Chapter 1: The Office's Unspoken Rules...

  "You didn't ask me." The old lady said unhappily.

  "Yes, yes, Shen Lian and Bao Guo have fun together, don't rush home." Shen Jianhong hurriedly pushed Shen Lian to Yang Zongbao's side.

  Shen Lianlian didn't know if it was intentional or not, but she was pushed by her father and fell onto Yang Zongbao's body. She quickly got up and said, "Sorry." In the process, she intentionally or unintentionally touched Yang Zongbao's body with her chest several times. However, Yang Zongbao maintained his usual calm demeanor, only helping Shen Lianlian to stand up without taking advantage of the situation.

  "Fox spirit." Yang Jing muttered softly.

  Shen Lian lowered her head even further and stood obediently behind Yang Zongbao, looking like a little wife.

  Those who came to give gifts soon dispersed, Yang Tianming kept a few of them for dinner, and the rest were sent away.

  The old man also pulled Yang Zongbao towards the back house.

  It turned out that behind this old house there was a earth house with a trellis of cucumber in front of the door and a grape arbor.

  The old man pulled Yang Zongbao onto the table in the room, sitting face to face: "Count, see how many there are." He couldn't wait for Yang Zongbao to count the red envelopes.

  Yang Zongbao was helpless, slowly counting, almost one million, some were 600,000, some were 800,000, and some were gifts, such as golden Buddhas, golden Guanyins, all of which were gold and silver items, and some jade stones. Even Yang Zongbao, an outsider, thought the green and white ones looked very good.

  "1.06 million." Yang Zongbao counted the thick stack of banknotes on the table and reported a number.

  "Hmm, not bad. These years, these people have been sending more and more each year, they've all gotten rich. Keep the ones that Zong Bao sent you, sometimes you need to spend money outside, if it's not enough ask grandma for more. By the way, what are you doing outside now? If it's too tiring don't do it..."

  The old lady's nagging made Yang Zongbao somewhat overwhelmed. The old lady was too doting on herself, which was not what Yang Zongbao had expected before he came. Faced with the pile of money in front of him, Yang Zongbao didn't know whether to accept it or not.

  Shen Lianlian had always followed behind the Yang family's ancestors, and seeing the old lady being so generous with her money, she was amazed. Although the Shen family wasn't poor, it was still rare to see over 10 million in cash, and her own monthly allowance was only around 10-20 thousand yuan. Suddenly, her gaze towards Yang Zongbao changed, he was completely a money tree. At first, when her father and brother asked her to get close to Yang Zongbao, she wasn't willing, but now she completely understood, they must have received the news beforehand. Shen Lianlian felt extremely fortunate in her heart for listening to her father and brother this time, and now looking at Yang Zongbao, he seemed quite good-looking, the more she looked, the more pleasing he was to her eyes.

  The old lady saw everything Shen Lianlian did, picked up a delicate jade bat from the pile of gifts on the table and handed it to Shen Lianlian: "Go ahead, I have something to talk to Zong Bao."

  Shen Lian took over the old pit ice jade, about half the size of a palm, with some trembling hands. She recognized its value, which was priceless. It wasn't that it was expensive, but rather that it couldn't be bought. Shen Lian didn't hesitate, taking it and leaving the old lady's door immediately, as if afraid the old lady would regret it.

  After Shen Yunyun left, the old lady looked around and saw no one else, then said to Yang Zongbao: "That girl can't be married."

  "What?" Yang Zongbao didn't expect the old lady to say this to him. It was their first meeting, and it wasn't good to be so familiar with each other already.

  "It's actually nothing for a man to have three wives and four concubines, but remember that a wife is a wife and a concubine is a concubine." The old lady thought Yang Zongbao didn't agree with her words, so she immediately began to educate him.

  The old lady's original name was Xiao Jinhua, and after marrying Yang Zongbao's grandfather, she changed her surname to Yang and renamed herself Yang Jinhua. She hadn't read many books, but she was extremely capable. Yang Zongbao's grandfather, who came from a relatively wealthy family at the time, had only one son, Yang Tianming, born to her throughout his life. Although he had been with other women, none of them were able to leave behind any children. The struggles between women are even more secretly cruel. None of the women besides Yang Tianming's mother survived until today.

  Mr. and Mrs. Yang had also known about this behind-the-scenes matter all along, but they just didn't say it out loud until the moment before their death when they were talking nonsense during their last moments, saying that they had committed evil deeds.

  The old lady was also stubborn, after hearing the old man say this sentence, she didn't shed a single tear, it's unknown whether she was resentful or moved.

  Yang Tianming had never been close to the old man since he was a child, because the old man had never interfered with the women's quarrels. However, the women's quarrels often affected their children. Yang Tianming suffered a lot when he was young, and if it weren't for his mother Yang Jinhua protecting him, it would have been impossible for him to grow up to this age, so he went out to make a living at a young age. Fortunately, after struggling, the originally small family business became more prosperous, and the women he brought back were each more beautiful than the last. The old lady hadn't received an education, but not being educated didn't mean she didn't understand human relationships; on the contrary, she was skilled in this area, and the women who could live a long life were all clever.

  "Oh." Yang Zongbao could only echo back, unsure of what else to say.

  "What is he doing now?" The old man continued to chat with Yang Zongbao.

  "As a doctor at the provincial hospital."

  "Doctor? Alright, don't be like your old man, a useless businessman. What can a businessman do anyway?" In the old lady's mind, businessmen were those who hadn't read books, and in the past, only scholars could become doctors, so she was very satisfied with Yang Zongbao: "Being a doctor is pretty good, but you also have to take care of this family."

  "It's fine for me to be a doctor." Yang Zongbao had no idea what the old lady was getting at, and her attitude was completely unexpected. Now Yang Zongbao felt particularly unsteady.

  "You wait for me to cook for you." The old lady turned around and went straight to the stove.

  The stove was a large iron pot fixed on the fire pit. The rice cooked in this pot was especially fragrant. Watching the old lady busily moving back and forth, Yang Zongbao felt it was all too surreal, he still hadn't figured out what was going on up to now. He didn't know why the old lady was being so good to him.

  Yang Zongbao was puzzled on this side, and Shen Rou didn't know what to do on that side either.

  "Mom, why is that wild species..." Yang Shuo pulled Shen Rou aside.

  "Don't call him a wild species, be careful your dad hears you." Shen Rou scolded her son, and at the same time looked around for Yang Tianming's figure.

  Not in the living room, then it should be on the second floor pulling a few backbone companies to hold meetings. The first floor is all their relatives they brought, because they are lucky enough to stay behind, and they gather together to chat gossip.

  The Spring Festival is a time for eating and drinking, so when people get together, it's the women who crack melon seeds and the men who drink wine.

  Shen Rou felt that coming back for the New Year was a humiliation, and spending it with her mother-in-law was looking for trouble. She was busy running around at her mother-in-law's place but still couldn't get any face. Although her mother-in-law didn't have much to criticize about her, she absolutely didn't treat her as a daughter-in-law; perhaps in her heart, only the deceased Tong Yangxiang was truly recognized.

  "Mrs. Yang, come play mahjong, we're one short of three." A rich-looking lady with a triple chin invited Shen Rou.

  "Alright, I'm coming." Shen Rou turned her head and said to her son: "You go to the second floor."

  "What's wrong? Painting a wall?" Yang Shuo was unwilling.

  "Hurry up, in this aspect you are not as good as your sister." Shen Rou pushed her son and walked towards the Mahjong table with three people missing one.

  "Mrs. Yang, you're just short of me, let's stick to the old rules, 10 bundles for 100?" suggested the three-chinned lady.

  "Is it really that big?" Shen Rou asked the woman in a green cheongsam and down jacket.

  "It's not a big deal, playing cards with Mrs. Yang is a must. Besides, during the New Year, red envelopes are auspicious, it's not good to use those colorful and fancy ones." The fat woman fawned over Shen Rou, her large flesh shaking non-stop.

  This flattery is undoubtedly aimed at the horse's leg. Mahjong is one of Shen Rou's most hated entertainment projects in her life. She always loses when she gambles, and even if there are exceptions, it's a small win but a big loss.

  "I'll pass, you guys go ahead and play. I still need to attend to the guests." Shen Rou declined the invitation and went upstairs, as some things were better handled in person.

  "What's wrong with you? Do you think you're Mrs. Yang?" The fat woman saw that Ma hadn't succeeded and turned around to scold her instead.

  "It's all about putting on a face for us, without even knowing what she herself looks like. Frankly speaking, she's just a mistress." The thin woman in the green cheongsam chimed in.

  "Second wife? You guys are really out of touch. Even third or fourth wives may not be able to get a spot." said an unremarkable woman in every way.

  "Mrs. He is right, that sly vixen, she's also lucky to have a pair of children, otherwise who knows which brothel she'd be serving in by now." The fat woman added fuel to the fire, kicking her while she was down.

  "Alright, don't be jealous anymore. You two are the original pair, but you still can't keep your husbands in check. It's New Year's Day, let's not talk about this, go play cards." Mrs. He pulled the other two women back to the card table and they started playing a game of Three Cards.

  Yang Zongbao was restless in the old house, unable to make sense of things.

  The old lady picked vegetables, accompanied by Yang Zongbao.

  "Your mother..."

  Yang Zongbao's body suddenly tensed up as soon as he heard his mother being mentioned.

  "He's dead."

  "I know. It's not your father's fault." The old lady tried to explain, but was stopped by Yang Zongbao: "I don't even remember it anymore."

  "I don't remember, I don't remember. I'll go cook for you." Then he went into the kitchen.

  Yang Zongbao had just sat down quietly for a while when another person sat down in front of him.

  The other party handed Yang Zongbao a cigarette.

  Yang Zongbao did not answer and showed no indication of doing so.

  The man quietly finished smoking two cigarettes. When the whole room was filled with smoke, he stood up and walked away without leaving a fart.

  "What's up? What did he say?" Bao Guo rushed in.

  "What's going on?" Yang Zongbao pretended to be confused.

  "That man." Baoguo didn't dare say it was Yang Zongbao's father, fearing he would touch his sore spot.

  "Aren't you here a long time ago? Can't you hear?" Yang Zongbao looked at Bao Guo with slanted eyes, having noticed him outside the door for a while without coming in.

  "I didn't hear it, the voice was too small." Baoguo rubbed his own head, with an innocent face.

  "Nothing was said."

  "Ah......" Bao Guo had nothing to say, and could only pick at the food on the table: "It's all good stuff."

  "Take two and play with them." Yang Zongbao casually threw a few yellow and white objects at Bao Guo.

  He took it back and threw it on the table: "It's not like it was given to me, how can I take it. Besides, I'm not short of money."

  "You have money."

  "A bit of money. But Brother Bao, what method did you use to make the old lady so devoted to you?" Baoguo leaned in and asked Yang Zongbao for his experience: "Normally, that old lady only has a good attitude towards Eldest Miss Yang Fenghua, but she doesn't treat others as well. Brother Bao, tell me, what's your secret?"

  "As long as you're handsome."

  "Are you handsome?" Baoguo burst out laughing and slapped the table loudly.

  "Don't laugh, what about that queen-like young lady you mentioned?" Yang Zongbao had an inexplicable good impression of the woman who dared to whip Shen Rou with a whip. After all, Shen Rou's surname was Shen and it was easy to associate her with that incident back then.

  "Who's talking about me?"

  As soon as Yang Zongbao's voice fell, a bold woman walked in from outside.

  Being cool is not about dressing up, but rather a feeling.

  Ordinary and unremarkable attire, piercing eyes that seem to be sizing someone up, a dark braid tied back at the nape of the neck, a smooth forehead with two faint arcs visible, a tall and robust figure, skin somewhat dark, lips also somewhat thick...

  "Big sister." Baoguo was startled and suddenly jumped up from his seat.

  Yang Zongbao had never seen Bao Guo with such an expression before, and he didn't know what this woman in front of him was afraid of.