The reputation of a neighborhood committee office is paramount; if such a scandal were to occur...

"Dad, you...you can't do this..."

His voice trembled.

"I'll lose my job..."

"Good to know."

Su Jianguo tapped his cigarette ash.

"Now, get back to your room. Tomorrow morning, pack your things and leave."

Su Mingde slumped to the ground and suddenly lunged at the tin biscuit box.

"Then give me the money! I need a place to stay!"

Su Jianguo reacted quickly, stepping on his son's hand.

"Dream on! This money is my life savings, don't even think about touching a penny!"

"ah!"

Su Mingde cried out in pain and withdrew his swollen hand.

"You're trying to kill me!"

"Forcing you?"

Su Jianguo bent down, his breath wafting smoke onto his son's face.

"I'm teaching you a lesson. Remember, starting tomorrow, on the 25th of every month, I want to see your money. Not a penny less..."

He lowered his voice.

"I'll make sure you can't even find a job sweeping the streets."

Su Mingde trembled all over and suddenly broke down in tears.

"How could you be so heartless... I'm your own son..."

"Now you know it's his biological son?"

Su Jianguo straightened up and said coldly.

"When you stole the money, didn't you ever think that I was your own father?"

Wang Xiulan wiped away her tears but dared not say a word.

Outside, inside Su Mingfu and Su Yuzhen's room, there was a deathly silence.

Everyone was clearly awake, but no one dared to make a sound.

Su Mingde finally came to terms with reality.

He stood up unsteadily, his eyes behind his glasses bloodshot.

"Okay...okay...I'm leaving..."

He staggered toward the door, but suddenly turned around at the threshold.

"But remember, one day..."

"how?"

Su Jianguo raised an eyebrow.

"Still want to get revenge on your father?"

Su Mingde's momentum waned once again, and he could only stammer out in the end.

"N-nothing..."

He dragged himself out of the room, behind him he heard Su Jianguo's final warning.

"Remember, come pay on the 25th. If you're even one day late, you'll see."

The moment the door closed, Su Mingde heard his mother's suppressed sobs and his father's stern rebukes coming from inside.

"Stop crying! This ungrateful wretch should have been taught a lesson long ago!"

Under the moonlight, Su Mingde stood in the courtyard and suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold.

He looked up at his older sister and younger sister's room, and the figure behind the window immediately disappeared.

In this family, the father's words are law, and no one can disobey them.

.

The next morning.

Su Jianguo got up early.

At fifty-three years old, his body was still full of vitality.

He leaped up from the kang (a heated brick bed) with a somersault.

"Honey, up so early?"

Wang Xiulan was awakened by Su Jianguo's commotion.

He rubbed his eyes and propped himself up, his voice still sleepy.

"I can't sleep."

Su Jianguo put on the faded blue overalls.

"I still need to go see my eldest son today. I'm a little worried about my parents there."

Although he knew his father was highly skilled, Su Jianguo, who knew his eldest son's nature well, was still a little worried that his father might be deceived.

He strode into the courtyard, the early summer morning breeze carrying the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms brushing against his cheeks.

He went to the tap, filled a ladle with water, and splashed it on his face. The icy coldness made him shiver.

"Old Su, up so early?"

Aunt Zhang next door was feeding chickens in her yard and greeted me over the low wall.

"Hmm, I can't sleep."

Su Jianguo wiped the water droplets from his face.

Aunt Zhang lowered her voice mysteriously.

"There was quite a commotion at your house last night; it sounded like Mingde's kid..."

"Nothing much, just saw a big rat that made a fuss for a while."

Su Jianguo interrupted her, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

Aunt Zhang pursed her lips, clearly not believing this explanation, but she didn't ask any further questions.

Su Jianguo knew that within half a day, the whole alley would be filled with news of the Su family's argument last night, but no one could get the specific details out of him.

In the kitchen, Wang Xiulan had already started a fire, and the water in the iron pot began to bubble.

Su Jianguo walked into the main room, his gaze sweeping over the children's rooms. His eldest daughter, Su Yufen, and youngest daughter, Su Yuzhen, lived in the west wing, while his third son, Su Mingfu, and second son, Su Mingde, lived in the east wing.

Su Jianguo's gaze lingered for a moment on the window of the east wing.

The curtains were drawn, but a figure could be vaguely seen loitering behind the window.

He sneered and turned to walk towards the dining table.

"Good morning, Dad."

Su Mingfu was already sitting at the table with an English book open in front of him. He quickly got up when he saw his father come in.

"Um."

Su Jianguo nodded, somewhat satisfied with his diligent third son.

How's your revision going?

"It's alright, but the grammar is a bit difficult..."

Su Mingfu pushed up his glasses, his voice growing softer and softer.

"If you don't understand, just ask."

Su Jianguo poured a cup of hot water.

"The money wasn't spent in vain."

Su Mingfu nodded repeatedly.

The sound of bowls and plates clattering came from the kitchen; Wang Xiulan and Su Yufen were preparing breakfast.

Su Yuzhen lingered as she emerged from the west wing, her eyes filled with dark circles, clearly having been quite frightened the previous night.

Upon seeing her father, she instinctively shrank back and quickly slipped into the kitchen to help.

"Father, shall I go call Second Brother for dinner?"

Su Mingfu asked in a low voice.

Su Jianguo didn't even look up.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!