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

Charlie Wade is a househusband son-in-law whom everyone looks down upon. However, unknown to them, his true identity is that of the young master from a top-tier family. Those who once belittled him will eventually kneel before him, trembling with fear and calling him "Master!" ...

The MC is Charlie Wade, and there's this girl Claire Wilson. They're in this savage clapback novel called "Ultimate Dragon Honcho", penned by this dude Ye Gongzi. Everyone knew Charlie Wade was the son-in-law of the Wilson family. Like, Grandpa Wilson legit pulled this broke boy outta nowhere and made him marry his grand daughter/princess, Claire. But bro's got no skills, no dough , and Claire had to deal with so much BS 'cause of him. He even had the nerve to ask for money during Grandma Wilson's big party, making Claire hella embarrassed . They kicked Charlie Wade out, but then plot twist! Some butler dude shows up. Turns out, Charlie Wade's actually from the uber-rich Wade clan. The butler's like, "Come home, fam." But since his parents were, like, done dirty by the Wade fam, he's like "Nah." But he did take his grandpa’s black card loaded with 10 billion. #MicDrop


Author: Charlie Wade
Category: Urban Fiction
Status: Ongoing
Last Updated: October 18, 2023

 

[Gily]

Please people be considerate for Wendy

 

[Assado23]

Please people be considerate for Wendy

I think of her as someone quite sexy

 

[fatboy]

I think of her as someone quite sexy

You must be really perv if you thinking doormat is sexy

 

[Alonzo03]

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 thought Charlie had a veggie garden at home, why shop for vegetables

 

[Dean Winchester]

Wendy

I thought Charlie had a veggie garden at home, why shop for vegetables

All veges has been plucked.. only left the one that can make your stomach ache.. mdm wilson and family used to eat that..

 

[emeka]

you guys should be careful how you speak about wendy she is a member of sex sect I can't take this shit she is a faithful member she is going to be Charlie mistress just to fulfill the mission given to her by sex sect beside she have to teach claire her work as woman I can't wait any longer Charlie is not considering our offer in sex sect I have to use some new plans on him

 

[Alonzo03]

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!"

What a life , to be honest I only wished for the Wilson family is totally repent. It's really hard for Jacob who would have had dreams to do more for his mum when he has the opportunity but can't because of her attitude. I really feel sorry for Wendy. She is just petty and naive without proper guidance. I hope there would be a chance for them to change in the future.

 

[OpeOla]

I thought Charlie had a veggie garden at home, why shop for vegetables

Thought of the same

 

[cvi]

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

Sarah walker wealthiest walker family in Auroas hill

 

[The Renowned Kirin Prince of West Lucozia]

I think of her as someone quite sexy

What are you thinking...haba

 

[The Renowned Kirin Prince of West Lucozia]

What a life , to be honest I only wished for the Wilson family is totally repent. It's really hard for Jacob who would have had dreams to do more for his mum when he has the opportunity but can't because of her attitude. I really feel sorry for Wendy. She is just petty and naive without proper guidance. I hope there would be a chance for them to change in the future.

The problem has always been Harold and the Noah . They are always the initiator of the problem for everyone,

 

[hassan-badreldin]

Sarah walker wealthiest walker family in Auroas hill

I know she said that line when she was trying to seduce him.

 

[Ismailaha]

Any updates for today?

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

CHAPTER 2001 MORE TRAGEDY TO COME

Madam Wilson had never been so thrilled for a meal before, shaking with excitement from head to toe.

Following the supervisor's instructions, she had been busy at the supermarket all day, and finally, at seven in the evening, she received the meal voucher she had been longing for.

Although she had already indulged in a hearty meal at lunchtime, Madam Wilson devoured the dinner in the canteen like a starving dog, eating until she couldn't stand up.

After feeling too full to continue, she rested at her seat in the canteen for half an hour before managing to stand up with effort, hands on the table.

Having eaten to her heart's content and feeling rejuvenated, Madam Wilson wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then patted her stomach contentedly, remarking to herself, "I never thought that a meal after labour could be so satisfying! I've truly eaten my fill today!"

Glancing at the time and realising it was already past eight, she decided it was time to hurry home.

Though she had always been selfish, after experiencing various hardships recently, she couldn't help but care a little more about her children and grandchildren.

Thinking of her son and grandson still lying in bed hungry, Madam Wilson quickly approached the canteen window and asked the staff member who was about to finish work, "Excuse me, do we still need these leftovers of vegetables, steamed buns, and rice?"

Looking at her, the staff member said helplessly, "Come on, Madam Wilson, you've eaten for three people and still not full?"

Embarrassed, Madam Wilson wiped her mouth and chuckled, "Well, I'm full, but the kids at home are still hungry. You don't know, they haven't eaten anything for almost two days."

Surprised, the staff member asked, "Really? In this day and age, there are still people who can't have a meal?"

Blushing with embarrassment, Madam Wilson said, "Well, you see, there have been some issues at home recently. My eldest daughter-in-law has late-stage breast cancer, it was diagnosed late, and now she's on the brink of death. My eldest son spent all the money to treat her."

As she spoke, Madam Wilson suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.

It was truly satisfying!

She had long detested Zoraida. If it weren't for Donald stopping her back then, Madam Wilson would have wanted to beat Zoraida half to death herself.

Especially recently, with Zoraida's various acts of defiance, even forcing her to work, Madam Wilson harboured deep hatred towards her.

So, fabricating rumors in front of others that Zoraida was dying of late-stage breast cancer gave her a sense of revenge.

Upon hearing this, the canteen staff gasped, "What? Late-stage breast cancer, that's so tragic."

"That's not all!" Madam Wilson sighed, "My eldest daughter-in-law has late-stage breast cancer, but my second daughter-in-law is even more unfortunate!"

The staff member hurriedly asked, "Madam Wilson, what happened to your second daughter-in-law?"

With a look of pity, Madam Wilson said, "My second daughter-in-law already had uremia, living on dialysis every day. Then, on the way to dialysis at the hospital some time ago, she got hit by a car and had her lower body amputated."

The staff members were shocked, "Is it that tragic?"

Madam Wilson shook her head, "Is that all? There's even more tragedy to come!"

The staff member pressed, "What could be worse?"

Madam Wilson sighed repeatedly, "My second daughter-in-law, with no legs and still needing dialysis, already in a tragic state, then she suffered a stroke. Now, she's constantly twitching her mouth, her condition is even more severe!"

Talking about Elaine, Madam Wilson felt even more relieved.






CHAPTER 2002 POOR LOOK

She wished Elaine suffered as miserably as she had arranged, even hoping for her to suffer more!

However, the staff had no idea she was just making it up.

The staff thought, in a normal family, who would curse their own family members out of nowhere when they had nothing to do? So, the old lady’s words must be true.

Showing great sympathy, she said, "No wonder you've come out to work at such an old age, facing one crisis after another in your family, it must be really tough for you!"

Then, she continued, "Old lady, we still have seven or eight steamed buns left, about four portions of rice, and some leftover dishes. Do you have a food container? I can pack some for you to take home!"

Madam Wilson was excited but tried to contain her joy, saying sadly, "I don't have a food container. My daughter-in-law and I are barely getting by, we can't afford such things."

She then saw some plastic bags hanging by the counter and said, "How about this, young lady, pack the leftover dishes and rice in plastic bags for me. I'll carry them home!"

The staff nodded eagerly, saying, "I have no problem as long as you don't mind!"

Madam Wilson hurriedly said, "I don’t mind at all!"

Quickly, the staff prepared the leftover food for Madam Wilson, filling four large plastic bags.

As soon as Madam Wilson lifted them, she regretted a bit, thinking, "These leftovers are so heavy! How am I going to carry them home?"

But after a second thought, she said to herself, "No, I have to take them back. With this food, my family can at least have food for two days. Otherwise, what can we do with the 100 dollars I earned today?"

With this in mind, she could only express her thanks while gritting her teeth carrying the four bags of food back home.

On her way back, Madam Wilson couldn't bear to take a taxi.

Taking a taxi from here to home would cost a lot of money, probably half of the 100 dollars she earned in a hard day. After some consideration, taking the bus was more cost-effective.

So, she stopped by a roadside shop and bought two sausages, intending to use them to nourish Noah and Harold and have change for the bus fare.

On the bus, other elderly passengers were using their senior cards for free rides, but Madam Wilson didn't have one, so she put a coin in the fare box.

Actually, she knew that local senior citizens over 65 could apply for a free senior card to ride the bus at the Civil Affairs Department. However, the previous Madam Wilson never took the bus out; she always had a dedicated driver and car pick-up service. At that time, she couldn't even imagine using a free bus card, let alone applying for it.

But now, she regretted it and thought, "It looks like after the new year, when others are busy working, I should quickly go and get that senior card. At least, riding the bus for free can save a few dollars a day, which adds up to quite a bit in a month!"

With several bags of food in her hands, Madam Wilson finally made it back to Thomson Elite Villa.

As she approached the entrance of Thomson Elite, about to swipe her access card, a well-dressed middle-aged woman held her nose and shouted at her, "Where did this old woman come from? Carrying garbage here? Do you know where you are? This is Thomson Elite! You can't afford a house here in your lifetime!"

Exhausted and not knowing where this woman came from, Madam Wilson was furious and retorted, "Bullshit! Do you know where I live? I live in Villa A04! Look at you, all flashy like a wild chicken, you probably only live in an outer flat!"

Hearing this, the woman rushed over, slapped Madam Wilson, and cursed, "You old hag, my flat is worth over 20 million, and you dare to mock me? With your poor look, do you even deserve to claim you live in a villa?!"






CHAPTER 2003 OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE

Madam Wilson never expected that after a long day of hard work, she would come home without even willing to hail a taxi. Finally reaching her doorstep, she was unexpectedly slapped by an unknown woman.

The woman not only slapped her but also angrily scolded, "You darn old hag, eating pig food and still trying to act all posh at Thomson Elite, seriously have problems in the head!"

Afterwards, she immediately yelled at the nearby security guard, "Hey, come here quickly, are you blind? I spent over 20 million buying a house here, is this how you serve us esteemed owners? How do you guarantee the mood and interests of the owners when trashy old hags like her intrude?"

The security guard was also visibly tense.

Madam Wilson appeared somewhat worn out, with a tired expression that clearly did not match that of a wealthy lady.

Carrying four large plastic bags filled with plain bread, rice, and a messy-looking soup, it was even more incongruent with the typical profile of a Thomson Elite homeowner.

Hastily, he said to the old lady, "Sorry, madam, this is a private residential estate, unauthorized individuals are not allowed in, please leave promptly."

Madam Wilson trembled with anger.

Even if she wasn't an owner at Thomson Elite, she was at least a resident! And not just any resident, but a resident of the most prestigious villa in Thomson Elite! Why should she be hit and driven away?!

Fuming, Madam Wilson painstakingly pulled out a card, waving it in the air, and exclaimed, "Open your eyes wide and look closely, this is the access card for Thomson Elite's main gate!"

Both the security guard and the female homeowner were stunned.

The access card for Thomson Elite was designed grandly, complete with the unique logo of the estate. One was an owner, the other worked there, so they were very familiar with this card.

Upon seeing the card, both of them had a doubt in their minds: "Could this darn old lady really be an owner at Thomson Elite?"

The middle-aged woman retorted, "Casually showing a card, who knows if it's real or fake, have the guts to swipe it and test it out!"

Madam Wilson, seething with anger, declared, "Fine! Wait and see! I'll swipe it right now for you to see!"

After speaking, she immediately swiped the card in the proximity sensor on the access gate.

The gate promptly chimed, "Welcome back, esteemed resident of Villa A04!"

At Thomson Elite, residents were divided into two categories.

One was the owner, listed clearly on the property ownership certificate.

The other was the resident.

However, the residents were not to be underestimated.

After all, most residents were direct relatives of the owner, if not closely related by blood or marriage.

For instance, if Sarah, as the current head of the Walker family in Aurous Hill, purchased a villa here, she would be the owner, and her grandfather, other elders in the family, and siblings would be residents here.

Although not owners, due to their close relationship with the owner, they were not to be messed with by ordinary people.

Seeing Madam Wilson successfully swiping the card and indeed being a resident of Villa A04, the middle-aged woman turned pale with fright.

Though she also possessed millions in family assets, in Aurous Hill, she was nothing more than middle class.

Each villa in the A series was priced at over one hundred million, a price tag she couldn't possibly afford.





CHAPTER 2004 A MASSIVE PROBLEM

She was well aware that anyone living in the A series villas must be of a much higher status than herself.

The thought of slapping the old lady earlier left the woman trembling with fear.

Anxiously, she thought to herself, "Oh no, I'm in big trouble now! Who would have thought this old lady has some influence! I just slapped her, what if she holds a grudge? That would be a massive problem for me!"

Even the security guard was trembling with fear.

"What's going on? Is this old lady really a resident of the Thomson Elite Villas? Why can't I recall anything about her?"

"Moreover, everyone living in the villa area is either rich or noble. If this old lady is so wealthy, so capable, and well-connected, why is she carrying bags of leftovers back to the Thomson Elite Villas?"

"Are rich people now into eating leftovers?"

At this moment, Madam Wilson angrily questioned the woman, "Open your eyes wide and look carefully! Tell me, am I or am I not a resident of A04?"

The woman was completely stunned!

Just as she was shuddering and unsure of what to do, Jacob happened to return from his walk.

Although he saw Madam Wilson's figure, he hadn't fully made her out when he caught a whiff of leftover food.

He pinched his nose, intending to avoid the smell as he walked past.

Just as Jacob reached the gate, swiped his card, the intelligent voice prompt announced, "Respected resident of A05 villa, welcome home!"

The gate opened, and upon hearing it was A05, Madam Wilson immediately looked over and recognized him, hastily calling out, "Jacob! Jacob!"

Jacob turned around and saw his own mother, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he said, "Mum, what are you doing here?"

The moment Jacob addressed her as "mum," the woman was so frightened she almost wet herself.

Panic-stricken, she thought to herself, "I’m doomed today! Who is this old lady? Living in A04 villa while her son resides in A05 villa, they must be from an elite and prestigious family! I actually slapped a member of such a prominent family. Will they try to harm me?"

Madam Wilson, pointing at the woman in front of her, angrily said to Jacob, "Jacob! This woman hit me! Quickly, give her a proper lesson!"

Jacob felt somewhat awkward.

Internally, he muttered, “Firstly, my mum always causes trouble, I don’t know if anyone really hit her, and even if they did, she might have provoked it."

"Secondly, she treats me poorly, I won't help her out this time. The residents of Thomson Elite Villas are all affluent. If she picks a fight with someone influential, won’t that cause trouble for me?"

With that in mind, he told Madam Wilson, “Mum, something like this should be reported to the police. Besides, it’s almost Lunar New Year's Eve, people shouldn’t be fighting, right?”

As Madam Wilson was about to give him a lecture in return, Jacob quickly added, “Let's do this, mum: you report to the police first. If the issue is unresolved, then come to me. Does that sound good?”

Without waiting for her response, he continued, “Oh, and mum, I have something to attend to at home. I’ll be off now.”

Before she could reply, he walked away.

He didn't want to be caught up with Madam Wilson or be involved with her any further.

After all, tomorrow was Lunar New Year's Eve, and all he wanted was to peacefully celebrate with his family; everything else didn't matter.







CHAPTER 2005 HUNDRED BUCKS

When Jacob ran away, Madam Wilson was furious.

In her heart, she yelled in anger, "How can a child be like this! Not even caring when his own mother is being slapped? Is this still a human being? Simply worse than a beast!"

Little did she know, the woman across from her was now scared out of her wits.

She had no idea about the rift between Jacob and Madam Wilson, but she could tell they were a mother-son duo.

In her mind, she wondered fearfully, "These two, clearly mother and son, don't live in the same villa but each bought the two best villas next to each other, one A04, the other A05. What kind of people are they? How much money does their family have? How powerful are they behind the scenes?"

The thought made her regret hassling Madam Wilson earlier.

Nervously and apologetically, she quickly apologised, "I'm really sorry, I didn't realise you were a resident of the villa area, it was all my fault. Please don't treat me the same way."

Madam Wilson scolded angrily, "You slapped me and now you think a simple sorry is enough?"

The woman quickly asked, "How would you like to resolve this or how can I make it up to you? Would you like to hit me? I won't retaliate no matter how many times you hit me!"

Madam Wilson gritted her teeth, wanting to rush over and slap the woman's face to pieces.

But upon deeper thought, she thought, "Even though hitting her might relieve my anger, it won't serve any real purpose. It's better to extort some money from her!"

With cold determination, Madam Wilson said, "You insulted me and slapped me, you need to compensate me for this, right?"

The woman nodded without hesitation, "You're right! I'm willing to compensate positively! How much money do you want me to pay?"

Madam Wilson originally thought of asking for ten thousand.

After a moment's thought, she felt asking for that much was inappropriate.

The current Madam Wilson was no longer the wealthy one she used to be, who wouldn't even bat an eye at a million.

Now, for her, earning a hundred bucks by lugging plastic bags in the supermarket all day was exhausting. So, asking for ten thousand was a large sum for her now.

Her thoughts raced, "She only slapped me once. If I ask for ten thousand and she gets angry and reports me for extortion, I might end up in jail. Nowadays, earning money isn't easy. I toil all day just to make a hundred bucks. If receiving a slap can bring in a hundred bucks, it's a good deal. A hundred bucks won't be seen as extortion, right?"

Thinking this, Madam Wilson proclaimed sternly, "I'm old, even though you slapped me, the issue can be big or small. But I'm generous. Give me a hundred bucks, and it's settled!"

"A hundred?!" The woman's eyes nearly popped out.

She thought since Madam Wilson could afford a villa in A04, she must have powerful connections. She was prepared to agree to whatever amount Madam Wilson asked for, transfer the money quickly, and settle the matter.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wilson asked for just a hundred bucks.

Delighted, she quickly nodded, "No problem at all! I'll get you the money right away!"

She took out her wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, handed it to Madam Wilson, then pointed at the security guard, "Ma'am, we have a witness here. You said it's resolved for a hundred bucks, I've paid you now. Please don't bother me in the future!"

Madam Wilson, holding the bill, felt elated inside.

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Any updates for today?

Glad u asked. I thought i posted it earlier. It turned out that i didn't. They are just in my draft.

 

[Alonzo03]

CHAPTER 2001 MORE TRAGEDY TO COME

Madam Wilson had never been so thrilled for a meal before, shaking with excitement from head to toe.

Following the supervisor's instructions, she had been busy at the supermarket all day, and finally, at seven in the evening, she received the meal voucher she had been longing for.

Although she had already indulged in a hearty meal at lunchtime, Madam Wilson devoured the dinner in the canteen like a starving dog, eating until she couldn't stand up.

After feeling too full to continue, she rested at her seat in the canteen for half an hour before managing to stand up with effort, hands on the table.

Having eaten to her heart's content and feeling rejuvenated, Madam Wilson wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then patted her stomach contentedly, remarking to herself, "I never thought that a meal after labour could be so satisfying! I've truly eaten my fill today!"

Glancing at the time and realising it was already past eight, she decided it was time to hurry home.

Though she had always been selfish, after experiencing various hardships recently, she couldn't help but care a little more about her children and grandchildren.

Thinking of her son and grandson still lying in bed hungry, Madam Wilson quickly approached the canteen window and asked the staff member who was about to finish work, "Excuse me, do we still need these leftovers of vegetables, steamed buns, and rice?"

Looking at her, the staff member said helplessly, "Come on, Madam Wilson, you've eaten for three people and still not full?"

Embarrassed, Madam Wilson wiped her mouth and chuckled, "Well, I'm full, but the kids at home are still hungry. You don't know, they haven't eaten anything for almost two days."

Surprised, the staff member asked, "Really? In this day and age, there are still people who can't have a meal?"

Blushing with embarrassment, Madam Wilson said, "Well, you see, there have been some issues at home recently. My eldest daughter-in-law has late-stage breast cancer, it was diagnosed late, and now she's on the brink of death. My eldest son spent all the money to treat her."

As she spoke, Madam Wilson suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.

It was truly satisfying!

She had long detested Zoraida. If it weren't for Donald stopping her back then, Madam Wilson would have wanted to beat Zoraida half to death herself.

Especially recently, with Zoraida's various acts of defiance, even forcing her to work, Madam Wilson harboured deep hatred towards her.

So, fabricating rumors in front of others that Zoraida was dying of late-stage breast cancer gave her a sense of revenge.

Upon hearing this, the canteen staff gasped, "What? Late-stage breast cancer, that's so tragic."

"That's not all!" Madam Wilson sighed, "My eldest daughter-in-law has late-stage breast cancer, but my second daughter-in-law is even more unfortunate!"

The staff member hurriedly asked, "Madam Wilson, what happened to your second daughter-in-law?"

With a look of pity, Madam Wilson said, "My second daughter-in-law already had uremia, living on dialysis every day. Then, on the way to dialysis at the hospital some time ago, she got hit by a car and had her lower body amputated."

The staff members were shocked, "Is it that tragic?"

Madam Wilson shook her head, "Is that all? There's even more tragedy to come!"

The staff member pressed, "What could be worse?"

Madam Wilson sighed repeatedly, "My second daughter-in-law, with no legs and still needing dialysis, already in a tragic state, then she suffered a stroke. Now, she's constantly twitching her mouth, her condition is even more severe!"

Talking about Elaine, Madam Wilson felt even more relieved.






CHAPTER 2002 POOR LOOK

She wished Elaine suffered as miserably as she had arranged, even hoping for her to suffer more!

However, the staff had no idea she was just making it up.

The staff thought, in a normal family, who would curse their own family members out of nowhere when they had nothing to do? So, the old lady’s words must be true.

Showing great sympathy, she said, "No wonder you've come out to work at such an old age, facing one crisis after another in your family, it must be really tough for you!"

Then, she continued, "Old lady, we still have seven or eight steamed buns left, about four portions of rice, and some leftover dishes. Do you have a food container? I can pack some for you to take home!"

Madam Wilson was excited but tried to contain her joy, saying sadly, "I don't have a food container. My daughter-in-law and I are barely getting by, we can't afford such things."

She then saw some plastic bags hanging by the counter and said, "How about this, young lady, pack the leftover dishes and rice in plastic bags for me. I'll carry them home!"

The staff nodded eagerly, saying, "I have no problem as long as you don't mind!"

Madam Wilson hurriedly said, "I don’t mind at all!"

Quickly, the staff prepared the leftover food for Madam Wilson, filling four large plastic bags.

As soon as Madam Wilson lifted them, she regretted a bit, thinking, "These leftovers are so heavy! How am I going to carry them home?"

But after a second thought, she said to herself, "No, I have to take them back. With this food, my family can at least have food for two days. Otherwise, what can we do with the 100 dollars I earned today?"

With this in mind, she could only express her thanks while gritting her teeth carrying the four bags of food back home.

On her way back, Madam Wilson couldn't bear to take a taxi.

Taking a taxi from here to home would cost a lot of money, probably half of the 100 dollars she earned in a hard day. After some consideration, taking the bus was more cost-effective.

So, she stopped by a roadside shop and bought two sausages, intending to use them to nourish Noah and Harold and have change for the bus fare.

On the bus, other elderly passengers were using their senior cards for free rides, but Madam Wilson didn't have one, so she put a coin in the fare box.

Actually, she knew that local senior citizens over 65 could apply for a free senior card to ride the bus at the Civil Affairs Department. However, the previous Madam Wilson never took the bus out; she always had a dedicated driver and car pick-up service. At that time, she couldn't even imagine using a free bus card, let alone applying for it.

But now, she regretted it and thought, "It looks like after the new year, when others are busy working, I should quickly go and get that senior card. At least, riding the bus for free can save a few dollars a day, which adds up to quite a bit in a month!"

With several bags of food in her hands, Madam Wilson finally made it back to Thomson Elite Villa.

As she approached the entrance of Thomson Elite, about to swipe her access card, a well-dressed middle-aged woman held her nose and shouted at her, "Where did this old woman come from? Carrying garbage here? Do you know where you are? This is Thomson Elite! You can't afford a house here in your lifetime!"

Exhausted and not knowing where this woman came from, Madam Wilson was furious and retorted, "Bullshit! Do you know where I live? I live in Villa A04! Look at you, all flashy like a wild chicken, you probably only live in an outer flat!"

Hearing this, the woman rushed over, slapped Madam Wilson, and cursed, "You old hag, my flat is worth over 20 million, and you dare to mock me? With your poor look, do you even deserve to claim you live in a villa?!"






CHAPTER 2003 OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE

Madam Wilson never expected that after a long day of hard work, she would come home without even willing to hail a taxi. Finally reaching her doorstep, she was unexpectedly slapped by an unknown woman.

The woman not only slapped her but also angrily scolded, "You darn old hag, eating pig food and still trying to act all posh at Thomson Elite, seriously have problems in the head!"

Afterwards, she immediately yelled at the nearby security guard, "Hey, come here quickly, are you blind? I spent over 20 million buying a house here, is this how you serve us esteemed owners? How do you guarantee the mood and interests of the owners when trashy old hags like her intrude?"

The security guard was also visibly tense.

Madam Wilson appeared somewhat worn out, with a tired expression that clearly did not match that of a wealthy lady.

Carrying four large plastic bags filled with plain bread, rice, and a messy-looking soup, it was even more incongruent with the typical profile of a Thomson Elite homeowner.

Hastily, he said to the old lady, "Sorry, madam, this is a private residential estate, unauthorized individuals are not allowed in, please leave promptly."

Madam Wilson trembled with anger.

Even if she wasn't an owner at Thomson Elite, she was at least a resident! And not just any resident, but a resident of the most prestigious villa in Thomson Elite! Why should she be hit and driven away?!

Fuming, Madam Wilson painstakingly pulled out a card, waving it in the air, and exclaimed, "Open your eyes wide and look closely, this is the access card for Thomson Elite's main gate!"

Both the security guard and the female homeowner were stunned.

The access card for Thomson Elite was designed grandly, complete with the unique logo of the estate. One was an owner, the other worked there, so they were very familiar with this card.

Upon seeing the card, both of them had a doubt in their minds: "Could this darn old lady really be an owner at Thomson Elite?"

The middle-aged woman retorted, "Casually showing a card, who knows if it's real or fake, have the guts to swipe it and test it out!"

Madam Wilson, seething with anger, declared, "Fine! Wait and see! I'll swipe it right now for you to see!"

After speaking, she immediately swiped the card in the proximity sensor on the access gate.

The gate promptly chimed, "Welcome back, esteemed resident of Villa A04!"

At Thomson Elite, residents were divided into two categories.

One was the owner, listed clearly on the property ownership certificate.

The other was the resident.

However, the residents were not to be underestimated.

After all, most residents were direct relatives of the owner, if not closely related by blood or marriage.

For instance, if Sarah, as the current head of the Walker family in Aurous Hill, purchased a villa here, she would be the owner, and her grandfather, other elders in the family, and siblings would be residents here.

Although not owners, due to their close relationship with the owner, they were not to be messed with by ordinary people.

Seeing Madam Wilson successfully swiping the card and indeed being a resident of Villa A04, the middle-aged woman turned pale with fright.

Though she also possessed millions in family assets, in Aurous Hill, she was nothing more than middle class.

Each villa in the A series was priced at over one hundred million, a price tag she couldn't possibly afford.





CHAPTER 2004 A MASSIVE PROBLEM

She was well aware that anyone living in the A series villas must be of a much higher status than herself.

The thought of slapping the old lady earlier left the woman trembling with fear.

Anxiously, she thought to herself, "Oh no, I'm in big trouble now! Who would have thought this old lady has some influence! I just slapped her, what if she holds a grudge? That would be a massive problem for me!"

Even the security guard was trembling with fear.

"What's going on? Is this old lady really a resident of the Thomson Elite Villas? Why can't I recall anything about her?"

"Moreover, everyone living in the villa area is either rich or noble. If this old lady is so wealthy, so capable, and well-connected, why is she carrying bags of leftovers back to the Thomson Elite Villas?"

"Are rich people now into eating leftovers?"

At this moment, Madam Wilson angrily questioned the woman, "Open your eyes wide and look carefully! Tell me, am I or am I not a resident of A04?"

The woman was completely stunned!

Just as she was shuddering and unsure of what to do, Jacob happened to return from his walk.

Although he saw Madam Wilson's figure, he hadn't fully made her out when he caught a whiff of leftover food.

He pinched his nose, intending to avoid the smell as he walked past.

Just as Jacob reached the gate, swiped his card, the intelligent voice prompt announced, "Respected resident of A05 villa, welcome home!"

The gate opened, and upon hearing it was A05, Madam Wilson immediately looked over and recognized him, hastily calling out, "Jacob! Jacob!"

Jacob turned around and saw his own mother, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he said, "Mum, what are you doing here?"

The moment Jacob addressed her as "mum," the woman was so frightened she almost wet herself.

Panic-stricken, she thought to herself, "I’m doomed today! Who is this old lady? Living in A04 villa while her son resides in A05 villa, they must be from an elite and prestigious family! I actually slapped a member of such a prominent family. Will they try to harm me?"

Madam Wilson, pointing at the woman in front of her, angrily said to Jacob, "Jacob! This woman hit me! Quickly, give her a proper lesson!"

Jacob felt somewhat awkward.

Internally, he muttered, “Firstly, my mum always causes trouble, I don’t know if anyone really hit her, and even if they did, she might have provoked it."

"Secondly, she treats me poorly, I won't help her out this time. The residents of Thomson Elite Villas are all affluent. If she picks a fight with someone influential, won’t that cause trouble for me?"

With that in mind, he told Madam Wilson, “Mum, something like this should be reported to the police. Besides, it’s almost Lunar New Year's Eve, people shouldn’t be fighting, right?”

As Madam Wilson was about to give him a lecture in return, Jacob quickly added, “Let's do this, mum: you report to the police first. If the issue is unresolved, then come to me. Does that sound good?”

Without waiting for her response, he continued, “Oh, and mum, I have something to attend to at home. I’ll be off now.”

Before she could reply, he walked away.

He didn't want to be caught up with Madam Wilson or be involved with her any further.

After all, tomorrow was Lunar New Year's Eve, and all he wanted was to peacefully celebrate with his family; everything else didn't matter.







CHAPTER 2005 HUNDRED BUCKS

When Jacob ran away, Madam Wilson was furious.

In her heart, she yelled in anger, "How can a child be like this! Not even caring when his own mother is being slapped? Is this still a human being? Simply worse than a beast!"

Little did she know, the woman across from her was now scared out of her wits.

She had no idea about the rift between Jacob and Madam Wilson, but she could tell they were a mother-son duo.

In her mind, she wondered fearfully, "These two, clearly mother and son, don't live in the same villa but each bought the two best villas next to each other, one A04, the other A05. What kind of people are they? How much money does their family have? How powerful are they behind the scenes?"

The thought made her regret hassling Madam Wilson earlier.

Nervously and apologetically, she quickly apologised, "I'm really sorry, I didn't realise you were a resident of the villa area, it was all my fault. Please don't treat me the same way."

Madam Wilson scolded angrily, "You slapped me and now you think a simple sorry is enough?"

The woman quickly asked, "How would you like to resolve this or how can I make it up to you? Would you like to hit me? I won't retaliate no matter how many times you hit me!"

Madam Wilson gritted her teeth, wanting to rush over and slap the woman's face to pieces.

But upon deeper thought, she thought, "Even though hitting her might relieve my anger, it won't serve any real purpose. It's better to extort some money from her!"

With cold determination, Madam Wilson said, "You insulted me and slapped me, you need to compensate me for this, right?"

The woman nodded without hesitation, "You're right! I'm willing to compensate positively! How much money do you want me to pay?"

Madam Wilson originally thought of asking for ten thousand.

After a moment's thought, she felt asking for that much was inappropriate.

The current Madam Wilson was no longer the wealthy one she used to be, who wouldn't even bat an eye at a million.

Now, for her, earning a hundred bucks by lugging plastic bags in the supermarket all day was exhausting. So, asking for ten thousand was a large sum for her now.

Her thoughts raced, "She only slapped me once. If I ask for ten thousand and she gets angry and reports me for extortion, I might end up in jail. Nowadays, earning money isn't easy. I toil all day just to make a hundred bucks. If receiving a slap can bring in a hundred bucks, it's a good deal. A hundred bucks won't be seen as extortion, right?"

Thinking this, Madam Wilson proclaimed sternly, "I'm old, even though you slapped me, the issue can be big or small. But I'm generous. Give me a hundred bucks, and it's settled!"

"A hundred?!" The woman's eyes nearly popped out.

She thought since Madam Wilson could afford a villa in A04, she must have powerful connections. She was prepared to agree to whatever amount Madam Wilson asked for, transfer the money quickly, and settle the matter.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wilson asked for just a hundred bucks.

Delighted, she quickly nodded, "No problem at all! I'll get you the money right away!"

What an embarrassing chapter, 100 bucks for a slap. The moment she even said it, it was so cheap. Like a roadside prostitute

 

[The Renowned Kirin Prince of West Lucozia]

What an embarrassing chapter, 100 bucks for a slap. The moment she even said it, it was so cheap. Like a roadside prostitute

This is what hunger and poverty can cause . It reduce your thinking

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

This is what hunger and poverty can cause . It reduce your thinking

true

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

What an embarrassing chapter, 100 bucks for a slap. The moment she even said it, it was so cheap. Like a roadside prostitute

hahaha, I remember I was driving in a red district in Manila, a lady approached me and she said I could get a girl just for the price of a cigarette...

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

 

[Prosper]

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

Shelby, hold your breath because she already harbour that intention. If not Charlie being impotent Dragon, he could have banged her long time

 

[Alonzo03]

hahaha, I remember I was driving in a red district in Manila, a lady approached me and she said I could get a girl just for the price of a cigarette...

The price of a cigarette? And you will get to enjoy sex with STDs as bonus

 

[Alonzo03]

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

Shelby should just be a good boy and a reliable person. He will forever appreciate making that decision.

 

[emeka]

hahaha, I remember I was driving in a red district in Manila, a lady approached me and she said I could get a girl just for the price of a cigarette...

just sex sect members inviting you

 

[dUnique]

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

You have been giving us the 10 vibez chapters.. now, you're back on five


You see say I no too dey comment like before... infact, I don't bother to check on other novels. It get some things everyone is going through individually, I just use this particular novel to wipe my internal stress. Brother, you wouldn't know you've been saving lives indirectly. Thanks for the good job!

 

[fatboy]

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

Shelby
It's not crush
I just have wet pants

 

[Prodigy]

Wh

CHAPTER 2006 THREE COUNTRY BUMPKINS

Thinking to herself: "Earning a hundred bucks with just one slap is much more profitable than working hard for a whole day!"

She suppressed her excitement and said, "Alright, let's forget about this matter. Remember for the future, when you're out, don't look down on others!"

The other person immediately nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I will remember."

When Madam Wilson arrived home with two hundred bucks and four large plastic bags, the house was filled with the aroma of food.

Cooking were Verity and her two companions.

Today, they worked as cleaners in a supermarket, earning a hundred and twenty bucks a day, totaling three hundred and sixty for three of them.

In this day and age, three hundred and sixty bucks for three people eating out is just an ordinary meal.

But if they cook and budget wisely, three hundred and sixty bucks can be quite abundant.

Verity and her friends are from the countryside and quite practical. After a tiring day, they wanted to treat themselves, so they bought two pounds of pork, some potatoes, green beans, and vermicelli from the market, and cooked a hearty stew at home.

Although the cost of the stew was less than a hundred bucks, the portion was generous. The fragrance of the braised pork belly was so strong that even the range hood couldn't contain it.

What's more interesting is that when the stew started to emit its fragrance, Verity turned off the range hood.

She even intentionally left the kitchen door open to let the aroma spread further.

For Noah and Harold on the second floor, this was torture.

Though a stew like this may not be considered high-end, it is one of the most practical, appetizing, and satisfying dishes for ordinary families.

Moreover, Noah and Harold were starving, and when extremely hungry, their sense of smell became extremely sensitive. A whiff of aroma could drive them crazy.

They initially thought it was their family cooking, eager to eat, but upon asking Zoraida, they found out it was prepared by the three new tenants.

This left the father and son utterly despondent.

Wendy and Zoraida felt the same despair.

Just then, Madam Wilson entered with a stern face.

As soon as she entered, she grumbled, "Those three country bumpkins are so audacious! There are dining tables in the dining room, yet they're eating on the coffee table as if it's their own home!"

Seeing her come in, Wendy excitedly said, "Grandma, you're finally back! We were starving, waiting for you to bring us food!"

Harold also cried, "Grandma! I'm so hungry, if I don't eat soon, I'll starve!"

Madam Wilson sighed, handed the four plastic bags to Wendy, and said, "These are for you all, go get some bowls and chopsticks, and eat quickly!"

Seeing the bags in her hands, the Wilson family didn't even think about where the food came from; they just wanted to devour everything.

Excitedly, Wendy said, "Grandma, I'll go get bowls and chopsticks from the dining room!"

Zoraida was also delighted and said, "You can't carry them all alone, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Zoraida, stop right there! Don't even think about eating a single bite of the food I brought back!"







CHAPTER 2007 SNAG A RICH ONE

Zoraida was taken aback when Madam Wilson suddenly turned against her.

Pointing at the large plastic bags of food, she said with a hint of grievance, "Mum, why bring back so much food if you won't let me have a bite? I've been starving for so long."

Madam Wilson sneered, "If you want to eat, go out and earn money yourself. Relying on an old lady like me to support you, have you no shame?!"

Zoraida immediately retorted, "It's because Jacob tricked me! Otherwise, I could work as a cashier and earn more than you!"

Madam Wilson rolled her eyes, "Whether you earn more or less has nothing to do with me. You earn yours, I earn mine. Neither of us should take advantage of the other. So, don't even think about eating the food I brought back. If you want to eat, go earn it yourself!"

Zoraida looked at her with a mix of sadness and anger, blurting out, "Old lady, you're trying to kick me when I'm down, huh? If you push me too far, I'll just leave home!"

Madam Wilson chuckled, clapping her hands, "Oh, that would be fantastic! Hurry up and leave. I'd even celebrate with firecrackers if you go! If Donald hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked you out long ago. Why would I keep you around to annoy me? Since you want to leave, Donald won't blame me either. It's perfect!"

Through gritted teeth, Zoraida responded, "Fine! You old hag, let's wait and see!"

At this moment, Wendy hurried out to mediate, "Grandma, don't stoop to Mum's level. She's been hungry too. Let her have some food!"

"Let her eat?" Madam Wilson sneered, "I'd rather feed it all to the dogs than let her have a bite!"

With that, Madam Wilson commanded, "Give me the food. You go get bowls and chopsticks. The four of us will eat here, and she can watch!"

Tears welled up in Zoraida's eyes as she angrily accused, "Madam Wilson, I married into the Wilson family, bore children for the Wilson family, and now you won't even give me a mouthful to eat. You have no conscience!"

Madam Wilson disdainfully remarked, "If you want to eat, figure it out yourself. Aren't you good at seducing men? Go out and try your luck! Maybe you'll snag a rich one!"

Zoraida was both embarrassed and furious.

The old lady always used her past in the coal mine to insult her, but she couldn't find a strong enough way to fight back.

So, she stomped her foot in anger, gritted her teeth, and declared, "From today on, Zoraida cuts ties with the Wilson family!"

With that, she slammed the door and went back to her room.

Noah had long lost any feelings for Zoraida, so he remained silent, secretly hoping she would disappear soon.

However, Harold felt a twinge of compassion.

Despite Zoraida's actions that tarnished the family's reputation, she was still his mother.

Seeing his mother being pushed to the brink of leaving, Harold couldn't bear it and spoke up to Madam Wilson, "Grandma, Mum has it tough. Please forgive her this once!"

Madam Wilson coldly responded, "Anyone who mentions that woman again, get out of this house."

Harold, feeling famished, chose to keep quiet as any conflict related to food would always take precedence.

Wendy quickly brought some utensils and, together with Madam Wilson, transferred the leftovers into containers. Wendy finished one steamed bun with a few dips in the soup, then promptly devoured another.

Madam Wilson, already full, fed Noah and Harold who lay in bed, holding the bowls and chopsticks.

The father and son, like hungry chicks in a nest, eagerly devoured the food, tears streaming down their faces.

Seeing their reactions, Madam Wilson felt a pang of guilt and said with teary eyes, "Tomorrow, Mum will work another day, buy some noodles and meat, and we'll make dumplings as a family of four!"

Noah asked through tears, "Mum, will we really have meat-filled dumplings tomorrow?"

Madam Wilson nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, we'll definitely have them. When I bring them back, Wendy and I will make them for you both!"






CHAPTER 2008 NO RETURN DATE

Noah, with red eyes, said, "Mum, once I'm in good shape, I'll go out to work. Even if it's carrying cement at a construction site, I'll do everything I can to earn money to support the family. I won't let you, at such an old age, go out and work!"

Harold mumbled, "Grandma, I'll go with you!"

Madam Wilson nodded and said, "You two focus on recovering. When you're both better, I'll rely on you to take care of me in my old age!"

Finally, when the Wilson family of four had a full meal, Zoraida cried in her room until her tears dried up.

Under dire circumstances, Zoraida not only completely lost hope in the Wilson family but also made a decision to leave.

She didn't plan to stay in this family any longer, nor did she plan to stay in Aurous Hill.

She wanted to return to her parents' home.

Although her parents' home didn't have much money and her brother was still dependent on their parents, at least her parents could provide her with food, preventing her from living in such a destitute state.

However, her parents' home was a bit far away. It would take at least five to six hours on a hard seat train, costing over a hundred dollars for the ticket. The money for the journey back became Zoraida's biggest problem.

After much thought, she decided to figure out a solution from Madam Wilson.

That night, Madam Wilson slept soundly due to a day of physical labour.

In the early hours of the morning, Zoraida quietly sneaked into her room, took out two hundred dollars from her pocket.

This two hundred dollars included one hundred from Grandma's salary and another hundred obtained by Grandma enduring a slap.

Seeing this cash, Zoraida was extremely excited.

Although two hundred dollars wasn't much, it was enough for her to have breakfast after daybreak and then take the train back to her parents' home for Chinese New Year!

So, almost without hesitation, she tucked the money into her pocket, packed a few clothes and personal items, and left Thomson Elite before dawn.

Before leaving, she left a note in her room with words: "No return date."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

Claire finally started her holiday.

However, she was used to early nights and early mornings, so she was already up and preparing to wash before seven o'clock.

Seeing his wife up, Charlie also got out of bed. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there was a lot to do at home. They not only had to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner but also make the dumpling filling in advance. After dinner, the family would watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings.

At that moment, Claire's phone suddenly rang. She exclaimed, "Oh, Elsa is calling me so early. I wonder what's up."

Charlie chuckled, "Wife, why don't you answer and find out."

Claire nodded and answered the call, "Hello, Elsa, why are you calling so early?"

Elsa smiled and said, "I'm off today! Since I'm off today, I'm taking a noon flight back to Eastcliff to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family."

She continued, "Are you free later? I want to visit you and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year."

Claire smiled, "Sure, it's fine. But please don't bring anything to the house. I haven't had time to get gifts for your family, so let's not bother with these formalities between us."

"Okay!" Elsa said with a smile, "Isn't that just a simple matter?"

She added, "By the way, Claire, I asked my cousin to come with me to visit your family. Is that okay?"






CHAPTER 2009 VERY OSTENTATIOUS

Claire had known Elsa for many years and had some understanding of her family situation. When he heard that she was bringing her cousin along, he curiously asked, "Elsa, your cousin wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would he?"

Elsa smiled and replied, "Yes, it's him."

"Ahh?" Claire suddenly recalled the image of that playboy in his mind and asked in surprise, "What is your cousin doing in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa explained, "Well, he caused trouble in Eastcliff after staying there for a long time, so he came to Aurous Hill to toughen up for a while."

Claire, astonished, inquired, "Toughen up? How so?"

Elsa chuckled, "By experiencing hardship, of course. He's currently renting a place in the village within the city, and the conditions are far from comfortable."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Claire remarked, "Your cousin, who is so arrogant, must be greatly tormented by living in the city village. It definitely couldn't have been his own decision. Who could be behind this mischief?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was the main culprit who had sent Shelby to Aurous Hill to endure hardships.

At this moment, Elsa explained, "My brother offended a big shot in Eastcliff who he couldn't afford to provoke. The person demanded that he must endure a year of hardship in Aurous Hill before he could return. Today, as I go back to Eastcliff for the New Year, he has to stay here alone."

Claire smirked and said, "Honestly, Elsa, your cousin does tend to be a bit too arrogant at times. If he can truly reflect on his actions this time, it might not be a bad thing after all."

Elsa agreed, "Yes. When we get to your place later, please don't bring this up in front of him, let's save him some face."

Claire assured her, "Don't worry, I got it."

Elsa said, "Great, we're on our way now, see you soon!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting at home for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Claire turned to Charlie and said, "Honey, Elsa and her cousin will be coming over to our place later."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Are they staying for lunch?"

Claire shook his head, "No, Elsa will just stay for a while before rushing to the airport to catch a flight back to Eastcliff."

Claire added, "Oh, by the way, Elsa's cousin will also be coming over later to meet you. It seems like he's planning to stay in Aurous Hill for a whole year."

Charlie smiled faintly and recalled, "I met her cousin when I went to Eastcliff last time. You asked me to deliver a birthday gift to Elsa's grandmother, and her cousin was there too."

"Really?" Claire asked with a smile, "Did you have any interaction with him?"

Charlie replied, "Just exchanged a few words, nothing too significant."

Claire nodded and warned, "Her cousin isn't the most likeable person, quite arrogant due to his family's wealth. He speaks as if looking down on others, very ostentatious. If he shows off to you later, just brush it off. Remember, he's a guest, especially during the New Year, so don't get into any conflicts with him."

Charlie smiled gently, "Don't worry, I've got it."

At this moment, Shelby was driving the old model Mercedes-Benz provided by the Emgrand Group for Elsa, following the navigation directions towards Thomson Elite.







CHAPTER 2010 WORSE THAN A BEAST

Elsa, stylish in the passenger seat, just hung up with Claire when he sadly said, "Elsa, you can go to Charlie's house by yourself, don't drag me into it. I really don't want to see him for even a minute."

Seeing Shelby looking so aggrieved, like a bullied daughter-in-law, Elsa couldn't help but tease, "Bro, you're being too timid! I'm taking you to Charlie's house for New Year's greetings, not to fight with him. What are you afraid of?"

Shelby sighed, "Ah, Elsa, you don't know. I've only met Charlie twice, and both times didn't end well! The first time I swallowed a necklace and had surgery, the second time he made me ride a bike all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. If I see him again and he's not happy, he might just send me to Africa for mining. What will I do then!"

Elsa earnestly said, "Bro, you're overthinking it. Charlie is not fundamentally bad, and he never bullies others. It's when others bully him that he strikes back. So, just be humble and low-key in front of Charlie, and he won't bother you."

Shelby still had lingering fears, "Although that's what you say, this guy is hard to read. I don't know if I might unintentionally offend him with a casual remark."

Elsa advised, "In that case, when you go, just speak less. When you see Charlie, respectfully address him as Mr. Wade, and don't say anything else."

Shelby pleaded, "Oh, can't you just go by yourself? I'll park the car at the door and wait for you in the car."

Elsa pretended to be angry, "I just told Claire that you're coming with me. Claire must have told Charlie too. If you don't go in by yourself later and leave me alone, Charlie might think you have a problem with him! He might think you're not giving him face!"

Pausing for a moment, Elsa continued, "If he's not satisfied with you later and deliberately makes things difficult for you, don't blame me for not warning you. After all, Aurous Hill is his territory, you can't compete with him in Eastcliff, let alone on his turf."

Upon hearing this, Shelby shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?"

Elsa earnestly said, "Let me tell you, Charlie is actually easy to get along with, but only if you don't put on airs in front of him. Talk to him nicely, and he'll be polite to you. If you act pretentious, you're done for."

Elsa added, "Once, I went to the hot springs with Charlie and Claire, and someone scratched my car. Then he turned around and scolded me, acting all high and mighty. Do you know what happened next?"

Shelby shook his head, "What happened?"

Elsa said, "Charlie had his men come over and used a knife to carve two words on that person's forehead."

Shelby was shocked, "Carving words on the forehead with a knife? Isn't that too cruel?"

Elsa said, "You haven't seen that guy's true colours. If you had, you'd understand that carving words on his forehead wasn't cruel at all."

Shelby hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me what words Charlie actually carved on his forehead?"

Elsa said, "That guy kept calling others 'poor bastard,' so Charlie had those two words carved on his forehead."

"Damn."

Shelby was instantly drenched in sweat, feeling as if those two words were carved on his own forehead.

He couldn't help but lament, "What's the difference between this Charlie and a devil? He's worse than a beast!"

Elsa immediately turned serious and scolded, "I won't allow you to speak ill of Charlie!"

"Eh?" Shelby was bewildered, "Elsa, I'm your brother! Why are you siding with him?"

Elsa coldly snorted, "Charlie is my hero in my heart. Compared to you, a useless playboy, I'd definitely side with him!"

Shelby sadly said, "Elsa, you don't have a crush on that Charlie, do you?"

What'd you expect Shelby

 

[Assado23]

Immortal junlee , I want to remind you that sometimes you forget to post our resources. It's 06:50 AM here in Mozambique, so good morning

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

CHAPTER 2011 WHY IS HE SO POPULAR?

Shelby suddenly threw a question that caught Elsa off guard, making her blurt out in embarrassment, "You, you, don't talk nonsense, I-I don't like Charlie!"

"I don't believe you!" Shelby smirked, "After years of chasing girls, I know women inside out. The way you are now, you're definitely secretly in love with Charlie!"

Elsa pretended to be impatient, saying, "Oh, believe what you want, I can't be bothered arguing with you."

Shelby reminded her, "Elsa, Charlie is a married man. You better stay away from him. If news gets out that the young miss of the Dewey family likes a married man, it will bring shame to the Dewey family!"

Upon hearing this, Elsa got angry and retorted, "Do you have any right to talk about me? The incident where you swallowed a necklace and made a scene all over the city, everyone in Eastcliff knows about it. Later, you wore a green helmet and rode a bicycle all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill. The whole Eastcliff knew about it, how come you don't mention how you've tarnished the Hansen family's reputation?"

"Well..." Shelby felt embarrassed and frustrated, "Elsa, is it necessary? Do we have to hurt each other like this?"

Elsa questioned back, "Who gave you the right to talk about me?"

Shelby sighed helplessly and said, "Fine! I get it now, you are indeed in love with Charlie."

Muttering to himself discontentedly, "Bloody hell! Charlie, a married man, what's so good about him? Why do all of you like him? Are there no other men left in this world?"

Elsa no longer hid her feelings for Charlie and curiously asked, "Who else likes him?"

Shelby grumbled, "It's Sarah from the Walker family in Aurous Hill! Remember why I swallowed the necklace? It was her birthday. I planned to pursue her, unite our families, but she didn't even spare me a glance, all her attention was on Charlie. That's why I got upset and clashed with Charlie."

Elsa exclaimed, "No way?! Sarah likes Charlie?! Bro, are you kidding me?"

Annoyed, Shelby replied, "Why would I lie to you? What do I gain from it? Honestly, I quite liked Sarah, and now she's even the head of the Walker family. If we could form an alliance with the Hansen family, it would be a great boost for us. But she doesn't even look at me!"

Immediately, Sarah's stunning image appeared in Elsa's mind.

Although Elsa was also a young lady from a wealthy family, she felt extremely lacking in confidence compared to Sarah. Not only was the Walker family's power not inferior to the Dewey family's, but Sarah was truly a rare top beauty. She was not only exceptionally beautiful but also possessed a great temperament, an impeccable top beauty.

Elsa even thought that Sarah was the true number one beauty in Aurous Hill. Although Claire was not inferior in looks to Sarah, she fell short in terms of temperament compared to Sarah, who was a distinguished lady.

What's more impressive was that Sarah had become the head of the Walker family.

This was something a young lady like Elsa couldn't compare to because most prominent families would marry off their daughters to outsiders, and very few would entrust the family inheritance to a woman.

But the Walker family did just that.

Sarah now single-handedly managed a multi-billion-dollar family, making her an absolute top female tycoon in the country.

Even compared to Haidee, who had not yet formally inherited the Snow family, at present, Sarah surpassed her in terms of status!

Realizing the intense competition posed by such a stunning and intelligent beauty who also liked Charlie, Elsa felt the pressure.

Seeing her silent and troubled expression, Shelby couldn't help but wonder, "Where exactly do I fall short compared to Charlie? Why is he so popular?"







CHAPTER 2012 DESPICABLE WOMAN

As Shelby drove towards the Thomson Elite, in the tranquil villa area of Thomson Elite, a loud cursing erupted early in the morning.

The one cursing was Madam Wilson.

She woke up early and found that the two hundred dollars in her pocket were gone, her first thought being that the money was stolen!

At that moment, she thought that most likely her money was stolen by Verity and her two friends.

But when she went to confront Verity, she found a note left by Zoraida, who had disappeared without a trace.

In that instant, Madam Wilson realised that the two hundred dollars of her hard-earned money had been stolen by her eldest daughter-in-law Zoraida.

She exploded!

You see, that two hundred dollars was hard-earned through blood, sweat, and tears, not a single cent spent yet, all stolen by Zoraida. How could she not be furious?!

So, the angry Madam Wilson stood on the second-floor terrace, cursing loudly, "Zoraida! You stole your mother's hard-earned money! You deserve no good!"

Wendy hurried over and asked, "Grandma, what's going on?"

Madam Wilson cried and said, "That mother of yours stole all my money! My hard-earned money! The money our family of four was going to use for dumplings for Chinese New Year, all taken by her!"

"What?!" Wendy blurted out, "Grandma, what's happening? Did Mum steal your money?"

Madam Wilson handed the note left by Zoraida to Wendy, crying, "Take a look yourself! That despicable woman left it! She said she's leaving us indefinitely!"

Wendy, seeing her mother's handwriting, felt dizzy and exclaimed, "Mum left?! Where did she go? Why didn't she tell me?"

Madam Wilson wailed, "That despicable woman must not have wanted to endure hardships, nor be burdened by your father and brother, so she left without a word!"

With that, Madam Wilson sat on the ground, slapping the floor with her hands, crying, "This wretched woman is truly heartless! If she wants to leave, fine, the farther the better, but why steal from an old lady like me! Won't her conscience ache for stealing from an old woman?"

Noah and Harold also heard what Madam Wilson said. Noah yelled from inside the house, "Mum, what did you say?! Zoraida that wretched woman, stole your money and ran away?!"

"Yes!" Madam Wilson cried, "This despicable wretch stole all my money."

Noah cursed through gritted teeth, "Zoraida, this scoundrel! Why didn't I see it earlier, that she's such a despicable person!"

Harold was also extremely angry, "Mum is going too far! She just left, ignoring the well-being of our family?!"

Madam Wilson cried, "No! I won't let her get away with it! Call the police! Quickly dial the emergency number!"

With teary eyes, Wendy said, "But we don't have a mobile phone, it was taken by Donald's people long ago."

Madam Wilson immediately told Wendy, "Wendy, go out and find a public phone, calling 110 from a public phone is free, hurry! The sooner we report, the better chance we have of catching that wretched woman!"







CHAPTER 2013 LOST ALL OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY

Elaine was cooking on the ground floor when she heard Madam Wilson cursing early in the morning, so she quickly leaned on her crutch and went out to see what was happening.

Meanwhile, Charlie and Claire happened to be coming down the stairs and saw Elaine leaning on her crutch.

Excitedly, Elaine asked, "Hey, did you guys hear that old hag cursing this morning?"

Charlie and Claire nodded, with Claire awkwardly saying, "I don't know what happened to Grandma. She started cursing on the second-floor terrace early in the morning."

Upon hearing this, Elaine exclaimed, "Claire, quickly! Help me up to the second floor to have a look!"

Claire, feeling helpless, replied, "Mum, what's there to see?"

Leaning on her crutch with her right arm, Elaine patted her thigh with her left arm and said, "What could be more entertaining than this? Help me up quickly, or we might miss the show!"

Seeing this, Charlie assisted Elaine first, saying, "Darling, let me help Mum."

Claire nodded and said, "Then I'll go press the lift button."

The couple supported Elaine all the way to the third floor. As Elaine looked down from the terrace, she saw Madam Wilson from next door sitting on the ground of the second-floor terrace, ranting and cursing.

Earlier inside the house, they could only hear Madam Wilson making a fuss without clear words, but once outside, her voice became clear.

At that moment, Madam Wilson was still angrily cursing, "You darn thief Zoraida! How dare you steal my hard-earned money! Have you no conscience? I curse you to be hit by a car as soon as you step out!"

Upon hearing this, Elaine chuckled and shouted, "Hey, old lady, what's all this about? Isn't your eldest daughter-in-law supposed to be the most filial and pleasing to you? How come on a big holiday like today, she's stolen your hard-earned money?"

Angered by Elaine's voice, Madam Wilson looked up, saw Elaine's grinning face, and furiously retorted, "Elaine, our family matters have nothing to do with you! Stop gossiping!"

Elaine smirked and said, "Oh, come on! You've reached old age and are still cursing early in the morning. How dare you call me a gossip? You have quite the nerve!"

Madam Wilson raged, "You're talking nonsense! The biggest gossip around here is you, Elaine. Just because you live in a fancy place and dress up doesn't make you a decent person, does it?"

Unfazed, Elaine chuckled, "Oh dear, old lady, you said it yourself. I now live in a fancy place, and when living there, one's manners should improve. Can't be like you sneaking into other people's houses stealing vegetables, have you no shame?"

Then, Elaine quickly added, "Oh, by the way, the garlic chives you stole from our place last time, did your family enjoy them?"

Madam Wilson trembled with anger, gritted her teeth, and said, "Elaine! You used narcissus flowers to harm me, and I haven't settled the score with you yet! How dare you mention it to me?!"

With a smile, Elaine replied, "You stole the garlic chives from our place, why can't I mention it? I also heard that because your family ate our garlic chives, your eldest daughter-in-law discovered she was pregnant, right? So, ultimately, you should thank our garlic chives! Without them, your son would become a father soon!"

This revelation made Madam Wilson furious, as the memory of being poisoned by narcissus and losing control of her bodily functions at home was the most helpless moment of her life, a memory that deeply wounded her.

As she was about to curse at Elaine, not knowing where to start, a police car hurriedly arrived downstairs.

Several police officers got out of the car, and Wendy quickly opened the gate. One of the officers asked Wendy, "Did someone from your family call the police?"

Wendy quickly replied, "Yes, yes, my grandmother asked me to call the police."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wilson quickly stood up, leaned on the terrace railing, and cried out hysterically, "Officers, you must help us! We've been robbed! We've lost all our hard-earned money and can't go on living!"








CHAPTER 2014 A FULL TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS

Upon hearing these words, the police officers immediately perked up.

Living in Thomson Elite means having strong economic power, with their so-called "hard-earned money" likely being a staggering sum.

After all, for someone who casually lives in a billion-dollar mansion, what's a million to them? Perhaps even tens of millions wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

But seeing the elderly lady completely devastated, it seems the amount must be in the tens of millions or more!

It's possible this is a very significant theft case!

So, the few of them quickly entered and directly asked Wendy when the theft occurred and the value of the stolen items.

Wendy felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Please go upstairs and ask my grandmother; the money lost is hers, and she knows the details best."

"Alright!"

The officers hurried upstairs, led by Wendy, to the second-floor bedroom.

Seeing an old and a young man sleeping in the second-floor bedroom, the officers were somewhat surprised, but without much thought, they went straight to the terrace and asked Madam Wilson, "Madame, have you lost any belongings?"

"Yes! It was me!" Madam Wilson said indignantly, "A woman named Zoraida! She stole my hard-earned money and ran away! You must catch her!"

The officers nodded in haste, took out their police-issue handheld computers, and asked, "Do you have specific information about this Zoraida, such as her hometown, age, or even better, an ID number? With that, we can pinpoint her information and immediately begin the arrest."

"ID number?" Madam Wilson thought for a moment and asked Wendy, "Do you know your mother's ID number?"

Wendy awkwardly replied, "I can only remember a small part, not the whole."

Madam Wilson hurriedly said, "Go find your father and her marriage certificate! It must have her ID number on it!"

Wendy nodded, "Okay, grandmother, I'll go look for it."

The officers exchanged a glance, and the leader asked, "Madame, what is your relationship with Zoraida, the person who stole from you?"

Madam Wilson gritted her teeth and said, "That scoundrel is my daughter-in-law! I was always on guard, never thought a thief would be within my own family!"

The lead officer awkwardly said, "If it's a family member, you need to carefully consider whether to pursue legal action because theft is no ordinary matter; it's a criminal offense."

After a pause, he continued, "If you insist on accusing her of theft, once we open an investigation, it will be forwarded to the prosecution, and if she is convicted, she could face several years in prison, even a decade or more. You and your daughter-in-law are family; is it necessary to push this matter so far?"

Madam Wilson coldly snorted, "Push? I not only want to push, I want to push it to the end! It's best if you catch her, sentence her to life imprisonment! Daring to steal my money, she's out of line! Today, I will show her that this old lady won't be bullied by anyone! I'll make sure to give her a lesson!"

Seeing this, the lead officer did not argue further and nodded, "Since you insist that she stole from you, then we will proceed with this as a theft case."

Madam Wilson hastily nodded, "Yes, we must proceed as a theft case, catch her, and sentence her!"

The lead officer then asked, "Madame, how much in total did you lose this time? Including but not limited to cash, debts, or any valuable personal belongings."

The old lady blurted out, "She stole a full two hundred dollars from me! All of it was my hard-earned money!"

The officers were left dumbfounded, "How much?! Two hundred?!"






CHAPTER 2015 SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT

Facing the confirmation from the police officers, Madam Wilson nodded and gritted her teeth, "Yes, it's just two hundred!"

At this point, the officer thought there was something wrong with his ears.

"An elderly lady living in Thomson Elite Villa would call the police over two hundred dollars? Something's not right."

Thinking this, he secretly wondered, "Could it be that wealthy people speak like this, mistaking two hundred thousand for two hundred? The rich second-generation in our class said the same thing about his luxury car at the last class reunion. Clearly, it's a Rolls-Royce worth over five million, but when talking about the price, he casually mentioned 'over five hundred.' Is this a common trait among the wealthy?"

But then he was puzzled, "Logically, this old lady is worth over a hundred million. Even if she lost two million, she shouldn't be this agitated, right?"

So, he looked at the old lady again and said, "Madam Wilson, let me confirm with you again. You said your daughter-in-law, this Zoraida, stole two hundred from you. When you say two hundred, do you mean two hundred thousand?"

"No," Madam Wilson said, "It's just two hundred dollars, two hundred RMB, in cash, two one-hundred notes!"

"Ah?!" Several officers' jaws could almost hit the ground.

The leader awkwardly said, "Madam Wilson, your eldest daughter-in-law took two hundred dollars from you, and you want to report her?"

Madam Wilson raised her eyebrows and questioned, "What's wrong? Is it not allowed? She stole my hard-earned money, can't I report it?"

The leading officer awkwardly said, "Well, you can, but I have to tell you a basic legal common sense. According to our country's laws, the criteria for the sentencing of theft include a minimum amount."

He explained, "The threshold for this 'large amount' is from one thousand to three thousand or more. If it doesn't meet this standard, we can't pursue criminal responsibility."

Madam Wilson frowned, "What the heck?! She stole my hard-earned money! Do you know that I worked hard all day yesterday and only earned a hundred dollars in wages? I was slapped by someone, and someone else compensated me with another hundred! And this two hundred dollars is the money for our family to make dumplings for Chinese New Year!"

The officers were stunned, thinking to themselves, "Is this old lady joking with us? Living in such a big villa, reporting over two hundred dollars? And this two hundred dollars was earned from working and being compensated? Most people wouldn't be that destitute, let alone living in such a luxurious villa. This is too surreal!"

However, they could only patiently explain, "There's nothing we can do, Madam Wilson. This is a clear provision of the law. If the other party only stole two hundred dollars from you, we really can't file a case. We can only register your complaint for now. If in the future she meets the filing criteria due to other matters, we can try to help you recover the loss."

Madam Wilson hurriedly said, "Then I remembered it wrong! She didn't steal two hundred dollars from me, it's two thousand!"

The officer awkwardly said, "How much she stole from you depends on the case investigation. Even if you say it's two thousand now, if we file a case, catch the person, and then find out that you were lying and the other party didn't meet the filing criteria at all, then you will be legally responsible for your lie."

The officer also reminded her, "And, Madam Wilson, I need to explain to you again, even if it reaches two thousand dollars, it's still a form of control, not imprisonment. Do you understand what control means? It doesn't detain the person, just limits their freedom to a certain extent, with regular community correction. At that time, they may be required not to leave Aurous Hill, or not to leave the street where your villa is located, and then undergo some community correction, and that's basically it."

"What?!" Madam Wilson blurted out, "Your management is too lenient! This is theft!"

The officer sighed helplessly, "Let me put it this way, Madam Wilson. Theft is indeed a crime, but whether to pursue it also needs some moderation. If a student comes to report that their classmate stole their one-dollar eraser, do we go and arrest the person? That's not appropriate!"

 

[Alonzo03]

Immortal junlee , I want to remind you that sometimes you forget to post our resources. It's 06:50 AM here in Mozambique, so good morning

Quite surprising that your time was 5:50 while mine is 6:50. I actually thought we African countries share same time zone. I guess not