Wang Hui's heart chilled by half. Grabbing Zhao Jiaqi's hand, she said, "That concubine really gave my father a son, and my father was so happy."
When he was happy, he let slip that from now on, this family business would all belong to his son, and there would be none for her. This made Wang Hui very sad.
She had the urge to strangle him, but looking at the tiny child, so cute in his sleep, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
However, she couldn't help but feel resentful.
Zhao Jiaqi helped the trembling Wang Hui to sit down, poured her a cup of warm water, and placed it in front of her. "Your father finally has a son in his old age, of course he's happy."
This was something they didn't even need to think about.
"Didn't you say that even if this son was born, he would be raised under your mother's name? He's still your brother, and even if you're not born of the same mother, you're still siblings."
Actually, Zhao Jiaqi wanted to say that whoever the child grew up with, they would naturally be closer to them in their heart. But if no one spoke about it, and the child didn't know their true origins, perhaps this sibling affection could last longer.
If the child were to hear any gossip in the meantime, things might not be so certain.
Wang Hui lowered her eyelids, indignant. "Even if he's under my mother's name, when my father is gone, won't all the family property belong to him?"
This statement made Fan Zehao somewhat disagree. "Your father's property is your father's. It's up to him who he gives it to. He still has the final say."
"Besides, you're already this old. You'll be married soon. When the time comes, your father will prepare a generous dowry for you, and that will be considered fulfilling his paternal duty."
Wang Hui knitted her brows and looked up at him disapprovingly. "You also have daughters and sons. Will all your family's future fortune go to your sons? And then you'll dismiss your daughters with a small dowry, right?"
"Are you saying your son is your biological child, and your daughter is adopted? Can you treat them differently? I didn't expect you to be a male chauvinist too."
These words blocked Fan Zehao's mouth, but he quickly and solemnly replied.
"First, I am not a male chauvinist at all, and our daughter is our biological child."
"Second, when our daughter gets married, I will definitely prepare a dowry. As for how much dowry it will be, it will depend entirely on how much love my wife and I have for our child."
"Third, if I die, all my family property will not go to my son. I will first leave it to my wife. With money, she won't have to live at the mercy of others, regardless of whether the children are filial or not."
"As for after my wife is gone, all the family property will be divided equally among the children. If there are several children, they will each get a share. Of course, for my unborn child now, I will leave a little more. After he grows up and starts a family, the property will be divided equally among the children. This is just the initial idea."
Since Fan Zehao began to talk about these matters, Zhao Jiaqi listened carefully and felt that his approach as a father was acceptable.
However, upon hearing the last sentence, Zhao Jiaqi was a little confused. "You mean, regarding the family property after we pass away, you have other ideas?"
Fan Zehao nodded firmly, as if cutting iron. "Yes."
She blinked a few times and smiled. "I'd love to hear more."
"If our children surpass me in their achievements in the future, what's the use of money and property?"
"If their future achievements are inferior to mine, or even inferior to an ordinary citizen, what's the use of money! It will only be for them to squander. Once the money is gone, they'll still have to beg. What's the point of having money?"
These words left Zhao Jiaqi somewhat speechless, unable to argue or refute. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to start.
Finally, Wang Hui said, "You're a really harsh father. Regardless of whether your children surpass you or not, they are still your children. If you don't leave them any way out, aren't you afraid they'll resent you?"
Fan Zehao scoffed. "Resent? I raised them, and that's my responsibility. Whether they resent me or not, I won't know after I die. If they want to hate me, let them hate me. I don't care."
He said it so lightly, as if he were joking, but Zhao Jiaqi knew that he meant it.
Wang Hui couldn't get any comfort from Fan Zehao; instead, she heard so many perplexing things, which made her feel even more stifled.
She turned to Zhao Jiaqi for comfort. "Sister, do you think the same way?"
Zhao Jiaqi slowly shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet. After all, I'm still alive and well."
Who would think about the mess left behind after their death when they are still alive? If today's shoes fit, who knows what tomorrow will bring.
"Sister, if my father could give me half of the family property, I wouldn't be so conflicted."
After saying this, Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao exchanged a glance and then looked away. Both of them as a couple knew clearly that the village chief's family property would eventually be confiscated by the public and not a single coin would be left for them.
Hoping for it now was futile. Unless Wang Hui could marry herself off tomorrow, perhaps only the dowry she took with her could be preserved.
Zhao Jiaqi took a deep breath. "Wang Hui, have you ever thought about what you would do in the future, even if you received this property, or half of it?"
"It would be fine if you could manage this property, but what if you can't?"
Wang Hui frowned, not fully understanding her elder sister's words. With this family property, half of it would at least ensure she wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing and could live a comfortable life in the future.
"It's better to have something yourself than to rely on others. If you can earn money through your own abilities, will you still worry about other problems in the future?"
Wang Hui shook her head. "Then if I can make money myself, what am I afraid of?"
"So, you shouldn't rely on anyone. There's a saying: 'Lean on a mountain, and the mountain will fall; lean on water, and the water will dry up.' It's better to rely on yourself for insurance. Even if you encounter a major accident, you can face it calmly and won't worry about your future."
Wang Hui listened to her words and pondered for a while. It seemed to make some sense, but it also indirectly meant that she shouldn't expect this family property. After understanding their intentions, Wang Hui still felt quite angry.
These two, while saying they weren't male chauvinists, still sounded like they were.
Wang Hui didn't want to dwell on this issue and changed the subject. "Sister, if you make this deal with my father, what about the business between us?"
Zhao Jiaqi was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "What do you think we should do?"
Seeing that she could still laugh, Wang Hui became anxious. "Sister, please don't tease me. I'm so worried."