Hela was a minor official, and Darlan was an official working in the capital.

They created a very good family atmosphere, giving a very polite and well educated impression, as if the couple were deeply in love.

Arthur was even more in his element. As a contractor, he was like a fish in water in such social occasions. The moment he raised his wine glass, the conversation naturally became lively and congenial.

The younger generation obediently focused on eating, especially Daniel, who had just been severely beaten by his own father. He was being exceptionally well behaved.

"Second son in law, come, come, Uncle will have a drink with you."

Darlan proactively raised his glass, laughing heartily as he said, "You're the truly accomplished one. So low key and unassuming, yet you buy cars and properties outright without even blinking. There aren't many young people as capable as you who don't rely on their families."

Hela chose that moment to interject sourly, "Yes, the second son in law is also fortunate in life. While he might not have his family's support, at least he doesn't have their burdens holding him back."

Her words carried a distasteful undertone, but Luis simply filed the slight away secretly, nursing a quiet grudge. Outwardly, he remained utterly respectful, holding his cup with both hands and smiling as he replied,

"Uncle Darlan, you flatter me too much. I'm just a bit materialistic, that's all. I enjoy figuring out ways to earn money."

"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm utterly obsessed with money."

Darlan already admired Luis, and hearing this made him laugh uproariously. "That's the right attitude. Your brother in law really should learn from you. Loafing around all day is no way to live. If you have any opportunities for advancement, you mustn't be stingy about sharing them."

"Uncle, you jest. I don't have that kind of influence."

His humble demeanor and consistently polite, flattering words undoubtedly made him stand out as exceptional among the more brash and impatient youths.

Arthur, mindful of his son in law's virtues, added with a smile, "Dear in law, please, no more praise. My second son in law is inherently a low key and introverted person. What if all your compliments make him swell with pride?"

"Haha, I'm just envious of the good fortune your Wood family enjoys."

Darlan laughed with genuine warmth.

Hela seized the moment to add another barb, "Yes, any family would be overjoyed to have a son in law like this."

"And he's even willing to be a live in son in law. Any children born will carry your surname. Tsk tsk, just thinking about it feels like an incredible blessing to me."

"If you ask me, your second daughter is the truly skilled one here."

The bitterness in her words was so palpable even a fool could detect it. It's often said indulgent mothers spoil their sons. Clearly, she was deeply displeased that her own son had been unfavorably compared.

This open hostility made Darlan frown inwardly. He thought she'd gotten away with the first comment, but saying this again was simply going too far. Women, he thought with irritation, can be so fucking narrow minded.

Arthur said cheerfully, trying to smooth things over, "Dear mother in law, the matter of a child's surname is for the young couple to decide themselves. It's only in name that he's a live in son in law. I never took that formal title seriously."

Nancy, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up with a sarcastic, mocking tone, "Yes, the surname Xu is fine, the surname Wood is also fine, it really doesn't matter. The young couple can discuss and decide anything they want."

"To put it more bluntly, if mother in law is so interested, why doesn't she take full financial responsibility for the cars, the house, and the shop fronts? If the child carried the Lin surname, I don't think my brother in law would have any objections at all."

Hearing this, Hela's face darkened considerably. She shot Nancy a deep, meaningful look.

Her old fashioned expression seemed to convey blame, as if to say, 'You are part of my family now, why are you still siding with your natal family?' She seemed to have somewhat forgotten how severely she had offended Nancy previously.

Arthur quickly raised his glass, laughing loudly to defuse the tension. "Aiyah, let us old folks not bother ourselves with these matters."

"Exactly, exactly, let's have a drink, let's have a drink."

Darlan also chimed in, trying to muddle through the awkward moment.

Nancy's temper was a direct inheritance from Ruth. She was a pure, unadulterated tigress, and her temper would not tolerate any nonsense from her mother in law.

She deliberately raised her glass, clinked it pointedly against her mother in law's, and said with a bright, challenging smile, "What's the matter, mother in law? Do you feel my sister and my brother in law are not a good match for each other?"

Hela wasn't an entirely unreasonable person, but she was equally strong willed. She glanced at Luis, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips, and said,

"In the past, well, since your brother in law was poor, we thought it was a case of making do, that it was just about acceptable."

"But looking at your brother in law now, he's clearly not the poor, useless wretch you all described him as, someone with nothing but a handsome face to his name."

Hearing this, Nancy's face flushed a deep red.

After all, the older ginger is still spicier.

This remark was tantamount to implying that Nancy herself had also looked down on her brother in law before. When she was at her in laws' house, her words had been full of contempt and disdain. Hela's comment was clearly meant to stir the pot and fan the flames.

On the surface, it appeared to be praising Luis, but in reality, it was dripping with sarcastic mockery.

Darlan's brow furrowed slightly.

He could also tell that his wife's earlier apology had been somewhat unwilling.

After all, when comparing the financial backgrounds of the two families, family definitely held the upper hand.

If he, Darlan, hadn't returned this time, Hela would never have yielded so easily.

But she was feeling deeply resentful. It was bad enough that she couldn't press her advantage when she wasn't entirely in the right, but having to apologize after her son was beaten to a pulp was the final straw. This was her way of venting her dissatisfaction.

Luis wasn't angered. He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and watched the scene unfold with keen interest.

There were definitely undercurrents swirling between this husband and wife.

Nancy's level of education wasn't particularly high. She wasn't the studious type, nor was she a top tier shrew like her mother, who was a veteran of street smarts and market place battles.

But her various chat groups, filled with classmates, alumni, and all sorts of part time job seekers, were, to put it bluntly, distribution hubs for mistresses and 'green tea' girls. Just reading the chat logs could provide an education.

Nurtured in such an environment, although Nancy had always been arrogant and lacked skill in getting along with people harmoniously, she was by no means a pushover.

Nancy giggled, a sharp, tinkling sound, and said, "What mother in law says is correct. That's precisely why my mother was so furious. If you put the two sons in law side by side for comparison, the gap is rather significant."

"You know how the saying goes, 'comparing people leads to resentment, comparing goods leads to disposal'."

This statement managed to offend even Darlan.

Luis frowned inwardly, thinking that in terms of pure combat effectiveness, she really was no match for his mother in law. Her attempts at sarcastic, veiled attacks still came off as immature and unpolished.

Hela's face turned ugly, and naturally, Darlan's pride also felt a little wounded.

Fortunately, Nancy wasn't as much of a fool as Luis assumed. She immediately pivoted, changing her tone and looking directly at Darlan as she said:

"Dad, there's that one matter I probably never mentioned to you. Remember last year during New Year's, when you and Mom bought all those New Year's goods and told us to bring them along when we visited my parents' house?"

"Yes, I even specially prepared a bottle of fifteen year old Rémy Martin for my parents in law."

Darlan nodded in confirmation.

"Dad, I am not saying this to tattle. I know you and Mom are both considerate people who understand proper social etiquette," Nancy said with an innocent expression. "I only found out about this matter during the argument at my house. My mother-in-law was especially embarrassed at the time. The gifts she had meticulously prepared were gone, so she ended up buying just a few dozen dollars' worth of fruit to bring to my family."

"I asked him where all the cigarettes and alcohol had gone. He wouldn't tell me either; he must have used them up with his good-for-nothing friends."

"My mother is not narrow-minded, but this incident made her very angry. What kind of son-in-law brings just a few dozen dollars' worth of fruit on the day he returns to his wife's parents' home?"

"Furthermore, as you know, in our resettlement community, it's all original residents. With so many people around, there's endless gossip. Hearing all that talk made my mother feel awful."

"My mother-in-law knows about this too."

After firing off these words rapidly, Darlan's face turned particularly grim. He looked at Hela and asked, "Is this true?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.