The usually calm Qian would still get very emotional when it comes to family matters. Xiaoqiang knew it was her concern for her family. If she didn’t care at all, she wouldn’t be so angry with Chen Zilong.

"He’s been at school for years and hasn’t experienced society. He believes whatever people say from outside. But objectively speaking, Dalong’s nature isn’t that bad. Haven’t you heard that he wants to go to school early so he can be a good son to his mother?"

"Heh... Being a good son doesn’t involve moving bricks on a construction site? Doesn’t involve setting up a small stall? Selling spicy soup or pancakes or something? There’s no distinction between high and low professions, as long as you earn money through your own hard work, what’s wrong with that? Insisting on shortcuts and doing things without hard work, it’s just laziness and indulgence!"

This lifetime, Chen Zilong hasn’t been seduced by Qu Xue, and under Qian’s strict supervision, he has stayed away from bad friends and behaved fairly well. But what he said today reminded Qian of the old Chen, the wastrel.

A feeling of disgust arose.

"Everyone rises through their own efforts, so why should he expect something for nothing? Look at his lack of ambition, trying to rely on connections while he’s still so young, isn’t that outrageous?"

"Don’t mention a half-grown child, how many adults out there are still racking their brains trying to rely on connections? Why do you have such a temper?"

"Yu Minglang!" Qian sternly reprimanded, "Do you realize how dangerous your thinking is right now?!!"

In a second, she was like a shrew possessed.

"I never said I thought that way, I was just trying to objectively analyze it for you. Look at you, you say you don’t like this brother, but what’s your reaction right now?"

Obviously, the deeper the love, the stricter the reprimand!

"Who likes his attitude? Not smart and doesn’t work hard, constantly just idiotically eating and sleeping through life!"

"Fine, you don’t care about him, but with so many people thinking that way, why do you keep fixating on him?"

"Nonsense! If I didn’t keep him in check, and he makes a mess, what if it drags me down in the end?"

A person like her brother is too naive, easy to be led astray if not careful. Especially in a complex environment where everyone’s words are full of implications, Dalong wouldn’t survive.

"And you say you don’t care about him? If you truly didn’t wish him well, you’d just follow along with what he says, getting him an idle position with Big Brother isn’t that hard."

Xiaoqiang dismantled his wife’s argument without mercy.

For ordinary people, stable idleness equates to mediocrity in Qian’s eyes. No matter how fluently she insults her brother as a waste, allowing others to insult him is out of the question. At the end of the day, she still doesn’t want her only brother to become mediocre and lead a life of insignificance.

After Qian finished speaking, she silently stared at Yu Minglang for a few seconds. Oh no, he tricked her!

"Get away from me! I don’t want to see you, go home!"

"Haha! Wife, are you taking your anger out on me?"

It’s a perfect illustration of anger turning into frustration; if you can’t win the argument, escalate it to shift the blame, woman, thy name is vengeance!

"Yeah, so what if I’m taking my anger out on you? He’s about to take exams and you’re still letting him read comics, you two are birds of a feather!"

"He won’t improve even if he stops reading comics, didn’t we already discuss this?"

All Qian’s life’s vulnerabilities were focused on this rebellious brother of hers. Yu Minglang blocked her one time after another with valid points, leaving her unable to refute.

"In the end, this guy Zhuzi is no good either, filling Dalong’s head with ideas of getting something for nothing, I spit on that!"

"He’s definitely no good, but the problem is, wife, you also don’t want to face the reality, our brother is just too young and easily led. You deal with Zhuli today, tomorrow there will be a Bingzi, and the day after a Qiuzi. Dalong will believe whatever they say, can you handle everyone who doesn’t share our views? Yes, you can, but it pains me, don’t wear yourself out, my wife."

"It’s worrying day after day, I shouldn’t have come back. Seeing his behavior just makes me angry."

Xiaoqiang didn’t take her words of dissatisfaction and complaint seriously.

He knew she was still attached to this family. On the way back, she praised the egg-filled pancakes from her hometown so much, let alone her brother, who grew up with her.

This is just homesickness.

"Let’s look at the problem objectively. Dalong is indeed a little late in maturing but fundamentally he’s protective of you and our mom, you’re not wasting any effort caring about him. Kids these days have little exposure to the real world, Dalong’s mindset is all too normal. To put it plainly, Dalong hasn’t encountered society, and lacks your knack for discerning good from bad. It’s normal that he can’t pick up on implied meanings, his peers are the same. Someone like my wife, with the keen insight to see the whole picture, after all, is rare."

The truth and falsity, the rights and wrongs, it’s really hard to let students in relatively simple school environments experience all walks of life without personally going through it.

Xiaoqiang sometimes sighed; he fell in love with Qian at first sight but didn’t want to make a move due to their six-year age difference; he hesitated before taking action.

He thought the six-year gap might cause a communication barrier, but over the years, not only has there been no barrier in their communication, but they understand each other’s intentions with just a look. This tacit understanding has surprised and delighted Yu Minglang immensely, glad he acted early.

"I can’t worry about other children, they’re not related to me, but since Chen Zilong dared to make plans involving me, I won’t let him off easy."

Qian adamantly refused to admit she cared for her brother.

She absolutely didn’t want to end up like her past life, constantly cleaning up his messes. She forced her brother into high school, improved his education, and cut off all ties with bad influencers, yet Dalong’s earlier behavior left Qian disheartened, feeling like all the effort was in vain, as if they had returned to square one overnight.

"Yes, we can’t just ignore him, put him in a good environment where that environment could positively influence him, his mindset could change imperceptibly. The influence of the environment on a person is significant, and haven’t you been planning this all along?"

Qian knew what Xiaoqiang was talking about, she indeed intended to let her brother experience hardship in a challenging environment for personal growth.

Chen Zilong genuinely disliked studying; his mind wasn’t on academics. Although Qian hoped he’d at least go to college, after years of even Fugui, a Ph.D., offering one-on-one tutoring with little effect, academics seemed to be just that.

"Look at his attitude, he doesn’t want to exert himself to earn a living, sending him to do something as arduous as training, can he handle it? If he ends up being labeled a deserter, my family can’t afford that disgrace."