"Li, what brings you over today? If you're free, why not stay for dinner this afternoon?"
Zhao Kui's tone was warm and friendly. Truth be told, Zhao Kui genuinely liked Li Gao, but Chen Jiao was another story. She was quite snobbish and had little respect for Li Gao.
Before Li Gao could even respond, Chen Jiao cut in, "Dinner? Don't you need to earn a living? Do you have time to relax? Shouldn't you be using this time to make more money? How can I trust you with Mingzhu if you're like this?"
"Jiao, can you tone down that temper of yours? As long as the young man is willing to work hard, that's what matters. The most important thing is our daughter's happiness. Stop imposing your old-fashioned ideas all the time!" Zhao Kui's voice rose slightly.
"Zhao Kui, what are you talking about? What old-fashioned ideas? Tell me, what exactly are you referring to?" Chen Jiao shouted back.
"Enough! Dad, Mom, stop arguing. Li Gao came here today to discuss the engagement," Zhao Mingzhu quickly interjected, seeing the situation escalate.
"Discuss the engagement?"
Chen Jiao narrowed her eyes at Li Gao, "Have you met my conditions? If not, there's no point in talking."
Zhao Kui shot Chen Jiao a stern look and then said, "Li, don't take it to heart. Your aunt is just worried about Mingzhu. It's fine; you don't need to rush with the car or the house, and the dowry doesn't have to be so much. Just do your best."
To be fair, Zhao Kui was a very reasonable man, and it was no wonder Zhao Mingzhu turned out the way she did, thankfully not taking after her mother.
Li Gao was deeply moved by these words, but he didn't forget the purpose of his visit. He stood up and said solemnly, "Uncle, thank you for your understanding. I will definitely take good care of Mingzhu, and I will work very hard."
"But Uncle, I've already bought the car and the house, and I've prepared the dowry too."
"Li, do what you can, but don't go down the wrong path!" Zhao Kui frowned, a bit worried.
"Don't worry, Uncle. I haven't," Li Gao assured him.
Zhao Kui relaxed a bit.
"Oh? You've already got a car and a house? What kind of car? What kind of house? Where is it? Don't tell me you're trying to deceive us just to marry Mingzhu!" Chen Jiao chimed in.
"Mom, what are you saying? It's a BMW, worth 1.6 million. We just bought it, paid in full," Zhao Mingzhu couldn't help but speak up.
"What?" Both Chen Jiao and Zhao Kui were shocked. 1.6 million.
It wasn't that they couldn't imagine it; both of them had stable jobs and savings of over 3 million. It was just so unexpected that Li Gao had so much money to afford such an expensive car.
"Mom, before you get too shocked, we also bought a house. It's in Huaxi Shuige, right next to the school district, with everything from kindergarten to high school."
"Oh, and it's a top-floor duplex, 240 square meters, with a private elevator, so there's no crowding during rush hour," Zhao Mingzhu added, listing the details with pride.
"How much did this house cost?" Chen Jiao asked, unable to contain herself.
"Well, we have to thank Su Ming for that. We got it at an internal price, only 3.8 million," Zhao Mingzhu said, shooting a grateful look at Su Ming.
Su Ming smiled in return.
"Wh-what... 3.8 million? This..." Chen Jiao was stunned and asked uncertainly, "Zhu Zhu, you're not lying to me, are you?"
Zhao Mingzhu pouted, "Mom, why would I lie to you? All the documents are in our car. If you still don't believe me, I'll take you to see it tonight."
"I believe, I believe, Mom believes!" Chen Jiao, now excited, grabbed Zhao Mingzhu and then put on a friendly smile, "Li, I'm sorry for my earlier behavior. Please forgive me."
Chen Jiao's mood changed faster than flipping a page. Li Gao, who had been feeling heavy-hearted, felt much better and quickly responded, "Aunt, you were just looking out for Mingzhu. I understand."
"Good, good!" Chen Jiao laughed, her eyes crinkling with joy.
At this moment, Su Ming stood up, "Uncle, Aunt, Li Gao has no parents, and Xiangzi and I are his closest brothers. Today, we are here to formally propose on behalf of Li Gao's parents."
Su Ming gave Xiangzi a nod, and Xiangzi immediately understood, bringing over the suitcase.
Su Ming opened the suitcase, and the moment the lid was lifted, everyone's eyes were glued to it. Piles of red banknotes, a sight that was incredibly comforting.
Su Ming reached into the suitcase and pulled out the gifts for Zhao Kui and Chen Jiao.
"Uncle, I heard you like watches, so I picked one out for you."
"Aunt, this is a jade bracelet. Jade is good for health. I hope it keeps you looking young!"
Zhao Kui and Chen Jiao accepted the gifts in a daze.
"Wow! Dad, it's a Vacheron Constantin! Open it, open it!" Zhao Mingzhu's eyes sparkled.
"Huh? Really?"
Zhao Kui quickly opened the box and gasped, "Thirty-seven thousand! This is too precious!"
"What? Such an expensive watch?" Chen Jiao snapped out of her shock and opened the bracelet, her expression changing dramatically when she saw the price tag.
"Forty-five thousand! Oh my God!"
Chen Jiao pinched her thigh hard, feeling like it was all too surreal. But the sharp pain told her it wasn't a dream; it was all real.
"And this is the dowry. Aunt, you asked for 100,000, but we brought 1,000,000. Not to show off, but to let you and Uncle know that Li Gao is fully capable of taking care of Mingzhu."
"One, one million!"
Chen Jiao's voice trembled as she looked at the suitcase full of money.
"Oh... This is wonderful! Li, you must stay for dinner tonight. I'll go buy some groceries, ha ha..."
Chen Jiao laughed happily.
"Mom! Don't bother. We have other things to do. Li Gao is really planning to open a food court. You didn't believe me before, but now you do, right?" Zhao Mingzhu quickly stopped her excited mother.
"Of course, of course! Why wouldn't I believe you? Li, I won't keep you. Come by anytime, and give me a call in advance, and I'll cook something delicious for you!"
Chen Jiao's tone had completely changed.
"Monkey, say hello!" Xiangzi nudged Li Gao, a teasing grin on his face.
Li Gao caught on and quickly said, "Yes, Mom, thank you, Mom!"
He then turned to Zhao Kui and called out, "Dad!"
Chen Jiao was delighted, and Zhao Kui nodded happily in response.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, the task is completed. Total expenditure: 7.22 million. Tenfold cashback: 72.2 million, transferred to the host's bank account!"
The system notification rang, and Su Ming smiled.
That day, he made over 60 million, feeling absolutely fabulous.