The Crazy Son-In-Law

Xiao Zhou pondered for a moment. The Pearl Commercial Chamber generally operated within the Stillwater area and had not yet ventured into Newstrand. As far as he knew, the Xiao family had never had any dealings with the Pearl Commercial Chamber, nor had he ever interacted with their vice president. Why would they suddenly come to him today?

Could it be that the Pearl Commercial Chamber wanted to expand its influence to Newstrand by relying on the power of the Xiao family? This kind of flattery was probably intended to establish a relationship with the Xiao family through him.

He chuckled lightly and asked, “What gift?”

The visitor took out a golden card from his pocket and respectfully handed it over, saying, “This card can be used in any establishment within St. Marquet. All expenses for Mr. Xiao’s trip will be covered by the Pearl Commercial Chamber.”

This statement caused quite a stir. Although St. Marquet was a small county town, spending lavishly there would still amount to a considerable expense. The Pearl Commercial Chamber was indeed generous.

Xiao Zhou had been hesitant at first, but seeing the admiring looks from the Liu family, he accepted the card graciously. “Please thank President Du for me.”

“You’re too polite, Mr. Xiao. In the future, we may need to rely on your help. This small gift is just a token of our appreciation,” said the visitor.

Xiao Zhou nodded, “Alright, if there’s anything you need my help with, just let me know.”

However, he was puzzled. The strength of the Pearl Commercial Chamber was far greater than that of the Xiao family. Even if they wanted to use the Xiao family to enter Newstrand, there was no need for such flattery.

When the Yao family members heard the name Pearl Commercial Chamber, they immediately thought of the 2-billion-check given to Xiao Shun by President Zhuang Jin of the Pearl Commercial Chamber. They all looked at Xiao Shun.

Xiao Shun noticed their gaze, gave them a meaningful smile, and shook his head.

The three of the Yao family didn’t know what he was up to, but since Xiao Shun didn’t want them to expose him, they held their tongues.

After the visitor left, someone said, “Do you see the difference now? Even the prestigious Pearl Commercial Chamber wants to please Mr. Xiao. Don’t compare Xiao Shun to him; it’s an insult to Mr. Xiao.”

“That’s right, a loser like him isn’t even worthy of tying Mr. Xiao’s shoelaces,” someone else chimed in.

Xiao Zhou casually showed off the expensive watch on his wrist and the gold card in his hand. He pretended to be humble and said, “You all praise me too much. As Miaozhen said, my own company only makes a few million in profit each year, which is not a large enterprise in Newstrand. The Pearl Commercial Chamber must be doing this out of respect for my father.”

“Mr. Xiao, there’s no need to be modest. Making a few million a year is still many times better than some people,” Liu Manxiang glanced at Xiao Shun.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Enough, why do we keep bringing up that loser?” Liu Miaozhen said with a smile.

“Honey, since the Pearl Commercial Chamber gave us this card, we should use it. How about we go shopping with my parents tomorrow? We can buy the things we haven’t bought for the upcoming New Year.”

“Of course, no problem,” Xiao Zhou replied with a proud smile. He looked at Yao Cen and Xiao Shun, “Why don’t you two come along as well? Since we’re all family, if you see something you like, I’ll pay for it.”

“We won’t go. We have everything we need at home and would rather rest tomorrow,” Yao Cen said. She didn’t want to play along with their show, as it was exhausting.

“Cen, don’t be like that. Are you afraid of spending money? My husband already said he’ll pay for everything; you just need to pick what you like,” Liu Miaozhen said.

Yao Cen wanted to say something, but Xiao Shun interrupted, “We’ll go.” Then he looked at Yao Cen, “Who said our home has everything? Since Mr. Xiao is offering, it would be rude to refuse, right? Let’s all go together, including our parents.”

Xiao Zhou thought to himself that they couldn’t resist such a good opportunity. How could a beautiful woman like Yao Cen fall for a country bumpkin like Xiao Shun? Life was truly unfair.

“Uncle and auntie, if you have time tomorrow, we can all go shopping together. I’ll cover all the expenses,” Xiao Zhou said generously, waving his hand.

Upon hearing this, the members of the Liu family were all smiles, rubbing their hands together in anticipation. Although they weren’t exactly short of money, who could refuse such a windfall? If it were to spend Xiao Zhou’s own money, Liu Miaozhen would have been reluctant. But now that it was someone else’s money, she was naturally happy to give her family this favor, as it would also improve her father Liu Yunsheng’s status in the Liu family. After her grandfather’s death, her father might even become the head of the family, so why not be happy about it?

That evening, it was dinner time. Since Liu Mingda’s birthday had not yet arrived, it was just a casual meal for the family, so the other relatives had left, leaving only around seventeen or eighteen people. The Liu family’s dining table was large enough to accommodate everyone. They enjoyed a cozy dinner together.

After the meal, on the way back to the hotel, Liu Yunxiang asked in confusion, “Xiao Shun, today that person from the Pearl Commercial Chamber was clearly looking for you. Why didn’t you make it clear to them? And you didn’t even let us speak up, it was so frustrating! Xiao Zhou got away with such a great advantage and took all the credit.” Liu Yunxiang had been holding in her grievances, and her words carried a hint of resentment.

Xiao Shun laughed and said, “I wasn’t sure if that person was looking for me. If it turned out they weren’t, wouldn’t we have lost face even more?” In fact, he was almost certain that the person had come looking for him. He had mentioned it to Zhuang Jin when he arrived in the morning, saying that he would be coming to St. Marquet to celebrate Yao Cen’s grandfather’s birthday.

“Mom, why bother arguing with them? As long as we know the truth, it doesn’t matter what others say.” Yao Cen said softly. She was also upset, especially since Xiao Shun’s credit was stolen by the arrogant Xiao Zhou.

Liu Yunxiang argued, “What are you talking about? It’s not about the material gains, but about standing up for ourselves. This is an opportunity to change their prejudice against Xiao Shun. Do you want him to be looked down upon by them forever?”

“Mom, I don’t care. I’m used to it.” Xiao Shun smiled and said.

The next morning, as agreed, everyone gathered at the largest shopping mall in St. Marquet. As the most economically developed county in the Stillwater area, the mall boasted many well-known international brands. Due to the need to arrange for the birthday and the fact that men were not particularly interested in shopping, Liu Yunsheng and Wen Yushan did not attend. The attendees were mostly women from the Liu family.

They entered the mall, chattering and laughing. The mall was bustling with activity, and there were two open elevators at the entrance. Next to the elevators were several new cars, separated from the outside world by a cordon. This was Audi’s simple display area.