Chapter 163 - 160: Vasectomy
Li Xiu smiled. "I never wanted that many kids in the first place. This pregnancy was an accident, and who knows if there’ll be another? I’ve already asked the doctor, and abortions are just too hard on the body. My wife is already a bit frail, so it’s better if I’m the one to take preventative measures. Besides, it’s a minor surgery. It won’t have any long-term effects on my health."
Elder Ping, who was busy teasing Nuonuo, looked up at the sound of his voice. He glanced at Li Xiu and said airily, "You really do dote on your wife, don’t you?"
"If I don’t dote on my own wife, who else is going to? Besides, my wife is gentle, virtuous, smart, and beautiful. It’s only natural that I’d spoil her a little!" Li Xiu said, pointedly ignoring the strange undercurrent in Elder Ping’s tone. It didn’t matter what anyone said about this. ’My wife is a treasure I hold in the palm of my hand. She’s my life!’
"It’s nothing to worry about for now," Elder Ping said calmly. "The policy hasn’t been finalized yet. It’ll probably be implemented after the baby is born, and it’ll start with the state-owned enterprises first. You’re an older guy without a steady job, so it doesn’t concern you for the time being. Your wife is still a student, so you’re in the clear." ’This kid really is something else. His timing is impeccable.’
Li Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good. But I’m always in and out of your place, and I’m afraid certain people have taken notice. They’ve probably dug up every last detail about my background by now. As long as it doesn’t cause you any trouble, I’ll be fine."
"What trouble could it cause? We’re not related by blood. Even if you did do something, it wouldn’t have any major effect on me," Elder Ping said with a faint smile.
"Do you really take me for some naive three-year-old? ’No major effect,’ my foot! That’s just how the system works. Forget about grand principles of right and wrong—wherever you find people, you’ll find rivalries and conflict. That’s just how we are!" Li Xiu pursed his lips. ’Elder Ping may hold immense power now, but plenty of others are waiting in the wings, staring like hungry tigers at the authority in his hands.’
Torn between amusement and exasperation, Elder Ping pointed a finger at him, then shot him a look. "You brat, don’t tell me *this* is why you’re so dead set against joining the system!"
Li Xiu looked at Elder Ping, a little sheepish. "For the most part, yeah. With the time I’d waste playing political games with them, I could be doing something much more productive. Sir, let me be frank with you. I’m not saying everyone is equal these days, but if you have skills and money, you can generally protect your family. So why should I wade into those murky waters? Besides, if this were the old days, with the whole social hierarchy of scholars over merchants, I’d definitely have to fight my way up. But our country’s policies are good now, aren’t they? All thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of your generation!"
Elder Ping looked at him with a sense of resignation. ’This kid... I always thought he had a rather serious personality, not at all like his master. But who would have thought? Once you get to know him and he accepts you as one of his own, his true nature reveals itself. He’s a smooth-talker, adaptable, and yet he carries an unshakeable, innate pride. His temperament really is just like his master’s!’
"What will you do if this baby is another girl?" Elder Ping asked quietly. It wasn’t that he personally favored boys over girls, but millennia of Chinese tradition were a powerful force. Even he felt powerless against it.
"What do you mean, ’what will I do’? If it’s another daughter, I’ll just spend my whole life spoiling my three girls. If it’s a son, then the two of us men will spoil my wife and our daughter!" Li Xiu looked up at the old man, a slight smile on his lips, and said in all seriousness, "I know what you’re getting at, Sir. That’s how our people have always been, but what does that have to do with me? A well-raised daughter is no worse than a son. Besides, boy or girl, they’re my children. As for this whole ’carrying on the family line’ business... to be blunt, over thousands of years, who can truly guarantee their family line will continue unbroken forever?"
Elder Ping chuckled. "It’s good that you think that way, but I’m afraid most people wouldn’t be able to see it like that."
"Why worry about what comes after I’m gone? I’ll live for today!" Li Xiu said with a sneer. "Once your eyes are closed for good, who knows what happens? Thinking too much just makes life exhausting. People bring it on themselves!" ’Isn’t that just the national character? In any case, I can’t be bothered with all that. Life is just a few short decades. The only way to make this journey worthwhile is to live it exactly as you please!’
Elder Ping just shook his head and said no more. ’This boy has always been this way—unrestrained and free-spirited. A true student of Yun Qi, cut from the same cloth as that old fox. When it comes to matters of great principle, he’s always uncompromisingly righteous. It’s his disregard for the little details that’s such a headache.’
As the Secretary-General knocked and entered, Li Xiu scooped up Nuonuo. He grinned at Elder Ping and said, "Well, you look busy, Sir, so I’ll get going! I’ll come see you again another day!" While speaking, he took Nuonuo’s little hand and made it wave goodbye, then vanished in a few quick steps.
"What was Jin Chen doing here? Doesn’t he usually avoid this place like the plague?" the Secretary-General asked Elder Ping, his curiosity piqued.
Elder Ping calmly explained Li Xiu’s reason for visiting. He never hid such things from his Secretary-General, whom he treated like his own son, especially when it concerned the son of his old friend.
The Secretary-General stared at his superior, speechless. "Sir, you’re just going to let him do it?" he said, a note of resignation in his voice. "What kind of man voluntarily gets a vasectomy? That Jin Chen is really one of a kind!"
"And what’s the alternative? Do you think there’s anyone he’d actually listen to?" Elder Ping said calmly. "Jin Chen treasures his wife that much. I’m afraid even his master, Yun Qi, couldn’t have stopped him if he were still alive. For that matter, given Yun Qi’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have even tried."
"’Why worry about what comes after I’m gone? I’ll live for today.’ That’s what Jin Chen said. He certainly lives up to it—so free-spirited and unrestrained!" The Secretary-General pursed his lips. ’The way that kid lives is truly infuriating!’
"He claims he read it in a book," Elder Ping said with a smile. ’The Secretary-General was quite the free spirit in his youth, too. It’s just that his family responsibilities weighed him down, preventing him from acting so recklessly. He’s looking at Jin Chen with pure envy right now.’
Li Xiu, who had fled with his daughter in his arms, couldn’t care less what those two back in the Imperial Palace thought of him. ’Now that the matter’s been cleared with them, there’s nothing left to worry about. This is the exact reason I never wanted to join the system. In my past life, my son’s birth wasn’t nearly this complicated. Back then, I was just an ordinary farmer. But now? My master, honestly... all the friends he made were so elite. And the crucial part is, their bonds were incredibly strong. As his favorite student, I’ve been pulled into their inner circle and put under their protection by those old men.’
’It was a connection others couldn’t hope to have, but for me, it’s both a blessing and a curse. Living right under the watchful eyes of these powerful men means I’d better behave myself from now on. If I step even slightly out of line, it won’t just be trouble for me—I’d probably cause problems for the old men who genuinely care about me, too!’
He sighed to himself. ’Well, if it’s trouble, it’s trouble. Having a powerful backer is better than having none at all. In my past life, I didn’t have these complications, but my wife and child suffered countless grievances because of me. In this life, I have to carve out a pillar of support for them. I have to let them live as freely as they want—even more so!’