Chapter Eighty-Four: Insatiable Desire

After hearing Zhao Dabao’s lament, Ning Shuyi remained silent.

Zhao Dabao had known her for quite some time, and at a glance, he could tell that she must have her own opinions about the matter.

“You think I’m wrong?” he asked Ning Shuyi.

“It’s not that you’re wrong. In fact, what you said is quite accurate,” Ning Shuyi shook her head. “Wang Yuluo’s aunt’s series of plans and arrangements are indeed shrewd and calculating. At first, she tried to secretly benefit her own family under the guise of helping, seeking small advantages. When she realized that path wouldn’t work, she quickly adjusted her strategy, learned from her mistakes, and even set up a double safeguard. On the one hand, she maintained her relationship with her brother and his daughter, while on the other, she imposed strict requirements on her own daughter, mapping out a career plan for her.

“Wang Yuluo’s father’s business isn’t exactly small, but it’s not so big that he can do without trusted insiders. Everyone knows that the most essential role in a company is someone reliable to manage the finances. So, it comes down to this: either her own daughter steps over her spoiled, useless niece to become the core of the family—the only person her brother can truly rely on in the business—or, if her plan fails and her daughter doesn’t manage to become indispensable to her uncle, at least she’ll have her qualifications and can land a well-paying, desirable job elsewhere.

“But there’s a problem we need to consider. Although Wang Yuluo’s aunt is hardly kindhearted—she hides her selfish schemes behind a mask of virtue and doesn’t hesitate to ruin her own niece for personal gain, which is quite remarkable in its own way—given her plan and its current results, do you think Wang Yuluo’s fate matters much in the grand scheme?”

Zhao Dabao didn’t need to think long about the answer. He shook his head at once. “Not much! In fact, it hardly matters at all! We know more about Wang Yuluo’s conduct than her own father does. You could say she’s not a bad person—she even stayed somewhat restrained when she fell in with Zhang Jiawen’s crowd and never did anything truly wicked or bullied anyone. But if you want to call her good, well, she doesn’t want to do anything serious with her life. Besides eating, drinking, and having fun, she’s neither independent nor obedient. In her late twenties, she still has none of the responsibility expected of an adult.

“Let’s suppose her father, feeling his age and having no other choice, hands the company over to her. Wouldn’t she just be a figurehead boss? In the end, it would almost certainly fall on her cousin, the one who studied accounting, to actually keep things running—or they’d have to find her a reliable partner to lean on. Judging by the hostility Wang Yuluo harbors towards her father and her poor taste in relationships, relying on her cousin to help seems far more likely!”

“That’s right. As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. With such an unskilled, willful, and rebellious daughter like Wang Yuluo in the family, her cousin Yu Mengpeng, who studied accounting, looks all the more competent and dutiful by contrast!” Ning Shuyi nodded. “So, from Wang Yuluo’s aunt’s perspective, not only does Wang Yuluo not threaten her overall plan, but she actually makes the image of the long-suffering, devoted aunt all the more vivid and convincing!”

“By that logic, Wang Yuluo’s uncle is really the one dragging the family down!” Zhao Dabao sighed. “He’s impatient for quick results, shortsighted, and greedy! He went into business with his brother-in-law, but ended up making a mess of things, only adding to his wife’s burdens and giving her even more to clean up. If it weren’t for all the years his sister had devoted to the family, Wang Yuluo’s father would’ve cut ties with them long ago. If that had happened, all his wife’s carefully laid plans would have gone up in smoke! The man’s only goal is to bleed his brother-in-law dry, and he doesn’t even try to hide his greed—he’s utterly shameless! Compared to him, his wife—Wang Yuluo’s aunt—is far craftier. After these past few days of investigation, who doesn’t say outside that Wang Yuluo has a wonderful aunt? People praise her aunt’s goodness, but at the same time, the neighbors all gossip about Wang Yuluo, saying how immature and useless she is. Admittedly, Wang Yuluo isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but her aunt is downright terrifying! She sets her niece up for a lifetime of mediocrity while grooming her own daughter for fame and success!”

Ning Shuyi shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that’s certain. A good plan is useless if it’s only on paper—the key is whether every step of its execution goes smoothly and everyone involved cooperates. Just like you said about Wang Yuluo’s uncle—he’s the classic example of a deadweight teammate. Not only is he uncooperative, but he actively drags things down! And as for grooming her own daughter to perfection, I’m not so sure. It’s obvious that her daughter and she don’t see eye to eye about life plans.”

“That’s true. I heard the girl is determined to study law? Wants to take the bar and become a lawyer?” Zhao Dabao recalled. “That’s pretty interesting! Did she ever mention why? Is it because she admires the profession, or is it just that it sounds impressive and promises big money in the eyes of outsiders? But being a lawyer isn’t all glamour and easy riches! Did she ever look into the hardships and the slow climb it takes to get there? If you ask me, sticking to her mother’s plan would be far easier for her—it’s the difference between climbing stairs and riding an elevator!”

Ning Shuyi sighed. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel a little wistful. “If she first had this dream out of ignorance, not knowing how tough the field is, that would be understandable. But after all this time secretly preparing, I can’t believe she has no idea what the reality of the profession is.”

“Then why is she still at odds with her mother? Is she just like Wang Yuluo—well into her twenties and still stuck in a rebellious phase, just for the sake of opposing her parents?”

Ning Shuyi didn’t answer Zhao Dabao’s question directly, but instead asked him something else. “You’re about to become a father yourself—what do you think is most important when it comes to raising a child?”

Zhao Dabao was taken aback. He thought for a moment. “As a soon-to-be dad, I haven’t really thought it through, but my wife reads all those parenting and prenatal education books every night. She’s full of theories! What I hear her mutter about the most is setting an example and teaching by word and deed—parents are the first mirror in a child’s life, and so on.”