Chapter 510 - 510 Dreams of Getting Rich
Chapter 510 - 510 Dreams of Getting Rich
Meanwhile, in the city, Li Li had taken the recipe to her fiancé’s house on the same day. She was brimming with excitement, impatient to become the great contributor to her future in-laws’ family.
In the past, whenever she visited this house, she always felt inferior due to her rural background. She was always cautious with her words. But this time was different. Holding the key to their dreams of wealth, she felt her spine straighten with newfound confidence.
Li Li’s fiancé came from a typical intellectual family. Both his parents were teachers. Although they were retired, they lived comfortably on their government pensions. They were respected figures in the city.
Li Li’s fiancé was a primary school teacher. He wore glasses and was quite scholarly. Although he was older, Li Li considered him a good catch. She and her family were very satisfied with him, unconcerned about the fact that he was nearly forty and had been divorced twice.
The fiancé’s family was also well aware of their advantages. As Li Li’s future mother-in-law often said, if her son hadn’t been nearing forty and divorced twice, he would never have considered marrying a rural woman with little education like Li Li. She urged Li Li to appreciate her son.
Because of this self-awareness, the future mother-in-law had never shown much kindness to Li Li or her family.
Even at a dinner where both families were present, the future mother-in-law had given Li Li a red envelope containing only ten yuan. This was after Li Li had knelt and kowtowed three times. The mother-in-law had given the money grudgingly, merely to demonstrate their urban superiority.
However, this ten-yuan red envelope had caused quite a stir in Li Li’s village. Li Li had boasted to everyone she knew about the dinner with her city-dwelling future in-laws and the ten-yuan red envelope.
What Li Li hadn’t expected was that most of her red envelope would end up in Su Jing’s hands. The loss was painful. She cursed Su Jing under her breath.
But now, she had the recipe. She was on the verge of making a fortune, of becoming a wealthy woman. She was going to be a rich lady!
Li Li clutched the recipe tightly in her hand, her thoughts racing. This piece of paper held more than just a means to make money; it was her ticket to becoming the linchpin of her family. It would earn her the respect she craved from her future in-laws. From this day forward, Li Li was finally standing tall.
Her fiancé, Chang Sheng, was at home with no classes to attend. He was not particularly pleased to see Li Li at his doorstep. After all, she was yet to become his wife and was already making a habit of eating at his home. He couldn’t help but feel short-changed; he was already accommodating an extra pair of chopsticks at his table before she was officially part of the family.
Living in the city was expensive, with every meal and every drop of water costing money. Li Li had just walked in and helped herself to an apple without so much as a by-your-leave. It was terribly ill-mannered, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice his displeasure, lest he appeared ungentlemanly.
But now, he couldn’t hold back any longer. After catching a meaningful glance from his mother, who had just emerged from the kitchen, he prepared to send Li Li away. They couldn’t possibly keep her for lunch. “Li Li,” he began, “you’ve been here for quite a while without stating your purpose. I have classes this afternoon, and my parents have errands to run. We won’t be able to entertain you. Perhaps I should take you to the bus station.”
Li Li had been playing coy on purpose, but she hadn’t expected Chang Sheng to ask her to leave so soon. She knew she had to reveal her hand now. She pulled out the recipe from her pocket and said, “Brother Chang Sheng, I remember you telling me that your parents were interested in joining the current business trend. They wanted to invest their savings in a business. If I leave now, you might regret it.”
Chang Sheng, sharp-eyed as he was, noticed the piece of paper in Li Li’s hand. He remembered her mentioning that someone in their village had a thriving business selling marinated meat. His tone became excited. “Li Li, did you manage to get the recipe from them?”
Upon hearing this, his mother hurried over. After exchanging a glance with her son, her eyes softened. Her face, usually stern from years of teaching, now bore a calculating look. Even her attempt at a kind tone couldn’t mask the hint of harshness in her voice. “Good daughter-in-law, did you get the braised meat recipe? Quick, let me see if it’s real!”