Chapter 1420: Chapter 1007: Full-time Mother’s Counterattack 15 (four thousand)
Qi Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Even with just a bit of thought, one can understand how terrifying jealousy can be. People might smile at you as if everything is fine, but privately, they attack with the most venomous words. It’s okay, I’m not familiar with them. They say what they want, and I do what I must. This scholarship, like the money I earn through my abilities, is all set aside for my child’s education. We live frugally every day so that we can eventually settle in Beijing. I believe many people think this way, so it’s not shameful that I do. It’s true I’m an influencer, but I don’t steal or rob, nothing illicit. I donate to the class fund when others do. If others don’t, I won’t either. I’m just like everyone else, and I definitely won’t be the odd one out in this class!"
Compared to these university students who haven’t yet entered society, she, having been married for years and experienced divorce, is a veteran to the harsh realities of society and certainly won’t be defeated by mere rumors!
Moreover, why should people live for others? Be swayed by them? Considering her current worth, even if everyone in the class were combined, they might not achieve what she has. She doesn’t look down on them, yet they despise her influencer status?
The counselor still wanted to explain something, but Qi Qi was no longer interested in listening and chose to leave. When facing her classmates again, she felt she shared their hypocrisy.
While the counselor’s reasoning wasn’t wrong, she recalled a deeply memorable story.
[The Lu Kingdom stipulated that those who redeemed slaves from foreign lands could collect the ransom money from the national treasury upon returning to Lu.
Zigong redeemed someone but refused to collect the money from Lu—Zigong was a wealthy man.
Confucius criticized him: "Your actions will discourage others from performing such good deeds in the future."
Zi Lu once saved someone from drowning, and that person gratefully rewarded Zi Lu with an ox, which Zi Lu accepted.
Confucius praised him: "A You, you did right. More people will be encouraged to save drowning victims in the future."
Zigong elevated moral conduct too high, making it unreachable, causing people to desist;
Zi Lu made moral conduct attainable and agreeable, reflecting real life.]
If Qi Qi followed the counselor’s advice and donated part of her scholarship, what would the other scholarship recipients think?
How would those who didn’t receive scholarships react?
Donating this money wouldn’t earn her any benefits; instead, it would incite more criticism.
Those who didn’t receive scholarships might criticize all scholarship recipients, asking, why don’t you donate if others do? Scholarship recipients might think she intentionally shamed them.
She has her own money and if she wants to donate, she will. For families like theirs living on wages, receiving a scholarship is already tough enough. To donate means not having enough, but not donating leads to moral condemnation. If she donated, she’d be criticized from both sides.
It’s better not to donate. If classmates need help, she’ll step in without hesitation once she knows, which is much better than donating the scholarship.
Such issues are abundant in society, like whether to order delivery in terrible weather, and many have their own opinions.
But regardless of right or wrong, some will always argue, so this perspective doesn’t hold a definitive answer; it depends on personal beliefs.
Qi Qi doesn’t believe she was wrong in this matter. She earned it through her own efforts, nothing shameful.
Every cent she earned was deserved. Paying taxes lawfully, owning with reason, no matter what others say, it’s their matter, unrelated to her.
She doesn’t wish for it to be related.
Those truly cultured won’t be like gossiping women, talking behind people’s backs, but will see her as motivation and surpass her.
After all, as a full-time mother and mature young woman managing to secure a scholarship, shouldn’t students in school daily, free from other distractions, reflect on why they can’t receive scholarships?
When facing reality and life or the utopia of the learning environment, only those who learn to reflect after others succeed are truly wise.
Not those who, wielding their parents’ hard-earned money, gossip idly and lack ambition. Such people, even if they enter this school, won’t become industry elites.
Currently, her cash savings amount to 1.2 million (including the scholarship), while the average price of secondhand houses in Haidian District has already reached one hundred thousand per square meter. In other words, if she wants to buy a decently located apartment, a two-room one-hall space, she needs at least six to seven million in savings, and she is still far from this goal.
