All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

Time flies like sand on your fingertips. In the blink of an eye, Lin Ruan has been working in the purchasing department of the department store for more than a month.

Relying on the fragmented experiences she had accumulated in her previous life and her naturally sharp mind, she quickly understood the complicated shopping lists, report formats, and the product requirements of each counter.

She learned so quickly that some of the senior staff in the same group were secretly amazed. Her calmness and sophistication beyond her age helped her quickly get rid of the initial impression of being a "pure relative".

When Wang Pinglan privately reported to Director Zhao Heping, she couldn't help but mention, "Director Zhao, that newcomer in Group 3, Xiao Lin, is really a talent. Although he's young, he's very quick-witted and learns things very quickly. He always does everything he's told to do perfectly, which is beyond my expectations."

Zhao Heping just nodded when he heard this, but in his heart he had a stronger impression of Lin Jianguo, the office director of the same level, as someone who "can teach children".

On this day, the sky was clear and the sunlight shone through the tall glass windows onto the terrazzo floor of the department store. It was another payday.

A small line formed in front of the Finance Department's door, everyone's face filled with anticipation. When it was Lin Ruan's turn, the accountant handed her a manila envelope and said with a smile, "Secretary Lin, here's your first month's salary."

Lin Ruan thanked him and took the envelope.

Returning to her desk, she quietly opened the envelope and carefully counted the money—42.5 yuan. The brand-new RMB emanated the distinctive scent of ink.

Compared with the huge amount of 55 yuan "pocket money" that she received from all parties every month, this amount of money was nothing.

The fifty-five yuan was her rightful enjoyment and a symbol of her special status in the Lin family.

But the forty-two dollars and fifty cents in my hand at this moment, carries a different meaning——

This was her official reward for her labor and for playing a small role in a vast system.

It was a kind of recognition she hadn't experienced in a long time, a recognition gained through her "social status" rather than her "family's favorite" status. Although the money was not much, this "formal" feeling made her feel quite interesting and even had a slight sense of accomplishment.

When the bell rang for the end of get off work, Lin Ruan carefully put away his salary, and he already had a plan in mind.

When she got home, she took out the eight bottles of honey she had bought at the department store last month from the kitchen cabinet.

Lin Ruan carefully unscrewed the glass cap of each bottle of honey, then took out the spiritual lake water from the space and dropped two or three drops into each bottle.

She was naturally reluctant to give away the most potent spiritual spring. No matter how good or close they were to her, it would not work.

She is a selfish person and of course she wants to keep the best things for herself.

Although she used this spiritual lake for luxurious bathing every day, the spiritual energy contained in every drop of its water was enough to cause a small-scale dispute in the world of immortal cultivation in the past.

For ordinary people, long-term drinking can subtly strengthen the body, prolong life and relieve pain, which is a real effect.

Granting them this, in her opinion, was a great grace.

Among these eight bottles, there was even one bottle that she had specially prepared for herself as a deception—

She knew the elders of the Lin family too well. If they knew that this was a good thing, they would definitely not want to drink a single sip and would find ways to leave it for her.

Only when they are shown that they have it, will they enjoy it with peace of mind.

After everything was ready, Lin Ruan rode her bicycle to her grandparents' house first.

The two old people were overjoyed to see her coming over after get off work.

Especially when he saw his granddaughter holding several bottles of honey in a net bag, grandpa Wang Aidang immediately frowned and habitually "scolded":

"You kid! Spend money recklessly again! You just earned a few bucks at work and you're already buying these expensive things! We're old, it's a waste to eat this! Keep it for yourself or give it to your parents!"

Having said that, the deep wrinkles on his face stretched out layer by layer like chrysanthemums blooming in autumn, and the smile and relief in his eyes could not be hidden.

Grandma Miao Qing even directly pulled Lin Ruan's hand and pressed her to sit on the sofa. While she was muttering with concern, "Are you tired from work?" and "You look like you have lost weight," she took out ten yuan and several food coupons from her pocket without saying a word and stuffed them into Lin Ruan's coat pocket.

"Here! Grandma gave this to me! Buy yourself some delicious food to nourish yourself! You're still growing, so you can't let your mouth go dry! Take this honey back. Grandma and grandpa have bad teeth and don't like sweet things..."

She refused several times, but in the end, she "couldn't resist" the old man and had to accept it "helplessly". However, she felt nothing in her heart, as she just thought it was a matter of course.

They dote on her so much, how could they really let her spend money?

She told them many interesting stories about the department store and described in vivid detail how she completed her work "independently," which made them laugh constantly. She even stayed for lunch and had her favorite noodle soup with gravy made by her grandmother.

She deliberately lingered, enjoying the warmth and favor of the courtyard until around four o'clock in the afternoon. When she saw the sun setting, she got up and said goodbye, saying only that she still had to visit her grandmother's house.

As soon as I stepped into my second uncle's house in the tube-shaped building where my grandmother Li Feng lived, the atmosphere in the air changed instantly.

It was not time to get off work yet, and my second uncle had not returned home yet. Only my second aunt Liu Laidie, who had left work early, was busy in the kitchen in the corridor wearing an old apron. The sounds of washing vegetables and spatulas seemed listless.

Seeing Lin Ruan come in, Liu Lai Di quickly put on a cautious, even a little panicked smile on her face, and called out in a low voice: "Xiaobao is here..."

He avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her gaze, as if Lin Ruan were some kind of monster.

But Grandma Li Feng in the inner room was a completely different picture.

She was listening to revolutionary songs on the radio, squinting her eyes and clapping her hands. When she saw her precious granddaughter, she was immediately filled with energy. She turned off the radio with a snap, a smile spread across her face, and she opened her arms to greet her:

"Oh my little treasure! Come here quickly! Let grandma see you! I heard you got a job at the department store without spending a penny? Oh my god, you really make us, the Lin family, proud! I told you, my little treasure is born to be rich and has a bright future!"

Grandma took Lin Ruan's hand and looked her up and down carefully. Her cloudy eyes flashed with unreserved pride and doting, as if Lin Ruan had not found a job, but ascended the throne to become the queen.

Lin Ruan smiled and handed over the honey she had specially reserved for her grandmother. Her tone was as sweet as honey: "Grandma, I bought this with my first month's salary! It's sweet for your mouth and good for your health!"

"Okay, okay! My little treasure is the most filial! He always has grandma in his heart!"

Grandma took the honey and couldn't let it go. She looked at it over and over again, and the smile on her face became more and more brilliant. She immediately raised her voice and shouted towards the kitchen:

"Second brother! Didn't you hear Xiaobao coming? You have no sense at all! You're standing in the kitchen hatching eggs. Go peel that Huang Yuanshuai apple in the cupboard and cut it into pieces! Get out the sugar jar, too! Make a cup of honey with warm water, so my Xiaobao doesn't get burned! And that piece of bacon hanging by the window, take it down quickly and soak it in water! I'll make Xiaobao stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts tonight! And add an egg!"

After she finished shouting, her expression immediately returned to being incredibly loving. She lowered her voice and said mysteriously to Lin Ruan, "Baby, grandma knows you love to eat cured duck legs, so I asked your second uncle to find someone to exchange one for you. It's really fat! Be sure to take it with you when you leave later, and have your mom stew it for you. It's delicious!"

"Grandma—how can you be so nice! My grandma loves me the most in the whole world!"

Lin Ruan immediately hugged Li Feng's arm, rocking back and forth like a spoiled kitten, her voice so sweet that water could drip out of it.

Li Feng was so happy that her face was filled with joy.

Liu Lai Di responded softly in the kitchen, and after a long while, she finally brought out a cup of honey water at a suitable temperature and a small plate of apple pieces cut into different sizes, which she carefully placed on the coffee table in front of Lin Ruan. She tried to maintain a flattering and humble smile on her face, but her eyes were erratic, filled with anxiety and uneasiness that she wanted to say but couldn't.

Lin Ruan completely ignored her pitiful look and enjoyed her grandmother's unique preference with peace of mind. She picked up the apple pieces with a toothpick and ate them in small bites, with an elegant and somewhat nonchalant posture.

Sure enough, the silence didn't last long. Liu Lai Di seemed to have finally made up her mind. She rubbed her hands nervously on her old apron and moved closer to her mother-in-law. Her voice was so timid that it was almost inaudible: "Mom... there is something... I want to discuss with you..."

Grandma Li Feng was watching her granddaughter eat an apple with a smile on her face. Upon hearing this, she raised her eyelids lazily and said in a lighter tone, "What's the matter? Didn't you see I was talking to Xiaobao?"

Liu Lai Di shrank her neck in fear and stole a quick glance at Lin Ruan. Seeing that she seemed to be completely focused on the apple and hadn't noticed them at all, she took a deep breath and mustered up all her courage, her voice still trembling:

"Mom... look... now... now at my eldest brother and his wife's house, my eldest brother is the office director of a prestigious steel plant, my eldest sister is the director of a street office, Xiao Shen and Xiao Lu are also high-ranking officials... now, even our Xiao Bao has been hired by a department store and has become a government official..."

She paused for a moment, observing her mother-in-law's expression. Seeing that she didn't react and was just listening, she made up her mind and poured out the words she had been holding back for a long time:

"Their family is getting better and better these days, they don't lack anything anymore... Jianshe and I are just two ordinary workers, earning a meager salary... Pan'er has gone to the countryside again, and I don't know how he's doing in that poor mountain village...

Look... the 35 yuan I give to my eldest brother's family every month, right... can I... not give it to him? Anyway... my eldest brother's family doesn't need this little money nowadays..."

She hadn't finished her words yet, and even her last voice was trembling, but Grandma Li Feng's face had already turned as dark as before a storm, and she slammed the table beside her!

There was a loud bang! The old lady shouted shrilly, "Nonsense! Bullshit!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, frightening Liu Lai Di so much that her whole body trembled violently and she almost collapsed to the ground. Her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

"What do you mean by not giving it? Huh? This is the rule! It's the principle established by our ancestors!"

Grandma stood up suddenly, her skinny fingers almost poking Liu Lai Di's nose. Her voice was sharp and full of unquestionable authority.

"Without the big boss Jianguo working so hard and risking his life to support us, would you be able to live the peaceful life you have now? Would Jianshe be able to work peacefully in the factory? He would have been dead by now! What was the agreement on the division of the family business? It was written in black and white!

"An elder brother is like a father, and an elder sister-in-law is like a mother! You should respect your elder brother and sister-in-law, that is only natural! It is your duty! Are you complaining about this little money? It is to lighten your burden! It is to help you accumulate virtue and do good deeds!"

Liu Lai Di was stunned by the onslaught of angry insults. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled back hard. Her lips trembled as she tried to defend herself: "Mom... I... I didn't mean that... I just felt..."

"What do you think? What do you think?" Grandma didn't even let her finish her words, her saliva almost sprayed on her face.

"Do you think you're the boss of this family, or am I? My words don't count, do they? I think you're just a lazy bone! A useless piece of shit! You don't think about how to earn more, but only focus on the little money you have to pay! You're a useless thing! Unlucky!"

Lin Ruan watched coldly as Second Aunt shivered like a leaf in the wind, unable to even lift her head due to being scolded. She sneered in her heart, filled with contempt and a sense of superiority that she controlled his destiny.

She put down the toothpick at the right moment, picked up the handkerchief beside her and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. Her voice was still so sweet and harmless, as if she was simply trying to reconcile:

"Grandma, please don't be angry. It's not worth getting sick over such a small matter. Second Aunt... maybe she just saw that my family's life is a little better now, so she wants to save money wherever possible. It's also kind-hearted..."

Her words seemed to be a consolation, but in fact they were like dropping cold water into boiling oil, instantly making grandma explode with anger.

"Save? Who is she saving it for? Ah?" Grandma's firepower was immediately drawn to more vicious speculations.

"You're saving money to buy two more doses of her phony fertility medicine? Huh? A useless hen that doesn't lay eggs! You're just occupying the nest! You can't give birth to a son, you're cutting off the foundation of our development, and you still have the nerve to find fault and try to shirk your debt? I'm telling you, Liu Lai Di! This money can't be reduced by a single cent! Thirty-five yuan a month, no change! Unless I die! Otherwise, don't even think about it!"

These heart-piercing words were like the sharpest knife, stabbing into the most painful and inferior part of Liu Lai Di's body.

She could no longer hold back her tears, which rolled down in big drops, but she dared not even cry out loud. She could only bite her already pale lower lip tightly, lowered her head deeply, and twisted the corner of her worn-out clothes, which were washed white, with her fingers, as if she wanted to crush all the grievances and despair in it.

The immense humiliation and fear completely overwhelmed her.

Lin Ruan looked at the "good show" in front of her that she had personally brought about, and felt extremely satisfied, with a twisted sense of pleasure arising spontaneously.

She then stood up and affectionately took her grandmother's arm, which was trembling slightly with anger. Her voice was soft and sticky, full of soothing meaning:

"Grandma, don't be angry, don't be angry. It's not worth it to get yourself hurt over such a small matter. Second Aunt must have been confused for a moment and didn't see the point. She'll figure it out later. You can just live peacefully and enjoy your life. My parents, my brother, and I are here to take care of you. We will definitely take good care of you and wish you a long and happy life!"

After being coaxed and acted like a spoiled child by her precious granddaughter, the grandmother's anger seemed to have been ironed out, and most of it subsided in an instant.

Her expression softened, and she patted the back of Lin Ruan's hand with her backhand. Her tone returned to being kind: "My little treasure is still the most sensible and considerate. Humph, one after another, you are just giving me trouble!"

Liu Lai Di cooked this dinner practically in tears. The atmosphere at the table was strange and oppressive. Lin Ruan's bowl almost completely filled with the stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts, while her grandmother kept adding eggs to her bowl.

When Lin Jianshe came home from get off work, he felt the unusual low pressure in the house. He looked at his wife's red and swollen eyes and timid expression, then looked at his mother's cold face and his niece's calm expression. He guessed something and ate in silence, not daring to ask a single question.

After dinner, Lin Ruan took the fat cured duck and a net bag of apples that her grandmother had forced upon her, and excused herself, saying it was getting late. Grandma Li Feng accompanied her all the way to the entrance of the tube-shaped building, repeatedly admonishing her, "Ride slowly! Come back often to see me!"

Lin Ruan responded sweetly. As she turned to push the cart away, she caught a glimpse of Liu Lai Di huddled in the kitchen window on the second floor, timidly and desperately staring at her departing figure. She didn't dare disappear until her figure completely blended into the dim street corner.

The early spring evening breeze blew across her cheeks, bringing with it a hint of chill, but Lin Ruan felt extremely comfortable and even couldn't help humming a song.