At noon, the people at the small teahouse gradually started eating lunch.
After eating, some went into private rooms to play mahjong, while those playing cards stayed in the main area.
Everything was orderly and very leisurely.
At a table further inside sat four middle-aged beautiful women.
One could tell just by looking at them that they lived comfortable, pampered lives.
"Sister Yu, sure you don't want us to order you something? The fried rice here is quite good."
One of them spoke up.
Shen Ruyu glanced anxiously toward the entrance, shaking her head.
"No need, my son-in-law will bring me a meal soon."
"Son-in-law? Oh, the one you said works at Xinhui Real Estate? What exactly is his position there?"
"How would I know? I don't pry too much into the young people's affairs."
"Hehe, when my son buys a house, I'll look for him. See if he can get a discount."
"Sister Yan, you got this bracelet too! See, I told you they're all the rage now."
"Sigh… My daughter insisted on buying it for me. At our age, wearing something so fashionable is quite embarrassing, but not wearing it would be such a waste!!"
Shen Ruyu sat on the side, watching their mutual flattery with a mix of speechlessness and envy.
These bracelets cost a few thousand yuan, and almost every one of them had one now.
Now that it was a trend, not wearing one felt humiliating.
Shen Ruyu was thinking about buying one herself. She figured she could just tell people her eldest son-in-law gave it to her.
"Oh, Sister Yu, I have to say, you're the most modest one here."
"Yeah, Sister Yu used to say she gets a 'reaction' from wearing jewelry, but I remember she wore some last time…"
The group of busybodies chirped away, their words laced with subtle jabs.
This was the culture here, even for a game of cards, they would dress up meticulously, wishing they could wear all their jewelry at once
**
Yuan was speechless!
The moment he entered the teahouse, he was presented with a comical sight.
Several of the women here were decked out in so much gold and silver that they didn't look like humans—they looked like Christmas trees.
"Mom! Hello, Aunties!"
Yuan walked up to their table, acting as the perfect, obedient son-in-law, and set the food bag on the table.
"Oh, it's the live-in son-in-law! What did you bring your mother? Such a big bag."
The one who spoke up was called Yanzi.
She was a young married woman and also one of his mother-in-law's oldest friends at the teahouse.
Yuan couldn't remember the names of the others, but this Yanzi was just as sharp-tongued and mean as his Mother-in-law.
Yuan pulled out a chair and sat down.
He placed a luxury gift bag directly in front of his mother-in-law and said sincerely, "Mom, take a look at this. See if you like it."
"What is it?"
Shen Ruyu was utterly confused, but the others crowded around and saw the high-end logo on the shopping bag.
When she opened the jewelry box and saw the very bracelet she had been secretly longing for, Shen Ruyu gasped in surprise, covering her mouth.
Yanzi also leaned in, and when she saw what was inside the box she couldn't help but be astonished.
"No way… this is the most expensive model. Hey, live-in son-in-law, you didn't buy a fake, did you?" Yanzi asked, her tone tinged with sourness.
"Right, right, it doesn't look like pure gold!" The others also chimed in.
Yuan pretended not to hear, he gently took his mother-in-law's hand and put the bracelet on her.
"Mom, I've always wanted to buy you one but was always busy with work. I went to look today, and you know how clumsy I am at picking things, so I just told them to give me the latest, best model."
Shen Ruyu stared at the thick, heavy bracelet on her wrist, her eyes full of shock.
But, being a woman, she didn't let it show too much.
Yuan reached into the bag as if searching for something, and when he pulled out his hand, he "accidentally" let the receipt fall out of the bag too.
Yanzi snatched it up instantly, and the others huddled around.
When they saw it was a genuine receipt for the most expensive item in the store, their faces turned even uglier.
Shen Ruyu saw it too, and her eyes immediately softened.
She said coquettishly, "You silly child, Mom told you I sometimes have a metal allergy. Why did you still buy this?"
Yuan, catching on to the act immediately, smiled and said,
"Mom, you don't have that anymore. Those imported vitamins you've been taking fixed it right up. Stop worrying so much, okay?"
**
**
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