Chapter 739: The Delicate Cousin

Mrs. Green gave another instruction, "Wash that bowl three more times. Your father-in-law will raise a fuss if he smells any soap on it."

Rhonda gritted her teeth, swallowing her anger. She replied stiffly, "Got it."

’That old woman and old man are so fussy for no reason,’ she fumed internally. ’Making me wash a bowl four or five times! At home, I only ever wash them twice, and my family is perfectly healthy—much stronger than the Greens.’

But she didn’t dare disobey. If she angered her in-laws and they kicked her family of three out, they’d have to rent a place. They’d have to pay for their own food and everything. Life wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable as it was now.

Unwillingly, Rhonda went to wash the bowl again, a listless look on her face. ’No snacks, no fabric, and not a single cent left. My mother-in-law is getting stingier and stingier. Ugh.’

Mrs. Green looked at the amount of money in the red envelope and felt even more relieved. ’Being able to give ten yuan means my daughter really hasn’t been suffering.’ She prepared a new red envelope, adding two yuan to give to her grandson later.

Mr. Green was chatting with Adrian Hawthorne, asking about his studies. He even quizzed him on some junior high topics, and Adrian answered every question without a single mistake. Mr. Green smiled, satisfied. "Excellent. You must never neglect your studies. Don’t give up on yourself just because you can’t take the college entrance exam."

’The Hawthorne family comes from a capitalist background, so taking the college entrance exam would likely be difficult for him. But even if it’s not for the exam,’ Mr. Green thought, ’one must never stop learning. Books grant wisdom and teach reason. Those who don’t read are ignorant.’

"Alright."

Adrian Hawthorne acknowledged. ’I’m well aware of that. My purpose for studying isn’t just for the college entrance exam. It’s to broaden my horizons and gain skills to make a living. The exam is just a secondary concern.’

Still, his impression of his mother’s family was actually quite good this time. ’At least Grandma isn’t as weak and useless as Father claimed. In fact, I think she’s the real head of the household. Grandfather even seems a little afraid of her.’

"I’ve made up the beds, you’ll be staying the night," Mrs. Green said, arranging for them to stay. "Rosalind, you’ll sleep with me. Dalton will be with his parents, and Adrian, you can sleep with your grandfather. It’s a perfect arrangement." Rosalind Green couldn’t help but look toward Adrian Hawthorne.

It was clear she desperately wanted to stay.

"Of course. Thank you for going to the trouble, Grandma."

Adrian Hawthorne happily agreed. He had booked a hotel room before because of his poor impression of his mother’s family, but now that had changed. Staying the night was no problem. Besides, Rosalind and her mother hadn’t seen each other in ten years; they surely had endless things to talk about.

Rosalind’s face immediately broke into a smile, her mood visibly lifting. Adrian smiled back and prepared to go cancel the room at the guesthouse; he had already paid a deposit.

He made a quick excuse and went out. Fortunately, the guesthouse wasn’t far. After Adrian canceled the room, he found the alleyway was bustling with activity. Many new food stalls had popped up, selling fried rice cakes, lotus root fritters, balut, and tea eggs. The vendors’ calls were incessant.

Adrian bought a few skewers of fried rice cakes and lotus root fritters, fresh from the fryer. He ate one of the rice cake skewers, and his thoughts suddenly turned to Chubby Tang. ’That girl loves fried rice cakes more than anything, slathered in a thick layer of sweet bean paste, a mess of sauce all around her mouth.’

The corners of his lips curved up, his eyes filled with mirth. ’On my way back, I’ll buy two tins of malted milk powder, some chocolate, and some White Rabbit candy. Chubby Tang gets antsy if she goes a single day without snacks. Can’t let her supply run out.’

When he returned to the Green family’s home, Mrs. Green chided him gently, "You must have spent a lot of money. Besides, the food outside isn’t very clean. If you wanted some, your grandma could have fried it for you."

"It’s fine. The high heat sterilizes everything," he joked. "And it’s too much trouble to make it at home."

Adrian handed a fried rice cake to his cousin, Dalton Green. His cousin didn’t talk much, but he was incredibly handsome—enough to give Clayton Xavier a run for his money. However, like his aunt, Rosalind Green, Dalton had an air of fragility about him.