Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

“Mother, you and Xiaoyun don’t need to worry,” Li Xiangyang interrupted.

"I won't touch the money, you can keep it for me, okay? Think about it, Ma Laosan, how much loss would we suffer if we didn't work for a day? Only we think this money is a lot. Don't look so stern, cheer up. Let me see what Boss Ma gave us..."

Seeing that the two were still worried, Li Xiangyang wanted to ease the tension, so he opened the gifts displayed in the main room while talking.

When he opened it, his heart sank.

This gift was truly a lavish purchase.

A small, exquisitely carved rosewood box contained six ginseng roots, each about the thickness of a little finger.

A crimson wool shawl, made of fine material.

A brand new women's mink coat, made of high-quality materials, with exquisite workmanship and a novel style, clearly the most fashionable style in the city.

A gilded food box, when opened, revealed various kinds of candies inside.

"Xiangyang..." Upon seeing these, Li's mother's voice changed, "These things..."

At this point, Li Xiangyang could no longer say that five hundred yuan was too much for us.

Ma Laosan's meaning couldn't be clearer—this was his true sincerity.

Five hundred is the reward for hunting the bear, and this is the reward for solving the strange thing on his side.

Moreover, everyone else has left, so there's nowhere to retreat to if you want to.

Of course, Li Xiangyang had no intention of backing down.

Anyway, the money has already been received and the matter has been agreed to.

If he goes back on his word again, not only will Ma Laosan be disrespected, but he himself will despise himself.

"It's alright, Mother. Since Ma Laosan is so kind, let's accept it without worry."

Li Xiangyang offered words of comfort, but in his heart he was making plans.

Ma Laosan's extravagant gesture was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

The other party is really giving themselves too much credit.

“This coat…” Li’s mother looked at the mink coat, then at Li Xiaoyun, and hesitated to speak.

“Mother,” Li Xiangyang understood his mother’s worries, “Ma Laosan is trying to befriend us. Even if we wanted to back out, we don’t even know where he lives, don’t you think?”

Li Xiangyang said this, but his mother knew that this "friendship" between strangers was far too heavy, so heavy that it made her uneasy.

"Mother, don't overthink it. It's just bear hunting," Li Xiangyang said, trying to comfort his mother.

Li's mother's tightly furrowed brows remained furrowed; she had watched her son grow up and knew his character well.

Ma Laosan's intention in sending such a valuable gift must have been more than just hunting a bear.

Moreover, in this day and age, who would spend so much money on a bear?

But Li's mother knew her son's personality all too well; once he made up his mind, not even nine oxen could pull him back.

Now that the money and gifts have been accepted, there's no turning back.

“Mother knows that Xiangyang is sensible in his actions,” Li’s mother said softly, but the worry in her eyes deepened.

She looked at Li Xiaoyun and noticed that her future daughter-in-law also looked unwell.

Clearly, they all understood that Ma Laosan's generous gift was not worth the price of a bear.

However, given the current situation, no matter how worried they are, they can only trust Li Xiangyang.

Just then, Li Xiaohua's cheerful voice came from the courtyard: "Brother! Mother! Look at the frozen grapes I picked..."

Li Xiaohua skipped in, her eyes immediately drawn to the mink coat. "Wow, who sent this?" she exclaimed, running to Li Xiaoyun's side. "Sister Xiaoyun, this coat is so beautiful! You'd look absolutely gorgeous in it!"

“Xiaohua…” Li Xiaoyun opened her mouth, unsure how to explain.

“It was delivered by Ma Laosan,” Li Xiangyang said.

"Ma Laosan? You mean that Mr. Ma who owns the timber processing plant?" Li Xiaohua's eyes widened. "Why would he send our family such a nice gift?"

"Because his men caused trouble before, and your brother taught them a lesson," Li Xiaoyun said absentmindedly.

"Really?" Li Xiaohua's eyes lit up. "Then they must be afraid of my brother. They gave him such a nice gift, doesn't that mean he's even more powerful than him?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Xiangyang ruffled his sister's hair. "Mr. Ma is a businessman; he believes in making money through harmony."

"He's being too polite," Li Xiaohua said, still pacing back and forth in front of the coat. "Sister Xiaoyun, you should try it on!"

"Xiaohua!" Li's mother suddenly said sternly, "Go wash your iced grapes."

Li Xiaohua was startled by her mother's unusual sternness. She pouted, glanced reluctantly at the mink coat, and then walked towards the kitchen.

"Mom, why are you scolding Xiaohua? What did she say wrong?" Li Xiangyang said with some complaint.

“Xiangyang,” Li’s mother sighed, then suddenly asked, “Tell me the truth, what exactly did Ma Laosan ask you to do?”

“It was just bear hunting, nothing else,” Li Xiangyang said casually, avoiding his mother’s gaze. “Think about it, three people died at his forest farm, and the workers are too scared to work. That’s a huge loss! He has to find someone to fix it as soon as possible.”

Looking at her son's feigned nonchalance, Li's mother felt a pang of sadness.

This child won't even tell the truth.

But she also understood that some things were the same whether she asked or not, so it was better not to ask and save everyone from worrying more.

"Alright, alright," Li Xiangyang quickly changed the subject when his mother remained silent. "Xiaoyun, try this coat on. Such a nice coat shouldn't be left to spoil."

He picked up the mink coat with a grin and walked towards Li Xiaoyun.

Li Xiaoyun looked at the mink coat handed to her and was speechless for a moment.

The soft fur glided through her fingertips, warm to the touch, but her heart grew colder and colder.

How much would it cost to buy such an expensive garment?

Ma Laosan delivered it casually, but Li Xiangyang would have to risk his life to return it.

Unable to resist Li Xiangyang's insistence, Li Xiaoyun silently put on her coat.

As soon as I put on the coat, tears welled up in my eyes.

This was the best dress she had ever seen in her life.

The soft fur collar accentuated her fair face, and the well-tailored design made her slender figure appear even more graceful.

"It's so beautiful!" Li Xiangyang exclaimed sincerely.

Li's mother sat to the side, looking at her future daughter-in-law dressed in such expensive clothes, feeling a mix of emotions.

Logically, she should be happy that her son received such a presentable gift.

But these gifts are like an invisible shackle.

"It's too valuable..."

Looking at the smile on Li Xiangyang's face, Li Xiaoyun could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.

"Oh, what's so valuable about it?" Li Xiangyang said casually. "It was a gift from Ma Laosan; if anyone should be worried about it, it's him."

That's easy to say, but everyone knows there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Ma Laosan's extravagant gesture was all for Li Xiangyang's sake, hoping Li would risk his life for him.

"Mom, do you think it looks good?" Li Xiangyang asked, turning his head.

Looking at the smile on her son's face, Li's mother felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

"Beautiful, beautiful..." Li's mother said, forcing back tears.