"Dragon Son-in-law" a.k.a. Millionaire Son-in-law, Charlie Wade Story. Translated by Junlee (aka Jungal2000)

cvi · Jun 10, 2024

hassan-badreldin said:
Only Nanako is worthy.

Nanako and Sarah both are worthy but our charlie will stick with claire

fatboy · Jun 10, 2024

cvi said:
Nanako and Sarah both are worthy but our charlie will stick with claire

More likely he will stick with his hands

Dean Winchester · Jun 10, 2024

fatboy said:
More likely he will stick with his hands

Something wrong with the emojies

Prosper · Jun 10, 2024

Nobody should disturb immortal Junlee because he also needs dual cultivation.

Dean Winchester · Jun 10, 2024

Prosper said:
Nobody should disturb immortal Junlee because he also needs dual cultivation.

How about trio cultivation? Sounds nice..

hassan-badreldin · Jun 10, 2024

cvi said:
Nanako and Sarah both are worthy but our charlie will stick with claire

Is Sara the one who said I don't mind you taking more advantage of me?

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') · Jun 11, 2024

CHAPTER 1976 A BOTTLE OF MOUTAI

Elaine spoke up at this moment, advising, "Hey, Claire, since you don't understand Feng Shui, it's best not to meddle in Charlie's affairs."

With a serious expression, Elaine continued, "I don't expect you to help Charlie in his career, but I won't allow you to hold him back! Our family's future relies on Charlie!"

Claire was left speechless by Elaine's words.

She realised that her mother had completely sided with Charlie, rendering anything she said useless.

Resigned, she sighed, "Well, I'll head to the company first..."

Elaine hurriedly said, "Claire, why don't you wait for me to finish unwrapping the gifts before you leave?"

Claire shook her head, "I'm already running late for the meeting, they're waiting for me to start the wrap-up..."

Elaine replied, "Alright, you go ahead, and if there's anything good, I'll take photos to send you later!"

Claire acknowledged and bid farewell to Charlie and Jacob, "Husband, Dad, I'm off."

Charlie nodded, "Drive safely and take your time."

Claire reassured, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

After Claire left, Charlie returned to the villa's living room.

Jacob and Elaine were each holding a pile of gift boxes, excitedly unwrapping them.

Elaine opened a gift box and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! It's a limited edition Chanel bag!"

Jacob uncovered a bottle of Moutai liquor, after careful inspection, he was astonished, "My word, this is a 1958 Five-Star Moutai! There are very few in existence, a bottle was auctioned a few years back for 2.99 million!"

"What?!" Elaine asked in disbelief, "A bottle of Moutai for 2.99 million?! Are you kidding me?!"

Jacob smirked, "Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world! A 2.99 million Moutai has you this shocked? Let me tell you, there's a Moutai called Emperor Moutai, only ten bottles in the country, each worth millions!"

"Emperor Moutai?" Elaine furrowed her brow, "What does that mean? Moutai dug out from arid land?!"

Jacob scornfully replied, "You, looking down on who? It's Emperor Moutai of Emperor Wu, not dry land!"

Elaine retorted, "Pfft! Who are you looking down on? Obviously, you didn't explain it clearly, how could I not know Emperor Wu?"

Jacob immediately challenged her, "I bet you don't even know who Emperor Wu is, if you can say Emperor Wu's real name today, I'll consider you a university graduate!"

Elaine was left speechless.

Who was Emperor Wu, she couldn't remember...

Seeing her anxious expression, Jacob taunted, "Can't remember? Was going to university a waste?"

Angrily, Elaine said, "Stop talking nonsense! Let me tell you Jacob, that bottle of liquor in your hand is worth three million, you absolutely can't drink it! Keep it safe and sell it when it appreciates in value!"

Jacob said irritably, "This was given to me by my son-in-law Charlie, what right do you have to meddle? If my son-in-law says drink, I drink; if he says sell, I sell; if he says smash it, I can only watch!"

"You..."

Seeing the two about to argue again, Charlie shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, his phone rang, surprisingly, it was Haidee Snow calling, so he said to the couple, "Dad, Mum, I have something to attend to, heading back to the room."

Without waiting for their response, he went straight to the elevator...

CHAPTER 1977 SAY A FEW WORDS

Charlie returned to his room and finally connected the video call with Haidee, greeting her with a casual "Hey, little sis."

"Big brother Charlie!" Excitedly waving at Charlie in her home sleepwear, Haidee appeared on the video call.

Haidee, without any makeup, had her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking not like a top-tier celebrity but more like a stunning girl-next-door.

She cheerfully asked on the video call, "Hey, big brother Charlie, what are you busy with?"

Charlie chuckled, "Not much, isn't it almost Chinese New Year? Just preparing some festive goods at home."

Haidee joyfully exclaimed, "Hehe, me too! This year we're celebrating New Year at the old mansion in Haohai!"

She then switched the camera to show the surroundings, confirming that she was indeed at the Snow family's courtyard.

Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Little sis, with your family's large courtyard, does it feel a bit empty for just the three of you during New Year?"

"Not at all!" Haidee laughed, "This year, my two uncles' families are joining us for New Year, making it three families in total, so it's quite lively."

Nodding, Charlie remembered Haidee's uncles, Dario and Lucas, along with their sons, who were currently in a state of infertility, so it was no surprise that they were on their best behavior.

After all, they were still trying to please Geraldo's family in hopes of being forgiven.

They had already signed an agreement with Geraldo, agreeing to defer to him in all matters, so causing any trouble now was out of the question.

Satisfied, Charlie said, "That's good. If your uncles have any ill intentions, you must tell me immediately."

Haidee quickly nodded and said, "Big brother Charlie, wait a moment, I'll go to my parents' room, they want to talk to you too!"

Charlie hurriedly advised, "Put on some more clothes, that dress looks like it's for summer, don't catch a cold."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "I won't catch a cold, the entire courtyard has underfloor heating, it's very warm, around twenty-eight degrees inside."

Only then did Charlie relax.

In his eyes, Haidee was more like a little sister who had grown up by his side rather than a fiancée with arranged marriage by parents.

Hence, Charlie was particularly caring towards her.

On the video call, Haidee ran through the spacious hall and arrived at Geraldo and Amelia's room.

Geraldo was sipping tea and reading at his desk, while Amelia was burning a stick of delicate sandalwood incense, placing the incense burner on Geraldo's desk. Seeing Haidee rushing in, Amelia quickly cautioned, "Sweetie, be careful, don't trip!"

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Mum, I'm video calling with big brother Charlie!"

Upon hearing Charlie's name, Geraldo immediately put down his book, eagerly asking, "You're video calling with Little Charlie? Hurry, let me say a few words to him!"

Haidee quickly positioned her phone on the desk, aligning the camera with the screen for Geraldo.

Geraldo looked very well, exuding a youthful vibe, and upon seeing Charlie on the video call, he immediately smiled and asked, "Little Charlie! How's everything in Aurous Hill recently?"

CHAPTER 1978 EXCESSIVELY ARROGANT

Charlie chuckled, "Uncle Snow, everything's going well. How are you and Aunt Amelia?"

"We're good! We're doing great!" Geraldo nodded repeatedly. At that moment, Amelia stood beside him, looking at Charlie on the screen, and said with a smile, "Little Charlie, when will you come to Eastcliff for a few days? Uncle Snow has been thinking about you a lot lately, mentioning you several times a day, making my ears almost calloused."

Charlie smiled, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, once I finish up my current tasks, I'll make time to visit you both in Eastcliff."

Haidee, standing on the other side of Geraldo, grumbled discontentedly, "What do you mean visit them? What about me? Am I not worth seeing?"

Charlie hurriedly said, "Of course, I meant to see all of you. I misspoke. I'll come back to see you, Uncle Snow, and Aunt Amelia when I have the time. Are you satisfied now?"

Haidee smirked triumphantly, "That's more like it!"

At this point, Geraldo spoke up, "By the way, Little Charlie, I heard your aunt went to Aurous Hill?"

"Yes," Charlie smiled faintly, "Uncle Snow, you heard about it too?"

Geraldo smiled and replied, "Your grandfather called me this morning and told me about you and your aunt."

Surprised, Charlie asked, "He knows I've met you?"

Geraldo shook his head, "He doesn't know yet. He thought I hadn't received news about you, so he informed me about your situation."

Perplexed, Charlie asked, "Why did he tell you all this?"

Geraldo chuckled, "From what I gathered, he mainly wanted to inform me about your situation and asked if I was still willing to fulfill my promise to your dad, to have you and Haidee get married."

Charlie felt a bit awkward.

It seemed like Grandfather probably wanted to bring him back to the Wade family and then arrange for him to marry Haidee.

Seeing Charlie's discomfort, Geraldo quickly reassured, "Little Charlie, don't feel pressured about this. I told your grandfather I'm willing to fulfill the promise, but I also mentioned that this matter should respect the children's wishes."

Geraldo continued, "Little Charlie, just go at your own pace. Since I've said it, our family will wait for you for three years, without a doubt."

Charlie nodded gently and said, "Uncle Snow, thank you for understanding."

Geraldo waved his hand, saying, "You saved Uncle Snow's life, no need to be so polite with me."

Then, Geraldo added, "Oh, your grandfather also asked me to advise you. Since you and your aunt are family, try not to get angry and maintain harmony."

Charlie replied, "Uncle Snow, my aunt is too domineering. My grandfather doesn't set any boundaries for her. When she's in Aurous Hill, she bosses me around, even involves my mother-in-law, being excessively arrogant."

Geraldo nodded, "Your aunt in Eastcliff is notoriously difficult. Surprisingly, you managed to handle her in Aurous Hill."

Charlie replied calmly, "Unless she goes too far, I prefer not to engage with her."

Geraldo smiled slightly, "Your grandfather also hopes you'll visit the Wade family. After the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, nearing March, he wishes you to return for Tomb-Sweeping Day, to participate in the grand ancestral ceremony held by the Wade family at Yanling Mountain (Wadetomb Mountain)."

Charlie asked in surprise, "An ancestral ceremony?"

"Yes," Geraldo explained, "The Wade family traditionally holds an ancestral ceremony every twelve years, and it happens to be this year. With Wadetomb Mountain's development over the past three years, the ancestral graves were relocated there last spring. Hence, this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day marks the first one at Wadetomb Mountain."

"Your grandfather wants to host a grand ancestral ceremony, where not only your Wade family but also dozens of Wade branches from across the country will attend. As the legitimate heir of the Wade family, he hopes you can be present to formally pay respects to your parents."

CHAPTER 1979 AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT

The Wade Family Ancestor Worship Ceremony was the most grand family event for the entire Wade family.

All big families valued ancestor worship, especially those with a long history like the Wade family. They had deep historical roots and numerous branches, making the ceremony even more significant.

Many wealthy families wanted to hold grand ancestor worship ceremonies, but a true ceremony wasn't something just any family could pull off.

Some nouveau riche families couldn't afford the spectacle.

Their ancestral graves might only contain the remains of the past three or four generations, and their lineage might have been farmers for generations, without any impressive stories to pass down.

While farmers deserve immense respect, in high society, lacking a powerful ancestral background made it difficult to put on a good show.

This was especially true in the high society of Eastcliff.

Besides comparing wealth and influence, they also compared family lineage and heritage.

Eastcliff had many descendants of Qing Dynasty Bannermen, whose ancestors were noblemen during the Qing Dynasty. They could boast of being related to this or that prince or princess, or even a high-ranking official of the court.

These families had strong roots. They could easily pull out the stories of a couple of their ancestors and read them during the ceremony, giving off a very imposing air.

The Wade family's ancestors were also officials of the court. While ordinary families would build ancestral shrines to honor their ancestors if they had even one scholar, the Wade family had hundreds of Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) and ten Zhuangyuan (top-ranked candidates in the imperial examinations). In total, they had 31 first-class graduates, including the Zhuangyuan.

The Qing Dynasty lasted almost 300 years and held 112 imperial examinations.

In those almost 300 years, there were only a little over 20,000 Jinshi and 114 Zhuangyuan.

The Wade family alone accounted for almost one-tenth of that number, an incredible achievement.

Because of their talented ancestors, the Wade family had survived for centuries and remained powerful. Even during turbulent times, they were at least prominent local gentry.

The Wade family had branches all over the world. There were at least tens of thousands of Wade descendants, many of whom had gone overseas.

Their ancestors, traced back a few hundred years, were all part of the Wade family.

However, ancient China practiced primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited the family business. Other sons, including both legitimate and illegitimate ones, had to branch out. This led to more and more Wade descendants becoming collateral branches, leaving the main lineage as the true head family.

For example, Charlie's father had three brothers. If ancient rules were followed, after Charlie's grandfather passed away, the three brothers would have divided the family assets. Ciprian, the eldest son, would have inherited most of the family property and the mansion.

The second and third sons, after mourning their father for three years, would have left the Wade family mansion with their own families and started their own businesses.

This would have made the second and third sons' families collateral branches of the Wade family.

At this point, the relationship between these collateral branches and the head family would have been close, as the second and third sons were still brothers with the eldest.

However, by Charlie's generation, his cousin inherited the head family's mantle, so the relationship between the collateral branches and the head family became a generation further removed.

By the third and fourth generations, the two collateral branches had branched out further into several smaller collateral branches, putting them even further away from the head family.

If this continued for five or six generations, a span of more than a hundred years, the different branches might not even know each other. The only way to find each other's names would be through the family genealogy.

Chapter 1980 Ancestor Worship Ceremony

So, as the main family, it is necessary to use the ceremony of ancestor worship to gather the members of the collateral branches from time to time.

Everyone gets to know each other, become familiar, and worship the common ancestors together, then strengthen the connections between the bloodlines.

This is also a necessary way for the large family to maintain its strength.

Therefore, the Wade Family not only holds the Ancestor Worship Ceremony every twelve years, but also revises the entire Wade Family genealogy during the ceremony.

During these twelve years, each family will have new offspring, the older generation will pass away, and the young adults will get married.

So every twelve years, countless collateral branches of the Wade Family have to report the changes in their family population to the main family.

At that time, a highly respected elder selected by the main family will personally update the genealogy, writing the names and deeds of these people one by one.

The existing Wade Family genealogy records the names of millions of descendants of the Wade Family, as well as the names of their spouses. For example, the son of the Wade Family married a daughter from another family, or the daughter of the Wade Family married a son from another family.

Every revision of the genealogy is also very grand.

The original copy of the genealogy is kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled safe, and is only brought out by the descendants of the Wade Family during the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

After being brought out and worshipped, the original copy must be respectfully returned immediately.

Afterwards, a new genealogy is updated.

Once the new genealogy is updated, it is also respectfully returned and stored together with the countless previous original copies.

All members of the Wade Family regard the genealogy as a sacred family heirloom that must not be desecrated.

And the main family is the only family with the right to keep the genealogy, so every time the collateral branches come to worship the ancestors, in addition to kowtowing to the genealogy three times and bowing nine times, they also naturally feel a sense of belonging to the main family.

This is like the ancient emperor and his ministers, using elaborate etiquette, ceremonies, strict rules, and inheritance to strengthen the ministers' loyalty to the emperor.

This is also a major reliance for the main family to make the collateral branches bow their heads.

However, Charlie has no memory of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

The last Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twelve years ago when he was still in the Aurous Hill Welfare Institute;

And the previous Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twenty-four years ago, when he was too young to have any memory of it.

Nevertheless, although he cannot recall the Ancestor Worship Ceremony from twenty-four years ago, Charlie is still very clear about the grandeur of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony. It is the grandest ceremony to honor the ancestors and parents.

So, Charlie can't help but feel a bit excited.

He is not looking forward to worshiping the ancestors of the Wade Family, but he is looking forward to, in a legitimate, grand, and dignified manner, worshiping his own parents.

The last time he followed Geraldo to worship his parents, he had to disguise himself as Geraldo's driver and couldn't pay his respects at his parents' graves in his true identity as Charlie, which has always been a regret in his heart.

So, he said to Geraldo, "Uncle Snow, please convey to my grandfather that I will attend the Ancestor Worship Ceremony on the Tomb-Sweeping Day!"

Prosper · Jun 11, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1976 A BOTTLE OF MOUTAI

Elaine spoke up at this moment, advising, "Hey, Claire, since you don't understand Feng Shui, it's best not to meddle in Charlie's affairs."

With a serious expression, Elaine continued, "I don't expect you to help Charlie in his career, but I won't allow you to hold him back! Our family's future relies on Charlie!"

Claire was left speechless by Elaine's words.

She realised that her mother had completely sided with Charlie, rendering anything she said useless.

Resigned, she sighed, "Well, I'll head to the company first..."

Elaine hurriedly said, "Claire, why don't you wait for me to finish unwrapping the gifts before you leave?"

Claire shook her head, "I'm already running late for the meeting, they're waiting for me to start the wrap-up..."

Elaine replied, "Alright, you go ahead, and if there's anything good, I'll take photos to send you later!"

Claire acknowledged and bid farewell to Charlie and Jacob, "Husband, Dad, I'm off."

Charlie nodded, "Drive safely and take your time."

Claire reassured, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

After Claire left, Charlie returned to the villa's living room.

Jacob and Elaine were each holding a pile of gift boxes, excitedly unwrapping them.

Elaine opened a gift box and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! It's a limited edition Chanel bag!"

Jacob uncovered a bottle of Moutai liquor, after careful inspection, he was astonished, "My word, this is a 1958 Five-Star Moutai! There are very few in existence, a bottle was auctioned a few years back for 2.99 million!"

"What?!" Elaine asked in disbelief, "A bottle of Moutai for 2.99 million?! Are you kidding me?!"

Jacob smirked, "Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world! A 2.99 million Moutai has you this shocked? Let me tell you, there's a Moutai called Emperor Moutai, only ten bottles in the country, each worth millions!"

"Emperor Moutai?" Elaine furrowed her brow, "What does that mean? Moutai dug out from arid land?!"

Jacob scornfully replied, "You, looking down on who? It's Emperor Moutai of Emperor Wu, not dry land!"

Elaine retorted, "Pfft! Who are you looking down on? Obviously, you didn't explain it clearly, how could I not know Emperor Wu?"

Jacob immediately challenged her, "I bet you don't even know who Emperor Wu is, if you can say Emperor Wu's real name today, I'll consider you a university graduate!"

Elaine was left speechless.

Who was Emperor Wu, she couldn't remember...

Seeing her anxious expression, Jacob taunted, "Can't remember? Was going to university a waste?"

Angrily, Elaine said, "Stop talking nonsense! Let me tell you Jacob, that bottle of liquor in your hand is worth three million, you absolutely can't drink it! Keep it safe and sell it when it appreciates in value!"

Jacob said irritably, "This was given to me by my son-in-law Charlie, what right do you have to meddle? If my son-in-law says drink, I drink; if he says sell, I sell; if he says smash it, I can only watch!"

"You..."

Seeing the two about to argue again, Charlie shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, his phone rang, surprisingly, it was Haidee Snow calling, so he said to the couple, "Dad, Mum, I have something to attend to, heading back to the room."

Without waiting for their response, he went straight to the elevator...

CHAPTER 1977 SAY A FEW WORDS

Charlie returned to his room and finally connected the video call with Haidee, greeting her with a casual "Hey, little sis."

"Big brother Charlie!" Excitedly waving at Charlie in her home sleepwear, Haidee appeared on the video call.

Haidee, without any makeup, had her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking not like a top-tier celebrity but more like a stunning girl-next-door.

She cheerfully asked on the video call, "Hey, big brother Charlie, what are you busy with?"

Charlie chuckled, "Not much, isn't it almost Chinese New Year? Just preparing some festive goods at home."

Haidee joyfully exclaimed, "Hehe, me too! This year we're celebrating New Year at the old mansion in Haohai!"

She then switched the camera to show the surroundings, confirming that she was indeed at the Snow family's courtyard.

Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Little sis, with your family's large courtyard, does it feel a bit empty for just the three of you during New Year?"

"Not at all!" Haidee laughed, "This year, my two uncles' families are joining us for New Year, making it three families in total, so it's quite lively."

Nodding, Charlie remembered Haidee's uncles, Dario and Lucas, along with their sons, who were currently in a state of infertility, so it was no surprise that they were on their best behavior.

After all, they were still trying to please Geraldo's family in hopes of being forgiven.

They had already signed an agreement with Geraldo, agreeing to defer to him in all matters, so causing any trouble now was out of the question.

Satisfied, Charlie said, "That's good. If your uncles have any ill intentions, you must tell me immediately."

Haidee quickly nodded and said, "Big brother Charlie, wait a moment, I'll go to my parents' room, they want to talk to you too!"

Charlie hurriedly advised, "Put on some more clothes, that dress looks like it's for summer, don't catch a cold."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "I won't catch a cold, the entire courtyard has underfloor heating, it's very warm, around twenty-eight degrees inside."

Only then did Charlie relax.

In his eyes, Haidee was more like a little sister who had grown up by his side rather than a fiancée with arranged marriage by parents.

Hence, Charlie was particularly caring towards her.

On the video call, Haidee ran through the spacious hall and arrived at Geraldo and Amelia's room.

Geraldo was sipping tea and reading at his desk, while Amelia was burning a stick of delicate sandalwood incense, placing the incense burner on Geraldo's desk. Seeing Haidee rushing in, Amelia quickly cautioned, "Sweetie, be careful, don't trip!"

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Mum, I'm video calling with big brother Charlie!"

Upon hearing Charlie's name, Geraldo immediately put down his book, eagerly asking, "You're video calling with Little Charlie? Hurry, let me say a few words to him!"

Haidee quickly positioned her phone on the desk, aligning the camera with the screen for Geraldo.

Geraldo looked very well, exuding a youthful vibe, and upon seeing Charlie on the video call, he immediately smiled and asked, "Little Charlie! How's everything in Aurous Hill recently?"

CHAPTER 1978 EXCESSIVELY ARROGANT

Charlie chuckled, "Uncle Snow, everything's going well. How are you and Aunt Amelia?"

"We're good! We're doing great!" Geraldo nodded repeatedly. At that moment, Amelia stood beside him, looking at Charlie on the screen, and said with a smile, "Little Charlie, when will you come to Eastcliff for a few days? Uncle Snow has been thinking about you a lot lately, mentioning you several times a day, making my ears almost calloused."

Charlie smiled, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, once I finish up my current tasks, I'll make time to visit you both in Eastcliff."

Haidee, standing on the other side of Geraldo, grumbled discontentedly, "What do you mean visit them? What about me? Am I not worth seeing?"

Charlie hurriedly said, "Of course, I meant to see all of you. I misspoke. I'll come back to see you, Uncle Snow, and Aunt Amelia when I have the time. Are you satisfied now?"

Haidee smirked triumphantly, "That's more like it!"

At this point, Geraldo spoke up, "By the way, Little Charlie, I heard your aunt went to Aurous Hill?"

"Yes," Charlie smiled faintly, "Uncle Snow, you heard about it too?"

Geraldo smiled and replied, "Your grandfather called me this morning and told me about you and your aunt."

Surprised, Charlie asked, "He knows I've met you?"

Geraldo shook his head, "He doesn't know yet. He thought I hadn't received news about you, so he informed me about your situation."

Perplexed, Charlie asked, "Why did he tell you all this?"

Geraldo chuckled, "From what I gathered, he mainly wanted to inform me about your situation and asked if I was still willing to fulfill my promise to your dad, to have you and Haidee get married."

Charlie felt a bit awkward.

It seemed like Grandfather probably wanted to bring him back to the Wade family and then arrange for him to marry Haidee.

Seeing Charlie's discomfort, Geraldo quickly reassured, "Little Charlie, don't feel pressured about this. I told your grandfather I'm willing to fulfill the promise, but I also mentioned that this matter should respect the children's wishes."

Geraldo continued, "Little Charlie, just go at your own pace. Since I've said it, our family will wait for you for three years, without a doubt."

Charlie nodded gently and said, "Uncle Snow, thank you for understanding."

Geraldo waved his hand, saying, "You saved Uncle Snow's life, no need to be so polite with me."

Then, Geraldo added, "Oh, your grandfather also asked me to advise you. Since you and your aunt are family, try not to get angry and maintain harmony."

Charlie replied, "Uncle Snow, my aunt is too domineering. My grandfather doesn't set any boundaries for her. When she's in Aurous Hill, she bosses me around, even involves my mother-in-law, being excessively arrogant."

Geraldo nodded, "Your aunt in Eastcliff is notoriously difficult. Surprisingly, you managed to handle her in Aurous Hill."

Charlie replied calmly, "Unless she goes too far, I prefer not to engage with her."

Geraldo smiled slightly, "Your grandfather also hopes you'll visit the Wade family. After the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, nearing March, he wishes you to return for Tomb-Sweeping Day, to participate in the grand ancestral ceremony held by the Wade family at Yanling Mountain (Wadetomb Mountain)."

Charlie asked in surprise, "An ancestral ceremony?"

"Yes," Geraldo explained, "The Wade family traditionally holds an ancestral ceremony every twelve years, and it happens to be this year. With Wadetomb Mountain's development over the past three years, the ancestral graves were relocated there last spring. Hence, this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day marks the first one at Wadetomb Mountain."

"Your grandfather wants to host a grand ancestral ceremony, where not only your Wade family but also dozens of Wade branches from across the country will attend. As the legitimate heir of the Wade family, he hopes you can be present to formally pay respects to your parents."

CHAPTER 1979 AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT

The Wade Family Ancestor Worship Ceremony was the most grand family event for the entire Wade family.

All big families valued ancestor worship, especially those with a long history like the Wade family. They had deep historical roots and numerous branches, making the ceremony even more significant.

Many wealthy families wanted to hold grand ancestor worship ceremonies, but a true ceremony wasn't something just any family could pull off.

Some nouveau riche families couldn't afford the spectacle.

Their ancestral graves might only contain the remains of the past three or four generations, and their lineage might have been farmers for generations, without any impressive stories to pass down.

While farmers deserve immense respect, in high society, lacking a powerful ancestral background made it difficult to put on a good show.

This was especially true in the high society of Eastcliff.

Besides comparing wealth and influence, they also compared family lineage and heritage.

Eastcliff had many descendants of Qing Dynasty Bannermen, whose ancestors were noblemen during the Qing Dynasty. They could boast of being related to this or that prince or princess, or even a high-ranking official of the court.

These families had strong roots. They could easily pull out the stories of a couple of their ancestors and read them during the ceremony, giving off a very imposing air.

The Wade family's ancestors were also officials of the court. While ordinary families would build ancestral shrines to honor their ancestors if they had even one scholar, the Wade family had hundreds of Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) and ten Zhuangyuan (top-ranked candidates in the imperial examinations). In total, they had 31 first-class graduates, including the Zhuangyuan.

The Qing Dynasty lasted almost 300 years and held 112 imperial examinations.

In those almost 300 years, there were only a little over 20,000 Jinshi and 114 Zhuangyuan.

The Wade family alone accounted for almost one-tenth of that number, an incredible achievement.

Because of their talented ancestors, the Wade family had survived for centuries and remained powerful. Even during turbulent times, they were at least prominent local gentry.

The Wade family had branches all over the world. There were at least tens of thousands of Wade descendants, many of whom had gone overseas.

Their ancestors, traced back a few hundred years, were all part of the Wade family.

However, ancient China practiced primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited the family business. Other sons, including both legitimate and illegitimate ones, had to branch out. This led to more and more Wade descendants becoming collateral branches, leaving the main lineage as the true head family.

For example, Charlie's father had three brothers. If ancient rules were followed, after Charlie's grandfather passed away, the three brothers would have divided the family assets. Ciprian, the eldest son, would have inherited most of the family property and the mansion.

The second and third sons, after mourning their father for three years, would have left the Wade family mansion with their own families and started their own businesses.

This would have made the second and third sons' families collateral branches of the Wade family.

At this point, the relationship between these collateral branches and the head family would have been close, as the second and third sons were still brothers with the eldest.

However, by Charlie's generation, his cousin inherited the head family's mantle, so the relationship between the collateral branches and the head family became a generation further removed.

By the third and fourth generations, the two collateral branches had branched out further into several smaller collateral branches, putting them even further away from the head family.

If this continued for five or six generations, a span of more than a hundred years, the different branches might not even know each other. The only way to find each other's names would be through the family genealogy.

Chapter 1980 Ancestor Worship Ceremony

So, as the main family, it is necessary to use the ceremony of ancestor worship to gather the members of the collateral branches from time to time.

Everyone gets to know each other, become familiar, and worship the common ancestors together, then strengthen the connections between the bloodlines.

This is also a necessary way for the large family to maintain its strength.

Therefore, the Wade Family not only holds the Ancestor Worship Ceremony every twelve years, but also revises the entire Wade Family genealogy during the ceremony.

During these twelve years, each family will have new offspring, the older generation will pass away, and the young adults will get married.

So every twelve years, countless collateral branches of the Wade Family have to report the changes in their family population to the main family.

At that time, a highly respected elder selected by the main family will personally update the genealogy, writing the names and deeds of these people one by one.

The existing Wade Family genealogy records the names of millions of descendants of the Wade Family, as well as the names of their spouses. For example, the son of the Wade Family married a daughter from another family, or the daughter of the Wade Family married a son from another family.

Every revision of the genealogy is also very grand.

The original copy of the genealogy is kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled safe, and is only brought out by the descendants of the Wade Family during the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

After being brought out and worshipped, the original copy must be respectfully returned immediately.

Afterwards, a new genealogy is updated.

Once the new genealogy is updated, it is also respectfully returned and stored together with the countless previous original copies.

All members of the Wade Family regard the genealogy as a sacred family heirloom that must not be desecrated.

And the main family is the only family with the right to keep the genealogy, so every time the collateral branches come to worship the ancestors, in addition to kowtowing to the genealogy three times and bowing nine times, they also naturally feel a sense of belonging to the main family.

This is like the ancient emperor and his ministers, using elaborate etiquette, ceremonies, strict rules, and inheritance to strengthen the ministers' loyalty to the emperor.

This is also a major reliance for the main family to make the collateral branches bow their heads.

However, Charlie has no memory of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

The last Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twelve years ago when he was still in the Aurous Hill Welfare Institute;

And the previous Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twenty-four years ago, when he was too young to have any memory of it.

Nevertheless, although he cannot recall the Ancestor Worship Ceremony from twenty-four years ago, Charlie is still very clear about the grandeur of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony. It is the grandest ceremony to honor the ancestors and parents.

So, Charlie can't help but feel a bit excited.

He is not looking forward to worshiping the ancestors of the Wade Family, but he is looking forward to, in a legitimate, grand, and dignified manner, worshiping his own parents.

The last time he followed Geraldo to worship his parents, he had to disguise himself as Geraldo's driver and couldn't pay his respects at his parents' graves in his true identity as Charlie, which has always been a regret in his heart.

So, he said to Geraldo, "Uncle Snow, please convey to my grandfather that I will attend the Ancestor Worship Ceremony on the Tomb-Sweeping Day!"

Interesting times ahead.

Gily · Jun 11, 2024

Prosper said:
Interesting times ahead.

Interesting in deed

emeka · Jun 11, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1976 A BOTTLE OF MOUTAI

Elaine spoke up at this moment, advising, "Hey, Claire, since you don't understand Feng Shui, it's best not to meddle in Charlie's affairs."

With a serious expression, Elaine continued, "I don't expect you to help Charlie in his career, but I won't allow you to hold him back! Our family's future relies on Charlie!"

Claire was left speechless by Elaine's words.

She realised that her mother had completely sided with Charlie, rendering anything she said useless.

Resigned, she sighed, "Well, I'll head to the company first..."

Elaine hurriedly said, "Claire, why don't you wait for me to finish unwrapping the gifts before you leave?"

Claire shook her head, "I'm already running late for the meeting, they're waiting for me to start the wrap-up..."

Elaine replied, "Alright, you go ahead, and if there's anything good, I'll take photos to send you later!"

Claire acknowledged and bid farewell to Charlie and Jacob, "Husband, Dad, I'm off."

Charlie nodded, "Drive safely and take your time."

Claire reassured, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

After Claire left, Charlie returned to the villa's living room.

Jacob and Elaine were each holding a pile of gift boxes, excitedly unwrapping them.

Elaine opened a gift box and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! It's a limited edition Chanel bag!"

Jacob uncovered a bottle of Moutai liquor, after careful inspection, he was astonished, "My word, this is a 1958 Five-Star Moutai! There are very few in existence, a bottle was auctioned a few years back for 2.99 million!"

"What?!" Elaine asked in disbelief, "A bottle of Moutai for 2.99 million?! Are you kidding me?!"

Jacob smirked, "Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world! A 2.99 million Moutai has you this shocked? Let me tell you, there's a Moutai called Emperor Moutai, only ten bottles in the country, each worth millions!"

"Emperor Moutai?" Elaine furrowed her brow, "What does that mean? Moutai dug out from arid land?!"

Jacob scornfully replied, "You, looking down on who? It's Emperor Moutai of Emperor Wu, not dry land!"

Elaine retorted, "Pfft! Who are you looking down on? Obviously, you didn't explain it clearly, how could I not know Emperor Wu?"

Jacob immediately challenged her, "I bet you don't even know who Emperor Wu is, if you can say Emperor Wu's real name today, I'll consider you a university graduate!"

Elaine was left speechless.

Who was Emperor Wu, she couldn't remember...

Seeing her anxious expression, Jacob taunted, "Can't remember? Was going to university a waste?"

Angrily, Elaine said, "Stop talking nonsense! Let me tell you Jacob, that bottle of liquor in your hand is worth three million, you absolutely can't drink it! Keep it safe and sell it when it appreciates in value!"

Jacob said irritably, "This was given to me by my son-in-law Charlie, what right do you have to meddle? If my son-in-law says drink, I drink; if he says sell, I sell; if he says smash it, I can only watch!"

"You..."

Seeing the two about to argue again, Charlie shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, his phone rang, surprisingly, it was Haidee Snow calling, so he said to the couple, "Dad, Mum, I have something to attend to, heading back to the room."

Without waiting for their response, he went straight to the elevator...

CHAPTER 1977 SAY A FEW WORDS

Charlie returned to his room and finally connected the video call with Haidee, greeting her with a casual "Hey, little sis."

"Big brother Charlie!" Excitedly waving at Charlie in her home sleepwear, Haidee appeared on the video call.

Haidee, without any makeup, had her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking not like a top-tier celebrity but more like a stunning girl-next-door.

She cheerfully asked on the video call, "Hey, big brother Charlie, what are you busy with?"

Charlie chuckled, "Not much, isn't it almost Chinese New Year? Just preparing some festive goods at home."

Haidee joyfully exclaimed, "Hehe, me too! This year we're celebrating New Year at the old mansion in Haohai!"

She then switched the camera to show the surroundings, confirming that she was indeed at the Snow family's courtyard.

Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Little sis, with your family's large courtyard, does it feel a bit empty for just the three of you during New Year?"

"Not at all!" Haidee laughed, "This year, my two uncles' families are joining us for New Year, making it three families in total, so it's quite lively."

Nodding, Charlie remembered Haidee's uncles, Dario and Lucas, along with their sons, who were currently in a state of infertility, so it was no surprise that they were on their best behavior.

After all, they were still trying to please Geraldo's family in hopes of being forgiven.

They had already signed an agreement with Geraldo, agreeing to defer to him in all matters, so causing any trouble now was out of the question.

Satisfied, Charlie said, "That's good. If your uncles have any ill intentions, you must tell me immediately."

Haidee quickly nodded and said, "Big brother Charlie, wait a moment, I'll go to my parents' room, they want to talk to you too!"

Charlie hurriedly advised, "Put on some more clothes, that dress looks like it's for summer, don't catch a cold."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "I won't catch a cold, the entire courtyard has underfloor heating, it's very warm, around twenty-eight degrees inside."

Only then did Charlie relax.

In his eyes, Haidee was more like a little sister who had grown up by his side rather than a fiancée with arranged marriage by parents.

Hence, Charlie was particularly caring towards her.

On the video call, Haidee ran through the spacious hall and arrived at Geraldo and Amelia's room.

Geraldo was sipping tea and reading at his desk, while Amelia was burning a stick of delicate sandalwood incense, placing the incense burner on Geraldo's desk. Seeing Haidee rushing in, Amelia quickly cautioned, "Sweetie, be careful, don't trip!"

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Mum, I'm video calling with big brother Charlie!"

Upon hearing Charlie's name, Geraldo immediately put down his book, eagerly asking, "You're video calling with Little Charlie? Hurry, let me say a few words to him!"

Haidee quickly positioned her phone on the desk, aligning the camera with the screen for Geraldo.

Geraldo looked very well, exuding a youthful vibe, and upon seeing Charlie on the video call, he immediately smiled and asked, "Little Charlie! How's everything in Aurous Hill recently?"

CHAPTER 1978 EXCESSIVELY ARROGANT

Charlie chuckled, "Uncle Snow, everything's going well. How are you and Aunt Amelia?"

"We're good! We're doing great!" Geraldo nodded repeatedly. At that moment, Amelia stood beside him, looking at Charlie on the screen, and said with a smile, "Little Charlie, when will you come to Eastcliff for a few days? Uncle Snow has been thinking about you a lot lately, mentioning you several times a day, making my ears almost calloused."

Charlie smiled, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, once I finish up my current tasks, I'll make time to visit you both in Eastcliff."

Haidee, standing on the other side of Geraldo, grumbled discontentedly, "What do you mean visit them? What about me? Am I not worth seeing?"

Charlie hurriedly said, "Of course, I meant to see all of you. I misspoke. I'll come back to see you, Uncle Snow, and Aunt Amelia when I have the time. Are you satisfied now?"

Haidee smirked triumphantly, "That's more like it!"

At this point, Geraldo spoke up, "By the way, Little Charlie, I heard your aunt went to Aurous Hill?"

"Yes," Charlie smiled faintly, "Uncle Snow, you heard about it too?"

Geraldo smiled and replied, "Your grandfather called me this morning and told me about you and your aunt."

Surprised, Charlie asked, "He knows I've met you?"

Geraldo shook his head, "He doesn't know yet. He thought I hadn't received news about you, so he informed me about your situation."

Perplexed, Charlie asked, "Why did he tell you all this?"

Geraldo chuckled, "From what I gathered, he mainly wanted to inform me about your situation and asked if I was still willing to fulfill my promise to your dad, to have you and Haidee get married."

Charlie felt a bit awkward.

It seemed like Grandfather probably wanted to bring him back to the Wade family and then arrange for him to marry Haidee.

Seeing Charlie's discomfort, Geraldo quickly reassured, "Little Charlie, don't feel pressured about this. I told your grandfather I'm willing to fulfill the promise, but I also mentioned that this matter should respect the children's wishes."

Geraldo continued, "Little Charlie, just go at your own pace. Since I've said it, our family will wait for you for three years, without a doubt."

Charlie nodded gently and said, "Uncle Snow, thank you for understanding."

Geraldo waved his hand, saying, "You saved Uncle Snow's life, no need to be so polite with me."

Then, Geraldo added, "Oh, your grandfather also asked me to advise you. Since you and your aunt are family, try not to get angry and maintain harmony."

Charlie replied, "Uncle Snow, my aunt is too domineering. My grandfather doesn't set any boundaries for her. When she's in Aurous Hill, she bosses me around, even involves my mother-in-law, being excessively arrogant."

Geraldo nodded, "Your aunt in Eastcliff is notoriously difficult. Surprisingly, you managed to handle her in Aurous Hill."

Charlie replied calmly, "Unless she goes too far, I prefer not to engage with her."

Geraldo smiled slightly, "Your grandfather also hopes you'll visit the Wade family. After the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, nearing March, he wishes you to return for Tomb-Sweeping Day, to participate in the grand ancestral ceremony held by the Wade family at Yanling Mountain (Wadetomb Mountain)."

Charlie asked in surprise, "An ancestral ceremony?"

"Yes," Geraldo explained, "The Wade family traditionally holds an ancestral ceremony every twelve years, and it happens to be this year. With Wadetomb Mountain's development over the past three years, the ancestral graves were relocated there last spring. Hence, this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day marks the first one at Wadetomb Mountain."

"Your grandfather wants to host a grand ancestral ceremony, where not only your Wade family but also dozens of Wade branches from across the country will attend. As the legitimate heir of the Wade family, he hopes you can be present to formally pay respects to your parents."

CHAPTER 1979 AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT

The Wade Family Ancestor Worship Ceremony was the most grand family event for the entire Wade family.

All big families valued ancestor worship, especially those with a long history like the Wade family. They had deep historical roots and numerous branches, making the ceremony even more significant.

Many wealthy families wanted to hold grand ancestor worship ceremonies, but a true ceremony wasn't something just any family could pull off.

Some nouveau riche families couldn't afford the spectacle.

Their ancestral graves might only contain the remains of the past three or four generations, and their lineage might have been farmers for generations, without any impressive stories to pass down.

While farmers deserve immense respect, in high society, lacking a powerful ancestral background made it difficult to put on a good show.

This was especially true in the high society of Eastcliff.

Besides comparing wealth and influence, they also compared family lineage and heritage.

Eastcliff had many descendants of Qing Dynasty Bannermen, whose ancestors were noblemen during the Qing Dynasty. They could boast of being related to this or that prince or princess, or even a high-ranking official of the court.

These families had strong roots. They could easily pull out the stories of a couple of their ancestors and read them during the ceremony, giving off a very imposing air.

The Wade family's ancestors were also officials of the court. While ordinary families would build ancestral shrines to honor their ancestors if they had even one scholar, the Wade family had hundreds of Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) and ten Zhuangyuan (top-ranked candidates in the imperial examinations). In total, they had 31 first-class graduates, including the Zhuangyuan.

The Qing Dynasty lasted almost 300 years and held 112 imperial examinations.

In those almost 300 years, there were only a little over 20,000 Jinshi and 114 Zhuangyuan.

The Wade family alone accounted for almost one-tenth of that number, an incredible achievement.

Because of their talented ancestors, the Wade family had survived for centuries and remained powerful. Even during turbulent times, they were at least prominent local gentry.

The Wade family had branches all over the world. There were at least tens of thousands of Wade descendants, many of whom had gone overseas.

Their ancestors, traced back a few hundred years, were all part of the Wade family.

However, ancient China practiced primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited the family business. Other sons, including both legitimate and illegitimate ones, had to branch out. This led to more and more Wade descendants becoming collateral branches, leaving the main lineage as the true head family.

For example, Charlie's father had three brothers. If ancient rules were followed, after Charlie's grandfather passed away, the three brothers would have divided the family assets. Ciprian, the eldest son, would have inherited most of the family property and the mansion.

The second and third sons, after mourning their father for three years, would have left the Wade family mansion with their own families and started their own businesses.

This would have made the second and third sons' families collateral branches of the Wade family.

At this point, the relationship between these collateral branches and the head family would have been close, as the second and third sons were still brothers with the eldest.

However, by Charlie's generation, his cousin inherited the head family's mantle, so the relationship between the collateral branches and the head family became a generation further removed.

By the third and fourth generations, the two collateral branches had branched out further into several smaller collateral branches, putting them even further away from the head family.

If this continued for five or six generations, a span of more than a hundred years, the different branches might not even know each other. The only way to find each other's names would be through the family genealogy.

Chapter 1980 Ancestor Worship Ceremony

So, as the main family, it is necessary to use the ceremony of ancestor worship to gather the members of the collateral branches from time to time.

Everyone gets to know each other, become familiar, and worship the common ancestors together, then strengthen the connections between the bloodlines.

This is also a necessary way for the large family to maintain its strength.

Therefore, the Wade Family not only holds the Ancestor Worship Ceremony every twelve years, but also revises the entire Wade Family genealogy during the ceremony.

During these twelve years, each family will have new offspring, the older generation will pass away, and the young adults will get married.

So every twelve years, countless collateral branches of the Wade Family have to report the changes in their family population to the main family.

At that time, a highly respected elder selected by the main family will personally update the genealogy, writing the names and deeds of these people one by one.

The existing Wade Family genealogy records the names of millions of descendants of the Wade Family, as well as the names of their spouses. For example, the son of the Wade Family married a daughter from another family, or the daughter of the Wade Family married a son from another family.

Every revision of the genealogy is also very grand.

The original copy of the genealogy is kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled safe, and is only brought out by the descendants of the Wade Family during the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

After being brought out and worshipped, the original copy must be respectfully returned immediately.

Afterwards, a new genealogy is updated.

Once the new genealogy is updated, it is also respectfully returned and stored together with the countless previous original copies.

All members of the Wade Family regard the genealogy as a sacred family heirloom that must not be desecrated.

And the main family is the only family with the right to keep the genealogy, so every time the collateral branches come to worship the ancestors, in addition to kowtowing to the genealogy three times and bowing nine times, they also naturally feel a sense of belonging to the main family.

This is like the ancient emperor and his ministers, using elaborate etiquette, ceremonies, strict rules, and inheritance to strengthen the ministers' loyalty to the emperor.

This is also a major reliance for the main family to make the collateral branches bow their heads.

However, Charlie has no memory of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

The last Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twelve years ago when he was still in the Aurous Hill Welfare Institute;

And the previous Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twenty-four years ago, when he was too young to have any memory of it.

Nevertheless, although he cannot recall the Ancestor Worship Ceremony from twenty-four years ago, Charlie is still very clear about the grandeur of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony. It is the grandest ceremony to honor the ancestors and parents.

So, Charlie can't help but feel a bit excited.

He is not looking forward to worshiping the ancestors of the Wade Family, but he is looking forward to, in a legitimate, grand, and dignified manner, worshiping his own parents.

The last time he followed Geraldo to worship his parents, he had to disguise himself as Geraldo's driver and couldn't pay his respects at his parents' graves in his true identity as Charlie, which has always been a regret in his heart.

So, he said to Geraldo, "Uncle Snow, please convey to my grandfather that I will attend the Ancestor Worship Ceremony on the Tomb-Sweeping Day!"

Charlie the only man who refuses sex sect I'm still waiting

Alonzo03 · Jun 11, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1976 A BOTTLE OF MOUTAI

Elaine spoke up at this moment, advising, "Hey, Claire, since you don't understand Feng Shui, it's best not to meddle in Charlie's affairs."

With a serious expression, Elaine continued, "I don't expect you to help Charlie in his career, but I won't allow you to hold him back! Our family's future relies on Charlie!"

Claire was left speechless by Elaine's words.

She realised that her mother had completely sided with Charlie, rendering anything she said useless.

Resigned, she sighed, "Well, I'll head to the company first..."

Elaine hurriedly said, "Claire, why don't you wait for me to finish unwrapping the gifts before you leave?"

Claire shook her head, "I'm already running late for the meeting, they're waiting for me to start the wrap-up..."

Elaine replied, "Alright, you go ahead, and if there's anything good, I'll take photos to send you later!"

Claire acknowledged and bid farewell to Charlie and Jacob, "Husband, Dad, I'm off."

Charlie nodded, "Drive safely and take your time."

Claire reassured, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

After Claire left, Charlie returned to the villa's living room.

Jacob and Elaine were each holding a pile of gift boxes, excitedly unwrapping them.

Elaine opened a gift box and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! It's a limited edition Chanel bag!"

Jacob uncovered a bottle of Moutai liquor, after careful inspection, he was astonished, "My word, this is a 1958 Five-Star Moutai! There are very few in existence, a bottle was auctioned a few years back for 2.99 million!"

"What?!" Elaine asked in disbelief, "A bottle of Moutai for 2.99 million?! Are you kidding me?!"

Jacob smirked, "Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world! A 2.99 million Moutai has you this shocked? Let me tell you, there's a Moutai called Emperor Moutai, only ten bottles in the country, each worth millions!"

"Emperor Moutai?" Elaine furrowed her brow, "What does that mean? Moutai dug out from arid land?!"

Jacob scornfully replied, "You, looking down on who? It's Emperor Moutai of Emperor Wu, not dry land!"

Elaine retorted, "Pfft! Who are you looking down on? Obviously, you didn't explain it clearly, how could I not know Emperor Wu?"

Jacob immediately challenged her, "I bet you don't even know who Emperor Wu is, if you can say Emperor Wu's real name today, I'll consider you a university graduate!"

Elaine was left speechless.

Who was Emperor Wu, she couldn't remember...

Seeing her anxious expression, Jacob taunted, "Can't remember? Was going to university a waste?"

Angrily, Elaine said, "Stop talking nonsense! Let me tell you Jacob, that bottle of liquor in your hand is worth three million, you absolutely can't drink it! Keep it safe and sell it when it appreciates in value!"

Jacob said irritably, "This was given to me by my son-in-law Charlie, what right do you have to meddle? If my son-in-law says drink, I drink; if he says sell, I sell; if he says smash it, I can only watch!"

"You..."

Seeing the two about to argue again, Charlie shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, his phone rang, surprisingly, it was Haidee Snow calling, so he said to the couple, "Dad, Mum, I have something to attend to, heading back to the room."

Without waiting for their response, he went straight to the elevator...

CHAPTER 1977 SAY A FEW WORDS

Charlie returned to his room and finally connected the video call with Haidee, greeting her with a casual "Hey, little sis."

"Big brother Charlie!" Excitedly waving at Charlie in her home sleepwear, Haidee appeared on the video call.

Haidee, without any makeup, had her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking not like a top-tier celebrity but more like a stunning girl-next-door.

She cheerfully asked on the video call, "Hey, big brother Charlie, what are you busy with?"

Charlie chuckled, "Not much, isn't it almost Chinese New Year? Just preparing some festive goods at home."

Haidee joyfully exclaimed, "Hehe, me too! This year we're celebrating New Year at the old mansion in Haohai!"

She then switched the camera to show the surroundings, confirming that she was indeed at the Snow family's courtyard.

Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Little sis, with your family's large courtyard, does it feel a bit empty for just the three of you during New Year?"

"Not at all!" Haidee laughed, "This year, my two uncles' families are joining us for New Year, making it three families in total, so it's quite lively."

Nodding, Charlie remembered Haidee's uncles, Dario and Lucas, along with their sons, who were currently in a state of infertility, so it was no surprise that they were on their best behavior.

After all, they were still trying to please Geraldo's family in hopes of being forgiven.

They had already signed an agreement with Geraldo, agreeing to defer to him in all matters, so causing any trouble now was out of the question.

Satisfied, Charlie said, "That's good. If your uncles have any ill intentions, you must tell me immediately."

Haidee quickly nodded and said, "Big brother Charlie, wait a moment, I'll go to my parents' room, they want to talk to you too!"

Charlie hurriedly advised, "Put on some more clothes, that dress looks like it's for summer, don't catch a cold."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "I won't catch a cold, the entire courtyard has underfloor heating, it's very warm, around twenty-eight degrees inside."

Only then did Charlie relax.

In his eyes, Haidee was more like a little sister who had grown up by his side rather than a fiancée with arranged marriage by parents.

Hence, Charlie was particularly caring towards her.

On the video call, Haidee ran through the spacious hall and arrived at Geraldo and Amelia's room.

Geraldo was sipping tea and reading at his desk, while Amelia was burning a stick of delicate sandalwood incense, placing the incense burner on Geraldo's desk. Seeing Haidee rushing in, Amelia quickly cautioned, "Sweetie, be careful, don't trip!"

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Mum, I'm video calling with big brother Charlie!"

Upon hearing Charlie's name, Geraldo immediately put down his book, eagerly asking, "You're video calling with Little Charlie? Hurry, let me say a few words to him!"

Haidee quickly positioned her phone on the desk, aligning the camera with the screen for Geraldo.

Geraldo looked very well, exuding a youthful vibe, and upon seeing Charlie on the video call, he immediately smiled and asked, "Little Charlie! How's everything in Aurous Hill recently?"

CHAPTER 1978 EXCESSIVELY ARROGANT

Charlie chuckled, "Uncle Snow, everything's going well. How are you and Aunt Amelia?"

"We're good! We're doing great!" Geraldo nodded repeatedly. At that moment, Amelia stood beside him, looking at Charlie on the screen, and said with a smile, "Little Charlie, when will you come to Eastcliff for a few days? Uncle Snow has been thinking about you a lot lately, mentioning you several times a day, making my ears almost calloused."

Charlie smiled, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, once I finish up my current tasks, I'll make time to visit you both in Eastcliff."

Haidee, standing on the other side of Geraldo, grumbled discontentedly, "What do you mean visit them? What about me? Am I not worth seeing?"

Charlie hurriedly said, "Of course, I meant to see all of you. I misspoke. I'll come back to see you, Uncle Snow, and Aunt Amelia when I have the time. Are you satisfied now?"

Haidee smirked triumphantly, "That's more like it!"

At this point, Geraldo spoke up, "By the way, Little Charlie, I heard your aunt went to Aurous Hill?"

"Yes," Charlie smiled faintly, "Uncle Snow, you heard about it too?"

Geraldo smiled and replied, "Your grandfather called me this morning and told me about you and your aunt."

Surprised, Charlie asked, "He knows I've met you?"

Geraldo shook his head, "He doesn't know yet. He thought I hadn't received news about you, so he informed me about your situation."

Perplexed, Charlie asked, "Why did he tell you all this?"

Geraldo chuckled, "From what I gathered, he mainly wanted to inform me about your situation and asked if I was still willing to fulfill my promise to your dad, to have you and Haidee get married."

Charlie felt a bit awkward.

It seemed like Grandfather probably wanted to bring him back to the Wade family and then arrange for him to marry Haidee.

Seeing Charlie's discomfort, Geraldo quickly reassured, "Little Charlie, don't feel pressured about this. I told your grandfather I'm willing to fulfill the promise, but I also mentioned that this matter should respect the children's wishes."

Geraldo continued, "Little Charlie, just go at your own pace. Since I've said it, our family will wait for you for three years, without a doubt."

Charlie nodded gently and said, "Uncle Snow, thank you for understanding."

Geraldo waved his hand, saying, "You saved Uncle Snow's life, no need to be so polite with me."

Then, Geraldo added, "Oh, your grandfather also asked me to advise you. Since you and your aunt are family, try not to get angry and maintain harmony."

Charlie replied, "Uncle Snow, my aunt is too domineering. My grandfather doesn't set any boundaries for her. When she's in Aurous Hill, she bosses me around, even involves my mother-in-law, being excessively arrogant."

Geraldo nodded, "Your aunt in Eastcliff is notoriously difficult. Surprisingly, you managed to handle her in Aurous Hill."

Charlie replied calmly, "Unless she goes too far, I prefer not to engage with her."

Geraldo smiled slightly, "Your grandfather also hopes you'll visit the Wade family. After the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, nearing March, he wishes you to return for Tomb-Sweeping Day, to participate in the grand ancestral ceremony held by the Wade family at Yanling Mountain (Wadetomb Mountain)."

Charlie asked in surprise, "An ancestral ceremony?"

"Yes," Geraldo explained, "The Wade family traditionally holds an ancestral ceremony every twelve years, and it happens to be this year. With Wadetomb Mountain's development over the past three years, the ancestral graves were relocated there last spring. Hence, this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day marks the first one at Wadetomb Mountain."

"Your grandfather wants to host a grand ancestral ceremony, where not only your Wade family but also dozens of Wade branches from across the country will attend. As the legitimate heir of the Wade family, he hopes you can be present to formally pay respects to your parents."

CHAPTER 1979 AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT

The Wade Family Ancestor Worship Ceremony was the most grand family event for the entire Wade family.

All big families valued ancestor worship, especially those with a long history like the Wade family. They had deep historical roots and numerous branches, making the ceremony even more significant.

Many wealthy families wanted to hold grand ancestor worship ceremonies, but a true ceremony wasn't something just any family could pull off.

Some nouveau riche families couldn't afford the spectacle.

Their ancestral graves might only contain the remains of the past three or four generations, and their lineage might have been farmers for generations, without any impressive stories to pass down.

While farmers deserve immense respect, in high society, lacking a powerful ancestral background made it difficult to put on a good show.

This was especially true in the high society of Eastcliff.

Besides comparing wealth and influence, they also compared family lineage and heritage.

Eastcliff had many descendants of Qing Dynasty Bannermen, whose ancestors were noblemen during the Qing Dynasty. They could boast of being related to this or that prince or princess, or even a high-ranking official of the court.

These families had strong roots. They could easily pull out the stories of a couple of their ancestors and read them during the ceremony, giving off a very imposing air.

The Wade family's ancestors were also officials of the court. While ordinary families would build ancestral shrines to honor their ancestors if they had even one scholar, the Wade family had hundreds of Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) and ten Zhuangyuan (top-ranked candidates in the imperial examinations). In total, they had 31 first-class graduates, including the Zhuangyuan.

The Qing Dynasty lasted almost 300 years and held 112 imperial examinations.

In those almost 300 years, there were only a little over 20,000 Jinshi and 114 Zhuangyuan.

The Wade family alone accounted for almost one-tenth of that number, an incredible achievement.

Because of their talented ancestors, the Wade family had survived for centuries and remained powerful. Even during turbulent times, they were at least prominent local gentry.

The Wade family had branches all over the world. There were at least tens of thousands of Wade descendants, many of whom had gone overseas.

Their ancestors, traced back a few hundred years, were all part of the Wade family.

However, ancient China practiced primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited the family business. Other sons, including both legitimate and illegitimate ones, had to branch out. This led to more and more Wade descendants becoming collateral branches, leaving the main lineage as the true head family.

For example, Charlie's father had three brothers. If ancient rules were followed, after Charlie's grandfather passed away, the three brothers would have divided the family assets. Ciprian, the eldest son, would have inherited most of the family property and the mansion.

The second and third sons, after mourning their father for three years, would have left the Wade family mansion with their own families and started their own businesses.

This would have made the second and third sons' families collateral branches of the Wade family.

At this point, the relationship between these collateral branches and the head family would have been close, as the second and third sons were still brothers with the eldest.

However, by Charlie's generation, his cousin inherited the head family's mantle, so the relationship between the collateral branches and the head family became a generation further removed.

By the third and fourth generations, the two collateral branches had branched out further into several smaller collateral branches, putting them even further away from the head family.

If this continued for five or six generations, a span of more than a hundred years, the different branches might not even know each other. The only way to find each other's names would be through the family genealogy.

Chapter 1980 Ancestor Worship Ceremony

So, as the main family, it is necessary to use the ceremony of ancestor worship to gather the members of the collateral branches from time to time.

Everyone gets to know each other, become familiar, and worship the common ancestors together, then strengthen the connections between the bloodlines.

This is also a necessary way for the large family to maintain its strength.

Therefore, the Wade Family not only holds the Ancestor Worship Ceremony every twelve years, but also revises the entire Wade Family genealogy during the ceremony.

During these twelve years, each family will have new offspring, the older generation will pass away, and the young adults will get married.

So every twelve years, countless collateral branches of the Wade Family have to report the changes in their family population to the main family.

At that time, a highly respected elder selected by the main family will personally update the genealogy, writing the names and deeds of these people one by one.

The existing Wade Family genealogy records the names of millions of descendants of the Wade Family, as well as the names of their spouses. For example, the son of the Wade Family married a daughter from another family, or the daughter of the Wade Family married a son from another family.

Every revision of the genealogy is also very grand.

The original copy of the genealogy is kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled safe, and is only brought out by the descendants of the Wade Family during the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

After being brought out and worshipped, the original copy must be respectfully returned immediately.

Afterwards, a new genealogy is updated.

Once the new genealogy is updated, it is also respectfully returned and stored together with the countless previous original copies.

All members of the Wade Family regard the genealogy as a sacred family heirloom that must not be desecrated.

And the main family is the only family with the right to keep the genealogy, so every time the collateral branches come to worship the ancestors, in addition to kowtowing to the genealogy three times and bowing nine times, they also naturally feel a sense of belonging to the main family.

This is like the ancient emperor and his ministers, using elaborate etiquette, ceremonies, strict rules, and inheritance to strengthen the ministers' loyalty to the emperor.

This is also a major reliance for the main family to make the collateral branches bow their heads.

However, Charlie has no memory of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

The last Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twelve years ago when he was still in the Aurous Hill Welfare Institute;

And the previous Ancestor Worship Ceremony was twenty-four years ago, when he was too young to have any memory of it.

Nevertheless, although he cannot recall the Ancestor Worship Ceremony from twenty-four years ago, Charlie is still very clear about the grandeur of the Wade Family's Ancestor Worship Ceremony. It is the grandest ceremony to honor the ancestors and parents.

So, Charlie can't help but feel a bit excited.

He is not looking forward to worshiping the ancestors of the Wade Family, but he is looking forward to, in a legitimate, grand, and dignified manner, worshiping his own parents.

The last time he followed Geraldo to worship his parents, he had to disguise himself as Geraldo's driver and couldn't pay his respects at his parents' graves in his true identity as Charlie, which has always been a regret in his heart.

So, he said to Geraldo, "Uncle Snow, please convey to my grandfather that I will attend the Ancestor Worship Ceremony on the Tomb-Sweeping Day!"

So this author used 1-2 chapters to explain what genealogy or family tree is

. Common it's not primary school students reading this novel

Ismailaha · Jun 12, 2024

Any update today?

Prodigy · Jun 12, 2024

Why isn't Claire wishing Charlie happy new year through some means

Prodigy · Jun 12, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1966 DULL AND LACKLUSTRE

Gian busily said, "Master Wade, I've been doing very well recently! Thanks to your and Director Turner's care!"

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but become serious and said earnestly, "Gian, everyone here can call me Master Wade, except for you!"

Feeling a bit uneasy, Gian said, "Master Wade, including Director Turner, so many people respect you, how can I be an exception?"

Charlie walked up to him, patted his shoulder, and said very seriously, "Gian, they call me Master Wade because I have helped them to some extent, but you, Gian, are different!"

Gian hurriedly said, "I also owe everything to your help, the assistance you provided me with has been monumental, I should show even more respect to you than others."

Charlie, with a slightly displeased expression, said, "Stop talking nonsense with me! We grew up together in the orphanage since we were kids. Although we are not blood-related, during those years in the orphanage, there was hardly any difference between us and real brothers!"

"In the many years that followed, we supported each other, relied on each other, and faced difficulties together. When I help you, it's like brothers lending a hand to each other. Why are you being formal with me now?"

Upon hearing these words, Gian felt grateful but also somewhat ashamed.

In his heart, he thought, "I've always been afraid of not measuring up to Charlie, so I've become increasingly timid in front of him. However, the more I act this way, the more distant we become. Yet, Charlie always treats me like a brother. If I continue to show excessive deference to him like a servant in the future, he must feel uncomfortable too."

With this in mind, Gian, with teary eyes, said, "Charlie, I understand your intention, thank you, my brother!"

Charlie smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "That's my brother, Gian. If you call me Master Wade again, we're done!"

Gian quickly responded, "Charlie, rest assured, I will never call you Master Wade again. In my eyes, you are not Master Wade, but my brother Charlie, my brother for life!"

Charlie nodded gently, feeling pleased, "With those words from you, I am truly happy!"

At this moment, Jacob and Claire also came out.

Both of them felt that since Charlie's clients were visiting the house, they needed to show proper hospitality. They quickly tidied up the living room and prepared to invite the guests in for a while.

However, upon coming out, they realized that there were significantly more people outside than they had anticipated!

What was even more intimidating was that most of these people were the elite of Aurous Hill!

Especially upon seeing Sarah, Claire suddenly felt a bit inferior. If she had known that Sarah was also outside, she would have put on some makeup before coming out.

Usually, Claire went out without makeup and her attire was not particularly refined, today was no exception.

Therefore, in front of the elegantly dressed Sarah, she appeared somewhat dull and lacklustre.

Jacob knew that his son-in-law was now very capable, dealing with big shots as clients, so seeing so many important figures didn't faze him.

However, when he saw Simon, Jacob quickly stepped forward respectfully and said, "Oh, Doctor Thorpe, you're here too! You saved my life, I should come and wish you a happy new year."

Simon felt a bit embarrassed because he knew very well that Jacob's paralysis from a high-level car accident was cured by Charlie using miraculous medicine, and he had no relation to it whatsoever.

Hence, Jacob's respect made him feel unworthy, so he hurriedly said, "Mr. Wilson, you are too kind. Master Wade has done a great favor to me, so I should come and wish you a happy new year!"

At this moment, Orvel approached Jacob, clasped his fists, slightly bowed, and respectfully said, "Mr. Wilson, greetings! I wish you a prosperous new year in advance!"

Having interacted with Orvel a few times at the Chef Legenda Mansion, Jacob was already very familiar with him, so he smiled and said, "Mr. Heller, you are too polite, I also wish you a happy new year!"

Orvel was pleasantly surprised and said humbly, "Please, please, Mr. Wilson, just call me Orvel, don't use such a title when talking to me, I dare not accept it!"

Jacob felt extremely proud, thinking to himself, "Oh my, even I, Jacob, now have such great prestige? Even the underground boss of Aurous Hill, Orvel, is so respectful in front of me, isn't this something? Moreover, with so many important figures coming to visit today, if this news spreads, I wonder how many jaws will drop!"

CHAPTER 1967 TRIBUTE TO THE EMPEROR

To not neglect the guests, Charlie invited everyone into the villa.

The guests quickly instructed the accompanying servants to bring out the prepared gifts from the car. Soon, at least twenty to thirty people carrying various high-end gift boxes lined up and walked into the villa.

Not far away, Madam Wilson from Villa A04 couldn't believe her eyes, murmuring, "This display, it's not just ordinary gift-giving. It's like the officials from ancient times lining up to present tribute to the emperor!"

Zoraida felt extremely uneasy, saying, "These people are all either rich or noble. The gifts they bring must amount to at least a hundred million, right?"

Wendy muttered with red eyes, "Even a hundred million might not be enough. George alone spent over a hundred million just to gift a set of villa..."

"Oh..." Madam Wilson expressed great distress, saying, "I can't take it anymore, my heart can't handle it. I'll get a heart attack if I continue watching..."

With that, she turned and went into her room.

Zoraida sighed, "It does feel overwhelming to watch, sigh."

Wendy remained silent, feeling even more uncomfortable seeing Gerald and George entering Charlie's villa.

At that moment, Harold lay on the bed wailing, "Mum... Gran... If you don't bring me something to eat soon, I'll starve to death... You can't just watch me, a wounded soldier, lying on the bed starving. If Donald's men didn't kill my dad and me, it seems we're just going to starve to death at home!"

Madam Wilson hurriedly said, "Wendy, didn't you say you were going out to look for a job today? Go out and check now!"

Then she glared at Zoraida and sternly scolded, "Zoraida! You need to find a job to support the family too!"

Zoraida nodded, somewhat irritated, "I can go, but this household can't afford to support idle people. If I go, you have to go too!"

"Me?!" Madam Wilson was so angry that she couldn't speak properly, exclaiming in frustration, "Me... I'm already this old... You want me to go out and find a job?!"

Zoraida retorted, "So what if you're old? Does being old exempt you from eating? If you are so clear that you don't need to eat, then you don't need to work, just go to the bedroom in the north, open the window, and wait to drink the northwest wind!"

"You... That's nonsense!" Madam Wilson couldn't contain her anger, "I'm this old, and you're not letting me eat! You're trying to kill me!"

Zoraida coldly stated, "Given the current situation at home, everyone must find a way to earn money to support the family. Noah and Harold are currently injured, so they can be exempt for now, but not you!"

Madam Wilson, annoyed, said, "You've gone too far! You've gone too far! I'm this old, and you're forcing me to work! You're trying to kill me! How did our Wilson family end up with a heartless daughter-in-law like you! If there's justice, a thunderbol should strike you down!"

Zoraida sneered, "Stop babbling at me. I won't force you to work, but even if I earn money, I can't support you. You need to figure it out yourself!"

At this point, Madam Wilson didn't dare to act tough anymore and reluctantly said, "We can't all go out to work, someone needs to stay to take care of Noah and Harold."

Zoraida responded, "You're even less suitable to take care of them, they are both paralyzed in bed now, and you don't even have the strength to move them. What's the use of you staying here?"

With that, Zoraida looked at Wendy and said, "Wendy, how about you stay and take care of your dad and brother, while I go out to find a job with your grandmother."

Wendy nodded softly, "Alright..."

...

At that moment, in Charlie's house.

Elaine, with her right leg in a cast, was completely shocked by the scene before his eyes.

CHAPTER 1968 SMALL TOKENS

The arrival of the big shots not only filled the room, but also piled up various gifts into a small mountain in the living room.

Excited to the point where her mouth almost reached her ears, she couldn't wait to rush up and unwrap all the gifts one by one. However, with so many important figures present, she felt a bit hesitant.

As Orvel, one of Charlie's most loyal subordinates and the initiator of this collective visit, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and loudly proclaimed, "Master Wade, I have a list of gifts here. All the small tokens of appreciation from everyone are listed here. Let me read it out for you."

Before Charlie could speak, Elaine on the side eagerly exclaimed, "Oh, please read it out loud! Louder!"

Orvel hurriedly responded, "Ms. Elaine, rest assured, I will definitely read it out loud!"

Clearing his throat, he read out loud:

"From Shangri-La's Isaac Craven, a gift of a set of Half-Mountain Hot Spring Villa for Master Wade, located within the Shangri-La Hot Spring Hotel, valued at eighty million!"

This sentence left Elaine stunned!

Deep inside, Elaine couldn't help but excitedly exclaim, "Oh my goodness! An eight-million-dollar hot spring villa as a gift, this... this is too generous! I can't wait to experience the Shangri-La Hot Spring Villa tonight!"

However, Elaine then glanced at her right leg and muttered to herself, "My leg is still in a cast, so I might not be able to soak in the hot spring for a while. But it doesn't matter, the Shangri-La Hot Spring isn't going anywhere. I can go when my leg is better!"

The Shangri-La Hot Spring Hotel is one of Shangri-La's properties.

Initially, Elsa specifically invited Charlie and Claire to visit.

It is the best hot spring hotel in Aurous Hill City and even the entire province.

Shangri-La Hot Spring covers a large area, from the foot of the mountain to halfway up, all of which are their properties. In addition to the hot spring hotel, there are several hot spring villas not available for public sale.

These hot spring villas are all built on the mountainside, with excellent scenery, exquisite architecture, luxurious decoration, and most importantly, each villa has a natural hot spring source, providing hot springs all year round.

The only downside is the remote location, as natural hot springs are closely related to geographical features. The entire Shangri-La Hot Spring Hotel is built in the mountains, far from the city centre, making it more suitable for vacations rather than long-term living.

Claire and Jacob were also shocked by such a valuable "gift," unable to utter a word.

At this moment, Isaac spoke up, "Master Wade, the hot spring villa we're gifting you has always been a non-saleable item of Shangri-La Hot Spring Hotel, and it has never been open to the public. The hot springs there are rich in minerals and have excellent health benefits for people. In the future, you can frequently visit with your loved ones and relatives to relax. If you don't go often, the villa will be taken care of by our professional housekeeper, with daily cleaning and maintenance to keep it spotless!"

Finishing his words, Isaac added, "The keys to the villa, property certificates, and other relevant documents are all in the gift box. Please accept it, Master Wade!"

Charlie nodded, smiling slightly, "Mr. Craven is thoughtful!"

A hot spring villa worth tens of millions didn't seem overly precious to Charlie, especially considering Isaac's substantial assets. This small gesture meant little to him.

Claire, feeling nervous, whispered to Charlie, "Husband, how can we accept such a valuable gift from them..."

Charlie waved his hand, calmly instructing, "Wife, you don't need to worry about this. I'll accept their gift and naturally repay them in other ways."

At this moment, Orvel looked at Charlie respectfully and asked, "Master Wade, shall I continue reading?"

CHAPTER 1969 HEARTFELT GESTURE

Orvel continued speaking loudly after receiving approval from Charlie, "Mr. Jim Walker is gifting Master Wade an Italian-made, luxurious yacht by San Lorenzo!"

"A yacht?!" Elaine was the first to blurt out, "What kind of yacht? Like those cruise ships at tourist spots?"

Mr. Walker chuckled and replied, "Ms. Elaine, you misunderstood. San Lorenzo is a well-established European luxury yacht manufacturer. This yacht is over 20 meters long, with three decks, perfect for a family outing."

Elaine was stunned, "Such a yacht must cost a fortune, right?"

On the side, Mr. Ryan Walker interjected, "Including taxes, it's around 70 million."

"Seventy... million?!" Elaine was completely shocked, "Seventy million for just one boat?! That's outrageous!"

Claire couldn't help but speak up, "Mr. Walker, this gift is too extravagant, we really can't..."

At this moment, Charlie smiled slightly, gestured, interrupted Claire, and said with a smile, "Darling, this is Mr. Walker's heartfelt gesture, so please don't refuse."

With that, he looked at Jim, slightly bowed, and said, "Mr. Walker, Charlie expresses his gratitude!"

Mr. Walker hurriedly replied, "Oh, Master Wade, it's nothing, it's nothing! As long as you like it, I'm relieved!"

Then, he said to Charlie, "The keys and relevant documents for the yacht are in the gift box. However, the yacht is currently docked at the Aurous Hill Yacht Association's pier. I have already purchased an exclusive berth for you. In the future, if you wish to sail the yacht for leisure, or even sail along the Yangtze River to the sea, you can directly contact the staff at the Yacht Association."

Charlie nodded gently and said, "I probably won't need it for a while. I also don't have a yacht license, so I'll consider getting one when I have time."

Mr. Walker quickly added, "Master Wade, if you need to use the yacht, you can ask Sarah or Ryan to help you sail, as both of them have yacht licenses."

Sarah blushed slightly and said, "Yes, Master Wade, if you have any need for the yacht, just let me know."

Then, she remembered something and added, "Oh, by the way, during this period after the Chinese New Year, if you need to use the yacht, you can contact my brother. I'm going to Japan after the New Year, and it may take some time before I return."

"Oh?" Charlie asked curiously, "Is Miss Walker going to Japan for tourism or?"

Sarah quickly replied, "I'm going for some business discussions. The Walker family is planning to venture into the steel manufacturing industry and is looking to collaborate with Nippon Steel in Japan."

"Nippon Steel?" Charlie furrowed his brow and asked, "Is this company very strong?"

Sarah nodded and said, "Nippon Steel is one of the top steel companies in the world and one of the largest steel companies globally."

Charlie asked with interest, "Who is the mastermind behind this steel company?"

Sarah replied, "The major backer of Nippon Steel is the Sumitomo Group."

"Sumitomo Group?" Charlie smiled slightly, "I haven't heard of them."

Sarah chuckled, "The Sumitomo Group actually has a wide range of businesses, mostly in the industrial sector, especially heavy industries, which may not have much direct connection with daily life."

Charlie nodded lightly and said, "If you need any help in Japan, you can contact me. I have a few acquaintances there."

Charlie didn't directly mention that he knew the Ito family, Takehiko and Nanako.

He didn't want people to know about his recent activities in Japan, so he preferred to keep a low profile.

Sarah didn't think much of it either and smiled, "Alright, Master Wade, if you need anything, I'll contact you!"

At this point, Orvel continued reading the list of gifts.

"Simon, the divine physician, is gifting Master Wade a pair of Yuan blue and white dragon-patterned elephant ear vases!"

CHAPTER 1970 ELEPHANT EAR VASES

Jacob stood up abruptly upon hearing this, trembling as he asked, "What?! Yuan... Yuan blue and white porcelain?! Dragon-patterned elephant ear vases?"

Orvel nodded, "That's right, Mr. Wilson, indeed a pair of Yuan blue and white dragon-patterned elephant ear vases!"

"Oh my goodness!"

Jacob had always been fond of antiques and collectibles, despite often being deceived in his purchases, he had a good understanding of the antique industry.

Yuan blue and white porcelain could be considered one of the most expensive ceramics.

Even a random Yuan blue and white plate could fetch millions.

For larger Yuan blue and white items, such as the famous Guiguzi descending the mountain blue and white jar, the auction price over a decade ago had already exceeded over a hundred million, and if it were to be auctioned now, it would be at least five hundred million or more.

Jacob had heard of Yuan blue and white dragon-patterned elephant ear vases before.

Many appreciation manuals from Christie's and Sotheby's recorded similar Yuan blue and white ceramics.

Conservatively estimated, it would be in the range of thirty to fifty million!

At this moment, Abby proactively opened an exquisite redwood gift box, lined with golden yellow satin.

And two exquisitely shaped Yuan blue and white porcelain vases lay within the satin lining.

Jacob's eyes almost popped out!

This was Yuan blue and white porcelain!

The ultimate collection for antique enthusiasts!

Having a piece of Yuan blue and white essentially meant that the collection journey had reached its peak!

At this moment, Jacob couldn't wait to step forward and carefully examine one of the vases.

However, the memory of accidentally dropping a Tang Dynasty jade spring vase at Timeless Collectibles made him a bit nervous.

After all, the price of one of these Yuan blue and white vases was several times that of the jade spring vase!

Charlie noticed his father-in-law's fondness for the vase and smiled at Simon, "Master Thorpe, thank you for the gift. My father-in-law has always loved antiques. I'll let him appreciate it up close."

Simon hurriedly replied, "Master Wade, please go ahead!"

Charlie walked up to Abby, took out one of the elephant ear vases, and handed it to Jacob, saying, "Dad, you love antiques, right? I'm presenting you with this pair as a token of my respect."

Upon hearing this, Jacob was so excited that he trembled all over. Although he was extremely thrilled inside, he tried to act surprised and said, "This... this is too precious... how can I accept this..."

Elaine also felt a twinge of jealousy.

Although she didn't know the exact value of these Yuan blue and white elephant ear vases, she knew they were expensive, estimating that this pair of vases was worth at least tens of millions.

Thinking to herself with a tinge of jealousy, "Charlie gave me tens of thousands worth of cosmetics and a bag worth over ten thousand, but he gave this old man Jacob a pair of million-dollar Yuan blue and white porcelain vases, why does this old man deserve it?"

Just as she was feeling envious, Charlie smiled at Jacob, "This is a gift from Master Thorpe, as long as you take good care of it and treat it as a family heirloom, just don't sell it!"

Jacob immediately patted his chest and said, "Good son-in-law, rest assured, even if I have to sell myself, I will never sell these vases!"

With that, he carefully took the Yuan blue and white elephant ear vase from Charlie's hands, tears of excitement welling up as he admired the perfect colour and glaze on it.

At this moment, Elaine also relaxed, thinking to herself, "I thought this old man Jacob really got such precious gifts from Charlie! Turns out he can only collect them and not sell them! Then it's not that meaningful after all."

This Elaine hasn't drop her antagonizing attitude towards Jacob

Prodigy · Jun 12, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1971 IMPECCABLE

Elaine has three sets of standards for measuring the value of items.

One is how much money the item can fetch.

The second is how much face the item can bring.

In her eyes, everything in the world ultimately boils down to money and face.

For instance, when Charlie gifted her that top-tier caviar skincare set, bought at nearly four hundred thousand, she could clearly feel the weight of the thirty-something thousand she could make from reselling it.

This meets her first standard, valuable!

Similarly, that basic Hermes backpack worth over one hundred thousand, not only could she sell it for a decent sum, but also when she carried it out, she enjoyed the envy and jealousy of others, allowing her to feel both the weight of over one hundred thousand and a great sense of face.

This aligns with her second standard, face.

Looking at the pair of Yuan blue and white, Elaine thought indifferently, "If something can't be sold for money and can't be flaunted in front of others, then how valuable is it really?"

"This Yuan blue and white bottle seems valuable indeed, but it can't be sold, nor paraded around, so in my eyes, it's just worthless."

"Unless one day I sneak it out to sell for a thousand over ten thousand."

However, Elaine then thought, "No! This item was a gift from Charlie to Jacob. If I sell it without permission, Jacob might not mind, but if Charlie gets upset, that would be troublesome."

With this in mind, Elaine had to abandon the idea of selling the Yuan blue and white dragon-patterned bottle.

At that moment, Orvel continued reading out the list of gifts.

Alan presented a fifty-million emerald, while George gave an equally valuable pink diamond.

The two were quite familiar and had a good relationship. During the last car exhibition, they coincidentally each gifted Charlie a sports car, so this time they decided in advance to jointly gift a valuable piece of jewellery.

Although both were jewels of similar value, their different types ensured no conflict.

Dianne and Fred each held a gift box, showcasing the gems inside.

One green and one pink gem, reflecting a dazzling array of colours under the light, their quality was indeed impeccable.

Elaine was highly interested in these two gems, her eyes almost drawn into them.

She couldn't help but recall the jade bracelet Alan had gifted Charlie previously.

That bracelet was worth at least a few million, Charlie had given it to Claire, but Elaine had taken it without permission, and eventually, in an unexpected incident orchestrated by Zoraida, it broke. This had always been a painful memory Elaine was reluctant to remember.

Since then, Elaine hadn't had any impressive jewellery to show off.

Now, seeing these two perfectly clear gems, she couldn't resist the idea of making a necklace out of them and flaunting it in public.

However, she could only dare to think about it. If Charlie didn't offer it to her, she wouldn't dare to steal it.

After showcasing the gems, Orvel continued, "Samuel, Director Turner, gifts Master Wade a Eurocopter EC145 helicopter produced by the European Helicopter Company!"

With this announcement, the audience was once again deeply impressed!

CHAPTER 1972 A LUXURIOUS LIFE

Just now, Grandpa Walker had just finished giving a yacht, and Samuel sent a helicopter.

Claire was also so shocked that she couldn't speak. From receiving gifts until now, she was starting to feel a bit scared.

Scared, because these gifts were just too valuable!

So valuable that even those in high society wouldn't normally give such extravagant gifts.

Up to now, all the mentioned gifts were priced in the tens of millions, or even higher. Any one of them would be a valuable treasure. Yet, these people all chose to give them to Charlie, leaving Claire feeling incredibly enchanted.

At this moment, Samuel spoke up, "Master Wade, I heard that you don't usually leave Aurous Hill. Sea City isn't too far from Aurous Hill, about a four to five-hour drive. But if you take a helicopter, it would only take two hours, so I thought of giving you a helicopter. If you have any short to medium distance commuting needs, you can directly take the helicopter, which is much faster than driving."

Charlie nodded slightly, "Mr. Turner is considerate."

In reality, for Charlie now, whether it was the hot spring villa, private yacht, or private helicopter, none of these really appealed to him.

Since he was young, the Wade family owned almost all types of civilian transportation.

Luxury cars worth millions or even billions were nothing to mention. The Wade family owned several private planes worth billions, even tens of billions.

Luxury villas and estates worth over a billion were scattered all over the world.

Not to mention the luxurious yachts.

In fact, when Charlie's father was young, he once bought a luxury cruise ship that could carry hundreds of people and even helicopters for global travel.

Back then, Drake bought the luxury cruise ship just to make his wife happy.

Although Charlie's mother was also of Chinese descent, she was a Chinese expatriate, with the whole family living across the ocean, and she grew up in the West, with a strong preference for outdoor travel.

To satisfy his wife's visits to family and travel needs, Drake spent a huge sum to buy that luxury cruise ship, promising to spend two months every year accompanying her on trips across the ocean, traveling halfway around the world and sightseeing along the way.

From the age of three, Charlie accompanied his parents on the luxury cruise ship to visit his grandmother's house every year until his parents had an accident when he was eight.

While others dream of traveling the world before they die, Charlie had been traveling once a year since the age of three.

During those years, Charlie lived a luxurious life that many people could never enjoy in their lifetime, to the point where he had long lost any material pursuits.

Seeing so many gifts being given out, Charlie's expression remained calm, making everyone feel a bit awkward. They knew that these gifts didn't seem to touch Charlie's heart.

Later, Lorden gave Charlie a jade carving of Guan Yu, the God of Wealth in martial arts, saying that Guan Yu could bless Charlie with safety and good fortune.

Charlie smiled and thanked him, his inner calm undisturbed.

Finally, it was Orvel's turn. He took out a beautifully packaged gift box and handed it to Charlie, saying seriously, "Master Wade, this is a small token of my appreciation."

Charlie smiled and said, "Orvel, you've mentioned everyone else's gifts, why not share what your gift is?"

Orvel looked a bit embarrassed and said, "I was worried that Master Wade might not be satisfied with what I've brought and end up being laughed at."

Charlie shook his head, "No matter what you give, I'm very grateful. How could I be unsatisfied?"

Orvel nodded earnestly, "Master Wade, what I'm giving you is a set of villas near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan."

CHAPTER 1973 SOME ADMIRATION

Upon hearing that Orvel had gifted Charlie a villa in Tokyo, everyone was filled with astonishment, not understanding why Orvel would give Charlie a villa in Japan.

However, Isaac and Lorden, after a moment of surprise, immediately realized the reason behind it!

At the same time, they also felt a pang of regret for not having thought of it themselves!

Back in Japan, they had been by Charlie's side, busy integrating the production line of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals. When everyone arrived in Osaka, Charlie suddenly set off alone for Kyoto.

At that moment, Orvel guessed that Charlie must be going to look for Nanako.

Orvel was a very clever person and had served by Charlie's side for a long time, knowing more about Charlie's affairs.

He had long noticed that Charlie seemed to have some admiration for a Japanese female combat sports athlete named Nanako. Later, that female athlete got injured during a competition and returned to Japan for treatment.

Orvel followed up on Nanako's subsequent actions. She received treatment in Tokyo and then went to Kyoto for recovery. When Charlie abruptly went to Kyoto while in Osaka, Orvel immediately deduced the reason behind it.

What was even more mysterious was that Charlie drove to Kyoto that day, then drove from Kyoto to Tokyo at night. Combining this with the series of news reports in Japan at the time, Orvel pieced together the whole story in his mind, and his speculation was almost spot on.

He knew that Nanako was striving to become the heir of the Ito family and that the Ito family's luxurious mansion was located near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Therefore, he simply bought a mansion next to the Ito family estate and gave it to Charlie.

In his view, this was catering to Charlie's preferences, and Charlie would surely appreciate it.

Isaac and Lorden had also accompanied Charlie to Japan, so they had a rough idea of the situation.

Upon suddenly discovering that Orvel had cunningly gifted Charlie a villa in Tokyo, they immediately understood what Orvel had in mind.

While admiring him, they also regretted not having thought of this themselves.

When Charlie heard that Orvel had given him a villa in Tokyo, his first reaction was astonishment.

Initially, he couldn't figure out why Orvel would give him a villa in Tokyo, especially one close to the Ito family's mansion in Tokyo.

Shortly after, he realized that Orvel must have noticed some clues, which was why he specifically catered to his interests.

At that moment, Charlie's heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He did admire Nanako and was aware of her feelings towards him, but as a married man, he knew he shouldn't get too close to her.

When he wanted to visit her in Japan previously, it was mainly to help her recover from her injury, never expecting it would lead to so many complications.

After ensuring Nanako was treated and safely sent to Tokyo, Charlie had already let go of many things in his heart.

But now, with Orvel suddenly gifting him a villa in Tokyo, Nanako's image deepened in Charlie's mind.

At this moment, Elaine clapped her hands happily, "Oh, I've always wanted to visit Japan, see the cherry blossoms, do some shopping. If I have my own villa in Tokyo, I could go there often, right?"

Orvel quickly responded, "Ms. Elaine, you can go anytime. I have arranged a few staff members in Tokyo to be on call 24/7, ensuring that whenever you decide to go, everything will be in the best condition, with someone dedicated to taking care of you!"

"Oh, that's fantastic!" Elaine exclaimed excitedly, "I've been wanting to travel abroad for a long time, but unfortunately, things haven't been going well for me in recent years, so I haven't had many opportunities. Now that my son-in-law is successful, I should go out more often!"

She then asked Mr. Walker, "Oh Mr. Walker, can we sail the yacht you gave us all the way to Japan?"

CHAPTER 1974 DO AS YOU WISH

Jim hastily replied, "Ms. Elaine, that yacht has a maximum range of over two thousand nautical miles, which is close to four thousand kilometres. It's enough to travel all the way from Aurous Hill to the seaport, and then onwards to Tokyo. However, since this involves border crossing, you need to inform customs in advance."

Elaine immediately excitedly said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's take some time later and sail the yacht to Japan for a trip, what do you think?"

Charlie vaguely replied, "Let's talk about that when we have time."

Elaine urged, "Can't say when we'll have time? Your father and I are not working, and you're not working either, just managing the company by yourself. She's the boss, so deciding when to take a break is just a matter of words."

Claire interjected, "Mum, what are you talking about? Entrepreneurship requires focus to be effective. I can't just leave the company and go on a vacation."

Elaine suggested, "That's fine, you can stay to work, and let Charlie take us to Tokyo for a trip. With all of us away, you can focus more on your company."

Claire was left speechless.

Although she didn't want her family to go on a trip without her, Elaine's words were tactful.

Initially, she invited Claire to go together, but Claire declined, citing the need to focus on entrepreneurship.

So when Elaine suggested Claire stay behind to focus on her business, Claire couldn't argue back, or she would be embarrassing herself.

Therefore, Claire had to reluctantly say, "Well, do as you wish."

Charlie chuckled slightly and said, "Let's not talk about this now. The Lunar New Year is approaching, so we'll naturally be celebrating at home during this time. As for whether we will travel, let's discuss it after the New Year."

Elaine eagerly nodded and said, "Good son-in-law, Mum will listen to you!"

Charlie agreed with a sound and then looked at everyone, saying seriously, "I truly appreciate everyone coming over today and bringing so many gifts. You've been so generous."

Everyone chimed in, "No, it's the least we could do!"

Charlie smiled at them and said, "As the saying goes, reciprocity in gift-giving. After the New Year, when I have some free time, I will make sure to prepare gifts for everyone. When the time comes, I will trouble Director Ward to help prepare some materials for me."

Upon hearing this, everyone who came to visit for New Year couldn't contain their excitement.

They knew Charlie was going to give them medicinal pills as gifts!

Otherwise, Charlie wouldn't have asked Alan to prepare materials!

What does Alan do?

He specializes in various Chinese herbal materials!

When Charlie first refined pills, it was with materials provided by Alan!

Now, Charlie asking Alan to prepare materials again, it could only be for making medicinal pills!

And the reason Charlie didn't explicitly mention it was because he didn't want to mention the pill-making process directly in front of his wife and in-laws.

Whether it was the basic pills before or the later Rejuvenation Pills, he kept it secret from his family.

However, these people present had all received his kindness, so with just a hint, they would understand.

CHAPTER 1975 HIT THE JACKPOT

Charlie's supply of Revitalizing Pills was running low.

As the saying goes, rare things are valuable. Samuel spent two billion on a Revitalizing Pill, proving that for the wealthy, the price is completely worth it. Therefore, Charlie decided to have Alan gather some raw materials to refine the first type of pill he made initially, then make a batch to give one to each of the guests who came to visit today.

The guests had only come to pay New Year's respects to Charlie and bring some gifts, but they were surprised when Charlie decided to gift them with pills. Each person was extremely excited, feeling that no matter how much money they spent, it was all worth it.

After exchanging glances, Orvel spoke up, "Master Wade, with so many of us here, it will surely disrupt your family's original plans. We should take our leave first!"

Charlie nodded, saying, "After the New Year, I will arrange a dinner for everyone as a return gift, and I will bring it all at that time."

The guests hurriedly bid farewell, thanking Charlie in unison.

As the grand convoy drove away, Charlie's family watched them leave at the door. After they departed, Elaine couldn't contain her excitement and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, we've really hit the jackpot today! Mansions, yachts, helicopters, we've hit the jackpot!"

Jacob was also thrilled, muttering, "That pair of blue and white elephant ear vases, they are truly national treasures! I need to go and have another look!"

Elaine then turned to Charlie and asked, "By the way, good son-in-law! They left behind many gift boxes, what's inside them? Why didn't they mention it?"

Charlie shook his head, "I don't know what's inside, if you want to know, why not open them and have a look?"

Elaine happily said, "I just want to see what's inside! I'll go and open each one of them!"

At this moment, Claire was a bit nervous and worried, "Charlie, why did they give you so many valuable gifts... The total value of these things is worth hundreds of millions, isn't it too much? How can we accept them?"

Charlie smiled, "I helped them, they gave us gifts, it's a mutual exchange. What's wrong with that?"

Claire said, "The value is just too high, can your feng shui consultations really be worth that much money?"

Charlie nodded, "As long as you believe in it, you'd be willing to spend any amount. In the past, there was a famous feng shui master who had many celebrities and wealthy individuals as his guests, and they were willing to spend lavishly on him because they believed feng shui could change their destiny."

Claire hurriedly said, "But wasn't that feng shui master exposed in the end? It was all a scam..."

Charlie chuckled, "He was a scam, but I'm not."

He continued, "I provided feng shui consultations to these people, and without exception, they all received great benefits. Otherwise, why would they continue to believe in me so much? Of course, it's because they have seen the results and believed in them."

Claire then asked, "So, what do you plan to give them in return?"

Charlie said, "I'll give each of them a set of talismans for protection."

"Talismans?!" Claire asked in surprise, "Are they the kind of protective talismans that cost a few dollars each in temples?"

Charlie nodded, "Something like that, but the difference is that the ones sold in temples are blessed by monks, while the ones I make are blessed by myself."

Claire expressed some concern, "Are these really reliable? I always feel particularly anxious, afraid that one day you'll be caught..."

Charlie reassured her, "Darling, rest assured, I have always operated my business with integrity and fairness. I have been providing feng shui consultations for a long time, have you seen anyone come looking for trouble with me?"

Claire was momentarily speechless by Charlie's question.

Charlie was right.

Over this long period, he had made a good amount of money from feng shui consultations, even earning a multi-million-dollar mansion, yet none of his clients had caused any trouble for him.

Especially George.

The mansion was a gift from George, and just now, he had gifted a priceless pink diamond. This proved that Charlie must have genuinely helped him, which was why he was so loyal.

This Claire is just a thorn in the flesh
Please,how can the author delete her

BenedictHaz10 · Jun 12, 2024

Prodigy said:
Why isn't Claire wishing Charlie happy new year through some means

Because she's weird and stupid...which wife is this... leaving your husband at a time like this, no wonder others are filling in...Claire will probably loose Charlie...the writer should fix Claire a little...sometimes i think she's too dumb

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') · Jun 13, 2024

CHAPTER 1981 NEXT STOP

Geraldo initially thought that Charlie wouldn't agree, but to his surprise, he agreed so readily. He immediately said, "If your grandfather knew you were willing to go back for the ancestral ceremony, he would be very happy!"

Charlie smiled inwardly, thinking, "Whether he will be happy or not probably depends on whether I will follow his arrangements and become a tool for the Wade family's external marriage alliances."

However, he didn't share these thoughts with Geraldo.

At that moment, Haidee spoke up again, "By the way, Brother Charlie, I've already scheduled my concert in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie asked in surprise, "Concert? In Aurous Hill?"

Haidee nodded, smiling, "Originally, my tour concert's next stop was Aurous Hill, but the specific date hadn't been finalized before."

Charlie then remembered that when he was planning to have dinner with his wife and Haidee, his wife had excitedly mentioned that Haidee would be holding a concert in Aurous Hill soon. He didn't expect it to be scheduled so soon.

So, he asked her, "Haidee, when is your concert?"

Haidee replied, "It's on the evening of the second day of the second lunar month, your birthday, at 7 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie was taken aback.

The second day of the second lunar month? On his birthday?

Was this girl intentionally choosing that day for her concert?

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Brother Charlie, I've reserved the best seat for you. You must come and support me!"

Charlie nodded, "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there."

Haidee happily exclaimed, "Then we'll see each other in Aurous Hill!"

"Okay."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door during the video call with Geraldo.

Geraldo said, "Come in."

Following that, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, entered and respectfully said, "Big brother, sister-in-law, the Salvador family has sent gifts."

Geraldo furrowed his brow, puzzled, "The Salvador family? We've never been close. Why would they suddenly send gifts?"

Dario shook his head, equally puzzled, "I don't understand either. This time, it's Virtuoso's son and daughter, Cameron and Camilla, who came. Virtuoso himself didn't come, probably aware that you've been displeased with him since the incident with Brother Wade."

Geraldo was even more confused, "If Virtuoso didn't come, why did the younger generation of the Salvador family come? I've never heard of the Salvador family's juniors visiting during the New Year!"

The Salvador family in Eastcliff always held a high status.

Whether it was Harrison or his sons, they never visited others during the New Year, at most just visiting their in-laws.

Even the younger generation of the Salvador family, like Camilla, never lowered their status to visit other families during the New Year.

Therefore, Geraldo couldn't understand why Virtuoso's children had come to visit him.

Charlie was also puzzled.

CHAPTER 1982 DREAM GIRL

Back in Japan, he casually saved Cameron and Camilla, thinking they were just fellow countrymen, but to his surprise, they turned out to be enemies' children, which left him feeling quite frustrated for a while.

Now, these two individuals have turned up at Geraldo's house again.

Could it be that the Salvador family is trying to win over the Snow family now too?

However, Charlie didn't say much in the video, considering that Geraldo was unaware of his experiences in Japan.

At that moment, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, spoke up, "Brother, I'm not quite sure why the younger generation of the Salvador family has come to give gifts. However, I feel it might be related to the recent events in Japan. The Salvador family has indeed suffered heavy losses recently, maybe they are now thinking of trying to win over more families."

Geraldo, with a cold expression, said, "In all of Eastcliff, the one I despise the most is Virtuoso! A complete scoundrel! He was the one who incited the anti-Wade alliance back then, the trash who shot arrows in the dark!" Remember to keep in touch for a second to provide you with exciting novel reading on your mobile phone.

Amelia, on the side, spoke up, "Disliking someone is one thing, but as the saying goes, don't hit a smiling face with your hand. Moreover, this time it's Virtuoso's two children who have come. Don't transfer the past grievances onto the younger generation, otherwise, it might become a laughing stock if it gets out."

After some contemplation, Geraldo nodded and said, "Alright, let's see what they're up to."

With that, he turned to Charlie and said, "Charlie, the Salvador family has sent gifts, I'll go and accept them."

Charlie nodded and said, "Sure thing, Uncle Snow, go ahead, I'll stay here and wish you and your family an early Happy New Year!"

Geraldo nodded with a smile, "Happy! Happy! In recent years during the New Year, I've never been as happy as today!"

He couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, if only you, Charlie, could celebrate New Year in Eastcliff! If the four of us could celebrate together, it would be better than anything! I would just close the door and enjoy a complete family reunion, even if the Emperor himself came knocking, I wouldn't see him!"

Charlie knew that Geraldo and his wife both hoped he would become their son-in-law, even his late parents must have wished for the same.

However, he had never considered divorcing Claire, so at this moment, he didn't know how to respond to Geraldo's words.

At this point, Amelia intervened, "Alright, alright, Charlie must have an idea in mind, maybe your wish will come true in a few years, there's no need to rush things now."

Geraldo agreed, "No rush, good things come to those who wait, we've waited for so many years, what's another three years?"

With that, he said to Charlie, "Charlie, I won't keep you any longer for now, we'll chat another day, I wish you a Happy New Year here too!"

Charlie hurriedly replied, "Thank you, Uncle Snow!"

Haidee then spoke up, "Dad, Mum, you go ahead, I'll chat with Brother Charlie for a while."

Geraldo said, "Why don't you come along too, there's nothing much for me to talk about with the younger generation of the Salvador family, you know them, right? Exchange a few words with them on my behalf, then find a reason to see them off."

Haidee reluctantly said, "Alright then."

After that, Haidee turned to Charlie and said, "Brother Charlie, I'll take my leave now."

Charlie nodded with a smile, "Sure, go ahead."

At this moment, in the main hall of the Snow family's courtyard.

The talented Cameron sat elegantly on the rosewood sofa with the graceful Camilla.

After the Snow family's servants served tea and left, the main hall was temporarily left with just the two of them.

Seeing Cameron looking a bit nervous, Camilla whispered teasingly in his ear, "Brother, when you meet your dream girl later, make sure not to appear too nervous!"

CHAPTER 1983 COURAGE TO PURSUE

Cameron was already feeling a bit nervous, but when he heard his sister say that, he became even more anxious.

As siblings, they, along with Haidee, belonged to the top wealthy second generation in Eastcliff. Though their relationship wasn't particularly close, they could still be considered ordinary friends.

Cameron had been silently admiring Haidee for years. However, since Haidee never mingled in the circle of wealthy second generations, he didn't have many opportunities to interact with her.

Moreover, Cameron didn't dare to confess to Haidee because he knew that in the eyes of his father, Virtuoso, the Snow family was somewhat beneath them.

As the eldest grandson of the Salvador family, Cameron would undoubtedly become the head of the family at some point in the future.

Therefore, Virtuoso placed great importance on his son's marriage.

In his view, the Salvador family was already the number one family in the country, and the second-ranked Wade family was their rivals. Hence, Cameron had no need to search for a suitable marriage partner within the country.

Virtuoso's plan for Cameron was either to marry someone influential or simply form an alliance with a top family from abroad.

Hence, he certainly wouldn't want his son to be with Haidee from the Snow family.

Cameron had never thought of confessing to Haidee before. As the eldest son of the Salvador family, even though his abilities were not as good as Camilla's, his understanding of situations was higher.

He knew that he couldn't make decisions about his own marriage, so he decided to give up the right to choose independently and let his family arrange it for him.

However, after being kidnapped by ninjas in Japan and almost killed, he suddenly felt the brevity of life.

He thought that even if one lived a good life, it would only be for a few decades, and at any moment, an accident could lead to an untimely death.

So why should he compromise on such a significant matter as marriage?

Since he had always admired Haidee, why not muster the courage to pursue her!

After discussing this plan with Camilla, she immediately agreed and cleverly devised a way for him to get close to Haidee.

Knowing that Haidee would have a series of nationwide concert tours after New Year, she suggested that her brother approach Haidee to discuss sponsoring the concerts.

Coincidentally, Cameron owned a nationally renowned cosmetic company, so Camilla proposed using this brand to negotiate a sponsorship deal with Haidee.

Camilla's intention was for Cameron to establish a business connection with Haidee first. Then, he could follow up by sponsoring her concert as a way to show support.

By doing so, they could gradually deepen their relationship through business dealings, ultimately bringing them closer.

If the brother had enough capability and charm, things might just fall into place naturally.

At this moment, Cameron was somewhat nervous, and he quietly asked Camilla, "Do you think Haidee would agree to let me sponsor her concert?"

Camilla earnestly replied, "If you follow my instructions, I think it shouldn't be a problem."

CHAPTER 1984 GIVE IT A SHOT

Cameron nodded slightly, feeling a bit unsure, and whispered, "I heard before that Haidee seems to have had a prearranged marriage with a junior from the Wade family. If I confess to her, do you think she would agree?"

Camilla helplessly comforted, "Oh, mate! Why are you so indecisive like a girl!"

"Don't overthink it, once the arrow is shot, it can't be taken back!"

"And even if she has a betrothal, so what? The one betrothed to her is the son of Drake from the Wade family. When Drake and his wife tragically passed away years ago, he was already missing. Whether he is still alive is unknown, how could he come back to marry Haidee?"

Continuing, Camilla added, "You, just do your best and show your worth. You are the eldest grandson of the Salvador family. In terms of wealth, few in the country can match you, you are handsome, well-educated, and have a high level of culture. I believe you are more than worthy of Haidee."

Cameron sighed again, "Actually, there's something else I'm not sure if you are aware of."

Camilla asked, "What is it?"

Cameron said, "Dad had always been at odds with Drake. In order to counter Drake's unstoppable momentum, Dad even formed an anti-Wade alliance. The hatred against Drake can be said to run deep. And as Drake is sworn brothers with Geraldo, Haidee's father, I worry that Haidee's father may have a bias against our Salvador family."

Camilla furrowed his brow, saying, "I know Dad had issues with Drake, heard about it from Uncle, but I've never heard of Drake being sworn brothers with Geraldo."

He consoled, "Nevertheless, it's been many years. I think he shouldn't hold grudges anymore, right? Even if he has biases, they would be towards Dad, not us younger generations. Moreover, Haidee is his only daughter. If she truly likes you, I believe he should respect his daughter's choice, don't you think so?"

Upon hearing this, Cameron's nervousness eased slightly, nodding, "You make sense, I'll give it a shot!"

Camilla chuckled, "Mate, be more confident. There are countless women worldwide lining up to marry you, some with even better overall conditions than Haidee. Why feel inferior?"

Cameron chuckled ironically, "You're right, but I still can't help but feel nervous."

Camilla stated seriously, "It's a mentality issue. Lack of confidence is the key! If I were to fall for a man in the future, I wouldn't feel inferior at all, even if he were a prince from the Middle East."

With a smirk, she added, "A prince isn't all that grand. Setting aside my dislike for foreigners, even if a prince stood before me, I wouldn't be in awe!"

"A prince may sound impressive, with a family fortune of several billion US dollars. However, within their family, there are hundreds of princes, each averaging just a few billion US dollars in assets. Still not enough for this miss's pocket money."

Cameron looked at Camilla, chuckled lightly, and said seriously, "Sometimes I wish I had your carefree attitude, not bothered by trivial matters, living so freely."

Camilla teased, "Are you praising me or mocking me?"

"Praising you!" Cameron replied earnestly, "I've always been under the pressure of being the eldest grandson, so I've been constrained and demanded by my grandfather and father since I was young. My rough edges have long been smoothed out in front of them, with no rebellious spirit left. Unlike you, who can stand your ground against anyone."

Camilla replied, "Well, our situations are different after all. You're the one who will inherit the family in the future, not me. That's why I can live carefreely."

Cameron nodded and asked her, "By the way, weren't you looking for benefactor? How's the search going?"

Camilla sighed, "I just got hold of the surveillance videos from several major airports in Japan. I'm scanning through them one by one, hoping to find something by my thirtieth birthday. I'm still trying to figure out a reliable solution."

After speaking, Camilla quickly added, "Oh, I put aside the surveillance videos today to accompany you here in Snow's house. When you get back, you must help me go through them together!"

CHAPTER 1985 A COLLABORATION

Upon hearing his sister's words, Cameron immediately promised without hesitation, "Don't worry, I'll fully cooperate with you when we get back!"

Cameron nodded in satisfaction and was about to speak when two men and two women walked in at the entrance of the main hall.

It was Geraldo's family of three and the second son, Dario.

Seeing Haidee coming in, Cameron became somewhat nervous, his palms beginning to sweat immediately.

Camilla on the side noticed this and gently poked him with a finger, giving him a reminder with her eyes. She then stood up immediately, smiling at the four who had arrived and said, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, and Haidee, hello! Sorry for the intrusion, but I wish you all a Happy New Year in advance!"

With that, she quickly took out a long gift box and handed it to Amelia, saying, "Aunt Amelia, this is a New Year gift for you and Uncle Snow!"

Seeing Camilla taking the lead, Amelia took the initiative to respond, saying, "Oh, it's Camilla, right? I haven't seen you in years, you've grown even more beautiful!"

Camilla smiled generously and replied, "Aunt Amelia, you flatter me. If we talk about beauty, Haidee is much prettier than me!"

Amelia said, "Oh, you're too kind. How can you bring a gift when you come to visit?"

Camilla said, "It's only right, Aunt Amelia. It's not anything expensive, just a painting by the late artist Zhang Daqian."

Amelia earnestly replied, "Camilla, this is too valuable, Auntie can't accept it."

Camilla quickly said, "Aunt Amelia, please don't be so polite. Honestly, a painting doesn't cost much, it's just a gesture of goodwill."

She then quickly changed the subject and introduced Cameron, who was a bit awkward, to the somewhat reserved Amelia and Geraldo, "By the way, Aunt Amelia, Uncle Snow, this is my brother, Cameron! Haidee, I believe you and my brother have met before, right?"

Haidee nodded faintly and said, "Yes, I've met Mr. Salvador a few times."

Seeing that Cameron bore a striking resemblance to Virtuoso, Geraldo suddenly felt somewhat displeased.

He looked at Cameron and Camilla, with a smile that seemed somewhat ambiguous, and said, "Speaking frankly, in the past decade or so, no one from the Salvador family has ever visited the Snow family. I wonder how you, siblings, have condescended to come to my residence?"

Camilla quickly explained, "Uncle Snow, my brother runs a cosmetics company and this year he's looking to enhance the brand's visibility. Coincidentally, I'm a fan of Haidee and I know she's about to start a concert tour, so we thought of facilitating a collaboration to have my brother sponsor Haidee's concert."

Geraldo was somewhat surprised. He had assumed that Camilla and Cameron's visit was likely related to some sort of family-level cooperation between the Salvador and Snow families.

However, he didn't expect that the siblings came just to discuss a small collaboration for his daughter's concert.

Nevertheless, he felt somewhat relieved. Since they were here to discuss a collaboration with his daughter, he didn't need to get involved.

So he casually said, "You can discuss this directly with Haidee. Generally, I don't interfere in her matters along with your Aunt Amelia."

Camilla nodded and then looked at Haidee, asking her, "Haidee, what do you think?"

In fact, Haidee wasn't very interested. She didn't enter the entertainment industry to make money, so she fundamentally differed from those money-oriented female celebrities.

Other female celebrities might only see money in everything they do.

Whether participating in variety shows, promotional events, singing songs, or acting in movies and TV dramas, they would consider how much they were paid.

CHAPTER 1986 TOUCHED THE SOFTEST SPOT

Some are willing to sell even their own bodies for money.

But Haidee is an exception.

Money holds little practical value for her.

Moreover, she had already planned to leave the entertainment industry after reuniting with Charlie.

Her intention was to exit the entertainment industry first, then marry Charlie after he resolved his current marital issues, and focus on being a homemaker.

She had even decided that when the final concert of her tour arrived, she would announce her complete withdrawal from everything related to music, film, television, and shows.

Therefore, the collaboration Camilla proposed held no interest for her.

Thus, she straightforwardly said, "Sorry Camilla, I didn't plan to have a title sponsor for this tour. The promotional materials for the concert are already prepared, some online platforms have started promoting, it's too late to sign a sponsor now, and there's no time to modify the existing promotional materials."

Camilla hurriedly said, "Why not, Sister Haidee, as long as you agree, we can still make it work even if we join in midway."

As she spoke, she quickly signaled to Cameron.

Cameron on the side promptly added, "Here's the thing, Miss Haidee, I propose combining the sponsorship with your concert and creating a large-scale charity promotion. If you agree, I can provide a sponsorship of ten million for each concert, all donated in your name to a charity organisation dedicated to improving the living conditions and education quality of orphans. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Haidee hesitated.

Initially, she had made up her mind to refuse directly, but she didn't expect Cameron to propose cooperation through charity.

Furthermore, it was specifically aimed at orphaned children.

This touched the softest spot in her heart.

Back when she reunited with Charlie and learned about his ten years in a welfare institution, Haidee always felt sorry for Charlie's difficult childhood and teenage years.

If an adult faces hardships after entering society, it might be considered a form of tempering. However, enduring hardships during childhood is an experience that is hard to overcome for anyone.

Childhood is meant to be a time of innocence and joy, which is crucial for everyone.

A happy childhood can bring a sense of happiness even in old age, while a difficult childhood can cast a shadow that lasts a lifetime.

Due to her compassion for Charlie, Haidee also felt empathy for other orphans who had similar experiences.

At this moment, she felt somewhat ashamed and thought to herself with self-reproach, "I'm so foolish! I should have thought about helping other orphans sooner, why did I need someone else to remind me?"

With this in mind, she suggested, "Mr. Salvador, since it's for charity and you're using your money in my name, I feel unworthy. How about we collaborate with your cosmetics company for this? Your company donates ten million for each concert, and I personally donate another ten million!"

CHAPTER 1987 A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Upon hearing Haidee's agreement, Cameron was instantly overjoyed.

He then looked at his sister, Camilla, with a face full of admiration.

At this moment, Cameron truly admired his younger sister, Camilla, greatly.

He knew that despite being younger than him by a few years, his sister was much smarter than him!

Persuading Haidee to accept the naming cooperation in the name of charity was a solution that Camilla had already thought of.

Camilla had analyzed Haidee; she was not lacking in money, love, or suitors, making it quite challenging for an ordinary man to impress her.

Not to mention pursuing her, even wanting to collaborate with her was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Therefore, Camilla believed that to impress Haidee, they had to take a different approach.

She remembered that Haidee once had a fiancé arranged by her parents, who had mysteriously disappeared, and she thought that touching Haidee could be achieved through charity for orphans.

After all, a child who had been missing for many years was likely to fall into two categories: either no longer in this world or had grown up as an orphan.

Hence, she believed that as long as her brother presented the idea of charity for orphans, Haidee would not refuse.

And indeed!

Haidee fell right into her trap!

So, Cameron, very excitedly, said, "Miss Snow, since that's the case, let's wait until the new year to sign the contract, and then I'll arrange for the payment directly."

Haidee nodded and said, "Since we are each donating ten million, you don't need to pay my agency. Before each concert, we can each donate ten million to the local charity organization. What do you think, Mr. Salvador?"

Of course, Cameron had no objections and said without hesitation, "No problem! Absolutely no problem! Let's do it as Miss Snow suggested!"

Haidee actually had some ulterior motives.

Her first concert tour after the new year was in Aurous Hill, where Charlie had lived for many years. Deep down, she hoped to donate a sum to the charity organization in Aurous Hill first.

By then, this money could even be used to improve and expand the welfare house where Charlie grew up.

After all, with a population of over a billion in the country, if the money was directly donated to a national charity, it might not benefit Aurous Hill much.

Instead of that, it was better to donate directly to Aurous Hill twenty million.

Cameron was unaware of Haidee's plan. He had always paid close attention to Haidee, so he knew that Haidee's first concert after the new year was scheduled in Aurous Hill.

However, due to his sister's previous reminder, he pretended to be curious and asked, "By the way, Miss Snow, may I ask where your first concert of the year is going to be?"

Haidee immediately replied, "The first concert will be in Aurous Hill on the second day of the second lunar month."

Cameron nodded and said with a smile, "Aurous Hill is not far away, just a two-hour flight. Since we have reached a cooperation agreement, I will definitely go to Aurous Hill to support Miss Snow at the concert and personally donate the promised amount to the Aurous Hill Charity Foundation!"

CHAPTER 1988 SETTLE THE SCORE

Haidee smiled slightly, "Then I'll thank Mr. Salvador on behalf of the orphans in Aurous Hill."

Cameron quickly waved his hand, "No, no, this is what should be done. Besides, the money I donated was originally intended as sponsorship funds. So, if the orphans in Aurous Hill want to express gratitude, it should be towards Miss Snow, not me."

Haidee smiled unknowingly, then said, "Mr. Salvador, since the collaboration is settled, let's wait until after the New Year to proceed. I have something to attend to now, so I must take my leave."

Upon hearing this, Cameron stood up quickly and said with a smile, "Miss Haidee, if you're busy, we won't disturb you!"

Haidee nodded gently and instructed her servant, "Aunt Charlie, please help me escort the guests out."

A middle-aged maid immediately approached and respectfully said, "This way, please."

Though reluctant, Cameron stood up and bid farewell to Haidee, Geraldo, and Amelia, "Miss Snow, Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, we'll take our leave now."

Geraldo nodded and said indifferently, "Take care."

Amelia smiled politely, "We won't see you off, take care on the way."

Cameron hurriedly added, "Aunt Amelia, please stay, visit us when you have time."

Amelia politely replied, "Sure, I'll visit your residence when I have the chance."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the household staff escorted Salvador's siblings out.

Once they left, Geraldo couldn't help but furrow his brows and muttered, "I always feel that the young ones from the Salvador family are a bit strange."

Amelia agreed, "I have the same feeling, it seems a bit unnatural."

She continued, "It's probably related to their recent experience in Japan. After all, that incident caused quite a stir. It's said that if a mysterious person hadn't saved them, they might have died in Japan."

Geraldo nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "I heard that Virtuoso also went to Japan back then. How come he didn't die there?"

Amelia warned him seriously, "Don't speak recklessly. Virtuoso is now the heir of the Salvador family. We can't afford to provoke him. If you spread rumors, you'll only invite trouble for yourself."

Grinding his teeth, Geraldo grumbled, "That old bastard Virtuoso, among all the scoundrels in Eastcliff, this grandson is the worst! Big Brother Drake had numerous chances to finish him off in the past, but he always showed mercy. Look at how he repaid kindness with ingratitude later! It's truly sickening!"

Patting his back, Amelia comforted him, "Alright, let go of these matters. Even if you've just recovered from a serious illness, our family is no match for the Salvador family in terms of strength. As for the grudge with Virtuoso, when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff in the future, you two can team up to settle the score!"

Geraldo nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, "You're right! One day when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff, marries Haidee, and inherits the entire Wade family, at that time, let's see how the Salvador family can still act arrogantly!"

Haidee, feeling somewhat embarrassed, whispered, "Dad... the matter of me and Charlie hasn't even begun, don't forget he's already a married man..."

Geraldo waved his hand confidently and said, "Haidee, trust me, within three years, Little Charlie will definitely marry you!"

Haidee blushed slightly and asked in surprise, "Dad... how can you be so sure?"

Geraldo looked at Haidee, very seriously said, "Little Charlie's character and way of doing things are so much like your Uncle Wade. Just based on this, I dare to affirm that Little Charlie will follow the arrangement of his parents and marry you one day!"

CHAPTER 1989 GETTING CLOSER

On the way back, with Cameron behind the wheel and Camilla in the passenger seat, Cameron's good mood was evident as he couldn't stop smiling.

Seeing this, Camilla chuckled and said, "Bro, I've sorted out that matter for you. When it comes to finding benefactor, you've got to help me out too!"

Without hesitation, Cameron replied, "Camilla, trust me, I'll give it my all. Even if it costs me my eyesight, I'll find benefactor for you!"

Satisfied, Camilla nodded and said, "You've got a conscience!"

Then, Cameron sighed, "There's just too much video footage to go through. Only the two of us have seen benefactor, so we can't ask for help. I wonder how long it will take us to go through all that material."

Camilla explained, "I've come up with a rough plan that should save us a lot of effort."

Eagerly, Cameron asked, "What plan? Tell me!"

Camilla elaborated, "Even though only we have seen benefactor's face, others can help us with a simple screening process!"

"First, I'll have the staff at the Salvador family's disposal filter out all female passengers from the airport footage, regardless of age, then eliminate all men who are white, black, or brown-skinned. Among the remaining yellow-skinned male passengers, we'll further screen out those who look underage, those who appear to be over thirty, and the elderly. We'll only focus on adult male passengers who seem to be between 18 and 28 years old."

"Next, I'll have them extract the front-facing photos of all eligible young male passengers from the video footage."

"This way, we won't have to watch all the videos ourselves. We can have hundreds or thousands of people help us by looking at the cropped images!"

"They can help us identify the eligible passengers and provide us with clear photos to search for benefactor among them!"

Excitedly, Cameron exclaimed, "That's brilliant, Camilla! Your mind works fast. So, instead of watching the videos, we just wait for others to extract the images, then we look for someone who resembles benefactor in the pictures!"

"Yes!" Camilla agreed, "If we find a young male passenger in one of the images who really looks like benefactor, we'll contact the person who cropped that photo and ask them to send us the video clip where the image was taken."

"By combining the image with the video, we can make a clearer judgment on whether that person is benefactor!"

"If it is him, we can trace benefactor's entire movement at the airport along that video, figure out which flight he took, where he landed in China from Japan, and then go directly to that city to find him!"

Impressed, Cameron gave a thumbs up to Camilla and exclaimed, "Impressive! I believe with this method, we should be able to track down benefactor's whereabouts in a matter of days!"

At this moment, in Aurous Hill, Charlie was unaware that Camilla was getting closer to finding him.

After sorting out the gifts with his father-in-law, Jacob, they proceeded with their original plan to drive to the largest supermarket nearby for Chinese New Year shopping.

Due to the upcoming festivities, the streets were crowded with people out shopping, causing a long wait just to find a parking spot.

Once they parked, Charlie and Jacob entered the supermarket, only to find it packed with people, operating at full capacity.

CHAPTER 1990 A SHINY PIECE OF CRAP

With the upcoming Chinese New Year, many employees have already gone home for the holidays, causing the supermarket to be twice as busy as usual but with fewer staff members available. This shortage extends to salespeople, cleaners, cashiers, and even the staff responsible for weighing items, leading to long queues just to weigh vegetables.

Seeing the crowded supermarket, Jacob expressed his frustration, "Ah! I should have come out to shop earlier so I could relax at home watching TV instead of joining this chaos!"

"Yeah," helplessly chuckled Charlie, "I wanted to come yesterday, but Mum was injured."

Jacob grumbled, "Don't mention that troublesome woman, always causing trouble!"

He then sighed, "How does she get away with so much mischief without breaking the law? If she accidentally crossed the legal line, got herself locked up for a few years, wouldn't that be great!"

Charlie fell silent and smiled, "Dad, if Claire hears you say that, she'd be heartbroken."

Jacob hurriedly added, "Ah, I'm just venting to you, don't tell Claire!"

Charlie nodded, "I won't, don't worry."

Jacob sighed, "Alright, enough about her, let's quickly buy ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner."

"Sure," Charlie agreed, "Let's start with the vegetable section first; we need to grab fresh veggies before they're all picked over."

As they chatted, they made their way to the vegetable section, which despite its large size, was crowded and narrow due to densely packed shelves.

As Charlie and Jacob pushed their trolley through the aisle, they suddenly heard someone cursing loudly, "You old hag, are you blind? Can't you see I'm mopping the floor? Get out of the way!"

Then, a familiar voice chimed in, an elderly woman meekly and aggrievedly saying, "Verity, why do you always mop under my feet? In just a short while, you've mopped back and forth under my feet a dozen times!"

The speaker was none other than Madam Wilson!

She was wearing the supermarket's green staff vest, holding a roll of plastic bags used for shopping.

In front of her stood a robust woman, also clad in a green vest - Verity!

At that moment, Verity was poking the elderly Madam Wilson's feet with the mop handle deliberately.

Madam Wilson almost stumbled several times, clinging to the edge of the shelf, pleading, "Verity, all the past misunderstandings were my fault. Please, considering my age, let's not stoop to this level!"

Verity glared at her angrily, sneering, "Now you're begging for mercy? Weren't you arrogant before? Weren't you acting all tough when you scolded me?"

Madam Wilson dared not speak under her scolding gaze.

Verity continued coldly, "I used to envy your luxury cars and mansions, thinking you lived a lavish life. Turns out, you're just a shiny piece of crap! You may look good on the outside, but you're nothing but trash! You used to look down on me, and now you're reduced to working in the same supermarket as me?"

Alonzo03 · Jun 13, 2024

There would soon be a clash of teen titans

Alonzo03 · Jun 13, 2024

I can't wait for the Salvador to find out their beloved grand daughter has fallen for their nemesis' son

Alonzo03 · Jun 13, 2024

Gradually Claire would begin to be out of the picture.

Prosper · Jun 13, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1981 NEXT STOP

Geraldo initially thought that Charlie wouldn't agree, but to his surprise, he agreed so readily. He immediately said, "If your grandfather knew you were willing to go back for the ancestral ceremony, he would be very happy!"

Charlie smiled inwardly, thinking, "Whether he will be happy or not probably depends on whether I will follow his arrangements and become a tool for the Wade family's external marriage alliances."

However, he didn't share these thoughts with Geraldo.

At that moment, Haidee spoke up again, "By the way, Brother Charlie, I've already scheduled my concert in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie asked in surprise, "Concert? In Aurous Hill?"

Haidee nodded, smiling, "Originally, my tour concert's next stop was Aurous Hill, but the specific date hadn't been finalized before."

Charlie then remembered that when he was planning to have dinner with his wife and Haidee, his wife had excitedly mentioned that Haidee would be holding a concert in Aurous Hill soon. He didn't expect it to be scheduled so soon.

So, he asked her, "Haidee, when is your concert?"

Haidee replied, "It's on the evening of the second day of the second lunar month, your birthday, at 7 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie was taken aback.

The second day of the second lunar month? On his birthday?

Was this girl intentionally choosing that day for her concert?

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Brother Charlie, I've reserved the best seat for you. You must come and support me!"

Charlie nodded, "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there."

Haidee happily exclaimed, "Then we'll see each other in Aurous Hill!"

"Okay."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door during the video call with Geraldo.

Geraldo said, "Come in."

Following that, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, entered and respectfully said, "Big brother, sister-in-law, the Salvador family has sent gifts."

Geraldo furrowed his brow, puzzled, "The Salvador family? We've never been close. Why would they suddenly send gifts?"

Dario shook his head, equally puzzled, "I don't understand either. This time, it's Virtuoso's son and daughter, Cameron and Camilla, who came. Virtuoso himself didn't come, probably aware that you've been displeased with him since the incident with Brother Wade."

Geraldo was even more confused, "If Virtuoso didn't come, why did the younger generation of the Salvador family come? I've never heard of the Salvador family's juniors visiting during the New Year!"

The Salvador family in Eastcliff always held a high status.

Whether it was Harrison or his sons, they never visited others during the New Year, at most just visiting their in-laws.

Even the younger generation of the Salvador family, like Camilla, never lowered their status to visit other families during the New Year.

Therefore, Geraldo couldn't understand why Virtuoso's children had come to visit him.

Charlie was also puzzled.

CHAPTER 1982 DREAM GIRL

Back in Japan, he casually saved Cameron and Camilla, thinking they were just fellow countrymen, but to his surprise, they turned out to be enemies' children, which left him feeling quite frustrated for a while.

Now, these two individuals have turned up at Geraldo's house again.

Could it be that the Salvador family is trying to win over the Snow family now too?

However, Charlie didn't say much in the video, considering that Geraldo was unaware of his experiences in Japan.

At that moment, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, spoke up, "Brother, I'm not quite sure why the younger generation of the Salvador family has come to give gifts. However, I feel it might be related to the recent events in Japan. The Salvador family has indeed suffered heavy losses recently, maybe they are now thinking of trying to win over more families."

Geraldo, with a cold expression, said, "In all of Eastcliff, the one I despise the most is Virtuoso! A complete scoundrel! He was the one who incited the anti-Wade alliance back then, the trash who shot arrows in the dark!" Remember to keep in touch for a second to provide you with exciting novel reading on your mobile phone.

Amelia, on the side, spoke up, "Disliking someone is one thing, but as the saying goes, don't hit a smiling face with your hand. Moreover, this time it's Virtuoso's two children who have come. Don't transfer the past grievances onto the younger generation, otherwise, it might become a laughing stock if it gets out."

After some contemplation, Geraldo nodded and said, "Alright, let's see what they're up to."

With that, he turned to Charlie and said, "Charlie, the Salvador family has sent gifts, I'll go and accept them."

Charlie nodded and said, "Sure thing, Uncle Snow, go ahead, I'll stay here and wish you and your family an early Happy New Year!"

Geraldo nodded with a smile, "Happy! Happy! In recent years during the New Year, I've never been as happy as today!"

He couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, if only you, Charlie, could celebrate New Year in Eastcliff! If the four of us could celebrate together, it would be better than anything! I would just close the door and enjoy a complete family reunion, even if the Emperor himself came knocking, I wouldn't see him!"

Charlie knew that Geraldo and his wife both hoped he would become their son-in-law, even his late parents must have wished for the same.

However, he had never considered divorcing Claire, so at this moment, he didn't know how to respond to Geraldo's words.

At this point, Amelia intervened, "Alright, alright, Charlie must have an idea in mind, maybe your wish will come true in a few years, there's no need to rush things now."

Geraldo agreed, "No rush, good things come to those who wait, we've waited for so many years, what's another three years?"

With that, he said to Charlie, "Charlie, I won't keep you any longer for now, we'll chat another day, I wish you a Happy New Year here too!"

Charlie hurriedly replied, "Thank you, Uncle Snow!"

Haidee then spoke up, "Dad, Mum, you go ahead, I'll chat with Brother Charlie for a while."

Geraldo said, "Why don't you come along too, there's nothing much for me to talk about with the younger generation of the Salvador family, you know them, right? Exchange a few words with them on my behalf, then find a reason to see them off."

Haidee reluctantly said, "Alright then."

After that, Haidee turned to Charlie and said, "Brother Charlie, I'll take my leave now."

Charlie nodded with a smile, "Sure, go ahead."

At this moment, in the main hall of the Snow family's courtyard.

The talented Cameron sat elegantly on the rosewood sofa with the graceful Camilla.

After the Snow family's servants served tea and left, the main hall was temporarily left with just the two of them.

Seeing Cameron looking a bit nervous, Camilla whispered teasingly in his ear, "Brother, when you meet your dream girl later, make sure not to appear too nervous!"

CHAPTER 1983 COURAGE TO PURSUE

Cameron was already feeling a bit nervous, but when he heard his sister say that, he became even more anxious.

As siblings, they, along with Haidee, belonged to the top wealthy second generation in Eastcliff. Though their relationship wasn't particularly close, they could still be considered ordinary friends.

Cameron had been silently admiring Haidee for years. However, since Haidee never mingled in the circle of wealthy second generations, he didn't have many opportunities to interact with her.

Moreover, Cameron didn't dare to confess to Haidee because he knew that in the eyes of his father, Virtuoso, the Snow family was somewhat beneath them.

As the eldest grandson of the Salvador family, Cameron would undoubtedly become the head of the family at some point in the future.

Therefore, Virtuoso placed great importance on his son's marriage.

In his view, the Salvador family was already the number one family in the country, and the second-ranked Wade family was their rivals. Hence, Cameron had no need to search for a suitable marriage partner within the country.

Virtuoso's plan for Cameron was either to marry someone influential or simply form an alliance with a top family from abroad.

Hence, he certainly wouldn't want his son to be with Haidee from the Snow family.

Cameron had never thought of confessing to Haidee before. As the eldest son of the Salvador family, even though his abilities were not as good as Camilla's, his understanding of situations was higher.

He knew that he couldn't make decisions about his own marriage, so he decided to give up the right to choose independently and let his family arrange it for him.

However, after being kidnapped by ninjas in Japan and almost killed, he suddenly felt the brevity of life.

He thought that even if one lived a good life, it would only be for a few decades, and at any moment, an accident could lead to an untimely death.

So why should he compromise on such a significant matter as marriage?

Since he had always admired Haidee, why not muster the courage to pursue her!

After discussing this plan with Camilla, she immediately agreed and cleverly devised a way for him to get close to Haidee.

Knowing that Haidee would have a series of nationwide concert tours after New Year, she suggested that her brother approach Haidee to discuss sponsoring the concerts.

Coincidentally, Cameron owned a nationally renowned cosmetic company, so Camilla proposed using this brand to negotiate a sponsorship deal with Haidee.

Camilla's intention was for Cameron to establish a business connection with Haidee first. Then, he could follow up by sponsoring her concert as a way to show support.

By doing so, they could gradually deepen their relationship through business dealings, ultimately bringing them closer.

If the brother had enough capability and charm, things might just fall into place naturally.

At this moment, Cameron was somewhat nervous, and he quietly asked Camilla, "Do you think Haidee would agree to let me sponsor her concert?"

Camilla earnestly replied, "If you follow my instructions, I think it shouldn't be a problem."

CHAPTER 1984 GIVE IT A SHOT

Cameron nodded slightly, feeling a bit unsure, and whispered, "I heard before that Haidee seems to have had a prearranged marriage with a junior from the Wade family. If I confess to her, do you think she would agree?"

Camilla helplessly comforted, "Oh, mate! Why are you so indecisive like a girl!"

"Don't overthink it, once the arrow is shot, it can't be taken back!"

"And even if she has a betrothal, so what? The one betrothed to her is the son of Drake from the Wade family. When Drake and his wife tragically passed away years ago, he was already missing. Whether he is still alive is unknown, how could he come back to marry Haidee?"

Continuing, Camilla added, "You, just do your best and show your worth. You are the eldest grandson of the Salvador family. In terms of wealth, few in the country can match you, you are handsome, well-educated, and have a high level of culture. I believe you are more than worthy of Haidee."

Cameron sighed again, "Actually, there's something else I'm not sure if you are aware of."

Camilla asked, "What is it?"

Cameron said, "Dad had always been at odds with Drake. In order to counter Drake's unstoppable momentum, Dad even formed an anti-Wade alliance. The hatred against Drake can be said to run deep. And as Drake is sworn brothers with Geraldo, Haidee's father, I worry that Haidee's father may have a bias against our Salvador family."

Camilla furrowed his brow, saying, "I know Dad had issues with Drake, heard about it from Uncle, but I've never heard of Drake being sworn brothers with Geraldo."

He consoled, "Nevertheless, it's been many years. I think he shouldn't hold grudges anymore, right? Even if he has biases, they would be towards Dad, not us younger generations. Moreover, Haidee is his only daughter. If she truly likes you, I believe he should respect his daughter's choice, don't you think so?"

Upon hearing this, Cameron's nervousness eased slightly, nodding, "You make sense, I'll give it a shot!"

Camilla chuckled, "Mate, be more confident. There are countless women worldwide lining up to marry you, some with even better overall conditions than Haidee. Why feel inferior?"

Cameron chuckled ironically, "You're right, but I still can't help but feel nervous."

Camilla stated seriously, "It's a mentality issue. Lack of confidence is the key! If I were to fall for a man in the future, I wouldn't feel inferior at all, even if he were a prince from the Middle East."

With a smirk, she added, "A prince isn't all that grand. Setting aside my dislike for foreigners, even if a prince stood before me, I wouldn't be in awe!"

"A prince may sound impressive, with a family fortune of several billion US dollars. However, within their family, there are hundreds of princes, each averaging just a few billion US dollars in assets. Still not enough for this miss's pocket money."

Cameron looked at Camilla, chuckled lightly, and said seriously, "Sometimes I wish I had your carefree attitude, not bothered by trivial matters, living so freely."

Camilla teased, "Are you praising me or mocking me?"

"Praising you!" Cameron replied earnestly, "I've always been under the pressure of being the eldest grandson, so I've been constrained and demanded by my grandfather and father since I was young. My rough edges have long been smoothed out in front of them, with no rebellious spirit left. Unlike you, who can stand your ground against anyone."

Camilla replied, "Well, our situations are different after all. You're the one who will inherit the family in the future, not me. That's why I can live carefreely."

Cameron nodded and asked her, "By the way, weren't you looking for benefactor? How's the search going?"

Camilla sighed, "I just got hold of the surveillance videos from several major airports in Japan. I'm scanning through them one by one, hoping to find something by my thirtieth birthday. I'm still trying to figure out a reliable solution."

After speaking, Camilla quickly added, "Oh, I put aside the surveillance videos today to accompany you here in Snow's house. When you get back, you must help me go through them together!"

CHAPTER 1985 A COLLABORATION

Upon hearing his sister's words, Cameron immediately promised without hesitation, "Don't worry, I'll fully cooperate with you when we get back!"

Cameron nodded in satisfaction and was about to speak when two men and two women walked in at the entrance of the main hall.

It was Geraldo's family of three and the second son, Dario.

Seeing Haidee coming in, Cameron became somewhat nervous, his palms beginning to sweat immediately.

Camilla on the side noticed this and gently poked him with a finger, giving him a reminder with her eyes. She then stood up immediately, smiling at the four who had arrived and said, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, and Haidee, hello! Sorry for the intrusion, but I wish you all a Happy New Year in advance!"

With that, she quickly took out a long gift box and handed it to Amelia, saying, "Aunt Amelia, this is a New Year gift for you and Uncle Snow!"

Seeing Camilla taking the lead, Amelia took the initiative to respond, saying, "Oh, it's Camilla, right? I haven't seen you in years, you've grown even more beautiful!"

Camilla smiled generously and replied, "Aunt Amelia, you flatter me. If we talk about beauty, Haidee is much prettier than me!"

Amelia said, "Oh, you're too kind. How can you bring a gift when you come to visit?"

Camilla said, "It's only right, Aunt Amelia. It's not anything expensive, just a painting by the late artist Zhang Daqian."

Amelia earnestly replied, "Camilla, this is too valuable, Auntie can't accept it."

Camilla quickly said, "Aunt Amelia, please don't be so polite. Honestly, a painting doesn't cost much, it's just a gesture of goodwill."

She then quickly changed the subject and introduced Cameron, who was a bit awkward, to the somewhat reserved Amelia and Geraldo, "By the way, Aunt Amelia, Uncle Snow, this is my brother, Cameron! Haidee, I believe you and my brother have met before, right?"

Haidee nodded faintly and said, "Yes, I've met Mr. Salvador a few times."

Seeing that Cameron bore a striking resemblance to Virtuoso, Geraldo suddenly felt somewhat displeased.

He looked at Cameron and Camilla, with a smile that seemed somewhat ambiguous, and said, "Speaking frankly, in the past decade or so, no one from the Salvador family has ever visited the Snow family. I wonder how you, siblings, have condescended to come to my residence?"

Camilla quickly explained, "Uncle Snow, my brother runs a cosmetics company and this year he's looking to enhance the brand's visibility. Coincidentally, I'm a fan of Haidee and I know she's about to start a concert tour, so we thought of facilitating a collaboration to have my brother sponsor Haidee's concert."

Geraldo was somewhat surprised. He had assumed that Camilla and Cameron's visit was likely related to some sort of family-level cooperation between the Salvador and Snow families.

However, he didn't expect that the siblings came just to discuss a small collaboration for his daughter's concert.

Nevertheless, he felt somewhat relieved. Since they were here to discuss a collaboration with his daughter, he didn't need to get involved.

So he casually said, "You can discuss this directly with Haidee. Generally, I don't interfere in her matters along with your Aunt Amelia."

Camilla nodded and then looked at Haidee, asking her, "Haidee, what do you think?"

In fact, Haidee wasn't very interested. She didn't enter the entertainment industry to make money, so she fundamentally differed from those money-oriented female celebrities.

Other female celebrities might only see money in everything they do.

Whether participating in variety shows, promotional events, singing songs, or acting in movies and TV dramas, they would consider how much they were paid.

CHAPTER 1986 TOUCHED THE SOFTEST SPOT

Some are willing to sell even their own bodies for money.

But Haidee is an exception.

Money holds little practical value for her.

Moreover, she had already planned to leave the entertainment industry after reuniting with Charlie.

Her intention was to exit the entertainment industry first, then marry Charlie after he resolved his current marital issues, and focus on being a homemaker.

She had even decided that when the final concert of her tour arrived, she would announce her complete withdrawal from everything related to music, film, television, and shows.

Therefore, the collaboration Camilla proposed held no interest for her.

Thus, she straightforwardly said, "Sorry Camilla, I didn't plan to have a title sponsor for this tour. The promotional materials for the concert are already prepared, some online platforms have started promoting, it's too late to sign a sponsor now, and there's no time to modify the existing promotional materials."

Camilla hurriedly said, "Why not, Sister Haidee, as long as you agree, we can still make it work even if we join in midway."

As she spoke, she quickly signaled to Cameron.

Cameron on the side promptly added, "Here's the thing, Miss Haidee, I propose combining the sponsorship with your concert and creating a large-scale charity promotion. If you agree, I can provide a sponsorship of ten million for each concert, all donated in your name to a charity organisation dedicated to improving the living conditions and education quality of orphans. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Haidee hesitated.

Initially, she had made up her mind to refuse directly, but she didn't expect Cameron to propose cooperation through charity.

Furthermore, it was specifically aimed at orphaned children.

This touched the softest spot in her heart.

Back when she reunited with Charlie and learned about his ten years in a welfare institution, Haidee always felt sorry for Charlie's difficult childhood and teenage years.

If an adult faces hardships after entering society, it might be considered a form of tempering. However, enduring hardships during childhood is an experience that is hard to overcome for anyone.

Childhood is meant to be a time of innocence and joy, which is crucial for everyone.

A happy childhood can bring a sense of happiness even in old age, while a difficult childhood can cast a shadow that lasts a lifetime.

Due to her compassion for Charlie, Haidee also felt empathy for other orphans who had similar experiences.

At this moment, she felt somewhat ashamed and thought to herself with self-reproach, "I'm so foolish! I should have thought about helping other orphans sooner, why did I need someone else to remind me?"

With this in mind, she suggested, "Mr. Salvador, since it's for charity and you're using your money in my name, I feel unworthy. How about we collaborate with your cosmetics company for this? Your company donates ten million for each concert, and I personally donate another ten million!"

CHAPTER 1987 A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Upon hearing Haidee's agreement, Cameron was instantly overjoyed.

He then looked at his sister, Camilla, with a face full of admiration.

At this moment, Cameron truly admired his younger sister, Camilla, greatly.

He knew that despite being younger than him by a few years, his sister was much smarter than him!

Persuading Haidee to accept the naming cooperation in the name of charity was a solution that Camilla had already thought of.

Camilla had analyzed Haidee; she was not lacking in money, love, or suitors, making it quite challenging for an ordinary man to impress her.

Not to mention pursuing her, even wanting to collaborate with her was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Therefore, Camilla believed that to impress Haidee, they had to take a different approach.

She remembered that Haidee once had a fiancé arranged by her parents, who had mysteriously disappeared, and she thought that touching Haidee could be achieved through charity for orphans.

After all, a child who had been missing for many years was likely to fall into two categories: either no longer in this world or had grown up as an orphan.

Hence, she believed that as long as her brother presented the idea of charity for orphans, Haidee would not refuse.

And indeed!

Haidee fell right into her trap!

So, Cameron, very excitedly, said, "Miss Snow, since that's the case, let's wait until the new year to sign the contract, and then I'll arrange for the payment directly."

Haidee nodded and said, "Since we are each donating ten million, you don't need to pay my agency. Before each concert, we can each donate ten million to the local charity organization. What do you think, Mr. Salvador?"

Of course, Cameron had no objections and said without hesitation, "No problem! Absolutely no problem! Let's do it as Miss Snow suggested!"

Haidee actually had some ulterior motives.

Her first concert tour after the new year was in Aurous Hill, where Charlie had lived for many years. Deep down, she hoped to donate a sum to the charity organization in Aurous Hill first.

By then, this money could even be used to improve and expand the welfare house where Charlie grew up.

After all, with a population of over a billion in the country, if the money was directly donated to a national charity, it might not benefit Aurous Hill much.

Instead of that, it was better to donate directly to Aurous Hill twenty million.

Cameron was unaware of Haidee's plan. He had always paid close attention to Haidee, so he knew that Haidee's first concert after the new year was scheduled in Aurous Hill.

However, due to his sister's previous reminder, he pretended to be curious and asked, "By the way, Miss Snow, may I ask where your first concert of the year is going to be?"

Haidee immediately replied, "The first concert will be in Aurous Hill on the second day of the second lunar month."

Cameron nodded and said with a smile, "Aurous Hill is not far away, just a two-hour flight. Since we have reached a cooperation agreement, I will definitely go to Aurous Hill to support Miss Snow at the concert and personally donate the promised amount to the Aurous Hill Charity Foundation!"

CHAPTER 1988 SETTLE THE SCORE

Haidee smiled slightly, "Then I'll thank Mr. Salvador on behalf of the orphans in Aurous Hill."

Cameron quickly waved his hand, "No, no, this is what should be done. Besides, the money I donated was originally intended as sponsorship funds. So, if the orphans in Aurous Hill want to express gratitude, it should be towards Miss Snow, not me."

Haidee smiled unknowingly, then said, "Mr. Salvador, since the collaboration is settled, let's wait until after the New Year to proceed. I have something to attend to now, so I must take my leave."

Upon hearing this, Cameron stood up quickly and said with a smile, "Miss Haidee, if you're busy, we won't disturb you!"

Haidee nodded gently and instructed her servant, "Aunt Charlie, please help me escort the guests out."

A middle-aged maid immediately approached and respectfully said, "This way, please."

Though reluctant, Cameron stood up and bid farewell to Haidee, Geraldo, and Amelia, "Miss Snow, Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, we'll take our leave now."

Geraldo nodded and said indifferently, "Take care."

Amelia smiled politely, "We won't see you off, take care on the way."

Cameron hurriedly added, "Aunt Amelia, please stay, visit us when you have time."

Amelia politely replied, "Sure, I'll visit your residence when I have the chance."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the household staff escorted Salvador's siblings out.

Once they left, Geraldo couldn't help but furrow his brows and muttered, "I always feel that the young ones from the Salvador family are a bit strange."

Amelia agreed, "I have the same feeling, it seems a bit unnatural."

She continued, "It's probably related to their recent experience in Japan. After all, that incident caused quite a stir. It's said that if a mysterious person hadn't saved them, they might have died in Japan."

Geraldo nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "I heard that Virtuoso also went to Japan back then. How come he didn't die there?"

Amelia warned him seriously, "Don't speak recklessly. Virtuoso is now the heir of the Salvador family. We can't afford to provoke him. If you spread rumors, you'll only invite trouble for yourself."

Grinding his teeth, Geraldo grumbled, "That old bastard Virtuoso, among all the scoundrels in Eastcliff, this grandson is the worst! Big Brother Drake had numerous chances to finish him off in the past, but he always showed mercy. Look at how he repaid kindness with ingratitude later! It's truly sickening!"

Patting his back, Amelia comforted him, "Alright, let go of these matters. Even if you've just recovered from a serious illness, our family is no match for the Salvador family in terms of strength. As for the grudge with Virtuoso, when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff in the future, you two can team up to settle the score!"

Geraldo nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, "You're right! One day when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff, marries Haidee, and inherits the entire Wade family, at that time, let's see how the Salvador family can still act arrogantly!"

Haidee, feeling somewhat embarrassed, whispered, "Dad... the matter of me and Charlie hasn't even begun, don't forget he's already a married man..."

Geraldo waved his hand confidently and said, "Haidee, trust me, within three years, Little Charlie will definitely marry you!"

Haidee blushed slightly and asked in surprise, "Dad... how can you be so sure?"

Geraldo looked at Haidee, very seriously said, "Little Charlie's character and way of doing things are so much like your Uncle Wade. Just based on this, I dare to affirm that Little Charlie will follow the arrangement of his parents and marry you one day!"

CHAPTER 1989 GETTING CLOSER

On the way back, with Cameron behind the wheel and Camilla in the passenger seat, Cameron's good mood was evident as he couldn't stop smiling.

Seeing this, Camilla chuckled and said, "Bro, I've sorted out that matter for you. When it comes to finding benefactor, you've got to help me out too!"

Without hesitation, Cameron replied, "Camilla, trust me, I'll give it my all. Even if it costs me my eyesight, I'll find benefactor for you!"

Satisfied, Camilla nodded and said, "You've got a conscience!"

Then, Cameron sighed, "There's just too much video footage to go through. Only the two of us have seen benefactor, so we can't ask for help. I wonder how long it will take us to go through all that material."

Camilla explained, "I've come up with a rough plan that should save us a lot of effort."

Eagerly, Cameron asked, "What plan? Tell me!"

Camilla elaborated, "Even though only we have seen benefactor's face, others can help us with a simple screening process!"

"First, I'll have the staff at the Salvador family's disposal filter out all female passengers from the airport footage, regardless of age, then eliminate all men who are white, black, or brown-skinned. Among the remaining yellow-skinned male passengers, we'll further screen out those who look underage, those who appear to be over thirty, and the elderly. We'll only focus on adult male passengers who seem to be between 18 and 28 years old."

"Next, I'll have them extract the front-facing photos of all eligible young male passengers from the video footage."

"This way, we won't have to watch all the videos ourselves. We can have hundreds or thousands of people help us by looking at the cropped images!"

"They can help us identify the eligible passengers and provide us with clear photos to search for benefactor among them!"

Excitedly, Cameron exclaimed, "That's brilliant, Camilla! Your mind works fast. So, instead of watching the videos, we just wait for others to extract the images, then we look for someone who resembles benefactor in the pictures!"

"Yes!" Camilla agreed, "If we find a young male passenger in one of the images who really looks like benefactor, we'll contact the person who cropped that photo and ask them to send us the video clip where the image was taken."

"By combining the image with the video, we can make a clearer judgment on whether that person is benefactor!"

"If it is him, we can trace benefactor's entire movement at the airport along that video, figure out which flight he took, where he landed in China from Japan, and then go directly to that city to find him!"

Impressed, Cameron gave a thumbs up to Camilla and exclaimed, "Impressive! I believe with this method, we should be able to track down benefactor's whereabouts in a matter of days!"

At this moment, in Aurous Hill, Charlie was unaware that Camilla was getting closer to finding him.

After sorting out the gifts with his father-in-law, Jacob, they proceeded with their original plan to drive to the largest supermarket nearby for Chinese New Year shopping.

Due to the upcoming festivities, the streets were crowded with people out shopping, causing a long wait just to find a parking spot.

Once they parked, Charlie and Jacob entered the supermarket, only to find it packed with people, operating at full capacity.

CHAPTER 1990 A SHINY PIECE OF CRAP

With the upcoming Chinese New Year, many employees have already gone home for the holidays, causing the supermarket to be twice as busy as usual but with fewer staff members available. This shortage extends to salespeople, cleaners, cashiers, and even the staff responsible for weighing items, leading to long queues just to weigh vegetables.

Seeing the crowded supermarket, Jacob expressed his frustration, "Ah! I should have come out to shop earlier so I could relax at home watching TV instead of joining this chaos!"

"Yeah," helplessly chuckled Charlie, "I wanted to come yesterday, but Mum was injured."

Jacob grumbled, "Don't mention that troublesome woman, always causing trouble!"

He then sighed, "How does she get away with so much mischief without breaking the law? If she accidentally crossed the legal line, got herself locked up for a few years, wouldn't that be great!"

Charlie fell silent and smiled, "Dad, if Claire hears you say that, she'd be heartbroken."

Jacob hurriedly added, "Ah, I'm just venting to you, don't tell Claire!"

Charlie nodded, "I won't, don't worry."

Jacob sighed, "Alright, enough about her, let's quickly buy ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner."

"Sure," Charlie agreed, "Let's start with the vegetable section first; we need to grab fresh veggies before they're all picked over."

As they chatted, they made their way to the vegetable section, which despite its large size, was crowded and narrow due to densely packed shelves.

As Charlie and Jacob pushed their trolley through the aisle, they suddenly heard someone cursing loudly, "You old hag, are you blind? Can't you see I'm mopping the floor? Get out of the way!"

Then, a familiar voice chimed in, an elderly woman meekly and aggrievedly saying, "Verity, why do you always mop under my feet? In just a short while, you've mopped back and forth under my feet a dozen times!"

The speaker was none other than Madam Wilson!

She was wearing the supermarket's green staff vest, holding a roll of plastic bags used for shopping.

In front of her stood a robust woman, also clad in a green vest - Verity!

At that moment, Verity was poking the elderly Madam Wilson's feet with the mop handle deliberately.

Madam Wilson almost stumbled several times, clinging to the edge of the shelf, pleading, "Verity, all the past misunderstandings were my fault. Please, considering my age, let's not stoop to this level!"

Verity glared at her angrily, sneering, "Now you're begging for mercy? Weren't you arrogant before? Weren't you acting all tough when you scolded me?"

Madam Wilson dared not speak under her scolding gaze.

Verity continued coldly, "I used to envy your luxury cars and mansions, thinking you lived a lavish life. Turns out, you're just a shiny piece of crap! You may look good on the outside, but you're nothing but trash! You used to look down on me, and now you're reduced to working in the same supermarket as me?"

Story keeps Getting better everyday. Thanks Immortal Junlee

Prodigy · Jun 13, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1981 NEXT STOP

Geraldo initially thought that Charlie wouldn't agree, but to his surprise, he agreed so readily. He immediately said, "If your grandfather knew you were willing to go back for the ancestral ceremony, he would be very happy!"

Charlie smiled inwardly, thinking, "Whether he will be happy or not probably depends on whether I will follow his arrangements and become a tool for the Wade family's external marriage alliances."

However, he didn't share these thoughts with Geraldo.

At that moment, Haidee spoke up again, "By the way, Brother Charlie, I've already scheduled my concert in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie asked in surprise, "Concert? In Aurous Hill?"

Haidee nodded, smiling, "Originally, my tour concert's next stop was Aurous Hill, but the specific date hadn't been finalized before."

Charlie then remembered that when he was planning to have dinner with his wife and Haidee, his wife had excitedly mentioned that Haidee would be holding a concert in Aurous Hill soon. He didn't expect it to be scheduled so soon.

So, he asked her, "Haidee, when is your concert?"

Haidee replied, "It's on the evening of the second day of the second lunar month, your birthday, at 7 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium in Aurous Hill!"

Charlie was taken aback.

The second day of the second lunar month? On his birthday?

Was this girl intentionally choosing that day for her concert?

Excitedly, Haidee said, "Brother Charlie, I've reserved the best seat for you. You must come and support me!"

Charlie nodded, "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there."

Haidee happily exclaimed, "Then we'll see each other in Aurous Hill!"

"Okay."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door during the video call with Geraldo.

Geraldo said, "Come in."

Following that, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, entered and respectfully said, "Big brother, sister-in-law, the Salvador family has sent gifts."

Geraldo furrowed his brow, puzzled, "The Salvador family? We've never been close. Why would they suddenly send gifts?"

Dario shook his head, equally puzzled, "I don't understand either. This time, it's Virtuoso's son and daughter, Cameron and Camilla, who came. Virtuoso himself didn't come, probably aware that you've been displeased with him since the incident with Brother Wade."

Geraldo was even more confused, "If Virtuoso didn't come, why did the younger generation of the Salvador family come? I've never heard of the Salvador family's juniors visiting during the New Year!"

The Salvador family in Eastcliff always held a high status.

Whether it was Harrison or his sons, they never visited others during the New Year, at most just visiting their in-laws.

Even the younger generation of the Salvador family, like Camilla, never lowered their status to visit other families during the New Year.

Therefore, Geraldo couldn't understand why Virtuoso's children had come to visit him.

Charlie was also puzzled.

CHAPTER 1982 DREAM GIRL

Back in Japan, he casually saved Cameron and Camilla, thinking they were just fellow countrymen, but to his surprise, they turned out to be enemies' children, which left him feeling quite frustrated for a while.

Now, these two individuals have turned up at Geraldo's house again.

Could it be that the Salvador family is trying to win over the Snow family now too?

However, Charlie didn't say much in the video, considering that Geraldo was unaware of his experiences in Japan.

At that moment, Dario, the second son of the Snow family, spoke up, "Brother, I'm not quite sure why the younger generation of the Salvador family has come to give gifts. However, I feel it might be related to the recent events in Japan. The Salvador family has indeed suffered heavy losses recently, maybe they are now thinking of trying to win over more families."

Geraldo, with a cold expression, said, "In all of Eastcliff, the one I despise the most is Virtuoso! A complete scoundrel! He was the one who incited the anti-Wade alliance back then, the trash who shot arrows in the dark!" Remember to keep in touch for a second to provide you with exciting novel reading on your mobile phone.

Amelia, on the side, spoke up, "Disliking someone is one thing, but as the saying goes, don't hit a smiling face with your hand. Moreover, this time it's Virtuoso's two children who have come. Don't transfer the past grievances onto the younger generation, otherwise, it might become a laughing stock if it gets out."

After some contemplation, Geraldo nodded and said, "Alright, let's see what they're up to."

With that, he turned to Charlie and said, "Charlie, the Salvador family has sent gifts, I'll go and accept them."

Charlie nodded and said, "Sure thing, Uncle Snow, go ahead, I'll stay here and wish you and your family an early Happy New Year!"

Geraldo nodded with a smile, "Happy! Happy! In recent years during the New Year, I've never been as happy as today!"

He couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, if only you, Charlie, could celebrate New Year in Eastcliff! If the four of us could celebrate together, it would be better than anything! I would just close the door and enjoy a complete family reunion, even if the Emperor himself came knocking, I wouldn't see him!"

Charlie knew that Geraldo and his wife both hoped he would become their son-in-law, even his late parents must have wished for the same.

However, he had never considered divorcing Claire, so at this moment, he didn't know how to respond to Geraldo's words.

At this point, Amelia intervened, "Alright, alright, Charlie must have an idea in mind, maybe your wish will come true in a few years, there's no need to rush things now."

Geraldo agreed, "No rush, good things come to those who wait, we've waited for so many years, what's another three years?"

With that, he said to Charlie, "Charlie, I won't keep you any longer for now, we'll chat another day, I wish you a Happy New Year here too!"

Charlie hurriedly replied, "Thank you, Uncle Snow!"

Haidee then spoke up, "Dad, Mum, you go ahead, I'll chat with Brother Charlie for a while."

Geraldo said, "Why don't you come along too, there's nothing much for me to talk about with the younger generation of the Salvador family, you know them, right? Exchange a few words with them on my behalf, then find a reason to see them off."

Haidee reluctantly said, "Alright then."

After that, Haidee turned to Charlie and said, "Brother Charlie, I'll take my leave now."

Charlie nodded with a smile, "Sure, go ahead."

At this moment, in the main hall of the Snow family's courtyard.

The talented Cameron sat elegantly on the rosewood sofa with the graceful Camilla.

After the Snow family's servants served tea and left, the main hall was temporarily left with just the two of them.

Seeing Cameron looking a bit nervous, Camilla whispered teasingly in his ear, "Brother, when you meet your dream girl later, make sure not to appear too nervous!"

CHAPTER 1983 COURAGE TO PURSUE

Cameron was already feeling a bit nervous, but when he heard his sister say that, he became even more anxious.

As siblings, they, along with Haidee, belonged to the top wealthy second generation in Eastcliff. Though their relationship wasn't particularly close, they could still be considered ordinary friends.

Cameron had been silently admiring Haidee for years. However, since Haidee never mingled in the circle of wealthy second generations, he didn't have many opportunities to interact with her.

Moreover, Cameron didn't dare to confess to Haidee because he knew that in the eyes of his father, Virtuoso, the Snow family was somewhat beneath them.

As the eldest grandson of the Salvador family, Cameron would undoubtedly become the head of the family at some point in the future.

Therefore, Virtuoso placed great importance on his son's marriage.

In his view, the Salvador family was already the number one family in the country, and the second-ranked Wade family was their rivals. Hence, Cameron had no need to search for a suitable marriage partner within the country.

Virtuoso's plan for Cameron was either to marry someone influential or simply form an alliance with a top family from abroad.

Hence, he certainly wouldn't want his son to be with Haidee from the Snow family.

Cameron had never thought of confessing to Haidee before. As the eldest son of the Salvador family, even though his abilities were not as good as Camilla's, his understanding of situations was higher.

He knew that he couldn't make decisions about his own marriage, so he decided to give up the right to choose independently and let his family arrange it for him.

However, after being kidnapped by ninjas in Japan and almost killed, he suddenly felt the brevity of life.

He thought that even if one lived a good life, it would only be for a few decades, and at any moment, an accident could lead to an untimely death.

So why should he compromise on such a significant matter as marriage?

Since he had always admired Haidee, why not muster the courage to pursue her!

After discussing this plan with Camilla, she immediately agreed and cleverly devised a way for him to get close to Haidee.

Knowing that Haidee would have a series of nationwide concert tours after New Year, she suggested that her brother approach Haidee to discuss sponsoring the concerts.

Coincidentally, Cameron owned a nationally renowned cosmetic company, so Camilla proposed using this brand to negotiate a sponsorship deal with Haidee.

Camilla's intention was for Cameron to establish a business connection with Haidee first. Then, he could follow up by sponsoring her concert as a way to show support.

By doing so, they could gradually deepen their relationship through business dealings, ultimately bringing them closer.

If the brother had enough capability and charm, things might just fall into place naturally.

At this moment, Cameron was somewhat nervous, and he quietly asked Camilla, "Do you think Haidee would agree to let me sponsor her concert?"

Camilla earnestly replied, "If you follow my instructions, I think it shouldn't be a problem."

CHAPTER 1984 GIVE IT A SHOT

Cameron nodded slightly, feeling a bit unsure, and whispered, "I heard before that Haidee seems to have had a prearranged marriage with a junior from the Wade family. If I confess to her, do you think she would agree?"

Camilla helplessly comforted, "Oh, mate! Why are you so indecisive like a girl!"

"Don't overthink it, once the arrow is shot, it can't be taken back!"

"And even if she has a betrothal, so what? The one betrothed to her is the son of Drake from the Wade family. When Drake and his wife tragically passed away years ago, he was already missing. Whether he is still alive is unknown, how could he come back to marry Haidee?"

Continuing, Camilla added, "You, just do your best and show your worth. You are the eldest grandson of the Salvador family. In terms of wealth, few in the country can match you, you are handsome, well-educated, and have a high level of culture. I believe you are more than worthy of Haidee."

Cameron sighed again, "Actually, there's something else I'm not sure if you are aware of."

Camilla asked, "What is it?"

Cameron said, "Dad had always been at odds with Drake. In order to counter Drake's unstoppable momentum, Dad even formed an anti-Wade alliance. The hatred against Drake can be said to run deep. And as Drake is sworn brothers with Geraldo, Haidee's father, I worry that Haidee's father may have a bias against our Salvador family."

Camilla furrowed his brow, saying, "I know Dad had issues with Drake, heard about it from Uncle, but I've never heard of Drake being sworn brothers with Geraldo."

He consoled, "Nevertheless, it's been many years. I think he shouldn't hold grudges anymore, right? Even if he has biases, they would be towards Dad, not us younger generations. Moreover, Haidee is his only daughter. If she truly likes you, I believe he should respect his daughter's choice, don't you think so?"

Upon hearing this, Cameron's nervousness eased slightly, nodding, "You make sense, I'll give it a shot!"

Camilla chuckled, "Mate, be more confident. There are countless women worldwide lining up to marry you, some with even better overall conditions than Haidee. Why feel inferior?"

Cameron chuckled ironically, "You're right, but I still can't help but feel nervous."

Camilla stated seriously, "It's a mentality issue. Lack of confidence is the key! If I were to fall for a man in the future, I wouldn't feel inferior at all, even if he were a prince from the Middle East."

With a smirk, she added, "A prince isn't all that grand. Setting aside my dislike for foreigners, even if a prince stood before me, I wouldn't be in awe!"

"A prince may sound impressive, with a family fortune of several billion US dollars. However, within their family, there are hundreds of princes, each averaging just a few billion US dollars in assets. Still not enough for this miss's pocket money."

Cameron looked at Camilla, chuckled lightly, and said seriously, "Sometimes I wish I had your carefree attitude, not bothered by trivial matters, living so freely."

Camilla teased, "Are you praising me or mocking me?"

"Praising you!" Cameron replied earnestly, "I've always been under the pressure of being the eldest grandson, so I've been constrained and demanded by my grandfather and father since I was young. My rough edges have long been smoothed out in front of them, with no rebellious spirit left. Unlike you, who can stand your ground against anyone."

Camilla replied, "Well, our situations are different after all. You're the one who will inherit the family in the future, not me. That's why I can live carefreely."

Cameron nodded and asked her, "By the way, weren't you looking for benefactor? How's the search going?"

Camilla sighed, "I just got hold of the surveillance videos from several major airports in Japan. I'm scanning through them one by one, hoping to find something by my thirtieth birthday. I'm still trying to figure out a reliable solution."

After speaking, Camilla quickly added, "Oh, I put aside the surveillance videos today to accompany you here in Snow's house. When you get back, you must help me go through them together!"

CHAPTER 1985 A COLLABORATION

Upon hearing his sister's words, Cameron immediately promised without hesitation, "Don't worry, I'll fully cooperate with you when we get back!"

Cameron nodded in satisfaction and was about to speak when two men and two women walked in at the entrance of the main hall.

It was Geraldo's family of three and the second son, Dario.

Seeing Haidee coming in, Cameron became somewhat nervous, his palms beginning to sweat immediately.

Camilla on the side noticed this and gently poked him with a finger, giving him a reminder with her eyes. She then stood up immediately, smiling at the four who had arrived and said, "Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, and Haidee, hello! Sorry for the intrusion, but I wish you all a Happy New Year in advance!"

With that, she quickly took out a long gift box and handed it to Amelia, saying, "Aunt Amelia, this is a New Year gift for you and Uncle Snow!"

Seeing Camilla taking the lead, Amelia took the initiative to respond, saying, "Oh, it's Camilla, right? I haven't seen you in years, you've grown even more beautiful!"

Camilla smiled generously and replied, "Aunt Amelia, you flatter me. If we talk about beauty, Haidee is much prettier than me!"

Amelia said, "Oh, you're too kind. How can you bring a gift when you come to visit?"

Camilla said, "It's only right, Aunt Amelia. It's not anything expensive, just a painting by the late artist Zhang Daqian."

Amelia earnestly replied, "Camilla, this is too valuable, Auntie can't accept it."

Camilla quickly said, "Aunt Amelia, please don't be so polite. Honestly, a painting doesn't cost much, it's just a gesture of goodwill."

She then quickly changed the subject and introduced Cameron, who was a bit awkward, to the somewhat reserved Amelia and Geraldo, "By the way, Aunt Amelia, Uncle Snow, this is my brother, Cameron! Haidee, I believe you and my brother have met before, right?"

Haidee nodded faintly and said, "Yes, I've met Mr. Salvador a few times."

Seeing that Cameron bore a striking resemblance to Virtuoso, Geraldo suddenly felt somewhat displeased.

He looked at Cameron and Camilla, with a smile that seemed somewhat ambiguous, and said, "Speaking frankly, in the past decade or so, no one from the Salvador family has ever visited the Snow family. I wonder how you, siblings, have condescended to come to my residence?"

Camilla quickly explained, "Uncle Snow, my brother runs a cosmetics company and this year he's looking to enhance the brand's visibility. Coincidentally, I'm a fan of Haidee and I know she's about to start a concert tour, so we thought of facilitating a collaboration to have my brother sponsor Haidee's concert."

Geraldo was somewhat surprised. He had assumed that Camilla and Cameron's visit was likely related to some sort of family-level cooperation between the Salvador and Snow families.

However, he didn't expect that the siblings came just to discuss a small collaboration for his daughter's concert.

Nevertheless, he felt somewhat relieved. Since they were here to discuss a collaboration with his daughter, he didn't need to get involved.

So he casually said, "You can discuss this directly with Haidee. Generally, I don't interfere in her matters along with your Aunt Amelia."

Camilla nodded and then looked at Haidee, asking her, "Haidee, what do you think?"

In fact, Haidee wasn't very interested. She didn't enter the entertainment industry to make money, so she fundamentally differed from those money-oriented female celebrities.

Other female celebrities might only see money in everything they do.

Whether participating in variety shows, promotional events, singing songs, or acting in movies and TV dramas, they would consider how much they were paid.

CHAPTER 1986 TOUCHED THE SOFTEST SPOT

Some are willing to sell even their own bodies for money.

But Haidee is an exception.

Money holds little practical value for her.

Moreover, she had already planned to leave the entertainment industry after reuniting with Charlie.

Her intention was to exit the entertainment industry first, then marry Charlie after he resolved his current marital issues, and focus on being a homemaker.

She had even decided that when the final concert of her tour arrived, she would announce her complete withdrawal from everything related to music, film, television, and shows.

Therefore, the collaboration Camilla proposed held no interest for her.

Thus, she straightforwardly said, "Sorry Camilla, I didn't plan to have a title sponsor for this tour. The promotional materials for the concert are already prepared, some online platforms have started promoting, it's too late to sign a sponsor now, and there's no time to modify the existing promotional materials."

Camilla hurriedly said, "Why not, Sister Haidee, as long as you agree, we can still make it work even if we join in midway."

As she spoke, she quickly signaled to Cameron.

Cameron on the side promptly added, "Here's the thing, Miss Haidee, I propose combining the sponsorship with your concert and creating a large-scale charity promotion. If you agree, I can provide a sponsorship of ten million for each concert, all donated in your name to a charity organisation dedicated to improving the living conditions and education quality of orphans. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Haidee hesitated.

Initially, she had made up her mind to refuse directly, but she didn't expect Cameron to propose cooperation through charity.

Furthermore, it was specifically aimed at orphaned children.

This touched the softest spot in her heart.

Back when she reunited with Charlie and learned about his ten years in a welfare institution, Haidee always felt sorry for Charlie's difficult childhood and teenage years.

If an adult faces hardships after entering society, it might be considered a form of tempering. However, enduring hardships during childhood is an experience that is hard to overcome for anyone.

Childhood is meant to be a time of innocence and joy, which is crucial for everyone.

A happy childhood can bring a sense of happiness even in old age, while a difficult childhood can cast a shadow that lasts a lifetime.

Due to her compassion for Charlie, Haidee also felt empathy for other orphans who had similar experiences.

At this moment, she felt somewhat ashamed and thought to herself with self-reproach, "I'm so foolish! I should have thought about helping other orphans sooner, why did I need someone else to remind me?"

With this in mind, she suggested, "Mr. Salvador, since it's for charity and you're using your money in my name, I feel unworthy. How about we collaborate with your cosmetics company for this? Your company donates ten million for each concert, and I personally donate another ten million!"

CHAPTER 1987 A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Upon hearing Haidee's agreement, Cameron was instantly overjoyed.

He then looked at his sister, Camilla, with a face full of admiration.

At this moment, Cameron truly admired his younger sister, Camilla, greatly.

He knew that despite being younger than him by a few years, his sister was much smarter than him!

Persuading Haidee to accept the naming cooperation in the name of charity was a solution that Camilla had already thought of.

Camilla had analyzed Haidee; she was not lacking in money, love, or suitors, making it quite challenging for an ordinary man to impress her.

Not to mention pursuing her, even wanting to collaborate with her was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Therefore, Camilla believed that to impress Haidee, they had to take a different approach.

She remembered that Haidee once had a fiancé arranged by her parents, who had mysteriously disappeared, and she thought that touching Haidee could be achieved through charity for orphans.

After all, a child who had been missing for many years was likely to fall into two categories: either no longer in this world or had grown up as an orphan.

Hence, she believed that as long as her brother presented the idea of charity for orphans, Haidee would not refuse.

And indeed!

Haidee fell right into her trap!

So, Cameron, very excitedly, said, "Miss Snow, since that's the case, let's wait until the new year to sign the contract, and then I'll arrange for the payment directly."

Haidee nodded and said, "Since we are each donating ten million, you don't need to pay my agency. Before each concert, we can each donate ten million to the local charity organization. What do you think, Mr. Salvador?"

Of course, Cameron had no objections and said without hesitation, "No problem! Absolutely no problem! Let's do it as Miss Snow suggested!"

Haidee actually had some ulterior motives.

Her first concert tour after the new year was in Aurous Hill, where Charlie had lived for many years. Deep down, she hoped to donate a sum to the charity organization in Aurous Hill first.

By then, this money could even be used to improve and expand the welfare house where Charlie grew up.

After all, with a population of over a billion in the country, if the money was directly donated to a national charity, it might not benefit Aurous Hill much.

Instead of that, it was better to donate directly to Aurous Hill twenty million.

Cameron was unaware of Haidee's plan. He had always paid close attention to Haidee, so he knew that Haidee's first concert after the new year was scheduled in Aurous Hill.

However, due to his sister's previous reminder, he pretended to be curious and asked, "By the way, Miss Snow, may I ask where your first concert of the year is going to be?"

Haidee immediately replied, "The first concert will be in Aurous Hill on the second day of the second lunar month."

Cameron nodded and said with a smile, "Aurous Hill is not far away, just a two-hour flight. Since we have reached a cooperation agreement, I will definitely go to Aurous Hill to support Miss Snow at the concert and personally donate the promised amount to the Aurous Hill Charity Foundation!"

CHAPTER 1988 SETTLE THE SCORE

Haidee smiled slightly, "Then I'll thank Mr. Salvador on behalf of the orphans in Aurous Hill."

Cameron quickly waved his hand, "No, no, this is what should be done. Besides, the money I donated was originally intended as sponsorship funds. So, if the orphans in Aurous Hill want to express gratitude, it should be towards Miss Snow, not me."

Haidee smiled unknowingly, then said, "Mr. Salvador, since the collaboration is settled, let's wait until after the New Year to proceed. I have something to attend to now, so I must take my leave."

Upon hearing this, Cameron stood up quickly and said with a smile, "Miss Haidee, if you're busy, we won't disturb you!"

Haidee nodded gently and instructed her servant, "Aunt Charlie, please help me escort the guests out."

A middle-aged maid immediately approached and respectfully said, "This way, please."

Though reluctant, Cameron stood up and bid farewell to Haidee, Geraldo, and Amelia, "Miss Snow, Uncle Snow, Aunt Amelia, we'll take our leave now."

Geraldo nodded and said indifferently, "Take care."

Amelia smiled politely, "We won't see you off, take care on the way."

Cameron hurriedly added, "Aunt Amelia, please stay, visit us when you have time."

Amelia politely replied, "Sure, I'll visit your residence when I have the chance."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the household staff escorted Salvador's siblings out.

Once they left, Geraldo couldn't help but furrow his brows and muttered, "I always feel that the young ones from the Salvador family are a bit strange."

Amelia agreed, "I have the same feeling, it seems a bit unnatural."

She continued, "It's probably related to their recent experience in Japan. After all, that incident caused quite a stir. It's said that if a mysterious person hadn't saved them, they might have died in Japan."

Geraldo nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "I heard that Virtuoso also went to Japan back then. How come he didn't die there?"

Amelia warned him seriously, "Don't speak recklessly. Virtuoso is now the heir of the Salvador family. We can't afford to provoke him. If you spread rumors, you'll only invite trouble for yourself."

Grinding his teeth, Geraldo grumbled, "That old bastard Virtuoso, among all the scoundrels in Eastcliff, this grandson is the worst! Big Brother Drake had numerous chances to finish him off in the past, but he always showed mercy. Look at how he repaid kindness with ingratitude later! It's truly sickening!"

Patting his back, Amelia comforted him, "Alright, let go of these matters. Even if you've just recovered from a serious illness, our family is no match for the Salvador family in terms of strength. As for the grudge with Virtuoso, when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff in the future, you two can team up to settle the score!"

Geraldo nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, "You're right! One day when Little Charlie returns to Eastcliff, marries Haidee, and inherits the entire Wade family, at that time, let's see how the Salvador family can still act arrogantly!"

Haidee, feeling somewhat embarrassed, whispered, "Dad... the matter of me and Charlie hasn't even begun, don't forget he's already a married man..."

Geraldo waved his hand confidently and said, "Haidee, trust me, within three years, Little Charlie will definitely marry you!"

Haidee blushed slightly and asked in surprise, "Dad... how can you be so sure?"

Geraldo looked at Haidee, very seriously said, "Little Charlie's character and way of doing things are so much like your Uncle Wade. Just based on this, I dare to affirm that Little Charlie will follow the arrangement of his parents and marry you one day!"

CHAPTER 1989 GETTING CLOSER

On the way back, with Cameron behind the wheel and Camilla in the passenger seat, Cameron's good mood was evident as he couldn't stop smiling.

Seeing this, Camilla chuckled and said, "Bro, I've sorted out that matter for you. When it comes to finding benefactor, you've got to help me out too!"

Without hesitation, Cameron replied, "Camilla, trust me, I'll give it my all. Even if it costs me my eyesight, I'll find benefactor for you!"

Satisfied, Camilla nodded and said, "You've got a conscience!"

Then, Cameron sighed, "There's just too much video footage to go through. Only the two of us have seen benefactor, so we can't ask for help. I wonder how long it will take us to go through all that material."

Camilla explained, "I've come up with a rough plan that should save us a lot of effort."

Eagerly, Cameron asked, "What plan? Tell me!"

Camilla elaborated, "Even though only we have seen benefactor's face, others can help us with a simple screening process!"

"First, I'll have the staff at the Salvador family's disposal filter out all female passengers from the airport footage, regardless of age, then eliminate all men who are white, black, or brown-skinned. Among the remaining yellow-skinned male passengers, we'll further screen out those who look underage, those who appear to be over thirty, and the elderly. We'll only focus on adult male passengers who seem to be between 18 and 28 years old."

"Next, I'll have them extract the front-facing photos of all eligible young male passengers from the video footage."

"This way, we won't have to watch all the videos ourselves. We can have hundreds or thousands of people help us by looking at the cropped images!"

"They can help us identify the eligible passengers and provide us with clear photos to search for benefactor among them!"

Excitedly, Cameron exclaimed, "That's brilliant, Camilla! Your mind works fast. So, instead of watching the videos, we just wait for others to extract the images, then we look for someone who resembles benefactor in the pictures!"

"Yes!" Camilla agreed, "If we find a young male passenger in one of the images who really looks like benefactor, we'll contact the person who cropped that photo and ask them to send us the video clip where the image was taken."

"By combining the image with the video, we can make a clearer judgment on whether that person is benefactor!"

"If it is him, we can trace benefactor's entire movement at the airport along that video, figure out which flight he took, where he landed in China from Japan, and then go directly to that city to find him!"

Impressed, Cameron gave a thumbs up to Camilla and exclaimed, "Impressive! I believe with this method, we should be able to track down benefactor's whereabouts in a matter of days!"

At this moment, in Aurous Hill, Charlie was unaware that Camilla was getting closer to finding him.

After sorting out the gifts with his father-in-law, Jacob, they proceeded with their original plan to drive to the largest supermarket nearby for Chinese New Year shopping.

Due to the upcoming festivities, the streets were crowded with people out shopping, causing a long wait just to find a parking spot.

Once they parked, Charlie and Jacob entered the supermarket, only to find it packed with people, operating at full capacity.

CHAPTER 1990 A SHINY PIECE OF CRAP

With the upcoming Chinese New Year, many employees have already gone home for the holidays, causing the supermarket to be twice as busy as usual but with fewer staff members available. This shortage extends to salespeople, cleaners, cashiers, and even the staff responsible for weighing items, leading to long queues just to weigh vegetables.

Seeing the crowded supermarket, Jacob expressed his frustration, "Ah! I should have come out to shop earlier so I could relax at home watching TV instead of joining this chaos!"

"Yeah," helplessly chuckled Charlie, "I wanted to come yesterday, but Mum was injured."

Jacob grumbled, "Don't mention that troublesome woman, always causing trouble!"

He then sighed, "How does she get away with so much mischief without breaking the law? If she accidentally crossed the legal line, got herself locked up for a few years, wouldn't that be great!"

Charlie fell silent and smiled, "Dad, if Claire hears you say that, she'd be heartbroken."

Jacob hurriedly added, "Ah, I'm just venting to you, don't tell Claire!"

Charlie nodded, "I won't, don't worry."

Jacob sighed, "Alright, enough about her, let's quickly buy ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner."

"Sure," Charlie agreed, "Let's start with the vegetable section first; we need to grab fresh veggies before they're all picked over."

As they chatted, they made their way to the vegetable section, which despite its large size, was crowded and narrow due to densely packed shelves.

As Charlie and Jacob pushed their trolley through the aisle, they suddenly heard someone cursing loudly, "You old hag, are you blind? Can't you see I'm mopping the floor? Get out of the way!"

Then, a familiar voice chimed in, an elderly woman meekly and aggrievedly saying, "Verity, why do you always mop under my feet? In just a short while, you've mopped back and forth under my feet a dozen times!"

The speaker was none other than Madam Wilson!

She was wearing the supermarket's green staff vest, holding a roll of plastic bags used for shopping.

In front of her stood a robust woman, also clad in a green vest - Verity!

At that moment, Verity was poking the elderly Madam Wilson's feet with the mop handle deliberately.

Madam Wilson almost stumbled several times, clinging to the edge of the shelf, pleading, "Verity, all the past misunderstandings were my fault. Please, considering my age, let's not stoop to this level!"

Verity glared at her angrily, sneering, "Now you're begging for mercy? Weren't you arrogant before? Weren't you acting all tough when you scolded me?"

Madam Wilson dared not speak under her scolding gaze.

Verity continued coldly, "I used to envy your luxury cars and mansions, thinking you lived a lavish life. Turns out, you're just a shiny piece of crap! You may look good on the outside, but you're nothing but trash! You used to look down on me, and now you're reduced to working in the same supermarket as me?"

I wonder how Charlie will react to this scene

rakak2000 · Jun 14, 2024

Need to see if Snow words come true. Will Charlie leave Claire? I don't see that love from Claire, when he returns from Japan. Now Camilla will come to Aurous Hill and sees Charlie. What happens next will be very interesting.

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') · Jun 14, 2024

CHAPTER 1991 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW

The commotion between the two immediately caught Jacob's attention.

He looked at his mother in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he asked Charlie, "Good son-in-law, is that really my mum? Am I seeing things?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Dad, you're not mistaken, it's indeed her."

Jacob exclaimed, "Why is she wearing a staff vest?! Did she come here to work?"

Charlie nodded, "It seems so."

Jacob puzzled, "This doesn't make sense, didn't Donald Weaver invest in the Wilson family? He even bought them a villa in Thomson Elite, they should be living quite comfortably now, shouldn't they?"

Unaware of the recent events, Jacob had no idea that Elaine was kidnapped by his own elder brother and nephew, or that Donald had relinquished a significant portion of the family assets and become subordinate to Orvel.

Hence, he was oblivious to the sudden downfall of Madam Wilson and her family in these past few days.

Charlie then mentioned, "I heard that it seems Donald has withdrawn his investment."

"Withdrawn?" Jacob exclaimed, "This Donald is so unreliable, he just withdraws like that? Why would he withdraw his investment? I believe with his wealth, he wouldn't care about investing in the Wilson Group, right?"

Charlie shrugged, laughing, "We're not sure about that."

Just then, they saw Verity poking Madam Wilson's ankle with a mop, disdainfully saying, "You old hag, move aside a bit, stop getting in my way when I'm mopping!"

Madam Wilson choked up, "Verity, the supermarket management arranged this job for me, to help customers with plastic bags here. If I don't do well, I'll be fired. Please, I beg you, let's not have conflicts, alright?"

Verity coldly snorted, "I used to respect you, but look at what you've done, you should know in your heart. This is called reaping what you sow!"

She then sneered a few times, gritting her teeth, "Let me tell you, old hag, don't be fooled by my lack of education as a rural woman, I may be uneducated but I have a tough backbone! And I especially dislike being looked down upon! Even if you hit me, I wouldn't mind, but you shouldn't insult me!"

After her words, she put away the mop, deliberately bumped into Madam Wilson as she passed by, causing Madam Wilson to hit the nearby shelf, wincing in pain.

However, after the collision, Verity didn't continue the confrontation, she went to mop elsewhere.

Madam Wilson stood still, feeling increasingly wronged.

In her heart, she bitterly and angrily thought, "I've lived a privileged life in the Wilson family for so many years, when have I ever been bullied like this?! It's simply outrageous!"

"What's even more unacceptable is, at my age, I have to come out and do this undignified temporary job!"

"Over these years in the Wilson family, I haven't even washed a teacup myself! And now, in the supermarket, I have to help customers with plastic bags to save their time!"

"But what other choice do I have?"

"If I don't work, how can I even feed myself..."

"Working this temporary job, at least I get a hundred dollars a day, and they provide lunch..."

"If I don't work, neither Zoraida nor Verity would ever give me a meal..."

"Wouldn't I starve to death then?"

Thinking of this, Madam Wilson felt extremely aggrieved, standing by the shelves, sobbing quietly.

Seeing this, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit sorry, and said to Charlie, "Charlie, I can't help but feel sorry for your grandmother, she must have had no other choice but to work in a place like this..."

CHAPTER 1992 ALL AN ILLUSION

Charlie asked his father, "Dad, do you have any plans?"

Not knowing exactly how Jacob was feeling at the moment, Charlie assumed he might want to help their grandmother in some way.

Seeing Jacob sigh deeply, he said, "Seeing my own mother living like this, doing this kind of work, as her son, it's heartbreaking for me and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jacob suddenly changed the subject, covered his eyes, and said, "But well, I didn't see anything! It was all an illusion!"

He quickly turned around and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's go buy some fish, shrimp, meat, and eggs. As for vegetables, let's go to another supermarket, what do you think?"

Charlie understood his father's hint and immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Dad, I agree with you. The vegetables in this supermarket are indeed not very fresh. Let's go to the market later and see if they have some larger Boston lobsters. If they do, we can buy a few to take home!"

Jacob chuckled, pointed at Charlie, and sighed, "You really get me! Let's go buy lobsters!"

Although Jacob sympathised to some extent with his mother's situation, he was no fool.

He had seen through his mother's true colours over the years.

When she kicked him and his family out, she showed no mercy or family ties.

When she mistreated her daughter, Claire, she was equally ruthless.

Later, when the Wilson family faced difficulties, she schemed and did despicable things just to live in their Thomson Elite Villa.

Jacob was tired of her behaviour.

Therefore, he hoped that reality would teach his mother a profound lesson.

Until his mother truly repented, he had no intention of helping her.

The father and son bought a lot of things but skipped the vegetable section. After filling their cart with various ingredients, they headed to the checkout.

The checkout area was crowded with long queues at every counter.

After waiting for over twenty minutes, Jacob and Charlie finally reached one of the counters.

As they were about to pay, Jacob hurried to the cart and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, you scan the items for the cashier from behind, and I'll pack the bags in front."

Charlie nodded, and Jacob stepped into the checkout lane. Before Charlie could start scanning the items, Jacob told the cashier, "Give me four large plastic bags."

The cashier nodded and said, "The big bags are fifty cents each."

She then took out four large plastic bags from a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

As he took the bags, Jacob looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?"

"Ah?! It's... you?!"

Wearing a supermarket staff vest, Zoraida was equally shocked to see Jacob in front of her!

She never imagined that after being forced to work as a temporary cashier due to circumstances, she would encounter Jacob here!

Looking at the young man on the other side taking out a thick plastic bag filled with several premium large lobsters, Zoraida couldn't help but feel bitter, thinking, "I've been hungry for a day and a night, standing here on an empty stomach all morning, and still haven't had the supermarket's lunch. Yet, they can afford to buy such a large bag of lobsters! Both families live in Thomson Elite Villa, but the gap in living standards is so huge!"

CHAPTER 1993 CHECKOUT NUMBER EIGHT

Charlie caught sight of Zoraida at this moment.

Seeing Zoraida in a supermarket vest, Charlie found it somewhat comical.

He couldn't help but think of Zoraida when she was working as a laborer in the coal mine.

He wondered if Zoraida was provided with work clothes at the coal mine.

He had no idea what Zoraida looked like in her coal mine work clothes.

Zoraida was feeling extremely miserable at this time.

She harbored a deep hatred towards Charlie.

She blamed Charlie for ruining her plan when she set a trap for Elaine.

To make matters worse, Charlie donated all her money to charity and then sent her to the coal mine.

The thought of her time in the coal mine made Zoraida feel so miserable that she wished for death, filled with anger and curses in her heart: "That damn Charlie! It's because of him that I ended up in the coal mine, suffering for days, only to end up with venereal disease and a child. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this wretched state today."

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with anger towards Charlie.

Therefore, when she saw Charlie coming to make a purchase, she immediately put on a cold face and said, "Could you please switch to another checkout counter? I'm suspending service here!"

Charlie remained unperturbed, smiling as he said, "Aunty, aren't you clearly bullying honest folks like us? We waited in line for so long, with many ahead of us already checked out and gone. How come the service stopped just as it's our turn?"

Annoyed, Zoraida retorted, "I need a break, is it not allowed to pause the service? Do you think this supermarket belongs to your family? Don't argue with me here! I'm telling you, I won't serve you today! If you want to check out, go find someone else because you won't be doing it with me!"

Jacob felt discontented, a hint of anger in his voice as he said, "Sis-in-law, you're going too far. We are customers here, customers are gods. You're the cashier here, you should be serving the gods well, why are you giving us attitude?"

Upon hearing him say that he should be served as a god, Zoraida was instantly infuriated and snapped loudly, "Jacob, I may be your sister-in-law, as the saying goes, the wife of an elder brother is like a mother, and the husband's younger brother is like a son. How dare you ask me to serve you? Do you have no respect for elders? Get lost and stop bothering me!"

Jacob exploded, saying, "The wife of an elder brother like you, do you even deserve to say these four words to me?"

Zoraida angrily threw the scanner in her hand, shouting, "Jacob, who are you calling a wife of an elder brother?!"

Jacob sneered, "I'm talking about you, what's wrong with that?"

In frustration, Zoraida threatened, "You... if you say one more word, I'll smash your old face!"

Just then, a man in full uniform yelled, "Checkout number eight, what's going on?! Why are you yelling at the customers?!"

Zoraida was instantly startled!

Looking up, she realised it was the manager of the checkout section!

Afraid of offending the store leadership and getting fired, she quickly put on a smile and explained, "Sorry, manager, I was just joking with my relative here, so I cracked a couple of jokes."

She then pointed at Jacob and said, "This person is Jacob, my husband's younger brother, my younger brother-in-law. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing this, the checkout manager's expression softened slightly.

With a shortage of cashiers in the supermarket recently, the manager often found himself worrying about the long queues of customers waiting to check out, with many customers even calling the head office to complain about the long wait times, leaving him overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 1994 NEGLIGENT

Originally, Zoraida came today looking for a job, applying for casual labour that paid a hundred dollars a day.

However, after chatting for a bit, he found out that Zoraida had a university education, so he asked her to try working as a cashier.

Working as a cashier wasn't tiring, and it paid a hundred and fifty a day, fifty more than odd jobs, so Zoraida naturally accepted happily.

If everything went smoothly, the manager was willing to let Zoraida continue, but if she dared to curse at customers at the cash register, then she definitely couldn't stay.

Luckily, she was just joking around with her own relatives, so there wasn't much to blame her for.

So, the manager reminded her, "You still need to mind your behaviour at work, even if they are relatives, joking around at work isn't appropriate, got it?"

Zoraida hurriedly nodded repeatedly, ingratiatingly saying, "Don't worry, there won't be a next time!"

The manager nodded and turned to leave.

At that moment, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, are you the manager here?"

The manager turned back, "Yes, I am."

Jacob said coldly, "I want to make a complaint about you!"

The manager asked in surprise, "Complain about me? Why?"

Jacob pointed at Zoraida, angrily saying, "Your employee under you unreasonably attacked me physically and verbally, and you did nothing about it! This is a clear case of negligence! Do you always show such leniency towards your subordinates?"

The manager looked puzzled, "Aren't you two relatives?"

Jacob cursed, "Hah! Who's related to her?"

The manager was even more puzzled, pointing at Zoraida, "She said so!"

Jacob disdainfully said, "You believe whatever she says? Seems like you really are negligent! I even thought you two were relatives! Otherwise, why would you condone and protect her like this?"

The manager felt uneasy for a moment and quickly asked politely, "Sir, you and Zoraida are not related?"

Jacob raised his head high, saying coldly, "Of course not! I don't even know her! My son-in-law and I came to shop, after waiting half a day in line, she insisted she was on a break and told us to go to another line. Isn't that intentionally causing trouble? And she even spoke rudely to me just now, surely you heard that?!"

The manager was flustered, quickly looking at Zoraida, demanding, "What's going on here?! If you don't explain it to me, you can stop working here!"

Zoraida was also terrified!

Every time she saw Jacob and Charlie, she couldn't help but feel a strong anger, so regardless of consequences, she lashed out at Jacob.

But she never expected Jacob to go and complain to her supervisor!

Wasn't that ruining her job?!

Thinking of this, she quickly begged, "Jacob, please talk to the manager, we're family, I'm your sister-in-law, if I've done anything wrong, I apologise to you, but please don't joke about my job, I'm begging you as your sister-in-law, okay?"

Jacob glared at her, telling the manager, "Look at this person, still making up stories here. I don't know her at all. She keeps saying she's my sister-in-law, would you be able to tolerate that if you were in my shoes?"

Zoraida hurriedly explained, "Manager! Please don't listen to his nonsense! I really am his sister-in-law!"

Jacob looked at the manager, patting his shoulder and asked him expressionlessly, "If I were to say now that I'm really your father, would you believe me?"

CHAPTER 1995 A STUBBORN STANCE

The supermarket's checkout manager immediately understood the situation.

"Ah, so this Zoraida not only had conflicts with customers, shouted at them, but also gossiped in front of me, it's simply outrageous!"

"This kind of person, keeping her here in this job, who knows how many customers she will offend, it might even end up affecting me!"

"No way! This person must leave immediately!"

With that in mind, the checkout manager sternly said, "Zoraida, I kindly offered you a temporary job, but I didn't expect your attitude towards customers to be so terrible! Since that's the case, I think you don't need to work here anymore. Hand over the cash register keys, take off your uniform right now, and leave immediately!"

Zoraida was devastated!

She thought to herself, "I came here early in the morning looking for work, worked hard all morning!"

"It's almost time for the lunch break shift change, I was looking forward to a hearty meal in the staff canteen, filling my stomach, but now the manager fired me!"

"Now, not only do I have no lunch arrangements, but I also won't get the $150 daily wage!"

Thinking this, Zoraida cried and pleaded, "Manager! Please, I beg you, don't fire me. I rely on this job to support my family!"

She quickly grabbed the manager's arm, choked up, "Manager, my husband and son are both bedridden at home, they haven't eaten anything since yesterday, they are waiting for me to earn some money to buy food! Please have mercy on me, spare me this time, I won't do it again!"

The manager disdainfully said, "Zoraida, you are quite the storyteller, first you said the customer was your nephew, then you claim your husband and son are bedridden at home, what era is this? Who has such a miserable situation? What nonsense are you talking about here?"

Zoraida cried, "Manager! I really didn't make up stories, Manager!"

Then, she looked at Jacob and cried, "Jacob, please tell the manager the truth, help me plead for mercy. Your brother and Harold have both been disabled, I need to support them with my salary!"

Jacob sneered, "You are quite interesting, always causing trouble and making up stories. Just now you said I was your brother-in-law for no reason, now you're assigning me a brother? When will it end?"

The manager, infuriated, scolded, "Zoraida, if you don't leave now, I'll have the security guards escort you out!"

Seeing no way out, Zoraida glared angrily at Jacob, then said to the manager, "Fine, please settle my morning wages, $150 for a day's work, I worked all morning, at least give me $80 or $100, right?"

The manager immediately cursed, "You have some nerve, you did such a poor job and still have the audacity to ask me for money? Get out! Leave quickly!"

Zoraida, annoyed, said, "If you don't give me the money, then I won't leave!"

With that, she turned off the cash register's computer, stood there hugging herself, showing a stubborn stance of not leaving until she gets paid.

At that moment, the manager called a few security guards, saying, "Strip off her uniform and escort her out!"

The security guards didn't hesitate, they quickly approached, lifted Zoraida, and forcefully dragged her out.

CHAPTER 1996 TWO DESPICABLE BASTARDS

Zoraida collapsed and shouted, "Why are you dragging me out?! Why aren't you paying me my wages?!"

Despite her loud cries, no one pitied her or showed any sympathy.

As Zoraida was being dragged out of the supermarket, the manager, with a guilty look on his face, said to Charlie and Jacob, "I'm truly sorry for this matter, it was my misjudgment in handling personnel, I apologize to both of you!"

Jacob nodded and said, "The main fault lies not with you, but you do bear some responsibility, that's what we call mishandling of personnel!"

Afterwards, Jacob sighed and remarked, "Indeed, ultimately it's a matter of your judgment not being quite right."

The manager awkwardly nodded repeatedly, "You are right in your criticism, I will definitely make improvements in the future!"

Jacob patted his shoulder, offering advice in a senior-to-junior manner, "Keep honing your skills!"

"Yes, yes!" The manager nodded continuously, then hurriedly called over a cashier who had just finished eating and returning from break, saying, "Cashier, quickly come and settle the bill for these two customers, they have been delayed for a long time!"

The cashier hurried over, turned on the computer, and processed the payment for Charlie and Jacob.

The father-in-law and son-in-law left the supermarket and drove directly to a large vegetable wholesale market in Aurous Hill. As for Madam Wilson and Zoraida, they were not on their minds at all.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Zoraida hadn't eaten for hours, feeling dizzy and weak, almost on the verge of collapsing.

She had no energy left to look for another temporary job, so she could only walk back home.

Upon returning to the Thomson Elite, Zoraida sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted and drained.

Wendy, who had been taking care of Noah and Harold at home, heard the commotion downstairs and quickly came down to check, seeing Zoraida half-lying on the sofa, she asked in surprise, "Mum, didn't you go out to look for a job? Why are you back?"

Zoraida grumbled, "Don't mention it! It's infuriating!"

Wendy hurriedly asked, "Mum, what happened exactly?"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she choked out, "Your grandmother and I went out to look for a job, found out the supermarket was hiring a lot of temporary workers, with daily wages. They asked your grandmother to help customers bag plastic bags in the vegetable section, and me to work as a cashier, but then..."

At this point, Zoraida's emotions flared up as she sobbed, "Who would have known, I ran into those two despicable bastards Jacob and Charlie! They sabotaged my job!"

Wendy, upon hearing this, clenched her teeth in anger, "They are too much! How could they be so ruthless!"

She then quickly asked, "Mum, did you get paid for the half-day's work? If you did, give me some first, I'll buy some steamed buns and cook a couple of dishes at the small restaurant to bring back."

As she spoke, Wendy's eyes turned red, choking up as she said, "Dad and brother have been hungry and crying in bed several times, it's really pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zoraida burst into tears, pounding her chest and stomping her feet, "It's all that bastard Jacob's fault! He got me kicked out by the manager, worked the whole morning, and didn't settle a single cent for me!"

CHAPTER 1997 WHEN WILL THIS END

Zoraida suddenly felt that the current tough times were not as good as the days back in the coal mine.

As she cried, she reminisced about her life in the coal mine, thinking to herself, "Back in the coal mine, even though the conditions were a bit rough, at least after following that foreman, I could eat my fill every day!"

"Not only did I not go hungry, I didn't have to work much either. I could also show off in front of Jinny's family, thinking back, it was quite enjoyable."

"And, and, and that foreman, although he was a bit ugly and dirty, his abilities in certain areas were indeed strong, in a way, it gave me an unprecedented feeling."

With these thoughts, Zoraida sighed deeply and cried to her companion Wendy, "Wendy, look at the life our family is living now! It's a constant struggle, either dealing with this or that, the little money we had is all gone, the family business bankrupted. Now we're living in someone else's villa, without even enough to eat. When will this end?"

Wendy couldn't help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Mum, I can't understand it either. Our family used to live well, everything was fine, my relationship with Gerald was great, we were about to get married, but suddenly, everything is falling apart."

Zoraida sighed, "We'll have to go to the temple to pray one of these days, if this continues, we'll be in big trouble."

Wendy said, "Mum, as I think about it now, our family's bad luck seemed to have started after Grandma's last birthday celebration."

"Hmm?" Zoraida asked in surprise, "Which birthday celebration?"

Wendy explained, "The last one, Gerald gave Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha at the birthday banquet, and that guy Wendell Jones, who was pursuing Claire, also sent Grandma a piece of jade Buddha pendant."

Zoraida nodded, "I remember, that jade Buddha pendant from Wendell was worth quite a lot, they said it was worth three to four million."

Regretfully, Zoraida said, "It's a pity! That jade Buddha pendant, along with your Grandma's other antiques and jewelry, were all seized by the bank."

Wendy added, "During that birthday banquet, Charlie even asked Grandma for money, claiming it was for Aunt Lena from the welfare home who needed medical treatment, do you remember?"

"I remember," Zoraida cursed through gritted teeth, "That Charlie, that scoundrel, asking for money at the banquet, really audacious. In the end, Grandma scolded him and he slunk away, thinking about it makes me happy!"

Wendy continued, "I'm not talking about that, I just feel like, from that night onwards, our family has been constantly unlucky."

"Is that so?" Zoraida furrowed her brows and asked, "What was the first stroke of bad luck?"

Wendy hurriedly said, "The first one was the day after the banquet! Gerald and I went to Emgrand Group to deliver an invitation to the Vice Chairman Doris York, and also to network a bit. But we ran into Charlie downstairs at Emgrand Group."

"Charlie?" Zoraida inquired, "What was Charlie doing there?"

Wendy explained, "Charlie said he was there to apply for a job at Emgrand Group. Then Gerald and I teased him a bit, and strange things started happening."

"What strange things?!"

CHAPTER 1998 THE MASTERMIND BEHIND ALL THIS

Wendy recounted, "When Gerald and I went upstairs to see Doris, she refused to see us and even had someone relay a message that Emperor Group would not cooperate with us low-quality rubbish. Shortly after, Gerald was beaten up by Emperor Group's security."

Continuing, Wendy added, "Then, Emperor Group terminated the cooperation with Gerald's family. Gerald's father and uncle were furious. From then on, Gerald and I grew apart. Moreover, his uncle George somehow became close to Charlie and even gave Charlie the adjacent villa."

"Subsequently, the contract negotiated by Claire with Emperor Group was terminated due to Grandma's broken promise. That marked the beginning of our family's downfall."

"Wendell pursued Claire, and as he persisted, the family went bankrupt, and he mysteriously disappeared."

"From the Collingwood family, Gail also pursued Claire, and both he and his father, Junray, went missing. To this day, the Collingwood family is still offering a hefty reward to find their whereabouts."

"Joaquin came to our house to support us but ended up being beaten by Charlie. Not only did he lose his manhood but also shamefully returned to Eastcliff."

"Later, Joaquin gave me to Ricky Weigard, who also looked down on Charlie. As a result, Ricky and his father went missing. Their illegitimate child inherited the business, and rumours suggest they are now harvesting ginseng at the foot of Evergreen Mountain, whether it's true or not remains unknown."

Zoraida, initially famished, sat up abruptly upon hearing this, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "That damn Charlie! It was him who sent me to the coal mine! Damn it! In my opinion, he's the mastermind behind all this!"

Wendy hurriedly asked her, "Mum, do you think this Charlie might be hiding some power? Otherwise, how could he have such great influence, making everyone bow to him?"

"Power?" Zoraida sneered, "That orphan, what power could he possibly have? He's not even worthy of the word 'power'!"

Wendy countered, "Then how could he make so many big shots treat him with such reverence? It proves he must have some abilities we are unaware of."

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida replied, "His ability lies in deception!"

Shaking her head, Wendy said, "I believe he must have real abilities, or so many influential figures wouldn't be fooled by him."

She continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps he understands a bit of feng shui! Maybe he used feng shui behind the scenes to bring us misfortune!"

Wide-eyed, Zoraida suddenly exclaimed, "The way you put it, it does make some sense! He must have set up some feng shui arrangement to make us unlucky while he becomes more powerful!"

Wendy nodded in agreement, "I bet that's the case! Otherwise, how could a nobody like him suddenly become so formidable? Mum, we need to think of a solution!"

With a mournful expression, Zoraida said, "What solution do I have? We can't even afford a meal now. To confront Charlie's family, we need some backing at least!"

Wendy quickly clarified, "I'm not suggesting we confront Charlie, Mum. We never did before, and it's even less possible now."

She earnestly suggested, "Mum, Claire is my cousin after all, and even if Charlie is something else, he's still my cousin-in-law. Instead of opposing him, why don't we try to befriend him proactively and seek their help? If all else fails, I could even become Charlie's mistress!"

CHAPTER 1999 DECENT GUY/A USELESS MAN

When Zoraida heard that Wendy was willing to be Charlie’s mistress, she panicked.

"Wendy! Are you crazy? Why would you want to be a mistress for someone like him? He’s not good enough for you!"

Wendy sighed softly, "Mom, I’ve come to realize that Charlie is actually a pretty decent guy. He’s handsome, responsible, and has good character. He’s a lot better than Gerald."

"Nonsense!" Zoraida snapped, "That loser Charlie isn’t even worthy to carry your shoes!"

Wendy smiled bitterly, "Mom, do you think I don’t know my own situation? I used to be like a phoenix soaring in the sky, but now, I’m not even as good as a chicken in the village."

As she spoke, Wendy couldn’t help but start sobbing, "Mom, look at me now. My reputation is completely ruined. What man would even look at me?"

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zoraida’s heart ached. She hugged Wendy’s head and comforted her, "Sweetheart, don’t think like that. Reputation isn’t everything. What matters is living well."

Zoraida continued, "Besides, you’ve only been with a few men. Gerald, Joaquin, and Ricky. Just three men, and you’re in your late twenties. Many girls sleep with more guys before they even graduate college. They don’t worry about their reputations being ruined, so why should you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Mom, it’s different. In college, dating is like a closed society. After graduation, no one remembers. But with me, everyone in Aurous Hill knew about me and Gerald. Then with Joaquin, everyone knew again."

"From that point on, my reputation was already ruined. Everyone knew I was with a man older than my dad. Who would respect me after that?"

"And then, I was given to Ricky as if I were a commodity. Everyone in Aurous Hill knows about that too."

Zoraida, full of pain and choking back tears, said, "Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and your father’s and your grandmother’s. If we hadn’t been so greedy, we would never have pushed you into that fire pit."

She slapped herself and said angrily, "I’m sorry! I’m not a good mother!"

Wendy quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, crying, "Mom, it’s not your fault. I was willing. I couldn’t resist the lure of money. I wanted to sacrifice myself for wealth. It’s my own fault, not yours."

Crying, Zoraida lamented, "What did we do to deserve this? How did our lives end up like this?"

Wendy nodded repeatedly, "I can’t bear this kind of life anymore. Honestly, if I could have a stable life, I’d even be willing to be Charlie’s maid, let alone his mistress."

Through her tears, Wendy said, "Only now do I truly envy Claire."

"Everyone thought she ruined her life by marrying a useless man."

"But who could have guessed that this useless man would stay faithful to her for four years?"

"And that this man, who endured hardship and humiliation for her, would eventually become someone respected by everyone in Aurous Hill—a master. Isn’t that the ultimate underdog story?"

"Looking at it now, Charlie is the most reliable man."

"As for people like Gerald, no matter how rich they are, what good is it?"

"When trouble comes, they abandon you."

Zoraida, after hearing all this, was momentarily stunned and then sighed, "You’re right. That Claire, who seemed so silly, turned out to be the wisest of all."

CHAPTER 2000 A PILE OF CRAP TURN INTO GOLD

"Some people are always fickle, eyeing one thing while thinking of another, choosing from thousands of options, only to end up with a pile of crap."

"But Claire is different. She doesn't fight, she doesn't pick and choose. The old man handed her a pile of crap, and she just obediently married it."

"Who would have thought that even a pile of crap could turn into gold one day?"

Wendy nodded earnestly and said, "If I get a chance, I must get closer to Charlie. Even if he doesn't care about me, getting a little help for our family is good. At times like these, you can't rely on anyone outside; none of them are as dependable as Charlie."

Zoraida sighed and said, "Do what you want. Mom just got a bit emotional and now I'm even hungrier. Help me back to the room to lie down for a while. When your grandma gets off work, we'll finally have something to eat."

Madam Wilson had been at the supermarket handing out plastic bags to customers all day.

Those big rolls of plastic bags in the supermarket create a lot of static electricity when pulled. After a day, Grandma's hair was practically standing on end.

But Madam Wilson was quite content.

Because at noon, she had a free lunch provided by the supermarket's employee cafeteria.

It was the most delicious meal Grandma had ever had in her life.

The food wasn't anything special; it wasn't particularly tasty and was pretty greasy. But Grandma had been hungry for so long.

At times like these, a bowl of plain white rice felt like a heavenly delicacy. If there were a couple of dishes to go with it, it would be soul-soothing.

With her hunger satisfied, Madam Wilson found new energy. Handing out plastic bags no longer felt so tedious.

On the contrary, she even started to enjoy it.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, it was officially time to get off work. The supervisor came over, handed her a hundred yuan, and said, "Grandma, you did a great job today. Are you coming back tomorrow? It's New Year's Eve, and we're really short of hands at noon. If you come, we'll pay you two hundred for the day!"

"Really?" Madam Wilson was overjoyed. She carefully put the hundred yuan into her pocket and said excitedly, "I'll be here!"

The supervisor nodded in satisfaction. "Great, then you go home and rest now. Be here at nine tomorrow morning."

Madam Wilson excitedly agreed but then suddenly thought of something. She asked, "Supervisor, what time does the cafeteria open for dinner?"

The supervisor said, "Dinner is at six in the evening."

Madam Wilson quickly asked, "Can I eat there again?"

The supervisor looked a bit troubled. "But each employee only gets one meal ticket a day, and you've already used yours for lunch."

Hearing this, Madam Wilson was a bit disappointed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll come back tomorrow!"

Seeing her disappointment, the supervisor couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "How about this, Grandma? If you work overtime until seven, I'll apply for an extra meal ticket for you with the manager. Then you can eat at the cafeteria before heading home. How does that sound?"

Madam Wilson was thrilled. "Working two more hours for an extra meal? Of course, I'll do it!"

She said excitedly, "Thank you, Supervisor! I'll do it!"

Prosper · Jun 14, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1991 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW

The commotion between the two immediately caught Jacob's attention.

He looked at his mother in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he asked Charlie, "Good son-in-law, is that really my mum? Am I seeing things?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Dad, you're not mistaken, it's indeed her."

Jacob exclaimed, "Why is she wearing a staff vest?! Did she come here to work?"

Charlie nodded, "It seems so."

Jacob puzzled, "This doesn't make sense, didn't Donald Weaver invest in the Wilson family? He even bought them a villa in Thomson Elite, they should be living quite comfortably now, shouldn't they?"

Unaware of the recent events, Jacob had no idea that Elaine was kidnapped by his own elder brother and nephew, or that Donald had relinquished a significant portion of the family assets and become subordinate to Orvel.

Hence, he was oblivious to the sudden downfall of Madam Wilson and her family in these past few days.

Charlie then mentioned, "I heard that it seems Donald has withdrawn his investment."

"Withdrawn?" Jacob exclaimed, "This Donald is so unreliable, he just withdraws like that? Why would he withdraw his investment? I believe with his wealth, he wouldn't care about investing in the Wilson Group, right?"

Charlie shrugged, laughing, "We're not sure about that."

Just then, they saw Verity poking Madam Wilson's ankle with a mop, disdainfully saying, "You old hag, move aside a bit, stop getting in my way when I'm mopping!"

Madam Wilson choked up, "Verity, the supermarket management arranged this job for me, to help customers with plastic bags here. If I don't do well, I'll be fired. Please, I beg you, let's not have conflicts, alright?"

Verity coldly snorted, "I used to respect you, but look at what you've done, you should know in your heart. This is called reaping what you sow!"

She then sneered a few times, gritting her teeth, "Let me tell you, old hag, don't be fooled by my lack of education as a rural woman, I may be uneducated but I have a tough backbone! And I especially dislike being looked down upon! Even if you hit me, I wouldn't mind, but you shouldn't insult me!"

After her words, she put away the mop, deliberately bumped into Madam Wilson as she passed by, causing Madam Wilson to hit the nearby shelf, wincing in pain.

However, after the collision, Verity didn't continue the confrontation, she went to mop elsewhere.

Madam Wilson stood still, feeling increasingly wronged.

In her heart, she bitterly and angrily thought, "I've lived a privileged life in the Wilson family for so many years, when have I ever been bullied like this?! It's simply outrageous!"

"What's even more unacceptable is, at my age, I have to come out and do this undignified temporary job!"

"Over these years in the Wilson family, I haven't even washed a teacup myself! And now, in the supermarket, I have to help customers with plastic bags to save their time!"

"But what other choice do I have?"

"If I don't work, how can I even feed myself..."

"Working this temporary job, at least I get a hundred dollars a day, and they provide lunch..."

"If I don't work, neither Zoraida nor Verity would ever give me a meal..."

"Wouldn't I starve to death then?"

Thinking of this, Madam Wilson felt extremely aggrieved, standing by the shelves, sobbing quietly.

Seeing this, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit sorry, and said to Charlie, "Charlie, I can't help but feel sorry for your grandmother, she must have had no other choice but to work in a place like this..."

CHAPTER 1992 ALL AN ILLUSION

Charlie asked his father, "Dad, do you have any plans?"

Not knowing exactly how Jacob was feeling at the moment, Charlie assumed he might want to help their grandmother in some way.

Seeing Jacob sigh deeply, he said, "Seeing my own mother living like this, doing this kind of work, as her son, it's heartbreaking for me and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jacob suddenly changed the subject, covered his eyes, and said, "But well, I didn't see anything! It was all an illusion!"

He quickly turned around and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's go buy some fish, shrimp, meat, and eggs. As for vegetables, let's go to another supermarket, what do you think?"

Charlie understood his father's hint and immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Dad, I agree with you. The vegetables in this supermarket are indeed not very fresh. Let's go to the market later and see if they have some larger Boston lobsters. If they do, we can buy a few to take home!"

Jacob chuckled, pointed at Charlie, and sighed, "You really get me! Let's go buy lobsters!"

Although Jacob sympathised to some extent with his mother's situation, he was no fool.

He had seen through his mother's true colours over the years.

When she kicked him and his family out, she showed no mercy or family ties.

When she mistreated her daughter, Claire, she was equally ruthless.

Later, when the Wilson family faced difficulties, she schemed and did despicable things just to live in their Thomson Elite Villa.

Jacob was tired of her behaviour.

Therefore, he hoped that reality would teach his mother a profound lesson.

Until his mother truly repented, he had no intention of helping her.

The father and son bought a lot of things but skipped the vegetable section. After filling their cart with various ingredients, they headed to the checkout.

The checkout area was crowded with long queues at every counter.

After waiting for over twenty minutes, Jacob and Charlie finally reached one of the counters.

As they were about to pay, Jacob hurried to the cart and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, you scan the items for the cashier from behind, and I'll pack the bags in front."

Charlie nodded, and Jacob stepped into the checkout lane. Before Charlie could start scanning the items, Jacob told the cashier, "Give me four large plastic bags."

The cashier nodded and said, "The big bags are fifty cents each."

She then took out four large plastic bags from a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

As he took the bags, Jacob looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?"

"Ah?! It's... you?!"

Wearing a supermarket staff vest, Zoraida was equally shocked to see Jacob in front of her!

She never imagined that after being forced to work as a temporary cashier due to circumstances, she would encounter Jacob here!

Looking at the young man on the other side taking out a thick plastic bag filled with several premium large lobsters, Zoraida couldn't help but feel bitter, thinking, "I've been hungry for a day and a night, standing here on an empty stomach all morning, and still haven't had the supermarket's lunch. Yet, they can afford to buy such a large bag of lobsters! Both families live in Thomson Elite Villa, but the gap in living standards is so huge!"

CHAPTER 1993 CHECKOUT NUMBER EIGHT

Charlie caught sight of Zoraida at this moment.

Seeing Zoraida in a supermarket vest, Charlie found it somewhat comical.

He couldn't help but think of Zoraida when she was working as a laborer in the coal mine.

He wondered if Zoraida was provided with work clothes at the coal mine.

He had no idea what Zoraida looked like in her coal mine work clothes.

Zoraida was feeling extremely miserable at this time.

She harbored a deep hatred towards Charlie.

She blamed Charlie for ruining her plan when she set a trap for Elaine.

To make matters worse, Charlie donated all her money to charity and then sent her to the coal mine.

The thought of her time in the coal mine made Zoraida feel so miserable that she wished for death, filled with anger and curses in her heart: "That damn Charlie! It's because of him that I ended up in the coal mine, suffering for days, only to end up with venereal disease and a child. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this wretched state today."

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with anger towards Charlie.

Therefore, when she saw Charlie coming to make a purchase, she immediately put on a cold face and said, "Could you please switch to another checkout counter? I'm suspending service here!"

Charlie remained unperturbed, smiling as he said, "Aunty, aren't you clearly bullying honest folks like us? We waited in line for so long, with many ahead of us already checked out and gone. How come the service stopped just as it's our turn?"

Annoyed, Zoraida retorted, "I need a break, is it not allowed to pause the service? Do you think this supermarket belongs to your family? Don't argue with me here! I'm telling you, I won't serve you today! If you want to check out, go find someone else because you won't be doing it with me!"

Jacob felt discontented, a hint of anger in his voice as he said, "Sis-in-law, you're going too far. We are customers here, customers are gods. You're the cashier here, you should be serving the gods well, why are you giving us attitude?"

Upon hearing him say that he should be served as a god, Zoraida was instantly infuriated and snapped loudly, "Jacob, I may be your sister-in-law, as the saying goes, the wife of an elder brother is like a mother, and the husband's younger brother is like a son. How dare you ask me to serve you? Do you have no respect for elders? Get lost and stop bothering me!"

Jacob exploded, saying, "The wife of an elder brother like you, do you even deserve to say these four words to me?"

Zoraida angrily threw the scanner in her hand, shouting, "Jacob, who are you calling a wife of an elder brother?!"

Jacob sneered, "I'm talking about you, what's wrong with that?"

In frustration, Zoraida threatened, "You... if you say one more word, I'll smash your old face!"

Just then, a man in full uniform yelled, "Checkout number eight, what's going on?! Why are you yelling at the customers?!"

Zoraida was instantly startled!

Looking up, she realised it was the manager of the checkout section!

Afraid of offending the store leadership and getting fired, she quickly put on a smile and explained, "Sorry, manager, I was just joking with my relative here, so I cracked a couple of jokes."

She then pointed at Jacob and said, "This person is Jacob, my husband's younger brother, my younger brother-in-law. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing this, the checkout manager's expression softened slightly.

With a shortage of cashiers in the supermarket recently, the manager often found himself worrying about the long queues of customers waiting to check out, with many customers even calling the head office to complain about the long wait times, leaving him overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 1994 NEGLIGENT

Originally, Zoraida came today looking for a job, applying for casual labour that paid a hundred dollars a day.

However, after chatting for a bit, he found out that Zoraida had a university education, so he asked her to try working as a cashier.

Working as a cashier wasn't tiring, and it paid a hundred and fifty a day, fifty more than odd jobs, so Zoraida naturally accepted happily.

If everything went smoothly, the manager was willing to let Zoraida continue, but if she dared to curse at customers at the cash register, then she definitely couldn't stay.

Luckily, she was just joking around with her own relatives, so there wasn't much to blame her for.

So, the manager reminded her, "You still need to mind your behaviour at work, even if they are relatives, joking around at work isn't appropriate, got it?"

Zoraida hurriedly nodded repeatedly, ingratiatingly saying, "Don't worry, there won't be a next time!"

The manager nodded and turned to leave.

At that moment, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, are you the manager here?"

The manager turned back, "Yes, I am."

Jacob said coldly, "I want to make a complaint about you!"

The manager asked in surprise, "Complain about me? Why?"

Jacob pointed at Zoraida, angrily saying, "Your employee under you unreasonably attacked me physically and verbally, and you did nothing about it! This is a clear case of negligence! Do you always show such leniency towards your subordinates?"

The manager looked puzzled, "Aren't you two relatives?"

Jacob cursed, "Hah! Who's related to her?"

The manager was even more puzzled, pointing at Zoraida, "She said so!"

Jacob disdainfully said, "You believe whatever she says? Seems like you really are negligent! I even thought you two were relatives! Otherwise, why would you condone and protect her like this?"

The manager felt uneasy for a moment and quickly asked politely, "Sir, you and Zoraida are not related?"

Jacob raised his head high, saying coldly, "Of course not! I don't even know her! My son-in-law and I came to shop, after waiting half a day in line, she insisted she was on a break and told us to go to another line. Isn't that intentionally causing trouble? And she even spoke rudely to me just now, surely you heard that?!"

The manager was flustered, quickly looking at Zoraida, demanding, "What's going on here?! If you don't explain it to me, you can stop working here!"

Zoraida was also terrified!

Every time she saw Jacob and Charlie, she couldn't help but feel a strong anger, so regardless of consequences, she lashed out at Jacob.

But she never expected Jacob to go and complain to her supervisor!

Wasn't that ruining her job?!

Thinking of this, she quickly begged, "Jacob, please talk to the manager, we're family, I'm your sister-in-law, if I've done anything wrong, I apologise to you, but please don't joke about my job, I'm begging you as your sister-in-law, okay?"

Jacob glared at her, telling the manager, "Look at this person, still making up stories here. I don't know her at all. She keeps saying she's my sister-in-law, would you be able to tolerate that if you were in my shoes?"

Zoraida hurriedly explained, "Manager! Please don't listen to his nonsense! I really am his sister-in-law!"

Jacob looked at the manager, patting his shoulder and asked him expressionlessly, "If I were to say now that I'm really your father, would you believe me?"

CHAPTER 1995 A STUBBORN STANCE

The supermarket's checkout manager immediately understood the situation.

"Ah, so this Zoraida not only had conflicts with customers, shouted at them, but also gossiped in front of me, it's simply outrageous!"

"This kind of person, keeping her here in this job, who knows how many customers she will offend, it might even end up affecting me!"

"No way! This person must leave immediately!"

With that in mind, the checkout manager sternly said, "Zoraida, I kindly offered you a temporary job, but I didn't expect your attitude towards customers to be so terrible! Since that's the case, I think you don't need to work here anymore. Hand over the cash register keys, take off your uniform right now, and leave immediately!"

Zoraida was devastated!

She thought to herself, "I came here early in the morning looking for work, worked hard all morning!"

"It's almost time for the lunch break shift change, I was looking forward to a hearty meal in the staff canteen, filling my stomach, but now the manager fired me!"

"Now, not only do I have no lunch arrangements, but I also won't get the $150 daily wage!"

Thinking this, Zoraida cried and pleaded, "Manager! Please, I beg you, don't fire me. I rely on this job to support my family!"

She quickly grabbed the manager's arm, choked up, "Manager, my husband and son are both bedridden at home, they haven't eaten anything since yesterday, they are waiting for me to earn some money to buy food! Please have mercy on me, spare me this time, I won't do it again!"

The manager disdainfully said, "Zoraida, you are quite the storyteller, first you said the customer was your nephew, then you claim your husband and son are bedridden at home, what era is this? Who has such a miserable situation? What nonsense are you talking about here?"

Zoraida cried, "Manager! I really didn't make up stories, Manager!"

Then, she looked at Jacob and cried, "Jacob, please tell the manager the truth, help me plead for mercy. Your brother and Harold have both been disabled, I need to support them with my salary!"

Jacob sneered, "You are quite interesting, always causing trouble and making up stories. Just now you said I was your brother-in-law for no reason, now you're assigning me a brother? When will it end?"

The manager, infuriated, scolded, "Zoraida, if you don't leave now, I'll have the security guards escort you out!"

Seeing no way out, Zoraida glared angrily at Jacob, then said to the manager, "Fine, please settle my morning wages, $150 for a day's work, I worked all morning, at least give me $80 or $100, right?"

The manager immediately cursed, "You have some nerve, you did such a poor job and still have the audacity to ask me for money? Get out! Leave quickly!"

Zoraida, annoyed, said, "If you don't give me the money, then I won't leave!"

With that, she turned off the cash register's computer, stood there hugging herself, showing a stubborn stance of not leaving until she gets paid.

At that moment, the manager called a few security guards, saying, "Strip off her uniform and escort her out!"

The security guards didn't hesitate, they quickly approached, lifted Zoraida, and forcefully dragged her out.

CHAPTER 1996 TWO DESPICABLE BASTARDS

Zoraida collapsed and shouted, "Why are you dragging me out?! Why aren't you paying me my wages?!"

Despite her loud cries, no one pitied her or showed any sympathy.

As Zoraida was being dragged out of the supermarket, the manager, with a guilty look on his face, said to Charlie and Jacob, "I'm truly sorry for this matter, it was my misjudgment in handling personnel, I apologize to both of you!"

Jacob nodded and said, "The main fault lies not with you, but you do bear some responsibility, that's what we call mishandling of personnel!"

Afterwards, Jacob sighed and remarked, "Indeed, ultimately it's a matter of your judgment not being quite right."

The manager awkwardly nodded repeatedly, "You are right in your criticism, I will definitely make improvements in the future!"

Jacob patted his shoulder, offering advice in a senior-to-junior manner, "Keep honing your skills!"

"Yes, yes!" The manager nodded continuously, then hurriedly called over a cashier who had just finished eating and returning from break, saying, "Cashier, quickly come and settle the bill for these two customers, they have been delayed for a long time!"

The cashier hurried over, turned on the computer, and processed the payment for Charlie and Jacob.

The father-in-law and son-in-law left the supermarket and drove directly to a large vegetable wholesale market in Aurous Hill. As for Madam Wilson and Zoraida, they were not on their minds at all.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Zoraida hadn't eaten for hours, feeling dizzy and weak, almost on the verge of collapsing.

She had no energy left to look for another temporary job, so she could only walk back home.

Upon returning to the Thomson Elite, Zoraida sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted and drained.

Wendy, who had been taking care of Noah and Harold at home, heard the commotion downstairs and quickly came down to check, seeing Zoraida half-lying on the sofa, she asked in surprise, "Mum, didn't you go out to look for a job? Why are you back?"

Zoraida grumbled, "Don't mention it! It's infuriating!"

Wendy hurriedly asked, "Mum, what happened exactly?"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she choked out, "Your grandmother and I went out to look for a job, found out the supermarket was hiring a lot of temporary workers, with daily wages. They asked your grandmother to help customers bag plastic bags in the vegetable section, and me to work as a cashier, but then..."

At this point, Zoraida's emotions flared up as she sobbed, "Who would have known, I ran into those two despicable bastards Jacob and Charlie! They sabotaged my job!"

Wendy, upon hearing this, clenched her teeth in anger, "They are too much! How could they be so ruthless!"

She then quickly asked, "Mum, did you get paid for the half-day's work? If you did, give me some first, I'll buy some steamed buns and cook a couple of dishes at the small restaurant to bring back."

As she spoke, Wendy's eyes turned red, choking up as she said, "Dad and brother have been hungry and crying in bed several times, it's really pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zoraida burst into tears, pounding her chest and stomping her feet, "It's all that bastard Jacob's fault! He got me kicked out by the manager, worked the whole morning, and didn't settle a single cent for me!"

CHAPTER 1997 WHEN WILL THIS END

Zoraida suddenly felt that the current tough times were not as good as the days back in the coal mine.

As she cried, she reminisced about her life in the coal mine, thinking to herself, "Back in the coal mine, even though the conditions were a bit rough, at least after following that foreman, I could eat my fill every day!"

"Not only did I not go hungry, I didn't have to work much either. I could also show off in front of Jinny's family, thinking back, it was quite enjoyable."

"And, and, and that foreman, although he was a bit ugly and dirty, his abilities in certain areas were indeed strong, in a way, it gave me an unprecedented feeling."

With these thoughts, Zoraida sighed deeply and cried to her companion Wendy, "Wendy, look at the life our family is living now! It's a constant struggle, either dealing with this or that, the little money we had is all gone, the family business bankrupted. Now we're living in someone else's villa, without even enough to eat. When will this end?"

Wendy couldn't help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Mum, I can't understand it either. Our family used to live well, everything was fine, my relationship with Gerald was great, we were about to get married, but suddenly, everything is falling apart."

Zoraida sighed, "We'll have to go to the temple to pray one of these days, if this continues, we'll be in big trouble."

Wendy said, "Mum, as I think about it now, our family's bad luck seemed to have started after Grandma's last birthday celebration."

"Hmm?" Zoraida asked in surprise, "Which birthday celebration?"

Wendy explained, "The last one, Gerald gave Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha at the birthday banquet, and that guy Wendell Jones, who was pursuing Claire, also sent Grandma a piece of jade Buddha pendant."

Zoraida nodded, "I remember, that jade Buddha pendant from Wendell was worth quite a lot, they said it was worth three to four million."

Regretfully, Zoraida said, "It's a pity! That jade Buddha pendant, along with your Grandma's other antiques and jewelry, were all seized by the bank."

Wendy added, "During that birthday banquet, Charlie even asked Grandma for money, claiming it was for Aunt Lena from the welfare home who needed medical treatment, do you remember?"

"I remember," Zoraida cursed through gritted teeth, "That Charlie, that scoundrel, asking for money at the banquet, really audacious. In the end, Grandma scolded him and he slunk away, thinking about it makes me happy!"

Wendy continued, "I'm not talking about that, I just feel like, from that night onwards, our family has been constantly unlucky."

"Is that so?" Zoraida furrowed her brows and asked, "What was the first stroke of bad luck?"

Wendy hurriedly said, "The first one was the day after the banquet! Gerald and I went to Emgrand Group to deliver an invitation to the Vice Chairman Doris York, and also to network a bit. But we ran into Charlie downstairs at Emgrand Group."

"Charlie?" Zoraida inquired, "What was Charlie doing there?"

Wendy explained, "Charlie said he was there to apply for a job at Emgrand Group. Then Gerald and I teased him a bit, and strange things started happening."

"What strange things?!"

CHAPTER 1998 THE MASTERMIND BEHIND ALL THIS

Wendy recounted, "When Gerald and I went upstairs to see Doris, she refused to see us and even had someone relay a message that Emperor Group would not cooperate with us low-quality rubbish. Shortly after, Gerald was beaten up by Emperor Group's security."

Continuing, Wendy added, "Then, Emperor Group terminated the cooperation with Gerald's family. Gerald's father and uncle were furious. From then on, Gerald and I grew apart. Moreover, his uncle George somehow became close to Charlie and even gave Charlie the adjacent villa."

"Subsequently, the contract negotiated by Claire with Emperor Group was terminated due to Grandma's broken promise. That marked the beginning of our family's downfall."

"Wendell pursued Claire, and as he persisted, the family went bankrupt, and he mysteriously disappeared."

"From the Collingwood family, Gail also pursued Claire, and both he and his father, Junray, went missing. To this day, the Collingwood family is still offering a hefty reward to find their whereabouts."

"Joaquin came to our house to support us but ended up being beaten by Charlie. Not only did he lose his manhood but also shamefully returned to Eastcliff."

"Later, Joaquin gave me to Ricky Weigard, who also looked down on Charlie. As a result, Ricky and his father went missing. Their illegitimate child inherited the business, and rumours suggest they are now harvesting ginseng at the foot of Evergreen Mountain, whether it's true or not remains unknown."

Zoraida, initially famished, sat up abruptly upon hearing this, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "That damn Charlie! It was him who sent me to the coal mine! Damn it! In my opinion, he's the mastermind behind all this!"

Wendy hurriedly asked her, "Mum, do you think this Charlie might be hiding some power? Otherwise, how could he have such great influence, making everyone bow to him?"

"Power?" Zoraida sneered, "That orphan, what power could he possibly have? He's not even worthy of the word 'power'!"

Wendy countered, "Then how could he make so many big shots treat him with such reverence? It proves he must have some abilities we are unaware of."

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida replied, "His ability lies in deception!"

Shaking her head, Wendy said, "I believe he must have real abilities, or so many influential figures wouldn't be fooled by him."

She continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps he understands a bit of feng shui! Maybe he used feng shui behind the scenes to bring us misfortune!"

Wide-eyed, Zoraida suddenly exclaimed, "The way you put it, it does make some sense! He must have set up some feng shui arrangement to make us unlucky while he becomes more powerful!"

Wendy nodded in agreement, "I bet that's the case! Otherwise, how could a nobody like him suddenly become so formidable? Mum, we need to think of a solution!"

With a mournful expression, Zoraida said, "What solution do I have? We can't even afford a meal now. To confront Charlie's family, we need some backing at least!"

Wendy quickly clarified, "I'm not suggesting we confront Charlie, Mum. We never did before, and it's even less possible now."

She earnestly suggested, "Mum, Claire is my cousin after all, and even if Charlie is something else, he's still my cousin-in-law. Instead of opposing him, why don't we try to befriend him proactively and seek their help? If all else fails, I could even become Charlie's mistress!"

CHAPTER 1999 DECENT GUY/A USELESS MAN

When Zoraida heard that Wendy was willing to be Charlie’s mistress, she panicked.

"Wendy! Are you crazy? Why would you want to be a mistress for someone like him? He’s not good enough for you!"

Wendy sighed softly, "Mom, I’ve come to realize that Charlie is actually a pretty decent guy. He’s handsome, responsible, and has good character. He’s a lot better than Gerald."

"Nonsense!" Zoraida snapped, "That loser Charlie isn’t even worthy to carry your shoes!"

Wendy smiled bitterly, "Mom, do you think I don’t know my own situation? I used to be like a phoenix soaring in the sky, but now, I’m not even as good as a chicken in the village."

As she spoke, Wendy couldn’t help but start sobbing, "Mom, look at me now. My reputation is completely ruined. What man would even look at me?"

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zoraida’s heart ached. She hugged Wendy’s head and comforted her, "Sweetheart, don’t think like that. Reputation isn’t everything. What matters is living well."

Zoraida continued, "Besides, you’ve only been with a few men. Gerald, Joaquin, and Ricky. Just three men, and you’re in your late twenties. Many girls sleep with more guys before they even graduate college. They don’t worry about their reputations being ruined, so why should you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Mom, it’s different. In college, dating is like a closed society. After graduation, no one remembers. But with me, everyone in Aurous Hill knew about me and Gerald. Then with Joaquin, everyone knew again."

"From that point on, my reputation was already ruined. Everyone knew I was with a man older than my dad. Who would respect me after that?"

"And then, I was given to Ricky as if I were a commodity. Everyone in Aurous Hill knows about that too."

Zoraida, full of pain and choking back tears, said, "Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and your father’s and your grandmother’s. If we hadn’t been so greedy, we would never have pushed you into that fire pit."

She slapped herself and said angrily, "I’m sorry! I’m not a good mother!"

Wendy quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, crying, "Mom, it’s not your fault. I was willing. I couldn’t resist the lure of money. I wanted to sacrifice myself for wealth. It’s my own fault, not yours."

Crying, Zoraida lamented, "What did we do to deserve this? How did our lives end up like this?"

Wendy nodded repeatedly, "I can’t bear this kind of life anymore. Honestly, if I could have a stable life, I’d even be willing to be Charlie’s maid, let alone his mistress."

Through her tears, Wendy said, "Only now do I truly envy Claire."

"Everyone thought she ruined her life by marrying a useless man."

"But who could have guessed that this useless man would stay faithful to her for four years?"

"And that this man, who endured hardship and humiliation for her, would eventually become someone respected by everyone in Aurous Hill—a master. Isn’t that the ultimate underdog story?"

"Looking at it now, Charlie is the most reliable man."

"As for people like Gerald, no matter how rich they are, what good is it?"

"When trouble comes, they abandon you."

Zoraida, after hearing all this, was momentarily stunned and then sighed, "You’re right. That Claire, who seemed so silly, turned out to be the wisest of all."

CHAPTER 2000 A PILE OF CRAP TURN INTO GOLD

"Some people are always fickle, eyeing one thing while thinking of another, choosing from thousands of options, only to end up with a pile of crap."

"But Claire is different. She doesn't fight, she doesn't pick and choose. The old man handed her a pile of crap, and she just obediently married it."

"Who would have thought that even a pile of crap could turn into gold one day?"

Wendy nodded earnestly and said, "If I get a chance, I must get closer to Charlie. Even if he doesn't care about me, getting a little help for our family is good. At times like these, you can't rely on anyone outside; none of them are as dependable as Charlie."

Zoraida sighed and said, "Do what you want. Mom just got a bit emotional and now I'm even hungrier. Help me back to the room to lie down for a while. When your grandma gets off work, we'll finally have something to eat."

Madam Wilson had been at the supermarket handing out plastic bags to customers all day.

Those big rolls of plastic bags in the supermarket create a lot of static electricity when pulled. After a day, Grandma's hair was practically standing on end.

But Madam Wilson was quite content.

Because at noon, she had a free lunch provided by the supermarket's employee cafeteria.

It was the most delicious meal Grandma had ever had in her life.

The food wasn't anything special; it wasn't particularly tasty and was pretty greasy. But Grandma had been hungry for so long.

At times like these, a bowl of plain white rice felt like a heavenly delicacy. If there were a couple of dishes to go with it, it would be soul-soothing.

With her hunger satisfied, Madam Wilson found new energy. Handing out plastic bags no longer felt so tedious.

On the contrary, she even started to enjoy it.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, it was officially time to get off work. The supervisor came over, handed her a hundred yuan, and said, "Grandma, you did a great job today. Are you coming back tomorrow? It's New Year's Eve, and we're really short of hands at noon. If you come, we'll pay you two hundred for the day!"

"Really?" Madam Wilson was overjoyed. She carefully put the hundred yuan into her pocket and said excitedly, "I'll be here!"

The supervisor nodded in satisfaction. "Great, then you go home and rest now. Be here at nine tomorrow morning."

Madam Wilson excitedly agreed but then suddenly thought of something. She asked, "Supervisor, what time does the cafeteria open for dinner?"

The supervisor said, "Dinner is at six in the evening."

Madam Wilson quickly asked, "Can I eat there again?"

The supervisor looked a bit troubled. "But each employee only gets one meal ticket a day, and you've already used yours for lunch."

Hearing this, Madam Wilson was a bit disappointed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll come back tomorrow!"

Seeing her disappointment, the supervisor couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "How about this, Grandma? If you work overtime until seven, I'll apply for an extra meal ticket for you with the manager. Then you can eat at the cafeteria before heading home. How does that sound?"

Madam Wilson was thrilled. "Working two more hours for an extra meal? Of course, I'll do it!"

She said excitedly, "Thank you, Supervisor! I'll do it!"

This Wilson family never learn. They always put themselves into trouble through their cunning ways . Wendy wants to become Charlie's mistress

, it looks like she's tired of living .

Gily · Jun 14, 2024

Wendy has a lovely name and looks quite yummy. Charlie should eat that piece of meat someday

emeka · Jun 14, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1991 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW

The commotion between the two immediately caught Jacob's attention.

He looked at his mother in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he asked Charlie, "Good son-in-law, is that really my mum? Am I seeing things?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Dad, you're not mistaken, it's indeed her."

Jacob exclaimed, "Why is she wearing a staff vest?! Did she come here to work?"

Charlie nodded, "It seems so."

Jacob puzzled, "This doesn't make sense, didn't Donald Weaver invest in the Wilson family? He even bought them a villa in Thomson Elite, they should be living quite comfortably now, shouldn't they?"

Unaware of the recent events, Jacob had no idea that Elaine was kidnapped by his own elder brother and nephew, or that Donald had relinquished a significant portion of the family assets and become subordinate to Orvel.

Hence, he was oblivious to the sudden downfall of Madam Wilson and her family in these past few days.

Charlie then mentioned, "I heard that it seems Donald has withdrawn his investment."

"Withdrawn?" Jacob exclaimed, "This Donald is so unreliable, he just withdraws like that? Why would he withdraw his investment? I believe with his wealth, he wouldn't care about investing in the Wilson Group, right?"

Charlie shrugged, laughing, "We're not sure about that."

Just then, they saw Verity poking Madam Wilson's ankle with a mop, disdainfully saying, "You old hag, move aside a bit, stop getting in my way when I'm mopping!"

Madam Wilson choked up, "Verity, the supermarket management arranged this job for me, to help customers with plastic bags here. If I don't do well, I'll be fired. Please, I beg you, let's not have conflicts, alright?"

Verity coldly snorted, "I used to respect you, but look at what you've done, you should know in your heart. This is called reaping what you sow!"

She then sneered a few times, gritting her teeth, "Let me tell you, old hag, don't be fooled by my lack of education as a rural woman, I may be uneducated but I have a tough backbone! And I especially dislike being looked down upon! Even if you hit me, I wouldn't mind, but you shouldn't insult me!"

After her words, she put away the mop, deliberately bumped into Madam Wilson as she passed by, causing Madam Wilson to hit the nearby shelf, wincing in pain.

However, after the collision, Verity didn't continue the confrontation, she went to mop elsewhere.

Madam Wilson stood still, feeling increasingly wronged.

In her heart, she bitterly and angrily thought, "I've lived a privileged life in the Wilson family for so many years, when have I ever been bullied like this?! It's simply outrageous!"

"What's even more unacceptable is, at my age, I have to come out and do this undignified temporary job!"

"Over these years in the Wilson family, I haven't even washed a teacup myself! And now, in the supermarket, I have to help customers with plastic bags to save their time!"

"But what other choice do I have?"

"If I don't work, how can I even feed myself..."

"Working this temporary job, at least I get a hundred dollars a day, and they provide lunch..."

"If I don't work, neither Zoraida nor Verity would ever give me a meal..."

"Wouldn't I starve to death then?"

Thinking of this, Madam Wilson felt extremely aggrieved, standing by the shelves, sobbing quietly.

Seeing this, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit sorry, and said to Charlie, "Charlie, I can't help but feel sorry for your grandmother, she must have had no other choice but to work in a place like this..."

CHAPTER 1992 ALL AN ILLUSION

Charlie asked his father, "Dad, do you have any plans?"

Not knowing exactly how Jacob was feeling at the moment, Charlie assumed he might want to help their grandmother in some way.

Seeing Jacob sigh deeply, he said, "Seeing my own mother living like this, doing this kind of work, as her son, it's heartbreaking for me and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jacob suddenly changed the subject, covered his eyes, and said, "But well, I didn't see anything! It was all an illusion!"

He quickly turned around and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's go buy some fish, shrimp, meat, and eggs. As for vegetables, let's go to another supermarket, what do you think?"

Charlie understood his father's hint and immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Dad, I agree with you. The vegetables in this supermarket are indeed not very fresh. Let's go to the market later and see if they have some larger Boston lobsters. If they do, we can buy a few to take home!"

Jacob chuckled, pointed at Charlie, and sighed, "You really get me! Let's go buy lobsters!"

Although Jacob sympathised to some extent with his mother's situation, he was no fool.

He had seen through his mother's true colours over the years.

When she kicked him and his family out, she showed no mercy or family ties.

When she mistreated her daughter, Claire, she was equally ruthless.

Later, when the Wilson family faced difficulties, she schemed and did despicable things just to live in their Thomson Elite Villa.

Jacob was tired of her behaviour.

Therefore, he hoped that reality would teach his mother a profound lesson.

Until his mother truly repented, he had no intention of helping her.

The father and son bought a lot of things but skipped the vegetable section. After filling their cart with various ingredients, they headed to the checkout.

The checkout area was crowded with long queues at every counter.

After waiting for over twenty minutes, Jacob and Charlie finally reached one of the counters.

As they were about to pay, Jacob hurried to the cart and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, you scan the items for the cashier from behind, and I'll pack the bags in front."

Charlie nodded, and Jacob stepped into the checkout lane. Before Charlie could start scanning the items, Jacob told the cashier, "Give me four large plastic bags."

The cashier nodded and said, "The big bags are fifty cents each."

She then took out four large plastic bags from a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

As he took the bags, Jacob looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?"

"Ah?! It's... you?!"

Wearing a supermarket staff vest, Zoraida was equally shocked to see Jacob in front of her!

She never imagined that after being forced to work as a temporary cashier due to circumstances, she would encounter Jacob here!

Looking at the young man on the other side taking out a thick plastic bag filled with several premium large lobsters, Zoraida couldn't help but feel bitter, thinking, "I've been hungry for a day and a night, standing here on an empty stomach all morning, and still haven't had the supermarket's lunch. Yet, they can afford to buy such a large bag of lobsters! Both families live in Thomson Elite Villa, but the gap in living standards is so huge!"

CHAPTER 1993 CHECKOUT NUMBER EIGHT

Charlie caught sight of Zoraida at this moment.

Seeing Zoraida in a supermarket vest, Charlie found it somewhat comical.

He couldn't help but think of Zoraida when she was working as a laborer in the coal mine.

He wondered if Zoraida was provided with work clothes at the coal mine.

He had no idea what Zoraida looked like in her coal mine work clothes.

Zoraida was feeling extremely miserable at this time.

She harbored a deep hatred towards Charlie.

She blamed Charlie for ruining her plan when she set a trap for Elaine.

To make matters worse, Charlie donated all her money to charity and then sent her to the coal mine.

The thought of her time in the coal mine made Zoraida feel so miserable that she wished for death, filled with anger and curses in her heart: "That damn Charlie! It's because of him that I ended up in the coal mine, suffering for days, only to end up with venereal disease and a child. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this wretched state today."

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with anger towards Charlie.

Therefore, when she saw Charlie coming to make a purchase, she immediately put on a cold face and said, "Could you please switch to another checkout counter? I'm suspending service here!"

Charlie remained unperturbed, smiling as he said, "Aunty, aren't you clearly bullying honest folks like us? We waited in line for so long, with many ahead of us already checked out and gone. How come the service stopped just as it's our turn?"

Annoyed, Zoraida retorted, "I need a break, is it not allowed to pause the service? Do you think this supermarket belongs to your family? Don't argue with me here! I'm telling you, I won't serve you today! If you want to check out, go find someone else because you won't be doing it with me!"

Jacob felt discontented, a hint of anger in his voice as he said, "Sis-in-law, you're going too far. We are customers here, customers are gods. You're the cashier here, you should be serving the gods well, why are you giving us attitude?"

Upon hearing him say that he should be served as a god, Zoraida was instantly infuriated and snapped loudly, "Jacob, I may be your sister-in-law, as the saying goes, the wife of an elder brother is like a mother, and the husband's younger brother is like a son. How dare you ask me to serve you? Do you have no respect for elders? Get lost and stop bothering me!"

Jacob exploded, saying, "The wife of an elder brother like you, do you even deserve to say these four words to me?"

Zoraida angrily threw the scanner in her hand, shouting, "Jacob, who are you calling a wife of an elder brother?!"

Jacob sneered, "I'm talking about you, what's wrong with that?"

In frustration, Zoraida threatened, "You... if you say one more word, I'll smash your old face!"

Just then, a man in full uniform yelled, "Checkout number eight, what's going on?! Why are you yelling at the customers?!"

Zoraida was instantly startled!

Looking up, she realised it was the manager of the checkout section!

Afraid of offending the store leadership and getting fired, she quickly put on a smile and explained, "Sorry, manager, I was just joking with my relative here, so I cracked a couple of jokes."

She then pointed at Jacob and said, "This person is Jacob, my husband's younger brother, my younger brother-in-law. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing this, the checkout manager's expression softened slightly.

With a shortage of cashiers in the supermarket recently, the manager often found himself worrying about the long queues of customers waiting to check out, with many customers even calling the head office to complain about the long wait times, leaving him overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 1994 NEGLIGENT

Originally, Zoraida came today looking for a job, applying for casual labour that paid a hundred dollars a day.

However, after chatting for a bit, he found out that Zoraida had a university education, so he asked her to try working as a cashier.

Working as a cashier wasn't tiring, and it paid a hundred and fifty a day, fifty more than odd jobs, so Zoraida naturally accepted happily.

If everything went smoothly, the manager was willing to let Zoraida continue, but if she dared to curse at customers at the cash register, then she definitely couldn't stay.

Luckily, she was just joking around with her own relatives, so there wasn't much to blame her for.

So, the manager reminded her, "You still need to mind your behaviour at work, even if they are relatives, joking around at work isn't appropriate, got it?"

Zoraida hurriedly nodded repeatedly, ingratiatingly saying, "Don't worry, there won't be a next time!"

The manager nodded and turned to leave.

At that moment, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, are you the manager here?"

The manager turned back, "Yes, I am."

Jacob said coldly, "I want to make a complaint about you!"

The manager asked in surprise, "Complain about me? Why?"

Jacob pointed at Zoraida, angrily saying, "Your employee under you unreasonably attacked me physically and verbally, and you did nothing about it! This is a clear case of negligence! Do you always show such leniency towards your subordinates?"

The manager looked puzzled, "Aren't you two relatives?"

Jacob cursed, "Hah! Who's related to her?"

The manager was even more puzzled, pointing at Zoraida, "She said so!"

Jacob disdainfully said, "You believe whatever she says? Seems like you really are negligent! I even thought you two were relatives! Otherwise, why would you condone and protect her like this?"

The manager felt uneasy for a moment and quickly asked politely, "Sir, you and Zoraida are not related?"

Jacob raised his head high, saying coldly, "Of course not! I don't even know her! My son-in-law and I came to shop, after waiting half a day in line, she insisted she was on a break and told us to go to another line. Isn't that intentionally causing trouble? And she even spoke rudely to me just now, surely you heard that?!"

The manager was flustered, quickly looking at Zoraida, demanding, "What's going on here?! If you don't explain it to me, you can stop working here!"

Zoraida was also terrified!

Every time she saw Jacob and Charlie, she couldn't help but feel a strong anger, so regardless of consequences, she lashed out at Jacob.

But she never expected Jacob to go and complain to her supervisor!

Wasn't that ruining her job?!

Thinking of this, she quickly begged, "Jacob, please talk to the manager, we're family, I'm your sister-in-law, if I've done anything wrong, I apologise to you, but please don't joke about my job, I'm begging you as your sister-in-law, okay?"

Jacob glared at her, telling the manager, "Look at this person, still making up stories here. I don't know her at all. She keeps saying she's my sister-in-law, would you be able to tolerate that if you were in my shoes?"

Zoraida hurriedly explained, "Manager! Please don't listen to his nonsense! I really am his sister-in-law!"

Jacob looked at the manager, patting his shoulder and asked him expressionlessly, "If I were to say now that I'm really your father, would you believe me?"

CHAPTER 1995 A STUBBORN STANCE

The supermarket's checkout manager immediately understood the situation.

"Ah, so this Zoraida not only had conflicts with customers, shouted at them, but also gossiped in front of me, it's simply outrageous!"

"This kind of person, keeping her here in this job, who knows how many customers she will offend, it might even end up affecting me!"

"No way! This person must leave immediately!"

With that in mind, the checkout manager sternly said, "Zoraida, I kindly offered you a temporary job, but I didn't expect your attitude towards customers to be so terrible! Since that's the case, I think you don't need to work here anymore. Hand over the cash register keys, take off your uniform right now, and leave immediately!"

Zoraida was devastated!

She thought to herself, "I came here early in the morning looking for work, worked hard all morning!"

"It's almost time for the lunch break shift change, I was looking forward to a hearty meal in the staff canteen, filling my stomach, but now the manager fired me!"

"Now, not only do I have no lunch arrangements, but I also won't get the $150 daily wage!"

Thinking this, Zoraida cried and pleaded, "Manager! Please, I beg you, don't fire me. I rely on this job to support my family!"

She quickly grabbed the manager's arm, choked up, "Manager, my husband and son are both bedridden at home, they haven't eaten anything since yesterday, they are waiting for me to earn some money to buy food! Please have mercy on me, spare me this time, I won't do it again!"

The manager disdainfully said, "Zoraida, you are quite the storyteller, first you said the customer was your nephew, then you claim your husband and son are bedridden at home, what era is this? Who has such a miserable situation? What nonsense are you talking about here?"

Zoraida cried, "Manager! I really didn't make up stories, Manager!"

Then, she looked at Jacob and cried, "Jacob, please tell the manager the truth, help me plead for mercy. Your brother and Harold have both been disabled, I need to support them with my salary!"

Jacob sneered, "You are quite interesting, always causing trouble and making up stories. Just now you said I was your brother-in-law for no reason, now you're assigning me a brother? When will it end?"

The manager, infuriated, scolded, "Zoraida, if you don't leave now, I'll have the security guards escort you out!"

Seeing no way out, Zoraida glared angrily at Jacob, then said to the manager, "Fine, please settle my morning wages, $150 for a day's work, I worked all morning, at least give me $80 or $100, right?"

The manager immediately cursed, "You have some nerve, you did such a poor job and still have the audacity to ask me for money? Get out! Leave quickly!"

Zoraida, annoyed, said, "If you don't give me the money, then I won't leave!"

With that, she turned off the cash register's computer, stood there hugging herself, showing a stubborn stance of not leaving until she gets paid.

At that moment, the manager called a few security guards, saying, "Strip off her uniform and escort her out!"

The security guards didn't hesitate, they quickly approached, lifted Zoraida, and forcefully dragged her out.

CHAPTER 1996 TWO DESPICABLE BASTARDS

Zoraida collapsed and shouted, "Why are you dragging me out?! Why aren't you paying me my wages?!"

Despite her loud cries, no one pitied her or showed any sympathy.

As Zoraida was being dragged out of the supermarket, the manager, with a guilty look on his face, said to Charlie and Jacob, "I'm truly sorry for this matter, it was my misjudgment in handling personnel, I apologize to both of you!"

Jacob nodded and said, "The main fault lies not with you, but you do bear some responsibility, that's what we call mishandling of personnel!"

Afterwards, Jacob sighed and remarked, "Indeed, ultimately it's a matter of your judgment not being quite right."

The manager awkwardly nodded repeatedly, "You are right in your criticism, I will definitely make improvements in the future!"

Jacob patted his shoulder, offering advice in a senior-to-junior manner, "Keep honing your skills!"

"Yes, yes!" The manager nodded continuously, then hurriedly called over a cashier who had just finished eating and returning from break, saying, "Cashier, quickly come and settle the bill for these two customers, they have been delayed for a long time!"

The cashier hurried over, turned on the computer, and processed the payment for Charlie and Jacob.

The father-in-law and son-in-law left the supermarket and drove directly to a large vegetable wholesale market in Aurous Hill. As for Madam Wilson and Zoraida, they were not on their minds at all.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Zoraida hadn't eaten for hours, feeling dizzy and weak, almost on the verge of collapsing.

She had no energy left to look for another temporary job, so she could only walk back home.

Upon returning to the Thomson Elite, Zoraida sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted and drained.

Wendy, who had been taking care of Noah and Harold at home, heard the commotion downstairs and quickly came down to check, seeing Zoraida half-lying on the sofa, she asked in surprise, "Mum, didn't you go out to look for a job? Why are you back?"

Zoraida grumbled, "Don't mention it! It's infuriating!"

Wendy hurriedly asked, "Mum, what happened exactly?"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she choked out, "Your grandmother and I went out to look for a job, found out the supermarket was hiring a lot of temporary workers, with daily wages. They asked your grandmother to help customers bag plastic bags in the vegetable section, and me to work as a cashier, but then..."

At this point, Zoraida's emotions flared up as she sobbed, "Who would have known, I ran into those two despicable bastards Jacob and Charlie! They sabotaged my job!"

Wendy, upon hearing this, clenched her teeth in anger, "They are too much! How could they be so ruthless!"

She then quickly asked, "Mum, did you get paid for the half-day's work? If you did, give me some first, I'll buy some steamed buns and cook a couple of dishes at the small restaurant to bring back."

As she spoke, Wendy's eyes turned red, choking up as she said, "Dad and brother have been hungry and crying in bed several times, it's really pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zoraida burst into tears, pounding her chest and stomping her feet, "It's all that bastard Jacob's fault! He got me kicked out by the manager, worked the whole morning, and didn't settle a single cent for me!"

CHAPTER 1997 WHEN WILL THIS END

Zoraida suddenly felt that the current tough times were not as good as the days back in the coal mine.

As she cried, she reminisced about her life in the coal mine, thinking to herself, "Back in the coal mine, even though the conditions were a bit rough, at least after following that foreman, I could eat my fill every day!"

"Not only did I not go hungry, I didn't have to work much either. I could also show off in front of Jinny's family, thinking back, it was quite enjoyable."

"And, and, and that foreman, although he was a bit ugly and dirty, his abilities in certain areas were indeed strong, in a way, it gave me an unprecedented feeling."

With these thoughts, Zoraida sighed deeply and cried to her companion Wendy, "Wendy, look at the life our family is living now! It's a constant struggle, either dealing with this or that, the little money we had is all gone, the family business bankrupted. Now we're living in someone else's villa, without even enough to eat. When will this end?"

Wendy couldn't help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Mum, I can't understand it either. Our family used to live well, everything was fine, my relationship with Gerald was great, we were about to get married, but suddenly, everything is falling apart."

Zoraida sighed, "We'll have to go to the temple to pray one of these days, if this continues, we'll be in big trouble."

Wendy said, "Mum, as I think about it now, our family's bad luck seemed to have started after Grandma's last birthday celebration."

"Hmm?" Zoraida asked in surprise, "Which birthday celebration?"

Wendy explained, "The last one, Gerald gave Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha at the birthday banquet, and that guy Wendell Jones, who was pursuing Claire, also sent Grandma a piece of jade Buddha pendant."

Zoraida nodded, "I remember, that jade Buddha pendant from Wendell was worth quite a lot, they said it was worth three to four million."

Regretfully, Zoraida said, "It's a pity! That jade Buddha pendant, along with your Grandma's other antiques and jewelry, were all seized by the bank."

Wendy added, "During that birthday banquet, Charlie even asked Grandma for money, claiming it was for Aunt Lena from the welfare home who needed medical treatment, do you remember?"

"I remember," Zoraida cursed through gritted teeth, "That Charlie, that scoundrel, asking for money at the banquet, really audacious. In the end, Grandma scolded him and he slunk away, thinking about it makes me happy!"

Wendy continued, "I'm not talking about that, I just feel like, from that night onwards, our family has been constantly unlucky."

"Is that so?" Zoraida furrowed her brows and asked, "What was the first stroke of bad luck?"

Wendy hurriedly said, "The first one was the day after the banquet! Gerald and I went to Emgrand Group to deliver an invitation to the Vice Chairman Doris York, and also to network a bit. But we ran into Charlie downstairs at Emgrand Group."

"Charlie?" Zoraida inquired, "What was Charlie doing there?"

Wendy explained, "Charlie said he was there to apply for a job at Emgrand Group. Then Gerald and I teased him a bit, and strange things started happening."

"What strange things?!"

CHAPTER 1998 THE MASTERMIND BEHIND ALL THIS

Wendy recounted, "When Gerald and I went upstairs to see Doris, she refused to see us and even had someone relay a message that Emperor Group would not cooperate with us low-quality rubbish. Shortly after, Gerald was beaten up by Emperor Group's security."

Continuing, Wendy added, "Then, Emperor Group terminated the cooperation with Gerald's family. Gerald's father and uncle were furious. From then on, Gerald and I grew apart. Moreover, his uncle George somehow became close to Charlie and even gave Charlie the adjacent villa."

"Subsequently, the contract negotiated by Claire with Emperor Group was terminated due to Grandma's broken promise. That marked the beginning of our family's downfall."

"Wendell pursued Claire, and as he persisted, the family went bankrupt, and he mysteriously disappeared."

"From the Collingwood family, Gail also pursued Claire, and both he and his father, Junray, went missing. To this day, the Collingwood family is still offering a hefty reward to find their whereabouts."

"Joaquin came to our house to support us but ended up being beaten by Charlie. Not only did he lose his manhood but also shamefully returned to Eastcliff."

"Later, Joaquin gave me to Ricky Weigard, who also looked down on Charlie. As a result, Ricky and his father went missing. Their illegitimate child inherited the business, and rumours suggest they are now harvesting ginseng at the foot of Evergreen Mountain, whether it's true or not remains unknown."

Zoraida, initially famished, sat up abruptly upon hearing this, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "That damn Charlie! It was him who sent me to the coal mine! Damn it! In my opinion, he's the mastermind behind all this!"

Wendy hurriedly asked her, "Mum, do you think this Charlie might be hiding some power? Otherwise, how could he have such great influence, making everyone bow to him?"

"Power?" Zoraida sneered, "That orphan, what power could he possibly have? He's not even worthy of the word 'power'!"

Wendy countered, "Then how could he make so many big shots treat him with such reverence? It proves he must have some abilities we are unaware of."

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida replied, "His ability lies in deception!"

Shaking her head, Wendy said, "I believe he must have real abilities, or so many influential figures wouldn't be fooled by him."

She continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps he understands a bit of feng shui! Maybe he used feng shui behind the scenes to bring us misfortune!"

Wide-eyed, Zoraida suddenly exclaimed, "The way you put it, it does make some sense! He must have set up some feng shui arrangement to make us unlucky while he becomes more powerful!"

Wendy nodded in agreement, "I bet that's the case! Otherwise, how could a nobody like him suddenly become so formidable? Mum, we need to think of a solution!"

With a mournful expression, Zoraida said, "What solution do I have? We can't even afford a meal now. To confront Charlie's family, we need some backing at least!"

Wendy quickly clarified, "I'm not suggesting we confront Charlie, Mum. We never did before, and it's even less possible now."

She earnestly suggested, "Mum, Claire is my cousin after all, and even if Charlie is something else, he's still my cousin-in-law. Instead of opposing him, why don't we try to befriend him proactively and seek their help? If all else fails, I could even become Charlie's mistress!"

CHAPTER 1999 DECENT GUY/A USELESS MAN

When Zoraida heard that Wendy was willing to be Charlie’s mistress, she panicked.

"Wendy! Are you crazy? Why would you want to be a mistress for someone like him? He’s not good enough for you!"

Wendy sighed softly, "Mom, I’ve come to realize that Charlie is actually a pretty decent guy. He’s handsome, responsible, and has good character. He’s a lot better than Gerald."

"Nonsense!" Zoraida snapped, "That loser Charlie isn’t even worthy to carry your shoes!"

Wendy smiled bitterly, "Mom, do you think I don’t know my own situation? I used to be like a phoenix soaring in the sky, but now, I’m not even as good as a chicken in the village."

As she spoke, Wendy couldn’t help but start sobbing, "Mom, look at me now. My reputation is completely ruined. What man would even look at me?"

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zoraida’s heart ached. She hugged Wendy’s head and comforted her, "Sweetheart, don’t think like that. Reputation isn’t everything. What matters is living well."

Zoraida continued, "Besides, you’ve only been with a few men. Gerald, Joaquin, and Ricky. Just three men, and you’re in your late twenties. Many girls sleep with more guys before they even graduate college. They don’t worry about their reputations being ruined, so why should you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Mom, it’s different. In college, dating is like a closed society. After graduation, no one remembers. But with me, everyone in Aurous Hill knew about me and Gerald. Then with Joaquin, everyone knew again."

"From that point on, my reputation was already ruined. Everyone knew I was with a man older than my dad. Who would respect me after that?"

"And then, I was given to Ricky as if I were a commodity. Everyone in Aurous Hill knows about that too."

Zoraida, full of pain and choking back tears, said, "Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and your father’s and your grandmother’s. If we hadn’t been so greedy, we would never have pushed you into that fire pit."

She slapped herself and said angrily, "I’m sorry! I’m not a good mother!"

Wendy quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, crying, "Mom, it’s not your fault. I was willing. I couldn’t resist the lure of money. I wanted to sacrifice myself for wealth. It’s my own fault, not yours."

Crying, Zoraida lamented, "What did we do to deserve this? How did our lives end up like this?"

Wendy nodded repeatedly, "I can’t bear this kind of life anymore. Honestly, if I could have a stable life, I’d even be willing to be Charlie’s maid, let alone his mistress."

Through her tears, Wendy said, "Only now do I truly envy Claire."

"Everyone thought she ruined her life by marrying a useless man."

"But who could have guessed that this useless man would stay faithful to her for four years?"

"And that this man, who endured hardship and humiliation for her, would eventually become someone respected by everyone in Aurous Hill—a master. Isn’t that the ultimate underdog story?"

"Looking at it now, Charlie is the most reliable man."

"As for people like Gerald, no matter how rich they are, what good is it?"

"When trouble comes, they abandon you."

Zoraida, after hearing all this, was momentarily stunned and then sighed, "You’re right. That Claire, who seemed so silly, turned out to be the wisest of all."

CHAPTER 2000 A PILE OF CRAP TURN INTO GOLD

"Some people are always fickle, eyeing one thing while thinking of another, choosing from thousands of options, only to end up with a pile of crap."

"But Claire is different. She doesn't fight, she doesn't pick and choose. The old man handed her a pile of crap, and she just obediently married it."

"Who would have thought that even a pile of crap could turn into gold one day?"

Wendy nodded earnestly and said, "If I get a chance, I must get closer to Charlie. Even if he doesn't care about me, getting a little help for our family is good. At times like these, you can't rely on anyone outside; none of them are as dependable as Charlie."

Zoraida sighed and said, "Do what you want. Mom just got a bit emotional and now I'm even hungrier. Help me back to the room to lie down for a while. When your grandma gets off work, we'll finally have something to eat."

Madam Wilson had been at the supermarket handing out plastic bags to customers all day.

Those big rolls of plastic bags in the supermarket create a lot of static electricity when pulled. After a day, Grandma's hair was practically standing on end.

But Madam Wilson was quite content.

Because at noon, she had a free lunch provided by the supermarket's employee cafeteria.

It was the most delicious meal Grandma had ever had in her life.

The food wasn't anything special; it wasn't particularly tasty and was pretty greasy. But Grandma had been hungry for so long.

At times like these, a bowl of plain white rice felt like a heavenly delicacy. If there were a couple of dishes to go with it, it would be soul-soothing.

With her hunger satisfied, Madam Wilson found new energy. Handing out plastic bags no longer felt so tedious.

On the contrary, she even started to enjoy it.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, it was officially time to get off work. The supervisor came over, handed her a hundred yuan, and said, "Grandma, you did a great job today. Are you coming back tomorrow? It's New Year's Eve, and we're really short of hands at noon. If you come, we'll pay you two hundred for the day!"

"Really?" Madam Wilson was overjoyed. She carefully put the hundred yuan into her pocket and said excitedly, "I'll be here!"

The supervisor nodded in satisfaction. "Great, then you go home and rest now. Be here at nine tomorrow morning."

Madam Wilson excitedly agreed but then suddenly thought of something. She asked, "Supervisor, what time does the cafeteria open for dinner?"

The supervisor said, "Dinner is at six in the evening."

Madam Wilson quickly asked, "Can I eat there again?"

The supervisor looked a bit troubled. "But each employee only gets one meal ticket a day, and you've already used yours for lunch."

Hearing this, Madam Wilson was a bit disappointed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll come back tomorrow!"

Seeing her disappointment, the supervisor couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "How about this, Grandma? If you work overtime until seven, I'll apply for an extra meal ticket for you with the manager. Then you can eat at the cafeteria before heading home. How does that sound?"

Madam Wilson was thrilled. "Working two more hours for an extra meal? Of course, I'll do it!"

She said excitedly, "Thank you, Supervisor! I'll do it!"

now wendy finally knows how powerful Charlie is

Assado23 · Jun 14, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1991 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW

The commotion between the two immediately caught Jacob's attention.

He looked at his mother in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he asked Charlie, "Good son-in-law, is that really my mum? Am I seeing things?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Dad, you're not mistaken, it's indeed her."

Jacob exclaimed, "Why is she wearing a staff vest?! Did she come here to work?"

Charlie nodded, "It seems so."

Jacob puzzled, "This doesn't make sense, didn't Donald Weaver invest in the Wilson family? He even bought them a villa in Thomson Elite, they should be living quite comfortably now, shouldn't they?"

Unaware of the recent events, Jacob had no idea that Elaine was kidnapped by his own elder brother and nephew, or that Donald had relinquished a significant portion of the family assets and become subordinate to Orvel.

Hence, he was oblivious to the sudden downfall of Madam Wilson and her family in these past few days.

Charlie then mentioned, "I heard that it seems Donald has withdrawn his investment."

"Withdrawn?" Jacob exclaimed, "This Donald is so unreliable, he just withdraws like that? Why would he withdraw his investment? I believe with his wealth, he wouldn't care about investing in the Wilson Group, right?"

Charlie shrugged, laughing, "We're not sure about that."

Just then, they saw Verity poking Madam Wilson's ankle with a mop, disdainfully saying, "You old hag, move aside a bit, stop getting in my way when I'm mopping!"

Madam Wilson choked up, "Verity, the supermarket management arranged this job for me, to help customers with plastic bags here. If I don't do well, I'll be fired. Please, I beg you, let's not have conflicts, alright?"

Verity coldly snorted, "I used to respect you, but look at what you've done, you should know in your heart. This is called reaping what you sow!"

She then sneered a few times, gritting her teeth, "Let me tell you, old hag, don't be fooled by my lack of education as a rural woman, I may be uneducated but I have a tough backbone! And I especially dislike being looked down upon! Even if you hit me, I wouldn't mind, but you shouldn't insult me!"

After her words, she put away the mop, deliberately bumped into Madam Wilson as she passed by, causing Madam Wilson to hit the nearby shelf, wincing in pain.

However, after the collision, Verity didn't continue the confrontation, she went to mop elsewhere.

Madam Wilson stood still, feeling increasingly wronged.

In her heart, she bitterly and angrily thought, "I've lived a privileged life in the Wilson family for so many years, when have I ever been bullied like this?! It's simply outrageous!"

"What's even more unacceptable is, at my age, I have to come out and do this undignified temporary job!"

"Over these years in the Wilson family, I haven't even washed a teacup myself! And now, in the supermarket, I have to help customers with plastic bags to save their time!"

"But what other choice do I have?"

"If I don't work, how can I even feed myself..."

"Working this temporary job, at least I get a hundred dollars a day, and they provide lunch..."

"If I don't work, neither Zoraida nor Verity would ever give me a meal..."

"Wouldn't I starve to death then?"

Thinking of this, Madam Wilson felt extremely aggrieved, standing by the shelves, sobbing quietly.

Seeing this, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit sorry, and said to Charlie, "Charlie, I can't help but feel sorry for your grandmother, she must have had no other choice but to work in a place like this..."

CHAPTER 1992 ALL AN ILLUSION

Charlie asked his father, "Dad, do you have any plans?"

Not knowing exactly how Jacob was feeling at the moment, Charlie assumed he might want to help their grandmother in some way.

Seeing Jacob sigh deeply, he said, "Seeing my own mother living like this, doing this kind of work, as her son, it's heartbreaking for me and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jacob suddenly changed the subject, covered his eyes, and said, "But well, I didn't see anything! It was all an illusion!"

He quickly turned around and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's go buy some fish, shrimp, meat, and eggs. As for vegetables, let's go to another supermarket, what do you think?"

Charlie understood his father's hint and immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Dad, I agree with you. The vegetables in this supermarket are indeed not very fresh. Let's go to the market later and see if they have some larger Boston lobsters. If they do, we can buy a few to take home!"

Jacob chuckled, pointed at Charlie, and sighed, "You really get me! Let's go buy lobsters!"

Although Jacob sympathised to some extent with his mother's situation, he was no fool.

He had seen through his mother's true colours over the years.

When she kicked him and his family out, she showed no mercy or family ties.

When she mistreated her daughter, Claire, she was equally ruthless.

Later, when the Wilson family faced difficulties, she schemed and did despicable things just to live in their Thomson Elite Villa.

Jacob was tired of her behaviour.

Therefore, he hoped that reality would teach his mother a profound lesson.

Until his mother truly repented, he had no intention of helping her.

The father and son bought a lot of things but skipped the vegetable section. After filling their cart with various ingredients, they headed to the checkout.

The checkout area was crowded with long queues at every counter.

After waiting for over twenty minutes, Jacob and Charlie finally reached one of the counters.

As they were about to pay, Jacob hurried to the cart and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, you scan the items for the cashier from behind, and I'll pack the bags in front."

Charlie nodded, and Jacob stepped into the checkout lane. Before Charlie could start scanning the items, Jacob told the cashier, "Give me four large plastic bags."

The cashier nodded and said, "The big bags are fifty cents each."

She then took out four large plastic bags from a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

As he took the bags, Jacob looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?"

"Ah?! It's... you?!"

Wearing a supermarket staff vest, Zoraida was equally shocked to see Jacob in front of her!

She never imagined that after being forced to work as a temporary cashier due to circumstances, she would encounter Jacob here!

Looking at the young man on the other side taking out a thick plastic bag filled with several premium large lobsters, Zoraida couldn't help but feel bitter, thinking, "I've been hungry for a day and a night, standing here on an empty stomach all morning, and still haven't had the supermarket's lunch. Yet, they can afford to buy such a large bag of lobsters! Both families live in Thomson Elite Villa, but the gap in living standards is so huge!"

CHAPTER 1993 CHECKOUT NUMBER EIGHT

Charlie caught sight of Zoraida at this moment.

Seeing Zoraida in a supermarket vest, Charlie found it somewhat comical.

He couldn't help but think of Zoraida when she was working as a laborer in the coal mine.

He wondered if Zoraida was provided with work clothes at the coal mine.

He had no idea what Zoraida looked like in her coal mine work clothes.

Zoraida was feeling extremely miserable at this time.

She harbored a deep hatred towards Charlie.

She blamed Charlie for ruining her plan when she set a trap for Elaine.

To make matters worse, Charlie donated all her money to charity and then sent her to the coal mine.

The thought of her time in the coal mine made Zoraida feel so miserable that she wished for death, filled with anger and curses in her heart: "That damn Charlie! It's because of him that I ended up in the coal mine, suffering for days, only to end up with venereal disease and a child. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this wretched state today."

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with anger towards Charlie.

Therefore, when she saw Charlie coming to make a purchase, she immediately put on a cold face and said, "Could you please switch to another checkout counter? I'm suspending service here!"

Charlie remained unperturbed, smiling as he said, "Aunty, aren't you clearly bullying honest folks like us? We waited in line for so long, with many ahead of us already checked out and gone. How come the service stopped just as it's our turn?"

Annoyed, Zoraida retorted, "I need a break, is it not allowed to pause the service? Do you think this supermarket belongs to your family? Don't argue with me here! I'm telling you, I won't serve you today! If you want to check out, go find someone else because you won't be doing it with me!"

Jacob felt discontented, a hint of anger in his voice as he said, "Sis-in-law, you're going too far. We are customers here, customers are gods. You're the cashier here, you should be serving the gods well, why are you giving us attitude?"

Upon hearing him say that he should be served as a god, Zoraida was instantly infuriated and snapped loudly, "Jacob, I may be your sister-in-law, as the saying goes, the wife of an elder brother is like a mother, and the husband's younger brother is like a son. How dare you ask me to serve you? Do you have no respect for elders? Get lost and stop bothering me!"

Jacob exploded, saying, "The wife of an elder brother like you, do you even deserve to say these four words to me?"

Zoraida angrily threw the scanner in her hand, shouting, "Jacob, who are you calling a wife of an elder brother?!"

Jacob sneered, "I'm talking about you, what's wrong with that?"

In frustration, Zoraida threatened, "You... if you say one more word, I'll smash your old face!"

Just then, a man in full uniform yelled, "Checkout number eight, what's going on?! Why are you yelling at the customers?!"

Zoraida was instantly startled!

Looking up, she realised it was the manager of the checkout section!

Afraid of offending the store leadership and getting fired, she quickly put on a smile and explained, "Sorry, manager, I was just joking with my relative here, so I cracked a couple of jokes."

She then pointed at Jacob and said, "This person is Jacob, my husband's younger brother, my younger brother-in-law. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing this, the checkout manager's expression softened slightly.

With a shortage of cashiers in the supermarket recently, the manager often found himself worrying about the long queues of customers waiting to check out, with many customers even calling the head office to complain about the long wait times, leaving him overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 1994 NEGLIGENT

Originally, Zoraida came today looking for a job, applying for casual labour that paid a hundred dollars a day.

However, after chatting for a bit, he found out that Zoraida had a university education, so he asked her to try working as a cashier.

Working as a cashier wasn't tiring, and it paid a hundred and fifty a day, fifty more than odd jobs, so Zoraida naturally accepted happily.

If everything went smoothly, the manager was willing to let Zoraida continue, but if she dared to curse at customers at the cash register, then she definitely couldn't stay.

Luckily, she was just joking around with her own relatives, so there wasn't much to blame her for.

So, the manager reminded her, "You still need to mind your behaviour at work, even if they are relatives, joking around at work isn't appropriate, got it?"

Zoraida hurriedly nodded repeatedly, ingratiatingly saying, "Don't worry, there won't be a next time!"

The manager nodded and turned to leave.

At that moment, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, are you the manager here?"

The manager turned back, "Yes, I am."

Jacob said coldly, "I want to make a complaint about you!"

The manager asked in surprise, "Complain about me? Why?"

Jacob pointed at Zoraida, angrily saying, "Your employee under you unreasonably attacked me physically and verbally, and you did nothing about it! This is a clear case of negligence! Do you always show such leniency towards your subordinates?"

The manager looked puzzled, "Aren't you two relatives?"

Jacob cursed, "Hah! Who's related to her?"

The manager was even more puzzled, pointing at Zoraida, "She said so!"

Jacob disdainfully said, "You believe whatever she says? Seems like you really are negligent! I even thought you two were relatives! Otherwise, why would you condone and protect her like this?"

The manager felt uneasy for a moment and quickly asked politely, "Sir, you and Zoraida are not related?"

Jacob raised his head high, saying coldly, "Of course not! I don't even know her! My son-in-law and I came to shop, after waiting half a day in line, she insisted she was on a break and told us to go to another line. Isn't that intentionally causing trouble? And she even spoke rudely to me just now, surely you heard that?!"

The manager was flustered, quickly looking at Zoraida, demanding, "What's going on here?! If you don't explain it to me, you can stop working here!"

Zoraida was also terrified!

Every time she saw Jacob and Charlie, she couldn't help but feel a strong anger, so regardless of consequences, she lashed out at Jacob.

But she never expected Jacob to go and complain to her supervisor!

Wasn't that ruining her job?!

Thinking of this, she quickly begged, "Jacob, please talk to the manager, we're family, I'm your sister-in-law, if I've done anything wrong, I apologise to you, but please don't joke about my job, I'm begging you as your sister-in-law, okay?"

Jacob glared at her, telling the manager, "Look at this person, still making up stories here. I don't know her at all. She keeps saying she's my sister-in-law, would you be able to tolerate that if you were in my shoes?"

Zoraida hurriedly explained, "Manager! Please don't listen to his nonsense! I really am his sister-in-law!"

Jacob looked at the manager, patting his shoulder and asked him expressionlessly, "If I were to say now that I'm really your father, would you believe me?"

CHAPTER 1995 A STUBBORN STANCE

The supermarket's checkout manager immediately understood the situation.

"Ah, so this Zoraida not only had conflicts with customers, shouted at them, but also gossiped in front of me, it's simply outrageous!"

"This kind of person, keeping her here in this job, who knows how many customers she will offend, it might even end up affecting me!"

"No way! This person must leave immediately!"

With that in mind, the checkout manager sternly said, "Zoraida, I kindly offered you a temporary job, but I didn't expect your attitude towards customers to be so terrible! Since that's the case, I think you don't need to work here anymore. Hand over the cash register keys, take off your uniform right now, and leave immediately!"

Zoraida was devastated!

She thought to herself, "I came here early in the morning looking for work, worked hard all morning!"

"It's almost time for the lunch break shift change, I was looking forward to a hearty meal in the staff canteen, filling my stomach, but now the manager fired me!"

"Now, not only do I have no lunch arrangements, but I also won't get the $150 daily wage!"

Thinking this, Zoraida cried and pleaded, "Manager! Please, I beg you, don't fire me. I rely on this job to support my family!"

She quickly grabbed the manager's arm, choked up, "Manager, my husband and son are both bedridden at home, they haven't eaten anything since yesterday, they are waiting for me to earn some money to buy food! Please have mercy on me, spare me this time, I won't do it again!"

The manager disdainfully said, "Zoraida, you are quite the storyteller, first you said the customer was your nephew, then you claim your husband and son are bedridden at home, what era is this? Who has such a miserable situation? What nonsense are you talking about here?"

Zoraida cried, "Manager! I really didn't make up stories, Manager!"

Then, she looked at Jacob and cried, "Jacob, please tell the manager the truth, help me plead for mercy. Your brother and Harold have both been disabled, I need to support them with my salary!"

Jacob sneered, "You are quite interesting, always causing trouble and making up stories. Just now you said I was your brother-in-law for no reason, now you're assigning me a brother? When will it end?"

The manager, infuriated, scolded, "Zoraida, if you don't leave now, I'll have the security guards escort you out!"

Seeing no way out, Zoraida glared angrily at Jacob, then said to the manager, "Fine, please settle my morning wages, $150 for a day's work, I worked all morning, at least give me $80 or $100, right?"

The manager immediately cursed, "You have some nerve, you did such a poor job and still have the audacity to ask me for money? Get out! Leave quickly!"

Zoraida, annoyed, said, "If you don't give me the money, then I won't leave!"

With that, she turned off the cash register's computer, stood there hugging herself, showing a stubborn stance of not leaving until she gets paid.

At that moment, the manager called a few security guards, saying, "Strip off her uniform and escort her out!"

The security guards didn't hesitate, they quickly approached, lifted Zoraida, and forcefully dragged her out.

CHAPTER 1996 TWO DESPICABLE BASTARDS

Zoraida collapsed and shouted, "Why are you dragging me out?! Why aren't you paying me my wages?!"

Despite her loud cries, no one pitied her or showed any sympathy.

As Zoraida was being dragged out of the supermarket, the manager, with a guilty look on his face, said to Charlie and Jacob, "I'm truly sorry for this matter, it was my misjudgment in handling personnel, I apologize to both of you!"

Jacob nodded and said, "The main fault lies not with you, but you do bear some responsibility, that's what we call mishandling of personnel!"

Afterwards, Jacob sighed and remarked, "Indeed, ultimately it's a matter of your judgment not being quite right."

The manager awkwardly nodded repeatedly, "You are right in your criticism, I will definitely make improvements in the future!"

Jacob patted his shoulder, offering advice in a senior-to-junior manner, "Keep honing your skills!"

"Yes, yes!" The manager nodded continuously, then hurriedly called over a cashier who had just finished eating and returning from break, saying, "Cashier, quickly come and settle the bill for these two customers, they have been delayed for a long time!"

The cashier hurried over, turned on the computer, and processed the payment for Charlie and Jacob.

The father-in-law and son-in-law left the supermarket and drove directly to a large vegetable wholesale market in Aurous Hill. As for Madam Wilson and Zoraida, they were not on their minds at all.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Zoraida hadn't eaten for hours, feeling dizzy and weak, almost on the verge of collapsing.

She had no energy left to look for another temporary job, so she could only walk back home.

Upon returning to the Thomson Elite, Zoraida sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted and drained.

Wendy, who had been taking care of Noah and Harold at home, heard the commotion downstairs and quickly came down to check, seeing Zoraida half-lying on the sofa, she asked in surprise, "Mum, didn't you go out to look for a job? Why are you back?"

Zoraida grumbled, "Don't mention it! It's infuriating!"

Wendy hurriedly asked, "Mum, what happened exactly?"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she choked out, "Your grandmother and I went out to look for a job, found out the supermarket was hiring a lot of temporary workers, with daily wages. They asked your grandmother to help customers bag plastic bags in the vegetable section, and me to work as a cashier, but then..."

At this point, Zoraida's emotions flared up as she sobbed, "Who would have known, I ran into those two despicable bastards Jacob and Charlie! They sabotaged my job!"

Wendy, upon hearing this, clenched her teeth in anger, "They are too much! How could they be so ruthless!"

She then quickly asked, "Mum, did you get paid for the half-day's work? If you did, give me some first, I'll buy some steamed buns and cook a couple of dishes at the small restaurant to bring back."

As she spoke, Wendy's eyes turned red, choking up as she said, "Dad and brother have been hungry and crying in bed several times, it's really pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zoraida burst into tears, pounding her chest and stomping her feet, "It's all that bastard Jacob's fault! He got me kicked out by the manager, worked the whole morning, and didn't settle a single cent for me!"

CHAPTER 1997 WHEN WILL THIS END

Zoraida suddenly felt that the current tough times were not as good as the days back in the coal mine.

As she cried, she reminisced about her life in the coal mine, thinking to herself, "Back in the coal mine, even though the conditions were a bit rough, at least after following that foreman, I could eat my fill every day!"

"Not only did I not go hungry, I didn't have to work much either. I could also show off in front of Jinny's family, thinking back, it was quite enjoyable."

"And, and, and that foreman, although he was a bit ugly and dirty, his abilities in certain areas were indeed strong, in a way, it gave me an unprecedented feeling."

With these thoughts, Zoraida sighed deeply and cried to her companion Wendy, "Wendy, look at the life our family is living now! It's a constant struggle, either dealing with this or that, the little money we had is all gone, the family business bankrupted. Now we're living in someone else's villa, without even enough to eat. When will this end?"

Wendy couldn't help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Mum, I can't understand it either. Our family used to live well, everything was fine, my relationship with Gerald was great, we were about to get married, but suddenly, everything is falling apart."

Zoraida sighed, "We'll have to go to the temple to pray one of these days, if this continues, we'll be in big trouble."

Wendy said, "Mum, as I think about it now, our family's bad luck seemed to have started after Grandma's last birthday celebration."

"Hmm?" Zoraida asked in surprise, "Which birthday celebration?"

Wendy explained, "The last one, Gerald gave Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha at the birthday banquet, and that guy Wendell Jones, who was pursuing Claire, also sent Grandma a piece of jade Buddha pendant."

Zoraida nodded, "I remember, that jade Buddha pendant from Wendell was worth quite a lot, they said it was worth three to four million."

Regretfully, Zoraida said, "It's a pity! That jade Buddha pendant, along with your Grandma's other antiques and jewelry, were all seized by the bank."

Wendy added, "During that birthday banquet, Charlie even asked Grandma for money, claiming it was for Aunt Lena from the welfare home who needed medical treatment, do you remember?"

"I remember," Zoraida cursed through gritted teeth, "That Charlie, that scoundrel, asking for money at the banquet, really audacious. In the end, Grandma scolded him and he slunk away, thinking about it makes me happy!"

Wendy continued, "I'm not talking about that, I just feel like, from that night onwards, our family has been constantly unlucky."

"Is that so?" Zoraida furrowed her brows and asked, "What was the first stroke of bad luck?"

Wendy hurriedly said, "The first one was the day after the banquet! Gerald and I went to Emgrand Group to deliver an invitation to the Vice Chairman Doris York, and also to network a bit. But we ran into Charlie downstairs at Emgrand Group."

"Charlie?" Zoraida inquired, "What was Charlie doing there?"

Wendy explained, "Charlie said he was there to apply for a job at Emgrand Group. Then Gerald and I teased him a bit, and strange things started happening."

"What strange things?!"

CHAPTER 1998 THE MASTERMIND BEHIND ALL THIS

Wendy recounted, "When Gerald and I went upstairs to see Doris, she refused to see us and even had someone relay a message that Emperor Group would not cooperate with us low-quality rubbish. Shortly after, Gerald was beaten up by Emperor Group's security."

Continuing, Wendy added, "Then, Emperor Group terminated the cooperation with Gerald's family. Gerald's father and uncle were furious. From then on, Gerald and I grew apart. Moreover, his uncle George somehow became close to Charlie and even gave Charlie the adjacent villa."

"Subsequently, the contract negotiated by Claire with Emperor Group was terminated due to Grandma's broken promise. That marked the beginning of our family's downfall."

"Wendell pursued Claire, and as he persisted, the family went bankrupt, and he mysteriously disappeared."

"From the Collingwood family, Gail also pursued Claire, and both he and his father, Junray, went missing. To this day, the Collingwood family is still offering a hefty reward to find their whereabouts."

"Joaquin came to our house to support us but ended up being beaten by Charlie. Not only did he lose his manhood but also shamefully returned to Eastcliff."

"Later, Joaquin gave me to Ricky Weigard, who also looked down on Charlie. As a result, Ricky and his father went missing. Their illegitimate child inherited the business, and rumours suggest they are now harvesting ginseng at the foot of Evergreen Mountain, whether it's true or not remains unknown."

Zoraida, initially famished, sat up abruptly upon hearing this, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "That damn Charlie! It was him who sent me to the coal mine! Damn it! In my opinion, he's the mastermind behind all this!"

Wendy hurriedly asked her, "Mum, do you think this Charlie might be hiding some power? Otherwise, how could he have such great influence, making everyone bow to him?"

"Power?" Zoraida sneered, "That orphan, what power could he possibly have? He's not even worthy of the word 'power'!"

Wendy countered, "Then how could he make so many big shots treat him with such reverence? It proves he must have some abilities we are unaware of."

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida replied, "His ability lies in deception!"

Shaking her head, Wendy said, "I believe he must have real abilities, or so many influential figures wouldn't be fooled by him."

She continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps he understands a bit of feng shui! Maybe he used feng shui behind the scenes to bring us misfortune!"

Wide-eyed, Zoraida suddenly exclaimed, "The way you put it, it does make some sense! He must have set up some feng shui arrangement to make us unlucky while he becomes more powerful!"

Wendy nodded in agreement, "I bet that's the case! Otherwise, how could a nobody like him suddenly become so formidable? Mum, we need to think of a solution!"

With a mournful expression, Zoraida said, "What solution do I have? We can't even afford a meal now. To confront Charlie's family, we need some backing at least!"

Wendy quickly clarified, "I'm not suggesting we confront Charlie, Mum. We never did before, and it's even less possible now."

She earnestly suggested, "Mum, Claire is my cousin after all, and even if Charlie is something else, he's still my cousin-in-law. Instead of opposing him, why don't we try to befriend him proactively and seek their help? If all else fails, I could even become Charlie's mistress!"

CHAPTER 1999 DECENT GUY/A USELESS MAN

When Zoraida heard that Wendy was willing to be Charlie’s mistress, she panicked.

"Wendy! Are you crazy? Why would you want to be a mistress for someone like him? He’s not good enough for you!"

Wendy sighed softly, "Mom, I’ve come to realize that Charlie is actually a pretty decent guy. He’s handsome, responsible, and has good character. He’s a lot better than Gerald."

"Nonsense!" Zoraida snapped, "That loser Charlie isn’t even worthy to carry your shoes!"

Wendy smiled bitterly, "Mom, do you think I don’t know my own situation? I used to be like a phoenix soaring in the sky, but now, I’m not even as good as a chicken in the village."

As she spoke, Wendy couldn’t help but start sobbing, "Mom, look at me now. My reputation is completely ruined. What man would even look at me?"

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zoraida’s heart ached. She hugged Wendy’s head and comforted her, "Sweetheart, don’t think like that. Reputation isn’t everything. What matters is living well."

Zoraida continued, "Besides, you’ve only been with a few men. Gerald, Joaquin, and Ricky. Just three men, and you’re in your late twenties. Many girls sleep with more guys before they even graduate college. They don’t worry about their reputations being ruined, so why should you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Mom, it’s different. In college, dating is like a closed society. After graduation, no one remembers. But with me, everyone in Aurous Hill knew about me and Gerald. Then with Joaquin, everyone knew again."

"From that point on, my reputation was already ruined. Everyone knew I was with a man older than my dad. Who would respect me after that?"

"And then, I was given to Ricky as if I were a commodity. Everyone in Aurous Hill knows about that too."

Zoraida, full of pain and choking back tears, said, "Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and your father’s and your grandmother’s. If we hadn’t been so greedy, we would never have pushed you into that fire pit."

She slapped herself and said angrily, "I’m sorry! I’m not a good mother!"

Wendy quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, crying, "Mom, it’s not your fault. I was willing. I couldn’t resist the lure of money. I wanted to sacrifice myself for wealth. It’s my own fault, not yours."

Crying, Zoraida lamented, "What did we do to deserve this? How did our lives end up like this?"

Wendy nodded repeatedly, "I can’t bear this kind of life anymore. Honestly, if I could have a stable life, I’d even be willing to be Charlie’s maid, let alone his mistress."

Through her tears, Wendy said, "Only now do I truly envy Claire."

"Everyone thought she ruined her life by marrying a useless man."

"But who could have guessed that this useless man would stay faithful to her for four years?"

"And that this man, who endured hardship and humiliation for her, would eventually become someone respected by everyone in Aurous Hill—a master. Isn’t that the ultimate underdog story?"

"Looking at it now, Charlie is the most reliable man."

"As for people like Gerald, no matter how rich they are, what good is it?"

"When trouble comes, they abandon you."

Zoraida, after hearing all this, was momentarily stunned and then sighed, "You’re right. That Claire, who seemed so silly, turned out to be the wisest of all."

CHAPTER 2000 A PILE OF CRAP TURN INTO GOLD

"Some people are always fickle, eyeing one thing while thinking of another, choosing from thousands of options, only to end up with a pile of crap."

"But Claire is different. She doesn't fight, she doesn't pick and choose. The old man handed her a pile of crap, and she just obediently married it."

"Who would have thought that even a pile of crap could turn into gold one day?"

Wendy nodded earnestly and said, "If I get a chance, I must get closer to Charlie. Even if he doesn't care about me, getting a little help for our family is good. At times like these, you can't rely on anyone outside; none of them are as dependable as Charlie."

Zoraida sighed and said, "Do what you want. Mom just got a bit emotional and now I'm even hungrier. Help me back to the room to lie down for a while. When your grandma gets off work, we'll finally have something to eat."

Madam Wilson had been at the supermarket handing out plastic bags to customers all day.

Those big rolls of plastic bags in the supermarket create a lot of static electricity when pulled. After a day, Grandma's hair was practically standing on end.

But Madam Wilson was quite content.

Because at noon, she had a free lunch provided by the supermarket's employee cafeteria.

It was the most delicious meal Grandma had ever had in her life.

The food wasn't anything special; it wasn't particularly tasty and was pretty greasy. But Grandma had been hungry for so long.

At times like these, a bowl of plain white rice felt like a heavenly delicacy. If there were a couple of dishes to go with it, it would be soul-soothing.

With her hunger satisfied, Madam Wilson found new energy. Handing out plastic bags no longer felt so tedious.

On the contrary, she even started to enjoy it.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, it was officially time to get off work. The supervisor came over, handed her a hundred yuan, and said, "Grandma, you did a great job today. Are you coming back tomorrow? It's New Year's Eve, and we're really short of hands at noon. If you come, we'll pay you two hundred for the day!"

"Really?" Madam Wilson was overjoyed. She carefully put the hundred yuan into her pocket and said excitedly, "I'll be here!"

The supervisor nodded in satisfaction. "Great, then you go home and rest now. Be here at nine tomorrow morning."

Madam Wilson excitedly agreed but then suddenly thought of something. She asked, "Supervisor, what time does the cafeteria open for dinner?"

The supervisor said, "Dinner is at six in the evening."

Madam Wilson quickly asked, "Can I eat there again?"

The supervisor looked a bit troubled. "But each employee only gets one meal ticket a day, and you've already used yours for lunch."

Hearing this, Madam Wilson was a bit disappointed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll come back tomorrow!"

Seeing her disappointment, the supervisor couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "How about this, Grandma? If you work overtime until seven, I'll apply for an extra meal ticket for you with the manager. Then you can eat at the cafeteria before heading home. How does that sound?"

Madam Wilson was thrilled. "Working two more hours for an extra meal? Of course, I'll do it!"

She said excitedly, "Thank you, Supervisor! I'll do it!"

Wendy pitiable. I wish she could turn to be good.

anour · Jun 14, 2024

Sorry Wendy you're in the end of long queue of pretty and virgin girls waiting Charlie to open the sex gate.

Prodigy · Jun 14, 2024

Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000') said:
CHAPTER 1991 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW

The commotion between the two immediately caught Jacob's attention.

He looked at his mother in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he asked Charlie, "Good son-in-law, is that really my mum? Am I seeing things?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "Dad, you're not mistaken, it's indeed her."

Jacob exclaimed, "Why is she wearing a staff vest?! Did she come here to work?"

Charlie nodded, "It seems so."

Jacob puzzled, "This doesn't make sense, didn't Donald Weaver invest in the Wilson family? He even bought them a villa in Thomson Elite, they should be living quite comfortably now, shouldn't they?"

Unaware of the recent events, Jacob had no idea that Elaine was kidnapped by his own elder brother and nephew, or that Donald had relinquished a significant portion of the family assets and become subordinate to Orvel.

Hence, he was oblivious to the sudden downfall of Madam Wilson and her family in these past few days.

Charlie then mentioned, "I heard that it seems Donald has withdrawn his investment."

"Withdrawn?" Jacob exclaimed, "This Donald is so unreliable, he just withdraws like that? Why would he withdraw his investment? I believe with his wealth, he wouldn't care about investing in the Wilson Group, right?"

Charlie shrugged, laughing, "We're not sure about that."

Just then, they saw Verity poking Madam Wilson's ankle with a mop, disdainfully saying, "You old hag, move aside a bit, stop getting in my way when I'm mopping!"

Madam Wilson choked up, "Verity, the supermarket management arranged this job for me, to help customers with plastic bags here. If I don't do well, I'll be fired. Please, I beg you, let's not have conflicts, alright?"

Verity coldly snorted, "I used to respect you, but look at what you've done, you should know in your heart. This is called reaping what you sow!"

She then sneered a few times, gritting her teeth, "Let me tell you, old hag, don't be fooled by my lack of education as a rural woman, I may be uneducated but I have a tough backbone! And I especially dislike being looked down upon! Even if you hit me, I wouldn't mind, but you shouldn't insult me!"

After her words, she put away the mop, deliberately bumped into Madam Wilson as she passed by, causing Madam Wilson to hit the nearby shelf, wincing in pain.

However, after the collision, Verity didn't continue the confrontation, she went to mop elsewhere.

Madam Wilson stood still, feeling increasingly wronged.

In her heart, she bitterly and angrily thought, "I've lived a privileged life in the Wilson family for so many years, when have I ever been bullied like this?! It's simply outrageous!"

"What's even more unacceptable is, at my age, I have to come out and do this undignified temporary job!"

"Over these years in the Wilson family, I haven't even washed a teacup myself! And now, in the supermarket, I have to help customers with plastic bags to save their time!"

"But what other choice do I have?"

"If I don't work, how can I even feed myself..."

"Working this temporary job, at least I get a hundred dollars a day, and they provide lunch..."

"If I don't work, neither Zoraida nor Verity would ever give me a meal..."

"Wouldn't I starve to death then?"

Thinking of this, Madam Wilson felt extremely aggrieved, standing by the shelves, sobbing quietly.

Seeing this, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit sorry, and said to Charlie, "Charlie, I can't help but feel sorry for your grandmother, she must have had no other choice but to work in a place like this..."

CHAPTER 1992 ALL AN ILLUSION

Charlie asked his father, "Dad, do you have any plans?"

Not knowing exactly how Jacob was feeling at the moment, Charlie assumed he might want to help their grandmother in some way.

Seeing Jacob sigh deeply, he said, "Seeing my own mother living like this, doing this kind of work, as her son, it's heartbreaking for me and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jacob suddenly changed the subject, covered his eyes, and said, "But well, I didn't see anything! It was all an illusion!"

He quickly turned around and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, let's go buy some fish, shrimp, meat, and eggs. As for vegetables, let's go to another supermarket, what do you think?"

Charlie understood his father's hint and immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Dad, I agree with you. The vegetables in this supermarket are indeed not very fresh. Let's go to the market later and see if they have some larger Boston lobsters. If they do, we can buy a few to take home!"

Jacob chuckled, pointed at Charlie, and sighed, "You really get me! Let's go buy lobsters!"

Although Jacob sympathised to some extent with his mother's situation, he was no fool.

He had seen through his mother's true colours over the years.

When she kicked him and his family out, she showed no mercy or family ties.

When she mistreated her daughter, Claire, she was equally ruthless.

Later, when the Wilson family faced difficulties, she schemed and did despicable things just to live in their Thomson Elite Villa.

Jacob was tired of her behaviour.

Therefore, he hoped that reality would teach his mother a profound lesson.

Until his mother truly repented, he had no intention of helping her.

The father and son bought a lot of things but skipped the vegetable section. After filling their cart with various ingredients, they headed to the checkout.

The checkout area was crowded with long queues at every counter.

After waiting for over twenty minutes, Jacob and Charlie finally reached one of the counters.

As they were about to pay, Jacob hurried to the cart and said to Charlie, "Good son-in-law, you scan the items for the cashier from behind, and I'll pack the bags in front."

Charlie nodded, and Jacob stepped into the checkout lane. Before Charlie could start scanning the items, Jacob told the cashier, "Give me four large plastic bags."

The cashier nodded and said, "The big bags are fifty cents each."

She then took out four large plastic bags from a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

As he took the bags, Jacob looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?"

"Ah?! It's... you?!"

Wearing a supermarket staff vest, Zoraida was equally shocked to see Jacob in front of her!

She never imagined that after being forced to work as a temporary cashier due to circumstances, she would encounter Jacob here!

Looking at the young man on the other side taking out a thick plastic bag filled with several premium large lobsters, Zoraida couldn't help but feel bitter, thinking, "I've been hungry for a day and a night, standing here on an empty stomach all morning, and still haven't had the supermarket's lunch. Yet, they can afford to buy such a large bag of lobsters! Both families live in Thomson Elite Villa, but the gap in living standards is so huge!"

CHAPTER 1993 CHECKOUT NUMBER EIGHT

Charlie caught sight of Zoraida at this moment.

Seeing Zoraida in a supermarket vest, Charlie found it somewhat comical.

He couldn't help but think of Zoraida when she was working as a laborer in the coal mine.

He wondered if Zoraida was provided with work clothes at the coal mine.

He had no idea what Zoraida looked like in her coal mine work clothes.

Zoraida was feeling extremely miserable at this time.

She harbored a deep hatred towards Charlie.

She blamed Charlie for ruining her plan when she set a trap for Elaine.

To make matters worse, Charlie donated all her money to charity and then sent her to the coal mine.

The thought of her time in the coal mine made Zoraida feel so miserable that she wished for death, filled with anger and curses in her heart: "That damn Charlie! It's because of him that I ended up in the coal mine, suffering for days, only to end up with venereal disease and a child. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this wretched state today."

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with anger towards Charlie.

Therefore, when she saw Charlie coming to make a purchase, she immediately put on a cold face and said, "Could you please switch to another checkout counter? I'm suspending service here!"

Charlie remained unperturbed, smiling as he said, "Aunty, aren't you clearly bullying honest folks like us? We waited in line for so long, with many ahead of us already checked out and gone. How come the service stopped just as it's our turn?"

Annoyed, Zoraida retorted, "I need a break, is it not allowed to pause the service? Do you think this supermarket belongs to your family? Don't argue with me here! I'm telling you, I won't serve you today! If you want to check out, go find someone else because you won't be doing it with me!"

Jacob felt discontented, a hint of anger in his voice as he said, "Sis-in-law, you're going too far. We are customers here, customers are gods. You're the cashier here, you should be serving the gods well, why are you giving us attitude?"

Upon hearing him say that he should be served as a god, Zoraida was instantly infuriated and snapped loudly, "Jacob, I may be your sister-in-law, as the saying goes, the wife of an elder brother is like a mother, and the husband's younger brother is like a son. How dare you ask me to serve you? Do you have no respect for elders? Get lost and stop bothering me!"

Jacob exploded, saying, "The wife of an elder brother like you, do you even deserve to say these four words to me?"

Zoraida angrily threw the scanner in her hand, shouting, "Jacob, who are you calling a wife of an elder brother?!"

Jacob sneered, "I'm talking about you, what's wrong with that?"

In frustration, Zoraida threatened, "You... if you say one more word, I'll smash your old face!"

Just then, a man in full uniform yelled, "Checkout number eight, what's going on?! Why are you yelling at the customers?!"

Zoraida was instantly startled!

Looking up, she realised it was the manager of the checkout section!

Afraid of offending the store leadership and getting fired, she quickly put on a smile and explained, "Sorry, manager, I was just joking with my relative here, so I cracked a couple of jokes."

She then pointed at Jacob and said, "This person is Jacob, my husband's younger brother, my younger brother-in-law. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing this, the checkout manager's expression softened slightly.

With a shortage of cashiers in the supermarket recently, the manager often found himself worrying about the long queues of customers waiting to check out, with many customers even calling the head office to complain about the long wait times, leaving him overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 1994 NEGLIGENT

Originally, Zoraida came today looking for a job, applying for casual labour that paid a hundred dollars a day.

However, after chatting for a bit, he found out that Zoraida had a university education, so he asked her to try working as a cashier.

Working as a cashier wasn't tiring, and it paid a hundred and fifty a day, fifty more than odd jobs, so Zoraida naturally accepted happily.

If everything went smoothly, the manager was willing to let Zoraida continue, but if she dared to curse at customers at the cash register, then she definitely couldn't stay.

Luckily, she was just joking around with her own relatives, so there wasn't much to blame her for.

So, the manager reminded her, "You still need to mind your behaviour at work, even if they are relatives, joking around at work isn't appropriate, got it?"

Zoraida hurriedly nodded repeatedly, ingratiatingly saying, "Don't worry, there won't be a next time!"

The manager nodded and turned to leave.

At that moment, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, are you the manager here?"

The manager turned back, "Yes, I am."

Jacob said coldly, "I want to make a complaint about you!"

The manager asked in surprise, "Complain about me? Why?"

Jacob pointed at Zoraida, angrily saying, "Your employee under you unreasonably attacked me physically and verbally, and you did nothing about it! This is a clear case of negligence! Do you always show such leniency towards your subordinates?"

The manager looked puzzled, "Aren't you two relatives?"

Jacob cursed, "Hah! Who's related to her?"

The manager was even more puzzled, pointing at Zoraida, "She said so!"

Jacob disdainfully said, "You believe whatever she says? Seems like you really are negligent! I even thought you two were relatives! Otherwise, why would you condone and protect her like this?"

The manager felt uneasy for a moment and quickly asked politely, "Sir, you and Zoraida are not related?"

Jacob raised his head high, saying coldly, "Of course not! I don't even know her! My son-in-law and I came to shop, after waiting half a day in line, she insisted she was on a break and told us to go to another line. Isn't that intentionally causing trouble? And she even spoke rudely to me just now, surely you heard that?!"

The manager was flustered, quickly looking at Zoraida, demanding, "What's going on here?! If you don't explain it to me, you can stop working here!"

Zoraida was also terrified!

Every time she saw Jacob and Charlie, she couldn't help but feel a strong anger, so regardless of consequences, she lashed out at Jacob.

But she never expected Jacob to go and complain to her supervisor!

Wasn't that ruining her job?!

Thinking of this, she quickly begged, "Jacob, please talk to the manager, we're family, I'm your sister-in-law, if I've done anything wrong, I apologise to you, but please don't joke about my job, I'm begging you as your sister-in-law, okay?"

Jacob glared at her, telling the manager, "Look at this person, still making up stories here. I don't know her at all. She keeps saying she's my sister-in-law, would you be able to tolerate that if you were in my shoes?"

Zoraida hurriedly explained, "Manager! Please don't listen to his nonsense! I really am his sister-in-law!"

Jacob looked at the manager, patting his shoulder and asked him expressionlessly, "If I were to say now that I'm really your father, would you believe me?"

CHAPTER 1995 A STUBBORN STANCE

The supermarket's checkout manager immediately understood the situation.

"Ah, so this Zoraida not only had conflicts with customers, shouted at them, but also gossiped in front of me, it's simply outrageous!"

"This kind of person, keeping her here in this job, who knows how many customers she will offend, it might even end up affecting me!"

"No way! This person must leave immediately!"

With that in mind, the checkout manager sternly said, "Zoraida, I kindly offered you a temporary job, but I didn't expect your attitude towards customers to be so terrible! Since that's the case, I think you don't need to work here anymore. Hand over the cash register keys, take off your uniform right now, and leave immediately!"

Zoraida was devastated!

She thought to herself, "I came here early in the morning looking for work, worked hard all morning!"

"It's almost time for the lunch break shift change, I was looking forward to a hearty meal in the staff canteen, filling my stomach, but now the manager fired me!"

"Now, not only do I have no lunch arrangements, but I also won't get the $150 daily wage!"

Thinking this, Zoraida cried and pleaded, "Manager! Please, I beg you, don't fire me. I rely on this job to support my family!"

She quickly grabbed the manager's arm, choked up, "Manager, my husband and son are both bedridden at home, they haven't eaten anything since yesterday, they are waiting for me to earn some money to buy food! Please have mercy on me, spare me this time, I won't do it again!"

The manager disdainfully said, "Zoraida, you are quite the storyteller, first you said the customer was your nephew, then you claim your husband and son are bedridden at home, what era is this? Who has such a miserable situation? What nonsense are you talking about here?"

Zoraida cried, "Manager! I really didn't make up stories, Manager!"

Then, she looked at Jacob and cried, "Jacob, please tell the manager the truth, help me plead for mercy. Your brother and Harold have both been disabled, I need to support them with my salary!"

Jacob sneered, "You are quite interesting, always causing trouble and making up stories. Just now you said I was your brother-in-law for no reason, now you're assigning me a brother? When will it end?"

The manager, infuriated, scolded, "Zoraida, if you don't leave now, I'll have the security guards escort you out!"

Seeing no way out, Zoraida glared angrily at Jacob, then said to the manager, "Fine, please settle my morning wages, $150 for a day's work, I worked all morning, at least give me $80 or $100, right?"

The manager immediately cursed, "You have some nerve, you did such a poor job and still have the audacity to ask me for money? Get out! Leave quickly!"

Zoraida, annoyed, said, "If you don't give me the money, then I won't leave!"

With that, she turned off the cash register's computer, stood there hugging herself, showing a stubborn stance of not leaving until she gets paid.

At that moment, the manager called a few security guards, saying, "Strip off her uniform and escort her out!"

The security guards didn't hesitate, they quickly approached, lifted Zoraida, and forcefully dragged her out.

CHAPTER 1996 TWO DESPICABLE BASTARDS

Zoraida collapsed and shouted, "Why are you dragging me out?! Why aren't you paying me my wages?!"

Despite her loud cries, no one pitied her or showed any sympathy.

As Zoraida was being dragged out of the supermarket, the manager, with a guilty look on his face, said to Charlie and Jacob, "I'm truly sorry for this matter, it was my misjudgment in handling personnel, I apologize to both of you!"

Jacob nodded and said, "The main fault lies not with you, but you do bear some responsibility, that's what we call mishandling of personnel!"

Afterwards, Jacob sighed and remarked, "Indeed, ultimately it's a matter of your judgment not being quite right."

The manager awkwardly nodded repeatedly, "You are right in your criticism, I will definitely make improvements in the future!"

Jacob patted his shoulder, offering advice in a senior-to-junior manner, "Keep honing your skills!"

"Yes, yes!" The manager nodded continuously, then hurriedly called over a cashier who had just finished eating and returning from break, saying, "Cashier, quickly come and settle the bill for these two customers, they have been delayed for a long time!"

The cashier hurried over, turned on the computer, and processed the payment for Charlie and Jacob.

The father-in-law and son-in-law left the supermarket and drove directly to a large vegetable wholesale market in Aurous Hill. As for Madam Wilson and Zoraida, they were not on their minds at all.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Zoraida hadn't eaten for hours, feeling dizzy and weak, almost on the verge of collapsing.

She had no energy left to look for another temporary job, so she could only walk back home.

Upon returning to the Thomson Elite, Zoraida sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted and drained.

Wendy, who had been taking care of Noah and Harold at home, heard the commotion downstairs and quickly came down to check, seeing Zoraida half-lying on the sofa, she asked in surprise, "Mum, didn't you go out to look for a job? Why are you back?"

Zoraida grumbled, "Don't mention it! It's infuriating!"

Wendy hurriedly asked, "Mum, what happened exactly?"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she choked out, "Your grandmother and I went out to look for a job, found out the supermarket was hiring a lot of temporary workers, with daily wages. They asked your grandmother to help customers bag plastic bags in the vegetable section, and me to work as a cashier, but then..."

At this point, Zoraida's emotions flared up as she sobbed, "Who would have known, I ran into those two despicable bastards Jacob and Charlie! They sabotaged my job!"

Wendy, upon hearing this, clenched her teeth in anger, "They are too much! How could they be so ruthless!"

She then quickly asked, "Mum, did you get paid for the half-day's work? If you did, give me some first, I'll buy some steamed buns and cook a couple of dishes at the small restaurant to bring back."

As she spoke, Wendy's eyes turned red, choking up as she said, "Dad and brother have been hungry and crying in bed several times, it's really pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zoraida burst into tears, pounding her chest and stomping her feet, "It's all that bastard Jacob's fault! He got me kicked out by the manager, worked the whole morning, and didn't settle a single cent for me!"

CHAPTER 1997 WHEN WILL THIS END

Zoraida suddenly felt that the current tough times were not as good as the days back in the coal mine.

As she cried, she reminisced about her life in the coal mine, thinking to herself, "Back in the coal mine, even though the conditions were a bit rough, at least after following that foreman, I could eat my fill every day!"

"Not only did I not go hungry, I didn't have to work much either. I could also show off in front of Jinny's family, thinking back, it was quite enjoyable."

"And, and, and that foreman, although he was a bit ugly and dirty, his abilities in certain areas were indeed strong, in a way, it gave me an unprecedented feeling."

With these thoughts, Zoraida sighed deeply and cried to her companion Wendy, "Wendy, look at the life our family is living now! It's a constant struggle, either dealing with this or that, the little money we had is all gone, the family business bankrupted. Now we're living in someone else's villa, without even enough to eat. When will this end?"

Wendy couldn't help but shed tears, choking up as she said, "Mum, I can't understand it either. Our family used to live well, everything was fine, my relationship with Gerald was great, we were about to get married, but suddenly, everything is falling apart."

Zoraida sighed, "We'll have to go to the temple to pray one of these days, if this continues, we'll be in big trouble."

Wendy said, "Mum, as I think about it now, our family's bad luck seemed to have started after Grandma's last birthday celebration."

"Hmm?" Zoraida asked in surprise, "Which birthday celebration?"

Wendy explained, "The last one, Gerald gave Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha at the birthday banquet, and that guy Wendell Jones, who was pursuing Claire, also sent Grandma a piece of jade Buddha pendant."

Zoraida nodded, "I remember, that jade Buddha pendant from Wendell was worth quite a lot, they said it was worth three to four million."

Regretfully, Zoraida said, "It's a pity! That jade Buddha pendant, along with your Grandma's other antiques and jewelry, were all seized by the bank."

Wendy added, "During that birthday banquet, Charlie even asked Grandma for money, claiming it was for Aunt Lena from the welfare home who needed medical treatment, do you remember?"

"I remember," Zoraida cursed through gritted teeth, "That Charlie, that scoundrel, asking for money at the banquet, really audacious. In the end, Grandma scolded him and he slunk away, thinking about it makes me happy!"

Wendy continued, "I'm not talking about that, I just feel like, from that night onwards, our family has been constantly unlucky."

"Is that so?" Zoraida furrowed her brows and asked, "What was the first stroke of bad luck?"

Wendy hurriedly said, "The first one was the day after the banquet! Gerald and I went to Emgrand Group to deliver an invitation to the Vice Chairman Doris York, and also to network a bit. But we ran into Charlie downstairs at Emgrand Group."

"Charlie?" Zoraida inquired, "What was Charlie doing there?"

Wendy explained, "Charlie said he was there to apply for a job at Emgrand Group. Then Gerald and I teased him a bit, and strange things started happening."

"What strange things?!"

CHAPTER 1998 THE MASTERMIND BEHIND ALL THIS

Wendy recounted, "When Gerald and I went upstairs to see Doris, she refused to see us and even had someone relay a message that Emperor Group would not cooperate with us low-quality rubbish. Shortly after, Gerald was beaten up by Emperor Group's security."

Continuing, Wendy added, "Then, Emperor Group terminated the cooperation with Gerald's family. Gerald's father and uncle were furious. From then on, Gerald and I grew apart. Moreover, his uncle George somehow became close to Charlie and even gave Charlie the adjacent villa."

"Subsequently, the contract negotiated by Claire with Emperor Group was terminated due to Grandma's broken promise. That marked the beginning of our family's downfall."

"Wendell pursued Claire, and as he persisted, the family went bankrupt, and he mysteriously disappeared."

"From the Collingwood family, Gail also pursued Claire, and both he and his father, Junray, went missing. To this day, the Collingwood family is still offering a hefty reward to find their whereabouts."

"Joaquin came to our house to support us but ended up being beaten by Charlie. Not only did he lose his manhood but also shamefully returned to Eastcliff."

"Later, Joaquin gave me to Ricky Weigard, who also looked down on Charlie. As a result, Ricky and his father went missing. Their illegitimate child inherited the business, and rumours suggest they are now harvesting ginseng at the foot of Evergreen Mountain, whether it's true or not remains unknown."

Zoraida, initially famished, sat up abruptly upon hearing this, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "That damn Charlie! It was him who sent me to the coal mine! Damn it! In my opinion, he's the mastermind behind all this!"

Wendy hurriedly asked her, "Mum, do you think this Charlie might be hiding some power? Otherwise, how could he have such great influence, making everyone bow to him?"

"Power?" Zoraida sneered, "That orphan, what power could he possibly have? He's not even worthy of the word 'power'!"

Wendy countered, "Then how could he make so many big shots treat him with such reverence? It proves he must have some abilities we are unaware of."

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida replied, "His ability lies in deception!"

Shaking her head, Wendy said, "I believe he must have real abilities, or so many influential figures wouldn't be fooled by him."

She continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps he understands a bit of feng shui! Maybe he used feng shui behind the scenes to bring us misfortune!"

Wide-eyed, Zoraida suddenly exclaimed, "The way you put it, it does make some sense! He must have set up some feng shui arrangement to make us unlucky while he becomes more powerful!"

Wendy nodded in agreement, "I bet that's the case! Otherwise, how could a nobody like him suddenly become so formidable? Mum, we need to think of a solution!"

With a mournful expression, Zoraida said, "What solution do I have? We can't even afford a meal now. To confront Charlie's family, we need some backing at least!"

Wendy quickly clarified, "I'm not suggesting we confront Charlie, Mum. We never did before, and it's even less possible now."

She earnestly suggested, "Mum, Claire is my cousin after all, and even if Charlie is something else, he's still my cousin-in-law. Instead of opposing him, why don't we try to befriend him proactively and seek their help? If all else fails, I could even become Charlie's mistress!"

CHAPTER 1999 DECENT GUY/A USELESS MAN

When Zoraida heard that Wendy was willing to be Charlie’s mistress, she panicked.

"Wendy! Are you crazy? Why would you want to be a mistress for someone like him? He’s not good enough for you!"

Wendy sighed softly, "Mom, I’ve come to realize that Charlie is actually a pretty decent guy. He’s handsome, responsible, and has good character. He’s a lot better than Gerald."

"Nonsense!" Zoraida snapped, "That loser Charlie isn’t even worthy to carry your shoes!"

Wendy smiled bitterly, "Mom, do you think I don’t know my own situation? I used to be like a phoenix soaring in the sky, but now, I’m not even as good as a chicken in the village."

As she spoke, Wendy couldn’t help but start sobbing, "Mom, look at me now. My reputation is completely ruined. What man would even look at me?"

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zoraida’s heart ached. She hugged Wendy’s head and comforted her, "Sweetheart, don’t think like that. Reputation isn’t everything. What matters is living well."

Zoraida continued, "Besides, you’ve only been with a few men. Gerald, Joaquin, and Ricky. Just three men, and you’re in your late twenties. Many girls sleep with more guys before they even graduate college. They don’t worry about their reputations being ruined, so why should you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Mom, it’s different. In college, dating is like a closed society. After graduation, no one remembers. But with me, everyone in Aurous Hill knew about me and Gerald. Then with Joaquin, everyone knew again."

"From that point on, my reputation was already ruined. Everyone knew I was with a man older than my dad. Who would respect me after that?"

"And then, I was given to Ricky as if I were a commodity. Everyone in Aurous Hill knows about that too."

Zoraida, full of pain and choking back tears, said, "Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and your father’s and your grandmother’s. If we hadn’t been so greedy, we would never have pushed you into that fire pit."

She slapped herself and said angrily, "I’m sorry! I’m not a good mother!"

Wendy quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, crying, "Mom, it’s not your fault. I was willing. I couldn’t resist the lure of money. I wanted to sacrifice myself for wealth. It’s my own fault, not yours."

Crying, Zoraida lamented, "What did we do to deserve this? How did our lives end up like this?"

Wendy nodded repeatedly, "I can’t bear this kind of life anymore. Honestly, if I could have a stable life, I’d even be willing to be Charlie’s maid, let alone his mistress."

Through her tears, Wendy said, "Only now do I truly envy Claire."

"Everyone thought she ruined her life by marrying a useless man."

"But who could have guessed that this useless man would stay faithful to her for four years?"

"And that this man, who endured hardship and humiliation for her, would eventually become someone respected by everyone in Aurous Hill—a master. Isn’t that the ultimate underdog story?"

"Looking at it now, Charlie is the most reliable man."

"As for people like Gerald, no matter how rich they are, what good is it?"

"When trouble comes, they abandon you."

Zoraida, after hearing all this, was momentarily stunned and then sighed, "You’re right. That Claire, who seemed so silly, turned out to be the wisest of all."

CHAPTER 2000 A PILE OF CRAP TURN INTO GOLD

"Some people are always fickle, eyeing one thing while thinking of another, choosing from thousands of options, only to end up with a pile of crap."

"But Claire is different. She doesn't fight, she doesn't pick and choose. The old man handed her a pile of crap, and she just obediently married it."

"Who would have thought that even a pile of crap could turn into gold one day?"

Wendy nodded earnestly and said, "If I get a chance, I must get closer to Charlie. Even if he doesn't care about me, getting a little help for our family is good. At times like these, you can't rely on anyone outside; none of them are as dependable as Charlie."

Zoraida sighed and said, "Do what you want. Mom just got a bit emotional and now I'm even hungrier. Help me back to the room to lie down for a while. When your grandma gets off work, we'll finally have something to eat."

Madam Wilson had been at the supermarket handing out plastic bags to customers all day.

Those big rolls of plastic bags in the supermarket create a lot of static electricity when pulled. After a day, Grandma's hair was practically standing on end.

But Madam Wilson was quite content.

Because at noon, she had a free lunch provided by the supermarket's employee cafeteria.

It was the most delicious meal Grandma had ever had in her life.

The food wasn't anything special; it wasn't particularly tasty and was pretty greasy. But Grandma had been hungry for so long.

At times like these, a bowl of plain white rice felt like a heavenly delicacy. If there were a couple of dishes to go with it, it would be soul-soothing.

With her hunger satisfied, Madam Wilson found new energy. Handing out plastic bags no longer felt so tedious.

On the contrary, she even started to enjoy it.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, it was officially time to get off work. The supervisor came over, handed her a hundred yuan, and said, "Grandma, you did a great job today. Are you coming back tomorrow? It's New Year's Eve, and we're really short of hands at noon. If you come, we'll pay you two hundred for the day!"

"Really?" Madam Wilson was overjoyed. She carefully put the hundred yuan into her pocket and said excitedly, "I'll be here!"

The supervisor nodded in satisfaction. "Great, then you go home and rest now. Be here at nine tomorrow morning."

Madam Wilson excitedly agreed but then suddenly thought of something. She asked, "Supervisor, what time does the cafeteria open for dinner?"

The supervisor said, "Dinner is at six in the evening."

Madam Wilson quickly asked, "Can I eat there again?"

The supervisor looked a bit troubled. "But each employee only gets one meal ticket a day, and you've already used yours for lunch."

Hearing this, Madam Wilson was a bit disappointed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll come back tomorrow!"

Seeing her disappointment, the supervisor couldn't help but feel sympathetic. "How about this, Grandma? If you work overtime until seven, I'll apply for an extra meal ticket for you with the manager. Then you can eat at the cafeteria before heading home. How does that sound?"

Madam Wilson was thrilled. "Working two more hours for an extra meal? Of course, I'll do it!"

She said excitedly, "Thank you, Supervisor! I'll do it!"

I thought this Wendy was a retard not knowing she could fathom how powerful Charlie is
I think she shouldn't try getting close to Charlie cos he will deal with her

"Dragon Son-in-law" a.k.a. Millionaire Son-in-law, Charlie Wade Story. Translated by Junlee (aka Jungal2000)

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