Chapter 4250 4252【People must rely on themselves】
"People must learn to struggle on their own instead of always relying on others." Xiang Nan waved his hands and said, "You rely on mountains and rivers. Only by your own efforts can you create happiness.
I am a wizard and I have some prophecy. I can tell you that your fiancé is not a man worth relying on. Although he is rich now, he cannot keep the money.
Within twenty years, he will have lost all his property and will be left penniless and destitute. And with his arrogant character, he couldn't accept his failure at all, and would only choose to commit suicide in the end.
Even if you reluctantly stay with him now, twenty years later you will be penniless and have no one to rely on, and the outcome will be even worse than now.
Because you are seventeen years old now, you are still young, you still have passion and impulse, your body is still very healthy, and you still have the ability to change.
Twenty years later, you will be thirty-seven years old and no longer young. Twenty years of restrained life will smooth your edges, consume your enthusiasm, destroy your fighting spirit, and destroy your body.
At that time, even if you want to change, it will not be possible. Just like many nobles in Europe now, once they go bankrupt, they have almost no ability to make a living. "
…
European aristocrats originally made money from land, mainly collecting rent. At that time, the price of food such as potatoes, wheat, and oats was very good, so relying on land rent, the nobles could live a relatively wealthy life.
In "Pirates of the Caribbean", the dream of many pirates is to wash their hands in a golden basin after making enough money, return to their hometown, buy a piece of land and become a landlord.
However, in the 19th century, with the development of preservation technology and the improvement of transportation capacity, a large amount of overseas grain and meat poured into Europe, causing the price of grain to drop significantly.
The price of wheat fell by half and the price of beef fell by one-third, leading to the bankruptcy of a large number of farms in Europe and the sharp devaluation of the fields in the hands of the nobles.
Coupled with the bourgeois revolution, the emerging bourgeoisie continues to challenge the status and power of the old aristocracy, making it increasingly difficult for them to monetize their power.
For example, repealing the Corn Laws and allowing large quantities of overseas grain to be imported is a way for the emerging bourgeoisie to suppress the traditional aristocracy.
Hence, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a large number of aristocrats in Europe went bankrupt. Many nobles had almost nothing except their titles.
In order to maintain their dignity, they had to sell their ancestral property at low prices, such as fields, furniture, jewelry, gold and silverware... When they had nothing to sell, it was not uncommon for them to become beggars, prostitutes, and criminals.
…
"What you said is very rude." After hearing this, Rose felt insulted and said very dissatisfied.
“There is an old saying in China that good medicine is bitter in the mouth and good for the disease, and loyal words are bad for the ears and good for action.” Xiang Nan explained, “Although you don’t like to hear what I say, what I say is the truth.”
“That’s enough, I don’t need you to teach me how to do things.” Rose said angrily.
"Well, I thought you were looking for me for help." Xiang Nan waved his hand and said, "Since you don't need it, forget it."
"You are really self-righteous and vulgar." Rose stamped her foot. "I have to go. Goodbye, Mr. Jack Dawson."
"Okay, goodbye, Miss Rose DeWitt Bookett." Xiang Nan smiled and nodded.
"You...you really..." Rose gritted her teeth.
She is very angry now, but she is actually not angry with Xiang Nan, but with herself. She knew Xiang Nan was right, she shouldn't rely on Carl Hockley, that was not a person she could rely on.
"Why, do you have anything else to say? Are you leaving?" Xiang Nan asked in confusion. "I can leave whenever I want, you don't have to worry about it." Rose said bitterly, "Wait a minute, why should I leave? This is my territory, and it's you who should leave!"
“Look, who is the rude one now.” Xiang Nan laughed.
"You...take it here, you pretend to be an artist, do you think you really understand it?" Rose snatched the drawing board from Xiang Nan's hand.
She studied literature and art in college. She wanted to use her own strengths to criticize Xiang Nan's paintings to help herself regain some ground.
…
But when Rose opened Xiang Nan's paintings, she was stunned, "The paintings are really good. In fact, they are all excellent works."
She has a very outstanding and unique appreciation ability. When Picasso, Monet, Degas and other famous painters in art history have not yet been recognized, she has already seen their value and started to collect them.
In fact, if the ship does not sink, the paintings she collected alone would be worth much more than the Heart of the Ocean diamond that the treasure-hunting explorer in the movie is struggling to find.
Hence her vision is quite unique, and when she saw Xiang Nan's paintings, she was indeed very surprised and admired them very much.
The lines, contours, perspective, structure, light and shadow, and texture of those paintings are almost impeccable, very perfect, and very remarkable.
It was so lifelike in form and spirit, it really shocked her.
“Thank you.” Xiang Nan nodded.
Rose continued to flip through, and at the back she saw several portraits of naked women.
“Wow wow wow~” She was a little surprised, “Are these real life sketches?”
Xiang Nan nodded, "I painted it in Paris. The girls there are bolder and many are willing to devote themselves to art."
Ross nodded and continued to look through it. She saw several sketches at the back, and the model was the same person.
“You must like her very much, you have drawn her several times.” She said.
“She has a pair of beautiful hands, look~” Xiang Nan pointed to her. The next few pictures are all sketches of women’s hands. To be honest, those hands are really beautiful, slender and slender.
“You must have had an affair with her,” Rose continued,
"You misunderstood, I just like her hands." Xiang Nan waved his hands and smiled, "Look, she is actually a one-legged prostitute."
Rose was stunned for a moment. Under Xiang Nan's guidance, she finally discovered something, "So that's it."
“Actually, she is very humorous, and there is this lady.” Xiang Nan turned to another article. This painting depicts a middle-aged woman wearing gorgeous clothes and jewelry, but with a resentful look on her face.
"She sits in the bar every day, wearing her best clothes and all her jewelry, waiting for her lover to return." Xiang Nan explained, "We all call her 'Mrs. Jewelry,' look at her clothes In fact, it was eaten by insects..."
“This is really a sad story.” When Rose heard what he said, she couldn’t help but feel moved in her heart. “Jack, you are such a genius. These paintings you painted are all very good.”
“But not everyone knows how to appreciate it. People in many places don’t really appreciate my paintings.” Xiang Nan waved his hand and said with a smile.
“Many places?” Rose was stunned.