Jiang Mingyang continued, "I have a son now, about the sa age as Mr. Xu, but far less accomplished than Mr. Xu. He’s not even as capable as I was at his age. Though I wasn’t as good as my father-in-law when I was young, I wasn’t bad. I had a certain tenacity and insight. Mr. Xu, you know history—are those feudal monarchs or families really worse with each generation? Why is it like that?"
"The moon waxes and wanes—who can exist eternally? Individuals cannot last forever, and therefore, families and powers cannot last forever either."
"Yes, that’s certainly true, the moon waxes and wanes, but I don’t like it."
Jiang Mingyang said, "I really hope my son will beco more accomplished. As I’m getting older, I’ve started to beco superstitious. I’m thinking, do I need to repay so karma..."
"How do you talk about karma?" Ye Shengjun asked curiously.
"Ah, it’s better not to ntion it. I was ignorant when I was young, made so mistakes, so karma perhaps requires to repay it."
Speaking, Jiang Mingyang took a cup of wine and drank it all at once. Looking at him, you could tell he had an unpleasant mood.
Xu Lin glanced at his easy-going father-in-law, unsure of what kind of person he truly was.
At the dinner table, the three chatted about all kinds of topics, but didn’t invite any won.
Actually, here, you really could do as you please.
How much did this al cost?
They ate delicacies from the mountains and seas.
Along with the alcohol, it totaled eight hundred seventy thousand.
Jiang Mingyang hosted.
The three chatted while eating, and before they knew it, more than three hours had passed.
Later, they entered another room for a massage.
Special services were available here, but none of the three needed them.
The topics they discussed today were quite profound—history, life, fate, karma, superstition. To suddenly have a woman co—it’d be improper.
Xu Lin would not have a picnic outside; he was unimpressed, and neither Ye Shengjun nor Jiang Mingyang lacked interest in these won.
After the massage, they went for drinks again.
Xu Lin didn’t drink alcohol, substituting tea for wine, and drank other beverages. Ye Shengjun and Jiang Mingyang drank more alcohol, especially Jiang Mingyang.
The old guy drank heartily, as if he had things on his mind.
Night had long fallen, and finally it was ti to part ways.
Ye Shengjun had soone to send him ho.
Xu Lin also intended to drive away directly.
A slightly tipsy Jiang Mingyang said, "Mr. Xu, could you give a ride? My daughter’s taken my car."
"Sure, what’s the address?"
Jiang Mingyang gave an address.
A villa community.
"Mr. Jiang’s ho is here?"
"No, I haven’t bought a house here yet, just rented a villa."
"Oh."
Xu Lin helped the unsteady Jiang Mingyang to the car, opened the passenger door and put him inside.
"Mr. Jiang, sorry to make you the driver."
"No worries."
The car started.
Jiang Mingyang lay there, feeling the breeze, watching the scenery outside the car window change quickly.
It was already nine o’clock in the evening, not early.
Having drunk, people tend to rember many things.
Jiang Mingyang watched the window for a while, suddenly feeling a bit depressed, he couldn’t help but sigh.
Turning to look at Xu Lin, Xu Lin’s perfect profile appeared to him.
Eighteen-year-old Xu Lin, at the pri of youth.
Jiang Mingyang suddenly felt a bit dazed, rembering his youthful days.
Back then, he too was handso and charming, and in the pri of youth.
But at Xu Lin’s age, he was nowhere as spirited—back then, he was just a naive country boy entering the city for the first ti, encountering the city’s traffic and nightlife, or those confident and pretty girls, he felt overwhelmingly inferior.
He rembered one night, his father-in-law drank a lot, sat in the passenger seat, while he drove the car.
Yet, Xu Lin was not his son-in-law.
Jiang Mingyang felt quite regretful, thinking about such an invaluable talented youth, how could his daughter deserve him?
What about his other daughter?
Apparently not possible either.
"I made so mistakes when I was young. Mr. Xu, do you think there’s such a thing as retribution in this world?"
Jiang Mingyang suddenly spoke.
"If it can be redied, maybe it’s not too late to redy it now."
Sigh...
Jiang Mingyang sighed and did not say anything, unsure what he was thinking.
"Mr. Xu, do you think I’m a good person?"
"I can’t probe into Mr. Jiang’s heart, how could I know?"
"Indeed."
"How does Mr. Jiang see himself?" Xu Lin asked him.
"My company provides tens of thousands of jobs, providing happiness for countless families. I’ve never mistreated my employees, and I invest tens of millions every year in charity in my na. But I don’t donate to those charity organizations for those scumbags to embezzle, I handle it earnestly myself. Thus, in terms of society, I should be considered a good person, right? Though, in terms of private morality, I’ve done quite a few bad things, I suppose I’m also a bad person."
"If Mr. Jiang is already a bad person in terms of private morality, and if in your vast enterprise you do harm to society, then, indeed, you’d deserve divine retribution, to be nailed to the pillar of sha, even to the extent of losing descendants!"
Xu Lin spared him no face.
Actually, Jiang Mingyang was talking about public and private virtues.
Public and private virtues, these two things are very complex; public virtue doesn’t relate much to ordinary people, but it’s significant to those with social status.
Just like looking at history, so people like to criticize emperors’ private morality, such as an emperor sleeping with his daughter-in-law or stepmother, but these private matters shouldn’t be brought up, they don’t matter in the context of an emperor. As the ruler of a nation, he’s responsible for countless lives; his duty is to be accountable to all citizens, to the country, to the ancestral spirits of the nation. If during his rule, the people prosper, the territory expands, then his achievents will immortalize him, the people will rember him, history will paint him gloriously. However, if during his rule, the people suffer, and the territory is invaded by foreigners, then that emperor, or that dynasty, like the Qing Dynasty, will be forever nailed on the historical pillar of sha.
This is why public and private virtues should be discussed separately, not lumped together indiscriminately.
What kind of person is Jiang Mingyang?
Xu Lin wasn’t clear, because it’s too complicated.
Understanding a person cannot rely on others’ fragnts of words, nor can it depend on his own words alone.
So Xu Lin didn’t have much to say; today was just their first substantial encounter.
He couldn’t claim to understand this man.
"Haha, indeed, I’ve already fallen short in private virtue. If I do things that are harmful and unjust, I’d indeed deserve divine retribution and losing descendants."
Jiang Mingyang sighed. He didn’t mind Xu Lin speaking so, he had that breadth of mind.
As they chatted, the car reached the villa community.
Xu Lin dropped him off at the villa.
"Mr. Xu, would you like to co in for a visit?"
"No, it’s almost ten, and it’s late. Mr. Jiang, rest early too!"
"Alright, Mr. Xu, you too."
Seeing Xu Lin didn’t want to co in, Jiang Mingyang felt sowhat regretful.
"Let’s gather again soti, Mr. Jiang."
"Alright, let’s gather again soti."
Jiang Mingyang watched Xu Lin leave, valuing him highly as an equal, thus treating him with respect.
On the other side, Xu Lin’s return journey sped up, getting ho in just over half an hour.
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