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

Old Chen pointed at Chen Xiangbei, trembling, and said, "Third brother, were you instigated by someone? I'm your father, not your enemy. You always bring up your second brother. He already has a job. Do you expect me to force him to do another one? I did try to find him a job when he was a temporary worker, but none of them were suitable. Why do you always think I'm an irresponsible father?"

Chen Xiangbei: "What about me? I have to work too. When have you ever thought about me?"

Old Chen: "You still have time. You're still a student. I'll find you someone after you graduate."

Chen Xiangbei: "What if there weren't any suitable ones back then? So many people are graduating early now, why can't you just give me the job instead of giving it to someone else?"

Old Chen: "Wang Ming is even more anxious than you. If he can't find a job soon, he'll have to go to the countryside."

Chen Xiangbei: "What if I graduate and can't find a job and you can't find a suitable opportunity for me? What am I supposed to do? Why do you always like to save the best for outsiders? Why should Wang Ming use your connections to get a permanent job? Why not give him a temporary job to solve his current predicament? Why not give me the permanent job?"

Old Chen: "Don't be so selfish. Wang Ming will be your brother in the future too."

Chen Xiangbei pointed at himself, "I'm selfish? You're selfless? Put your hand on your heart and think about it. Aren't you selfless to outsiders but know exactly what's going on with your own family? When you gave Widow Huang money, didn't you calculate that half of your salary and all of my mother's salary could be used for household expenses, just enough for us children to eat and wear? My mother's hands were cracked from the cold in the dead of winter, but she wouldn't even buy herself some snake oil to apply."

But if you give that money to Widow Huang, she'll wear a different outfit every day. And even then, you still feel you haven't given her enough, and you keep saying my mother is wasteful. What wasteful has she done? She spends all her money on us children, not just money, but also her energy.

When we were little and sick, you'd always start by showing concern, then criticize my mom for not knowing how to take care of the children. Whenever she asked you to help, you'd disappear, always saying something was wrong at the factory or with a friend. Even though I'm young, I have a good memory. I remember every single one of those things you did clearly. Even the scar on my second brother's hand—was that from you deliberately burning him to avoid doing housework?

Old Chen, realizing his thoughts had been exposed, shouted, "Third brother, don't make false accusations! I'm your biological father, how could I do such a thing?"

Chen Xiangbei: "You know in your heart whether it's true or not. You're always nice to outsiders but turn a blind eye to the suffering of your own family. Have you ever thought about it? My sister didn't have her own room before she got married. What if my brother-in-law looks down on her when he finds out? What if he thinks she doesn't even have her own room at home and therefore has no family to support her? What if he brings this up in a fight and hurts her?"

My second brother lives at my sister-in-law's parents' house every day, even though she's pregnant. Why don't they come back? It's because their home doesn't feel like a home anymore. If they could go back to their own home, they would have done so long ago. They're both smart people; how could they not know how many people will talk about them for living at my sister-in-law's parents' house every day?

You never thought about me. When you were talking badly about me at the machine factory, did you ever think that I also want to get married in the future? I also want to get into the factory. If you ruin my reputation, my future will be ruined.

You're only concerned with saving face for yourself, pleasing your spouse, and caring only about your family. You don't care about anyone else, do you?

Chen Xiangbei wanted to say, "Does someone like you deserve to be a father?" but his reason prevented him from saying it.

Old Chen was emotionally volatile after hearing this long speech. He felt that he was just getting married for the second time, which was not illegal. Why did his children, whom he had raised with such care, not understand him?

He's not in his seventies or eighties and about to die; he's only in his fifties. Isn't it normal for him to get divorced and remarry? Why are they making it sound like I'm really selfish and don't care about them anymore?

He had already said he would find a job for the third son, but the child didn't listen to a word and just kept complaining to him. He brought up things like Xiang Hong being looked down upon by Xiao Yu, the second son and his wife not coming home, and even the long-past story of Widow Huang.

He already knows he was wrong about what happened to Widow Huang. He's been beaten so many times by that old hag Xia Yue'e, and he's gotten his money back. Why does he still have to bring it up? Does he have to keep talking about it until he's buried before he can forget about it?

Everyone makes mistakes in their life. Does making a mistake mean you have to be criticized forever? He's the third brother's elder, but listen to these words—not a single one shows him any respect.

They all acted as if he owed them something, even though he hadn't done anything like murder or arson. "Third brother, stop bringing up the past. We're talking about the present. You stole money, and that's your mistake. Don't try to get past me by bringing up my past."

Chen Xiangbei: "I didn't intend to overstep the bounds. If I were any more ruthless, I would have kept all this money for myself, and you wouldn't even know where to look for it. I came to you today to talk about splitting the money. If you agree, then let's set a time to call my older brother and sister over and divide it amicably. If you don't agree, then forget it, you'll never see a single drop of this money again."

So what if I bring up the past? You won't listen anyway. Don't you always tell us that we don't communicate with you, that you don't know what we're thinking? Don't you want to be a loving father? Now that we've given you the chance, you're still useless. I've already spoken so aggrievedly and angrily, and all you care about is money, all you care about is taking money from me to support Yang Su's family. How dare you tell others that we're ignoring you?

Old Chen cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! Do you think your mother could support all of you by herself without me working myself to the bone to earn money? Don't make me sound like I'm useless. You'll see when you start working that life is tough for men too."

Chen Xiangbei: "Besides work and giving misplaced kindness, what else have you done? My mother, besides working, also takes care of us, does laundry, cooks, makes clothes, sews shoe soles, takes care of the kids, and serves the whole family. How dare you say you're tired? Sometimes I really want to ask the factory manager of the machine shop, can someone with a mental problem be a technician?"

Old Chen: "Your mom was telling you she was going to make me angry, right? She'd be happy if she made me so angry she died?"

Chen Xiangbei: "My mom isn't as bored as you, always thinking this person is an ingrate and that person is an unfilial son. She's busy, too busy to even think about you. Don't think too highly of yourself. You're just a grumpy old man. Apart from some ill-intentioned people, who would even remember you?"