She won't clear her name; she'll throw away all the scum.

Chen Xiangbei covered his face, still looking unconvinced. "Mom, I already said I won't do it again. Sweet potatoes don't cost you much money. I can just eat less to save money for the family. How am I supposed to face people after this?

"You don't know, they're really pitiful. Their parents do odd jobs, and with so many children in the family, they never have enough to eat. They're my friends, I can't just watch them starve to death, can I?"

“They’re not getting enough to eat at home, so they’ll definitely try to find other ways to survive. But we’re too young to come up with anything. To stop them from doing bad things, I had no choice but to take our sweet potatoes to tide them over. This is a great deed that saves a life! Mom, you’re the kindest person, why are you stopping me from helping others?”

After hearing this, Old Lady Xia didn't react to Chen Xiangbei. Instead, she glanced at Old Chen, thinking how similar his thought process was to that of the man who helped Widow Huang.

Old Chen sat up straight immediately, but his eyes darted around aimlessly, not daring to meet Xia's gaze.

After thinking for a moment, Old Chen finally spoke up, "Go and get your things back right now, or your mother will fight you, but I will. You know how strong I am!"

Chen Xiangbei felt like a little cabbage in winter, always being bullied by his parents. It wasn't like his family couldn't afford to pay for this little thing, so why did he have to ask for it back?

He already said he wouldn't hang out with them anymore. So what if he gave it to them? Consider it a gift to honor their brotherhood. Isn't that a good thing?

"I'm not going!"

Upon hearing these rebellious words, Old Chen got up, pulled Old Lady Xia aside, picked up a broom, and came over.

"Dad, what are you trying to do?" Chen Xiangbei shouted as he dodged.

Old Chen was indeed ruthless and merciless. "Did you make any money? You used the money we earned to buy things that others robbed, and in the end, you even got beaten up. We even paid for the medical expenses your second brother had to treat. What are you yelling at your mother for?"

"Do you even have the guts to yell?" Old Chen swung his broom with ferocious force, and Chen Xiangbei couldn't dodge it at all. He had another sentence he wanted to say, but he swallowed it back.

That is, he was beaten several times by Old Lady Xia for using his own money to help people, so why was Chen Xiangbei, that brat, able to escape?

With both old and new grudges combined, Old Chen became ruthless.

Chen Xiangbei screamed and cried as he was beaten, "I'll pay you back when I earn money in the future. You can't hit me. Just consider it a loan from you!"

"Let's talk about it when you can make money. You're being supported by us right now, how dare you steal to support others? We told you a long time ago that your friends aren't good people and told you to stay away from them, but you still learned to steal, and you even stole things from your own home."

"If you get caught stealing from someone, do you think you'll just get a beating and that's it? They won't let you off just because you're still in school. They'll report you to the police and have you arrested."

Hearing this, Chen Xiangbei became even more heartbroken. "I know what you mean. If I get arrested, you'll definitely abandon me. You're the most heartless parents. You kicked my brother's family out, and now you want to beat me to death so you won't have to worry about me later, right?"

He became increasingly upset and angry as he thought about it. "I heard everything you said before. If you're so capable, go ahead and report me to the police. Just arrest me. I'm just a thief. I'm stealing small things now, but I'll steal bigger things later. I'll be executed sooner or later. In that case, I might as well just die now, so you won't have to support me for a few more years."

After saying that, he stopped running and let Old Chen beat him. He suppressed his voice, tears streaming down his face involuntarily, from the pain, from the sadness he felt because of his parents' thoughts, and of course, from his unease.

Old Chen was now at a loss, looking at Old Lady Xia with some bewilderment, and silently asked: What should we do?

Grandma Xia stood up and handed him a handkerchief. "Don't cry yet, wipe your tears."

Chen Xiangbei thought he had won, and he held his head high, refusing to accept the prize. He wanted his parents to know that he was different from his older brothers; he would not give in; he was a man with courage and backbone.

Seeing that he didn't take it, Grandma Xia put it away again. "Are you done talking?"

Chen Xiangbei grunted an "Mmm" through his nose.

"That's good. Now you can tell me who stole my sweet potatoes, right? If it's any later, they might have already eaten them all, and then I'll have to pay them back."

Chen Xiangbei's already swollen eyes widened in shock. Even after he said that, his mother still wanted to get it back?

Never forget our original aspiration?

Grandma Xia: "You just said that those families are poor, so we need to go as soon as possible and get our things back. We can't just abandon what was stolen from us because they're poor, can we? Our money didn't grow on trees."

"mom!"

"If you won't tell me, then I'll go ask Dahe. You're so stubborn, I'll sew it up for you in a bit." She spoke the most terrifying words in the gentlest tone. Chen Xiangbei had recently gained a different understanding of his mother's ruthlessness, and he even felt that his mother was really capable of doing such a thing.

"A wise man submits to circumstances," Chen Xiangbei said, covering his mouth as he confessed.

Just like Old Chen did back then, Chen Xiangbei wrote it on a slip of paper in a crooked manner and handed it to Old Lady Xia.

Looking at the life lost and gazing at the completely dark sky outside, Old Mrs. Xia handed the note back to Old Chen.

“Old man, you take the third son to these households now and ask them for their things. If they can’t pay, make them pay for it. If they refuse to pay, play the victim, or make unreasonable demands, just report them to the police and say they stole things.”

Today, that brat Chen Xiangbei must have learned it from Old Chen. If Old Chen hadn't helped Widow Huang before, Chen Xiangbei certainly wouldn't have helped his friends either. His self-righteous tone is exactly like Old Chen's back then. So, let Old Chen handle it himself. It's his own fault for not taking care of himself, instead letting his child inherit his inexplicable kindness.

Old Chen was unhappy. The wind outside was a bit strong, and it was giving him a headache. He didn't want to do such hard work. "Let the third son go by himself. He made a mess of his own business and he has to deal with it himself. He's not a little kid anymore."

Grandma Xia slammed her hand on the table in anger, “With his brainless nature, he might not only fail to get his money back, but he might also lose something in the process.”

Chen Xiangbei retorted in a low voice, "I wouldn't."

His second brother kicked his shoe, and he didn't dare to say a word.

Old Chen: ...Actually, he might also lose some of his own money.

"Can I bring my second son along?" Old Chen asked as a second choice. His second son was clever and would definitely come in handy.

"Whatever." Old Mrs. Xia went back to her room to pack her things, letting them do whatever they wanted. Even if Old Chen didn't want to go, he could make up the difference with his own pocket money, as long as she saw all her things returned.