Chapter 339: Sightseeing (Discussing the Past)

Chapter 339 -336: Sightseeing (Discussing the Past)

After spending another two days in their hometown, Li Xiu, Li Bao, and their group returned to the Capital City. As for the Zhou family, along with Li Guo and Li Cui, they would be staying for a while longer, planning to return to the Capital City just before school started.

Back in the Capital City, Li Xiu was busy for several days straight. Once he had everything arranged, he entrusted his two children to Sister Fang, Professor Xiao, and Professor Fan for their care and education, then promptly took off with Zhou Lian. Zhou Lian sensed Li Xiu was in a bad mood after running into *those people* again on their trip home, so she indulged him.

After watching Sister Fang take the two children to rest, Professor Xiao and Professor Fan returned to their room. Professor Xiao, unsure whether to laugh or cry, remarked to Professor Fan, “Jin Chen is so impulsive when it comes to Lian. I really didn’t expect Lian to indulge his whims like this!”

“Oh, you,” Professor Fan said nonchalantly. “You have to consider that after this trip home, Jin Chen is bound to be in a foul mood. Lian just feels sorry for him, that’s all! Li Xiu is never in a good mood after returning from his hometown, but before, he just didn’t let it show. This time, Zhou Lian went with him, so she definitely knows he’s upset. That’s why she’s indulging him so much!”

Professor Xiao sighed. “You know, we’ve met several members of the Li family, and every one of them is a good, sincere person. How did Jin Chen end up with such parents and siblings? It’s no wonder his in-laws dote on him so much. They must pity him for his weak family ties.”

“Perhaps,” Professor Fan said softly. “But I think Jin Chen has come to terms with it. After all, some things can’t be forced. And his life isn’t exactly tragic; besides his own parents and younger siblings, everyone else treats him well. He has a successful career, both a son and a daughter, and a loving wife by his side!” ‘In life, things go wrong more often than not,’ he mused. ‘You can’t expect everything to be perfect. You win some, you lose some.’

Professor Xiao glanced at his old partner but didn’t argue. ‘Who doesn’t long for loving parents and deep bonds with their siblings?’ he thought. ‘A complete family with a son and daughter, a loving wife by his side… Yes, Li Xiu has the latter two, but what about the first two? No matter how good his life is now, there must be some lingering regret.’

Meanwhile, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian, now in Dian Nan, were having the time of their lives. With their two children in the care of Sister Fang, Professor Xiao, and Professor Fan, they had no worries. The company in the Capital City was in the capable hands of Li Bao and Wang Dongfang, and with Ping Jing handling everything else, no major problems were expected. Having cast all their cares aside, the two were truly letting loose and enjoying themselves.

Snow-capped mountains, lakes, stone forests, ancient towns, primeval forests—Li Xiu and Zhou Lian left their mark everywhere. As they strolled through an undeveloped ancient town, Zhou Lian sighed wistfully. “It’s so much better now. In another twenty years, with overdevelopment and pollution… sigh. I’m afraid it will be difficult to see these authentic ancient towns in their original state again.”

“Bao’er, this is all inevitable,” Li Xiu said, his voice also tinged with emotion. “The economy must develop, technology must advance. As we feel our way forward, paying a price is unavoidable.” ‘It’s just that the price is far too high,’ he thought. ‘By the time people realize something is wrong, all they’ll be able to do is try to mend the damage.’

Zhou Lian glanced at Li Xiu and said softly, “Jin Chen, with Ping’an in the picture, haven’t you thought about doing something?” ‘With Li Xiu’s sensitivity,’ she thought, ‘he should remember the events of their past life. If…’

Li Xiu smiled gently at Zhou Lian. “Bao’er, it’s not that simple. Besides, the time isn’t right. Ping’an doesn’t have that much of a say yet. Blindly proposing certain things would only backfire.”

‘He wasn’t the type to sacrifice everything for some grand cause, but with decades of extra memories, he had his moments of impassioned zeal. It was just that the time wasn’t right yet. He was anxious, too. He wanted to do something for the country that had nurtured him, but some things couldn’t be rushed. Haste would make waste. He could only rein in his impulses and wait for the right moment.’

With a soft sigh, Zhou Lian said impassively, “People’s hearts are hard to read. I won’t object if you want to do something, but you need to understand that nothing is more important than you are. Don’t get yourself entangled.”

“I understand, Bao’er. You know me,” Li Xiu said, smiling gently at Zhou Lian. “Nothing in this world is more important than you. Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing.” ‘He wouldn’t get his priorities mixed up,’ he thought. ‘He knew what was most important to him.’

Walking along the bluestone path, Zhou Lian gazed at the quaint, traditional courtyards on either side and said softly, “Let’s not talk about that anymore. Looking at all this… I feel as if I’m walking through history. The emperors and generals, scholars and artists, and kingdom-toppling beauties of ages past have all been buried by the river of time, lost to their own tumultuous eras.”

“Bao’er, you must understand, the ones remembered by history are always the ultimate victors,” Li Xiu said mildly. “Plenty of emperors have rewritten the history books. Don’t get too engrossed in it.” ‘To him, the past was past. The people living in the present were what mattered most.’

Smiling faintly, Zhou Lian looked tenderly at Li Xiu and said softly, “I understand, Jin Chen. It’s just that I sometimes feel a bit wistful for the grand, sweeping scenes of history—for the soldiers who gave their lives for justice, the scholars who upheld the Han spirit, the officials who turned the tide against impossible odds, and the emperors who embraced the whole world in their vision.”

“Oh? In that case, which of the emperors and generals from all the dynasties does my Bao’er think is worthy of being remembered for a thousand years?” It was rare for Zhou Lian to be in the mood to discuss such topics, so Li Xiu happily indulged her.

Zhou Lian smiled and said softly, “Aren’t all the people renowned through the ages already in the history books? The truth is, every person has flaws and selfish desires. It’s just that some are fundamentally good and possess a grand vision, which allows them to control their selfish urges and leave a good name for posterity. Really, from our modern viewpoint, is there any famous historical figure who was without fault? To be fair, you have to judge them within the context of their own time.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Bao’er. We can’t stand from our ‘god’s-eye view’ and pass unfair judgment on them,” Li Xiu said with a light laugh, looking at her. “So, tell me, who do you admire most?”

“You already know who. No matter how much I study him, I still admire Xie Anshi the most. It’s not just that he single-handedly maintained decades of peace for the Eastern Jin dynasty; his personal conduct was also widely praised. That unique Han spirit he embodied is what’s truly admirable. He didn’t chase glory or envy wealth. And in the end, when the emperor grew suspicious of him, he was able to decisively lay down his power—that was a crowning moment in his life! Besides, Jin Chen, aren’t you the one who most loves the free-spirited style of the Wei and Jin periods?”

“It’s true. I also love the free-spirited style of Wei and Jin, and I admire Xie Anshi as well. He was arguably the brightest jewel of his time. A true scholar, effortlessly elegant, who protected his family and secured the nation. Looking back through all the dynasties, you’ll find very few people like him with almost no skeletons in their closet.”

Glancing at Li Xiu, Zhou Lian couldn’t hold back a laugh. ‘He’s unbelievable,’ she thought. ‘So jealous, and for no reason. Getting jealous over a historical figure… Li Xiu has to be the first person in history to do that!’