On the way back, Xiaoliu looked at Hua Zhi again and again, with a look of wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Don't feel burdened." Hua Zhi suddenly opened her eyes and met Xiao Liu's gaze. "Publicly, we are on the same boat. If you are well, then we are well. Privately, you are the one I take care of, so of course the benefits will come to you first. But Xiao Liu, you need to think about how to turn these benefits into your own. You can't expect others to make decisions for you in everything. Since you are born to be a superior person, you must also have the ability to protect those below you when they fight for you. After all, others are others, and no one else's is as good as your own."
"Sister Hua, you are not someone else."
"I am, and everyone except you is. Everyone is selfish. They always think of their own interests first. When your interests conflict with theirs, they also want to protect themselves. People are born to pursue profit. They come together because of interests and break up because of interests. That's why there is no such thing as eternal friends, only eternal interests."
Seeing the child's changed expression, Hua Zhi smiled and said, "But I don't think this is a bad thing."
Xiaoliu couldn't figure out the reason, "I don't understand."
"The interest group is the one with the closest relationship and the least likely to betray, and Xiaoliu, you are the core of this group, now and even more so in the future."
"If only interests remain between people..." Xiao Liu felt indescribably sad when he thought that he and the Hua family would end up like this. Some things would be fine if they were never obtained, but if one day he had them but had to lose them, he would rather lose other things than this.
Hua Zhi sat up a little and folded Xiaoliu's sleeves, which had grown a little long. "Human hearts are always the most unpredictable, and emotions are the most difficult to grasp. There may not be any return for your efforts. Who says that there can't be emotions mixed with interests? You and the Hua family are now a community of interests, but is the relationship between us only about interests? What you need to do is learn how to balance emotions and interests. I hope you grow into a towering tree with branches and twigs, which can block the clouds and the sun, and can shelter from the wind and rain, instead of being pruned constantly during the growth process and eventually leaving only a crown."
Hua Zhi didn't know how gentle her smile was at this moment. Xiao Liu stared at her and listened blankly. It touched his ears and his heart.
No one had ever taught him these things.
That's right... He doesn't need anyone to teach him. Being in the palace, he unknowingly learned to be selfish, to use power, and to control others with interests. If it weren't for Sister Hua's talk today, he would probably have become that kind of person.
He didn't care about other people, but he didn't want to be tied to Sister Hua and Berlin only by interests in the future. "As long as the Hua family and I always stand in the same camp, we will never break up."
Hua Zhi was stunned for a moment, then smiled and corrected: "The Hua family will always stand on the same side with you."
Xiaoliu nodded heavily. No matter if it was him and the Hua family or the Hua family and him, as long as the people were right, it would be fine.
Hua Zhi had no idea how much impact these words would have on Xiao Liu's life. After returning home, she took out a thick stack of papers and handed it to him, motioning him to read it.
This is a supplementary list of details about salt tax and transportation. The deficiencies that she deliberately left out will be supplemented by Xiaoliu later, and through these, the credit will be confirmed.
Xiaoliu knew how much benefit he had gained, so he bowed solemnly and then began to study it carefully.
Hua Zhi was not idle either. As the emperor's money-maker, she had to find a way to do business and make money.
The tea garden has already been bought. The next step is to re-plan the soap business. Although the idea was originally hers, it is definitely not okay to just take it back for free. She has to share the profits...
After thinking about it, Hua Zhi started writing. She couldn't take it back for nothing, and she also had to avoid letting the emperor think that her subjects were competing with him for profits. So, she would make the business of the three families part of this business. To put it bluntly, the headquarters would be divided into ten divisions, with the capital and Kyushu each occupying one. Even the emperor's business could not be monopolized.
Not only the soap business, but any other big business can be done in this way, spreading the net of interests a little wider, and with the checks and balances of all parties, it will be less easy to play tricks.
As she thought and wrote, things became more and more logical. Hua Zhi wrote quickly, and her regular script turned into cursive script without her noticing. By the time she realized it, she had already written most of it. She simply stopped changing it as no one else would see it anyway.
As the wife, Gu Yanxi could understand it. He quite liked this flamboyant handwriting, just like the way Ah Zhi looked when she didn't hide herself.
"This charter is very novel, but it may be difficult to choose the person in charge of the branch. If he fails, the deal will become his personal property."
"If possible, I would like us to appoint someone, but such a profitable business will not go smoothly if there is no one who can control the local situation. Instead of dealing with various troubles, it is better to share the profits. The other party will know that this is the emperor's business and will not get involved too much."
Hua Zhi is most familiar with the business philosophy from her previous life. She can't just copy it. She has to modify it to suit Daqing. There aren't so many laws here. Whoever has the bigger fist gets the final say.
Gu Yanxi nodded, "The candidate will be decided by Qisusi."
"Okay." Putting this matter aside, Hua Zhi elaborated on the results of the three-party talks. "The court will probably have to wrestle for a while. You should be careful with Xiaoliu so that he doesn't suffer any loss."
"It's not the right time for Xiaoliu to show off now."
"I don't understand those things. You guys handle it." Hua Zhi waved her hand cleanly and neatly. She would not use her own weaknesses to attack others' strengths.
Gu Yanxi smiled and stroked her hair. "Once things are settled here, let's go to Yuzhou."
"What a coincidence, I thought so too." Hua Zhi held her chin, happy about this telepathic connection. She knew that Yan Xi was resentful of the Chaoli tribe, and in fact, she was the same. Compared with internal troubles, external troubles were more deadly. If she didn't expose the Chaoli tribe, she would always be worried, afraid that one day she would become a slave of a conquered country.
"Did you find anything over there?"
Gu Yanxi shook her head. "No news came back. It seems that we haven't caught them yet."
"It's impossible that someone who can hide so well doesn't have anyone to protect him. The person who can provide protection must be extraordinary. And since this person hasn't been found by the Seven Stars Division, his status must be high." Hua Zhi sneered, "There are always some people who do things that hurt others and benefit themselves, and yet they think they are taking advantage of everything."
The two were really fed up with this kind of people and didn't want to say a word. They walked side by side in the front yard before it got dark, chatting about trivial things, and felt like they had stolen a little time to relax.
PS: I don’t know what happened recently. I have written a lot of waste. I want to rewrite the second chapter. I will revise it to see if it can be used. If I can’t wait, I will check it tomorrow.