When Li Xiangdong and Li Jin returned home, Zhao Sufang had already prepared lunch.

When Zhao Sufang saw her husband and second son come in one after the other, and her husband's expression showed no displeasure, she felt relieved and invited the two of them to eat.

"Mother of my child, go and close the door."

Li Jin sat down in the middle of the kang (a heated brick bed) and gave instructions to Zhao Sufang.

"Face east, get on the kang (heated brick bed)."

"Dad, you're not going to hit me, are you? I just came to your rescue!"

Li Xiangdong slowly turned his body to the side, ready to rush out the door and escape at any moment.

"Hmph! Get me out of this mess! It's all your fault! Tell me the truth, did you really send Xiang Jie and the others to the peach orchard? Were they there to steal peaches?!"

Li Jin sneered.

"Of course not. If I wanted peaches, I could buy them myself. Why would I bother with that treacherous Pan Jiqing?"

"What a big mouth! Where did you get the money to buy peaches? Speaking of which, I'd like to ask you where all the malted milk powder, orange juice, White Rabbit milk candy, and meat in the kitchen cabinet came from!"

"Father, this is a long story, and I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."

Li Xiangdong sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with a grin, keeping a distance of more than a meter from his father.

"Putting that aside for now, did you really see Pan Jiqing and Pan Dachun stealing peaches from the team and selling them privately?"

Li Jin leaned closer, looking at Li Xiangdong with a nervous expression.

“No, I was just bluffing!” Li Xiangdong replied bluntly.

"Why would Pan Dachun react like this? Could it be that he really stole it?" Li Jin frowned and pondered.

“Of course! Otherwise, why would he have let Xiang Jie and the others go and even agreed to pay ninety yuan in compensation?” Li Xiangdong leaned closer to his father. “Dad, what I said earlier about seeing Pan Jiqing stealing peaches with someone in the middle of the night was a lie, but it’s true that I saw someone selling peaches at a high price in the county town. Dad, are you trying to find evidence of Pan Dachun’s private sale of public property so that he can’t compete with you for the position of pumping station manager?”

What do you know?!

Li Jin gave a light rebuke, but his face was very relaxed. Today, his son had slapped Pan Dachun's face so hard it was swollen. It was truly gratifying! No wonder everyone loves their sons; they've already proven useful.