The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Understanding the University of Life, A Marriage Proposal

Han Xiaoqing felt that her older sister was more than just a sister; she was a mother figure to her.

She was an elder who wholeheartedly wanted what was best for her.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. You should call your classmates and invite them to come over the day after.”

”They’ll be able to watch the tide come in from our place—it’s spectacular. It’s okay if they can’t get back at night. The male students can stay in the security dorms at the fish farm, and the female students can stay in the dorms by the kindergarten.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”Thank you, sister.”

She didn’t want to lie to her classmates or brag about how well-off her family was, but she could let them come over and see for themselves.

That way, she wouldn’t have to keep explaining, which made her feel like she was showing off.

Han Xiaorui had been so busy lately that she hadn’t had a chance to really talk with her younger sister. ”Are all the girls in your dorm in the same major?”

Han Xiaoqing shook her head. ”No. The eight of us in my dorm are all from eight different majors.”

”That’s...” Han Xiaorui was perplexed. ”Isn’t that difficult to manage? It would be much easier if everyone was in the same major.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded with a smile. ”Yes, but our Principal Wang says that university isn’t high school. We’re adults now. We need to use *The Way of the University* to discipline and manage ourselves.”

Han Xiaorui blinked and thought for a moment. ”*The Way of the University* consists in manifesting luminous virtue, in loving the people, and in resting in the highest good. By knowing when to stop, one becomes steady. By being steady, one becomes calm. By being calm, one becomes peaceful. By being peaceful, one can deliberate. And by deliberating, one can attain the goal.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded, full of admiration, and continued the recitation from memory.

”Things have their roots and their branches; affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to the Way.

The ancients who wished to manifest luminous virtue throughout the world first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended their knowledge. The extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole world was made tranquil and happy.

From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything else.

It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered.

It has never been the case that what was of great importance has been treated lightly, while at the same time, what was of little importance has been treated with great care.

This is called knowing the root. This is called the perfection of knowledge.”

”*The Way of the University* is from the *Ritual Records* of the Han Dynasty. It explains higher learning from various angles and serves as the tenet for modern universities. When students from different majors live together for four years, influencing one another, they can’t help but absorb knowledge from other disciplines. It allows them to develop a wide range of interests and broadens their horizons.”

”So, many of us, while mastering our own major, can also borrow books from classmates or attend their classes if we’re interested in another field. It’s all about becoming well-versed and building a solid foundation for the future.”

”It might be a bit harder from an administrative perspective. You don’t have classmates from your major in your own dorm, but they’re in the one next door. It’s a small inconvenience—it just means coordinating between more dorm rooms—but it’s not truly difficult to manage. And it helps us broaden our minds, so the pros definitely outweigh the cons.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui was filled with respect. ”Your principal is a good one. People from different fields always talk and act in ways that reflect what they’ve learned. A policy like this can expand your knowledge without you even realizing it.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded in agreement. ”Yes, Principal Wang truly has both talent and integrity. He embodies the principle of ’great virtue carries all things.’”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Xiao Jing, you’re lucky. Cherish your time in university.”

Han Xiaoqing smiled. ”I will, sister. Do you regret not finishing university?”

”Regret it? Of course I do.” Han Xiaorui nodded, a hint of melancholy in her eyes, but she wasn’t sad. ”But there’s no medicine for regret. Once you miss an opportunity, it’s hard to get it back. All I can do now is make a better life for myself. If I lived poorly, I would regret it even more.”

Han Xiaoqing hugged her sister. ”Actually, sister, you may not have gone to a university, but you’ve graduated from the school of life. The curriculum was just a bit brutal. The important thing is you made it through.”

Han Xiaorui mulled it over for a moment, then smiled. ”You’re right. The school of life is harder, but it’s also more interesting. Everyone has to enroll; it’s just a matter of who learns their lessons well.”

”So far, I think I’ve done pretty well. I’ll keep pushing forward and getting stronger, so I can afford the cost of making mistakes. I don’t want to be in a position where one mistake dooms me forever because I don’t have the power to fix it.”

From her sister, Han Xiaoqing learned two words: ”self-reliant” and ”strong.” These words would influence her for the rest of her life.

Though Han Xiaoqing appeared gentle and mild-mannered, under her sister’s influence, her character was resolute and tough.

Ye Feng’s car pulled up outside.

He walked in, carrying a lacquered wood gift box.

”What are you doing here?” Han Xiaorui was delighted to see Ye Feng.

’It’s been a few days. I’ve really missed him!’

Ye Feng chuckled. ”Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I’d like to invite you all to celebrate it at the Xu family’s home.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment and shook her head. ”Let’s skip it this year. We’re not married yet, after all, so it wouldn’t be appropriate. But please thank your grandmother, grandfather, and aunt for their kind thought. I appreciate the gesture.”

”That’s my fault for being too slow. I’ll fix that right now.” Ye Feng set down the gift box, pulled a velvet box from his pocket, and presented it to Han Xiaorui. ”Xiao Rui, will you marry me? Then we’ll have every right to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together!”

”This...” Han Xiaorui’s gaze fell upon the velvet box. The setting sun caught the ring inside, making it sparkle brilliantly.

Han Xiaoqing was stunned. ’I didn’t expect Brother Ye to be so romantic, proposing like they do in other countries.’

’That ring is gorgeous.’

Han Xiaorui looked from the ring to Ye Feng, her face breaking into a radiant smile. Without any coyness, she held out her left hand. ”Then put it on me.”

’Marriage might not be as sweet or exciting as dating, but it comes with more responsibility.’

’She wasn’t sure if her marriage to Ye Feng would last forever, but she was absolutely certain that right now, she liked him, she loved him.’

’She wanted to marry Ye Feng now. As for everything else... why worry about it?’

’Surprise flashed in Ye Feng’s eyes. He had thought he might have to ask a few more times; his aunt had even told him to be prepared for rejection.’

’But Xiao Rui wasn’t being coy at all, unlike what his aunt had suggested.’

’Wen Tao proposed several times back then, and didn’t he turn out to be a total bastard?’

’All those formalities really don’t need to be so complicated.’

His love for Han Xiaorui would ensure his loyalty, and he would support and cherish her for the rest of his life.

Ye Feng, usually a calm and self-possessed man, was nervous as he slid the ring onto Han Xiaorui’s finger.

Overcome with emotion, he placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Han Xiaorui accepted it openly, but Han Xiaoqing felt a little awkward and quickly looked away.

”We won’t be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival together this year,” he said, ”but I’m sure that next year we’ll be able to, as a real family.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Okay! On the 16th of the lunar month, the tide watching at Jinshan Bay is supposed to be great. You can bring your grandmother and grandfather over then.”

Ye Feng nodded. ”Sounds good! We were just talking about that at home. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen it!”

As the sky outside darkened, Ye Feng said his goodbyes.

”Wait a second! I’ve also prepared some Mid-Autumn gifts for your grandmother, grandfather, and aunt!”

’Ye Feng was curious. A gift that Han Xiaorui had prepared specially was bound to be something out of the ordinary.’