"Tell me—the family paid for your schooling, bought you a job, found you a wife, and gave you spending money. How much did all that cost? No less than two thousand yuan in total! And what about you? You earned wages and secretly hoarded them, refusing to hand over a single copper to the family. On top of that, you cried poverty to me and tricked me into giving you money! Ma Xiangnan, where is your conscience?
"You unfilial wretch, how dare you accuse your old mother of stealing your money? I am your mother! It is only natural and right for me to take money in my own home! In which household do sons not hand over their earnings before the family splits up? I spoiled you before and was willing to let you hold on to that money. But now the family has no money and needs it desperately, so I took it back. What right do you have to complain?
"Before a family splits up, sons and daughters-in-law are not allowed to stash away private savings! The eldest and second sons have both done properly. Why should you get to hoard secret savings just because it's you? You think you're the only one who knows how to scheme? You think you're the clever one? Bah! Let me warn you: from now on, you two will hand over fifty yuan of your wages to me every month. If you don't, I'll go straight to your factory and talk to your leaders! I'd like to ask them whether the factory management cares about an unfilial beast who only looks out for himself while letting his own family starve!
Chapter 467