"Hehe, I heard Dad and Mom talking, and I accidentally overheard a bit. Then they didn’t keep it from me and told me the whole truth about our family history. It was an accident, all an accident, so don’t blame my mom, Uncle." Lian En quickly smiled sheepishly, scratching his head and bravely taking the blame as Uncle Liu Shouren looked at his mom with slight reproach. Liu Shouren, seeing the cautious look on the child’s face, couldn’t help but pat his head and seriously explained, "Good child, Uncle doesn’t mean to blame your mom. I’m just worried that you’re still a kid who should happily enjoy childhood but instead is acting like a little adult, worrying about everything. Let the adults handle adult matters. Isn’t it better for you to be a happy, carefree child?" "How could that be?" Lian En widened his eyes and looked at Liu Shouren in disbelief, "My dad says a good man should pamper his wife and children and be responsible for the family. If the home is a house, then a man has to bear the beams and withstand the elements, so the family can live happily and safely. Our family’s big and has a lot of needs. If I don’t help Dad share the load, how tired will he be? Uncle, I’m not small anymore. I’m already twelve. If I were in the production team, I’d be earning a fair amount of work points by now. Even if I can’t bear the main beams, at least I can be a purlin, helping Dad share the burden a bit. Even little Chenchen knows about doing business and setting up factories to save up dowries and filial money for us in the future. How can I, the eldest, be worse than my brother?" Liu Shouren was at a loss, looking at the child’s sunny and confident smile. After all, he didn’t mention that the Dai family had come with ill intentions this time. Four children, with the eldest and second child barren. The third, Dai Weijia, and his daughter, Dai Weijuan, each had three daughters but no son, right? Amazingly, among three generations of the Dai family, Lian En was the only male descendant. Whether it was for honoring the Dai matriarch’s last wishes or for Dai Weiguo’s hope of having an heir, the Dai family, after over two years of preparations, likely won’t give up easily this time, right? Thinking about the various rumors and slanders this would attract, Liu Shouren couldn’t hold back his idea of sending Lian En to visit his Beijing in-laws for a few days. Let those troublesome folks make a wasted trip and stew in their own juices. "When the time comes, handle the situation calmly." Even twelve-year-old children could say avoiding wasn’t a solution and that things should be dealt with clearly face-to-face. How could a mother, in turn, admit cowardice and teach the child to run without a fight? She couldn’t fathom how the Dai matriarch, who once knelt and begged in front of her, passing painfully, left early, even though she lived comfortably until her eighties in the previous life. But it already happened, so it was necessary to make the preparations. It was so hard to raise such a filial, considerate, and excellent son with a promising future. It was crucial to be careful not to let those scumbags from the Dai family coerce or deceive him away. Lian En felt his stance was firm, and his parents were undoubtedly noble beyond seduction or intimidation. Yet, worries mounted about storming the village with such a ruckus, resulting in estrangement between him and his siblings. Hence, in the coming days, apart from occasionally discussing firm and decisive ways to draw boundaries with those scumbags with his parents, Lian En spent most of the time bonding with his siblings. He was eager to elevate their already close relationship to the same level as their Uncle and Second Uncle, and his own mom, where emotions were stronger than gold and able to withstand any test! Meanwhile, Dai Weiguo, despite his strong vows and determination, had no illusions about who Xiao En admired the most—his stepfather, Lianshan. Though they weren’t related by blood, their bond far exceeded that of a typical father and son. Compared to spending twelve years together, his biological father’s position was significantly inferior. But that’s okay; after all, he’s just a half-grown child in virtual age twelve and in actual age only eleven. As long as he puts in the effort, it should be no problem. Looking at the clothes, excellent deli shirt, and leather sandals prepared according to the information given about Xiao En’s height, along with military boats and submachine guns hand-made from bullet casings, not to mention various items from the Overseas Chinese Store targeting his age’s preferences, Dai Weiguo was filled with confidence. Blood is thicker than water, the father-son bond is natural. Plus, with all the carefully prepared gifts, there would surely be a good outcome! Dai Weiguo clenched his fist, secretly cheering himself on. In the height of summer in July, the heat was unbearable. Reluctant to choose cremation for his mother, which would leave her remains nonexistent, Dai Weiguo had to hire a car to travel long distances back. Constantly purchasing ice at cold storage along the way to place around the coffin, fearing the matriarch’s body would decay. Traveling day and night for over 30 hours, they finally reached the boundaries of the Liu family village. "Is this Liu family village, our hometown?" Dai Weijuan’s voice filled with bewilderment asked the question on everyone’s mind. Didn’t they say this place was desolate, that even a rabbit wouldn’t defecate here, and mice ran around sobbing at the empty cupboard? Clearly, this was a broad, smooth concrete road, and the large village had vibrant courtyards front and back of every household. At this time of year, the village was lush and filled with the fragrance of fruit, looking particularly pleasing to the eye. Moreover, the Number One Scholar Village Winery, the Number One Scholar Village Down Products Factory, and the Number One Scholar Village Dried Vegetables Factory, all occupied considerable land. Rows of red brick, iron roofs, and steel windows, with front and back tiled-laden workshops, even looked better than many older city factories. On top of that, the under-construction Number One Scholar Village Hospital, Number One Scholar Village Middle School, and High School were amazingly being built as multi-story buildings? Hey, this rapid progress was beyond just replacing old equipment with new ones! The whole Dai family silently marveled, eventually directing the driver to their low, dilapidated, and rickety old place before moving into the city. Looking at the overgrown courtyard tall enough to engulf a person, Dai Weiguo frowned deeply but decided to shout next door to borrow a shovel and sickle. As a result, a neighbor’s aunt, who had once flattered him and praised his capability, eyed him for a long time before recognizing him. The original pleasant expression on her face suddenly fell like a curtain, "Oh my, aren’t you that heartless Chen Shimei, haven’t you become a distinguished son-in-law in Beijing? Then stay and be that. Why come back to this poor backwater of our Liu family village? The nerve to ask for a shovel and sickle. Seriously, even if there’s one, I wouldn’t lend it! If by any chance, the rotten scent sticks and spreads, what then? These are exclusively for our old man’s use. I don’t want him learning from certain people, abandoning wife and child in old age!"