Chapter 13: My Son Made Fifty Thousand at Eighteen!

Gu Wanzhou was visibly surprised. She hadn't expected Li Zhiyan to be so eager to come to her home. Could it be... just for his so-called "big cart"? Quickly, she dismissed her own thought with a shake of her head.

I can't keep doubting this child; he's already had a hard enough life.

"Alright, let's keep in touch on QQ tomorrow. Auntie will buy some good food and cook for us; we can have a nice, long chat," she said warmly.

Making it clear that she could only view him as family, she emphasized, "Just a nice chat, like family."

Of course, Li Zhiyan picked up on her meaning but pretended not to notice.

"Goodbye, Auntie Gu."

Watching her leave, he hefted the bag containing fifty thousand yuan and made his way home. He couldn't help but feel curious—why had the system specified that he massage her legs as well as her neck?

System, just how proper are you really?

"Well, forget it. I'll just focus on finishing this task. Twenty thousand yuan is nothing to scoff at."

As he strolled back home, the warm summer breeze blowing against him, Li Zhiyan felt incredibly light-hearted. He wasn't like those reborn CEOs or major business owners with loads of experience to help him get rich. He'd been as ordinary as they came.

With a system—even if it was a bit of a lazy one—that let him make money by completing tasks, it couldn't be more suited to him.

"Alright, let's set a small goal: become a millionaire!"

"But first, I'll give this money to Mom," he thought.

He knew better than anyone how much his mom loved him. She'd already decided to stay in Anhui just because he couldn't bear to let her leave. But even without going to Shanghai, she would still find ways to work extra hours. She was only forty-two, and he didn't want her aging prematurely. This time around, he'd make sure she could live her later years in peace.

...

As soon as he reached the front door, Li Zhiyan happily called out, "Mom!"

The sound of being greeted at home—what a wonderful feeling.

"Alright, alright, don't shout so loud!" came her gentle voice from inside.

After stepping in and closing the door, he noticed his mom's high heels—those bargain pairs from street markets—neatly placed by the entry. He slipped into his house slippers, mentally promising that one day he'd buy her the best heels money could buy.

"Mom, I brought you a little something!"

Hearing that he'd bought her a gift, Zhou Rongrong, who was in the kitchen washing dishes, chided him, "What'd you buy gifts for? It's a waste of money. We need to save for a house for you, no need to spend on frivolous things."

But despite her words, a smile crept onto her face. Her son thinking of her? That was heartwarming.

He's really changed... he's grown so thoughtful.

"No, Mom, this gift is special."

"It's something I earned through my own efforts," he replied, silently thanking his lazy yet helpful system. Without it, he'd never have experienced all this.

"What gift?"

"You got a part-time job, didn't you?" she asked, eyeing the black bag in his hand with suspicion.

Handing it over, she started to worry, "You don't need to take on part-time jobs. Just focus on your studies and doing well in college; leave the finances to me."

But when she opened the bag, she froze.

Inside were stacks of hundred-yuan bills—five bundles in total. Fifty thousand yuan.

Slowly, she made her way to the window, closed it, and whispered anxiously, "Son, tell me the truth. Did you… steal this money?"

Fifty thousand yuan was a small fortune in 2010, and even now in 2024, it was hardly pocket change. She couldn't imagine her son coming home with that much money any other way.

"No, Mom, don't worry. I taught myself some programming and helped a company solve an issue they were having. This was my payment. It's all legitimate."

"You know me—I'm a good kid. I'd never have the guts to steal."

After a moment's thought, Zhou Rongrong felt that her son was telling the truth. He was far too obedient to do something like that.

"But… since when did you have time to learn programming? You've barely touched that old computer of ours."

"Mom, I learned it all at the internet cafe."

Hearing this, Zhou Rongrong's eyes shone with pride. Her son—the one she'd always thought of as her silly boy—was a hidden genius, earning fifty thousand yuan at just eighteen!

She asked him several more times just to be sure, confirming that her son had indeed earned the money through programming.

"Oh, my son, you're amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

In her excitement, she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Being a momma's boy, Li Zhiyan felt warmth flood through him as he cherished this moment of closeness.

"These forty thousand, I'll help you save. It'll go toward your future wedding," she said with a smile. "This remaining ten thousand is yours to spend—just be careful with it."

Taking the money, he joked, "Mom, you trust me with that much?"

"My son is all grown up!"

She squeezed his cheek, beaming with pride. "I know you'll be responsible with it. And you'll need it for dates and things like that, right?"

"Maybe…"

Pocketing the money, he reminded himself to hold back on handing over too much cash in the future. He didn't want to frighten her.

"By the way, Mom, now that I can make money with my programming, I'll take care of my own college expenses. You don't need to worry about going to Shanghai anymore—I can't bear to see you leave."

After seeing him bring home fifty thousand, Zhou Rongrong had fully let go of her plans to work in Shanghai. If she couldn't bear leaving him, she knew he certainly couldn't bear losing her either.

"Alright, I won't go to Shanghai."

"No extra shifts either—just regular hours. I'll send you money every month," he promised.

Her eyes softened, amazed at how her son seemed to know her every thought, as if they truly were bound by some unbreakable connection.

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