Same Surname Cao, Different Destinies

The discussion about Little Decheng's upbringing sparked debates among the family.

After all, he was the eldest grandson—the firstborn, the legitimate heir.

Putting everything else aside,

just based on his current status, everything Cao Cheng had in the future would be inherited by him.

That included a portion of Old Cao's assets as well.

And Ren's mother—once their household registration was merged, she too would have some inheritance rights.

According to the law, Tang Xin's side also held a share of Little Decheng's inheritance.

Damn.

Even Young Master Cao couldn't help but feel envious.

When he was born… well.

Better not dwell on that.

Same surname, different fate.

But at the end of the day, it all came down to whether Little Decheng had the potential.

Whether he chose business, politics, or a life of leisure—it was entirely up to him.

Of course,

this was Cao Cheng's personal stance, mainly because he didn’t hold any strong beliefs about primogeniture.

There was still a long road ahead.

Was this really going to be his only son?

No way.

In the future, he could have a few daughters too—they could inherit just the same.

"Let’s send Decheng over first. Whether he learns, whether he likes it—that’s up to him. If he doesn’t, I’ll just bring him back."

"Respect the child’s own wishes and thoughts."

"What era is this? Fighting over things like this—does that even make sense?"

"Anyway, children will find their own path. I support letting them grow freely, without too much interference."

"Guide them on major principles, but let them handle the small stuff themselves."

In the end,

Cao Cheng made the final decision.

Mostly because his father-in-law had spoken up—he couldn’t just ignore the old man’s goodwill.

As for whether Decheng had what it took, they’d find out after some training.

Three years old—they say you can see a person’s future at that age.

After staying home for a few more days,

Ren's mother reluctantly saw Little Decheng off.

It was clear—she had always wanted a son. Even though Decheng wasn’t her own, he was around the same age as her sixth child and had grown up under her care.

Now that he was leaving, she couldn’t bear it.

Tang Xin also felt a little guilty.

Truth be told,

she was the one who had brought it up to her father-in-law—just a casual mention, and the old man had arranged everything.

Because Tang Xin knew all too well how crucial family grooming was.

She had told Cao Cheng about it afterward, but he didn’t mention it to Old Cao or Ren's mother, to avoid stirring up tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Every family has its struggles.

Sigh~

Some things just don’t have a solution.

The only way is to have more kids and plant more trees.

With more children,

both sides could be evenly satisfied.

As the old saying goes: "It’s not scarcity but inequality that breeds discontent."

To keep the family harmonious,

it all fell on Young Master Cao’s shoulders.

Luckily, Young Master Cao had the stamina—more kids would solve the problem.

Old Cao was reluctant too.

He patted Little Cao’s head: "Grandson, study hard over there. If it doesn’t work out, just eat well—don’t shortchange yourself."

"..."

Cao Cheng rolled his eyes. "It’s not like he’s going to prison."

Old Cao shot him a glare.

Truthfully, Young Master Cao understood.

This was about the power imbalance between the two families.

His father-in-law’s side was just too "dominant."

At least, that’s how Old Cao and Ren's mother saw it—when the old man spoke, they couldn’t refuse.

Even if Young Master Cao told them they could decline, that his father-in-law wouldn’t take offense or retaliate later—

they still hesitated.

And honestly, it made sense.

In ancient times, this would be like a royal relative facing the emperor himself.

If the emperor made a request, would a relative dare to refuse?

You think every emperor is as powerless as Chongzhen?

Whatever.

Cao Cheng shook his head—he couldn’t stand the melodrama.

It wasn’t that big a deal.

If it didn’t work out, he’d just bring the kid back. No need for all the tearful farewells.

Cao Cheng stepped aside for a smoke.

The goodbyes were going to take a while.

Tang Xin followed him.

"Sorry, husband," she mumbled, head lowered.

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Cut the crap. You’re just adding to the chaos. Everyone’s acting like this—I don’t even know who to comfort first."

Though "scolded," Tang Xin knew Young Master Cao’s temperament.

This kind of reaction meant he wasn’t actually upset.

If he started being polite, then she’d really have to worry.

She muttered, "Should we just let Decheng stay?"

Cao Cheng side-eyed her. "Stop with the bad ideas. You just focus on popping out eight or ten more kids—that’ll fix everything."

"..."

Tang Xin flushed. "You want me dead? Go ask your precious Second Sister."

Oh?

Daring to be jealous at a time like this?

Cao Cheng wasn’t about to indulge her.

A swift smack landed—thwack—right on her backside.

Luckily, no one was paying attention.

Still,

jealousy aside,

Second Sister’s situation needed handling.

And The Third.

The Fourth!

Right—

The mixed-race one too.

And Lin Zhi.

Counting them out—who could truly enter the inner circle, the family registry?

The mixed-race one needed more observation.

Though she’d been well-behaved these years, with decent performance, she still had foreign ties—Paul was too far away, so she couldn’t be given too much favor.

Even with leverage, they had to watch out for external influences.

Parting was hard.

But eventually, they left.

Before going, Cao Cheng promised Ren's mother he’d have eight or ten more kids for her to dote on.

That finally made her laugh through her tears—though she still punched his arm.

Soon, they arrived in the capital.

The elder sister doted on her grandnephew, fussing over him endlessly.

She even left work early to personally cook for him.

That evening, the father-in-law returned.

Seeing his grandnephew, even he cracked a small smile.

After dinner, over some medicinal wine,

they retreated to the study.

They didn’t discuss the child’s upbringing but moved on to other matters.

Cao Cheng had previously submitted proposals on tariffs, and now, things were unfolding largely as he’d predicted—just with minor deviations.

After confirming the trajectory, they didn’t linger on it.

Just stick to the plan.

With Cao Cheng’s foresight, many past mistakes were avoided—some even turned to their advantage.

Turning losses into gains.

Finally, they circled back to the child’s future.

About Little Decheng,

Young Master Cao reiterated:

"It depends on whether Decheng has the aptitude, whether he truly likes it. If not, I won’t force him."

"Worst case, we’ll just have more kids—cover all fields."

"Surely one of them will want to go into politics."

"There’s still time. But Father-in-law, you need to rest more. No matter how good my remedies are, they won’t help if you keep working like this."

The old man acknowledged the concern.

Promised to take it easier.

After all these years, their bond was almost father-son. No need for formalities—just straight talk.

So,

Cao Cheng had learned many "inside stories."

Some things, the old man didn’t do by choice—he had no other option.

After years of effort, I've finally regained control over many key responsibilities.

Only then could I accomplish more meaningful work.

Now that most tasks are settled, my father-in-law can take things easier in the future—no more exhausting burdens weighing him down.