Wang Yue's honeyed words quickly drew everyone's attention.
"Why are you, an adult, arguing with a child?"
The child's mother trotted out her classic excuse.
"I'm a child in front of you, so why are you arguing with me? When I curse you, it's just the innocent prattle of a child."
Wang Yue chuckled.
"Don't you understand respect for elders and love for the young?"
The child's mother was stunned. No one had ever argued with her in such a peculiar way.
"I'll say just three words: do you deserve it?"
Wang Yue sneered.
As long as I have no morals, morals cannot bind me.
"Children nowadays really have no manners."
The child's mother was furious. This was the first time she had encountered someone as thorny as Wang Yue.
"You know your child has no manners?"
Wang Yue pointed at the woman's nose and roared, "Children are ignorant, but are you ignorant too? Don't mistake rudeness for personality. If you don't discipline your child, plenty of others will help you, depending on whether you can afford the tuition."
"What's going on?"
Just then, Second Uncle Li Ming walked over.
"Old Li, whose child is this? Such bad manners."
"They don't know how to respect elders. What kind of future will they have?"
The child's mother was the first to complain.
"What's the matter, Xiao Yue?"
Li Ming didn't take the child's mother's word for it and turned to ask.
Wang Yue explained the whole story.
Li Ming looked at the child's mother. "This child does need some discipline. Parents must educate their children properly, otherwise, who knows what trouble they'll stir up later."
He then turned to Wang Yue. "Xiao Yue, you too. You should show more respect to elders, don't let people make fun of us."
Li Ming appeased both sides, acting as a mediator.
The child's mother, knowing she was in the wrong, didn't say anything further. After all, she was at the host's home and had to give them face.
After the commotion subsided, everyone resumed eating.
Wang Hu gave Wang Yue a thumbs-up from the side.
Cathartic!
Who liked being called a fat pig or an ugly monster?
Wang Hu hadn't expected Wang Yue to stand up for him in such a resolute manner.
Pan Huiying had also wanted to lash out earlier, but seeing her son step forward, she refrained.
She hadn't expected Wang Yue to have such a side to him.
The old Wang Yue would usually remain silent in such disputes.
However, Pan Huiying was also relieved. This meant her son had grown up.
The child, who had gained nothing from this commotion, was very displeased. When he threw a tantrum at home before, he always got what he wanted.
He kept glancing at Wang Yue, his eyes full of resentment.
This guy had cursed him and his mother, and now he was eating peacefully.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. The child suddenly noticed the phone Wang Yue had placed on the table.
He put down his chopsticks and called out, "I'm full."
Then he stood up and walked out. As he passed Wang Yue, he snatched Wang Yue's phone and ran.
"You cursed my mom!"
The child shouted at Wang Yue, then threw the phone to the ground with a loud crash.
He then stomped on it a few times.
Afterward, he grinned triumphantly, feeling immensely satisfied.
Everyone was stunned, not expecting the child to have such a vengeful streak.
Wang Yue, however, started laughing.
He looked at the child's mother. "Your son is so interesting. Pay for it."
"Why should I pay? It wasn't me who broke your phone."
The child's mother immediately retorted.
She rolled her eyes. "You're an adult, why are you arguing with a child? The phone is broken, it's broken. It's because you cursed us first. You deserve it."
"Alright, you're not taking responsibility?"
Wang Yue said to Wang Hu, "Give me my phone."
Wang Hu immediately handed the phone to Wang Yue. Wang Yue took it and smiled, "Then I'll have to call the police."
"Call whoever you want!"
The child's mother yelled.
She didn't believe the police would do anything to her over a phone.
Li Ming couldn't sit still any longer. He had witnessed the entire farce. He walked over and said to the child's mother, "We're all supposed to be celebrating the holiday, but you and your son have turned it upside down. Pay the money to him, or I won't consider you family anymore!"
Then another man walked over. He first sternly shouted at the child's mother, "Be quiet!"
He then apologized to Wang Yue with a contrite expression. "I'm sorry, young man. My son broke your phone. How much is it? I'll pay."
He worked under Li Ming, and if he truly offended Li Ming, his future would be difficult.
However, the man wasn't too worried. A phone was only a few hundred yuan, at most a thousand.
"Since you're willing to pay, 5999. No haggling."
Wang Yue said with a smile.
"How much?!"
The man exclaimed.
Everyone else's eyes widened.
Wages were low in this small town. Ordinary people earned only a little over a thousand yuan a month during this era.
Although the man earned a bit more, earning 6000 yuan would take at least two months.
"Are you robbing me?"
The child's mother started yelling again. "Believe it or not, I'll call the police and have you arrested!"
Li Ming also said with a stern face, "Xiao Yue, just pay what it's worth. We don't cheat anyone."
Wang Yue said innocently, "Uncle, I'm not quoting an inflated price. It's an iPhone 4, 32GB version. Anyone can check the price online. This can't be faked."
Many people had phones and immediately searched online.
"Wow, it really costs 5999?"
"What kind of phone is this? Is it made of gold?"
"It seems to be a brand from the beautiful country. It really costs that much."
"This kid is amazing. He just smashed away two months' worth of his father's salary."
The child's father's face turned pale upon hearing the discussions.
He picked up his phone and searched for himself. Then he compared it and found that the phone his son had smashed was indeed an iPhone 4.
Losing so much money at once, the child's father felt a surge of anger.
He walked up to his son and slapped him.
"Slap!"
The child was slapped to the ground, his face instantly swelling.
"You little brat, I'll beat you to death!"
The child's father grabbed his son, put him on a stool, and began spanking him fiercely.
The child cried his lungs out.
He couldn't understand why his usually doting father was suddenly so furious.
"Are you crazy? Why are you hitting your son!"
The child's mother rushed forward to intervene.
The child's father pushed his wife away and cursed, "It's you, you shrew, who's spoiled this little brat rotten! Go earn 6000 yuan for me?"
With that, the child's father spanked him even harder.
...
This farce didn't last long. Li Ming quickly stopped the child's father.
Although the child's father was heartbroken, he still paid Wang Yue the money.
After receiving the money, Wang Yue smiled at the child's mother and said, "I told you, if you don't discipline your child, there are plenty of others who will."