Old Deng is reborn in the 1980s, and he starts by severing his father-son relationship!

Chen Deshun's face showed surprise: "Oh my, I can't control who you choose to be filial to, but taking my money to flatter yourself, that's not filial piety, that's immoral!"

Chen Limei immediately complained, "Dad, what are you saying? I just spent a little of your money, how is that immoral?"

Chen Deshun's lips curled into a cold smile: "A person cannot stand without integrity. You promised three days, but it's been three years now, and you're still making excuses to get by. In the old society, someone like you would be a debtor and a scoundrel."

"Can't you speak properly? I've already said that I'm short on cash right now, but I'll definitely pay you back with interest when I have more money in the future." Chen Limei had moved to Bengbu. How come she never noticed before that her father spoke so rudely?

"Don't wait any longer. Before he starts school, hurry up and pay off the debt. Otherwise, he'll have to go to junior high, then high school, then university. After graduation, won't he have to get married, buy a house, have kids, and raise them? When will you ever have enough money?"

Chen Deshun scoffed, "The next life? Or the life after that?"

Chen Limei was both ashamed and angry: "You know perfectly well that I have no money to pay back, yet you insist on making me pay. Are you happy if you try to drive me to my death?"

Chen Deshun finally understood the origin of the saying "the debtor is the boss," and asked bluntly, "So, you mean asking me to pay back the money is like taking your life? If you really can't afford to live, then don't live. Now I'm just asking you one question: are you not planning to pay back this money?"

Chen Limei quickly shook her head: "How could that be? I will definitely pay it back, I just need to wait a little longer."

"Wait a little longer? Three years? Five years? You've waited three years for two hundred yuan? Aren't you afraid your mother will visit you in your dreams at night?"

Chen Limei's face turned pale. She was instinctively a little scared of her dead mother, but what could she do when her mother was gone?

Faced with Chen Deshun's aggressive questioning, she was also seething with anger: "Dad, I already said that I will definitely pay you back when I have the money. What's the use of pressuring me like this? Even if I have the money now, how will our family live if I give it to you?"

The other siblings in the Chen family remained silent, deeply dissatisfied with Chen Limei's failure to repay the loan.

They all still live with Chen Deshun, so Chen Deshun's money is, frankly speaking, their money. Chen Limei's behavior is no different from taking money out of their pockets.

But they also knew that Chen Limei was different from her older brother and sister-in-law. Chen Limei was thick-skinned and always put Huang Xumin first. If Huang Xumin didn't give in, it would be difficult to get the money back.

"Ha! Your family needs to make a living?"

Chen Deshun looked at her and sneered, "Chen Limei, there's no one else who can be as selfish as you! You want to live, but others don't? The two hundred you borrowed was saved up by my family through scrimping and saving, meant to pay off debts."

"Second, third, and fourth sons, and Lihua, they're all still living at home. Have you ever thought about how long we'll have to scrimp and save to scrape together two hundred yuan? Now that you're married, you only care about your own enjoyment, and you don't care at all about the lives of your younger siblings?"

Chen Deshun kept a straight face, and his tone became increasingly stern as he spoke.

At this moment, the second sister smiled contemptuously and said in a sarcastic tone, "Eldest sister, you and your sister-in-law are really two extremes. Your sister-in-law always puts her family first, and she even handed over all her salary after getting married. You, on the other hand, are only concerned about your husband's family, and you don't care about the lives of your own family members at all."

The second son's words immediately shifted the conflict from "father and daughter" to "siblings," making Chen Limei the target of public criticism.

The third brother jumped in to chime in, "Big sister, you're really something! I was wondering why we were eating radishes and cabbage, cornbread and steamed buns every day for so long, without any meat for a whole month, and not having a decent meal three times a day. I figured with Dad's circumstances, we shouldn't be struggling like this. I suspected it was because my eldest brother was having an affair, and that your relationship problems were the root of the problem!"

Chen Limei remained silent, feeling a surge of anger welling up inside her.

She realized that things were probably not going to end well today. Chen Deshun had never asked her for money before, let alone said such harsh words or made such a big fuss, which had attracted the condemnation of her younger siblings. For a moment, she was at a loss.

"Dad, you can't say that."

Seeing that Chen Limei was about to break down, Huang Xumin had no choice but to step out from behind, forcing a smile: "Your family has been doing quite well lately, hasn't it? Unlike us, we're struggling to make ends meet. As her father, isn't it only right that you lend a hand to your daughter? What family would hold such a grudge against their own daughter? It wouldn't look good if word got out!"

Chen Deshun's gaze was fixed on Huang Xumin. This coward had finally stuck his head out. Did he really think he could force him to compromise through moral blackmail? Dream on!

"Huang Xumin, I'm asking you, is the money on this IOU for your mother's medical treatment?"

"Yes." Huang Xumin couldn't deny it.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Chen Deshun pressed further, "Since it's your mother's medical treatment, that's a matter for your Huang family. Will you repay this money, or will your wife do it? You need a clear answer today."

Huang Xumin's face immediately turned red. His father-in-law didn't respond at all, making him feel like he had punched cotton.

Since the soft approach didn't work, he had to resort to the underhanded. He gritted his teeth and said sternly, "Dad, if two hundred yuan causes my marriage with Limei to break down, the responsibility will be entirely yours. You should think this through."

The implication was clear: "If you dare ask for money, I'll divorce your daughter immediately."

Divorce is no small matter at this point. After the divorce, the woman will face even more pressure. She will be gossiped about by neighbors and pointed at at work, not to mention the difficulties of housing and making a living.

Unlike later generations, people in this era, no matter how aggrieved they felt in their marriages, would rather swallow their anger than easily mention divorce.

"It doesn't matter, she's your wife. If you don't care about her, who else can you expect to care for her?"

Chen Deshun sneered and looked at Chen Limei: "Look at the good man you picked, he's going to break up with you over two hundred yuan."

"Dad, what do you mean? For two hundred yuan, you're even disregarding your own daughter's marital happiness?" Chen Limei frowned and complained.

Chen Deshun felt his hands itching again, and he missed his wife who had passed away many years ago.

He's not good at arguing or cursing; he's much better at taking action.

Using the last shred of fatherly affection, he suppressed the urge to fight, and brandished the IOU in his hand: "Don't give me that nonsense. Whether you live or die is none of my business. I have only one thing to say: pay back the money. If you don't, I'll go to your factory leaders and ask for an advance on your wages, or deduct it from your paychecks every month until it's all paid off."

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

If the debt issue really blows up and gets to the leaders, the two of them might get a public reprimand.

Chen Limei looked at Chen Deshun with unfamiliar eyes. In the past, her father would never have said such heartless words. What went wrong?

Huang Xumin panicked for a moment, thinking that he hadn't expressed himself clearly enough, so he simply stated bluntly: "If you really make a scene at the factory, Limei and I won't be able to live together anymore, and we'll have no choice but to get a divorce. Have you thought it through?"