The Eldest Son's Insolence? Li Junsheng Responds with a Slap!

Once it was confirmed that Li Junsheng had indeed pulled out a large sum of money from his pocket, Li Guojun couldn't contain his envy and immediately grew red-eyed.

Together with Wang Xiuhua, he began interrogating Li Junsheng.

"Dad, where did you get all this money? Don't you know your eldest granddaughter wants to learn piano but we can't afford the lessons or the instrument?"

"Your grandchildren are all the same—why won't you spend money on your eldest granddaughter's piano lessons? Instead, you give everything to the second son!"

Wang Xiuhua quickly chimed in, backing up Li Guojun: "Exactly! Whenever we ask you for money to send our daughter to piano lessons, you claim you don't have any. But when the second son needs it, you suddenly do? Isn't this blatant favoritism?"

"What kind of father behaves like this?"

Li Guojun and Wang Xiuhua tugged at Li Junsheng, their dissatisfaction palpable.

If Li Junsheng had been a decade or two older, their rough handling might have knocked him over.

Li Junsheng found it laughable!

Him, favoring the second son?

In his previous life, he had doted on the eldest son the most—and what had it gotten him?

Once the couple had squeezed every last bit of usefulness out of him, they abandoned him in his old age and illness.

They either shoved him onto the second son or outright neglected him, leaving him to fend for himself.

Ungrateful wretches, the both of them!

Even their child was the same, inheriting their parents' selfishness.

The grandchild had complained about his "old man smell" and even threatened to banish him to sleep in the doghouse!

This was the eldest son he had favored so much.

Meanwhile, the second son, seeing Li Junsheng being jostled by his elder brother and sister-in-law, rushed to steady him, afraid he might fall.

Between the two sons, the eldest took after his mother, Ma Yulian, and had always been her favorite.

The second son, however, was a carbon copy of Li Junsheng—hardworking and honest. But because Ma Yulian disliked Li Junsheng, she extended that disdain to the second son as well, treating him harshly.

Now, watching the second son hesitate—torn between returning the money to avoid further conflict and needing it desperately for his son's medical treatment—Li Junsheng's heart ached.

He was no longer the weak-willed man of the past. His grandson's life was at stake, and he wouldn't let the second son return the money now.

Turning sharply to the eldest son, Li Junsheng snapped, "Guojun, have you learned nothing in all these years? Is your daughter's piano lesson more important than Xiaowei's life? If I really favored the second son, would I have let him move out?"

"Enough of this nonsense. My money is mine to give as I please!"

The eldest son's face twisted with resentment at the scolding.

Even the onlookers murmured among themselves.

"Guojun's being too heartless—only thinking of his own daughter when Xiaowei's his nephew too."

"I've watched both brothers grow up. If anyone's been favored, it's Guojun. His father didn't lift a finger when the second son got married, yet Guojun, nearly thirty, still leeches off his dad. How dare he accuse his father of favoritism?"

Ignoring the gossip, Li Junsheng turned back to the second son and urged, "What are you standing around for? Take the money and get Xiaowei to the hospital!"

With that, he gave him a firm push. "Don't worry about things here."

The second son's wife, realizing the pressure her father-in-law had endured to give them this money, welled up with tears.

Any lingering resentment she had toward Li Junsheng for favoring the eldest son vanished instantly.

The second son himself dropped to his knees and kowtowed twice.

"Dad, thank you for lending us the money for Xiaowei's treatment. I know how hard you worked to save this. I swear I'll pay you back!"

With that, he stood and hurried off with his wife and child toward the hospital.

Watching them leave, Li Junsheng felt a pang of guilt.

In his past life, he'd been blind. How could he have overlooked the second son's goodness while spoiling the eldest?

Two hundred yuan—the second son treated it as a solemn debt.

Yet how many times had he given the eldest son the same amount, only for it to be taken for granted—even complained about as too little?

It was always the neglected child who turned out the most filial.

Perhaps the second son had only ever wanted his approval.

As the saying went: Abuse breeds loyalty.

The eldest son? Spoiled rotten. Now nearly thirty—was there even a chance to fix him?

Lost in thought, Li Junsheng barely registered the eldest son's renewed outburst.

"Dad, how could you just hand over that much money to him? You've lost your mind! We're the ones living with you, taking care of you—everything you have should be mine!"

"What has the second son ever done for you? You're just using us while secretly favoring him! Who knows how much you've already given him behind our backs? No wonder we're always short on money—you've been funneling it to him!"

Li Junsheng's expression darkened.

The little brat!

"Taking care" of him?

He was only fifty—healthy and self-sufficient. He worked long hours, came home to cook and clean for the eldest son's family.

When had the eldest ever lifted a finger for him?

Not even a basin of wash water!

The eldest son couldn't even hold a steady job, always eyeing Li Junsheng's position at the machinery factory, living off his wages.

How dare he spout such shameless lies?

Li Junsheng had had enough.

SMACK!

Right in front of everyone, he slapped the eldest son hard across the face.

The crisp sound silenced the crowd.

The eldest son staggered, ears ringing.

In all his years, Li Junsheng had never laid a hand on him.

Even Wang Xiuhua froze in shock.

And then—perfect timing—Ma Yulian returned from Chen Dazhu's house, glowing with satisfaction, only to witness the slap.

Furious, she shrieked, "Li Junsheng! How dare you hit my Guojun?!"