"Carrying the deep hatred of blood, my grandfather originally wanted to fight He Kaqing tang to the death, to avenge our family. But at that time, He Xiaolanya had given birth to you, and she handed you over to my grandfather. She was the only one in the entire Hidden Clan that He Xiaolanya trusted.
At that time, the Hidden Clan was in chaos, not as peaceful as it is now. There was constant destruction and killing everywhere, and a group of people were pursuing you and your mother. To protect your safety, he took you away from the Hidden Clan, and even cruelly left me behind.
When I grew up and learned about these things, to be honest, I resented him a little. But gradually, I realized that he was sacrificing his family for the greater good, a selfless and great person. I no longer hated him, but rather admired him more and more..."
Hearing this, Meng Jingwei interrupted him, "Old Chen's sacrifices are very moving to hear about, but they dictated my life without ever asking about my feelings. Also, his choice to abandon his hatred and take me and He Xiaolanya away from the Hidden Clan was his choice, it has nothing to do with me. And the last point..."
Meng Jingwei raised her finger and pointed down the mountain, "Look at the Hidden Clan. You also said that the Hidden Clan used to be chaotic with destruction and killing, but now it is peaceful. He Xiaomingjin, do you know what kind of situation internal chaos and usurpation of power in a country can bring? Do you know who the biggest victims are?"
"The people, the common folk."
"Heh, it seems you're not stupid either." Meng Jingwei shook her head. "If that's the case, you should try harder to persuade your grandfather to give up the idea of reclaiming the position of Hidden Lord of the Hidden Clan. It's completely meaningless. If he truly wants revenge, he should just kill He Kaqing tang and let the next young lord inherit it."
What era are we in? She hadn't expected Old Chen, He Xiaolanya, and their followers to have such rigid and old-fashioned ideas.
"Since there's nothing else, I'll take you somewhere."
He Xiaomingjin said, without waiting for Meng Jingwei's consent, he took her hand and walked down the mountain.
A car was parked at the foot of the mountain, a convertible off-road vehicle.
"Get in."
He Xiaomingjin got into the driver's seat and said to Meng Jingwei.
She originally wanted to ask him where they were going, but seeing He Xiaomingjin's rare lack of a smile, she knew it must be something important.
She opened the car door and got in.
The car started and drove slowly on the bluestone road, heading east from the city.
"Where are we going?"
Meng Jingwei couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked.
"You'll know when we get there." He Xiaomingjin was being mysterious.
Leaving the bustling city center, the car drove for more than five hours. The surroundings became more and more remote. After driving for a while, Meng Jingwei saw houses in the distance.
However, these houses were not two or three-story buildings, but simple structures that looked like temporary campsites.
Occasionally, ragged people walked by on the road. They had dark skin, were emaciated, and looked like withered husks.
Meng Jingwei's heart skipped a beat. "This is... a slum?"
As they got closer to the densely populated slums, He Xiaomingjin stopped the car and didn't drive any further.
He leaned back in the driver's seat and pointed ahead. "Look over there, continuing east for thousands of miles, it's all slum areas, where tens of millions of poor people are gathered."
In the passenger seat, Meng Jingwei looked at the disheveled people, their desperate and hungry appearance, comparable to African slums, so poverty-stricken.
The makeshift houses seemed like they would collapse in the next storm, offering no protection from the wind and rain.
The clothes they wore were patched and mended, but still had holes, or were stretched tight on their bodies, clearly not clothes they could afford, likely found somewhere.