72: Mom - 2

Thank you to [QA Specialist] for the Master Certification! Boss is generous!

Thank you to [Jun Xing Si Hai 5165] for the Show-off! Boss is generous!

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There was a few seconds of silence on the phone, only the sound of Mom's slightly hurried breathing could be heard.

After a while, she seemed to force herself to calm down, snorted, her tone softened a bit, with a hint of unconcealable nervousness and anticipation:

"Fine, you've grown wings. Tell me, where did the money really come from? Give me an honest explanation."

She knew full well that although her son could be a bit mischievous at times, he wasn't bad at heart and had principles—he wouldn't really do something like selling himself or breaking the law—that would completely ruin this family.

That earlier storm of questioning and outrageous guesses was more like an emotional outburst, a stress reaction from excessive worry and suddenly seeing a huge sum of money, needing this exaggerated way to calm her wildly fluctuating emotions.

Hearing Mom's tone soften, Jiang Ye smiled and answered seriously: "Mom, don't worry. This money isn't stolen, robbed, scammed, or from online loans—it's money I earned legitimately."

He paused, giving a pre-planned explanation: "I've been researching some foreign funds recently, got lucky, and made a profit."

On the other end of the phone, Xu Man pursed her lips, silently rolling her eyes.

Trading funds?

She didn't understand it, but she knew the risks were huge. Her son had just graduated—how could he have that much capital and insight?

But she didn't press for details.

Her son had grown up, had his own secrets and connections. As long as the money was clean and didn't cause trouble, most of her worries could be put to rest.

She just said softly: "Xiao Ye, you're an adult now. There's a lot Mom doesn't understand, and I won't ask too much. But you need to have a sense of balance, know what you're doing. Our family has been poor, but we've been poor with dignity. If something happens to you, then Mom..."

Jiang Ye heard the worry and seriousness in Mom's tone, his heart softening. He was about to give an assurance when he heard Mom's voice continue faintly from the other end:

"Then Mom would really have to let your dad down and consider finding a stepdad to back you up..."

Jiang Ye: "..."

He was utterly bewildered, feeling like his Mom's train of thought was always racing on tracks he couldn't predict.

"Mom! Can you stop joking? Be serious! Spend the money I gave you without worry, and don't save it for me. From now on, your son will take care of you. If you're unhappy or tired with that cleaning job, just quit."

Xu Man chuckled softly on the other end, quietly wiping her unconsciously moistened eyes, but her words remained sharp:

"Hmph, I don't need you to take care of me! When your dad was chasing me, he swore he'd take care of me for life, and what happened?... Ahem, enough of that nonsense."

She skillfully brushed past that bit of sadness and asked instead: "You haven't been home in over ten days. Are you coming back tonight? Tell Mom properly, what's really going on?"

Jiang Ye thought about it and still shook his head.

Although he missed her a bit, it wasn't the right time to go back now: "I've been really busy lately. In a while, when things settle down, I'll come back."

He knew his Mom—outwardly carefree, but actually very sensitive and thoughtful.

If he went back now and she grilled him with a few questions, his "funds" story might not completely hold up. Too many words could lead to mistakes.

Better to wait until he had more funds, buy some decent clothes, maybe even get a car for transportation, then go back in style.

After all, in parents' eyes, if you earn a hundred thousand, they might worry it's ill-gotten; but if you can show a million or more, they'll mostly just think, 'My son is really successful,' and won't press too hard on the details.

Xu Man chuckled on the other end, as if she'd expected his refusal, and didn't push it:

"Fine, Xiao Ye has grown up and has his own ideas. Then Mom will just wait to enjoy the good life. But I still need to work, otherwise I'd just be bored at home. Besides, the Sisters I work with here are really nice to get along with—chatting and laughing, the day passes quickly."

Jiang Ye also knew his Mom couldn't stay idle, so he let her be: "Fine, Mom, as long as you're happy. Oh, and really don't skimp on that money. If you want to eat something good, buy some clothes or cosmetics, just spend it, definitely don't..."

Before he could finish, WeChat dinged with a new message.

It was a screenshot from Mom of a JD.com order confirmation page, clearly showing a successful payment for a pair of women's athletic shoes costing 1800 yuan.

Jiang Ye looked at the screenshot, smacked his lips, feeling both amused and warm inside.

This was his Mom—always unpredictable. She was telling him through action: "Mom took the money and spent it. See, Mom isn't skimping, so you don't need to worry about me shortchanging myself."

He genuinely felt that if someone could write a novel about Comrade Xu Man's vibrant, sharp, sensitive, and full-of-life personality, it would absolutely dominate the female-oriented fiction market.

"Alright, Xiao Ye, I won't talk anymore. The Supervisor seems to be coming this way, and I'll get scolded if I keep talking. Gotta hang up now," Xu Man whispered hurriedly.

Jiang Ye "mm-hmmed," about to hang up, when he heard her quickly add one more thing from the other end:

"Ahem, that... Xiao Ye, Mom has one last thing to say... that... when you're out there alone... be careful, stay safe... when you're... um, soliciting... don't get caught... and if you do get caught, don't call me—I couldn't bear the shame!"

Jiang Ye: "..."

Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Jiang Ye held his phone, frozen in place for several seconds before sighing helplessly and shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, started his little electric scooter, and rode slowly toward home against the cold wind.