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

"Beat them!"

Seeing that her youngest son, Chen Zaixing, was refusing to listen to reason and was being forced to drink a penalty cup, Huang Lanzhi's fiery nature was revealed. She put her hands on her hips and shouted at her husband, Chen Xiangui. Upon hearing this, Chen Zaixing immediately took off running, chuckling as he ran, "Can't hit me, hehe, can't hit me!"

But he ran fast, and his father's slipper flew even faster. The black rubber slipper, covered in chicken droppings, drew an arc in the air and hit him squarely on the back of the head. Chen Zaixing cried out and squatted down, clutching his head.

"Run, go ahead and run!" Chen Xiangui stood up barefoot, still clutching his other slipper. "Your old man has been hunting birds his whole life, and I can't even hit you with a slipper?"

Chen Zaixing squatted on the ground, rubbing the back of his head, looking aggrieved. "Dad, you're attacking from the side. That's not martial ethics."

"What's the point of talking about martial ethics with you?" Chen Xiangui limped over. "It's only natural for a father to beat his son. I'll beat him when I'm happy, and I'll beat him when I'm not!"

"So, Dad, are you happy or unhappy today?"

"I'm both happy and unhappy," Chen Xiangui said, about to throw it again, but Huang Lanzhi glared at him. Huang Lanzhi walked over and pretended to ask, "Oh, are you alright? Let me see, is your youngest son in pain?"

"It doesn't hurt!"

"Although the family has separated, your mother and father are still very worried about your third brother's situation. Your father hit you because he wanted you to help him," Huang Lanzhi said, helping Chen Zaiqi to his feet. "You must not blame your father."

"I don't blame my dad. If someone hadn't told him to hit me earlier, he wouldn't have almost knocked me to the ground with a slipper," Chen Zaixing said in a cheeky tone.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lanzhi immediately lost face. "Xiangui, come here! You didn't hit me hard enough! Beat me to death!"

"No, no, no, Mother, I was wrong, Father, I admit defeat," Chen Zaixing hurriedly waved his hands. A true man can bend and stretch, and he would rather avoid being beaten than suffer this beating.

As the mother and her two children were talking, footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Chen Zaisheng walked in, followed by Chen Zaiguang. Chen Zaiguang had his head down and his face was ashen, while Chen Zaisheng was expressionless. He called out to his parents and then went straight into his room.

When Huang Lanzhi saw her second brother enter the room, she gestured to Chen Zaixing to call someone. Chen Zaixing followed Chen Zaisheng eagerly. "Second brother, hehe, come out and talk about something in a bit. You're highly educated and knowledgeable, so give your younger brothers some advice."

"With you, my strategist, here, everything's fine. I won't interfere in Third Brother's affairs," Chen Zaixing said, lifting the curtain and entering the house. Inside, Second Sister-in-law Gu Ying was folding clothes. Chen Zaixing smiled and called out, "Second Sister-in-law," but didn't follow him in. Instead, he continued calling out, "Second Brother, remember to come out! I'm waiting for you!"

Chen Zaixing walked back to the lobby. Chen Zaiguang was sitting there with his head down, his hand holding the cigarette trembling. He flicked the lighter several times before he finally lit the cigarette. Chen Zaixing sat down next to Chen Zaiguang and said, "Third Brother, it's just 140,000. Is it really necessary for you to be like this? Don't let your hand shake."

"I'm angry," Chen Zaiguang said irritably. "I've been thinking about it all afternoon, and the more I think about it, the angrier I get!"

Chen Zaiguang thought to himself that he had been saving every penny over the years, even secretly withholding his salary, and he couldn't even bear to buy a new piece of clothing. He had finally managed to save up some savings, and now half of it had been swindled away. Anyone would be upset in his situation.

"What's there to be angry about? Just get the money back," Chen Zaixing said, lighting a cigarette and crossing his legs. "Third Brother, you're not planning to just let this go after you've calmed down, are you?"

"How is that possible!"

"That settles it then. Forget about being angry for now. The important thing is to think about how to get the money back," Chen Zaixing said, glancing at his father, Chen Xiangui. "Why haven't my eldest and fourth brothers come back yet? Didn't you call them, Dad?"

"I've called, they should be here soon."

As if on cue, Chen Zaiguang walked in, followed by Chen Zailong. Both men looked unwell. After greeting their parents, Chen Zaiguang swaggered onto the sofa and asked Chen Zaiguang, "Third brother, what happened? Where's second brother?"

Chen Zaixing pointed to his second brother's room. Chen Zaiguang snorted and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Second brother, come out!"

After calling out the first time, Chen Zaisheng didn't appear. Chen Zaiguang raised his voice again, "Chen Zaisheng, don't make me call a third time! Come out here! Do I, as your older brother, need to go and ask you to come out?!"

Chen Zaisheng lifted the curtain and came out, followed by Gu Ying. The other daughters-in-law from the other households also lifted their curtains and came out. Seeing their uncle Chen Zaiguang's ashen face, they all kept quiet and dared not make a sound.

"Second brother, come sit here," Chen Zaiguang pointed to the empty seat next to Chen Zaiguang, indicating that he should sit down. Chen Zaisheng did not go there, but waved to the youngest brother Chen Zaixing to come over, and sat in Chen Zaixing's seat himself.

Chen Zaiguang said to his four younger brothers, "You all probably know about the third brother's matter, so I won't waste any more time. We came from the same mother, and our blood is still connected. Second brother, let's put the past behind us for now and think about how to resolve the third brother's matter today."

"Our Chen family is a prominent clan in Jiping. There's no reason for us to be bullied like this. 140,000 is no small sum. If we don't get this money back, no matter how much money we five brothers earn in the future, we'll be laughed at as suckers when we walk down the street!"

"Money is a small matter; the reputation of the Chen family is the most important thing," Chen Zaiguang, the future patriarch of the Chen family, stared at his four younger brothers with a very serious tone. He looked at Chen Zaiguang and asked, "Where's your wife? Tell her to come out!"

Chen Zaiguang got up and went into the room. Not long after, Lin Ruiqing, whose face was still swollen on one side, came out. When she saw her uncle Chen Zaiguang's ashen face, Lin Ruiqing instinctively felt a little scared.

"Third brother's wife, I'm asking you, did you give 140,000 to your maternal brothers?"

Lin Ruiqing nodded without giving a direct answer. Chen Zaiguang slammed his hand on the coffee table, startling his other sisters-in-law. He angrily shouted at Lin Ruiqing, "Are you mute? I'm asking you a question, aren't I?"

"yes!"

"When was it given to you?"

"Starting from May last year, they gave it to me bit by bit, and the last time they gave me... 30,000," Lin Ruiqing said in a low voice, but everyone in the hall could hear it clearly.

Just then, Chen Dong, Zhang Yi, and Chen Lianxiang walked in. Chen Dong greeted his uncle Chen Xiangui and aunt Huang Lanzhi with a blank face. Ma Jiao quickly moved three stools for Chen Dong and the others to sit on. Chen Zaiqi stood up to give his seat to Chen Dong, but Chen Dong waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary.

After listening to Lin Ruiqing's words, Chen Zaiguang said to Ma Jiao and Wu Fangru, "You two go and invite my second uncle and my youngest uncle over. Tell them I've invited them to discuss some matters."

Ma Jiao and Wu Fangru nodded and ran out. The atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive right now. Their uncle, Chen Zaiguang, was really scary when he got angry.

Ma Jiao and Wu Fangru were more than eager to leave than to run away as fast as possible.