Which way to go is the road?

Not long after hanging up with Qian Luomei, Wang Zhiqiang called, saying he was going back to Yandu the next day and asking if Xiang Fei wanted to come along. Xiang Fei was more than happy to oblige, saving him the trouble of getting up early to buy train tickets!

Fei fell asleep very late that night. There were many things she couldn't understand lately—why did that scarred man open an internet cafe across the street? What grudge did Qian Luomei have against him? Why was Wang Zhiqiang so concerned about "Shuiyunjian"? What role did she play in all of this? And how should she deal with it in the future?

The problem was like a tangled mess, leaving Xiang Fei mentally and physically exhausted. He racked his brains but couldn't come up with a solution. He fell asleep in a state of mental exhaustion until the chirping of sparrows woke him up again.

Zhang Xiue also got up early to prepare her son's luggage for the trip—instant noodles, bottled water, and bread that Xiang Mei had bought from the convenience store; two chickens she had slaughtered a couple of days ago for the Lantern Festival; six or seven washed apples; roasted peanuts with their skins on… In addition to filling Xiang Fei's backpack, they also brought three large plastic bags, which Xiang Fei weighed in his hands; the total weight was no less than 40 pounds.

Thanks to Wang Zhiqiang's ride, Xiang Fei was able to cry out if he had been carrying so much stuff on the train. Every time he took something out of his bag, his mother would put it back in his bag.

"Mom, it's all highway, it'll only take four hours! No need to bring instant noodles or bread, we can eat when we get to Yandu!"

"Take it with you, what if there's traffic on the way? If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, where will you eat?"

"What a coincidence! All the bad luck seems to befall me!"

"We always have to be prepared. We can't just build a gate after a thief comes, can we? It's just in case! Your uncle has a car! But he won't let you bring it yourself, look how worried you are! Oh right, I forgot the shelled peanuts, Xiaomei, go get them from the inner room!"

Seeing his younger sister go into the inner room and bring out two more bags, Xiang Fei simply took them and said, "Mother, how about I take our cow to Kyoto too?"

Zhang Xiue quickly raised her hand and gently slapped her son, scolding him with a laugh, "Nonsense! That's enough, that's all!"

Xiang Fei took out the remaining 1500 yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into his mother's hand: "I haven't earned much money in the past six months, so this is all I have to give! Mom, use it to buy some vegetables! Don't always eat haphazardly, Xiang Mei is still growing! You two should also take care of yourselves!"

"Silly child, we have everything we need. We grow our own food and vegetables. How could your sister go hungry? Don't worry. Just be careful when you go out, don't harm others, and don't let others harm you! Peace is a blessing!"

Xiang Fei nodded in agreement, and the family sat together and had a lively breakfast. Around 9 a.m., Wang Zhiqiang drove to Xiangjiatun, picked up Xiang Fei, packed their things, and headed to Beijing.

There were three cars traveling together. Xiang Fei's car only had him and Wang Zhiqiang in it, and it was driving in front while the other two cars followed not far behind.

"Uncle, aren't Aunt and my younger brother and sister leaving today?" Xiang Fei wondered.

"Oh, let's go! You're in that car behind. I'll come pick you up. They're in another car! Feifei, you don't get carsick, do you?" Wang Zhiqiang said with a smile, still looking ahead and concentrating on driving.

"I never get carsick!"

Perhaps because Wang Zhiqiang's aura was too strong, Xiang Fei always felt a sense of pressure in front of him, and his speech and actions became slightly restrained and unnatural.

"That's good!" Wang Zhiqiang paused, his right index finger lightly tapping on the steering wheel, then suddenly stopped: "Xiang Fei, you've been in Yandu for over half a year now, what have you gained?"

"Gains? In what way?"

"Anything is fine, just say whatever you want, for example, what do you think was the biggest takeaway?"

"The biggest gain?" Xiang Fei pondered seriously, quickly reviewing his experiences over the past six months in his mind: "It must be making some friends! Without them, I could hardly have gotten anywhere in the last six months!"

"rare!"

"Uncle, what did you say?"

"I said, you've only been out in the workforce for six months, and you've already realized the importance of interpersonal relationships—that's quite remarkable! You've clearly studied more, so you understand things much faster than us! It took me several years to gradually grasp this!"

"Uncle! The other day, while I was watering the wheat in the field, I was thinking, what makes us so different from those city people, those bosses, CEOs, and officials? Why are our lives so different?"

"Heh, you've got some serious thinking! What came to your conclusion in the end? Let me hear it!"

"The only differences lie in education level and the people you meet. To change your fate, you must first change these two aspects!"

"So how do you want to change things?"

"Reading helps narrow the cultural gap between us and them, and cultivates our own intellectual and moral character! Only then can we have the cultural confidence to interact with them, and avoid feeling ashamed or subservient in their presence!"

"That makes sense, but relying on studying is too slow. There are better and faster ways, namely, relying on intelligence and economic strength! Entering high society through education is outdated. Now, the most important thing is to have brains, be able to make money, and use money to open a gap in this walled city, then stand on equal footing with them, or even, if you develop well, look down on them!"

Wang Zhiqiang's words are very realistic. As he said, economic means are more effective than trying to eliminate cultural differences and integrate with city dwellers. After all, in this society where money is the standard of judgment, people who achieve economic success are almost seen as perfect and become objects of worship for many!

But upon hearing these words, one word naturally popped into Xiang Fei's mind—nouveau riche! He wasn't foolish enough to say it aloud, but instead raised another question in his mind: "Uncle, do you think studying is still useful?"

"Success or failure has nothing to do with whether or not you study, but if you don't study after you've succeeded, your career will definitely decline and lack vitality!" Wang Zhiqiang emphasized, as if imitating someone's speech, before switching back to a normal tone: "I don't know if you've heard this saying before, it was said by a rising star in the business world: 'I haven't succeeded yet, so I don't need to read books! Once I'm successful, I'll definitely study hard!'"

Xiang Fei felt a mix of emotions. He felt that Wang Zhiqiang was wrong, but due to the circumstances, he couldn't find a reason to refute him, so he mechanically nodded.

"By the way, Xiang Fei, how is Qian Luomei, Qian Ruofeng's daughter, treating you?"

Xiang Fei was startled, wondering if he knew something! After thinking about it, he decided it was impossible and felt relieved: "She's great, she treats her employees very well!"

"That's good. Make sure you get along well with this family. Qian Luomei isn't much, but her father, Qian Ruofeng, has a lot of influence. You'll definitely need him in the future! Treat him well. If you need money to smooth things over, just tell me, and I'll give it to you!"

"Yes, I will try to get along well with the boss. It's all for the sake of work, so don't worry!" Xiang Fei felt very uncomfortable and only said half a sentence. He swallowed the other half because it would easily offend Wang Zhiqiang.