Vera complained inwardly. ’Honestly, that Nathaniel Nathan... If he’s going to write me a letter, fine, but why on earth did he have to put those two words on the envelope!’

Just like always, she quickly stashed the letter away, as furtive as a thief.

Aaron Cheney chuckled at the sight. She shot him a glare. "How many more letters from your Third Brother do you have there? Why don’t you just give them to me all at once?"

"No way!" Aaron Cheney was a stickler for rules. "If Third Brother comes back and finds out about this, he’ll tear me to shreds!"

Vera tried to coax him. "If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, your Third Brother will never know. So just give me all the letters!"

Aaron Cheney looked at her with pity. "Sister-in-law, it seems you don’t yet have a deep appreciation for Third Brother’s methods. There’s nothing in this world you can hide from him!"

Vera was left speechless. ’By Aaron Cheney’s account, Nathaniel Nathan is practically an omniscient god!’

Seeing her expression, Aaron Cheney chuckled. "But I can tell Third Brother treats you exceptionally well, Sister-in-law."

Vera shot him a sidelong glance. "I’d say your Third Brother treats you even better than he treats me. He gives all these letters to you before I get them. Ever considered becoming his boy toy?"

Aaron Cheney shuddered. "Have mercy, Sister-in-law! My gender is male, and my preference is female. No matter how great Third Brother is, I wouldn’t dare try to steal him from you!"

Vera gave a cold smile. Seeing her expression, Aaron Cheney felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. He had the sudden urge to turn and bolt, but his task for the day wasn’t finished, so he couldn’t leave yet. He cleared his throat and said, "S... Sister-in-law, about the jade you gave me yesterday... when I took it home, my parents and my uncle all ganged up on me and gave me an earful. They said it’s far too valuable, and they want me to ask you how much you’ll sell it for. Our whole family is willing to pool our money to buy it." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

After he took the jade home yesterday, his mother, who was as clueless about its value as he was, took it to her parents’ house to show his maternal grandmother. His grandmother recognized it as a treasure at a single glance. She asked where he’d gotten it, and after he explained, she gave him a royal chewing out.

Then, his grandmother called over his uncle and his father, and the lot of them proceeded to scold him as well.

Everyone was in unanimous agreement: even if the piece of jade was just a scrap, its value was far too high. How could they possibly accept it just like that?

So, they sent Aaron Cheney back to ask Vera to name a price, no matter what. They insisted on paying for it.

Hearing Aaron’s story, Vera found herself deeply admiring the Cheney family’s principles. They were clearly people of outstanding character, which only confirmed her belief that this was a family worth getting to know well.

So, she gave Aaron Cheney a thorough look-over, from head to toe. Her stare made him extremely uncomfortable, and he couldn’t help but cross his arms over his chest. "Sister-in-law, why are you looking at me like that?"

Vera stroked her chin. "There’s no need for your whole family to pay for it. I think you’re quite good-looking yourself..."

"I’m not selling my body!" Aaron Cheney blurted out, cutting her off.

Vera shot him a disdainful look. "You think after having your Third Brother, I’d even give you a second glance?"

Aaron Cheney: "..."

’Sister-in-law, I may not be on Third Brother’s level, but I’m still a handsome guy, you know?’

Vera snorted. "You’re really letting your imagination run wild. I just meant that with your looks, you’re just about qualified to be my gofer."

Aaron Cheney: "..."

Vera held out her hand to him. "Do you have a hundred yuan?"

Aaron Cheney nodded quickly, pulled out his wallet, and handed her a hundred-yuan bill. She took the money, stuffed it into her pocket, and said, "There. You can go back and tell your parents that you’ve paid for the jade."