Thinking about how to make his business legal, Li Junsheng finally fell into a restless sleep as dawn approached.
However, he hadn't slept long when he was awakened by a cacophony of noise. Glancing at the old clock on his bedside table, it was only seven in the morning!
"This early in the morning, can't a man get any peace?"
Li Junsheng turned over, not planning to get involved with what was happening outside.
But the commotion outside was getting closer and closer to Li Junsheng.
"Bang bang bang!"
Suddenly, Li Junsheng's door was being pounded on violently. It was more of a battering than knocking!
The noise was so loud that Li Junsheng couldn't sleep at all.
"What's all this racket? Can't a man get any rest?"
Li Junsheng thought that by scolding Li Guojun, he would leave him alone.
But Li Guojun's angry voice continued from outside the door.
"What are you sleeping for? Open up!"
"Yesterday you tore up the certificate, but you still went to the factory to get a new one! You need to explain this to me!"
Li Junsheng immediately sat up, his tone harsh: "You little brat, your mother gave your job to Chen Zhiyuan to repay Chen Dazhu for saving her life. She did it behind your back and forced me to get the certificate. Why are you coming to me for an explanation instead of her?"
Li Guojun's mind was clear as he retorted: "You dare say you had nothing to do with this? Your mother told me that giving the job to Chen Zhiyuan was something you two had agreed on!"
"If you hadn't wanted it, no matter how much your mother wanted to give the job to Chen Zhiyuan, it would have been impossible!"
"You did a fine thing, letting her take all the blame for this mess yesterday. What are you trying to do? Drive a wedge between us? Tear this family apart?"
Li Junsheng could tell this was Ma Yulian's doing!
Li Junsheng's expression was cold as he said nothing, first lighting a cigarette.
As the smoke swirled around him, his eyes glinted with cold calculation.
He had known that after successfully transferring the job to Chen Zhiyuan, Ma Yulian would cause trouble once she was free of any worries.
Li Guojun wasn't her son; he was just a tool she used against Li Junsheng.
And Li Junsheng was well prepared for this confrontation, not afraid of Ma Yulian's provocations!
Outside, Li Guojun, seeing Li Junsheng say nothing, kicked the door again in anger.
"Speak up! Is that true? Am I really your son?"
"Why are you doing this to me? Why would you give such a good job to someone else instead of me?"
Just as Li Guojun was filled with resentment, Li Junsheng suddenly opened the door and kicked him in the stomach.
"Are you annoying me?"
Wang Xiuhua quickly helped Li Guojun up, shocked and fearful. "Dad! How could you hit him!"
She noticed that her father-in-law had completely changed in the past few days! He was ready to resort to violence at the slightest provocation!
Li Junsheng ignored his daughter-in-law and turned to see Ma Yulian sitting on the floor, crying and accusing him of shifting the blame.
Seeing Li Junsheng come out of the room, Ma Yulian immediately put on an even more dramatic performance!
"Li Junsheng, you have no conscience! You're completely heartless, causing me to have this argument with Guojun."
"At first, I just wanted you to temporarily lend the factory job to Zhiyuan. He said he just needed the position to get married, and he would definitely return it."
"It was you who insisted on selling the factory job to him for a thousand dollars. I didn't take any of that thousand dollars! Now you're putting all the blame on me and trying to keep yourself clean!"
Ma Yulian wailed dramatically, but without shedding any real tears, even secretly observing Li Junsheng's expression.
Li Junsheng saw through her scheme - she was after that thousand dollars, trying to get it back by any means.
What a despicable woman!
Li Guojun stood up from the floor, forgetting about Li Junsheng's kick, his mind completely focused on what Ma Yulian had just said!
Good grief!
His father, who seemed so honest and simple, had actually asked Chen Dazhu for such a large sum in this matter?
A thousand dollars was a huge amount!
His eyes darted around, not asking Li Junsheng but instead helping Ma Yulian up from the floor and urgently asking: "Mom, is that true? Did Dad really ask Chen Dazhu for a thousand dollars?"
"Yes, don't believe me? Ask Uncle Chen. I was against selling the job from the beginning. I just wanted to lend it to Zhiyuan for a while, then give it back to you."
"Both your request and your interests would have been satisfied. Who knew what your father was thinking, asking for such a large sum and insisting on selling the job!"
"You're my own son, how could I not have you in mind?"
Ma Yulian spoke to Li Guojun with honeyed words, her words sounding sincere.
She began playing the emotional card with Li Guojun, something she was very skilled at!
Sure enough, Li Guojun wavered, but Wang Xiuhua pushed him from behind.
Li Guojun turned around and saw his wife pointing to the scratch marks on her face!
Thinking of the slap Ma Yulian had given him, Li Guojun hesitated and didn't immediately believe Ma Yulian's words.
Seeing this, Ma Yulian didn't panic but instead made a solemn vow!
"Son, I can swear to you, if what I say is even slightly false, may I be hit by a truck!"
"Yesterday I was just angry with you. I care about you the most, you can't doubt me. And your father didn't explain things clearly yesterday."
"He and Uncle Chen were speaking in riddles, not clearly saying that he had taken so much money. If he had said that, you wouldn't have gotten so angry and said those foolish things to me, right?"
Ma Yulian kept shifting the blame onto Li Junsheng.
Li Guojun thought about it and realized that if someone had paid money to buy the job fairly and squarely, there would be no reason to hide it!
No wonder Chen Zhiyuan had asked him directly while he was there. Instead, it was his father who didn't want him to know about the thousand dollars.
He must be favoring his second son, planning to secretly give him the money!
Thinking of this, Li Guojun became even more agitated!
"Dad, why did you do this?"
"Why did you hide this money from me? Who are you planning to give it to?"