The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 458: Chapter 458: No Internal Conflict

Of course, Han Xiaoqing went with her sister to the city for the New Year.

Since it was the holidays, she and Sister Lian took care of the child together, which gave Han Xiaorui more time to focus on her work.

When Old Madam Xu saw Han Xiaoqing, she smiled and asked, ”How is Wenxuan doing in Germany?”

Han Xiaoqing replied, ”He’s over there, thirsting for knowledge about mechanics. From his letters, I can see how eager he is for advanced foreign technology, but also how worried he is about our country’s outdated technology.”

Old Madam Xu smiled. ”It’s normal for there to be a gap. The ability to acknowledge that gap, strive to overcome it, and narrow it—that is progress.”

”You young people might think our country is very backward now, but in my eyes, it’s already quite formidable. We achieved industrialization over the past thirty years.”

”We may be technologically behind other countries, but being industrialized versus not being industrialized are two completely different states for a nation. This is the foundation of our country’s strength and the very root of our development.”

”It’s been less than a decade since the Reform and Opening-Up, and our economy is already developing at a blistering pace. If this is what we’ve achieved in under ten years, just imagine what things will be like in twenty, thirty, or forty years.”

As Han Xiaoqing chatted with Old Madam Xu, she found the older woman’s words to be incredibly wise.

”Grandma Xu, you must have been a truly remarkable woman in your day!”

Old Madam Xu smiled. ”My family and my husband’s family were in business, politics, and the military. Of course, some of them became collaborators, too. In those turbulent times, many people’s choices were not their own. You could say they were swept along by the era, forced into situations they couldn’t avoid.”

”As it turned out, the choice we made back then was the right one. Later, due to a series of social reforms, we had to transfer our assets and capital abroad, but that was an inevitable part of the nation’s social development.”

”On an economic level, this was dictated by the system of ownership. Furthermore, the gap between our country and the outside world in terms of economy, technology, and nearly every other aspect was immense. If ideologies weren’t unified, society would have descended into chaos, making it impossible to complete industrialization smoothly.”

Han Xiaoqing was stunned by Old Madam Xu’s words. ”When you had to leave back then, didn’t you feel any resentment or hatred?”

Old Madam Xu smiled. ”I had regrets, but not resentment, and certainly not hatred. You never experienced that era of ideological chaos, when many were so captivated by foreign economies and technologies that it led to domestic turmoil.”

”That’s why it was necessary to silence certain people. Only then could we create a stable environment to gradually achieve industrialization. Stability is paramount. Without it, everything else is just a fantasy.”

”This is a conclusion I reached later through my own research, by comparing socialist countries, capitalist countries, and some colonized nations. It taught me to look at issues from a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective.”

Han Xiaoqing found that she was learning a great deal from her conversations with Old Madam Xu.

”Grandma Xu, I hope that in the future, I can be as intelligent, wise, self-disciplined, and emotionally stable as you.”

Old Madam Xu smiled and nodded. ”There’s really no need for that. Just be yourself; don’t try to fit into a mold. Everyone is different. As long as you don’t break the law, have your own moral compass, and are a kind person, that’s more than enough.”

”As for emotional stability... well, that depends on the person and the situation, doesn’t it? Let me give you an example: Ye Feng’s stepmother, Wang Liwen. Not long after my daughter passed away, Ye Zheng remarried Wang Liwen. Even if it was a marriage of convenience, to me, my daughter wasn’t even cold in her grave. I was furious.”

”The only reason I allow Ye Zheng in my home is that he’s my grandson’s biological father. That’s a bond that can’t be severed; you can’t exactly drain the blood from your veins and give it back to him, after all. I obviously don’t like him, but for Ye Feng’s sake, I can tolerate him.”

”But with Wang Liwen, I don’t have that much tolerance. I won’t scheme against her or insult her. I simply do not want to see her. Because every time I do, I’m reminded of my daughter, who was barely in her grave.”

”So, I make it perfectly clear to everyone that I don’t want to see her, and that she is not to appear before me. And don’t give me any nonsense about ’it’s all in the past,’ ’you have to move on,’ or ’be the bigger person.’”

”I can’t do that, and I won’t force myself to. I wouldn’t do it when I was young, and I certainly won’t now that I’m old. I refuse to exhaust myself with internal turmoil. So, this concept of ’emotional stability’ has to be applied on a case-by-case basis. You can’t just generalize it.”

”You’re studying psychology, so you of all people should understand the need to analyze each situation individually. As you move forward in your career, always remember this: never preach kindness to someone whose suffering you have not endured.”

”As an outsider, you can never truly empathize with another’s pain, nor can you fully appreciate their joy and happiness. I may not have studied psychology, but my intuition tells me what will make me feel comfortable and what will bring me happiness.”

Old Madam Xu had attended both a traditional private school and a Western-style academy.

She had studied the Four Books and Five Classics and the canon of Chinese literature, as well as Western classics and great works. Her perspective on things was simply on another level.

Old Madam Xu’s words were a revelation to Han Xiaoqing, broadening her perspective immensely.

They discussed literature and history, finding more and more common ground as they talked.

Although her sister, Han Xiaorui, often gave her guidance, it was mostly from the perspective of a contemporary.

But Old Madam Xu—with her age, her seniority, and her magnificent, colorful life experiences—could offer Han Xiaoqing guidance on life and philosophy from a much higher plane.

That evening, Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng came into the city for a happy reunion with the elders.

After the reunion dinner, Han Xiaoqing made a point to have a private chat with her sister.

”Sis, Grandma Xu is truly amazing!” Han Xiaoqing praised lavishly. ”I feel like she’s a beacon for my life!”

Han Xiaorui blinked. ”Last time you said *I* was the beacon for your life. Has it been that long? You’ve already swapped out your lightbulb?”

Han Xiaoqing rolled her eyes playfully. ”Sis, don’t be so petty! Think about streetlights—there are a lot of them, right? Life is like a long road leading to a distant place. How could one little lamp possibly be enough?”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment. ”Fine, you have a point! So what did you and Grandma Xu talk about today that has your eyes sparkling with newfound wisdom?”

Han Xiaoqing replied, ”We talked about so much—literature, history, astronomy, geography, things ancient and modern, from home and abroad... I feel like my mind has opened up, and my whole perspective has been elevated to a new level!”

Han Xiaorui laughed. ”It’s like one of those moments in a wuxia novel where a master imparts his knowledge and you suddenly have an epiphany! Grandma Xu is our elder. She might not be up on all the latest things, but her life experience is full of precious wisdom.”

The elders’ teachings, both through words and by example, could indeed broaden the horizons of the younger generation and benefit them immensely.

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”Yes! As the saying goes, ’Among any three people, one of them is sure to be my teacher.’ I need to keep learning!”