Mu Danian’s tears and snot flowed freely as he cried.

Unfortunately, Mu Dade was adamant in his decision.

"Fifth, about this matter, right or wrong, I won’t discuss it! Dan Dan’s mother and I can tolerate you stealing, but we can’t endure you pushing Xiao Han, a child, out to evade responsibility!

If Shuangshuang hadn’t returned today, were you prepared to let Xiao Han take the blame for you?

In the future, when we’re in the county, would you accept benefits from others to frame me?"

Mu Dade spoke with an air of righteousness, facing Mu Danian.

At this moment, he became the side of justice, while Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin were reduced to mere clowns.

"No... I wouldn’t, brother... you’re my big brother, why would I harm you?" Mu Danian shook his head desperately.

Mrs. Lin also cried, snorting and wiping her eyes, "Brother, we... we stole the bracelet not for ourselves, you said we had no travel funds for housing, yet we were helpless.

Danian and I originally planned to pawn the bracelet in town, and later when the opportunity arose, we would redeem it.

This way, it would solve our current dilemma. Brother, we’ve realized our mistake!"

Mrs. Lin came up with an excuse on the spot.

It sounded plausible, making their actions seem less unforgivable than before.

Greedy theft versus stealing to keep the family together—the severity is clear, even to an idiot!

Mu Danian, inspired by her words, also said, "Bro, after all your hard study for decades, we merely want to go to the county to help lighten your burden..."

"Father, don’t you want to go to the county? But our family currently doesn’t have enough money, even selling all the rice in the field, we don’t know if we can cover travel and lodging expenses.

Do you want to watch helplessly as we miss the opportunity to be all together again?"

Mr. Mu listened to Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin’s words with deep feeling.

They wished to follow Mu Dade to the county, whether to reunite as a family or to make a joint effort there!

In any case, being together is the best!

Just as Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin seemed to be turning the tide.

Mu Dade suddenly handed the bracelet to Mrs. Jin beside him and said, "Since Fifth and Second’s wife said so, then I won’t..."—before he could say "pursue" the matter.

Mrs. Lin suddenly shouted, "This... this isn’t my bracelet, it’s fake! Fake!"

"What? The bracelet is fake?" Mr. Mu was dumbfounded.

Mu Dade also pretended to be attentive, "Dan Dan’s mother, you... didn’t look, this is our golden bracelet, isn’t it?"

"No, this one isn’t as heavy as mine, and some of the plating is peeling off, how could it be mine?" Mrs. Jin handed the bracelet back to Mu Dade.

Mu Dade took a look and his expression instantly changed.

Mr. Mu took the bracelet from Mu Dade’s hand; even he, who had never seen gold, noticed the anomaly following Mrs. Jin’s words.

Old Mrs. Mu grabbed the bracelet and felt it over and over.

Finally, in front of all her descendants, she put the bracelet in her mouth and bit it hard.

Old Mrs. Mu spat several times and said, "Look, this thing really is fake!"

Mu Danian panicked; the bracelet was stolen from his big brother’s room and should be real!

"Impossible, the bracelet must be real; it was stolen from my brother’s room!" Mu Danian said as he picked up the bracelet that Old Mrs. Mu had thrown to the ground.

Mu looked at the bitten part where the plating had indeed peeled off.

So... the bracelet wasn’t real!

Even the rural folks who had never seen gold knew that gold can’t be bitten through.

Nor would the plating peel off.

Mu Danian looked suspiciously at Mrs. Lin, "Second sister-in-law, did you secretly switch the bracelet?"

Mrs. Lin, hearing this, was about to explode with anger.

"Fifth, you’re talking nonsense, I never touched the bracelet, and you say I switched it; do you have no shame?"

Mrs. Lin’s reaction was intense.

And what she said didn’t sound like a lie.

Moreover, when Mu Danian hid things, he was the only one who knew where they were.

How did the bracelet turn out fake?

To Mr. Mu, Mu Danian’s reaction was just denial, just not admitting!

"Good for you, Fifth! I originally thought you truly had good reasons for taking your brother’s bracelet, but now it seems quite the opposite! Why don’t you hand over the bracelet?"

"Father, I don’t know what’s going on! How can I hand it over?" Mu Danian shook his head; he still hadn’t figured out what had happened.

Beside him, Mu Dade also looked distraught, glaring at Mu Danian, "Fifth, you... how can I trust you and Second’s wife to go to the county? You’ve utterly disappointed me!"

Mu Danian was on the verge of madness; he approached Mu Dade, "Brother, I... I really didn’t touch your wife’s bracelet, I don’t know how the real bracelet turned fake!"

"Enough, stop pretending here. How did my good bracelet turn fake? And why did you steal my bracelet in the first place?" Mrs. Jin chimed in.

Mu Danian’s situation became even more distressing.

Mrs. Lin was also bewildered, suspecting Mu Danian had switched the bracelet.

So she advised Mu Danian, "Fifth, stop hiding, bring out the real one. If you don’t, brother and sister-in-law certainly won’t let us join in the good life. A bracelet is temporary, but living well is a lifelong affair!"

"You’re talking nonsense, I didn’t take it, this is the bracelet taken from my sister-in-law’s room!" Mu Danian refused to take the fall.

He knew that once he accepted the blame.

Not only would he be unable to go to the county, but he would also have to compensate his brother with a new bracelet.

All his life, he only had so much ability, how could he afford such an expensive golden bracelet?

"You... you..." Mrs. Lin stomped her foot fiercely.

At this moment, Mr. Mu sighed deeply and said to Mu Dade, "Eldest, eldest’s wife, the gold bracelet is yours, and now Fifth has stolen it; Fifth has let you down!

As his father, I have failed to guide him well. I’ve decided that Second’s family and Fifth can’t go to the county; they must remain here, work the land and pay off the bracelet debt. Only then can they go to the county!"

Mr. Mu’s words greatly satisfied Mu Dade.

Not to mention giving Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin all the Mu Family’s land; even adding fifty more acres wouldn’t cover the cost of the gold bracelet!

Beside them, Mrs. Jin also breathed a sigh of relief.

With this, they’ve dealt with the two most bothersome members of the Old Mu Family, and next...

Just as they thought their worries were over, Mu Shuangshuang, who had been watching the scene, stood up...