Lin Yongye wasn’t deceived.

He brought his entire salary home, and even though Lin Yongjia arrived home before him and spoke with Old Man Lin and Old Lady Lin, it didn’t matter.

He had been working in the city for a while now.

Although he hadn’t seen much of the world, he wasn’t the same person as he used to be—the frog in the well who only saw the small world of the Lin family.

Now he understood that the outside world was vast and full of endless possibilities.

Lin Yongye was no longer the easy target he once was.

At least Old Man Lin and Old Lady Lin wouldn’t dare to speak too recklessly in front of him anymore.

He would refute everything they said and no longer let them say anything without resistance.

Old Man Lin and Old Lady Lin were the type of people who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Now that Lin Yongye had become assertive, unwilling to follow their orders, what could they do?

To sum it up in one sentence: you only have face when others give it to you.

He had learned this lesson from Lin Yongcheng, but back then, he didn’t have the confidence and was still thinking about the little money Old Man Lin had, so he was cautious and timid.

But now, with a job and confidence, what was there to be afraid of?

When Old Man Lin and Old Lady Lin saw that he brought his full salary back, they didn’t say anything more.

Lin Yongjia was annoyed but waited, thinking that when the two brothers returned to the county, he’d get his chance to make fun of Lin Yongye.

Three days passed, and no one came to thank Lin Yongye.

He finally found an opportunity to mock him.

After holding back for another two days, it was lunchtime.

The two brothers sat face to face in the cafeteria.

Even though their relationship wasn’t good, they still stayed together when they were outside, initially because they were unfamiliar with the place, and later, to avoid being seen as estranged brothers.

Lin Yongjia had been holding in his feelings for five days now.

He couldn’t hold back anymore.

He glanced around, noticing that there was no familiar face in sight.

He couldn’t speak up at work, considering the colleagues he had known for a long time, but now, with no one he knew around, he had no reason to hold back.

“Second brother, didn’t that old lady say she wanted to repay you? We’ve been working for several days and stayed at home for a day. Why hasn’t she come to thank you yet?”

“None of your business!” Lin Yongye gave him a cold response.

Whether she thanked him or not, it didn’t matter.

He didn’t expect anything in return.

He had received so little kindness in his life that he never expected anything from anyone, not even his own parents.

How could he expect others to be any different?

He simply couldn’t ignore the situation and let someone die if he could save them.

If others wanted to repay him, it was because he had encountered good-hearted, grateful people. But no one thanking him was the norm.

Lin Yongye understood this well.

Having been rebuffed, Lin Yongjia immediately got angry and his words became more offensive.

“The other day, I told you not to meddle in other people’s business, but you went against me. You wasted time and stepped into the fishpond, and your salary got all wet. I’m not criticizing you, but we should be more straightforward in life. I know you want to make connections in the city, but you should stop dreaming. No one will care about you!”

Lin Yongye was disgusted by this.

He had saved someone without any ulterior motives, yet now he was being misunderstood and mocked. If this had happened before, he might have endured it, but not anymore. What was there to tolerate?

Anyone could speak cruelly. Lin Yongye might be quiet, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of speaking back. When he was serious, Lin Yongjia had no chance.

So what if he was mocking him?

Bring it on—let’s see who’s stronger!

“You keep saying you want people to repay you, wanting to make connections in the city. Isn’t that just what you want? You’re a filthy person who sees everyone as dirty like you!”

“Do I want to make connections? I have my third brother in the county. If I run into trouble, wouldn’t he help me? Would he just watch me suffer? I don’t need to make connections with anyone. My third brother is my support, and even though I rarely ask him for help, he recognizes me as his older brother!”

“Unlike you, who has done despicable things since childhood, even stealing other people’s tuition fees to buy candy, and offended our third brother so badly that now you can’t make any connections!”

A direct blow to the heart!

He had hit the nail right on Lin Yongjia’s most sensitive spot!

Lin Yongjia’s dark, weathered face turned red with anger.

He had been trying to cozy up to Lin Yongcheng, hoping to gain some advantage.

Back home, he only knew Lin Yongcheng was doing decently in the county.

But after they moved to town, he realized he had underestimated him—Lin Yongcheng was highly sought after in both the security department and the transport team.

Sometimes, they would run into Lin Yongcheng, but he only ever greeted Lin Yongye.

As for Lin Yongjia? Who even was he?

When Lin Yongjia’s sore spot was hit, he flew into a rage.

“So, the third brother is your lifeline? Don’t kid yourself. He doesn’t care about anyone. Just because he says hi to you, you think it means something?”

“Well, at least he acknowledges me, unlike you. He never even looks your way.”

“And he hasn’t thrown you a bone either!”

“…”

As the brothers exchanged jabs, a woman seated at the table behind Lin Yongjia, with her back to them, suddenly turned her head.

The two men didn’t notice her.

After a bout of arguing, Lin Yongye found Lin Yongjia’s weak spot.

No matter what the latter said, the former brought up Lin Yongcheng, dragging the topic back in circles.

Round and round it went, driving Lin Yongjia mad.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.

What was the point of this argument?

“If you have any skill, rely on yourself. Always bringing up the third brother—what kind of ability is that? No matter how capable he is, that’s his own business, and you won’t get a single crumb. I don’t want to argue with you anymore. If you want to suck up to the third brother, go ahead. Be his dog for all I care, just don’t drag me into it.”

“It’s not about dragging you into it—it’s that even if you wanted to be his dog, he wouldn’t have you.”

“Acting like some lapdog. I’m done with you!” Lin Yongjia shouted, frustrated.

He decided to call a truce. “Eat and get out of here. Stop dragging this on!”

Who was really stirring the pot here?

Lin Yongye cursed silently, also losing interest in the argument.

No resolution was going to come of it anyway.

Whatever happened, just don’t let it affect him!

“I’m done eating too. Time to wash up,” Lin Yongye said.

The two brothers got up to leave, but the woman sitting behind Lin Yongjia suddenly called out to them.

“Lin Yongye (Second Brother Lin), wait a moment. I have something important to discuss with you.”

Both men stopped in their tracks and turned to look.

When they saw the middle-aged woman’s face, they exchanged surprised glances.

They knew exactly who she was: Xu Lihua, the vice chairwoman of the mining union. Everyone at the mine knew her.

But here was the question: how did Xu Lihua know who they were?

And how did she call Lin Yongye out so accurately?

Xu Lihua’s gaze swept over their identical faces.

If one had to tell them apart, it could only be done by their expressions.

Lin Yongjia’s eyes were shifty, while Lin Yongye’s were calm and steady.

Though he was the younger brother, he seemed more composed and reliable.

Before the brothers could make sense of the situation, Xu Lihua spoke again.

“Thank you for saving my mother-in-law. A few days ago, when she was in the hospital, we were busy taking care of her and didn’t have the chance to thank you properly. She just got discharged yesterday afternoon, and we were planning to bring some gifts to your home tomorrow to formally express our gratitude. Who would’ve thought we’d run into you during a meal?”

Lin Yongjia’s face turned green immediately.

Wait a second… didn’t that mean she’d overheard everything he just said?

He shot Lin Yongye a sharp glare.

If they hadn’t been practically glued together these days, he might have suspected Lin Yongye set him up on purpose—provoking him to lose his temper and spout all those nasty comments while sitting right behind Xu Lihua.

Lin Yongye blinked in mild surprise.

The night he saved someone, he hadn’t thought much about getting thanked.

The old lady had mentioned wanting to thank him, but he chalked it up to polite words and didn’t take it seriously.

And now, this?

What were the odds?

Both brothers had the same thought: the old lady’s daughter-in-law also worked at the mine and just happened to overhear their argument.

If he were in Lin Yongjia’s shoes, he’d feel like he’d been set up too.

Holding his bowl and chopsticks, Lin Yongye waved his free hand dismissively. “I just helped a little—it wasn’t like I spent any money. Your mother-in-law paid for the surgery herself. There’s no need to be so polite. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and nutrition. I don’t need anything. Your thanks are enough.”

He looked awkward, clearly unused to being thanked formally. The mere thought of someone sending him gifts made him uneasy.

Of course, there was another reason too.

His family hadn’t split their household finances. Even if he received the old lady’s gift, some of it would inevitably end up in Lin Yongjia’s pocket.

On the night he saved her, Lin Yongjia had even advised against meddling in other people’s business. Later at home, he called him foolish for getting involved.

Lin Yongye would rather refuse the gift altogether than let Lin Yongjia benefit from it.

Xu Lihua found him honest and kind.

Before she revealed her identity, she’d overheard the brothers’ argument and knew he didn’t expect any reward.

His sincerity in helping others was clear—he wasn’t the type to demand favors in return.

A simple verbal thanks wouldn’t suffice, though.

“My mother-in-law kept talking about you during her hospital stay. She said a kind young man saved her life and insisted we repay you properly. Since we’ve run into each other, I’ll say this now: tomorrow after work, you must come to our house for dinner. I’ll have my husband buy extra groceries. Seeing you will make her very happy!”

What else could Lin Yongye do?

She wasn’t asking for his opinion—she’d already decided he was going.

Feeling awkward, he said, “Really, there’s no need. I’m just glad your mother-in-law is okay.”

“You’re the one being too polite. It’s settled then. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll meet at the main gate.” Xu Lihua smiled and left, never sparing a single glance at Lin Yongjia. Her complete disregard for him made him even more nervous.

Watching her leave, cold sweat broke out on Lin Yongjia’s forehead.

His hands and feet felt icy.

Grabbing Lin Yongye’s arm, he asked in a trembling voice, “Second Brother, do you think my job is still safe?

Do I still have a chance to become a permanent worker?”

If a heavy label like “immoral” or “refused to save a life” got slapped on him, he’d be sent packing immediately.

In these times, moral standards were strict, and reputations were fragile. If Xu Lihua wanted to retaliate, she could make an example of him with a single word.

The power of the union vice chairwoman wasn’t something to be underestimated.

Seeing how guilty and scared Lin Yongjia looked, Lin Yongye coldly spat, “You brought this on yourself. If you lose your job, you’ll have no one to blame but you.”

Lin Yongjia felt as though he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

His job had cost their father 400 yuan in bribes. If he lost it, where would they find the money to buy him another one?

He couldn’t accept being sent back in disgrace, only to crawl back home in failure.