Chen Xiangbei covered his face, still unconvinced, "Mom, I told you I won't do it again next time. Sweet potatoes don't cost you much. At most, I can eat less and save money for the family. If you go out and ask others for them like this now, how can I live my life in the future?"
"You don't know, they are really pitiful. Their parents work odd jobs, and there are many children in the family, so they can't even have enough to eat. They are my friends, I can't just watch them starve to death, right?"
"If they can't get enough to eat at home, they will definitely look for ways to help others. But we are too young to come up with any solutions. In order to prevent them from doing bad things, I can only take our sweet potatoes to deal with the emergency. This is a great deed, saving a life. Mom, you are the kindest person, why are you stopping me from helping others?"
After hearing this, Old Lady Xia did not react to Chen Xiangbei. Instead, she looked at Old Chen. This train of thought was so similar to what he had thought when he helped Widow Huang before.
Old Chen sat up straight at once, but his eyes were wandering around, not daring to look Old Lady Xia in the eye.
After thinking for a while, Old Chen finally spoke up, "Hurry up and get the things back. Otherwise, if your mother doesn't fight you, then I will. You know how strong my hands are!"
Chen Xiangbei felt like a cabbage in winter, always being bullied by his parents. It was not like his family could not afford such a small thing, so why did he have to ask for it back?
He has already said that he will not play with them anymore. So just give it to them as a gift. Just consider it as a way to fulfill their brotherhood. This is the severance fee. Isn't it good?
"I'm not going!"
Hearing these rebellious words, Old Chen stood up, pulled Old Mrs. Xia aside, picked up the broom and came over.
"Dad, what do you want to do?" Chen Xiangbei shouted while dodging.
Old Chen was indeed relentless in his attack. "Did you make any money? You used the money we earned to buy things, only to have them robbed and then get beaten up. We were the ones who paid for your second brother's medical treatment. Why are you yelling at your mother?"
"Do you have the guts to yell like that?" Old Chen swung his broom with such force that Chen Xiangbei couldn't dodge it. He wanted to say something more, but he bit it back.
That is, he used his own money to help others and was beaten several times by Old Lady Xia. How could this brat Chen Xiangbei escape?
With new and old grudges coming together, Old Chen acted ruthlessly.
Chen Xiangbei was beaten so hard that he screamed, "I will pay you back when I make money. You can't hit me. Just think of it as me borrowing money from you!"
"Then wait until you can make some money. You're already relying on us for support, and you still dare to steal to support others? We've long told you that your friends are no good and to stay away from them, yet you've actually learned to steal, even from your own family."
"If you were caught stealing from someone, do you think you'd just get a beating? They wouldn't let you go just because you're still in school. They'd report you and get you arrested."
Chen Xiangbei was even more heartbroken when he heard this. "I know what you mean. If I were arrested, you would definitely give up on me. You are the cruelest parents. You kicked my eldest brother and his family out, and now you want to beat me to death to save you from worrying about me in the future, right?"
The more he thought about it, the sadder and angrier he became. "I heard everything you said before. If you have the guts, go report me to the police and have me arrested. I'm just a thief. I'm stealing small things now, but I'll steal big things in the future. Sooner or later, I'll be shot. In that case, I might as well die now so you don't have to support me for a few more years."
After saying that, he stopped running and let Old Chen beat him. He suppressed his voice, tears streaming down his face unconsciously, because of the pain, because he was sad about his parents' thoughts, and of course, he was also uneasy.
Old Chen was at a loss as to what to do. He looked at Old Lady Xia helplessly and asked silently: What should we do?
Old Lady Xia stood up and handed him a handkerchief, "Don't cry for now, wipe it off."
Chen Xiangbei thought he had won, and he held his head high and refused to take it. He just wanted to let his parents know that he was different from his brothers. He would not give in. He was a man of blood and backbone.
Seeing that he didn't take it, Old Lady Xia put it away again, "Are you done?"
Chen Xiangbei snorted and made a "hmm" sound.
"That's good. Now you can tell me who stole my sweet potatoes, right? If you're any later, they might have eaten them all. Then they should pay for it."
Chen Xiangbei's already red and swollen eyes widened in shock. After he said that, his mother still wanted to get it back?
Don’t forget your original intention?
Old Lady Xia: "You just said that their families are poor, so we should go earlier and take their things back. We can't just throw away the things that were stolen because they are poor, right? Our family's money didn't come from the wind."
"mom!"
"If you don't tell me, I'll go ask Dahe. You're so stubborn. I'll sew it up for you later." She said the most horrifying words in the most gentle tone. Chen Xiangbei recently had a different understanding of his mother's cruelty. He even felt that his mother was really capable of doing this.
He who knows the times is a hero. Chen Xiangbei covered his mouth and confessed.
Just like Old Chen did back then, Chen Xiangbei wrote it crookedly on a piece of paper and handed it to Old Lady Xia.
Old Mrs. Xia looked at the name, looked at the sky outside which had already become completely dark, and handed the note back to Old Chen.
"Old man, take the third child with you to these families and ask for their belongings. If they can't give you anything, ask them to pay you back. If they refuse to pay, act pitifully, or are unreasonable, just report them to the police and accuse them of stealing."
Today, that idiotic Chen Xiangbei must have learned this from Old Chen. If Old Chen hadn't supported Widow Huang, Chen Xiangbei certainly wouldn't have supported his friends. His smug, self-righteous manner was a stark resemblance to Old Chen back then. So, let Old Chen handle it himself. Who told him to not take care of himself, and instead let his child inherit his inexplicably kind heart?
Old Chen was not happy about it. The wind outside was a bit strong and it gave him a headache. He was not willing to do such hard work. "Let the third child go by himself. He should solve the trouble he caused by himself. He is not a child anymore."
Old Lady Xia slammed the table angrily. "He's such a brainless guy. When the time comes, don't even think about coming back. He might even end up getting involved."
Chen Xiangbei retorted softly: "I won't."
He didn't dare to say a word after his second brother kicked his shoes off.
Old Chen: ...Actually, he might have gotten involved a little bit as well.
"Can I take the second child with me?" Old Chen compromised, thinking that the second child was smarter and would definitely come in handy when the time comes.
"It's up to you." Old Mrs. Xia went back to the house to pack her things and let them do whatever they wanted. Even if Old Chen didn't want to go, he could make up for it with his own pocket money. Anyway, she wanted to see that all her things were returned.
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