Earlier, Lin Rende had never expected his son Lin Daheng to bring up cutting ties. He stood there glaring at him and demanded,
“Do you really have to anger me like this? What’s done is done. Do you think making such a scene will make Zhaoyang pretend none of this happened? Or make Yang Wen change his mind?”
“Dad, stop pretending you don’t understand. Do you think I’m asking for everyone to act like nothing happened? What I want is justice for my family!”
Lin Daheng refused to let him change the subject.
“Dad, between me and Lin Rongzong, you can only keep one of us. It’s that simple. Dad, make your choice.”
Du Hongying realized Lin Daheng was serious this time. She quickly gave Lin Rongzong a subtle look, signaling him not to stand there like a fool.
Lin Rongzong walked over and stood beside Lin Rende.
“Big Brother, stop upsetting Dad. He’s getting old. He can’t handle being angered like this.”
After criticizing Lin Daheng, he continued,
“Dad, I know Big Brother blames Nini. I admit it’s my fault for not raising my daughter properly. But don’t worry. Even if Big Brother refuses to acknowledge you, Xiaofang and I will still take good care of you.”
“That’s right, Dad.” Ma Xiaofang spoke sweetly, knowing exactly how to flatter people.
“Mom always tells Rongzong and me to be grateful. She says that without Dad, our family wouldn’t have the good life we have today.”
“My marriage to Rongzong was thanks to Dad. Dad also helped raise our three children. We’re not the kind of ungrateful people who bite the hand that fed them. We’ll never abandon Dad.”
Even while praising herself, Ma Xiaofang couldn’t resist taking a jab at Lin Daheng and Wang Fenglan.
“We’re not like certain people. Dad really raised them for nothing.”
Lin Rende felt greatly comforted by the words of Lin Rongzong and Ma Xiaofang.
Even so, he was still hesitant.
After all, Lin Daheng was his biological son. Deep down, Lin Rende still hoped to have a better relationship with him.
He didn’t want to become the neighborhood’s laughingstock.
But Lin Daheng didn’t let them get away with it and immediately shot back.
“That’s right. Without my dad, your family wouldn’t have the good life you have today. And this is how you repay him—helping your daughter steal my father’s own granddaughter’s marriage, over and over again. You really have a conscience, don’t you?”
He refused to give Lin Rende another chance to smooth things over.
“Looks like you’ve already made your decision. Fine. Let’s go to the neighborhood committee right now and have the director witness us signing a severance document.”
Lin Rende looked at his eldest son’s family.
All four of them stared at Lin Rongzong’s family as though they were sworn enemies.
Afraid that Lin Rende might still favor his biological son, Du Hongying burst into tears.
“Rende, don’t blame Daheng’s family for forcing you like this. You stay with them. I’ll go live with Rongzong.”
“Rongzong’s family isn’t as well off as Daheng’s. Even though I’m old, I can still walk. I can still go to the market and pick up discarded vegetable leaves to eat.”
“Don’t worry. Rongzong’s family won’t blame you. They all remember your kindness as their stepfather. Without you giving them a helping hand, they wouldn’t be where they are today.”
Lin Rongzong immediately added,
“In my heart, you’re my real father. Dad, go ahead and live with Big Brother. Even if we don’t live together, Xiaofang and I will still be filial to you.”
“That’s right,” Du Hongying said as she lowered her head to wipe away her tears. “What father and son stay angry at each other forever? Daheng’s family is just angry right now. Nini did something wrong, and we admit it.”
Lin Zhaoyang and Wang Fenglan rolled their eyes in perfect unison.
With how well this family performed, they might as well join an opera troupe.
Every word they spoke was meant to brainwash Lin Rende—talking about scavenging rotten vegetables and how hard life was. Du Hongying truly was a master at pretending to be pitiful.
After Du Hongying and Lin Rongzong’s coordinated performance, Lin Rende changed his mind again.
He felt Du Hongying had a point.
Lin Daheng was just acting out because he was angry. But what father and son held grudges forever? Maybe in a few days, Lin Daheng would calm down.
After all, he was Lin Daheng’s biological father. Once his son cooled off, surely he’d let this matter go.
But Lin Rongzong wasn’t his biological child. If he drove Lin Rongzong’s family out today, they might say they wouldn’t resent him, but they certainly would.
Besides, if he chose to keep Lin Daheng, then according to Du Hongying, she would leave with her biological son, Lin Rongzong.
How could that happen?
He was already an old man. Was he supposed to get divorced now? Wouldn’t people laugh at him?
Lin Rende glanced at Lin Daheng again.
His eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law both worked at the factory as permanent employees. They had many years of service and earned decent wages.
Lin Zhaoyang had already graduated from university and started working. University graduates were highly valued, and she had a stable job. The only person in Daheng’s family who still needed financial support was Lin Xinhua, who was still in high school.
By contrast, Lin Rongzong’s family was in much worse shape.
Ever since getting married, Ma Xiaofang had never worked. She wasn’t well educated and had no connections, so naturally she couldn’t find a job.
Their eldest son, Lin Liwu, had graduated from junior high but failed the high school entrance exam. At first, he refused to work and spent his days loafing around. It wasn’t until his name came up for the “sent-down youth” campaign that he begged his grandfather, Lin Rende, to use his connections to find him a temporary job.
Lin Liwu had never been hardworking.
A few years ago, he only forced himself to go to work every day because he was afraid of being sent to the countryside.
But after the college entrance examination was restored and the government stopped sending young people to the countryside, he quickly returned to his lazy ways.
Out of every seven days, he would claim to be sick and skip work for three.
Temporary workers already earned little, and with his constant absenteeism, his monthly wages weren’t even enough to cover his own food and expenses.
Not only did Lin Rongzong and Ma Xiaofang never see a penny of his wages, they actually had to give him money every month.
Nini and her younger brother, Lin Liwen, weren’t any better.
Lin Rende glanced at Du Hongying.
Perhaps none of the children she gave birth to had inherited any talent for studying.
All three of Lin Rongzong’s children had only finished junior high school.
Even Nini’s temporary job had been obtained only because Lin Rende swallowed his pride and begged someone for it.
Originally, he hadn’t intended to get it for Nini.
It had been arranged for Lin family’s third child—Lin Sujuan, the daughter born to Lin Rende and Du Hongying after their marriage.
But that foolish girl had volunteered to go to the countryside for love.
So the temporary position ended up going to Nini.
Although Nini handed over half her wages to the family every month, it was only a few yuan.
As for Lin Liwen, he was exactly like his older brother—if anything, even worse.
He was seventeen this year, the same age as Lin Xinhua.
Lin Xinhua had gotten into high school and was preparing for university.
Lin Liwen had dropped out before finishing junior high and spent every day wandering around instead of looking for work.
He was never home except when he was hungry and came back for a meal, or when he ran out of money and returned to ask his parents for more.
Lin Rende thought to himself that if he kept Lin Daheng and threw Lin Rongzong’s family out, they would have to rent a place, buy their own food, and probably end up starving.
Between the two brothers, one family was well off while the other struggled.
As their father, he felt he should help the one in greater need.
Otherwise, people would say he had failed as a stepfather.
Once Lin Daheng cooled down, he could always let him move back.
Having made up his mind, Lin Rende finally spoke.
“Daheng…”