Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1612 - 881: The Art of Hospitality

Mingya City District, urban zone.

Gifts of every sort crammed the living room, leaving it somewhat messy. Yao Yiyao knelt on the ground, carefully counting them all.

A sound came from the entrance. Yao Haikuo stepped in with a red gift box in hand, his voice loud and clear: "Hairy crabs, all four or five liang female crabs!"

Yao Yiyao hadn't responded yet when her mother scowled sharply: "Change your shoes first when you come in, the floor was just mopped!"

Yao Haikuo kept smiling as he kicked off his leather shoes quickly.

Yao Yiyao: "Dad, not cheap, right?"

Yao Haikuo shrugged it off: "Eight crabs, four hundred yuan, let it be a little expensive."

This year, he landed the gig with Evergreen Liquid. His construction crew put in extra hours. At first, he figured he'd pocket just two or three hundred, since delays in project payouts were the norm in their field. But surprisingly, Evergreen Liquid paid up before the job was done!

Yao Haikuo now grasped the power of a major firm!

With cash coming in steadily, splashing out a bit meant nothing. Eyeing the presents scattered around, Yao Haikuo declared: "Yao Yao, what's the total? I'll cover it!"

"Over six thousand, give me eight thousand then," Yao Yiyao seized the chance to request extra.

Yao Haikuo swung his big hand: "I’ll give you ten thousand later!"

Father and daughter bantered cheerfully. All these items were meant for Jiang Ning, and they planned to drop by at noon.

Mrs. Yao's frown deepened, her outfit in dark shades, carrying the vibe of a mid-level official in the bureaucracy: "Didn’t you already go once before? Going again?"

Yao Yiyao stayed silent. Her mom ruled the roost at home with an iron will, her words law, and from a young age, Yao Yiyao's world had been shaped by her mother's grip.

Yao Haikuo kept quiet too. Sure, he handled construction and scraped by with some earnings before, but it wasn't impressive. In prestige, he lagged behind his wife, that mid-level bureaucrat.

Mrs. Yao pressed on: "You need to keep up my dad’s connections, it helps your projects. The other day, Director Li wanted to invite you, noting you've been thriving lately, and his boy kept bringing up Yao Yao..."

Yao Haikuo let out a forced chuckle. Director Li had been under his father-in-law's command once. To snag jobs in the old days, he'd showered Director Li with favors and played the fool over drinks, yet it yielded zilch.

Thanks to her mom's bureaucratic roots, Yao Yiyao hung out with kids from like circles, and not all were as chill as Lou Keke. Ties tangled everywhere, and childhood was full of rivalries.

Kids from lesser families curried favor with those from bigger ones, even vying among themselves.

Back then, most jobs paid a steady wage, and life wasn't luxurious for many. In the Yao household, mom held a system post while dad pulled in construction cash, so they lived pretty comfortably.

One time, she sported a pretty dress and got mocked by the top girl in that group. When she bolted from home, the laughs came easy, and real well-wishers were scarce.

Yao Yiyao favored trips to the river dam to hang with Jiang Ning and friends over those fancy gatherings. She truly saw their talents shine, be it the dashing Jiang Ning or Xue Yuantong's kitchen prowess.

Mrs. Yao scolded: "You bought so many things earlier, it’s enough. You even sent a bunch at New Year..."

Yao Yiyao figured her dad would take the usual tongue-lashing from mom, but right after, Yao Haikuo bellowed: "Shut up now!"

Mrs. Yao's face went rigid, stunned that he would push back.

Yao Haikuo exploded in rage right there: "Damn it, has work fried your brain? Can't you see what's out there in the world? Jiang Ning saved me and Yao Yao's lives! That's my life!"

Long-bottled fury burst free: "That’s a life-saving grace!"

Yao Haikuo: "Yao Yao, listen to me. Jiang Ning saved both our lives, there's no such thing as repaying him too much. We have to visit every year, we have to!"

Yao Yiyao nodded.

Yao Haikuo wrapped up with: "Grab the stuff, we're heading out now!"

Then, beneath Mrs. Yao's shocked stare, the pair boldly exited the home.

In the car.

Yao Yiyao gazed at her father, viewing him freshly.

Yao Haikuo had settled down, asking gently: "Yao Yao, okay if I smoke?"

"Open the window," Yao Yiyao replied.

Yao Haikuo grinned while lighting up.

"Dad, you were so awesome back there!" Yao Yiyao praised. In her eyes before, mom was this fierce tigress no one could stop, but dad had just shut her down.

Yao Haikuo fired up the Range Rover, gripping the wheel one-handed, cigarette in the other, hanging out the window.

He'd endured suppression for years. Times had changed. He bagged Evergreen Liquid's contract and locked in future deals. Annual earnings hit millions now, no more bending to others' whims.

Who in Yuzhou's bureaucracy would dare block Evergreen Liquid's builds? They'd be nuts! So a petty official meant squat to him now.

Climbing the social ladder naturally tips the balance of who calls the shots in the family.

Yao Haikuo: "From now on, I’ll have the final say at home."

Yao Yiyao beamed briefly before inquiring, "So how are you going to handle my mom?"

She expected her dad to dig in his heels.

Instead, Yao Haikuo tapped cigarette ash, then grinned craftily: "Easy to handle, I’ll get her a big gold bracelet later."

Yao Yiyao: "..."

...

River dam, bungalow.

Jiang Ning and Tong, plus Chu, made it back. After booting the old guy on the road, they casually picked up beef and veggies, showing zero worry about hiding out.

Once out of the vehicle, Xue Chuchu headed to Tongtong’s place to sort the groceries, while casually recapping the latest happenings as usual.