“Four or five hundred thousand? Why don’t you just rob a bank?!”

Hu Danyang hadn’t intended to speak. She and Cao Yixing had just argued about this not long ago, and if they fought again because of this issue, what would remain of their marital bond?

But she hadn’t expected the Cao family to be so shameless—opening their mouths to demand four or five hundred thousand.

This amount of money was something an ordinary person might not even earn in a lifetime.

“Daughter-in-law, must you speak so harshly?” Cao’s mother curled her lips in displeasure, glancing at Hu Danyang.

She had disliked this daughter-in-law from the start. This daughter-in-law came from a good family, had a high level of education, and refused to bow and scrape like the daughters-in-law of the past. In Cao’s mother’s mind, marrying such a woman was no different from not marrying at all.

“Ah Feng is Yixing’s elder brother. What’s wrong with brothers helping each other? Besides, if Ah Feng becomes successful, do you think he wouldn’t take care of Yixing?”

Successful?

Hu Danyang almost laughed out loud.

She had been married to Cao Yixing for so many years and knew perfectly well what kind of person this elder brother was—lazy and spoiled by their parents, unable to hold any job for more than three months.

If someone like that could become successful, then the heavens must have truly turned a blind eye.

“No way, Yixing. Absolutely not!” Hu Danyang gritted her teeth, looked at Cao Yixing, and spoke each word with determination.

“Yixing, he’s your elder brother! Think carefully. We’re family after all. But this woman? She may not be your wife for life!”

Cao’s father delivered this line, his eyes coldly sweeping over Hu Danyang.

Hu Danyang’s face turned pale with anger. She had never seen anyone so hostile to their son and daughter-in-law’s good relationship.

“Father, Mother, please don’t speak like that.”

Only after the parents had thrown out their harsh words did Cao Defeng step forward to play the peacemaker. He looked troubled. “No matter what, sister-in-law has been married to Yixing for so many years. Even if there’s no love, there’s still family affection. Yixing, our parents said those harsh things out of concern for me. Don’t take it to heart. Mom, you should apologize to my sister-in-law.”

Cao’s mother frowned deeply. “Me? Apologize to her? I’m the mother-in-law here!”

Cao Defeng looked helpless, as if he couldn’t do anything about his mother. He stood up, bowed to Hu Danyang, and said, “Sister-in-law, our parents are old and don’t see Yixing often. It’s natural for them to feel some anger. Please don’t take it to heart. Honestly, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have agreed to have our parents ask Yixing for money. But this time, I truly need the money to start a business. I’m willing to write an IOU and pay interest.”

Hu Danyang, spoiled and sheltered since childhood, had never encountered someone like Cao Defeng. His parents played the bad cop while he played the good cop, acting humble, pitiable, and honest.

In the end, Hu Danyang’s heart softened. Though she knew lending them money was like throwing meat buns to a dog—it would never come back—she still couldn’t bear to damage her husband’s dignity.

No matter how terrible this group of people was, they were still her husband’s relatives.

As she hesitated, trying to decide how much to lend to maintain appearances, Cao Yixing, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. “Big brother, are you really planning to start a business?”

A flash of joy appeared in Cao Defeng’s eyes. He quickly raised his head. “Yes! I’ve thought it through. It’s disgraceful to waste my life like this. My kids are about to start middle school. I can’t keep muddling along. I need to find something to do so I can save money for my kids and take care of Mom and Dad in their old age.”

Hearing this, Cao’s parents were moved to tears.

Hu Danyang nearly scoffed aloud.

This elder brother had never contributed a dime to the family. His wife and kids relied on their parents for support, let alone the parents’ retirement funds—it was all Yixing’s money.

Her husband had been giving them money for years, yet she’d never seen the parents so emotional. Now, one sentence from the elder brother had them in tears.

“See, Yixing? Your brother has really matured.”

Cao’s mother wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. “We’re all one family. You’re doing well now. What’s wrong with helping your elder brother?”

“Alright. If it’s truly for a business, I’ll support it,” said Cao Yixing.

Hu Danyang’s face showed a trace of anger. She bit her lip in frustration and clenched her hands tightly. She had changed her mind and was about to stop him when Gu Xicao handed her a bottle of soy milk.

“Miss Hu, have some soy milk.”

She gave Hu Danyang a look that said, Be patient.

Though confused, Hu Danyang trusted Gu Xicao enough to swallow her words.

Meanwhile, the Cao family’s faces couldn’t hide their smiles.

Cao Defeng, especially, was overjoyed. He grinned broadly, revealing yellow teeth, and rubbed his hands together. “Brother, I knew you were the most loyal! When I strike it big, I’ll buy you a house!”

“There’s no rush for that,” Cao Yixing said with a pleasant smile, waving his hand. “Big brother, you said you’re starting a business. What kind of business are you planning?”

Cao Defeng was stunned for a moment and stammered, “I-I plan to sell… sell fruit!”

“Fruit? That’s a good idea. Fruit can be quite profitable.”

Cao Yixing thought for a moment and smiled. “What kind of fruit will you sell at your shop?”

“What… what do you mean?” Cao Defeng felt nervous and wiped his forehead with his hand. “Fruit is fruit. Why are you asking so much?”

“Oh, nothing. Just curious,” Cao Yixing said calmly. “After all, business isn’t easy these days. Selling fruit isn’t as simple as just putting it out there. You need to find a supply chain. Imported fruit is expensive, hard to sell, and spoils quickly. Domestic fruit doesn’t fetch high prices, the competition is fierce, and the variety is limited. You’d need to source it from inland. Big brother, if you want to start a business, you need to sort all of this out first.”

Hu Danyang’s eyes lit up as she listened. She didn’t know why her husband had suddenly become so shrewd with his family, but it was a welcome change.

She chimed in, “Exactly. For example, there are already three fruit stalls nearby. Each one sells different stock at different prices. And fruit spoils easily. Some sellers know how to preserve it, and they even have partnerships with restaurants and hotels. Big brother, are you aware of all this?”

The couple’s questions left Cao Defeng sweating profusely.

Cao’s mother, seeing her son’s distress, quickly stepped in. “So what if Ah Feng doesn’t know? Every beginning is difficult. You have to start small and learn as you go, don’t you?”

“Exactly. That’s my plan,” Cao Defeng eagerly agreed, putting on a naive smile. “You have to eat a meal one bite at a time.”

He looked expectantly at Cao Yixing.

But the younger brother’s pleasant expression disappeared. He gazed at Cao Defeng with cold, unreadable eyes.

This gaze made Cao Defeng feel guilty and flustered. “Second Brother, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Elder Brother,” Cao Yixing paused, stood up, and looked down at Cao Defeng. “I was wondering if you really think I’m a fool.”

Cao Defeng’s expression changed immediately. His face turned red as he stood up abruptly. “What are you saying? Are you mocking me?”

“No, I’m mocking myself for being so stupid.”

Cao Yixing curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile. “Your clumsy lies wouldn’t fool a three-year-old, yet you think you can use them to cheat me out of four or five hundred thousand? A fruit stall? What kind of fruit would require that much money? With that amount, you could make a down payment on a house.”

“Ah Xing, how can you say that? We’re your family; why would we lie to you?”

Cao’s mother became agitated and pointed at Hu Danyang, scolding her. “You wretch! Are you the one badmouthing us behind our backs?”

“You—” Hu Danyang was stunned, her anger flaring.

“This has nothing to do with my wife,” Cao Yixing cut in. “It’s me who has finally realized what kind of people you are. Four or five hundred thousand! Do you know how many years of hard work it takes me to save that much? And yet you, with one casual sentence, think you can take it away. Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

He pointed at Cao Defeng, his face red and his voice booming with anger.

Cao Yixing had always been filial and gentle, particularly towards his parents. Knowing their struggles, he had been a dutiful son since childhood, even earning his tuition fees himself.

Cao’s parents had never expected him to yell at them like this. Their initial guilt quickly turned to shame and anger.

“You ungrateful son!” Cao’s father shouted. “You’ve married a wife and forgotten your parents! What’s wrong with four or five hundred thousand? If you don’t lend it to your elder brother, it means you don’t want us as your parents anymore. Make your choice today—either lend the money or sever ties with us!”

“Father!”

Cao Defeng, a streetwise idler who spent his days doing nothing, immediately panicked. In the past, such ultimatums would’ve worked on the filial Cao Yixing. But now, it was like pouring fuel on a fire.

“You’re saying that if I don’t lend you money, I’m no longer your son. Is that it?”

Cao Yixing’s eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tightly, and his breathing was labored.

“Dear…” Cao’s mother, sensing that something was amiss, tried to intervene, but Cao’s father pushed her hand away and declared firmly, “Yes!”

“Fine. From today onward, I sever all ties with you!”

As Cao Yixing uttered those words, his heart felt a sharp pain, but at the same time, a wave of relief washed over him. “Over the years, I’ve given this family close to five hundred thousand yuan. That money is more than enough for you two to live out your retirement. I’ve done my duty as a son. As for anyone else, I owe them nothing. If you want to take legal action against me, feel free. But for now, I want you all out of my house!”

“You—you ungrateful child!”

Cao’s father froze for a moment. When he finally realized Cao Yixing was serious, he was both flustered and furious. He pointed at his son and shouted, “I raised you all these years, and this is how you treat me and your mother?”

“Brother, don’t say such things. Take it back, and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything today.”

Cao Defeng, now completely thrown off, tried to salvage the situation. He had never expected his usually compliant younger brother to show such resolve. “We’re family. There’s no need to ruin relationships over money.”

“Brother, are you anxious because of our bond as siblings,” Cao Yixing stared at Cao Defeng, his gaze intense, “or because you want to use my money to pay off your gambling debts?”

“?!”

Cao Defeng’s face turned bright red, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “How… how did you know? Did they call you?”

So, it was true.

The realization hit Cao Yixing like a cruel joke. “Get out! All of you, get out of my house!”

Without waiting for a response, he forcibly dragged and pushed the Cao family members out of the door. Even the items they had brought were thrown out after them.

With a loud bang, the door slammed shut.

“Ah Xing!”

“You ungrateful son!”

“Brother!”

The voices of the Cao family echoed from outside the door.

Hu Danyang walked over to Cao Yixing with a worried expression. “Ah Xing, if this is too hard for you, let’s just forget it. It’s only money—I can work hard to earn more.”

She understood better than anyone how much Cao Yixing valued his family.

They had met in university, where tuition was high and living expenses were even higher. Cao Yixing had worked three jobs a day, eating only two meals—sometimes just steamed buns and pickles sent from home.

While other students lived comfortably with well-off families, nobody had respected the impoverished bookworm from a slum.

But back then, he had smiled at her and said, “Someday, I’ll make enough money for my family to live comfortably.”

And now…

“Thank you, my wife,” Cao Yixing said, pulling Hu Danyang into a tight embrace. Scalding tears rolled down his cheeks. “You’ve endured so much for me all these years.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m your wife.” Hu Danyang’s heart ached as she patted his shoulder. “When my father went bankrupt and I couldn’t afford school, you didn’t abandon me. You even paid for my tuition. That’s when I decided I’d stick with you for life, you fool.”

Gu Xicao, witnessing the scene, was about to sigh when a soft sobbing sound interrupted her thoughts.

She turned to see Wang Laoshi holding a tissue, sobbing uncontrollably.

When he noticed her gaze, he awkwardly snapped, “What are you looking at? It’s touching, alright? Men crying is totally normal!”

Gu Xicao’s mouth twitched as she silently handed him an entire pack of tissues.

“Thank you so much, Miss Gu,” Cao Yixing said after calling security to escort his family away. Once everything had settled, he and Hu Danyang escorted Gu Xicao and Wang Laoshi downstairs.

When Hu Danyang learned that Gu Xicao had foretold her husband’s fortune, she suddenly understood why he had behaved so differently today.

“You’re too kind. I didn’t do much to help today. Honestly, taking the money felt a bit awkward,” Gu Xicao replied with a smile. “Now that I’ve been of some help, it feels well-earned.”

Embarrassed, Hu Danyang leaned against Cao Yixing. “You must be joking. You’ve helped us so much; we feel like we didn’t pay you enough. How about this? The day after tomorrow, when your business opens, we’ll send eight flower baskets to show our support.”

“Thank you in advance, then.”

Gu Xicao didn’t refuse.

An opening ceremony should be grand, after all. When she had first started her stall, she’d barely scraped by. Now, things would be different.