webnovelfull Chapter 1272 Hidden Deeply
Chapter 1272 Hidden Deeply
Grandpa Liang looked at the exquisite dishes on the elegant plate and was slightly taken aback. "I've never thought that eating could be so refined! It's a separate meal, with two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup, plus rice or steamed buns—a total of six items. Look at these bowls and plates; each one is different, yet they blend together perfectly with the food!"
Grandpa Xu chuckled, "This set of tableware is in the Song Dynasty style. Just this one meal, plus all these bowls and plates, is enough for those cultural relics experts to write several papers!"
Grandpa Liang asked curiously, "You know about these things?"
Hearing the disdain in Old Master Liang's tone, Old Master Xu immediately became displeased. "To be honest, although my academic qualifications are not as high as yours, it doesn't mean my culture is inferior to yours! I was placed at the entrance of a Taoist temple from birth, and I've been learning classical Chinese texts since elementary school. In terms of cultural background, you and Old Fu combined might not even be able to match me!"
Grandpa Liang was taken aback again. "You were a Taoist priest too?"
Grandpa Xu looked puzzled. "Although I'm very low-key and don't usually talk about this, I'm a little curious since you don't know about it."
Grandpa Liang scratched his forehead. "I didn't hear that you were a Taoist priest. I heard that you were a little beggar who fainted from hunger on the roadside and was rescued by a passing team before you joined the organization."
Grandpa Fu was also quite curious, "Yes, that's the explanation I heard too!"
Madam Xu chuckled, "That's what I told everyone. During the War of Resistance, we didn't care about these things. As long as we could kill the Japanese and repel the enemy, our identity didn't matter. But after the founding of the People's Republic, we can't be superstitious anymore. Taoist priests are often associated with feudal superstition, so I tell others that my husband, Old Xu, came from a beggar background, and I'm a beggar's wife! Hahaha..."
Madam Xu's hearty smile immediately brought a smile to everyone's faces.
Madam Liang asked with a smile, "You, such a refined person, how could you say such a shabby thing?"
Madam Xu didn't care at all, quite nonchalantly, "What's the big deal! Back then, Zhu Yuanzhang started with just a bowl, and eventually became emperor! He unified a divided country. Our old Xu doesn't have that kind of ability, but he's still very good!"
Old Master Fu looked at Old Master Xu with a more scrutinizing gaze, and pointed at him, saying, "You old fellow, you've been hiding your true colors so well!"
Grandpa Xu raised his eyebrows with a smug look. "Look at my house, my yard. Every time you go there, you say it's great, and that I'm a boorish man, pretending to be something I'm not! Let me tell you, that's all based on the feng shui I learned when I was a kid!"
Grandpa Fu and Grandpa Liang were filled with respect. "We asked you before which master had made the move, and you said the other party had already gone into seclusion! You were probably secretly pleased!"
Grandpa Xu chuckled, “Your status is extraordinary, and it’s not my place to make arrangements for you! If your family is doing well and peacefully, that’s fine. But if there are any setbacks, wouldn’t you blame me? So don’t mention such things to me, and I won’t agree! I only care about myself and my own little courtyard! If you find my place interesting, come over and have some tea.”
Grandpa Fu nodded. "That's true! I understand now why, over the years, Lao Liang and I have gone through so many twists and turns, taking so many detours! You, a wise man who appears foolish, have always stood firm and had everything go smoothly!"
Grandpa Liang wholeheartedly agreed, "Right! Even when we were sent down to the countryside, it was you who only received a little criticism and stayed put! But we still have to thank you. If it weren't for you helping us back then, we probably wouldn't have been able to return to the city so quickly!"
Old Master Xu smiled and said, "You flatter me! Actually, you don't need to thank me. The most important thing is that you have a public-spirited heart and have done a very good job in raising your children! Unlike some people who, once they have a little power, recklessly amplify their inner desires and do whatever they want!"
"Their children follow suit because what they have is not something they earned through their own abilities. In reality, it's just that certain things and certain people pushed them into those positions, letting them taste the power and forget where that power came from!"
Old Master Xu has always been a man of impeccable morals, practically a non-stick pan. There are certain things he would never do, but if he did, his first consideration would be whether it would cause him any trouble.
Old Master Fu thought for a moment, "Old Xu, you're right! I wouldn't dare say that all of my Fu family's children will become successful, but they've all grown up! Those with strong abilities will rise to higher positions, while those with average abilities will stay in ordinary positions, living peacefully and steadily, and still be able to achieve something!"
Grandpa Liang sighed, "Yes! My children are the same way! I really don't dare to put children with average abilities in important positions. Even if they don't have bad intentions, some people might still try to take the blame."
"Old Zhao, who used to play chess with us, had a son who seemed eloquent, but when it came to actually doing things, he was completely out of touch with reality and didn't consider practicalities! To put it nicely, he was bold and decisive! To put it bluntly, he was just reckless and impulsive! In the end, he worked so hard, only to benefit others, and he himself ended up in jail!"
Grandpa Xu nodded, "Yes! Those who are promoted through resources are simply not capable enough to support their positions, but they don't think so themselves! So they become the victims of the power struggle and the scapegoats!"
At every gathering, Grandpa Xu would talk to his son, daughter, and son-in-law about various examples and analyze the pros and cons.
To steadily advance in your career, you must first recognize your own capabilities. Don't take on jobs you're not qualified for. Most people can't do them!
Many people, after discovering that their sons or grandsons are not up to par, begin to cultivate a successor within their own faction or among their subordinates.
At least once this person comes to power, he can protect the family for one or two generations! His own descendants can live a peaceful life as wealthy idlers.
Forcing someone onto a horse could very likely result in a horrible fall, or even death.
These words demonstrate Mr. Xu's shrewdness and his remarkably good sense of propriety.
Liu Meilan, Fu Chen, Xu Feng, and Liang Cheng listened to their elders' conversation while eating.
In such situations, younger people generally don't interrupt. They just listen attentively.
These younger generations are among the best of the younger generation. They are not only highly self-disciplined and hardworking, but also intelligent and quick-witted.
The teachings and examples passed down by their elders made them deeply aware of the cruelty of politics, where killings happen without bloodshed, and such instances are commonplace.
Are these elderly people just chatting in front of them? They're practically targeting them!