Chapter 245: Chapter 170, Mother (Extra 7,000 words)_4
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“You see, after he had an idea, the first person he contacted was me, the guide, the mentor, without any intention of communicating with his mother. Rage Owl Star always needs a governor, and since he has now made some achievements, why not give him a bit more confidence? There might be new rewards to reap. The cost has already been paid, so it doesn’t matter to pay a little bit more. The battle they won is indeed very useful. What if this kid really makes it? By then, he can only rely on me, and I will have a member of the Gu Family who serves me wholeheartedly.”
Hearing this, Pei Desi fell silent for a moment before suddenly laughing as if he had thought of something very amusing: “That would be quite entertaining. I’m actually quite looking forward to seeing Wang Qi’s son kneel down and kiss your boots. What would she feel like watching from the side?”
Pei Desi was somewhat helpless; he turned around, stared at his brother, and said nothing.
After a while, Pei Desi finally spread his hands: “Alright, alright, it was just a joke. I know now is not the time to provoke that woman. I won’t look for trouble anymore.”
After speaking, he added: “At least not recently.”
Pei Desi was also helpless; he shook his head and said no more to his brother.
…
Elsewhere on Flying Wing Star.
This was a manor belonging to the Gu Family, and now Wang Qi lived here.
It didn’t compare to the Tianma Palace’s majesty and luxury, like a paradise on earth, but it had its own unique charm.
At the moment, the lady of the house, Wang Qi, was reading a letter:
“Mother, I hope this letter finds you well.”
“When I left home in a huff, I wanted to make a name for myself.”
“Now, it has been half a year since I left; fortunately, with the help of heaven, I have achieved some results.”
“You must have heard about the star battle. Although I lacked strong ships and powerful cannons, I managed to lead a reliable army based on my actions on Rage Owl Star in the past six months, overcoming the Beastman Overlord, reversing the tide of battle, and securing victory.”
“In these six months, although I haven’t completely taken control of the planet, I genuinely rule over a million people and have established an army of one hundred thousand. Under my governance, various industries are thriving, flourishing. The systems I’ve instituted ensure the million people attached to me have clothing and food, with pay for their work.”
“I have not received any support from the family since starting this endeavor, but I am not worried about the first tax collection in a year and a half; and I believe there won’t be any problems paying the full taxes three and a half years from now. Rage Owl Star will gradually become a normal Empire World, and I will firmly secure the position of the ninth Military Governor of the Tianma Star Sector.”
“But this is not the end, it’s the beginning. I once told a subordinate that I would make Rage Owl Star as productive as a Foundry World, and as beautiful as a Garden World. This is my goal, and I am still firmly committed to it. Mother, do you believe in me?”
“Perhaps the goal is still far off, perhaps you still think of this as the delusions of an incapable, foolish son. But I am confident I am on the right path.”
“I am not as you thought, someone who could just be a worthy successor like my father; nor do I want to be content with the family’s wealth. Fortunately, a rash decision six months ago has led me to my own endeavor, which has no ties to the Gu Clan.”
“You might think that I am saying all this to show off, to respond to the things you said to me the last time we met, and I won’t deny that.”
“But I want to say more, in these six months I have gone through a lot, and my thinking has changed greatly. I will start to reflect on the uselessness and reckless foolishness of my former self. Those resentments, essentially stem from my incapability and stupidity. When I left, your assessment was correct.”
“But now, I have realized: accepting the appointment to become the governor of Rage Owl Star was harmful to the family, a severe blow to your years of hard work in upholding the family business left by my grandfather and father, and it also put me in a situation where a rescue would cost dearly, and no rescue would mean losing my life.”
“My fortune lies in a wrong decision leading me to a more correct path.”
“Mother, I am not seeking your forgiveness, as I am walking my own path, which is not a mistake and needs no forgiveness. But I have let go of the baseless grudges and will look at the past more calmly.”
“Your assessment was correct about the past me. But as for the current me, the future me, whether it is right, please watch from countless light-years away.”
“Let’s see if I can indeed surpass my ancestors, achieving a greater legacy.”
“By then, I hope you can give another assessment, which I will gladly receive.”
“— Governor of Rage Owl Star, Gu Hang, your son.”
…
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The letter was not very long, nor did it talk about anything specific, yet Wang Qi still read it for a long time.
Through the lines, she could see that in the first half, a young man was proudly boasting to his mother about his achievements, saying that her previous ‘incompetent, stupid’ assessment was the foolish one.
But in the middle section, she saw a man who had become steady and settled, admitting his mistakes while keeping his spine straight. He was reflecting on the past, admitting that his lack of thorough thinking led to wrong decisions, yet also feeling fortunate for his good luck.
Being able to recognize one’s errors and to learn from reflection, that was already good enough, it was the highest expectation Wang Qi had in the past.
Yet at the end, she saw change again. It was as if she saw an entrepreneur full of vitality, telling her about his grand ideals, then coolly turning around and leaving, following the path in his heart with determination.
Wang Qi had not expected at all that Gu Hang would write such a letter.
Mother knows best, and by her understanding of her son, Gu Hang most likely would never write a letter until his death;
If he did write, it would probably say something like, ‘You must be happy I’m dead,’ ‘As you wished, from now on, there will be no stupid, incompetent son to embarrass you’ and so on.
In a very small chance, perhaps her son would have written a letter in tears, admitting his wrongs and begging his mother to save him, in the face of the fear of death.
Although, no matter what, Wang Qi would ultimately try to save him. He was her flesh and blood, her only lineage, how could she truly not care?
However, that did not change the disappointment in her heart, and perhaps in the future, she might keep him under house arrest, find him a wife, and have them quickly produce a grandson.
If he messed up the main account, find a way to train a ‘sub account,’ and then let the grandson directly inherit the family business, letting Gu Hang go off and play.
She was indeed planning to do exactly that, even starting to look for a daughter-in-law with good genes.
But this letter made her fundamentally change her mind.
After reading the letter, Wang Qi’s heart was almost overwhelmed by satisfaction, solidifying into a shallow smile on her face.
But besides relief, her feelings were also very complicated.
After being steeped in plots and intrigues for a long time, she instinctively doubted whether the letter was truly written by Gu Hang himself, or if it really expressed Gu Hang’s sincere thoughts?
Was it possible that Pei Desi, that sly fox, had concocted some scheme, found an expert to fool her son, and taught him to write such a letter to deceive and ambush an old woman like her? To cloud her judgment with maternal affection?
But this likelihood was low, because along with the letter came another one from Wang Jiarong. Her niece talked in her letter about how her cousin had greatly changed; the six months at Rage Owl Star had made him different. Moreover, the letter was penned in her presence, with no one instructing him.
Even if it were truly some ploy, Wang Qi had to admit that she would be duped.
What mother wouldn’t feel proud upon seeing her son’s growth?
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This chapter is 7,300 characters long, about three and a half chapters’ worth.
I’m not brief.
The additional update is not for anything else; it just feels better to write this part in one go.
Some readers might find it uninteresting, but I think it’s very important. The content of the last two days didn’t involve battles, but it shouldn’t be considered trivial, right?
Mainly, it covered: 1. Gu Hang fighting for the fruits of war, 2. Explanation of the interstellar background and the protagonist’s background, these were already in the outline, but because the previous story didn’t involve interstellar it wasn’t mentioned, now it has to be addressed. 3. Elaboration on emotions.
I hope everyone likes it.
Starting tomorrow, the protagonist will go back to farming, beginning to unify the planet.