"Mom! Mom! What's wrong?" Kayson rushed to his mother's side.
"Oh, n-nothing, just cut my hand. It's fine," Mabel Yang smiled gently.
She wiped her hand on her apron and kept cutting.
Kayson picked up the knife from the ground and examined it. His expression turned grave.
"Mom, this is a military knife. No wonder it's so sharp. Where did you get this?"
Kayson was confused. His mother was just an ordinary housewife—how could she own a military knife?
The blade clearly had blood grooves.
Mabel Yang said: "This was your father's knife."
"Dad was in the military? He was a soldier?" Kayson was shocked.
In his memory, his father was often away from home
and barely spoke even when he was there.
That was all Kayson knew about him.
He'd always thought his father just did odd jobs.
Kayson helped his mother inside, used silver needles to stop the bleeding, and carefully bandaged her hand.
Mabel Yang said:
"Your father did serve in the army. When I met him, he told me he was in the cooking division."
"Cooking division? Then why was he always gone?" Kayson asked.
Mabel Yang sighed.
She wiped her eyes with her apron and said:
"You're grown up now. I should tell you the truth."
"Mm," Kayson listened intently.
Mabel Yang continued:
"One year, I was cutting grass in the field when I saw a man covered in blood. I was terrified.
His intestines were hanging out, and he was barely breathing. I tore up my clothes to bandage his wounds, borrowed a cart, and pulled him home."
Kayson leaned forward: "Then what happened to Dad?"
"I told him I'd take him to a hospital, but he refused flat out!"
Mabel Yang seemed lost in memory.
"I was so worried, but amazingly, he recovered on his own.
During those three months, we grew close. He never proposed.
He just gave me all his money, and we ended up living together like that."
Kayson was surprised—his mom was pretty modern!
Proposing?
And she was just a housewife!
"Mom, you and Dad never got a marriage license?" Kayson asked in confusion.
"No," she said.
Kayson: "Aren't you worried about… splitting up?"
Mabel Yang: "True love isn't about papers. It's about trust. Real love is trust.
He gave me every penny he had, and he even told me honestly he couldn't have children."
Real love is trust. Kayson turned the words over in his mind.
Mabel Yang went on:
"Then one day, your father brought you home. And we became a family."
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. "Poor child…"
Kayson lowered his head.
To the people who loved him, everything about him broke their hearts.
To those who didn't, he was nothing but a useless, annoying loser.
"Later? Why doesn't Dad come home now?" Kayson asked.
Mabel Yang:
"Your father got injured several times every month—sometimes more than ten times a month.
I nursed him back to health every single time.
You were little back then, so we kept it from you."
"Why? Why was he always hurt?" Kayson was stunned.
Did his father have enemies?
Or was there some other secret?
Just then, loud shouting came from the yard:
"Come out! Old woman! Pay up!"
Kayson stepped outside and saw several young men swaggering into the courtyard.
At the front was none other than Leo.
Leo whistled and stood with his hands on his hips.
"You idiot! Useless loser! We meet again!
I've joined Oceanwave Group now. You just walked right into my trap!"
How had Leo managed to join Harrison Hu's crew?
He was broke and had no skills—Harrison Hu would normally never give him the time of day.
But Leo had learned that Harrison Hu had a festering sore on his back that wouldn't heal,
no matter how many hospitals he visited or folk remedies he tried.
Leo volunteered to suck the pus out himself and begged to be Harrison Hu's godson.
Though Leo was actually two years older than Harrison Hu, he knelt down and sucked out half a bowl of pus.
Harrison Hu thought Leo was loyal and took him in as his godson.
Now, working for Harrison Hu, Leo wanted only one thing: revenge.
He blamed everything on Kayson.
His first move was to target Kayson's mother.
Kayson's mouth twitched.
He'd promised his mother-in-law to collect the two million debt from Oceanwave Group.
And now he'd run straight into their men—
and of all people, Leo!
He would have to teach them a lesson.
A nice little present for Harrison Hu.
Mabel Yang paled at the sight of the tough young men, her heart pounding.
Leo answered his own taunt:
"Kayson, you borrowed ten thousand dollars in loan shark money from Mark Biao. I'm here to collect.
No more talking. This house is mine now.
You two get out, right now!"
Earlier, when Mabel Yang was seriously ill, Kayson had borrowed money from the Zhang family.
They'd agreed on three percent interest.
But the due date wasn't for another two weeks.
Kayson: "I did borrow ten thousand from the Zhangs, but what's it to you?
That's between me and them. None of your business."
Leo strutted: "I care about everything!
Anyone who makes me unhappy will be unhappy forever!"
The other thugs chimed in,
holding steel pipes and threatening Kayson and Mabel Yang:
"Pay your debts—it's the rule of the world. Now get lost!"
Leo pointed at Mabel Yang:
"You have three minutes to get out. Or else…"
"Or else what?" Kayson said coldly.
Mabel Yang quickly stepped in front of Kayson, holding him back firmly.
"Son, don't say a word. I'll pay."
Leo: "Too late for money! I don't want it anymore!"
Mabel Yang turned to Leo:
"I'll give you thirty thousand—triple the amount! Just don't hurt my son."
"No! You wasted my time!
I could've bought a lottery ticket with that ten thousand and won a hundred million!" Leo scoffed.
Mabel Yang: "I'll give you sixty thousand."
She handed over all sixty thousand dollars to Leo.
Splash!
Leo threw all the money into the wind.
"Let me be honest—I'm only here to mess with your son! He pissed me off before!"
Mabel Yang was about to kneel and beg.
"His father can't have kids. He's my only son! Please don't hurt him!"
"Hahaha!" Leo sneered at Kayson.
"Idiot! Loser! You deserve another nickname: eunuch!"
His men burst out laughing,
staring at Kayson like he was a fool.
Leo's expression suddenly turned fierce. "Three minutes! Get out!"
"Three minutes isn't enough. I need to pack some things. Can I have ten minutes?" Mabel Yang begged, still holding Kayson's hand.
"No!" Leo refused firmly.
Kayson said calmly:
"No? Then what are you gonna do?"