The alarm rang in the morning.
Yao Nan turned it off immediately, then tiptoed to the bathroom.
After getting ready, she kissed Yuan on the cheek and scurried off to work like a thief.
**
His mother-in-law, Shen Ruyu, had never worked in her life and had no job.
Relying solely on the living expenses provided by her chauvinistic husband Yao Baichuan meant their life was actually quite tight.
When Yuan went downstairs, the door to the master bedroom was open.
Bored out of his mind, Yuan stretched and walked right in openly, admiring his mother-in-law's sexy, fashionable lingerie collection.
He had talked a lot with his wife last night. Yao Nan said that many of those pieces were actually picked out by the eldest sister, Yao Xin.
And… He had to admit, they were indeed quite good.
What really made Yuan's eyes light up were several thongs.
One of them was clearly worn recently.
He picked it, brought it under his nose and took a deep sniff.
There was still an alluring scent of womanhood.
Could it be that Mother-in-law shaves down there too?
[Ding! Mature, Beautiful Mother-in-law Quest Line activated…]
The system's voice rang in his mind.
Yuan felt his whole body go numb.
'Damn, just sniffing my Mother-in-law's panties activated it? This random triggering is too childish and ridiculous!'
[Ding! Shen Ruyu's Affection Level: 40% (Normal Relationship Level)]
[Please increase Affection Level. Quest Reward: 'Enter a Woman's Heart' x 1]
Whatever the hell the reward was, the quest was finally activated.
Thinking about the 100,000 in his bank, Yuan felt full of motivation.
He pondered for a moment and realized his mother-in-law wasn't home.
He didn't even need to think about it; she had definitely gone to that regular teahouse of hers to play cards with her friends.
Yuan had been to that teahouse a few times.
Every time, it was either to deliver keys to her or bring her money when she was losing.
Funnily enough, everyone playing cards at that teahouse were women, regardless of whether they were young or old.
It was said that the men found these women too naggy and gathered in another place to play cards.
It just went to show that a gambling man wasn't necessarily a lecherous one.
It was 10:00 in the morning…
Yuan thought for a moment and called Shen Ruyu.
On the other end, Shen Ruyu replied, her tone clearly surprised.
"What is it?"
Even though they were family, they basically never called each other unless it was an emergency.
"Mom, you don't need to buy lunch later at noon. I'll bring some over for you on my way."
People who frequented that teahouse, eager to play with their favorite partners, would arrive early to chat over tea.
Many brought their own lunches, and those who didn't would have to buy something nearby.
People nearby jokingly called it the Gossip Hub, the Rumor Factory.
Shen Ruyu wasn't one for diligence, so she certainly wouldn't pack her own lunch.
Yuan's sudden act of kindness made her a bit uneasy.
—She was probably thinking along the line 'Why is this little bastard acting so kind for?? There must be a hidden agenda.'
"No need, I'll just buy a boxed lunch downstairs and make do."
"Eating boxed lunches all the time isn't good for your health, Mother. It's settled, then."
Yuan didn't give her a chance to protest.
He hung up the phone immediately, caught a taxi, and headed for the nearest shopping mall.
**
In the shopping mall, Yuan wandered around aimlessly.
He remembered just a few days ago, his mother-in-law Shen Ruyu had come home fuming with jealousy,
complaining about how those bitches at the teahouse loved to show off.
So what if their daughter and son-in-law bought them a gold bracelet worth a few thousand? It's thin as hell and not even the most expensive model…
…Something like that
Anyway, she had blabbered on and on about it for two days straight, full of envy and resentment,
cursing that her own son-in-laws and daughters were useless and couldn't afford to spoil her and show filial piety.
Of course, being a live-in son-in-law, Yuan was the one who caught that stray bullet in the ass and got an earful.
He thought to himself at the time…
…Why don't you go find your favorite Eldest Son-in-law instead? What right do you have to scold me until I'm drenched in dog's blood?
"Ah, right! Jin Liufu!"
Yuan smacked his forehead as he finally remembered the brand name.
He went straight to the Jin Liufu jewelry shop and specifically asked for their newly released bracelet series.
The assistant lady enthusiastically introduced them.
"These are the new bracelets we launched this season. Please take a look and see which one suits you best."
"This is from our 'Summer Cicada' collection. It's been selling very well since its release…"
The assistant was very eager in her recommendations.
Yuan already knew what he was looking for thanks to his mother-in-law's constant nagging.
That teahouse was a gathering hub for busybodies.
Once a style of bracelet became popular, everyone just used it to show off and trying to one-up each other.
His Mother-in-law had bitterly mentioned that even her youngest sister had also bought one, and she didn't have one, which was very embarrassing.
To tell the truth, they were all the same style.
Gold jewelry, besides looking luxurious, could also be crafted to be fashionable, beautiful, and well-designed. These pieces stood out brilliantly in the display case.
The prices were based on the weight in grams, ranging from a few thousand to over ten thousand.
The most expensive one was 36,000; really, it was just a difference in thickness.
'You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.' Yuan gritted his teeth and pointed at the most expensive model.
The assistant lady immediately became terrifyingly attentive.
"Sir, you really have a good eye. Only with sufficient weight can the exquisite beauty of this bracelet be fully displayed."
"Better make it two!"
Thinking of his wife, Yao Nan, and how he had never really bought her a gift, Yuan felt a pang of guilt and bought two.
With a swipe of his card, 72,000 was gone, which made his heart ache a bit.
But remembering that continuing to complete missions would bring a steady stream of rewards, Yuan quickly felt better.
**
**
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