After Xiaoqi left, Shen Xiangwan let out a long sigh.
When she investigated He Deping’s background earlier, she also inquired about his family.
Apparently, He Deping didn't want to do business in the beginning.
The reason why he had come to that point was actually that his family members insisted him to sit the Royal Exam just to earn a good name. In order to be able to afford his exam, his parents had sold off all of his three younger siblings.
He was still young back then, so he didn't understand what was happening. It was only after he passed the Royal Exams that he learned that his favorite siblings had been sold off by his parents.
Due to the overwhelming stress, and his marriage arranged by his parents did not go well, he gave up on his studies and went to do business instead after leaving a small amount of money for his family.
He had chosen to leave the path that he had always dreamed of and went against his parents' wishes. Deep down, he resented his parents. But because they were his parents, no matter what, he couldn't change their thinking and actions, so he chose to run away from them like a coward.
At this moment, He Deping stood alone in front of the window, Murong Xiude’s answer haunting his mind.
In fact, his parents had forced him to do things that he didn't want to do, again and again. If he knew that they were secretly selling off his brothers and sisters a little earlier, he would have come forward and forcibly stopped them, and things would not have come to this point. He was unwilling to go home to see his family until now because he couldn’t let it go.
For so many years, his days had been filled with longing and resentment.
He could not believe that a grown man like him could not think as clearly as a child of only eight years old.
That night, Mr. Jiang brought a bottle of wine and some food to visit He Deping.
Although Mr. Jiang looked old, he was a farsighted man, and he was a fun person to chat with.
Mr. Jiang and He Deping had grown closer ever since their first encounter in this mansion, and they were so close like two old buddies.
Many times, when Mr. Jiang was free, he would come here to talk about world affairs, or to comment on old or recent news.
They would always have a bottle of wine with them while having their conversation, and the two would talk for a long time.
"I have lived for so long, and I am nearly forty years old, but I realize that I am not as clever as a little child."
"Haha! You have never woken up from your dreams." Mr. Jiang mocked him.
He Deping stared at him angrily. “I was reckless when I was young. I believe all young men behaved like that. I bet you acted recklessly when you were young too.”
Mr. Jiang squinted. "Yes. I used to be young and frivolous too. Ah, think about those days..."
With reminiscences of the past in his eyes, he smiled and raised his glass. "But that kid is really a prodigy. Unfortunately, his identity is a huge impediment."
"I don't like how you described his identity. He obviously has an excellent background, it's just that his mother had dragged him down."
"That's true, we can’t choose how we are born. Sometimes, I want to teach that kid a skill or two, but my identity makes everything so inconvenient."
As He Deping listened to Mr. Jiang’s words, he squinted his eyes and looked at him. "You are hinting at something."
"You think too much, I just think that the kid is a pity. There are many young men in this house, but none of them is as smart as him. God gave him a clever mind, but He has also given him so much suffering. I feel unfair for him too. If he was not guided by a proper teacher, I am afraid that he will be trapped in the backyard, and we might never know what kind of person he will be when he grows up."
Mr. Jiang sighed again after speaking.
He Deping had always thought about Murong Xiude's miserable background. He was aware that despite being a Young Master, Murong Xiude could only listen to his lecture from Xiaoqi, and he felt very sad for him too. "I have always complained that my life was difficult since I was young. I could never imagine how this little boy felt. Even though he was born in a wealthy family, his life was worse than a dog’s."
He thought of the long-haired dog in Third Lady’s room. Even the dog had its own servant girl, and she would walk it three times a day. If the dog fell sick, she would have to go outside to invite the doctor.
Murong Xiude was a true Young Master, yet when he fell sick, none of the doctors went to see him. In fact, Xiaoqi and Shen Xiangwan were forced to beg a common doctor and offer him payment to treat him.
He Deping lost the mood to drink as he thought about that.
"Come on, although these experiences are not pleasant, they would do him good. At least, these experiences could train him into knowing what he wants and how he can achieve them."
"I agree with your words, but I still feel pity for him. He is such a prodigy."
"You seem to feel sorry for him." Mr. Jiang looked at him, squeezed out a smile and filled his glass with wine again.
"Oh, Xiaoqi is also a clever child, but… I couldn’t watch the little boy’s talent go to waste. I feel so awful."
"What's so difficult about it? Just do it if it’s what you want. If you want to teach him knowledge and the principles of life, then teach him. Don’t be scared of this and that. You’re not acting like a real man at all!"
"I... I'm just thinking about the mess in this mansion, I really don't want to get myself involved anymore."
Mr. Jiang sneered. "So you are still a coward. You have lived almost half of your life, and you are still hesitant on making a decision. It's a miracle for a man like you to survive until now."
He Deping was furious to be insulted by Mr. Jiang like that.
"You… You cruel old man! Go away, I don't want to see you again."
Mr. Jiang ignored him and picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks.
"I'm not leaving yet. This beef tastes so good. We are not allowed to kill cows. Did this cow die in an accident?"
They were obviously talking about Murong Xiude earlier, but Mr. Jiang had suddenly changed the topic to beef. He Deping was displeased, he chased him away. "Go. Go away, and I don't want to see you anymore."
"Tell me, in this huge capital city, how could there be beef being delivered to the table every day? Do you really not understand the truth in it?" Mr. Jiang remained motionless as he stared at him jokingly.
He was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Mr. Jiang nodded lightly. "Secretly passages."
He Deping’s eyes lit up.
But immediately, he felt embarrassed.
"I am here to make atonement for my mistakes. Why are you encouraging me to be a slave for a Young Master? You old man, you deliberately orchestrate me."
Mr. Jiang swept away his joking attitude earlier, and his face turned serious.
"If you are willing, you may teach him literature, and I will teach him martial arts. We will teach him both skills, and when he grows up, he will have an endless future."
"An endless future!"
"An endless future!"
......
Mr. Jiang’s words lingered in He Deping's mind like a spell.