Chapter 133: Father-in-Law (Part Two)
My Rebirth Legend Without Ads
The familiar Su Guohui, the familiar Su Xin’s family—although this was not my first time at the Su residence, the feeling I had this time was completely different. Su Xin’s mother’s meaningful smile looked entirely unlike the last time in my eyes. This time, I wasn’t simply visiting the parents of a classmate; I was here to meet my future father-in-law and mother-in-law.
“Xiao Qiang is here? Come in, come in! Haha, oh my, why did you bring so many things? This child is really something. Su Xin, why don’t you say something? There’s nothing lacking at home, yet Xiao Qiang spends so extravagantly.” Su Xin’s mother said as she welcomed us inside. From a distance, I saw Su Guohui sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, acting as if nothing was amiss. I knew he was just putting on airs—after all, he was my future father-in-law; a bit of dignity was only natural. But…
“Hehe, Auntie, please don’t be so polite. This is just a small token of my appreciation—only if you like it.” I smiled at Su Xin’s mother. “Since the last time I saw you, I’ve been wanting to come again. Coincidentally, I came today. Su Xin told me you like high-end perfumes, so I specially had someone bring back a bottle from France. Please tell me if you like it.” After speaking, I handed her a beautifully wrapped box of perfume.
Su Xin’s mother knew nothing of my background; even Su Guohui only thought I had some talent. When I mentioned French perfume, she assumed I was exaggerating and that it must be from a local C City perfume shop. She barely paid attention and smiled as she took the box from me, pleased. “Oh, you shouldn’t have gone to such trouble. Just having you here is…” Her words were cut short as her eyes were instantly drawn to the brand letters on the packaging.
Shalimar, one of the ten most expensive perfume brands in France, produced by the renowned Guerlain company, is a precious perfume brand known in Chinese as “One Thousand and One Nights.” Shalimar is the name of many beautiful gardens and symbolizes a romantic love story. Legend has it that the Indian emperor Shah Jahan adored his consort, Taj Mahal, deeply. Though a mighty ruler wielding power over his kingdom, he, like any ordinary man, did all he could to win his beloved’s affection. To this end, he ordered the construction of many beautiful gardens where he and Taj Mahal would stroll hand in hand, singing softly, whispering love. In the eyes of the woman he adored, a more beautiful world appeared. These gardens, bearing their footsteps, were named Shalimar—the Sanskrit word meaning “Temple of Love.” Though the emperor, his consort, and their kingdom have faded with time, their romantic tale remains a beloved legend. Perfumer Janet found inspiration in this beautiful story and created Shalimar—a fragrance born of love, carrying an enchanting oriental aroma that has endured for generations.
This exquisite perfume, born in 1925, is the pinnacle of perfumery, priced at $170 per ounce. The large bottle I brought holds 360 milliliters, making it worth tens of thousands of Chinese yuan. Of course, this is the market price. In 1997 China, such perfume was virtually impossible to buy, often fetching prices as high as 100,000 yuan or even 300,000 yuan on the black market. This bottle was specially air-shipped from France by Zhang Jing’s people. I can’t claim it’s the only one in the entire Z Province, but I dare say no woman in C City owns such a precious perfume. In 1997, though there were many wealthy people, traveling abroad was not easy, let alone obtaining such a rare perfume as Shalimar—scarce even in France, let alone for retail sales.
“Guerlain… this is a Guerlain perfume… my heavens, it’s Shalimar! Shalimar!!” Su Xin’s mother quickly became overwhelmed with excitement and ecstasy. Every perfume lover would be proud to collect such a precious fragrance, and this rare Guerlain perfume was enough to send her into a frenzy of delight.
“Hehe, it’s Shalimar, Auntie, you really know your stuff. It’s a pity I couldn’t get Chanel No. 5 when I sent someone to France. This perfume is somewhat less presentable, but don’t worry, I will definitely get you a bottle of Chanel No. 5 as well.” I smiled softly, shooting Su Xin a victorious glance. It seemed her mother had been completely won over by the perfume.
“Hmph, getting so excited over just a bottle of perfume? Hurry up and invite the guest into the living room. What are you still standing there for?” Amid Su Xin’s mother’s enthusiastic praise, the aloof Su Guohui sitting on the sofa finally couldn’t hold back. He frowned and shouted, prompting Su Xin’s mother to regain her composure. Smiling, she took my hand and led me into the living room.
Seeing us enter, Su Guohui shot his wife a glare and complained, “You’re not a child anymore, yet you act like you’ve seen a ghost over something. It’s just a bottle of perfume. You didn’t get this excited over all those gifts from others before.”
“Tch, Old Su, what do you know? Those perfumes from your sycophants don’t compare to the precious one Xiao Xiao bought. Do you know how rare this perfume is in the entire country? Just this one bottle is worth several months of your salary!” Su Xin’s mother retorted defiantly. Su Xin and I exchanged a glance and chuckled quietly. At least in front of me, I had never seen Su Xin’s mother argue with Su Guohui before.
“What? This perfume is that expensive?” Su Guohui looked surprised but quickly regained his composure. “Alright, alright, Xiao Xiao, you’re not an outsider, but don’t buy such expensive gifts next time, okay?”
“What, don’t do this anymore? This perfume was bought by Xiao Xiao to honor me; what does it have to do with you? Xiao Xiao, am I right?” Su Xin’s mother rolled her eyes at Su Guohui, smiled at me, and turned toward the kitchen. “I’m going to cook now. Today, you must taste my cooking—I want to treat you well, hehe.”
Watching Su Guohui’s darkened face, I nearly burst out laughing. It seemed no woman could resist the allure of material gifts. I never thought I’d see the day when Su Guohui would be bested like this—haha…
After Su Xin found an excuse to return to her room, soon it was just Su Guohui and me sitting on the sofa. He glanced at me and saw the gifts in my hand, his face stern. “Xiao Xiao, I know you made some money with computer skills, but you don’t have to spend like this. Your aunt is a woman; giving her gifts is one thing, but why do you need to give me something too?”
“Hehe, Uncle Su, it’s nothing special, just something I bought casually.” I placed the gift on the coffee table. “This is a Rolex watch, bought at the C City specialty store. Su Xin told me your watch wasn’t working well, so I picked one up while shopping.”
“Rolex…” Upon hearing the word, Su Guohui’s stern expression softened. Looking at the exquisite packaging on the table, he forced a slight smile. “Alright, since you went to such trouble, I’ll accept it. Hey, kid, don’t think a few gifts can buy me and Su Xin’s mother. Don’t forget the three-month deadline you promised—that was your own idea.” After taking a sip of tea, he eyed me closely. “Now, tell me, what do you want to say here today?”
“Uncle Su, I wonder how the investigation went that I asked Uncle Chu to conduct on your behalf?” Since Su Guohui wanted to get straight to the point, I naturally obliged.
“That person is very important. I’m very satisfied.” Su Guohui nodded upon hearing my question. “I’m a bit puzzled, though—where on earth did you get such an important person?”
“Hehe, it was a chance encounter,” I smiled. “As long as you’re satisfied. But I want to ask, can we use that person’s testimony to bring down Xia Guomin?”
“Yes, it should be possible. I’ve been secretly gathering the evidence provided by that person and already have enough to report to the higher-ups. However, it seems Xia Guomin has connections within the Z Province government, so they’re hesitant to act without absolute certainty.” Su Guohui frowned. “I heard you went to the capital and won the championship and even met the President?”
“Yes, I met him.” I smiled at Su Guohui, deliberately sounding indifferent. “But I was somewhat disappointed in the President. Not only did I meet him, but I also met the Minister of Defense.”
“Disappointed? What do you mean?” Su Guohui looked surprised and sneered. “You insolent kid, how dare you speak like that about the President? Be careful; if word gets out, you’ll be in trouble.”
“It’s just disappointment, nothing to hide. Originally, I planned to curry favor with the President to help me deal with the Song family, but I didn’t expect the President to be just one of the eight great families. He doesn’t have the power to destroy the Song family.” I shrugged helplessly. “I never thought that China was controlled by eight great families. I thought the President was the most powerful.”