Chapter 1592 - 1644: Prestigious Families
Before entering the old master’s room, Li Yifei used his True Qi to evaporate the alcohol in his system and expel it, feeling refreshed as he entered the room.
Elder Su, wearing glasses, was reading documents at his desk. When he saw Li Yifei come in, he pointed to a wooden sofa beside him and said, "You sit first, let me finish reading."
Half an hour went by with Li Yifei not idling. He chatted with family on his phone, coaxing the women and children at home. Being so close yet not returning home had naturally left the women of the house waiting in vain, feeling somewhat resentful.
Utilizing his sweet-talking skills, Li Yifei finally managed to dissipate their resentment.
Elder Su put down the last document, stood up to stretch for about five minutes, and then looked at Li Yifei, saying, "Not even a thought to pour your grandfather a cup of tea!"
On hearing this, Li Yifei put away his phone, forced a smile, got up to get a teacup, and said, "Just busy coaxing your granddaughter, haven’t even gone home today, and they’ve got quite the opinion."
"As if! It’s all your fault for drinking and not coming home." Elder Su retorted with a laugh, waving his hand, "Hurry back. I have something to discuss."
Li Yifei briskly went to boil water and make tea, grabbing a cup for himself as well, and set it in front of Elder Su, who had already sat in his previous seat, so Li Yifei sat beside him.
After taking two sips, Elder Su nodded in approval, "Not bad, good taste, didn’t waste my tea leaves."
Li Yifei chuckled and asked, "Grandpa, what would you like to ask?"
"Ask? There’s much I want to ask, but then again, nothing I want to ask — too many questions just become a bother." Elder Su shook his head.
Li Yifei quickly said, "Don’t be like that, Grandpa, you’re just piquing my curiosity. Let’s chat openly — if you have expectations for me, just say so; I’ll do it."
Elder Su pointed and shook his finger twice at Li Yifei, laughingly scolding, "You’re the one who requested it earnestly, so let’s talk."
"Alright!" Li Yifei nodded in agreement.
Su Elder nodded in satisfaction, asking, "The Li family is now the top family in the province. As the head, how do you feel?"
Hearing the first question from Elder Su, Li Yifei put down his teacup, thought for a moment, and then answered, "Honestly, Grandpa, I don’t feel much, at least not now. I haven’t returned home yet and am not clear on the current scale of the Li family, so... I can’t answer this question."
Elder Su gave a meaningful look at this grandson-in-law and believed what Li Yifei said, so he continued, "Next question, what do you think distinguishes the Li family from other provincial families?"
Different? Li Yifei laughed and said, "The biggest difference is the Li family has only been around for a few years, with me being the only adult male, relying mainly on the women in the family. If carefully considered, we’re more of a family than a lineage group, yet we present ourselves as a family."
Elder Su said, "That’s right. A family, by definition, is a social organization based on kinship, including several or dozens of generations of kin as a family. The ’Guanzi’ says: ’Public repairs of public kin, family repairs of family kin. Work collectively, share the benefits.’ The Li family doesn’t qualify as a family now, but decades or a century later, it will be a big family. With so many wives, the family is bound to grow and flourish."
Li Yifei chuckled, seeing Elder Su unperturbed, he laughed and said, "Haven’t really thought about those things yet. In this generation, best not to think too far ahead. The country is changing, times are changing, who knows, maybe in a hundred years, the whole world will be one village."
At these words, Elder Su replied, "So you mean to stay complacent?"
"Not exactly, but the Li family has always been kind, never actively expanding. Besides, Grandpa, three meals a day, one bed to sleep on is enough. With the Li family’s current wealth, even excessive enjoyment can be sustained by us and our offspring, but stagnation isn’t an option, or else all these years of striving would be in vain."
Stopping here, Li Yifei slyly smiled and said, "Grandpa, I understand your meaning. As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep the family in check, never doing anything displeasing to the country, never betraying Huaxia. Hence, no matter how large the Li family becomes, it won’t be a problem!"
That statement was the key point, the reason Elder Su had kept him for this late-night conversation. He hadn’t explicitly mentioned it, but Li Yifei’s long talk aimed to express this sentiment.
Elder Su tapped his fingers on the table, speaking a bit sternly, "A promise to me is useless, but remember tonight’s words, don’t change, don’t forget, and don’t lose restraint. Every country has its laws, every family its rules — I suggest making this a rule in the Li family."
Li Yifei nodded in agreement, then heard Elder Su continue, "This term is about to end. What you’ve done has been seen by all and will be appreciated. The next batch is younger, with a greater drive, so some things need to change. If those old families remain rigid, they’ll easily be overtaken by the times. Progress cannot be just talk; it must be achieved."
Li Yifei understood. Elder Su rarely spoke idly, and the recurring mention of family matters made Li Yifei take it seriously. Younger leaders might have different attitudes towards family matters, implying potentially stricter handling and lower tolerance...
Thinking this, Li Yifei broke into a cold sweat, no wonder Elder Su repeatedly emphasized the matter.
Having lived to Su Elder’s age, having gone through years of ups and downs, even if he retired or fully stepped back, it’d be impossible for him to truly separate from power. Only death would make him stop caring about the direction and fate of the country, thus, if he took this seriously, it certainly merited caution!
Su Elder was pleased with Li Yifei’s reaction, having observed his growth over the past few years, knowing the child’s temperament, hence feeling reassured.
Li Yifei didn’t ask Elder Su what to do, being the family head meant not asking others about everything, even if that person was his grandfather.
After contemplating for a while, Li Yifei said, "The Li family’s expansion in the provincial capital will mostly stop here, developing slowly after without overstepping or behaving recklessly. If the state investigates illegal actions, I won’t obstruct... I’ll stand with the nation."
The last sentence was crucial. Elder Su raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Yifei and said, "It’s good not to be illegal; sometimes getting too close may not be beneficial, under a new ruler, things can change unexpectedly."
"Personally, I hope for the Li family’s freedom, but from a national perspective, family structures inherently have drawbacks..."
They discussed this for a long time, with Li Yifei leaving with yawns. Tonight’s talk was immensely beneficial to him; Elder Su’s words were golden, distilled from years in the political arena, greatly helping Li Yifei.
Back in his room, Li Yifei thoughtfully recalled everything, deeply imprinting it even if they might not all be applicable now; many concepts were beyond his current understanding.
"Family, bloodline, corporation, commercial empire, wealth doesn’t last three generations, three generations produce a noble..." Li Yifei muttered these interconnected terms, his mind linking them to the future development of the Li family.
Elder Su had reassured him. Li Yifei’s trip to Dubai was worthwhile, having wrested the oil collaboration project back from the Japanese, boosting national strategic interests in the Middle East, and pleasing certain high-ranking officials, some of whom might be promoted in the next term.
By then, because of this achievement, even if the Li family grows significantly, they’ll find more leniency from those people.
In particular, by saving Wu Shuwei several times and befriending her father — a senior official potentially advancing further in the next term — Li Yifei unwittingly gained a card, though Elder Su advised playing it sparingly.
He felt he might not even need to play it; just having it was important enough. Since he wasn’t in politics, too many cards could be problematic.
Thinking of Wu Shuwei, Li Yifei couldn’t help but shake his head, unsure how the unfortunate woman was doing now. Those Japanese men had been captured, likely leaving no one who’d think to kidnap her again, especially with bodyguards for protection, making kidnapping challenging.
He also thought about Sarama, the lovely and beautiful princess, wondering if she was training even harder now?
Before departing, Li Yifei had advised her, but instead, Sarama had become more resolved, vowing to train harder to close the gap with Li Yifei. He nearly considered having Sophia teach her, but quickly dismissed the idea.
What Sophia had experienced shouldn’t be passed on to Sarama, else the Chief might come looking for him. Yet with Sarama’s training approach, improvements might still be limited even after years.
Why worry so much, Li Yifei thought as he lay in bed, stretching lazily, imagining how wonderful it would be to be cuddling with any one of Su Mengxin and the others, his hand casually resting in the right spot was an unparalleled comfort.