*Knock, knock, knock—*
After Jiang Tao knocked on the door, the sound of footsteps quickly came from inside.
*Creak.*
The door opened, revealing Xu Wencheng, who was holding and reading a promotional flyer.
"Lili, Jiang Tao, you're here."
Seeing his eldest daughter and son-in-law, Xu Wencheng's face immediately lit up with a bright smile.
"Dad, have you guys eaten?"
"Good morning, Dad. Where's Mom?"
After greeting Xu Wencheng, Jiang Tao and Xu Lili entered the house.
Xu Wencheng smiled and said, "We just finished eating. Your mom's in the kitchen washing dishes."
"What?! How could you let Mom wash dishes?!"
Xu Lili suddenly realized her mother might already be pregnant and needed to be extra careful.
With a soft exclamation, she hurriedly walked toward the kitchen.
"Mom, go rest on the sofa. I'll take over."
"And from now on, either let Dad do these things or let Shasha do them."
"They're both idle at home anyway. You can't always be the one doing everything!"
Once in the kitchen, Xu Lili took over her mother Du Yongmei's work without hesitation.
She gently pushed her mother by the shoulders, guiding her out of the kitchen.
"Look at that, look at that. My eldest daughter really knows how to care for her mom. Old Xu, you should learn a thing or two from Lili."
After being ushered out of the kitchen by her daughter, Du Yongmei chuckled and teased her husband.
"…"
Xu Wencheng was a bit bewildered by his eldest daughter's unusual behavior today.
What's gotten into her today?
All along, hasn't her mother always been the one handling the cooking, cleaning, and household chores?
"Jiang Tao, you're here. We've really troubled you and Lili these past few days, taking up so much of your time."
Du Yongmei returned to the living room and greeted Jiang Tao warmly.
Compared to before, when she barely gave Jiang Tao a kind look, her attitude toward him had completely reversed. She was now as polite as could be.
Jiang Tao also felt much more confident now.
In the past, he could only swallow his frustration when his mother-in-law criticized him or his sister-in-law teased him, as he had no grounds to argue back.
Because they were right.
Back then, he had no prospects and had caused Xu Lili and Jiang Xue to suffer hardships alongside him—an undeniable fact.
Now, with the family's circumstances improving, his mother-in-law and sister-in-law could no longer find fault with him.
There was even a subtle hint of flattery and bootlicking in their attitudes.
As the saying goes, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west."
Jiang Tao was finally holding his head high at his in-laws' house.
"No worries. You and Dad don't often come to the capital, so it's only right to take care of you."
Jiang Tao was also polite to Du Yongmei.
After all, she was Xu Lili's mother, and there was no need to let past minor grievances strain their relationship.
That would just make things uncomfortable for everyone.
Changing the topic, Jiang Tao asked, "Have you and Dad decided where to go today?"
"We've been out and about every day these past few days, and we've pretty much visited all the places worth seeing."
"Your dad and I are feeling a bit tired. How about we just stay home and rest today?"
"You love the dumplings I make, don't you? Let's make some for lunch at home."
Du Yongmei's gaze toward Jiang Tao was increasingly filled with the approval of a mother-in-law who grows fonder of her son-in-law the more she sees him.
"Sounds great! Now that you mention it, I've been craving your dumplings! Let's stay home today."
"If there's nothing going on this morning, Lili and I can play a few rounds of mahjong with you and Dad."
Jiang Tao's heart stirred, steering the conversation toward mahjong.
Bringing up the mahjong dice out of the blue might seem a bit abrupt.
But during a game, he could seize the opportunity more naturally.
"Great! Let's play mahjong at home this morning!"
Du Yongmei's eyes lit up at the mention of mahjong, her greatest hobby.
Xu Wencheng said, "You four go ahead and play. I'm going fishing for a bit."
"All you do is fish every day. Look at how tanned you are—you're almost as dark as a black person."
Du Yongmei gave Old Xu a slightly exasperated look, but though she grumbled, she didn't object.
Fishing was Old Xu's biggest passion, just like her love for mahjong.
Everyone has their own hobbies, so no one should judge.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Dad, catch a big fish today. We'll stew it for lunch and eat it tonight."
"You got it! Just watch me~"
When it came to fishing, Old Xu was full of confidence. In all his years, he rarely came back empty-handed.
Not seeing Xu Shasha around, Jiang Tao asked curiously, "Hey, where's Shasha?"
"She's in her room doing that livestreaming thing."
"All day long, she's on her phone blabbering nonstop. Those who know she's streaming might understand, but others might think she's crazy."
Du Yongmei glanced at the door to the second bedroom, her expression showing a hint of displeasure.
"Haha, maybe Shasha has a talent for livestreaming."
"Our company is planning to start an online live-sales account soon."
"If Shasha's interested, she could come try it out at our company."
Jiang Tao took the opportunity to share his idea of starting a livestreaming account.
Initially, he and Xu Lili had discussed having her talk to her mother and sister about it.
But Xu Lili insisted he bring it up himself, giving him the chance to earn some goodwill with her mother and sister.
After all, as family, her bond with her mom and sister was already strong—she didn't need to boost her favorability.
"Your company is starting a livestreaming account? Shasha… can she handle it?"
Du Yongmei was slightly surprised by Jiang Tao's words and lacked confidence in her younger daughter.
After all, Xu Shasha had failed at so many jobs before, and her abilities were questionable.
Xu Wencheng, on the other hand, gave his son-in-law a meaningful look.
From what he knew of Jiang Tao, it was clear his son-in-law was trying to give his younger daughter a leg up.
*Creak~*
Just as Du Yongmei finished speaking, the door to the second bedroom opened.
Xu Shasha emerged, wearing light pink pajamas with long bunny ears, exuding a relaxed, casual vibe as she often did at home.
"Good morning, Brother-in-law."
Seeing Jiang Tao sitting on the living room sofa, Xu Shasha greeted him with a sweet smile.
Ever since Jiang Tao gifted her a Longines watch worth over 50,000 yuan, her attitude toward her brother-in-law had warmed considerably, and she started calling him "Brother-in-law."
Du Yongmei said directly, "Shasha, perfect timing. Your brother-in-law says their company is planning to start an online live-sales account and wants you to give it a try. Can you handle it?"
"A live-sales account?"
Hearing her mother's words, Xu Shasha's gaze shifted to her brother-in-law.
If the salary and benefits were good, she was naturally willing to pursue a career related to her interests.
"Yes, our company's main products—you've tried them before."
"I'm planning to combine online and offline channels to expand our sales."
"I've noticed you enjoy livestreaming."
"And you're quick-witted and articulate. I think you're well-suited for this industry."
Jiang Tao's final compliment made Xu Shasha feel a bit flattered, but it wasn't empty praise—it was grounded in reality.
Xu Shasha indeed had a knack for livestreaming.
Using his [Bole] ability to assess her talents, the system recommended she pursue a career as a live-sales streamer.
"Ahem, Brother-in-law, do you think I can really do it?"
Faced with Jiang Tao's enthusiastic invitation, Xu Shasha felt a bit shy.
After all, she had no work experience.
Her usual livestreams were just for fun, chatting and joking with a few friends in the stream.
She wasn't confident she could succeed in live sales.
If she messed up the job, it might even strain their relationship.
As the old saying goes, "Better to die than work for relatives"—a lesson learned from countless bitter experiences.
"No one's good at something right from the start. Think about when we were kids—didn't we have to learn how to crawl and walk?"
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Join our company, and I'll arrange for a professional to train you."
"Don't think it's too hard just because you see online streamers talking nonstop in their sales streams."
"That's all the result of professional training and long-term practice."
"You're still young, and you learn quickly. Live sales is simple—I'm confident you can do it well."
After hearing Jiang Tao's words, Xu Shasha felt deeply moved and found his reasoning compelling.
Assuming failure before even trying was the behavior of a coward.
Jiang Tao continued, "As for salary, for now, after deductions for social insurance and housing fund, I'll give you a base salary of 10,000 yuan."
"Once the livestream's sales pick up, you'll also get a commission."
"A base salary of… 10,000?"
Hearing the salary Jiang Tao offered, Xu Shasha's face lit up with utter shock!
She was still just a third-year college intern without even a degree.
And the college she attended was just a low-tier vocational school in China!
From what she knew, her senior classmates who graduated were lucky to land jobs paying 5,000–6,000 yuan a month.
Some were even earning just 4,000–5,000!
With the economy struggling and the job market tough, a 10,000-yuan monthly salary was something even graduate students would fight for!
Du Yongmei and Xu Wencheng, hearing the salary Jiang Tao offered Xu Shasha, were equally stunned!
Especially Xu Wencheng.
He had worked diligently at his company for 20–30 years, climbing to a minor managerial position.
With 20–30 years of seniority, his monthly salary was only about 12,000 yuan.
His daughter, not even graduated from college, was getting a 10,000-yuan salary?
"Yes, a base salary of 10,000 for now, and it'll definitely increase in the future. I'm very confident in our products."
Jiang Tao nodded with a confident smile.
"Thank you, Brother-in-law! I—I—I'm in! I'm willing to join your company!"
Xu Shasha nodded eagerly, her face brimming with excitement!
This was an opportunity!
For her, this was absolutely a rare opportunity!
In her classmate and roommate group chats, those who had found internships were mostly earning around 3,000 yuan.
Some were even earning just over 2,000!
To land a job with a monthly salary over 10,000 as an intern…
She couldn't wait to show off and make a splash!
In her roommate group, there was a rich girl whose father had arranged for her to intern at their family company with a 6,000-yuan salary.
All her roommates fawned over her, hoping to use her connections to get into her family's company.
And, except for Xu Shasha, her other roommates had actually landed internships at that girl's company.
Those roommates were earning over 3,000 yuan a month—more than other classmates who found internships on their own.
Xu Shasha and that rich girl had always been at odds, quietly competing for two or three years. She would never bow to her.
Now, thanks to her brother-in-law's connections, she had landed an offer with a salary over 10,000 yuan!
It was her turn to be envied!
Having finished washing the dishes, Xu Lili came out of the kitchen, smiling warmly at her family and husband in the living room.
Seeing them getting along harmoniously filled her with a sense of joy.
"Brother-in-law, when do I start work?"
Xu Shasha looked at Jiang Tao eagerly, already itching to kick off her career.
"After the Qingming Festival. It's just a few days away, so enjoy the holiday, have some fun, and then get to work."
It was already March 31, the last day of the month. The Qingming Festival holiday was just three days away.
Jiang Tao wasn't in a rush to start the online sales work.
"Okay, okay! Thank you, Brother-in-law! I'll work hard when I start!"
Xu Shasha was excited about the job and full of confidence.
Du Yongmei smiled and said, "Your brother-in-law's giving you such a great opportunity. If you slack off or cut corners, your dad and I will have a word with you."
"No way, Mom! I'll definitely work hard this time!"
"You, Dad, Sis, and Brother-in-law, just watch!"
"This time, I'm going to make something of myself and show you all!"
Xu Shasha's face was filled with determination, her tone more serious than ever.
"Not bad. That's the spirit."
Jiang Tao gave Xu Shasha a thumbs-up in praise.
Since their relationship had warmed, he found his sister-in-law much more likable.
Though Xu Shasha's looks and figure weren't nearly as striking as her sister Xu Lili's, her charm value was still 65 points—a proper little beauty.
Plus, with beauty filters on camera, she looked even prettier, giving her an edge as a live-sales streamer.
After discussing work, the family chatted idly for a bit.
Old Xu grabbed the keys to his Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the fishing rod Jiang Tao had bought him for over 5,000 yuan, humming a tune as he headed downstairs.
Jiang Tao had used his [Bole] ability to check his father-in-law's talents and career path.
His talent was [Remarkable Perseverance], and the top recommended career was fishing.
No wonder he was so obsessed with it.
After Xu Wencheng left, Du Yongmei eagerly pulled out the mahjong set from the coffee table drawer.
Xu Lili and Xu Shasha laid a tablecloth on the dining table.
*Clatter~*
The green-and-white mahjong tiles spilled onto the table.
Two dice, the size of quail eggs, were mixed in.
One of them glowed with a faint golden light in Jiang Tao's vision.
That's the one!