Chapter 459 Filial piety
An Xiulan didn't go to the office that day. Of course, she could not go. She was suspended for an indefinite period. What could she do at home? Nobody knew about her suspension. In the end, she spent the whole day sleeping in her room. Soon, the evening came and her parents returned. It was dinner time and she did her best to avoid any kind of talk that would ignite any discussion over her.
Everyone returned to the room after the dinner. The breakfast was early the next day and she joined her family for it.
"Will you come home early in the evening?" An Qinyan asked. Before An Xiulan could reply to anything, her mom added, "Your uncle and I will be going to a business colleague's party in the evening. We might be late. Don't wait for us for the dinner."
An Xiulan nodded her head, lightly chewing with her head buried in her bowl.
Since her parents would not be at home, she could breathe freely. It was very difficult for her to keep this secret. It wasn't that she wanted to keep the secret. It was that she could not tell them as she had no courage. Only if she was courageous enough to tell them that she was suspended from her job.
The night came and An Qinyan and Gu Yanxi reached the party venue. It was not simply a party but a banquet arranged by their old friend who had collaborated with them on many projects. They had to attend the banquet as Mr Ji wasn't only a business friend but a personal too. He was An Qinyan and Gu Yanxi's friend from their university days.
They greeted Mr Ji as soon as they came before mingling with the other guests.
"Why did you come alone?" Mr Ji asked. "You should have brought your kids." Looking at An Qinyan he added, "I heard Little Xiulan is back, why didn't you bring her?"
"She has office, "An Qinyan said. "How can I bring her?"
"When you are the boss, what's the worry?" Mr Ji asked her.
"She is a lawyer, "An Qinyan replied.
"Oh, "Mr Ji laughed. "She joined her father's line of work. " He patted her shoulder and said, "Don't be mad, Yanyan. Lu Xuan is working for you."
Gu Yanxi put his friend's hand back from his wife's shoulder, "Old man, the pretty lady is my wife."
Mr Ji rolled his eyes, "Just because you bagged the prettiest girl in the university after grovelling for 20 years doesn't mean you can rub it on my face."
Gu Yanxi just ignored the old bastard. He couldn't believe that they had gotten old to the point of treating each other as old bastards. Time really slipped from their hands and now their youth had fallen and soon they would enter into their old age. How weird life was that Just a day before yesterday they were teenagers fresh out of high school applying for college and today they were so old that even their kids had left college almost a decade ago.
An Qinyan talked to Mr Ji in general and they had a good short talk.
"We should meet someday, "Mr Ji said. "It had been such a long time since we spent some time with just friends. With work and family, we neglect our friends a lot. Then, we get old and wonder why we don't have anyone to talk to at all."
An Qinyan and Gu Yanxi nodded their heads. While they were standing there, an elder arrived with his assistant and greeted Mr Ji.
"Uncle Li, thank you for taking your time and coming to see me, "Mr Ji asked.
The Uncle Li in discussion was no one else but Chairman Li of the same law firm where An Xiulan worked. He was related to Mr Ji as his cousin was the latter's mother. They had family relations and that's why Chairman Li was here.
Mr Ji made the introduction between the An couple and said, "That's President An Qinyan of Orchard groups. And that's her husband CEO Gu Yanxi."
Chairman Li looked at the couple and smirked in his heart. He tried to stand taller to the couple as in his heart he felt that they were inferior to him.
An Qinyan and Gu Yanxi greeted him politely. "It is nice to meet Chairman Li."
"Chairman Li, have you ever met President An?" Mr Ji asked.
"I had, "Chairman Li answered. "Though we didn't get the opportunity to exchange any conversation."
"We never had any contact with Orchard groups. It can be a reason for that, "Chairman Li added.
"Yes, Chairman Li is right, "An Qinyan smiled. In her heels, she was standing taller than him. She was seeing that he was trying to put on an inch or two by arching his neck up. She didn't think much about this action aside from the fact that men do this in the presence of taller women as they were used to dominating the situation.
"You should get to know each other, "Mr Ji said. "President An's daughter works for Chairman Li. This thought troubles her."
He added the last with a chuckle.
An Qinyan smiled. "I am not troubled. The children had their own way of doing things. She wanted to walk in her father's footsteps. I have no problem with it. As long as she is doing something good, I will always be behind her to root for her. It didn't matter who she was working for."
Gu Yanxi put an arm on her shoulder and said, supporting her, "Well, my wife is right. At the end of the day, the children should be happy, right, Chairman Li?"
All the parents wanted their children to be happy in their respective lives. As long as their children are happy and stable with their careers, the parents shouldn't have any complaints.
"Well as a parent we can't give them everything they ask for, "Chairman Li said. "We have to discipline them and show them certain things had to be our way."
Chairman Li was in his seventies and he hadn't upgraded with the changing world. As it took time for a person of his age to change. He still abided by the old rules of the previous centuries and wished for his child to do the same. However, this expectation of his created a beef with his own daughter. Amanda wanted to choose a husband for herself but he could not bear it. He could not accept how his daughter was going against the filial piety. As for this couple in front of him, what could he say? Their daughter was charged with beating an elder. What else could he expect from someone who never tried to discipline their child?
"Once children cross eighteen, we can't control them anymore," It was Mr Ji who added this. He had seen this happening in his own house. He was merely saying from his experience, "They become someone with an independent thinking capacity. They do not want things our way and that's for the best. Parents can't think for their well-being all the time. They need to learn to make decisions in their life. And in return, Parents should not impose their wills on their children."
Chairman Li wasn't satisfied with it and said, "Today's parents follow all sorts of Western ideas in their family but as a traditional Chinese man, I can't do that! I can't see a child under my roof going openly against me. I have raised the child and how could it not show me filial piety that I deserve?"
"Children aren't obliged to be completely obedient to us, "Mr Gu said, "It is normal for them to want a different life than us."
An Qinyan touched her husband's back, signalling him to stop or the man would get excited with the topic as he seemed to be reacting rather than just giving his insight. Perhaps, something happened at Chairman Li's home regarding this issue and it was having such a deep effect on him.
At this time, someone from the Ji family came and when they saw that Chairman Li was there, he took the old man with him to introduce him to some people.
"I think I touched a nerve, "An Qinyan said.
Mr Ji was as surprised as she was. "I don't know what happened to him. Today, he was so charged up."
"Little Ji, what did you do?" Mr Ji's mother came to the scene.
An Qinyan and Gu Yanxi greeted her.
"What happened, mother?" He asked.
"Why did you say that Brother Li?" His mother asked. "Don't you know what's going on in his house? Amanda wants to marry a commoner. She didn't care for her father's wish and it hurt him so much. He is going to disown her if she doesn't come back before the given time."
"Oh my god, "All three of them were shocked.
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