novelraw Chapter 332 - 324: Knowing People and Making the Best Use of Them
Chapter 332 - 324: Knowing People and Making the Best Use of Them
Cheng Xiaoxiao had an indifferent expression, but every word she uttered was piercing, causing the sobbing Ke Mengyao to successfully fall silent.
"You..." Bullying her because she had lost her father, this woman was truly hateful.
What good would it do to be unwilling? She didn’t want to die yet.
She hadn’t found Chi yet, he hadn’t seen their child, how could she die?
The resentful and unwilling Ke Mengyao could only swallow her pride. The days ahead were long; one day, she would make her pay.
After dealing with the issue regarding Ke Mengyao, Cheng Xiaoxiao looked towards Ming Shan and Yang Fan.
The two of them, perfectly synchronized with each other, guiltily avoided meeting Cheng Xiaoxiao’s eyes.
Mr. Cheng’s knack for confrontation left them in awe, handling matters decisively and straightforwardly, showing no mercy.
And what about Xiao Ying’s matter?
Her fate seemed grim...
Alas!
Seeing the two remain silent, Cheng Xiaoxiao teased, "So, what? Are you planning to move out and start your own group?"
"What words are these, Mr. Cheng? We’re your loyal followers; we’ll never leave. Xiao Ying’s words don’t represent all the brothers’ opinions. Women, with their long hair but short vision, speak nonsense we shouldn’t take seriously," Yang Fan cautiously replied, afraid of saying something wrong.
"If that’s the case, then why don’t you tell me how you plan to handle this matter?"
This was tossing the problem back to them.
The two exchanged a glance, and it was Ming Shan who spoke up.
"Mr. Cheng is right. Even children know about propriety, righteousness, and shame; they can distinguish between right and wrong. As an adult, she should be responsible for her actions.
Therefore, we’ve decided to fully entrust Mr. Cheng with the handling of this, regardless of the outcome, we won’t complain, we only ask Mr. Cheng to give us another chance to stay, considering the old and young in our families who need support."
Cheng Xiaoxiao didn’t say how she’d handle Yang Ying; instead, she asked them a question.
"Do you know the biggest difference between the 132th Regiment and your troop?"
Yang Fan thought for a moment and spoke plainly, "The 132th Regiment is united and progressive, they practice what they preach, strictly adhere to orders, and there’s no underhandedness going on beneath the surface."
"The biggest difference between the 132th Regiment and us is that regardless of age or gender, everyone is treated equally, performing their respective duties. Everyone has their own work to do and goals to strive for."
Ming Shan’s state of mind suddenly opened up, his gaze was more determined than ever before. He turned to Yang Fan, "Xiao Fan, we were wrong. We always thought of ourselves as the pillars of our family, earning enough work points for them makes us the head just by right, but we ignored the root of the problem."
They even applied to Mr. Cheng to earn enough Contribution Points after joining the 132th Regiment to bring their families in, taking all the responsibility upon themselves, which might not necessarily be good.
Facing Yang Fan’s questioning look, Ming Shan explained, "We wanted to protect our families under our wings, but over time, they have lost their spirit of striving. They only knew how to rely on and demand from us.
When one day that reliance collapses and is no longer dependable, they would feel it’s unfair and develop an extreme mentality like Xiao Ying...
Saying this, he laughed at himself. "Back when the family was poor, she not only had to take care of the elderly and children but also handle household chores, even in winter washing clothes and cooking without complaint. Why has she become so impatient and selfish now?
That’s because back then the whole family needed her, I earned money to support the family, she managed it well, we both made efforts together since the city became chaotic, our status rose up, all the women fawned over her, flattering her, rushing to do any errands, giving her unprecedented vanity satisfaction, making her almost a leader within the inner courtyard.
But now, the troop isn’t just under our command, we’re no longer her reliable support, her identity and status were challenged, no one holds her on high, such a huge gap wouldn’t make her become insanely jealous?"
Ming Shan’s ability to articulate such insights made Cheng Xiaoxiao quite appreciative; she used to think he was just a smidge smarter than Yang Fan.
Unexpectedly, he had such an understanding side that was worth nurturing a bit further.
Yang Fan, like being enlightened by a profound truth, realized the indulgence they had allowed had become the cause of this incident?
Seeing they woke up in time, Cheng Xiaoxiao felt inclined to offer a bit of guidance.
"Do you know why since ancient times, it’s said women have long hair but short knowledge? Actually, it’s not entirely the women’s fault. After marrying, they devoted themselves to supporting their husbands, educating the children, managing the household, and were surrounded by the endless chores of daily life. These duties occupied all their minds, naturally narrowing their vision and scope, making them stagnant and complacent.
They only focused on their small domestic world, only seeing the immediate gains or losses, it’s not their fault but rather the environment they lived in; the ideas and beliefs they were born with; the ancestral rites education taught them.
These confines restricted their freedom and shackled their thoughts.
I believe, if not for these shackles, there would be plenty of women daring enough to venture and excel, who might not live any worse than men. In my troop, there are many such talents, women who can also stand on their own without living under someone’s wings."
After pondering for a moment, Cheng Xiaoxiao changed her approach: "In these times, the constraints are too strong, fixing your line of thinking as Ming Shan mentioned; men bear the responsibility of working and earning, while women manage the children and household duties. If you asked a hundred people, a hundred might think this way, that’s called the confinement of thought passed down from old generations, continuously instilled until it becomes an established fact. Even if someone realizes the impropriety, it’s hard to break free from this mindset.
To pioneer, one must break through this confinement of thought, change their original mode of thinking and view the world from a different angle. You will then realize that knowing people and using them wisely makes everyone shine to their fullest potential.
Use talents like tools, utilizing their strengths is not about gender or age. As it’s said, ’A sturdy cart can carry heavy loads, but can’t cross a river like a boat; a fine horse can travel dangerous paths, but can’t plow fields like an ox.’
Talents have various personalities, abilities, experiences, interests, and different roles have different requirements for talents. When talents are placed in the right position, their talents can be fully realized; placed wrong, they may turn into mediocrity. If mismatched, at a small scale, it wastes talents, at a larger scale, it causes blunders.
Moreover, among diverse professions, there can always be experts; intellectuals, farmers, artisans, merchants are the pillars of the nation, when someone elevates a particular occupation to the pinnacle, reaching the extreme, it garners respect and reverence, making the distinction between high and low status vanish." Cheng Xiaoxiao spoke eloquently, until her mouth was dry.
She had no other choice, if everyone had been through nine years of compulsory education, she wouldn’t have to explain in such detail.
The confinement of thought, essentially, is caused by fundamental beliefs, which, in turn, are products of the era. Only as an outside observer, untainted by the thoughts of these times, could I critically point out the deficiencies accumulated over thousands of years in the feudal dynasties.
PS: Which is harder to overcome, prevailing beliefs, or the confinement of thought!!!