money player

Yang Lihua shook her head.

"People's troubles are often proportional to their cognition. People with low cognition lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong and believe whatever the people who teach and guide them say. Such people will have fewer troubles and are more likely to live a happy life."

People with high cognitive abilities develop their own set of logical thinking, enabling them to see through many illusions and deceptions. However, they are often powerless to change things according to their own ideal of perfection, which often causes them great pain.

People are often very greedy. After eating five grains, they crave six more. If they haven't eaten meat for a long time, they will think that if they could eat a plate of braised pork, it would be worth dying for.

When she eats braised pork, she thinks that if she could eat a plate of stir-fried beef, it would be worth dying for.

And so it went, again and again, desire rising higher and higher, never satisfied.

Xian Yaowen went to the tap, filled a bucket with water, poured half of it into a wooden basin, and kept the other half for later use. Yang Lihua used a gauze bag filled with homemade cleaner made from rice straw ash to scrub the oil off the dishes. After she finished scrubbing one, she passed it to Xian Yaowen, who then scrubbed it again with a loofah.

The two chatted as they washed the dishes.

"Most people's lives consist of only three realms: living, being fed, and eating well. When they are in the first two realms, the major worries of living or being fed overshadow other minor worries. Every day revolves around living or being fed, and they have no time to think about anything else."

The beautiful widow Yang from Yangjia Village married Xian Mazi, a man with a limp from Xianjia Village. She didn't want anything else but Xian Mazi's carpentry skills, which not only provided for the whole family to eat their fill but also allowed them to have meat every few days.

Occasionally, she could even bring back some clothes from the city that her employer didn't want anymore. Wow, those cheongsams were so beautiful!

Yang Lihua smiled knowingly.

"Although Xian Mazi had a bad temper and would hit people at the drop of a hat, and no one could tolerate it, he would only hit them a couple of times and then it would be over, but we could still put up with it and just get by. Being able to eat our fill and stay warm was better than anything else."

Xian Yaowen pointed at Yang Lihua and said, "This is the kind of love that most people in your generation had. They married men to make a living. But things are different for Jingyi's generation. Most people have already achieved the goal of having enough to eat and are now moving towards eating well. They are able to go to school and improve their knowledge."

Most of them have become more pure and more complex in their requirements for love. They have lower requirements for material acquisition, but higher requirements for spiritual acquisition.

The spirit is a very mysterious thing. It seems to be unrelated to material things. There can be people with a high spiritual realm among beggars. However, the spirit forged in people who are materially deprived is mostly distorted, insignificant, and morbid.

Is it possible for someone who has always been hungry to regard money as dirt to have a high moral character?

No, it's more likely that he can accurately assess his own abilities. With his abilities, there's absolutely no way he could become a millionaire. It's better to take a step back and see the bigger picture, regarding money as dirt and despising what he can't have.

They may seem to have no material desires, but these desires are actually wrapped in spiritual ones. They seek enjoyment in life and a spiritual connection with their partners, provided they are well-fed and clothed.

However, most of them have a very shallow spiritual realm, and their ever-improving cognition leads to a great bias in their understanding of certain things.

Over the past two or three decades, most well-known intellectual women have been like this; how many of them truly understand love?

After a pause, Sin Yiu-man continued, "A normal marital relationship can actually be summarized as seeking common ground while reserving differences. Seeking common ground means finding a bottom line and vision that both parties agree on, while reserving differences means treating the differences between the two parties as resources rather than threats, and allowing each other to retain different habits, rhythms, and values."

Finding common ground is difficult, but reserving differences is even more difficult. Without experiencing trials and tribulations and having been with several men, Jingyi would find it hard to grasp the true meaning of married life.

The idea of ​​lifelong fidelity and harmonious marriage often only exists in the eyes of onlookers. If you take a closer look, you might find the house full of petty squabbles.

The "sluts" and "rotten women" that most people curse may actually enjoy their lifestyles, but they are troubled by not being accepted by society. Society forces them to a tragic end, and in the end, the wise old man of the world concludes: "Those who do not heed the advice of the elders will suffer the consequences."

Throughout China's five thousand years of history, for most of its history, a single emperor or faction has consistently promoted a high degree of ideological uniformity among the people in order to facilitate rule. While the Chinese people have performed well in seeking common ground, they have been utterly inept at respecting differences.

Sin Yiu-man then pointed to Yeung Lai-wah, saying, "It's very obvious in you."

"I?"

"Yes, you have been trying to use your shallow understanding to portray Jingyi as 'same'. You think you have more experience than she has, more knowledge than her, and know what is good and what is bad, so you try to push her in a positive light."

But are you doing well yourself?
Do you understand how to become good, and what steps to take each one?

"I……"

Yang Lihua was speechless.

"What you can do is provide her with enough to eat and wear, and let her walk her own path. As for me, because of you and because of her, I will give her a few chances to try and fail, so that she won't make a mistake that will ruin her life."

Sin Yiu-man stacked the last bowl on top of the pile, poured out the dirty water from the wooden basin, rinsed it with clean water, filled it with clean water, and put the bowls and plates back into the wooden basin.

Yang Lihua took a dishcloth specifically for wiping dishes. Xian Yaowen had already prepared one, and she took it and absentmindedly wiped away the water stains.

She was reflecting on what Sin Yiu-man had said.

a long time.

After washing the dishes, the two went to the stove, one carrying a bottle and the other wiping them with a rag.

"I don't want to care about Jingyi?"

"Trouble with what you can control, but mind your own business. I have a daughter named Qianzhi, who is not my biological daughter. This summer I arranged for her to go to Europe. First, she will go to Paris for a while, and then she will travel to other countries near France."

A quick tour will help broaden her horizons. Next summer, I'll arrange for her to go to North America, and the year after that to Latin America, one place per year, so that over several years she can see the world.

She's still young, so going through this once won't greatly improve her understanding, but she'll learn that the world is vast, there are many people, all kinds of people, and she'll see many things.

In this way, she developed a basic ability to discern whether what others said was true or false.

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles?"

Sin Yiu-man chuckled, “You summarized it very well, that’s exactly what it means, but it should be said the other way around: travel ten thousand miles first, then read ten thousand books.”

The authors of books on philosophy and thought may not have a broad perspective; they may have spent their entire lives confined to a small area, only seeing a limited view of the world, and may have never even seen snow.

"If you spend your whole life pondering one thing, over the long years, with accumulation and refinement, your spiritual perspective will broaden considerably."

Yang Lihua shook her head, "I don't quite understand."

"It's okay if you don't understand. Just know that I'm made of flesh and blood, and don't scratch my back."

Upon hearing this, Yang Lihua blushed and spat, "You're getting indecent as you talk."

“Let’s get serious.” Xian Yaowen hugged Yang Lihua from behind. “Working here isn’t a long-term solution. Take some time to think about what kind of business you can start. Think it through carefully. When I ask you next time, don’t give me an answer like, ‘I saw that so-and-so is making a lot of money with their business.’”

Others can make money doing it, but if you do it, you might lose everything. Things always seem simple, but they're hard to do.

If you can articulate a business deal convincingly, I'll give you the capital to execute it. If not, I'll pull some strings and get you a job in a government agency.

"Doing business? What kind of business can I do?"

"How would I know? You should just keep quiet."

Yang Lihua smiled and said, "Don't speak Sichuan dialect, I can't understand it."

“I’ll let you think for yourself. If you want to be a good woman to me, Xian Yaowen, you need to have certain abilities. Only those with abilities have the right to make demands. Otherwise, you’ll have to follow my arrangements.” Xian Yaowen poked Yang Lihua’s little belly. “It’s no use just having a little abacus in your belly. You also need to have the ability to make it work. Your desires have increased, and your understanding needs to keep up.”

"My desires haven't increased at all; I still just want to be fed and clothed," Yang Lihua said dismissively.

"Really? Do you need me to help you recall what your initial idea was?"

Yang Lihua said shyly, "You're not allowed to say it."

"Fine, I won't say it then. I won't be Jingyi's boyfriend, I'll be her father, and I'll take care of her future."

What are your plans?

"Raise a well-educated and sensible young lady and arrange a marriage between her and a powerful family on the island."

Yang Lihua blurted out, "I agree."

Sin Yiu-man laughed heartily, “I knew you hadn’t listened to a word I said.”

“I listened, but what you said was too abstract, too abstract…”

"illusory."

"Well, what you're saying is too unrealistic. I still hope Jingyi can grasp something more practical."

"Alright, your understanding is too limited. From today onwards, I will take over Jingyi's education. When the time is right, I will give her the surname Xian, Xian Jingyi. It doesn't sound bad."

"You decide."

ten minutes later.

Sin Yiu-man sat in the car.

Xie Zhanran said, "It's not safe to leave Mo Changfeng alone in the hotel."

"It's alright. Coming to smash up a shop without doing your research is the act of a fool. Not everyone can be a chamber pot; you have to be shrewd. The Xiamen gang is unique, but it also attracts a lot of attention. Anyone with a brain knows it can't last. If you don't plan ahead, you'll be waiting to be ruined."

"Sir, you want to use the Xiamen gang?"

"It's hard to say. We'll decide after we see Chen Xianzhou. Tingyun, remember that face?"

"remember."

“I gave him a day to cut off his own head. He wouldn’t listen. I was going to test him.”

"Sir, it's just a small matter..."

"Sister, stop talking. The master wants to establish his authority."

Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Tingyun, I’m not that petty. I just wanted to use this as an excuse to make a fuss. If it’s not a chamber pot I made myself, how can I use it smoothly without some practice?”

"I'm sorry, sir."

"It's alright. You can watch the car when we get to the restaurant. Zhanran hasn't relaxed in a long time."

"What's good..."

"Shut up."

"Wow." Xian Yaowen chuckled, "Zhanran is not bad, when are you going to sneak some food?"

Xie Zhanran laughed awkwardly, "I only went once."

"Look at the car, I'll give you a few days off in a few days."

"clear."

Sin Yiu-man took out a thermos and sipped his milk. When he finished the milk, the car arrived at the entrance of Ching Fung Tea Shop.

Without getting out of the car, Cai Jintu walked over, got in, and pointed to a Chevrolet Fleetline parked in front of the shop. "I just got this car a few days ago. Thanks to Mr. Xian's idea, I made a fortune."

"I was just offering an idea; it's Cheng-ge who's good at seizing opportunities. Where does Cheng-ge plan to take me for a sit-down?"

Cai Jintu laughed and said, "At this hour, of course we should go to a restaurant. I set up a restaurant up ahead, but it's not officially open yet. Mr. Xian, could you take a look and tell me where I can improve it?"

"How many girls gave it to?"

"Forty-odd."

“There are too many to read.”

Cai Jintu laughed loudly, "Mr. Xian can take his time to look at it."

The wheels rolled forward more than a thousand times and arrived at Cai Jintu's restaurant. The sign read "Qingfeng Restaurant," indicating that Cai Jintu had a special fondness for the name "Qingfeng."

The storefront is in a Japanese style, so the interior shouldn't be completely off-track.

Stepping into the shop, it was indeed in the style of a Meiji-era ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant), which is ubiquitous in Tokyo and also quite common in Taipei.

“Mr. Xian, the decoration here is just done casually, but I put a lot of thought into finding the right women.”

Cai Jintu clapped his hands, and a woman wearing a black tomesode kimono emerged from the shadows, taking small, quick steps to approach.

Sin Yiu-man glanced at it, slightly surprised. The woman was wearing a sash around her waist, which was only worn for very important ceremonies such as weddings. It was obviously inappropriate for the occasion. A bag sash would have been enough.

The woman bowed to Sin Yiu-man and said, "Mr. Sin, I am Takashi Masami. Please take care of me."

Masami Takatsukasa speaks with a strong Northeastern accent, suggesting she grew up in the Aomori or Fukushima area. Yet she dares to use the surname Takatsukasa, making her even less credible than Liu Bei's claim of being a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan.

The Takatsukasa family was one of the Five Regent Families, a top-tier aristocratic family in Japan. They had always lived in Kyoto, and their existence can be found in Japanese textbooks. It's highly unlikely that a woman would have the surname Takatsukasa, or even be Japanese. If she were Japanese, she would know to avoid using such a surname.

"Mrs. Takatsukasa, hello."

Masami Takatsukasa chuckled, “I’m not married yet, Mr. Saki can call me Miss Takatsukasa.”

“Oh, Ms. Takatsukasa, Kyokaori’s dress suits you very well.” When Xian Yaowen saw the double cherry blossom mark of Kyokaori hidden on the sleeve of the kimono, he knew that Takatsukasa Masami was a high-class customer who had given him money, and he immediately felt a sense of kinship.

"Mr. Xian knows Kyokaori?" Takatsukasa Masami asked in surprise.

"I've tried tearing a few pieces, but they're hard to tear."

"Hahaha." Cai Jintu laughed loudly, "So Mr. Xian likes this kind of style."

“It’s just a little bit of fun.” Sin Yiu-man changed the subject. “Brother Cheng, you still haven’t told us what you put into it.”

Cai Jintu gestured to Takatsukasa Masami, "Masami is someone I hired at great expense from the Miura High-Class Restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. Miura is no ordinary person; he used to be the chief of staff for the Eastern Navy and now he is in charge of entertaining officers of the Allied Command."

Every woman in the industry comes from a respectable family. They are all from Taiwan, other provinces, and Japan. I had Yamei train them for three months, and today is their first time meeting customers.

Yami. "

Upon hearing this, Masami Takatsukasa clapped her hands, and three columns of women emerged from the shadows one after another.

A group of people dressed in black tomesode kimonos with sashes around their waists puzzled Sin Yiu-man. He wondered if Takatsukasa Masami was unaware of the etiquette of kimonos or if it was intentional.

The black tomesode is the formal attire for married women, while the marubi is worn only on important ceremonial occasions. The combination of the two offers endless possibilities for those in the know.

One team was dressed in various colored cheongsams, without any patterns or embellishments, all in plain colors; needless to say, this was a team from another province.

The last group wore silk blouses with their hair tied up in buns and adorned with various silver ornaments.

This is a typical style of dress worn by women from the landlord class in this province, influenced by Japanese-style tailoring; it can still be vaguely seen in Dadaocheng. Most of the newly wealthy merchants in this province probably never experienced it firsthand, and it only exists in their memories.

Suddenly, Sin Yiu-man fully affirmed Takatsukasa Masami's professional skills. Just by looking at her attire, he knew that Qingfeng Restaurant was of a high standard, and guests who hadn't experienced the restaurant's atmosphere wouldn't be able to appreciate its charm.

He glanced at Takatsukasa Masami with approval, then said to Cai Jintu, "Brother Cheng, just by looking at her clothes I can tell Miss Takatsukasa is very capable. Give me a discount, and I'll be a regular customer from now on."

Cai Jintu laughed heartily, “Mr. Xian’s patronage is a great honor for me. We won’t talk about money, we won’t talk about money.”

"I still need to collect the money. If Brother Cheng doesn't take the money, I'll feel embarrassed to come here often." Xian Yaowen lowered his voice and said, "Brother Cheng, which ones do you like? Tell them to stand aside. I need to start choosing people."

"Mr. Xian, you may choose anyone you like."

"it's not good?"

"Mr. Xian, please feel free to choose. I haven't had a chance yet."

"Shall I go first?"

"Please." (End of Chapter)