Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

Wu Fangru's words, "One shouldn't be too eager for credit or praise," almost broke Lin Ruiqing's defenses. With such shrewdness and calculation, how could Lin Ruiqing allow Wu Fangru to "slander" him like that?

Lin Ruiqing immediately began to complain to her mother-in-law, Huang Lanzhi, "Mother, how am I being a sycophant? Before, only my eldest brother and Zai Guang had jobs, and Zai Guang always gave money home every month. How am I being a sycophant!"

Lin Ruiqing only said that she would give the money to her family, but did not say how much she would give each month. Lin Ruiqing was sure that her parents-in-law would not tell anyone about this, so as not to make the relationship between the daughters-in-law even more discordant.

"Now, several of my uncles are making money from the supermarket. Zai Guang was a bit narrow-minded back then, and he was afraid that if all our family's money was invested and we lost it all, we would lose everything. With Zai Guang's money, we can at least share some with our brothers!"

"Now you're preventing Zai Guang from voting too? You can't take advantage of him just because he's honest and doesn't know how to talk!"

Ma Jiao couldn't stand it anymore. "Third Aunt, what you're saying sounds like the fault lies with us, as if we were the ones who stopped Third Uncle from voting. We can say these things among our own family, but if outsiders hear them, they'll think we've bullied you!"

"If that's what you're saying, then we really need to have a serious talk with them. Otherwise, my son Zai Long might end up with a reputation for bullying his older brother!"

The fourth daughter-in-law, Ma Jiao, is the tallest of the five daughters-in-law, standing at over 1.7 meters. She is usually quiet, but quick-witted and always has a keen eye for things, which makes her a favorite of Old Mrs. Wei Shufen.

Lin Ruiqing usually thought that Ma Jiao was clumsy with words and easy to bully, while he himself was quick-witted and could get away with doing nothing by saying a few nice words. He never expected that Ma Jiao would be so sharp-tongued when they started arguing today.

"As for how Third Uncle got a job at the county meat processing plant's canteen, Third Aunt knows best. Without Second Uncle pulling strings, could Third Uncle have gotten in?"

"You bring up the matter of Uncle San riding a bicycle to take Uncle Er to the county hospital for treatment, but why don't you mention how Uncle Er helped pull strings in the first place?" Ma Jiao was now firing off her weapon. "Besides, as a brother, it's only right and proper for him to take his older brother to the hospital for treatment. Both Long and Uncle Er have done it!"

"I'll say something you might not like to hear, but in life, you can't be so calculating about gains and losses. If you even scheme against your own brothers, you'll destroy family ties!"

Lin Ruiqing, feeling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, was immediately provoked by Ma Jiao's words and retorted sharply, "Ma Jiao, who are you accusing us of scheming against our brothers? You'd better make your point clear, or we won't let you frame us like this!"

"You know what you did," Ma Jiao snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and sat back down in her chair, too lazy to argue with Lin Ruiqing any further.

"I know what I mean," Lin Ruiqing persisted, confident that her in-laws would not tell their sons that Chen Zaiguang only received ten yuan a month. She was fearless, as if she had caught Ma Jiao in a mistake and wanted to press her further.

Wu Fangru stood up again with a cold laugh. "Third Aunt, it's easy to do things but hard to say them outright. Do you really think we don't know anything? Do you want me to tell you?"

Lin Ruiqing frowned, maintaining his composed demeanor, "We're not afraid of what you say, so feel free to speak!"

"Alright, then let me ask you, how much is your third uncle's monthly salary, and how much does he give to our parents? Tell us, we all want to hear it!"

Lin Ruiqing suddenly realized something was wrong. Did her sisters-in-law really know? But since things had already come to this point, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Your third uncle gets 62 yuan a month, and he gives Dad... forty-two yuan every month!"

After Lin Ruiqing finished speaking, she glanced back guiltily at her father-in-law Chen Xiangui and mother-in-law Huang Lanzhi. Her father-in-law Chen Xiangui was smoking with his head down, while her mother-in-law Huang Lanzhi's face was frighteningly dark, which made Lin Ruiqing feel even more guilty.

"That's not right, Third Aunt. I heard that Third Uncle only gives Dad ten yuan a month. How come it's forty-two yuan in your mouth?" As soon as Wu Fangru said this, Gu Ying frowned and looked at her mother-in-law Huang Lanzhi.

"They even deceive and scheme against their own brothers. Fourth Aunt was right; even family ties are being destroyed by scheming!"

Chen Zaiguang lowered his head, not daring to look at his three brothers. Chen Zaisheng narrowed his eyes, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Hehe! Third brother, fourth brother, you're the one who doesn't work, but every time you drag your older brother here, you can get your second brother a bowl of soup noodles on the roadside."

"On the contrary, you, who only earn 62 yuan a month, always say you have no money. I finally understand!"

"Second brother, I..."

"No need to say anything more," Chen Zaisheng said with a smile, waving his hand. His smile was so bittersweet. He never expected that his older brother would go to such lengths to pull strings for him.

Thinking that her third brother, Chen Zaiguang, was dull and simple-minded, she had entered the meat processing plant canteen to learn to cook, which was a skill that would allow her to make a living and earn money to support her family in the future. However, it turned out that her sincere efforts were met with her younger brother's scheming.

Perhaps in Chen Zaiguang's eyes, he had been persecuted and sent to a cowshed, fallen into the mud, lost all his connections, and his life was ruined, so he was not worth his attention.

"Second brother..."

Chen Xiangui clearly saw the bitterness in Chen Zaisheng's smile and tried to say a few words of advice to prevent the brothers from falling out in the future, but Chen Zaisheng waved his hand, picked up his briefcase, and walked out of the ancestral home.

Chen Xiangui hurriedly got up and chased after her. Huang Lanzhi glared at her youngest daughter-in-law Wu Fangru and also hurriedly ran out the door to catch up with her second son.

The family meeting ended unhappily with the departure of Chen Zaisheng and his wife Chen Xiangui. Wu Fangru exposed the "good deeds" done by her third uncle Chen Zaiguang, which made Lin Ruiqing grit her teeth in hatred.

Wu Fangru scoffed, showing no fear whatsoever. "If you dare to do it, you're not afraid of what people will say! Heaven is watching!"

"you……!"

"That's all," said Grandma Wei Shufen, leaning on her cane as she slowly got up and walked out the door, wanting to see how her second grandson, Chen Zaisheng, was doing.

She knew that her second grandson was a sentimental person and highly educated; once a cultured person's heart is broken, it is often very difficult to mend it.

Sigh! It's all because of money!

Chen Zailong and Chen Zaixing each took their briefcases and left without saying a word. Gu Ying, Ma Jiao, and Wu Fangru then started cleaning up the dishes again. Lin Ruiqing was so angry that she went straight back to her room.

Chen Zaiguang frowned, thinking about how to explain this to his second brother. He took his lunchbox and walked out of the house. He ran into his parents who were returning home, but he did not see his second brother, Chen Zaisheng.

"Father, Mother, Second Brother...did he go to the company?"

"Hmm," Chen Xiangui hummed in response, then walked through the gate with his hands behind his back. Huang Lanzhi grabbed Chen Zaiguang and whispered, "Hurry up and go after him, apologize properly to your second brother!"

"good!"