The Heiress's Game

After dinner, Bai Junze received a phone call and left, saying there was an urgent meeting at the company.

As Bai Tianyi watched his brother's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, he couldn't help but mutter to the old man, "Is my older brother made of iron?"

The old man didn't reply, but stood up and waved to him: "Come take a walk with Grandpa."

The old house's garden wasn't large, but it was meticulously maintained.

The cobblestone path is lined with groves of osmanthus trees, which are in full bloom this season, their fragrance so strong it's like you could soak in their water.

The streetlights are a retro brass color, and their warm light shines softly on the bluestone pavement.

Bai Tianyi followed beside him, unusually quiet.

He's actually quite clever—he knows when to make a fuss and when to be quiet.

"Grandpa, you just said that my eldest brother's future wife needs to be able to keep my uncles, aunts, and other aunts in check—are you planning to give all the shares to my eldest brother?"

The old man paused, turned his head, and glanced at him.

That glance held surprise, but even more so, it held admiration.

He started walking again, his tone calm, as if discussing tomorrow's weather: "You guessed it?"

"I didn't guess it while we were eating, but I figured it out while I was on the way here."

Bai Tianyi said truthfully, "You said that the eldest sister-in-law should be able to keep people in check, but what if the eldest brother is only one of the heirs?"

Those uncles and aunts naturally have other uncles and other relatives to keep them in check; there's no need for the eldest brother's wife to come to town.

The fact that the eldest brother needs his sister-in-law to come and keep order means that he will be facing not just his peers, but all the family members who are dissatisfied with him.

There's only one situation where everyone is unwilling to accept it, yet has no choice but to submit—when the Bai family is in charge.

The old man did not deny it.

He walked to the old stone pavilion in the center of the garden, sat down on the stone bench, and patted the spot next to him.

Bai Tianyi sat down, still in that relaxed posture, but his eyes were serious.

"I have four sons and one daughter," the old man said, his gaze falling on the ginkgo tree outside the pavilion, which was half-shaded by the osmanthus tree. The ginkgo leaves were turning yellow, and the edges were beginning to turn golden.

"And you grandchildren, you're all staring at what I'm holding."

Your eldest uncle thinks that as the eldest son, he should inherit the most; your second uncle—Junze's father—is the most capable, but he has a stubborn personality and can't get along with anyone.

Your third uncle is the most shrewd. He may not say anything, but he's already calculated everything in his mind.

Your aunt is married, but her heart is still with her parents.

They each hold a share of the stock, and when they hold shareholder meetings, they just argue. Everyone has their own ideas, and nothing gets done.

The business built up over three generations was squandered in less than ten years.

The old man pointed to the stone table in front of him with his finger: "So I've thought about this for many years. Dividing the family property means dividing the family assets, but it also means scattering people's hearts."

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Bai Tianyi.

"So I don't plan to divide it among my sons; I'll give it all to Junze."

After listening, Bai Tianyi nodded, showing no shock or resentment, as if he were listening to something perfectly reasonable.

"Are you jealous of him?" the old man asked.

Bai Tianyi was stunned for a moment, then the expression on his face changed from serious to a helpless look of being amused.

He scratched his head, thought for about two seconds, and then shrugged:

"Grandpa, let me put it this way—of your four sons, my father—your youngest son—was the least ambitious."

Give him a subsidiary, and he can manage it to break even; give him a position, and he can make it a secure 9-to-5 job.

He doesn't even want to fight for it himself, so why should I fight for him?

When the old man heard the phrase "a secure 9-to-5 job," the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

To be honest, my dad's greatest achievement in life was marrying my mom, having me, and then he was gone.

"Me?" Bai Tianyi pointed to himself, his expression frank.

"I'm a little better than my dad, but not by much. I'm not very ambitious; my biggest dream is to win without effort."

He laughed as he said this, a carefree laugh that made his eyes crinkle into two crescent moons:

"It's so good that the eldest brother is in charge. He's capable, shrewd, and clear-headed. The Bai family will only get better and better under his leadership."

Moreover, my eldest brother and I are the closest. He's in charge of the household, and I benefit from that.

If my uncles were in charge, I might not even be qualified to drink soup. I can still make that calculation.

Moreover, I don't have to worry about anything, I don't have to attend those stupid meetings, I don't have to scheme against those old foxes, and my account gets an extra string of zeros at the end of each year—isn't this the life I've always dreamed of?

Tell me, what am I jealous of?

I couldn't wait for him to take over all the family property so I could lie there with a clear conscience.

My life goal is to live happily, as long as I have enough money to spend.

After he finished speaking, he thought for a moment and added, "Grandpa, you are so wise."

This tactic is called "concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks," right?

The old man stared at him for several seconds, then smiled.

He reached out and patted Bai Tianyi on the back of the head, the force neither too light nor too heavy.

"You child, if we're talking about intelligence, in the Bai family of this generation, besides Junze, it's you."

But you've used all that cleverness on how to be lazy, which is fine—your temperament is just like your great-grandfather's.

"My great-grandfather?"

"Yes. My father, your great-grandfather, was like that back then."

At the height of the Bai family's power under his leadership, while his brothers fought tooth and nail over it, he sat alone in the garden drinking tea and said to me, "What's the point of fighting? It's all just material possessions."

The old man withdrew his hand, leaned back on the stone bench, and looked into the distance, past the ginkgo tree.

"Those who fought over it later all met with bad ends."

Instead, it benefited the one who didn't fight for it, and in the end, your great-grandfather handed the Bai family over to me in a very secure manner.

I will not let the tragedy of your great-grandfather's generation repeat itself.

So I've always felt that your childlike innocence is the most precious thing.

Your dad has that too, but he's just lazy, while you're lazy but also insightful.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Bai Tianyi grinned.

The grandfather and grandson continued walking along the cobblestone path, the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms carried by the evening breeze, sometimes near, sometimes far.