Chen Guizhi glared at him and sneered. "Why? Are you trying to escape again? Brat, let me tell you, if you dare to escape, I'll definitely break your legs when you return!"
"Mother, are you really my biological mother? Who compares their son's legs with those of a dog…?" His voice became softer and softer as he spoke. Even his feet stopped moving involuntarily.
Zhao Mingyu stood at the entrance of the courtyard and looked at his mother. His mind was racing. After thinking for a while, he couldn't remember what mistake he had made.
Chen Guizhi pointed at him with a stern expression on her face. "How dare you say that? Let me ask you, what's up with you today? Did the sun rise from the west all of a sudden?"
"If your father hadn't whipped you with a shoe board this morning, you wouldn't even have thought of leaving the house. But hey, who could have imagined that you would voluntarily escort the female educated youths back to the dormitory after coming back from town?"
Whenever she thought of the topic of discussion among the group of women earlier on, she was dying of curiosity.
However, she couldn't let her expression falter. She had to maintain composure, or else this rascal would become more smug.
"Nothing is up with me. I was simply in a good mood today. When I saw the girls holding so many heavy-looking bags, I decided to be kind and do a good deed." Zhao Mingyu made up a story with his poker face.
With that, he grinned at his mother.
He looked so annoying that Chen Guizhi felt like beating him up again.
"Pfft, I know very well what kind of person you are. With your lousy personality, you are telling me that you have just found your conscience? Do you think that you are bluffing a newborn baby?" Chen Guizhi clenched her fists and started to feel restless. She was dying to beat up this good-for-nothing son.
How dare he lie in front of his mother? If she didn't teach him a lesson, he might create even more havoc in the future.
Chen Guizhi gritted her teeth and glared at Zhao Mingyu. "Tell me, what are you up to? If you tell any lies again, I'll send a spatula flying your way."
With that, she raised the spatula in her hand and waved it at him. The tip of the spatula flickered under the light, looking quite threatening.
Zhao Mingyu: "…"
"Oh my god!"
His mother was behaving more and more like a tigress…
"Actually, there's nothing…"
"What?" Chen Guizhi's eyes turned cold, and her tone changed all of a sudden.
Hearing this, Zhao Mingyu gulped a few times. A violent chill instantly rushed from his feet to his head.
In just two or three seconds, his arms were covered in goosebumps and he suddenly felt very cold.
Seeing that he was going to continue making things up, Chen Guizhi was furious. She pointed at him from afar and said, "Stop talking nonsense! Just by observing every little action of yours, I know exactly what you are going to do next. So hurry up and tell me the truth!"
"Uh… it's just that the newbie who arrived today bought a lot of things, and her hands were turning red from carrying the load. Seeing that she's very petite, I was worried that she might trip and hurt herself. Then, she wouldn't be able to work tomorrow…"
Chen Guizhi immediately finished his sentence and her voice rose involuntarily. "So you kindly escorted them back to the youth dormitory, is that it?"
"That's right!"
Zhao Mingyu nodded and said with a smile, "Mother, isn't it a good sign that your son is doing something good?"
Chen Guizhi was furious! She didn't expect this brat to still be spouting nonsense at a time like this.
She raised the spatula in her hand and rushed forward to chase after Zhao Mingyu.
Unfortunately, she was not as fast or agile as him. After chasing him for some time, not only did she not manage to hit the brat, she ended up feeling exhausted instead.
Panting, she glanced at her youngest son. "Rascal, I know very well what you're up to. Why don't you compare your qualities and those of the female educated youth from the city? Why would she fancy you?"
"Unless she's like some of those who married into the village. One possibility is that she has many siblings and is not favored in her family due to her being not the youngest or the eldest. Such girls would usually look for a reliable man to marry. Or, she could be one of those who comes from a poor family background, so she is willing to just marry any local man. In this way, she will have someone to rely on, but she doesn't have to live in constant fear and uncertainty every day."
When Zhao Mingyu heard his mother say that about him, he instantly exploded. Was she really his biological mother?
"Mother, are you my biological mother? I seriously suspect that you and Father picked me up from the mountains. Otherwise, why would you say that about your own son? That was really harsh of you."
"What's wrong with your son? I can confidently say that you won't find a better man than me in this village!"
He was tall, good-looking, and had a lot of savings. Being so outstanding, how can his prospective wife not be interested in him?
Not to mention that he was extremely fit. For his prospective wife, that could be a source of happiness…
"Hehe…"
Chen Guizhi rolled her eyes at him. "How is he any different from those peddlers who boast about their wares? And he's the most outstanding man in the country?"
"Forgive my poor eyesight, I really couldn't see your outstanding qualities. However, your skin is thick enough, and that is something unmatched by anyone within a hundred miles."
As she spoke, her gaze landed on Zhao Mingyu. They were always bickering with each other every day. "Besides, those female youths are all city kids. They're beautiful, cultured, and come from good family backgrounds. Just think about it, what kind of partner do you think those girls would look for once they go back to the city?"
"On the other hand, your father used his connections to find you a good job in the city two years ago. But you insisted that working in a factory would restrict your freedom, and you ended up giving the job to your brother-in-law. Why do you think a city-educated female youth would want to be with you, a lazy and idle person from the countryside?"
Although her youngest son's wallet was fatter than any of them from the city, it was not a good idea for him to go to the black market every day in the long run.
The black market was a dangerous place. Besides, things could change anytime.
What if the black market was closed down in the future and his income was suddenly cut off? How would he support his family then?
"Oh no, Mother, I suspect again that you had picked me up from the streets." Zhao Mingyu suddenly reached out to cover his chest, pretending to look sad and hurt.
When Chen Guizhi heard his words, she was instantly amused. She smiled and nodded. "That's right. I picked you up when I was cutting firewood in the mountains. If I had known that you were so thick-skinned, I would have left you there."
However, while she was laughing, the spatula in her hand started moving again.
If she didn't give this damn brat a good beating, she wouldn't be able to extinguish the flames in her heart.