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"Not taking anything in return would be an even bigger loss, wouldn't it?"

"As for those two pretty girls, they're only moderately attractive. If they were to work off the debt, we'd have to cover their living expenses too. Earning a thousand a day amounts to merely thirty thousand a month, which means they'd need ten years to pay it all off."

"In today's market, they'd be past their prime after two or three years. Do you think we'd run at a loss?"

Settling the debt through labor was the last resort when all other methods failed to retrieve the money. It was something Brother Flying Fish would consider only if there was no other choice.

However, Chu Yuening said, "That's true, but you can ask anyone for the debt except Lin Jiahua."

"Not possible?" Brother Flying Fish sneered. "It's only natural for a father to repay his child's debts."

"Indeed," Chu Yuening replied, propping her chin on the wooden stick and nodding. "But... A Hua isn't their biological child, so the saying doesn't apply to him."

Feeling perplexed, Brother Flying Fish glanced at the stunned Lin Jiahua.

Mrs. Lin rushed over, ready to hit Chu Yuening, but Chu Yuening raised the wooden stick and smiled at Mrs. Lin.

Mrs. Lin looked at the stick and recalled the pain of being hit. She took a step back in fear, her eyes widening fiercely. "You damn girl! Let me warn you—don't talk nonsense! A Hua is my biological child!"

"Is that so?" Chu Yuening fixed her gaze on Mother Lin as she approached step by step, questioning, "Over two decades ago, you were in a hospital in Shenzhen, and there was another woman in the bed beside you. Both of you gave birth to boys at the same time – your son was pale and thin, while the other woman's child was plump and fair. Am I right?"

Mother Lin was puzzled as to how Chu Yuening knew about Lin Jiahua's birth in Shenzhen. For all these years, she had kept it a secret to conceal Lin Jiahua's identity.

However, it seemed like she had grasped some leverage.

"That's correct, A Hua was born in a hospital in Shenzhen. Back then, I had just moved from the countryside to find my husband, who wasn't in Hong Kong yet. I happened to go into labor in Shenzhen, so I hastily found a small hospital to give birth."

"If you're aware that A Hua was born in Shenzhen, why do you doubt that he's not my biological child?"

With that, Mother Lin began to play the victim, collapsing on the ground and wailing, "How unfortunate! Raising three children with my husband hasn't been easy. Now, A Hua has found such an irresponsible girlfriend like you and wants to deny me as his mother to avoid repaying debts."

"Yes, I admit I have a gambling problem. A Hua, I promise you, there won't be a next time after this."

Lin Jiahua closed his eyes, disappointment weighing heavily upon him. He had heard this kind of promise far too many times since he was young.

"But!" Mother Lin declared with unwavering determination, "A Hua is my biological son! If I'm lying, may the heavens strike me down with thunderbolts."

The atmosphere froze.

The previously clear sky suddenly whipped up a fierce gust of wind, accompanied by a bolt of lightning that struck Lin's mother's leg, making her jump up from the ground with a scream.

Chu Yuening stood with one hand behind her back, smiling slightly. "Still want to swear? Heaven loves people like you the most."

"Let me ask again, is A Hua your son?"

Chu Yuening remained patient. "Let me remind you, the boy you gave birth to took his last breath in your arms not long after he was born."

Lin's mother was about to protest.

But Chu Yuening cut her off. "After the child died, you knew all too well what kind of people your in-laws were. They were extremely biased towards males. If they found out that you had given birth to a firstborn son who then passed away, they would undoubtedly blame you. From then on, you wouldn't have had a single good day in the Lin family."

Lin's mother felt uneasy.

Back then, she did indeed have such thoughts, but how could Chu Yuening possibly know?

"So... you switched your child with the newborn from the neighboring bed."

Step by step, Mrs. Lin was forced to retreat, trembling as she avoided Chu Yuening's piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything. She weakly denied, "I didn't... I didn't. A Hua is really my biological son."

"Then, you and your husband moved to Hong Kong," Chu Yuening continued. "In an unexpected turn of events, your husband discovered that A Hua wasn't his biological son. Although he was furious, due to Hong Kong's comprehensive social security scheme, which provided financial assistance to low-income families with multiple children, he didn't blame you anymore."

"In the following days, he no longer loved Lin Jiahua but treated him merely as a means to receive those welfare benefits," Yuening explained. "You didn't want to be fools raising someone else's child, so you began exploiting A Hua, burdening him with all the household chores. Not only did you force him to drop out of school, but also made him care for the children and work to support the family."

Upon hearing it all, Lin Jiahua felt as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes. All the unfairness he had experienced since childhood finally made sense.

He had always believed that his parents were open-minded, not biased towards boys like some traditional parents. Though they treated him poorly, they doted on his two sisters. As the eldest son, he never complained about being targeted, believing it was his duty as a man to shoulder family responsibilities.

It turned out...

All along, it was just because he wasn't their biological son?

He let out a bitter smile, turning to look at Mr. Lin. The moment their eyes met, Mr. Lin quickly averted his gaze.

Lin Jiahua turned to her evasive mother, "Is everything Ning Ning said true?"

Mrs. Lin was still trying to weasel out of it, but Chu Yuening kindly warned, "You can deny it, but I don't know if the next bolt of lightning will pierce through your skull."

Just moments ago, Mrs. Lin had been struck by lightning and was now terrified of another strike. She hastily took off her coat to cover her head and, with a determined heart, admitted straightforwardly.

"Yes! Although A Hua isn't my biological child, he's like one! I raised him! Without us, he would've starved to death on the streets! The debt of nurture surpasses that of birth, so he must help us pay our debts!"

Chu Yuening was nearly amused by her anger, "Without you, he would have starved? He came from an affluent background. Without you, he would have grown up under his parents' love, inheriting their business and becoming an outstanding young man contributing to society. And yet, you claim he would have starved without you?"

Mrs. Lin stubbornly refused to acknowledge the truth, "Even so! If I had abandoned him in Hong Kong, how could he have found his biological parents? In my opinion, he would've ended up dead on the streets sooner or later!"