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

Mr. Tang believed that it was a small matter for Tang Jiao to take some things back to her in-laws' home, and he wouldn't mind. The most important thing was that she was happy and at peace. However, if Chen Xiangnan was the kind of person who was restless, Mr. Tang couldn't just sit idly by.

He had been worried for several days, and he seemed preoccupied at work. Then one morning, he pushed open the door to the dean's office with a heavy heart.

Chen family.

"What? You want me to work at the hospital after the New Year?" Chen Xiangnan jumped up in surprise. "Why are you suddenly asking me to work at the hospital?"

Tang Jiao was beaming with joy. She knew it was because her father had pulled strings, but to avoid hurting Xiang Nan's pride, she lied, "Because you behaved so well at the hospital that day. It's hard for the police and security teams to handle these kinds of situations where people are flattered and forced to pay extra. Patients are a vulnerable group, so doctors often compromise to avoid trouble, but this is not conducive to management. So your appearance just gave us hope."

Chen Xiangnan didn't understand. He thought that if they just found an old man or woman as shrewish as his mother to sit in the hospital, they could pay them a little money and sit there all day. If someone refused to pay and kept bothering the doctor, they could just throw a tantrum and be subdued. If the hospital didn't have such a position, a few doctors could just each pay a little money to keep themselves in peace.

If we investigate later, those elderly people aren't hospital staff; they were just kind-hearted bystanders who came to the rescue. How could we possibly hold them accountable?

How could they not think of something so simple?

Chen Xiangnan was puzzled and also began to doubt the skills of the doctors at their hospital. If they couldn't even think of this method, were they all incompetent doctors?

In fact, normal people would never think of such a strange method, let alone a group of honest and hardworking doctors. They would never think of such an extreme way. Being suspected of being stupid would only make the doctors bear a bad reputation, but fortunately they don't know it.

Chen Xiangnan didn't reveal his thoughts, but he felt that his chance had really come. He wanted to get the support of Tang Jiao's father and others by marrying Tang Jiao, and now that such a good opportunity was in front of him, if he refused, then Chen Xiangnan would definitely be possessed.

So he immediately agreed. The weather has been so cold lately, and he's been running back and forth between the countryside and the city every day, which is exhausting. If he could find a proper job, that would be the best thing ever. His job of buying and selling things for money, while lucrative, is risky and exhausting.

If... Chen Xiangnan thought back to the summer when his mother had given him her job, he might be a junior manager by now, making money comfortably in his office with a cup of tea and a newspaper every day.

But there are no "what ifs," and he doesn't dare bring it up now. His mother would really kill him; she would never let him off easily. To his mother, her job was her lifeline; whoever touched her lifeline, she would kill them.

How terrible!

Tang Jiao went back to her parents' home and told them the good news. Tang's father nodded. Finding a proper job for his son-in-law and keeping him under his watchful eye was better than letting him run around aimlessly and not know who he was working with. At least he would know what his son was doing every day.

After Tang Jiao left, Tang's father rubbed his temples, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

Tang's mother opened her mouth several times, but ultimately remained silent. She was afraid that if she spoke, Old Tang would become even more uneasy. This was because she had overheard someone at the supply and marketing cooperative earlier that day saying that their compound was unclean!

Every household in that compound is far from normal. Is it really a good thing to put an abnormal person in a hospital? As the wife of the hospital director, Tang's mother has basic knowledge, such as that mental illness is not contagious. But the entire compound is abnormal; she's even started to doubt the claims in the books, and inexplicably began to worry that Tang Jiao might suddenly develop a mental illness as well.

Tang's mother's eyelids also started twitching.

But since things have come to this point, and the words have already been spoken and favors have been done, it wouldn't be right to kick them out now.

Old Tang, you're still too impatient; you haven't thought things through deeply enough.

Time flies.

Today is a holiday for all factories and workplaces. Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve. The festive atmosphere in the streets and alleys is getting stronger. When the get off work bell rings, everyone will happily carry their New Year's goods out of the gate, chatting and laughing with each other. No one would be so foolish as to say anything unlucky or do anything unlucky at this time.

Apart from Chen Xiangbei.

Old Chen was the first to arrive home. When he got home, nothing seemed amiss; the front door was securely closed, and the house was empty. He had just put down the New Year's goods when he heard a noise coming from his bedroom.

Old Chen was startled. He picked up the large machete by the door and tiptoed over.

He listened quietly to the sounds inside, as if someone was rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Could it be a thief? At this time of year, when every household is celebrating the New Year, thieves are more rampant, and it's very likely that someone is breaking into a house.

Old Chen gripped the knife tightly, hesitating. He was just an old man; what if the other person, tall and strong, snatched his knife and tore him to pieces? He would be dead.

He wasn't ready to live yet; he was a little hesitant to open the door.

He heard footsteps and immediately recognized it as Old Lady Xia's voice. He quickly and quietly ran to the front gate to wait for her. Two people had a better chance of winning than one, and besides, his wife was worth two people.

Grandma Xia quickly spotted Old Chen acting suspiciously. When he noticed her, he immediately shushed her and only told her that there was a thief in the house after she approached.

Old Mrs. Xia's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Whoever dared to steal from her had to be killed... uh... brought to justice.

She looked down on Old Chen's cowardly appearance, snatched the wood-chopping knife, and quietly walked to the bedroom door. She heard the noise and wondered if the thief was inexperienced, as he had been searching for so long without finishing.

Having reached her limit, Old Mrs. Xia kicked open the bedroom door with all her might and shouted, "Where did this thief come from, trying to steal from your grandma?"

The bedroom wardrobe was in complete disarray, and the bed and floor were covered with clothes that had just been dried in the sun, some of which belonged to her and some to Old Chen. In front of the wardrobe, Chen Xiangbei was wearing a brand-new Lei Feng hat that Old Chen was reluctant to wear, a new sweater that Old Chen had given her, and a new cotton-padded coat that was only half-worn over her clothes.

When the two of them rushed in, Chen Xiangbei was stunned. By the time he came to his senses, he had already climbed onto the window and was preparing to escape.

"Ah—" Old Chen screamed, "You little brat, you stole my clothes?"