1990, Reborn as a Beachcomber, From Rascal to Brilliant Guy

"Third Uncle, you're back!"

As soon as he entered the hall, a dark-skinned, chubby-faced little boy ran out of the left-hand room. Upon seeing Lin Shuisheng, he immediately stopped abruptly.

"Tao, why are you running so fast if there's nothing wrong?"

Lin Shuisheng steadied his nephew Lin Mingtao and began to scold him in a somewhat irritable manner.

"Third Uncle, you don't know, Aunt Mei next door said some really nasty things. She said you don't have a son, and no one will take care of you when you get old. I'm going to tell Hei-zai and Ming-zai not to play with their Guang-zai!"

Lin Mingtao looked up, his face filled with righteous indignation.

"Ha! I didn't expect you'd stand up for me!"

Lin Shuisheng felt a surge of joy and reached out to rub Lin Mingtao's head.

"Of course! Grandma said that as long as your nephew is standing at the door, you're not a lonely old man. Aunt Mei said that you're old and no one will take care of you, so doesn't that mean she doesn't respect me?"

Lin Mingtao raised his chin and put his hands on his hips like a little adult.

"Thank you so much!"

Lin Shuisheng's lips twitched involuntarily when he heard the last sentence.

"Third Uncle, don't be afraid. I'll definitely take care of you when you get old!"

Lin Mingtao got more and more excited as he spoke, completely unaware that Lin Shuisheng's expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

"Forget it, I don't need your help. You should take care of your second uncle first!"

Lin Shuisheng rolled his eyes and turned to go into the right-hand room.

If he hadn't overheard his second brother complaining to him in his past life that Lin Mingtao rarely came back throughout the year, he might have believed the kid's nonsense.

Second uncle?

How come I didn't know I had a second uncle?

Lin Mingtao stood there, scratching his head, his face full of confusion.

"Atao, what are you doing standing here? Where's your mother?"

At this moment, Lin Chaosheng walked in from outside carrying a bucket of small miscellaneous fish, plopped down on a small stool by the door, and took off his rubber boots that had become stuffy and smelly.

"Grandma went to Uncle Dong's house to deliver the fishing nets."

Lin Mingtao stared at his father's rubber boots, quickly took a step back, and a look of fear flashed across his face.

Then, recalling what Lin Shuisheng had just said, he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:

"By the way, Dad, do I have a second uncle?"

"Second Uncle?"

Lin Chaosheng paused for a moment, then looked up at Lin Mingtao, his brows furrowing slightly. "Who told you you have a second uncle?"

"Third Uncle! He just came back. I told him I'd take care of him when he gets old, but he said no, and told me to take care of my Second Uncle first. But I don't remember having a Second Uncle! Do you know who my Second Uncle is?"

Lin Mingtao rattled off a long speech, then looked at Lin Chaosheng with somewhat expectant eyes.

"You...you're really infuriating! How could I have given birth to such a stupid son like you?"

Lin Chaosheng looked at his eldest son's stupid eyes, his face turning pale and then red. Then he grabbed the broom that was behind the door and smacked Lin Mingtao's bottom.

"Hey, if you're not going to talk, then don't! Why are you hitting me?!"

Lin Mingtao jumped up, clutching his buttocks, and then ran outside.

He hadn't run far when he bumped into Lin Yaoguang, who was carrying a fishing net, and quickly hid behind him.

"Grandpa, please save me! My dad's going to hit me!"

"Ah Chao, what are you doing?"

Lin Yaoguang shielded his beloved grandson with one hand, his eyes widening.

"Dad, do you know what this good-for-nothing asked me? He asked me who his second uncle is? Can you believe how stupid he is?"

Lin Chaosheng, leaning on his broom, was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged.

Lin Yaoguang was momentarily speechless upon hearing Lin Chaosheng's words.

After a while, he gently patted Lin Mingtao on the back of the head and chuckled as he scolded him:

"You're incredibly stupid. Isn't your second uncle your father? Can't you even figure that out?"

"Huh? My second uncle is my dad?"

Lin Mingtao looked up, somewhat bewildered, at Lin Yaoguang, seemingly still not having reacted.

Seeing his foolish appearance, Lin Chaosheng was furious again and strode over to drag him out and beat him.

How could someone with such a illustrious reputation have given birth to such a fool?

Can't you even understand such a simple question?

"Alright, he's still young, what does he know? How dare you, a grown man, argue with a child?"

Lin Yaoguang stepped forward, completely blocking Lin Mingtao's view.

"Dad, I'm teaching the son!"

Lin Chaosheng couldn't help but roll his eyes at his father's protective behavior.

When he was little, you didn't hold back at all when you beat him. Now that he wants to beat his son, you're protecting him. How can we reason with that?

"What? You really want to fight me?"

Lin Yaoguang's eyes widened and his face darkened.

"Fine, fine, you coward, let's see how long you can hide!"

Lin Chaosheng put down the broom, glared at Lin Mingtao, and turned to enter the foyer.

"Grandpa!"

Lin Mingtao peeked out from behind Lin Yaoguang and called out in fear.

"Don't be afraid. If your dad dares to hit you, just tell Grandpa, and I'll teach him a lesson!"

Lin Yaoguang patted his beloved grandson on the back, straightened his back, and looked domineering.

"Dad, you're back!"

Lin Shuisheng came out of the room, walked to the front door and saw Lin Yaoguang, then chuckled and called out.

"Why are you back at the hospital with your wife instead of staying with her?"

When Lin Yaoguang saw Lin Shuisheng, his straight back immediately slumped, and his face turned somewhat ugly.

"When I get back, I'll ask my second sister-in-law to cook something for me! You have no idea how expensive and terrible the food is in the county town."

Lin Shuisheng pretended not to see Lin Yaoguang's expression and continued to smile.

"snort!"

Hearing Lin Shuisheng say this, Lin Yaoguang didn't say anything more. He just snorted and carried the fishing net to the front yard to hang it up to dry.

"Third Uncle, you're lying to me! Grandpa said my Second Uncle is my Father!"

Lin Mingtao ran up to Lin Shuisheng, his face full of anger.

"Really? So from now on, will you call him Second Uncle or Father?"

Lin Shuisheng raised an eyebrow and directly threw a question at his nephew.

"this..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mingtao was immediately stumped, and his brows furrowed tightly.

"Go away, you little brat, are you looking for a beating? This coward is already stupid enough, if you keep messing with him, he'll really become an idiot."

After washing his hands and feet in the courtyard, Lin Chaosheng came out and saw Lin Shuisheng teasing his silly son again. He immediately pushed Lin Shuisheng away, somewhat displeased.

"Ha! Second brother, you probably have no idea how smart your son will be when he grows up!"

Lin Shuisheng chuckled inwardly, then looked at his unconvinced nephew and said with some emotion.

Don't let his seemingly foolish behavior fool you; it's just because he's young and inexperienced.

In fact, the smartest person in the fourth generation of their family is his eldest nephew.

Otherwise, why would they think of teaming up with the other kids in the village to isolate others?