novelraw Chapter 457 - 436 Selfishness_1
Chapter 457 - 436 Selfishness_1
The father and son had yet another loud argument at home over these matters. In truth, neither was at fault; the only mistake lay in one’s overwhelming selfishness, which repeatedly caused harm to one’s own family.
"Everyone else’s mistakes can be forgiven by their loved ones. Why can’t I be forgiven? I admit I’ve done wrong. I know the wrongs I’ve committed have made you all unable to forgive me, unable to feel at peace. But can’t you forgive me just this once?"
"Just once? Is it really just this once that you’ve erred, that you’ve received our forgiveness? Ask yourself how many wrongful deeds you’ve committed, how much harm you’ve caused your own family, your own son, driving us to despair. Yet in the end, we still chose to forgive you because we treated you as our own family member, holding you in such high regard. But what about you? What do we mean to you when it seems you would abandon the most important people in your home for what you call your private desires? Do you honestly think your heart can bear it? Does it not cause you pain? Sometimes, as a father, I truly don’t understand—are hearts not made of flesh that can feel pain? Aren’t feelings supposed to be reciprocal? Do the decisions you’ve made truly reflect a heart that can feel, emotions that can grow cold? Every single thing you’ve done has failed to consider the feelings of your own family. You’re always so selfish. Don’t you know that selfishness never leads to any good outcome? Yet why do you still obstinately choose such an end?"
"Dad, from the moment I was born, you should have known that my destiny wasn’t mine to choose. I didn’t meet your expectations, to stay at home and take over the company, to become the most useful person in the world. But my son did. He’s more capable than me, surpassing the teacher. He’s stronger than even you, achieving much more. He has become the most powerful man in the world, the most capable man, and he has married the kindest, gentlest wife."
"Do you now feel proud inside, seeing your son’s accomplishments? But you can never imagine, for him to reach this point today, how much he has endured, how arduously he has struggled. You’ve never seen it, never felt it. His every step was just to prove himself, to show his parents he is worthwhile, to make you regret abandoning him. And when he was most accomplished, you came back, but you didn’t give him a warm embrace, not an apology, not even a greeting. Instead, you inflicted upon him the deepest hurts again and again. Everything you do always disregards the feelings of others. You think as long as you’re happy, it’s okay; what do you care about others’ happiness? But you never realize just how much your own family yearns for your joy, that even if they suffer a bit or work a little harder, it doesn’t matter. To them, having one’s loved ones safe and happy in this life is enough. In your son’s heart, he doesn’t ask for much love from his parents, doesn’t require you to do much for him; he just hopes his parents can live a happy life. Even if they never acknowledge him as their son for their entire lives, it would be okay. But how do you treat him then? You take his love for you and use it as capital to hurt him again and again. Haven’t you caused him enough pain?"
"Dad, I’m sorry. I really know I’ve done wrong. I know I’ve been incredibly selfish, never considering the feelings of those I care about and those who love me. I always felt that being happy was enough. Why bother with others who are not related, who can’t even manage their own affairs? But I didn’t realize that my father still loves me so much, that my son still cares about me, his biological father, just as my daughter-in-law does too. Yet I’ve done so many things that hurt them. How can I even face them now? Why does every decision I make have to cause them such grief, such unbearable pain? All for the sake of my own interests, because of my excessive demands, abandoning the most important thing I should’ve protected."
"Yes, you just go ahead and support your capricious ways. Do you understand, when you act so arrogantly, how many eyes are watching behind you, just waiting for you to fall hard from your high place? But you never know how much your own family cares about you, how every step should be taken with care and steadiness, to lie safely on the floor instead of on the soft clouds of the lofty heavens, which will only exhaust you... You won’t be able to return to this home in this lifetime, because you’ve run out of chances. Recently, your wife has been causing trouble again. I don’t know whether it’s deliberate, but I hope you’ll investigate properly. If it turns out to be intentional, not only will your son be unable to forgive her, but as a father, I won’t forgive her either. The things she’s done are simply unforgivable, and this time, she has hurt me, not to mention the relationship between your son and daughter-in-law!"
Upon hearing his father mention his wife’s recent troublemaking, Zhang Zhentian knew his wife had really returned. He was partly happy yet also saddened; happy that he could finally find his wife, yet saddened that perhaps because of this event, it really was impossible for them to be together again.
"All right, I’ll, the selfish one, take it upon myself to thoroughly investigate this matter. Once I’ve cleared things up, I’ll let you know immediately. Don’t worry. Don’t look at me with those eyes; I won’t hide anything from you. I won’t do things like before that you could never forgive. Just be at ease!"