On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Han Lie brought his whole family to the Xishan Hotel.
The place used to be a governnt guesthouse, with a main building of four floors, an auxiliary building of three floors, and four separate villas, all hidden within a quiet garden.
The so-called Fushan Chunju Pavilion was one of these villas.
Today's New Year's Eve dinner was not just about a al; it actually included dinner, a midnight snack at 12 o'clock, breakfast on the first day of the Lunar New Year, an overnight stay, and the use of various facilities, among other things.
The price was not the rumored 188,888 RMB in the chat groups; that was just the base cost.
Ma Honglian and Han Yong, after learning the price, didn't offer any comnt but, sowhat unsurprisingly, started to look around.
Han Lie's approach might seem a bit nouveau riche, but it was indeed effective.
Just a few days after returning, he had managed to desensitize his parents, Old Han and Old Ma, speeding them through a process that ordinary folks might not complete in twenty years.
But the relatives were not so composed.
The eldest uncle, upon seeing the eight-ter-long Great River Eastward Map hanging in the middle of the main hall, was so stunned that he froze on the spot.
The value of the item was secondary; it was mainly the grandeur, the solemnity, and reverence it commanded—obviously not sothing an ordinary household would hang.
In Han Lie's eyes, the slightly old-fashioned decor had a strong impact on the older generation.
They continued the tour.
After seeing the reception room that clearly no longer had any practical use, the elders gathered and murmured among themselves.
"My goodness, this place must be where the mayor holds etings, right?"
"How co this room is so big, yet there are only a few sofas?"
"You know nothing! When eting important guests, how many people need to be involved?"
"Exactly! Haven't you seen it on the news? The underlings are all sitting at the back on small stools!"
"Which side is the main seat?"
"Over there, on the east side. What about it?"
"Co on, let sit there, and you take a photo of !"
Han Lie's elders might have seed rustic, but the hotel staff were of high quality, responsive to every request and warmly attentive, without a hint of mockery.
In fact, they had hosted far more guests unaccustod to such opulence—often overwheld by the novelty—than actual tycoons; they had plenty of experience handling such situations.
What kind of people would rent Fushan Chunju Pavilion for 24 hours?
Generally, it was today's type of group—two or three core mbers, bringing along a bunch of relatives, eager to broaden their horizons and experience sothing novel.
So, from the afternoon when everyone arrived, the whole scene was extraordinarily harmonious, without any issues arising.
Since there was still so ti before the al, everyone moved to the card room.
The elders made up two mahjong tables with so to spare, while the younger ones found another place to play poker. Kids like Goudan ran around the place, each finding their own fun.
The entire New Year's Eve was loud and boisterous, with toasts made and drinks flowing, ending with many inebriated.
Han Yong actually had a good tolerance for alcohol, but he was the first to go down.
Whenever soone praised Han Lie, he would just offer an earnest toast with a grin. Unsure how else to respond, he found it simplest to raise his glass and declare, "Bottoms up!"
Ma Honglian, on the other hand, tended to drink less and less as her voice grew louder.
In the end, she was fine, but her sisters-in-law couldn't keep up.
"Sister-in-law, let's take a break, let us take a break!"
The eldest paternal aunt sat next to Ma Honglian, her head buzzing—the boasting was bearable, but the power of her booming voice was overwhelming. Who could endure several hours of such high-powered, continuous output?
"Break? What break?"
Ma Honglian was not having it, embodying the spirit of the working class taking control, and slamd her hand on the table.
"Co on, for the bright future of all our family mbers, let's toast together!"
Not a single sober person dared to be disrespectful; everyone raised their glasses simultaneously and then, with an unspoken understanding, cheered and drank. Boy, that was a compelling way to propose a toast!
They willingly drank to it. Who doesn't look forward to a better tomorrow?!
The dinner started at 5 p.m. and lasted until 8 p.m., with high spirits throughout.
His maternal grandmother, brought over by his youngest maternal uncle, clutched Han Lie's hand and mumbled sentintally, "It has been a long ti since our family was this lively. Pipi, you've really made sothing of yourself!"
The old woman's words were simple yet profound.
It was because of Han Lie's rise, and his willingness to lift his family mbers along with him, that a sense of unity, positivity, and aspiration erged among the previously fractured relatives.
To put it simply, when everyone could see a glimr of hope, those little sches and conflicts of the past ant nothing.
People can be generous due to kindness, but more often, they are generous because they possess much.
Those who live happily are never angered by trivial matters.
Han Lie understood this, which is why he was willing to push his relatives toward happiness and help improve their situations, rather than flaunting his wealth and settling scores with them.
Temporary satisfaction held no aning; what Han Lie wanted to see was lasting peace.
As long as his relatives had sothing to aspire to in their lives, they would naturally treat Han Yong and Ma Honglian kindly—taking care of them, protecting them, and overlooking Old Han's and Old Ma's various shortcomings.
The key was to resolve issues, not exacerbate conflicts—this was Han Lie's understanding of human nature.
As for the various issues and calculations that might slowly erge among the relatives as their wealth increased... it was highly unlikely they would affect Old Han and Old Ma.
In this day and age, who was more foolish than the next person?
Neither three generations of the Han Family nor two generations of the Ma Family were comprised of particularly high-caliber individuals. However, none of them were such utter fools as to be completely clueless; they certainly wouldn't beco so arrogant that they couldn't tell who was truly in charge.
As long as Han Lie maintained his standing, regardless of whether he returned to Dream City or not, his parents would remain the paramount elders of the Han and Ma families.
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