuan didn’t want to provoke her, basically following Yi Ya’s lead.
When Grandfather Ji’s health deteriorated and Yi Ya brought him back to China, Ji Jiang Yuan gave up his admission to America. Now he was studying at Hua Qing, nearly finished with one semester and integrated into the school, yet Yi Ya wanted to hastily take him back to America. Ji Jiang Yuan wasn’t a robot; he couldn’t have any opinions at all.
“My mother is too obsessive. She now thinks that classmate Xiao Lan-“
Xia Xiao Lan was the most unfortunate and innocent; Ji Jiang Yuan didn’t want to bring her trouble. Being targeted by his mother could drive a normal person crazy.
“You’re overthinking. China is vast, and your mother can’t do whatever she wants. Including the entire Ji family – your grandfather has passed away, and your uncle still dwells in past glory… The Ji family isn’t as powerful as they think. China follows laws and rules; no one can willfully violate this!”
Others worked hard to get into university. In Xia Xiao Lan’s situation, she had barely escaped her farming background, coming from rural southern Henan to Beijing – how much sweat had that taken?
A teenage girl, traveling alone by train to the south for business.
Who would choose that over studying peacefully at school if not forced by circumstances?
This effort had finally achieved phased success. If someone could willfully destroy Xia Xiao Lan’s future just because they wanted to, where was the reason in China? Just because Xia Xiao Lan came from a humble background, did she deserve to be bullied?
Never mind Xia Xiao Lan – even if Yi Ya wanted to go crazy on another random student today, Tang Hong En would intervene!
He said this for Ji Jiang Yuan to hear; Ji Jiang Yuan should understand the Ji family’s current situation.
It was also deliberately said for Xia Xiao Lan to hear, letting her study at school with peace of mind. Tang Hong En never liked using power to pressure people, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t!
“The Ji family has been declining for a while. If not for your grandfather’s support, your uncle’s days at the Foreign Affairs Ministry wouldn’t have been so comfortable. Now your grandfather can’t hold on anymore. The Ji family raised you, and spared no effort to give you the best conditions – I may not agree with their views, but they truly devoted themselves to you. I don’t think you’re the type who could completely cut ties with the Ji family. You’ll have to shoulder this burden sooner or later, so you should carefully think now about how to keep the Ji family from sliding further down.”
If Tang Hong En had come to “turn” Ji Jiang Yuan, Ji Jiang Yuan would have walked away immediately.
But every word Tang Hong En said hit the mark – acknowledging the Ji family’s contributions while believing Ji Jiang Yuan should look after them, showing Ji Jiang Yuan which direction to strive in. The Ji family certainly wouldn’t emigrate entirely; their roots were in China. But the Ji family was indeed declining overall. Tang Hong En felt the eldest uncle’s workability was just average, and without excellent younger generation members maintaining the family’s image, the Ji family would drop to a lower social circle within a few years.
Having seniority but being pushed out of the power center was most painful.
Warmth flowed through Xia Xiao Lan’s heart. Tang Hong En was a reserved person who spoke following the excellent traditions of organizational cadres – the higher the position, the more cautious, rarely making promises or definitive statements… Yet now he was telling Xia Xiao Lan not to be afraid, that he had her back against the Ji family, who couldn’t do anything even if they tried! These weren’t words Mayor Tang would typically say.
Xia Xiao Lan’s only regret now was mentioning Yi Ya’s matter in her letter to Zhou Cheng.
Could she still recall the letter?
If she didn’t say anything and Zhou Cheng learned about it from elsewhere, Xia Xiao Lan worried he might overthink. Dating required giving the other person enough security – deliberately hiding things that could preemptively dispel doubts would only provoke conflicts!
Other matters aside, this was a sensitive issue of relationships between men and women. Xia Xiao Lan had to explain it clearly to Zhou Cheng.
If only she had held back until the situation became clear. With Tang Hong En’s support now, what did Xia Xiao Lan have to fear from the Ji family? Tang Hong En had said the Ji family was declining – what was there to worry about? No matter how crazy Yi Ya got, she couldn’t beat Tang Hong En!
Tang Hong En turned to ask her:
“Do you understand?”
Xia Xiao Lan nodded vigorously. Tang Hong En felt somewhat helpless – he thought Xia Xiao Lan should be the one studying economics. A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it properly; earning money through legitimate means aligned perfectly with the trend of Reform and Opening Up.