"People always say, our Jin Family is a pack of wolves." Jin Dongnan suddenly changed the subject, giving a faint smile, "And I, Jin Dongnan, am the alpha wolf of the Jin Family. They dare not call us that to our faces, but honestly, I quite like it."
Jin Ming stared blankly at his father. Despite their father-son relationship, his father rarely had heart-to-heart chats with him. When was the last time they had a conversation ? He couldn't remember.
"Being a wolf is certainly better than being a dog! Especially a mad dog!" Jin Dongnan's face showed a disdainful sneer, "The Hong Family thinks they can scheme against me, with their pack of mad dogs? They're fucking naive!"
Jin Ming was stunned. He had heard his father curse before, but never this blatantly... It was extremely rare! As far as he could recall... it had never happened before!
Jin Dongnan looked at Jin Ming with a chuckle, "Surprised? Your old dad was young once too! Just like you, I was once foolishly in love with a girl! Unfortunately, I didn't have the guts you have now, otherwise... hehe."
Even though Jin Dongnan was laughing, his expression held a slight hint of sadness.
For some reason, a strong warmth surged through Jin Ming's heart, making his nose slightly sour and his voice choked with emotion, "Father... I was wrong! I'm sorry, I brought shame to our family!"
Jin Dongnan stood up, walked over to Jin Ming, and patted him forcefully on the shoulder, saying, "Everyone has their youthful follies. Don't worry, son, I find Fang Lan quite agreeable. She will be your wife and my daughter-in-law! Afterwards, sincerely apologize to her, and when you fully win her heart, I... I will personally arrange the marriage proposal for you."
Jin Ming immediately knelt down, weeping uncontrollably, "Father!"
Jin Dongnan patted Jin Ming's head, "You are my son! If I don't help you, who will I help? As for your sisters, I won't mention them, but your brothers... they can all hold their own now. So, the one I worry about most is you, my youngest son!"
He pulled Jin Ming up by the shoulder, pointed to the chair next to them, and said, "Sit."
"How can I dare to sit while you're standing?" Jin Ming mumbled, his face still wet with tears.
"Sit when I tell you to!" Jin Dongnan glared at Jin Ming, paced the room, then said, "Even if Chu Mo hadn't appeared, I would have made sure you got the girl using some other methods."
As Jin Ming sat there, watching his father pacing around the room in an inexplicably excited mood, he couldn't help asking, "You're really not angry at me for trying to forcibly marry a woman?"
"Ha-ha, still trying to test your old man at this point?" Jin Dongnan shot a glance at his son and said casually, "When have you ever seen a male wolf ask for a female wolf's consent?"
"Uh..." Jin Ming corner of his mouth twitched. He thought to himself, 'My father... You're indeed my father. But we are humans, not wolves, after all!'
"Only the strongest alpha wolf naturally obtains the right to mate with all the female wolves in the pack!" Jin Dongnan stated calmly, glancing at Jin Ming, "Humans... are actually not much different!"
"Are we?" Jin Ming asked blankly.
"Did you hear the conversation I shared with Fang Lan earlier?" Jin Dongnan asked.
"Yes, I heard it," Jin Ming nodded.
"Don't you find it strange why I would give her the materials for Foundation Establishment?" Jin Dongnan then inquired.
Jin Ming nodded slightly, "I was confused at first, but now I understand. You want her to be grateful to our family, right? To spread our good reputation. Not only did you punish me for my wrongdoing, but you also made a generous compensation."
"It's not just that, but it's commendable of you to think this far," Jin Dongnan gave his son a satisfied glance then sat down, remarking, "That girl is very clever and virtuous. Despite coming from a humble family, she carries a noble demeanor. Her marriage to our Jin family will certainly bring us prosperity. The smartest thing she did was to first sway Jin Tiegang, a man who, though headstrong, possesses a strong sense of justice."
Jin Ming scratched his head, feeling somewhat helpless as he said, "Yeah, I nearly tripped up because of him ..."
"Alright, having such a subordinate will only take you further!" Jin Dongnan glared at his son, "Despite chastising Jin Tiegang earlier, deep down I really appreciate the man."
"True, I'm not all that upset with him either. Otherwise, I might have truly messed up big time," Jin Ming admitted wholeheartedly.
"I'm glad you understand. Now let's continue talking about Fang Lan," Jin Dongnan was unusually talkative that evening, astonishing even himself. Was it because of the outsider? Likely so. That young man, not only showed immense power, but also demonstrated some crafty strategies. Making the Hong Family, the local power, bow to him was not solely due to his social standing. Otherwise, in Jinxiu City, the Hong Family would have countless ways to discreetly dispose of him!
Jin Dongnan shook his head, dismissing all these thoughts and continued, "Fang Lan managed to sway Jin Tiegang and got a chance to meet me; however, she was afraid I would ignore her, so she publicly called out for justice. Then, when she came here and realized her mistake, she perfectly displayed her fragile side. Such a delicate and kind-hearted girl who knows how to use her natural advantages to seize opportunities is really rare!"
While saying this, Jin Dongnan glanced at Jin Ming, "At the same time, she is kind. Despite not fancying Wang Wu any more, she still pleaded for his well-being in front of me even if it might displease me. It is such a judicious and kind-hearted girl that shouldn't be missed, else it should be a loss for our Jin family. In our Jin family, a bride need not be a lady from a wealthy or influential family. A marital union is a strategy when there isn't a more suitable person. But now, such a person has appeared. The purpose of a marital union is to strengthen the might of the clan. However, a good daughter-in-law can also accomplish this!"
Jin Dongnan chuckled, "The key point is that my son likes her!"
"Father... You said she doesn't like Wang Wu anymore?" Jin Ming's face lit up with excitement.
He had no reason to not be excited. If it hadn't been for Fang Lan, would Wang Wu have ever caught Jin Ming's attention? However, it was because of this man, that no matter how Jin Ming pleaded or cajoled, Fang Lan never gave him a chance. Out of desperation, he had resorted to such an underhanded scheme.
"Hehe, I've looked into that man. Don't worry, in a few days, you will see the results you're hoping for."