Chapter 412: Petty

Chapter 412: Chapter 412: Petty

When Ye Feng got home from work, he was surprised to see his father. "You’re so busy. You didn’t tell us you were coming?"

Ye Zheng smiled. "You’re all busy, and I’m leaving tomorrow, so I didn’t say anything beforehand."

"Are you taking those two rascals with you this time?" Ye Feng asked.

’Those two little monkeys. While not exactly a nuisance, they certainly took a lot of effort.’

Ye Zheng shook his head. "They don’t want to leave. They’ll go back in another half a month."

Ye Feng raised an eyebrow. "Dad, you’re awfully relaxed about this. Even if you don’t think much of it, don’t you think Aunt Wang will?"

Ye Zheng smiled. "The boys have changed for the better, they’re more sensible now. It’s not like your Aunt Wang hasn’t noticed. But I know it’s been a lot of trouble for you and Xiao Rui lately."

Ye Feng nodded. "They are a bit of a handful, but thankfully, they’re still obedient. Otherwise, I would’ve called you long ago to come get them."

Ye Zheng changed the subject. "So, what’s it like being a father? Any thoughts?"

Ye Feng thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No major revelations. Just that no matter how busy I get with work, I have to make time for my wife and kids."

"Are you taking a jab at me?" Ye Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "From now on, I’ll spend more time with my son too. Bringing a child into the world without raising them just creates a burden on society. But I can see that Ye Chen and Ye Ling have made great progress here. I have you and Xiao Rui to thank for that."

Ye Feng waved his hand. "Don’t thank me, thank Xiao Rui. She’s kind-hearted and completely dedicated to them. She feels we’re all one family, so we can’t show favoritism. But Ye Chen and Ye Ling are more sensible than they used to be, too. This time, they even brought gifts for Pingping, An’an, Xiao Rui, and me."

Ye Zheng smiled. "It’s wonderful that the boys are so thoughtful. The ones you have to worry about are the thoughtless ones. Is your work going smoothly?"

Ye Feng nodded. "It’s going okay. It’s very difficult, but we’re starting from a low point and we have to start somewhere, or we’ll keep falling behind other countries. I know a lot of the higher-ups advocate ’it’s better to buy than to build,’ but that only works as long as others are willing to sell to us. The moment they stop selling, we’ll be left with nothing."

"In some high-tech industries, we have to achieve breakthroughs independently. We can’t just rely on other countries, or we’ll constantly be at their mercy. Opening up is fine, but we absolutely cannot open up completely. Since you’re in their circle, you should voice your opinions more. When it comes to the national economy and the people’s livelihood, we must not let go."

Ye Zheng nodded. "I’ve always believed that. It’s better to rely on yourself than on others. Right now, we’re improving relations with the United States, so we buy from them. But international relations aren’t set in stone. What if our relationship sours in the future? Where would we buy from then?"

High-ranking officials like Ye Zheng possessed a strategic vision that far surpassed that of ordinary people.

They knew how Hua Country had to skillfully navigate between the Soviet Union and the United States, seizing every opportunity to secure more room to grow.

Ye Feng nodded. "The wafers and chips our factory produces aren’t as advanced as the top-tier foreign ones, but they can be considered mid-range. We’ve already been in contact with some state-owned enterprises and secured a lot of orders."

"The only problem is that payments on these orders aren’t very timely. If this continues, it’ll affect our factory’s growth. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to do business with domestic factories anymore. They’re state-owned enterprises with the country as their safety net. My company, on the other hand, is responsible for its own profits and losses."

Ye Zheng smiled. "Alright, that’s a major issue. I’ll discuss it with the higher-ups. In any case, the work you’re doing is incredibly meaningful. Not only are you filling a gap in the industrial chain, you’re also cultivating more talent in the wafer and semiconductor fields."

"Yes, someone has to do it," Ye Feng replied. The father and son had a few drinks, and Ye Zheng stayed the night at their home.

The next day, Han Xiaorui took the children and her father-in-law, Ye Zheng, out on a cruise ship.

Seeing how happy his two sons were, Ye Zheng understood why they didn’t want to leave. ’This place is much more interesting than home.’

That afternoon, Ye Zheng and his staff flew back to the capital.

When he arrived home that evening, Wang Liwen had a table full of food prepared. She had been waiting for Ye Zheng, but her two sons weren’t with him.

"Ye Zheng, where are the boys?" Wang Liwen asked.

Ye Zheng smiled as he washed his hands. "Those two little rascals didn’t want to come back."

"How could they not come back? Don’t you know I’ve already signed Ye Ling up for tutoring? If he doesn’t study ahead, he’ll fall behind." Wang Liwen grew anxious, feeling that Ye Zheng didn’t care about the children at all.

Ye Zheng just smiled. "Ye Ling has already started studying the eighth-grade curriculum over there. He’s studying ahead on his own, and when he doesn’t understand something, he asks Xiao Rui and Xiao Jing. They’re both university students; teaching a middle schooler is a piece of cake for them."

The more Wang Liwen listened, the angrier she became. "You just don’t care! Is it because Ye Ling isn’t your biological son? You’d be happy if he turned out to be a failure, wouldn’t you!"

Hearing this, Ye Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. I checked his work; he really has been studying ahead. It’s no worse than what he’d get from a tutor. The crucial point is that the kids want to stay there. If I forced them to come back against their will, I can’t just drag them away kicking and screaming."

"Besides, you know what your two sons’ studies were like before versus now, don’t you? They’ve made huge progress, and that’s all thanks to Ye Feng and Xiao Rui supervising them. If you’re not happy about it, then next time, you can be the one to stop your sons from going over."

"I don’t even know who you’re guarding against with that petty mindset of yours. As the saying goes, it takes brothers to hunt a tiger, and a father and son to win a battle. Even though Ye Feng is in business now, that was at the Organization’s arrangement. In the future, whether Ye Ling and Ye Chen go into politics, business, or the military, they’ll have someone to support them. Isn’t that a good thing? If you can’t even trust your own family, are you going to trust strangers?"

"You spend all day thinking you’re so clever, but it’s all just petty scheming and nitpicking. If you have this much energy, you should be putting it into your medical research. Tackle a few more projects, make some key breakthroughs, and you’d actually be serving the country and its people. Stop muttering to yourself all day and be more magnanimous. I’ve heard, by the way, that the Sun Family is about to return to the country. Don’t you want to finally hold your head high in front of them?"

Wang Liwen, who had still been harboring her own petty grievances, went pale. "The Sun Family is really coming back?"

"Yes. The domestic investment environment is getting better and better. Why wouldn’t a family like the Sun Family want to come back? They still have businesses abroad, so they’re just hedging their bets," Ye Zheng replied. "If you want a divorce to go pursue your love, I won’t object."

Hearing this, Wang Liwen quickly retorted, "I’m not getting a divorce! That’s all in the past. Since Sun Jiacheng abandoned me back then, it means we weren’t fated to be. If it weren’t for you, my life would have been very difficult back then."

"Now my two sons are growing up healthy, and my career is going well. Even if I am small-minded, I know Xiao Rui and Ye Feng are both upstanding people. This is the good fortune my second uncle arranged for me, and I won’t throw it away. Anyway, I am not getting a divorce, and you’re not allowed to, either."

"You’re right. I need to do well in my career and raise the children properly. Making that man, Sun Jiacheng, regret his decision in the future—that’s what would be most meaningful. Old Ye, hurry up and eat. Before, I was judging a gentleman by my own petty standards. I won’t do that anymore."

Ye Zheng remained very calm and composed. Seeing Wang Liwen like this, he smiled. "That’s for the best, of course."

Having easily resolved the domestic conflict, Ye Zheng hoped for his family to be peaceful and harmonious, and he looked forward to the birth of his grandson and granddaughter.