To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

"How could I?"

Xiaomai's words were so harsh that Zhiyuan couldn't bear them. He looked indignant and said, "How could I not consider her my own mother? She's my only mother! She's my real mother!"

Xiaomai watched him quietly, waiting for him to calm down before saying, "Zhiyuan, I understand what you're thinking. Your aunt is your greatest benefactor, and it's a good thing that you're grateful. But there's a proper way to repay kindness. Tell me, all these years, have you always told yourself that you must repay your aunt properly when you grow up?"

Zhiyuan looked somewhat bewildered and nodded.

“Your aunt raised you when you were young, and you should take care of your aunt when she is old, that’s only right. But there’s another important thing. Ask Zhangzhu if she keeps the words ‘repaying the kindness of raising her’ on her mind every day.”

Zhangzhu is actually quite carefree and doesn't quite understand the nuances. She touched her ponytail, thought about her attitude towards Zhiyuan, chuckled, and put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "Don't even mention my mom, I treat my brother way too much like a real brother."

She added, "Brother, you've bought me so many things, I'm not planning on paying you back! Anyway, you've been my brother since I was born, you're my real brother!"

Zhiyuan chuckled upon hearing this, patted Zhangzhu's head, and seemed to understand somewhat. He had never expected Zhangzhu to repay him in any way. If Zhangzhu said that he would have to repay her in the future because she wasn't his biological brother, he would probably get angry...

Xiaomai sighed, "Zhiyuan, I know you and Zhangzhu are different. In your opinion, you always feel that you are not her biological daughter, so you don't deserve so much good, right?"

Zhiyuan fell silent. As expected of Xiaomai, who had grown up with him since childhood, she saw through his thoughts clearly.

“You!” Xiaomai said again, “I don’t think you can be tamed! Filial piety is right, and repaying kindness is right, but you have to repay it in a way that your aunt likes!”

“Zhiyuan, in my opinion, the most important thing about filial piety is making her happy, not how much money you save for her or how many things you buy for her. Think about it yourself, how are you going to repay what she has given you in terms of equivalent value? You can never repay her in this lifetime!”

“Zhiyuan, if I think about it in a darker light, I might even think that you stopped spending her money just to make yourself feel better.”

“Your aunt doesn’t care how much money you spend; on the contrary, she’s happy to spend money on you and your daughter.”

Zhangzhu nodded vigorously upon hearing this, "Brother, really! Do you remember how many dresses my mom bought for me when I was little? She was so happy! If I stopped letting her dress me up, she would be upset!"

“Yes,” Xiaomai said. “Put yourself in her shoes. When you were little, you spent all your allowance on a necklace for your aunt. If she said she didn’t like it and didn’t want it, wouldn’t you be disappointed? You saved up for a long, long time, carefully selected the style, and then your aunt said your uncle gave it to her and didn’t want it anymore. Would you be happy?”

Zhiyuan stood there, stunned.

“Zhiyuan, your aunt gave you a warm life and a loving home. You should repay her with warmth and love.”

“Everything in the world has a price. What she gave you can't be repaid in money. Just think about those houses she bought for you in the capital. How can you repay her? Zhiyuan, love is priceless. Don't always think about owing her material things. In fact, with sincere family affection, both the giver and the receiver are happy.”

“Zhiyuan, accept your parents’ love with equanimity, just like a true son, and repay them with a heart free of guilt and unworthiness, just like a true son.”

As Zhangzhu listened, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "Brother, why do you think I'm not worthy? You are! You are! You are my parents' child, my own brother! I won't allow you to think you're not worthy!"

"Zhangzhu..." Zhiyuan panicked when he saw that Zhangzhu was about to cry.

Zhangzhu leaned on his shoulder and burst into tears. "You're making me feel so bad! I don't like it! You said it yourself, Zhangzhu is in charge, and I'll do whatever Zhangzhu says! Are you not going to listen to me anymore? Are you not going to listen to me anymore?"

"Listen! Listen! Don't cry, my dear. It's my fault, I was wrong! I'll apologize to Mom when we get back, and I promise I'll never do it again! Don't cry!"

This incident ended with Zhangzhu's cries.

When the three of them returned, they were all smiles.

"Xiaomai, Teacher Gu, not bad, not bad at all. You are so good at educating people. You are a true teacher. I am very impressed!" Zhiyuan praised Xiaomai. Where was the timid Xiaomai who was bullied by the Du family when she was a child?

Xiaomai snorted, "Really? Since you call me Teacher Gu, then you'd better write a self-criticism when you get home today!"

“Okay! I’ll write it.” Zhiyuan’s attitude in admitting his mistake was absolutely sincere.

Back home, Gu Youlian and Lin Qingping were still talking when Xiaomai called her mother away. It wasn't a big deal; they could just have a good talk among themselves.

Lin Qingping had a sullen face. Zhiyuan lowered his head and walked up to her, with his palm following behind.

"Mom, my brother said he knows he was wrong, please don't be angry, okay?" It was the first time Zhangzhu had seen her mother hit someone, and she was terrified, fearing that her brother would be beaten again.

"Go back to your room." Lin Qingping now had more important things to do than "interrogate" Zhiyuan.

Zhangzhu was still worried, and winked at her brother, "Brother, call me if anything happens! I'll protect you!"

After saying that, seeing her mother glaring at her, she quickly ran back to her room.

Lin Qingping was trying to figure out how to bring up this topic with her son, "Zhiyuan..."

"elder brother!"

As soon as she opened her mouth, Zhangzhu poked her head out of the room.

Lin Qingping took a deep breath; it seemed the beating of the child would continue today…

"Brother, come quick, Dad wants you to answer the phone!" Zhangzhu waved her phone.

Lin Qingping was speechless. This brat, was she calling her dad to complain?

Zhiyuan walked over, took the phone, and had just called out "Dad" when he heard Gu Juncheng's voice from the other end, "Oh, you got beaten up!"

Zhiyuan: ...

That tone really sounds like gloating.

“What a pity…” Gu Juncheng said again.

What's a pity?

"It's a pity I'm not here, otherwise I would have given your mother a mixed doubles beating."

Zhiyuan: ...

"Dad..." Zhiyuan pleaded.

"Do you realize your mistake?"

"Okay, I understand," Zhiyuan said softly.

“You!” Gu Juncheng said, “You’re not that old, but you have a lot on your mind. Do you think your mother values ​​blood ties? If she did, would she have cut off all ties with the Lin family? Your mother is a very simple person. She treats those who are good to her. She’s taken good care of you two siblings, treating you equally, and that’s what puts her at ease! If she valued blood ties, would she have given you the same treatment as her beloved daughter? She’s raised you for thirty years, and you’re still arguing with me about not being her biological child. Tell me, shouldn’t you be punished?”

"I'm sorry, Dad..." Zhiyuan had already been lectured by Xiaomai, and when he heard Gu Juncheng say this, his voice choked up.

"Yes, apologize to your mother properly."

Zhiyuan returned the phone to Zhangzhu and silently walked towards Lin Qingping.

"Mom, look, my brother is about to cry, please forgive him." Zhangzhu didn't dare to go forward, but pleaded from a distance.