Chapter 1219: Chapter 1217: Reputation Is a Double-Edged Sword
Upon hearing Old Mr. Mengâs words, Wufu smiled faintly. Seeing the old manâs smug look, she picked up the teapot to refill his tea, saying, "Your esteemed reputation is influential, but I didnât plan to use it here."
"What, are you looking down on it then?" Old Mr. Meng snorted.
"Disciple wouldnât dare! I just feel itâs not worthwhile. Is the Wu Family worth exchanging my masterâs credentials for?" Wufu took a sip of tea, sneering, "Do they think I am eager to return to my roots and recognize my ancestors? Itâs not like Iâm complaining my days are too carefree!"
"You donât want to acknowledge them?" Old Mr. Meng looked at her, "Girl, arenât you afraid of having no clan behind you?"
Wufu lowered her eyelids and said, "Master, Iâve long considered my father dead. Recognizing them or not is irrelevant, itâs just for my motherâs sake. Now that their family doesnât acknowledge me, thatâs fine, I can silence my motherâs protests."
"But your mother..."
Wufu said, "If I sever ties with the Wu Family and Wu Lihong, do you think itâs acceptable? As for my mother, whatever her choice is, I will respect it."
Old Mr. Meng frowned, looking at this disciple in front of him, wondering if she was too composed at such a young age. How could she face her family not recognizing her so calmly? Could she be overly heartbroken?
And as for what she said about her mother, it sounded like she had no feelings, this feeling was too strange.
Hearing her mention severing ties, Old Mr. Meng was even more astonished, saying, "Girl, severing ties is usually applied when a husband and wife are ill-matched. Are you saying you want to sever ties with your father?"
"If so, am I being unfilial?" Wufu asked.
Old Mr. Meng choked: "In theory, yes."
"I never ate a grain of rice he provided, now that he also doesnât want to acknowledge me, I likewise donât want to, is this too unfilial?" Wufu was very confused, the rules and laws of the ancients were too complicated.
Old Mr. Meng chuckled: "No matter what, heâs your father. Whatever you do, itâll be seen as unfilial. Even if he is bad, suing him as a son suing his father is also considered a great unfilial act in the eyes of people!"
"In the end, itâs all about reputation," Wufu rolled her eyes.
Old Mr. Meng sighed, "Reputation is a double-edged sword, good when itâs good, but when itâs bad, it drags you down, unable to move forward or back. If youâre not bound by this shackle, then anything you do doesnât matter, follow your own heart. Itâs just that the road ahead might be harder than for other noble ladies."
Wufu said, "Master, I think Iâm freer than many noble ladies."
For those trapped in a confined space, living by the rules, whatâs so meaningful about that?
But thatâs how the times are, she wasnât in a place to criticize.
"Just because you have an inner balance thatâs why youâre free. But you, after all, are a woman and will have to marry one day. Will the family you marry into, like you, also not care about reputation?"
Wufu was silent. She didnât care, Ah Jiu probably wouldnât care either, but he is an Imperial Son. Would the Imperial Family not care?
Seeing her confusion, Old Mr. Meng said, "Never mind, the Wu Family, if they donât acknowledge you, let them be. Theyâre just a family that entered the circle of nobles and powerful people not long ago. Without the Wu Family, thereâs the Meng family; without a father, you have a master. Isnât there the saying âOnce a teacher, always a fatherâ? Your birth father is blind, ignore him!"
Wufu smiled, stood up, and bowed, "In that case, Iâll count on Masterâs support!"
Old Mr. Meng rolled his eyes in exasperation.