Reborn as an 80s-aged woman, her unfilial son begs for forgiveness on his knees.

Li Xiaojuan, her eyes also red, said, "Dad, do you know why my sister and I chose to follow Mom?"

It's because when we're with our mothers, at least we can eat our fill, stay warm, and sleep peacefully, without having to live in constant fear.

If you follow her, your younger sister will take your mother's place and continue to be beaten and scolded by you.

If you stay in that house, my sister and I will be the next old women to serve you.

You always make my sister and me do all the housework. You think we're freeloaders and that it's our duty to do as much work as we want.

Then they'll sell us like commodities to you in exchange for betrothal gifts.

Even if we had to eat coarse food and sleep on the streets, we would be willing to follow our mother.

At least with Mom, we are human beings, not livestock.

Li Jianguo was speechless with anger at his daughter's words. His lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

He never expected that his daughter would think of him this way.

He believed that although he was a bit strict with them, it was for their own good. How could he treat them like livestock?

"Li Xiaojuan, you brat, what nonsense are you spouting here?"

When did I ever treat you like livestock? I was disciplining you and teaching you rules!

"I raised you with all my might, and now I've become your enemy!"

Our mother raised us!

In those years, you never gave the family a single penny. Whenever something happened, you would hide far away. Even the dowry and the courtyard for my eldest brother's wedding were borrowed by my mother from relatives. What else could you do besides beat and scold us?

When I got into high school, I was third in the city, but you said that it was useless for girls to study and told me to stay home, work hard for two years, and then find someone to marry.

If it weren't for Mom's insistence, I wouldn't have even finished junior high. What makes you think you're the one who raised us?

Li Jianguo's face turned red and white as his daughter spoke. After holding back for a long time, he suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "That's an old almanac from before. Why are you bringing it up?"

I may not have been capable back then, but wasn't it all for the sake of this family?

"It's useless for girls to study so much; they'll all get married and leave eventually. Isn't it a waste of money to send you to school?"

Zhang Wenying stepped forward and slapped Li Jianguo across the face. The crisp sound drowned out the surrounding chatter.

"Li Jianguo, you still think you're right, don't you?"

Today I'll tell you how my daughter's education is a waste of money.

How could my daughter be like water spilled on the ground?

I divorced you, and with the little money I got, I opened a restaurant, worked myself to the bone to support my daughter's education, and I'm happy with that! Who gives you the right to spout nonsense?

Li Jianguo was stunned by the slap. He covered his face and couldn't come to his senses for a long time. Then, with red eyes, he was about to rush forward, but was held back by two neighbors who couldn't stand by and watch.

"Li Jianguo, are you trying to hit me again? This is too much!"

"That mother and her three children are living a perfectly good life, and you just have to come over and cause trouble. I can't stand it anymore!"

Li Jianguo struggled twice but couldn't break free, so he could only jump up and down, cursing, "Zhang Wenying, you crazy woman! You dare hit me! I'll never forgive you!"

Zhang Wenying looked at him coldly: "If it's not over yet, then it's not over yet. I'm going to report this to the authorities right now and let them judge this matter and see how you should be punished for coming to my door to cause trouble and spreading rumors to slander me today."

Li Jianguo still wanted to throw a tantrum, but when he looked up and saw the neighbors pointing and whispering, and his mother staring at him with a cold glare, and the sharp pain in his stomach and lower body still throbbing into his bones, he stubbornly refused to take another step forward.

He spat fiercely on the ground, pointed at Zhang Wenying, and threatened, "You just wait! This isn't over! I'll sue you for assault!"

"Go ahead and sue me, do you think I'm afraid of you?" Zhang Wenying stood at the shop entrance with her arms crossed, not in the slightest bit intimidated.

"You barged in and started a fight first. All the neighbors are witnesses. If this goes to court, let's see who loses face!"

The onlookers chimed in, "Yeah, Old Li, it was your fault to begin with. She's already divorced you, what are you doing here causing trouble?"

"You were the one who hit my daughter first, and Comrade Zhang only retaliated after that. We all saw it."

"It's always wrong of you to hit someone."

How could you treat your daughter like this?

Li Jianguo's face flushed red and then turned pale as he was being talked about. He gritted his teeth and slowly stood up, leaning against the wall for support.

If this matter really escalates to the police station, he'll be the one who loses face.

Li Jianguo forcefully broke free from the neighbor who was holding him, and viciously uttered a threat: "I've lost today, just you wait!"

After saying that, he covered his face and slunk away through the crowd.

What else can we do if we don't leave?

He couldn't beat that old shrew.

Zhang Wenying watched his disheveled figure, let out a long breath, and slowly loosened her clenched fist.

When the commotion was over, the neighbors dispersed, each offering a few words of comfort to Zhang Wenying before leaving, saying that Li Jianguo was a scoundrel and that the mother and daughter shouldn't take it to heart.

Zhang Wenying thanked them one by one, then turned to help the old lady up and said softly, "Mom, I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble."

The old lady sighed and patted her hand: "It's alright, Mom knows perfectly well. We haven't done anything wrong, so we're not afraid of him making a fuss."

"Quickly tidy up, let's open for business again."

After Li Jianguo had walked away, Zhang Wenying turned around, reached out and touched Li Xiaojuan's still swollen cheek, her eyes reddening with heartache: "Juan'er, does it hurt? It's all my fault for not stopping him."

Li Xiaojuan shook her head, wiped away her tears, and smiled: "Mom, I'm not in pain. I'm happy that you stood up for me today."

The grievances she had accumulated over the years dissipated a lot today with this slap. She no longer had to hold back and endure it. Seeing her mother standing tall and protecting her, she felt more at ease than anything else.

Zhang Wenying sighed, rubbed her face, and then turned to the neighbors, cupping her hands in greeting: "I'm sorry for making you all laugh today, and for keeping you from watching the show. Today, the braised pork in the shop is 20% off, so please come in and pick what you want."

The neighbors laughed and agreed, then went into the shop to buy meat. The earlier commotion quickly subsided.

The old lady helped greet the guests, and when no one was around, she pulled Zhang Wenying aside and said, "You were a bit too rough just now, but it's not your fault. I wouldn't have been able to hold back either."

That guy needs to be taught a lesson; it'll be good to teach him a lesson so he won't keep bothering you.

Zhang Wenying nodded, packed the meat for the customer who had finished cutting it, and said softly, "I just can't stand him hitting Juan'er. The three of us have suffered enough in the past, and we can't let him bully us like this anymore."

"You made the right decision to leave him, Mom supports you."

If he dares to cause trouble again, I'll beat him up for you.