Bang.

In the dead of night, when everyone in the family housing compound was already deep asleep, several loud crashes suddenly echoed from outside, instantly waking everyone up.

Some were so startled their hearts were pounding.

“Ah…”

“Old Liu, are you crazy?!”

“Dad, Dad, don’t do this.”

“Ahhh…”

Just as everyone was wondering what that noise was that had woken them up, intense shouting and arguing broke out outside.

And those voices — they weren’t unfamiliar at all.

“It’s from Professor Liu’s house.”

“Yeah, the sounds are coming from Professor Liu’s place.”

“Didn’t his wife, son, and daughter-in-law all not come back home after noon today?!”

“Let’s go check what’s going on.”

“They’re arguing so fiercely, could something bad be happening?!”

“Please, let’s hope nothing serious happens.”

“Come on, let’s go out and see.”

…

Except for the children and the elderly, everyone who could come out quietly slipped outside, all looking with mixed feelings toward Liu Mingliang’s house not far away.

At that moment, the inside of Liu Mingliang’s home was in total chaos.

Disheveled, hair a mess, and looking utterly defeated, Liu Mingliang held a chair in his hand, glaring at his wife, son, and daughter-in-law with furious, hopeless eyes.

He truly never expected this: the moment he was reported and taken away, his wife rushed off to the district committee to demand a divorce and cut ties with him.

Even his son immediately published a newspaper announcement severing their father-son relationship.

They couldn’t wait even a moment — afraid of being dragged down with him, terrified they’d be sent into exile alongside him.

What a joke.

“You think I’m crazy?! Yes, I’m crazy! I worked so hard, sacrificed so much for you all, for this family — and you, you…”

Liu Mingliang was so angry he could barely speak; his own family had driven him to the brink of madness.

How could they treat him like this?! How could they?!

“Dad, didn’t I explain?! We had no choice, it’s a survival strategy.”

“Old Liu, the whole family can’t all go into exile. We can’t let the kids suffer like that.”

“Exactly, Dad, it’s not that we don’t want to go with you — but if the whole family goes, who’ll be left to send money or food coupons? Do you want all of us to starve and freeze to death on some farm?!”

“Dad, it’s better if one person takes the punishment than the whole family. You still have grandkids — do you want to drag them to their deaths too?!”

“Old Liu, think about it, doesn’t this make sense?! It’s obvious — if we didn’t cut ties first, the committee wouldn’t have given us a chance.”

“Dad, it’s not that we’re unfilial; we really had no other choice.”

“Dad, please, just let us go.”

“Old Liu, you…”

His wife, son, and daughter-in-law all stood across from him, nervously eyeing the chair in his hands while quietly begging and trying to reason with him.

Why was this old man so annoying?!

Why was he so obsessed over such a trivial thing?!

Did he want to drag the whole family down into suffering with him?!

“Oh, you’re all so good at talking, huh? Isn’t it just because you’re scared of hardship? You’re really something, huh, really full of conscience. Look at you all, look at the Su family — you’re not even as good as them.”

Liu Mingliang was furious at his family’s shamelessness.

If they had even hesitated for a moment before cutting ties, he himself would have taken the initiative to sever ties — like they said, it’s better for one person to take the punishment than to drag the whole family down.

The problem is — people can’t help but compare.

Especially when compared to Su Huaiyuan: the Su family either went into exile, got sent down to the countryside, or were transferred to faraway jobs.

And his own family? Just to stay in the capital, they were practically ready to join the people who reported him.

“Dad, you can stop bringing up the Su family now — don’t you know what really happened with them?!”

Liu Jianmin, his son, wondered if his dad had been hit so hard he’d gone stupid. Of all people, why bring up the Su family?!

And on top of that, he still thought they were wrong for severing ties?!

“You… Why can’t I bring them up?! You’re all heartless, you’re nothing but ungrateful wolves, you’re not even human!”

Of course, Liu Mingliang could hear the sarcasm in his son’s tone.

His expression darkened further, and his son’s words pushed him over the edge.

He flew into a rage, cursing furiously, and in his anger, he hurled the chair he was holding.

Bang!

“Dad…”

“Ah! Help!”

“Ahhh…”

“If we’re ungrateful wolves, then what are you?! You’re no better — you’re even worse! Weren’t you the one who reported Professor Su’s family?!”

…

The chair crashed unexpectedly right at the feet of his wife, son, and daughter-in-law, making them scream in terror, calling for help.

Especially Liu Jianmin’s wife, who in the chaos accidentally slammed into the doorframe, making her vision go black and her head ache terribly.

That was it — she was completely enraged now. That old man was the truly shameless one, the real heartless wolf.

Who was he to curse them?!

So she blurted out the truth about Liu Mingliang reporting Su Huaiyuan.

What?!

It was Liu Mingliang who had reported the Su family?!

The neighbors outside, who had been quietly watching every move of the Liu family, were stunned when they heard that.

Some were shocked, some couldn’t believe it, others suddenly realized the truth, and some nodded to themselves knowingly.

“Get out. All of you, get out! Get out!”

Suddenly exposed so directly, Liu Mingliang’s face twisted with rage and shame.

Furious and humiliated, he stumbled forward, waving his arms to drive them out.

“Fine, we’ll leave!”

Liu Jianmin’s wife was more than happy to leave — after all, they’d already managed to move out quite a few things earlier, and the rest was all smashed to pieces.

She had no intention of staying another moment with this old madman.

In no time, the Liu family was gone.

Liu Mingliang looked around at the now-empty, wrecked house, and it felt like all the strength had drained from his body.

He collapsed straight onto the floor, his spirit completely broken.

The other residents of the compound could only shake their heads.

One after another, they quietly went back to bed — because a man like that, they simply couldn’t bring themselves to pity.