novelraw Chapter 499 - 190: The Right Way to Meet the Parents
Chapter 499 - 190: The Right Way to Meet the Parents
Li Yuan glanced at Zhong Tingyue’s chest and chuckled mischievously.
"Haha, they’re not small at all. Quite big, in fact."
"You wretched Li Yuan, you’re so annoying! You only know how to tease me!"
Zhong Tingyue pouted, her cheeks blushing as she swung her delicate little fists, which landed harmlessly on Li Yuan’s shoulder. Their playful flirting and bantering attracted the curious glances of passersby.
Li Yuan replied in all seriousness, "I always speak the truth. I never lie."
"Hmph! You’re still saying it? Now I’m really angry!"
Li Yuan muttered, "Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Why are you upset? I was praising you. Don’t you get that it’s a compliment?"
"You wretched Li Yuan, I’ll bite you!"
Zhong Tingyue’s face flushed crimson. She grabbed Li Yuan’s arm and went to bite down but only left a shallow bite mark.
"Haha, Little Moon, you’re too soft-hearted. You can’t even bear to bite me hard."
Li Yuan stopped teasing her and said seriously, "Little Moon, my mom is very easy to get along with. You don’t need to worry so much."
Blushing, Zhong Tingyue replied softly, "But... I can’t help but worry."
"Hurry up and tell me what Auntie likes, otherwise, I’ll..."
"Or else what?"
"Or else, I’ll bite you again!"
"Then let’s wait until we get home. You can bite me somewhere else, just like last night. It’s not convenient here with so many people around," Li Yuan said with a teasing smirk.
"You wretched Li Yuan, you’re so lewd!"
Zhong Tingyue’s pretty face turned crimson. She understood Li Yuan’s insinuation, and the scene from last night popped into her head. She was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide.
"Haha, it was fun, wasn’t it?"
Li Yuan laughed heartily and stroked her head, casually twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. He said with a smile, "If you really want to buy a gift, then get my mom a gold bracelet. Her views are rather traditional, so she isn’t interested in things like designer bags, watches, or cosmetics. Some gold jewelry might be just right."
In big cities and rural areas alike, the vast majority of women cherish gold jewelry. This was especially true for rural women, for whom buying three or five pieces of gold jewelry for a wedding was almost a requirement. Diamond rings and necklaces had only started to become popular among young women in recent years.
This was because, in the minds of the older generation, gold wasn’t just an ornament; it was also an excellent store of value. It was a custom that had been passed down since the Qin and Han dynasties, remaining unchanged for millennia.
Zhong Tingyue blinked her eyes earnestly and asked, "Really? Auntie would like a gold bracelet? Wouldn’t that be too tacky?"
Li Yuan smiled gently and nodded confidently, explaining, "My parents are from the countryside. They’re hard-working and thrifty, and they’re reluctant to spend money. They won’t even splurge on seafood, Japanese cuisine, or Western food, let alone luxury goods. If you were to give her an LV bag, for example, it would definitely backfire. It would be better to give nothing at all..."
With her eyes wide, Zhong Tingyue listened quietly to his description, already picturing their first meeting in her mind.
Li Yuan shook his head, his tone helpless. "Sometimes, I feel helpless too. I’ve put plenty of money in their account for them to spend as they please, but they’re just set in their ways. Decades-old habits are hard to break. They just save all of it, saying they’re holding onto it for me. It’s like they’re afraid I’ll go bankrupt..."
Thinking of this, Li Yuan felt a mix of warmth and exasperation. With his current financial power, it would be incredibly difficult for him to go bankrupt unless he got into gambling or drugs. It was just as the movie *The Tomato Tycoon* said: after accumulating the initial capital, money starts to multiply on its own, growing at an exponential rate. And his fortune would certainly grow much faster than Wang Duoyu’s...
Seeing Zhong Tingyue listening so earnestly, Li Yuan knew she was overly nervous about meeting his mother for the first time. He pinched her blushing cheek and said with a smile, "Little Moon, you really don’t have to worry. My mom is very approachable. You’ll understand once you get to know her better."
Zhong Tingyue nodded obediently, hugging Li Yuan’s arm. She replied with a giggle, "Mhm, I understand. Let’s go buy a gold bracelet for Auntie."
"Alright. There are jewelry stores in this mall. Let’s go take a look together," Li Yuan said with a smile.
He also decided to buy some gold jewelry for his mother-in-law, Gu Lanxin, along with some cosmetics and bags to continue currying favor with her for the future.
Together, they found a jewelry shop called Chow Tai Fook.
When a salesperson saw Li Yuan and Zhong Tingyue enter hand in hand, her eyes lit up. She gave them an appreciative glance and hurried over to assist.
"Sir, miss, welcome to Chow Tai Fook! We have a variety of new diamond rings that just arrived..."
After she finished, Li Yuan waved a hand and glanced at her. "That’s alright, we’ll just look around ourselves."
The salesperson still replied politely, "Alright then, sir, miss, just call me if you need anything!"
Li Yuan nodded. He took Zhong Tingyue’s hand and headed straight to the gold jewelry display case.
At this time, the price of gold was still relatively cheap, at only about 180 yuan per gram. This was much less expensive than in the future, when prices would often be four or five hundred yuan per gram. Of course, inflation was a major factor in this. Money was simply worth less...
Zhong Tingyue carefully examined the gold bracelets one by one before finally choosing one with a unique pattern. She then looked to Li Yuan, eagerly awaiting his opinion.
"Li Yuan, how about this bracelet? Will Auntie like it?"