"It's...it's alright, it's just...it's just..."

He stammered as he spoke, his eyes constantly glancing at Li Jinhua.

Li Jinhua kicked Su Mingqiang's shin under the table with a loud thud.

Su Mingqiang gasped in pain, and the chopsticks in his hand fell to the table with a "clatter".

"What's wrong?"

Wang Xiulan asked with concern.

"N-nothing."

Su Mingqiang forced a smile.

"It's just...it just suddenly occurred to me."

Li Jinhua wore a sweet smile on her face, but pinched her husband's thigh hard.

Su Mingqiang's face contorted for a moment, then quickly returned to calm.

"grandfather."

He suddenly spoke, his voice eight octaves higher than usual, unable to hold on any longer.

"How do you think... Jin Hua and I have performed these past two days?"

The dinner table fell silent instantly.

The old lady's hand, which was picking up dumplings, froze in mid-air. Wang Xiulan looked at her husband in confusion, and Su Jianguo's brows furrowed slightly.

The old man slowly chewed on the pig's ear, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Su Mingqiang and Li Jinhua.

"good."

He finally said.

"Jinhua has become much more sensible."

Li Jinhua's eyes lit up, and she kicked Su Mingqiang under the table again, this time with even more force.

Su Mingqiang's face turned bright red, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Then...then..."

He stammered.

"Dad, look... Jinhua is so sensible now, about that... that truck purchase thing..."

Su Jianguo slammed his chopsticks on the table.

He knew that his eldest son never stopped coveting his money.

All this talk of filial piety and understanding, all this talk of reforming oneself, it's all just about money!

"I knew it!"

Su Jianguo sneered.

"A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's up to no good!"

Li Jinhua's smile froze, but she quickly recovered.

"Dad, you've misunderstood."

She said softly.

"That's not what Mingqiang meant..."

"Shut up!"

Su Jianguo shouted sternly.

"What are you two up to? Do you think I can't see through you?"

Su Mingqiang shrank back, but Li Jinhua kicked him again under the table, this time directly in the knee.

Su Mingqiang cried out in pain, "Ah!"

"Dad! Please give me five thousand yuan! I promise this is the last time!"

The dinner table was completely silent.

Su Jianguo slowly stood up and placed his hands on the table.

Five thousand yuan? Do you think I own a bank?

"father!"

Su Mingqiang suddenly raised his voice.

"You already have 20,000 yuan in compensation! What's wrong with giving me 5,000? I'm your own son!"

Su Jianguo was trembling with anger. He looked at the old man, who was slowly drinking dumpling soup, seemingly unsurprised by the farce.

"I'll say it again: if you want money, I don't have it. If you're so capable, go out and earn it yourself. What kind of skill is it to keep asking your family for money!"

Su Jianguo said firmly.

"father!!"

Seeing his father's resolute attitude, Su Mingqiang also lost his temper, swallowed hard, and said in a trembling voice.

"Dad, you need to think this through. If you don't give me the money, don't blame me when you and Grandpa die."

What are you going to do?

Su Jianguo narrowed his eyes slightly.

This time, Su Mingqiang went all out and slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and roared at Su Jianguo.

"Don't blame me then, I won't let you and Grandpa be buried in the ancestral grave! Also, I'll bury you and Mom separately! Scatter your ashes in Beihai Park!"

The dinner table fell eerily quiet.

The bowl in the old lady's hand fell to the ground with a "crash" and shattered into pieces.

Wang Xiulan covered her mouth, completely unable to believe that such outrageous words would actually come out of her own son's mouth!

Su Jianguo's face turned bright red instantly, visible to the naked eye.

"Smack!"

Su Jianguo angrily threw the dumpling soup bowl in his hand at Su Mingqiang's heart.

The bowl of dumpling soup flew through the air in an arc, splashing scalding broth, before slamming heavily onto Su Mingqiang's forehead with a crisp cracking sound.

Fresh blood immediately flowed down Su Mingqiang's brow bone, mixing with the soup and dripping onto his clothes.

"You beast!"

Su Jianguo's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from deep in his throat, each word trembling.

"How could I, Su Jianguo, have raised such a despicable creature as you!"

The dining table shook from the sudden turn of events, and dumplings rolled all over the floor.

Su Jianguo's mother, the old lady Su, clutched her chest, her face deathly pale, her lips trembling.

"Oh dear, what a misfortune for our family... what a misfortune for our family! What sins has my Su family committed to produce such a scoundrel..."

Su Mingqiang wiped the blood from his face, a ruthless glint in his eyes. At this moment, he felt no fear, only a rebellious spirit.

"Hit me?"

Su Mingqiang shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Besides hitting me, what else can you do? Let me tell you, Su Jianguo, I'll let it go if you give me the money today, but if you don't, you'll regret it when you're dead—"