"That’s not it!" Luo Ziling quickly shook his head, "I just think my mom has a great personality, she’s not ’hypocritical’ at all. And her abilities are quite impressive. Compared to officials of the same level and even those above her, she’s outstanding in every aspect. If she were to rise to power one day and still retain her nature, that would be a great blessing for the nation."
Before Ling Jinhua could respond, Luo Ziling immediately continued, "Setting aside personal grudges and looking at it from the perspective of an observer, I also think that if my mom were to come to power, she could bring benefits to the whole country. In terms of ability and character, my mom surpasses her brother and is much stronger than her peers and contemporaries. In these aspects, my dad is far inferior to her. She could influence an era, even the entire Huaxia."
"What do you think someone like me should consider when making a decision?" Ling Jinhua squinted his eyes once again, looking at Luo Ziling with great patience, "You can put yourself in my shoes and think about the question I just asked you."
"Thinking narrowly, when you make a decision, you must consider the interests of your family, the entire Ling Family. Therefore, I can completely understand and accept the decisions you’ve made and your actions in the past. But I think, at your age, your vision should be a bit more long-term."
Luo Ziling looked at Ling Jinhua without any hesitation, "Placing certain things in the hands of narrow-minded and mediocre people can potentially harm everyone. I believe that by entrusting certain things to my mom, the returns you can get will definitely be much greater than if you gave them to others, and the benefits for the Ling Family may also be more. I completely believe that if Ling Zhengping became the head, the Ling Family could not continue the glory it had when you and my grandfather were in charge. I think you feel the same way; otherwise, you wouldn’t hesitate and would have clearly entrusted family matters to Ling Zhengping by now. From a broader and higher perspective, narrow-minded mediocrities holding higher positions is also a harm to the people and the country, even a disaster. I know saying this is still idealistic, but I think, why can’t the ideas be a bit more beautiful? What if it really happens?"
"Why don’t you lay it all out?" Ling Jinhua smiled slightly, "You haven’t fully expressed your thoughts."
"My meaning, actually Great Grandfather already understands, is just hoping that Great Grandfather can support my mom more. My mom will definitely bring you surprises. Her only weakness is being a woman, but who said women are inferior to men? Wouldn’t it be better to let her create an era? At least this would be an achievement for the Ling Family, and it would be a significant mark in the history of the Ling Family," Luo Ziling chuckled, then stood up and bowed to Ling Jinhua: "Thank you, Great Grandfather, for not blaming me for my previous ramblings, but these words truly express what I feel. We happened to talk about history with Great Grandfather, so I spoke boldly. Bitter medicine cures diseases, faithful words offend the ears—these two old sayings I completely agree with, and I hope Great Grandfather can agree as well. Combining the virtues of Ma Zhou and Wei Zheng under someone’s rule, I think, would be everyone’s fortune."
"Your son really has guts!" Ling Jinhua pointed at Luo Ziling and said to Ling Ruonan, who had been silent: "Using history discussion as a pretext, he’s here to make demands on your behalf. What he means is, if I don’t support you rising to power, I’m going against the will of heaven!"
"Grandpa, don’t think of it like that!" Ling Ruonan explained somewhat awkwardly, "Ling’er is young, does things rather impulsively, and his thoughts are quite simple..."
Ling Jinhua interrupted Ling Ruonan, disagreeing with her: "I don’t believe your son acts impulsively or has simple thoughts. How many things has he done that were impulsive? On the contrary, I feel, no matter how impulsive his actions may seem, they are all well considered, like what he reminded me of just now. I also agree with the saying that a hundred men murmuring is less valuable than one man’s earnest words. Haha, there’s really no one else who would dare speak like this in front of me, only your son. Your son is remarkable!"
"Grandpa, Ling’er often speaks and acts impulsively, don’t take it to heart!" Ling Ruonan felt a bit uneasy, so she spoke cautiously.
Ling Jinhua shook his head, "Your son, his personality is actually quite similar to yours—very intelligent, capable in handling matters."
"Thank you, Great Grandfather, for the compliment!" Luo Ziling chuckled, "It’s rare to hear such praise face-to-face from Great Grandfather."
"Your son is also a grandson of the Ling Family, and the Ling Family should provide assistance." Ling Jinhua smiled faintly, then said to Ling Ruonan with a meaningful tone, "I hope you and your son have no malice towards the Ling Family, after all, you are descendants of the Ling Family. Later on, you can help the Ling Family well, the Ling Family also needs your help. You are both talented people, gradually increasing your influence on the entire society. I hope when your influence further grows, you won’t forget your original goals, and don’t become complacent."
Ling Jinhua suddenly became sentimental, surprising Ling Ruonan.
"Grandpa, rest assured, we will definitely not let you down!" Ling Ruonan replied earnestly, not fully understanding the implications of Ling Jinhua’s words: "The conflict between Ling’er and some people in the Ling Family is merely due to them bullying us, forcing us to fight back. We never take the initiative to cause trouble, and we hope everyone can get along peacefully."
Ling Jinhua said nothing, just gently nodded.
Ling Jinhua’s expression allowed Ling Ruonan to breathe a sigh of relief and filled her heart with joy.
She sensed the change in Ling Jinhua’s attitude towards her and Luo Ziling.
The change was so significant, it was beyond what she dared to hope for.
"Grandpa, yesterday Ling’er and I went to see my parents, and they told me they wanted to leave the courtyard they currently live in to me as a dowry." Ling Ruonan, after a moment’s hesitation, told Ling Jinhua about what had just happened and continued, "The gift is too valuable, I don’t dare accept it, but I also fear that refusing their gift might hurt their feelings."
Luo Ziling didn’t expect Ling Ruonan to suddenly bring this matter up, was somewhat surprised, and immediately stared at Ling Jinhua’s face to see his reaction to this news.
But to his surprise, Ling Jinhua showed no unusual expression after hearing it.
Ling Jinhua simply laughed softly and calmly said to Ling Ruonan, "Your dad is about to retire soon, and when he steps down, they may not necessarily live there. They’ve long said they want to move out of the city due to the poor air quality. They want to move to the suburbs, leaving the house to their children, and that’s perfectly fine. You’re a daughter of the Ling Family, and there’s nothing strange about your parents giving you a generous gift as a dowry!"
Ling Jinhua’s answer left both Ling Ruonan and Luo Ziling stunned.