Again, he spoke in all seriousness, "Xixi, it always feels odd to ..."
What on earth was this guy hemming and hawing about?
Grinning, he touched his nose and said, "You need to change your perspective. From now on, you must love first, then our child, and only then Xu Xiaoya. You can’t get your priorities mixed up..."
But we don’t even have a child yet, do we?
What’s the rush?
This rascal, he’s really getting jealous over nothing.
"Xixi, why don’t you get yourself a better car?"
"No need."
"I’ll get one for you."
"No, no, please don’t..." she said, a hint of mystery in her voice.
"Why not?"
"Just think about it—the Empress Dowager is watching every day, caring only if I study well. If I get a new car and show off, wouldn’t that just make a target? Moreover, since the Empress Dowager is such a low-profile person, I should naturally pretend to be low-profile yet luxurious, with an air of substance, right?"
"Low-profile luxury with substance?" he thought. "Is she sure that’s not more like tempting a thunderstorm?"
He snorted, just snorted.
"Silence is golden; flaunt it and you’ll fall flat. Hmm, low-profile, low-profile... Every ti I can’t resist the vain impulse, I just listen to ’The Punishnt of Impulse’ a few tis..."
She continued, "Even if ’The Punishnt of Impulse’ can’t extinguish the flas of my desire to spend heaps of money, I have to hold back. Otherwise, wouldn’t the Empress Dowager co to dislike ?"
"..."
It’s not that you can’t revel in your mont of triumph, but you have to choose the right ti.
You haven’t even found your footing yet; why rush to show your true, uncouth self?
"At least, I should wait until my position is stable before showing my true, fierce colors, right? Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager sees through from the start, wouldn’t that be awfully boring?"
Wan Donglin laughed heartily.
She continued, completely unfazed, "You know Emperor Yang of Sui, right? Before he beca the Crown Prince, he was frugal and even dared to marry only one wife. That’s how he tricked Empress Dugu into trusting him. He eventually ascended to the throne and beca thoroughly corrupt."
"Little swindler, are you planning to follow Emperor Yang’s example?"
She laughed casually, "Didn’t you tell ? Once we have a child, the big picture is settled, and my position is secure, the Empress Dowager won’t be able to do a thing, even if she despises .
"Until I’ve accumulated my own power, I must bide my ti and keep a low profile!
"Once my wings are fully fledged, I can spend money lavishly, enjoy life to the fullest, and be as pretentious as I want. By then, the Empress Dowager won’t be able to kick out anyway..."
Wan Donglin was so amused he almost choked with laughter.
What a little fraud.
Especially her use of ’bide my ti and keep a low profile’—was that even how you use the term?
He asked, his interest piqued, "And how would you accumulate your own power?"
"Won have an advantage over n: they can literally produce their own kin!"
"..."
"Are you slow or what? Isn’t it just about having children? The more children I have, the more soft power I wield, right? I used to be afraid of having children, but then I thought about it and realized I should have several more to strengthen my own ranks."
Everyone scoffs at won who marry into wealthy families, saying they only know how to have baby after baby... a daughter, then a son; a son, then another daughter... one after another, as if they’ve beco re baby-making machines.
Little do they know, marrying into a wealthy family is like diving into a deep sea filled with ambushes. Bare-handed and bewildered, how are you supposed to navigate it?
Of course, the answer is to have children.
One, two, three, four... It might seem like a hassle when they’re little, but once they’ve all grown up—sons or daughters, it doesn’t matter—won’t you be stronger in numbers? Those are your absolute, direct loyalists, with roots running as deep as a mighty tree.
Consider Matriarch Jia of Grandview Garden. If she hadn’t been blessed with nurous children and grandchildren, on what grounds could she have beco the esteed Old Ancestor there?
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