Officialdom: The beautiful leader took me to the top

Li Ying's tone remained sharp and sarcastic, "Since you've brought it up, then I'd like to ask, what are the family's traditions?"

"I know without you saying it, it's just that you're too ambitious and want to climb the social ladder!"

"Trying to change your family's fate by marrying into a higher social class—that's the Li family's tradition!"

Li Zhihua remained calm. "You're right. The Li family is just an ordinary family. Our ancestors spanned only three generations, and we've never produced any high-ranking officials or dignitaries."

“My elder brother and sister-in-law are both workers and farmers. They are the general public in this society, the most authentic portrayal of the people at the bottom of society, and the epitome of countless poor families.”

"But so what if you come from a poor family? Does that mean you have no right to talk about family traditions? Are you destined to be trampled on?"

"Li Dong, I don't know why, or what Xiao Dong did, that you have such great hostility towards our Li family!"

"But I want to remind you, don't think that just because you're born into a noble family, you can be above everyone else!"

Li Ying sneered, "I'm just stating the facts. You know better than I whether Li Dong is trying to climb the social ladder or not."

"It's your insistence on making far-fetched connections and inflating your own worth that you're the one who's humiliating me to my face!"

Li Zhihua's fingertips lightly traced the tea lid, his voice low but clear, "Li Ying, listen to me carefully."

"What sets one above others is not one's birth, but one's character!"

“My older brother worked as a worker for 30 years and never had a single safety accident. He was also a model worker in the mine, and the mine awarded him a medal when he retired.”

"Although my sister-in-law has been a farmer and a housewife all her life."

"But she managed to raise her three children without letting them go astray, and she managed to keep them all around her, yet she also managed to break up the family!"

"Are you saying our Li family has no family tradition?"

"Excuse me, but in my opinion, this code of conduct, kindness, and responsibility are the very essence of our Li family's values!"

"It's much cleaner than those rules of wealthy families that are just hanging on the wall or written on paper, yet they don't even dare to acknowledge their own daughters!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ying felt as if a sore spot had been touched, and immediately slammed her hand on the table, shouting, "Insolence!"

"Li Zhihua, what right do you have to interfere in my family affairs?"

“Song Ci is my daughter. Whether I acknowledge her or not, and what my relationship with her is, is none of your business to judge!”

Li Zhihua finally asserted, "Is that so?"

"Then I would also like to remind Chairman Li that Xiao Ci is our Li family's daughter-in-law and also our Li family's daughter."

Whether our Li family acknowledges her or not is none of your business to interfere!

Li Ying squinted and asked, "So, you asked me out today just to argue?"

Li Zhihua shook his head. "On the contrary, I asked you out today because I wanted to have a calm talk with you about the two children."

"The reason I was willing to lower my stance is because Xiaodong cares a lot about this relationship."

"I don't want this marriage to be ruined by you, and I want to make one last effort!"

"It is you who has been abusing your status, being aggressive, and domineering!"

"You can bully others just because you have power, but I only said one thing and it turned into an argument?"

"Are the rules of Li Dong only used to restrain others, and never to restrain himself?"

Li Ying sat down again and glanced at the time once more. "I must be crazy to come here and waste my time with you."

"Your Li family has been scheming for so many years, and you finally seized this opportunity to climb the social ladder. How could you possibly let it go so easily?"

"Five minutes left, you speak, I'm listening."

Li Zhihua spoke slowly and deliberately, “What I want to say is very simple: Xiao Ci is our Li family’s daughter-in-law, and Niannian is our Li family’s granddaughter. This is an indisputable fact.”

"You can object, but do you want to break up this couple?"

"I'm sorry, you're not qualified, and neither am I."

“Xiao Dong and Xiao Ci are both adults. They have already obtained their marriage certificate, and their marriage is protected by law.”

"Even if you are her mother, you have no right to separate them!"

Li Ying laughed, her eyes fierce. "I, as a mother, don't even have the right?"

Li Zhihua nodded, "Of course!"

"Unless you can use your status as a mother to force Xiao Ci to back down and make her take the initiative to divorce Li Dong."

"That way, you might have a chance to achieve your goal."

"But, Li Dong, do you think you hold such an important place in Xiao Ci's heart?"

Li Ying shouted sharply, a hint of panic in her voice, "Shut up!"

"I am her mother, and everything I do is for her!"

"She's still young and doesn't know what's important!"

"But I'm certain that if she really chooses to leave Dong, she'll regret it for the rest of her life!"

Li Zhihua sighed, "Regret? Maybe..."

"But whether they regret it or not, it's the choice of the two children."

"Do you think Xiao Ci's reason for siding with the Li family and opposing you, her mother, is because she's young and ignorant?"

"you are wrong!"

"It's because Xiao Ci saw through you that you only used her as a tool for exchanging benefits."

"And Li Dong and our Li family are willing to cherish her as a treasure!"

Li Ying took a deep breath and reminded him, "Last minute!"

Li Zhihua concluded, "Li Ying, I'm not here today to force you to agree to the marriage!"

"I just want to tell you, don't ruin your daughter's happiness with your arrogance."

"Our Li family has never forced this marriage, but if you insist on interfering, you will only be the one who suffers in the end!"

Li Ying's chest heaved violently as she stared intently at Li Zhihua, as if she wanted to devour her alive.

But Li Zhihua's calm and collected demeanor made all her anger seem like it was hitting cotton, leaving her with nowhere to vent it.

Li Ying countered, "Are you finished?"

Li Zhihua nodded, "I'm done!"

Li Ying stood up and slowly exhaled a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to give me some profound advice today, but it turns out it's just your Li family's poor, stale stuff again."

"I was stupid too, wasting 20 minutes on you!"

“Li Zhihua, listen to me carefully. I still disagree with this marriage, and my attitude has not changed.”

"Since you think I'm not qualified to be your mother?"

"Then you'll see if I have the ability to break up this marriage!"

"Let me remind you one last time: if you bow down now, your Li family can still get some benefits."

"If I forcibly break up this marriage, your Li family will lose everything and won't get a single penny!"

Li Zhihua also stood up, "Chairman Li, don't assume everyone here is just after the money."

"I don't know if you have money or not, but how do you know that the money you have... is something our Li family would definitely want?"

Li Ying turned around. "What, Li Zhihua, do you have some kind of impressive background?"