"Gold-plating, of course. It’s all the rage these days. For instance, if soone ntions you, they’ll say, ’This girl is a Harvard University graduate.’ Even if you’re from a humble background, people will look up to you a bit more, won’t they?"
Yan Xixi: "..."
"Later, when people ask , ’What does your daughter-in-law do?’ Do you think it sounds better to answer, ’She runs a small grocery stall,’ or ’She’s a top Harvard graduate’?"
See? This is exactly why I’m not trying to marry above my station into your family! Can’t I just decide not to get involved with your family at all?
"Do you understand the power of packaging? Take a chicken thigh, for example. It costs two or three yuan at the market, but once it’s rebranded as ’Original Flavor Finger-Lickin’ Chicken,’ its price jumps to over ten yuan. It’s like the handbags you sell. The raw materials are mostly the sa. Change the na slightly, spruce it up, improve the design and craftsmanship, and it becos a luxury brand. People will desire it even if it costs tens of thousands, won’t they?"
Yan Xixi was left completely speechless.
A country bumpkin is a country bumpkin after all, to have never heard of such things.
"These days, there aren’t many true aristocrats in A Country. No matter how many generations you count back, they’re all descendants of thieves and petty crooks. But they reinvent themselves. They hold salons, flaunt their luxury goods, drive fancy cars, live in mansions, and keep the common folk out. Then, suddenly, they’re considered aristocrats. There are plenty of people who talk big, but very few real gentlen and ladies. The key is packaging, understand? With good packaging, even a cowherd can be seen as rich and handso."
Yan Xixi was dumbfounded.
"However, luxury goods have their own justification. Even if it’s just packaging, their styling, design, trendiness, fashion, quality, and other factors are generally better, right? Coupled with extensive promotion, they naturally stand out, don’t they? Quality is also very crucial."
Liu Daqing’s tone was uncompromising as she said, "Go out and get yourself gold-plated. It only gets harder when you’re older."
Stunned, she asked, "Where should I go to get this... gold-plating?"
"Harvard."
"But... the application is too difficult, and the tuition is too expensive..."
Fifty to sixty thousand a year is no small sum for ordinary people.
"Do you know what ’husband’ ans if you reverse the characters?"
She was puzzled. Husband... if you reverse the characters... she thought. The sound of the reversed characters suddenly clicked in her mind. Pay the bills? Husband... ans pay the bills!
How shocking! Why had I never thought of this before?
Liu Daqing said dismissively, "If they don’t foot the bill, who would want them as husbands?"
"..."
Yan Xixi’s mouth fell open; she almost burst out laughing.
It’s often the most obvious truths in life that go unnoticed.
But Liu Daqing, her expression serious, said, "Yan Xixi, let’s be frank from the start, even if it’s unpleasant. Donglin loves you, but I don’t. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in my eyes, you’re a nobody. To date, I truly haven’t found any impressive qualities in you, and you’re certainly not my ideal candidate for a daughter-in-law. If you haven’t fallen in love with Donglin, then so be it. But if, one day, you figure things out and suddenly want to marry Donglin, don’t bla for not warning you in advance. You must first improve yourself and gradually beco a match for Donglin. As for how to improve yourself, Donglin knows what to do. You don’t need to worry about that. Although I’m not a fan of luxury goods, I value quality and dislike knock-offs or anything that’s all show and no substance. You have to et my standards before I’ll find you acceptable. Otherwise, don’t even dream of stepping into the Wan family’s ho."
Yan Xixi’s mouth remained agape; she was utterly unable to say a word in response.
Empress Dowager Liu... she truly had the bearing of an actual Empress Dowager. There was absolutely no way to counter her.
Liu Daqing stood up. "I won’t disturb you any longer. Thank you for the black tea; it was quite good."
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