Yao Nan stood up and poured tea for Zhang Xinda with a gentle smile, saying softly:
"Brother-in-law, my husband might not have a degree, but that doesn't mean he's incapable. Besides, there are plenty of college graduates out there."
"If you need this kind of work, I can offer positions at my women's hospital for nurses and security guards, starting at 5000 yuan a month. You wouldn't need to go through the trouble of finding a job like this."
After saying this, Yao Nan sat down. She appeared calm, but inside, she was nervous as hell. Her parents, her elder sister, and even her brother-in-law were figures of authority she couldn't defy. It took a lot of courage to say these words, and her palms were sweating. But when her husband took her hand, she felt a wave of tenderness, and everything seemed worth it.
Seeing the young couple's affection, Shen Ruyu felt both relieved and guilty. Yao Xin, however, had a strange look in her eyes.
Zhang Xinda suddenly felt his authority crumbling. In this family, even Yao Nan, who was usually overlooked, dared to challenge him?
"Mom, where did you get that bracelet?" Yao Xin noticed the gold bracelet on Shen Ruyu's wrist, a popular design that was all the rage, even in schools. As a fashionista, Yao Xin couldn't have missed it.
In fact, Yao Xin had bought one too, but a cheaper version. She had planned to show it off later, but she was shocked to see that both her mother and her sister Yao Nan were wearing the expensive version.
"Xu Bin bought it for me," Shen Ruyu said proudly. "We have another one at home that costs over 20,000 yuan, but I rarely wear it."
Yao Xin, of course, wasn't one to hold back. She grabbed her sister's hand to examine the bracelet. She had remembered the exact details from someone who had boasted about it to her.
Zhang Xinda, who had been feeling suppressed, found a new target. "Xu Bin, you've gone too far," he said, his voice sharp.
"How so, Brother?" Xu Bin asked, taking a bite of his skewer, his tone casual.
Zhang Xinda, sensing weakness, straightened his face and adopted a superior attitude, "Xu Bin, you're wrong. This design is trendy, I get it. But if you want to make your wife and mother-in-law happy, you could have just borrowed some money and bought the entry-level models."
"Two of the top models add up to over 70,000 yuan. Where did you get that kind of money?"
He then turned to Shen Ruyu, his tone a mix of flattery and insinuation, "Mom, I think you should take that bracelet off. If someone finds out it's fake, it'll be embarrassing. And if you go through any security checks, the bracelet might set off the alarms, and that would be humiliating, like a gold necklace floating on water."
"By the way, Xu Bin, where did you buy that? The craftsmanship is impressive, especially the plating."
Zhang Xinda's face was now a picture of mockery. "Xu Bin, if you're short on money, just live simply. Don't bother with these superficial things."
"Superficial my ass!" Shen Ruyu snapped, her face darkening. "The receipt from the mall is right there, 38,000 yuan. I know the staff at the counter better than you do. Are you saying I'm wearing a fake?"
Her outburst left both Zhang Xinda and Xu Bin stunned. She had even checked the authenticity of the receipt.
Xu Bin's eyes narrowed as he looked at his seductive mother-in-law. Shen Ruyu, for the first time that evening, looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
"That's even worse!" Zhang Xinda slammed his fist on the table, his voice stern. "Xu Bin, what's wrong with you? You make so little, and now you've spent so much. I've told you before to be practical. Those credit cards and loans you've racked up, have you thought about how you'll pay them back?"
He felt a sense of satisfaction, having seen many people fall into this trap. He himself had done the same, but unlike others, he hadn't ended up in debt because someone else had bailed him out. That was the perk of being a freeloader.
"How much have you spent on Huabei, Jiebei, and Weilaidai?" he asked, his confidence growing. "Mom, even if this is real, think about the interest. Can he afford to pay it back? Soon, you'll be getting collection calls every day, and it'll be a mess..."
"I'll tell you, living on debt is a dead end. Once he's drowning in debt, he'll drag your whole family down with him."
Zhang Xinda's excitement grew, oblivious to the slight tension on his wife Yao Xin's face.
Following southern customs, if someone offers you a cigarette, you should at least offer one back. But Xu Bin lit his own cigarette and took a drag, asking casually, "Brother-in-law, if our family is in trouble, how much would you contribute to help us out?"