Lust System: Harem Of Beautiful Women

Chapter 530  No Money!!

Arthur was the first to speak, saying, ”Ruth, I just took a look at your place. Youʼve already bought the card table, the chairs, and the side cabinets, but you havenʼt bought anything else yet, right?”

”How can I buy anything when I have no money!” Ruth shot back, her voice full of defiance.

These words stirred a faint unease in Luis. Even though he had conquered his mother-in-lawʼs heart and body, the reality of this marriage and the child born from it was still an obstacle she could never truly overcome in her lifetime.

Uttering such a resentful remark meant she still cared about it deep down, and for a moment, Luis felt a twinge of jealousy.

Driven by a surge of possessive anger, Luis grabbed her hand and shoved it directly into his crotch. Loose sweatpants certainly had their advantages—they were convenient like that.

Ruth seemed startled for a second, but her face betrayed nothing. Silently, she closed her fingers around her son-in-lawʼs stiff cock and began to stroke it gently.

The rectangular table was draped in a red cloth, so even though they were sitting face to face, no one could see what was happening below unless they deliberately looked down.

A shiver of pleasure ran through Luis, and he spread his legs wider to give his mother-in-law easier access. Maintaining his composure on the surface, he raised his glass and said, ”Letʼs have a toast first. Iʼm feeling a little thirsty.”

They clinked glasses and drank. While they ate, Arthur spoke up again, ”Ruth, our son-in-law has made something of himself and wants to be good to us, which is wonderful. But we still need to think about his interests, too. We should save money wherever we can.”

Hearing this, Ruthʼs expression shifted slightly.

She already knew that her son-in-law Luis was doing remarkably well—even her eldest daughterʼs bar had been funded by him. Thatʼs why she felt the weight of his success much more personally than Arthur did.

”Donʼt bother buying cups for the customers at the teahouse,” Arthur continued. ”Iʼve got over two hundred heat-resistant beer mugs at home. Theyʼre brand new, just need a wash, and theyʼre ready to use.”

”And since your teahouse has a tea preparation room, I have a ready-made set of equipment you can have.”

”I can equip every private room with a water dispenser, too. Iʼve got all of that. If you need them, I even have a batch of tableware I can bring over.”

Suddenly struck by another thought, Arthur added, ”Oh, and you donʼt need to buy computers, and donʼt waste money on surveillance cameras. I have all of that. I can bring everything over tomorrow.”

The saying goes that starting anything is difficult, but itʼs not just about inexperience. Itʼs also about the budget—it always ends up being more than you planned.

Even for something like renovating your own house, if your budget is one hundred thousand, youʼll probably end up spending over two hundred thousand by the time itʼs done, not even counting all the incidental expenses.

Arthurʼs offer also carried a sad, underlying truth: all these years as a contractor hadnʼt been kind to him. Heʼd ended up with all kinds of random junk in lieu of payment for his work.

”Oh? Youʼve thought of everything, havenʼt you?” Ruthʼs expression remained cold as she sneered, ”Youʼve just been piling all that junk in the warehouse, right? And now youʼre trying to swindle how much money out of your son-in-law this time?”

This remark made it clear that the mother-in-law knew about the Benz. Honestly, that sister-in-law, Nancy, had no concept of keeping things secret. Sheʼd blab about anything and everything except her own affair with her brother-in-law.

It was obvious Ruth was harboring resentment, still stewing over the Benz.

Thankfully, she probably didnʼt know about the loan. If she did, sheʼd likely be cursing up a storm right now. At least Nancy had some limits.

”Donʼt be so distant. Just take whatever you need and use it,” Arthur said sincerely. ”Weʼre family. Whoʼs going to be petty and calculating about it? If the stuff is useful to you, it saves you money, right?”

It did sound generous, but the sheer volume and chaotic variety of bartered goods heʼd accumulated over the years was truly something else.

Ruth was never one to be easily appeased. She snorted contemptuously. ”Oh, look at you, being so generous for once. Remember when asking you for a little bit of tuition money for the kids was like asking for your life? I guess your little vixen at home has given her permission now, huh?”

Hearing this, Luis was momentarily stunned, then looked thoughtfully at the 98% favorability rating hovering over Ruthʼs head.

”Ruth, weʼre both at this age. Why hold on to all these grudges? I know you canʼt let go of what happened.”

Before he could even finish, Ruth cut him off with a cold laugh: ”Be careful when you tell someone to be magnanimous. You might be the one struck by lightning when it falls.”

Arthur could only force a bitter smile. ”Alright, alright, letʼs not fight. What kind of example would that set, arguing in front of our son-in-law?”

That remark managed to calm Ruth down. Her little hand immediately stopped its motion and slipped out of her son-in-lawʼs pants, a clear sign of what she considered more important.

Ruth gave a cold smirk. ”Easy for you to say. What if your little concubine gets upset and comes looking for me? Will I have to apologize to her then?”

”Sheʼs not well lately, needs to be hospitalized. I know, itʼs all my fault.” Arthurʼs voice was sincere. ”Ruth, your hard times are finally over. Why make things difficult for the children because of all this?”

It had to be said, the father-in-law was a master at navigating social situations. If heʼd said something like ʼYouʼre doing well now, why complain?ʼ it would only have fueled Ruthʼs anger.

But mentioning not making things hard for the children immediately put Ruth in a dilemma. After all these years, was she really going to stir up another family storm over this? It was something she genuinely had to consider.

Despite her generally brash nature, Ruth had a womanʼs intuition and could vaguely sense her son-in-lawʼs displeasure.

Still, she couldnʼt resist another jab. ”So youʼre sending all this stuff over for free? Arenʼt you afraid your little vixen will find out? If she sets your own backyard on fire, youʼll be the one suffering.”

Arthur almost said that she wasnʼt that petty, but caught himself, realizing it might sound like mockery and be inappropriate.

After a momentʼs thought, Arthur sighed. ”Ruth, every mistake is mine. I donʼt expect your forgiveness. I just want you and the kids to be happy and comfortable now.”

He pulled out a large envelope and handed it to her. ”Your teahouse is about to open. This is a little something from her, to wish you well.”

”Oh? A real bleeding heart.” Ruth took the envelope, hefting it in her hand. ”Fifty thousand dollars? Such a lavish gift. A generous offer out of the blue—it must be either incredibly kind or incredibly crooked.”

Arthur smiled wryly. ”Itʼs just a gesture of goodwill, a congratulations. Thereʼs no other meaning.”

”I donʼt have that kind of fortune. How could I possibly accept her money?” Ruth practically threw the envelope back down in front of Arthur.

In the past, when money was tight, she might have given in. But now, with her successful son-in-law backing her, Ruth felt she could stand her ground.

Truth be told, Arthur wasnʼt exactly a pushover either. In the old days, if Ruth had dared to mock him like this, they would have been in a full-blown argument already.

To be blunt, Ruth wouldnʼt have dared to act up like this before. She needed money from him to raise their daughter, and life had been especially humiliating.

Now everything was different, all thanks to the sudden rise of their son-in-law, Luis.

Arthur had borrowed money from Luis, and even had him take over the lease on the Benz, which had been a help. As an elder, it was hard to maintain a superior attitude; he had to show his son-in-law some respect.

Otherwise, causing a scene the moment he arrived would make him, as the father-in-law, look terrible.

Arthur took a deep breath. ”Ruth, life is good for you now. Donʼt be so stubborn. Whatever wrong was done, just put it all on my shoulders. Please, donʼt be angry anymore.”