Zhang Ni couldn’t understand why his father always said things that left him confused. He really couldn’t grasp it.
"Why can’t I understand?"
"You don’t need to understand, just stand obediently aside!"
When Zhang Zhentian heard his son say these words to him, he didn’t want to say anything. He only knew he would stand there silently, listening to his child criticize him.
He was becoming wiser in dealing with people, knowing when to speak and when to argue. When others were most angry, he could only choose to remain silent, as it’s the only way to leave them with nowhere to vent their anger. Moreover, the person opposite was his biological son. It was his choice that caused such harm to him—what right did he have to resent him? Letting him vent a little would do no harm.
"You don’t actually have to stay silent. You know better than anyone what you’ve done. It’s not like a few apologies will make others forgive you easily. If anyone truly forgives you because of your apology, it ans they still view you as family in their heart. There’s really no need for us to go one by one through the past grievances for what you’ve done. Your abandonnt was followed by repeated abandonnts and harms, leaving us deeply despaired. We really don’t know what more consequences this might lead to!
We are not saints. We cannot accept our kin causing us harm over and over while remaining unaffected themselves. Do you know? When I was abandoned by you, I knew nothing. I was only a month old, still at a stage of nurturing, but you cruelly abandoned , this still-nurturing child. Did you think about my inner feelings at that ti? Perhaps at that ti I knew nothing, but as ti passed and I gradually grew up, how could I possibly remain ignorant of those things? Every ti others laughed at for being a child without parents, every ti they mocked for being abandoned by my own parents, every ti they attacked with words—where were you at those tis? What did you give when I needed you the most, another wave of hurt?
But I waited patiently for 10 years, finally waiting for whom I loved dearly, yet what about you? You appeared and brought such a shocking blow, almost making lose the woman I love most in my life. Have you ever thought about why I waited for her for 10 years? Is it just because she’s a daughter from a civilian background? Actually, it’s not; what I care about is her kindness and her beauty, which is a beauty not of appearance, but of spirit. I can disregard everything, but I can’t disregard those who treat well and love . If you are willing to treat a little better, understand a little more, give a bit more genuine love, then things wouldn’t have beco like this. You always feel your actions aren’t wrong, but do you know it’s precisely your self-righteousness that harms so many people, making these people feel their wrongdoings are justifiable. You always think the things you do are burdens others should bear. Do others owe you that?"
"Child, your mother and father never thought of completely abandoning you. All past decisions were out of necessity; we didn’t have any ans. We longed for freedom when we were too young, but now, more than 20 years have passed. We know what kind of life we truly want, know with whom we wish to spend our days. Do you understand? Your mother and father truly regret it; give us a chance to return to your side, spend your remaining years peacefully together. Would that not be nice?"
"Do you still not understand? Your son said it very right. Yichen has spoken clearly: in this world, no one owes anyone. The consequences of one’s actions must be borne by oneself; don’t keep trying to evade responsibility and make others pay for you. Others don’t owe you. In this world, indeed, no one owes anyone. When doing things, there is no need for others to be willing or be inford, it’s enough to consider whether you will regret such actions!" said Old Master Zhang, "Everyone’s life is different. If you want to walk soone else’s life, following soone else’s path, then what significance does your life hold? Everyone’s life is unique, and living your own life well is life’s greatest joy. If you wish others to follow in your footsteps, then tell , would your whole life be happy? You would forever live in the shadow of others, never truly be yourself, just be a replica of others. Would you willingly live as soone’s replica all your life, never gaining fa on your own?"
Zhang Zhentian and Xia Jing heard the words of Old Master Zhang and his son and knew so things truly couldn’t be forgotten just because one wanted to. So things, once happened, truly happened—it’s irreparable. If you know you’re right, what’s the harm? But why would you repeatedly do such heartless things? Why would you continuously harm your own son and your own father? They have been living difficult lives for these years without your company. Why would you irrationally commit such senseless acts over and over?"
Have I truly beco numb, unable to distinguish right from wrong? Have I already abandoned my kin entirely in the pursuit of my freedom outside all these years? Why have my actions caused everyone to be unable to understand, why must my doings lead to so much harm to so many people? Why does the path I chose bring such agony to so many hearts?
No matter what, Zhang Zhentian was unwilling to believe his actions would bring such serious harm to his own child and father. He was rely pursuing his freedom; why did it lead to such a conclusion? Was this all truly destiny, unchangeable? Just because I chose the wrong path, do my kin also have to bear the consequences and suffer? If that’s the case, then I would have never chosen to walk this no-return path, which not only lost my kin but the freedom I was most proud of in this life.
Freedom, it might be dispensable. What matters most is finding soone genuinely loved to be together with in this life, that’s true happiness!
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