At this time, Xia Jiandang did not go to work, but was called over by his father for a heart-to-heart talk.

He stood in the main room with a puzzled look on his face. However, as time passed, Xia Jiandang had been waiting there for a long time, but his father remained silent with his lips tightly closed.

Gradually, Xia Jiandang began to get anxious, thinking to himself, "What exactly does this old man want from me? If this keeps dragging on, I might not even be able to get to work!"

Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he said to Old Man Xia, "Dad, what's the matter? I'm waiting to get to work!"

Hearing his son's urging, Old Man Xia slowly raised his head, sighed deeply, and looked at Xia Jiandang with a slightly frustrated and guilty gaze.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't get them out.

After much hesitation, Old Man Xia finally mustered the courage to speak: "Jian Dang, I'm so sorry...sigh..."

Xia Jiandang had originally thought that his father had called him over simply to give him a severe scolding, just like always.

He had even prepared his response in his mind, but today's situation was completely unexpected.

Faced with his father's sudden apology and remorse, Xia Jiandang was stunned for a moment, his expression freezing instantly, as if he had turned into a wooden or clay sculpture.

He stared wide-eyed at his father, who had always been indifferent to him, but couldn't utter a single word.

From childhood, Xia Jiandang's status at home was always quite low because he was naturally taciturn, not good at speaking, and not very bright.

Therefore, when he heard his father say these words full of apology today, Xia Jiandang's heart, which had been weathered by many hardships, trembled, and a complex emotion he had never felt before welled up in his heart.

This was the first time he had heard his father apologize to him in such a guilty tone, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Old Man Xia looked up and saw his appearance, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and a look of satisfaction spread across his face.

He thought to himself, "He's still my own son, unlike that Xia Jianguo who's so stubborn and unyielding."

Although he was secretly overjoyed, he outwardly feigned deep remorse and slowly began to speak:

"People often only see things clearly when they encounter difficulties. It was only after I got sick and hospitalized this time that I realized that out of all my children, you are still the most filial to your parents..."

Seeing his father's regretful expression, Xia Jiandang was at a loss for what to do.

It was as if all the resentment that had been building up in his heart was gradually dissipating with his father's words.

He opened his mouth, then stammered, "Father... I... this is what a son should do..."

Old Man Xia smiled and nodded in agreement, then said, "I know you've always had a good relationship with your second brother. You're kind-hearted and always cherish your brotherhood. There's a bowl of mixed grain noodles in the kitchen that your mother specially saved. Go and take it to your second brother."

Upon hearing this, Xia Jiandang was stunned, and his whole body became somewhat dazed.

He hadn't expected the topic to suddenly shift to this point, and stammered, "No... Father... I'm only good to my second brother because..."

His relationship with his second brother was not as close as everyone thought. The reason he chose to help his second brother was simply because Taozi gave him benefits.

To put it bluntly, he's just a money-grubber who'll do anything for a paycheck.

However, Old Man Xia had no intention of listening to him finish speaking and rudely interrupted him, saying, "Alright, alright, stop nagging! I know perfectly well what's going on. I don't object to you brothers being close. The food is in the kitchen, go and take it to your second brother. Remember, you must make sure he eats it."

After listening to his father's words, Xia Jiandang fell into deep thought. He pondered for a while, and although he still had some doubts, he ultimately decided to follow his father's arrangements.

After hesitating for a moment, he showed a deeply moved expression on his face, then turned and left silently. His father was telling him to get along well with his second brother so that he could continue to get benefits from him in the future!

Dad still loves his son!

Unfortunately, Xia Jiandang, who was leaving in high spirits, did not notice the sinister yet excited look in his own father's eyes behind him.

Meanwhile, Xia Tao never expected that just moments ago he had mentioned Wu Guangli to his sister, and now he was being blocked on the road by Wu Guangli and a group of his men.

Upon closer inspection, he immediately recognized several familiar faces in the crowd. It turned out that several of these people were the coal thieves that he had personally sent to the police station before.

Faced with this sudden situation, Xia Tao involuntarily took a small step back, while simultaneously scanning his surroundings quickly and discreetly, trying to find an opportunity to escape.

He couldn't possibly fight so many people; he had no choice but to run!

Just then, the group of people keenly sensed his intentions, their faces contorted with malice, and they approached him step by step.

"Hmph, so it was you who sent us in. You really love meddling in other people's business!" one of the burly, menacing-looking guys said menacingly.

Another thug with dyed blond hair yelled, "I heard it was your sister who reported us? You two siblings are really something!"

"Stop arguing with him!" another person shouted impatiently. "Just beat him up! I want to see if anyone dares to interfere this time and rescue him from our clutches."

In an instant, the group of thugs started shouting at each other, their faces filled with undisguised malice and ferocity.

Standing to the side, Wu Guangli echoed with a sinister expression, "Xia Tao, you won't even let go of your own uncle, so don't blame me for being ruthless!"

This place is remote, and there are hardly any people around.

Without hesitation, several thugs pulled out the weapons hidden behind their backs. The gleaming clubs and knives flashed coldly in the sunlight, and they went straight for Xia Tao and attacked him viciously.

They are so ruthless because they have accepted bribes from others.

If they could kill Xia Tao, they could completely escape their fate of being sent to a labor camp. So at this moment, they had completely lost their minds and only wanted to kill Xia Tao.