Tonight... is destined to be a night of harvest.

The meal was devoured like a whirlwind.

Between bites and sips,

Cao Cheng gathered from their chatter that Old Cao wasn’t having an easy time—every night, he had to wait on someone, brewing soup like a servant.

What’s the difference between that and being a housemaid?

Middle-aged and still doing nanny work.

Tsk.

Really regressing in life.

Serves him right.

Running off with that widow.

But it was clear the two had a decent relationship, and a divorce didn’t seem imminent.

……

After the meal,

Cao Cheng brewed a pot of purple tea, filled a thermos for himself, and left the rest for them to steep.

Then he left the house, giving them space for their… detoxification.

Not just this "Third Sister."

Even "Fourth Sister" Ren Yuege, after over a month without drinking it, probably had built-up impurities. This round would involve some cleansing too.

Though her reaction would likely be milder than Third Sister’s—nothing as intense as the first time.

September arrived.

The evenings carried a hint of coolness now, comfortable, perfect for retirement living.

“Little Cao’s here?”

“Come, sit by me.”

“Here, have some sunflower seeds.”

“And candy…”

Cao Cheng took the candy, eyeing the group of middle-aged women skeptically. “Wait, are y’all holding a tea party at this hour? Since when does that involve candy?”

One auntie laughed. “A distant nephew of mine got married today. Brought back some sweets to share.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Congrats…” Cao Cheng offered a perfunctory blessing, then asked, “What were you all laughing about earlier? I could hear the cackling from a mile away.”

To his surprise, his casual question sent the women into another fit of giggles.

Cao Cheng was baffled.

Grinning now, infected by their mood, he pressed, “What’s so funny? Is there something the mighty Cao isn’t allowed to know? Spill it.”

One sister, her face flushed with laughter, wheezed, “Little Cao, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Not at the moment,” Cao Cheng shook his head.

The auntie snorted. “Then we can’t tell you. You’re too young.”

The hell?

You’ve never even seen it.

I could whip it out and scare you to death.

But Cao Cheng got the gist.

These women had definitely been sharing some… colorful jokes earlier.

As the saying goes, gossip about the Zhangs and the Lis—

That’s just code for measuring dick sizes.

These aunties? Not a wholesome bunch.

Gathering at night for some collective indecency!

……

With Cao Cheng’s participation, the conversation took a slightly more respectable turn.

After all, the man was a paragon of righteousness.

Too noble to indulge in raunchy banter with middle-aged women.

His radiant positivity rubbed off on everyone, shaming them out of vulgar topics and steering things back to normalcy.

“Little Cao, you graduated but don’t work? What do you live on?” one auntie asked curiously.

Cao Cheng smiled. “Who says I don’t work? I studied computer science. I just freelance from home on my laptop. With a computer, you can work anywhere.”

“Huh?” The aunties didn’t understand but were impressed anyway.

Another asked, “Computers make it that easy? You can earn money at home? Doesn’t the company worry you’ll slack off?”

“Yeah, who manages you? How do they pay you?”

“Little Cao, could folks like us—retired or stay-at-home—earn with computers too? I’ve got one at home… Just enough for groceries would be nice. Teach us, won’t you?”

This topic tapped into their blind spots, curiosity, and greed.

Cao Cheng didn’t hold back—these were core members of the Jiangbei Neighborhood Watch, after all. He dropped a few buzzwords. They didn’t grasp the details, but it sounded impressive.

Their gazes toward him shifted instantly.

For years, the neighbors had assumed Cao Cheng was a slacker. Turns out, he was dabbling in high-tech.

They’d have to lecture their own kids later: Look at Cao Cheng, making money at home right after college. And you? Just gaming on the family computer. I’ll beat your ass, you little—

……

Truthfully, Cao Cheng wasn’t lying.

He did work from home.

He’d upgraded his old junk laptop during his PR campaign days. Lately, he’d been coding in his spare time.

He was even developing a browser game.

Like Happy Farm.

No such game existed domestically yet, and Cao Cheng was on it.

He knew exactly how viral—and profitable—it would be.

Once his first stock market windfall hit, he’d start a gaming company, milk the trend dry, and build his reputation.

In business circles,

clout is currency.

Without it, even waving cash won’t get you into investment rounds.

……

The conversation veered from computers to stocks.

Nearly every auntie dabbled—or had family who did.

“Little Cao, do you trade stocks? My husband does it at home and loses money like it’s his job. Can’t even criticize him—he blew up at me earlier. We just fought over it,” one sister sighed.

Cao Cheng said, “I know a bit about the market. From what I’ve seen, it’s been decent lately. How’s he losing?”

“Who the hell knows.”

She scowled. “No luck for wealth, yet he insists on playing trader. Down over 100k already…”

At “100k,” the aunties erupted—offering advice, brainstorming solutions.

But it was mostly schadenfreude.

Nothing beats watching others lose money!

Only Cao Cheng, ever the kind soul,

couldn’t bear their suffering.

Out of respect for his fellow Jiangbei Neighborhood Watch elites, he offered a tip:

“Actually, I do have some insider info. A finance expert I know hinted that a bull market’s coming.”

He leaned in, conspiratorial. “Keep this hush-hush.”

The sister gasped. “A bull market? Really? Is your expert reliable?”

“Absolutely. He’s the father of my college buddy’s… friend’s relative. Very close connection,” Cao Cheng said gravely.

“……”

“……”

Close?

Bitch, we’re closer than that.

Seeing their skepticism,

Cao Cheng doubled down. “Trust me, the bull’s coming. Soon. It’s already forming. Miss it, and you’ll regret it.”

The sister eyed him. “Then… have you bought in?”

“No,” Cao Cheng admitted.

“……” She rolled her eyes. Then why the hell should I listen?

He explained, “Only because I’m broke. If I had cash, I’d go all-in. Believe me—have I ever steered you wrong?”

That much was true.

His track record earned him some credibility.

But while they might buy it, others would laugh.

A bull market?

The index has been flat at 1600 for five years.

Do you know what hell we’ve endured?

The elder sister hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright, I’ll trust you this once. I’ll talk to my husband about it later."

"Don’t worry, those who trust me always make money!" Cao Cheng assured her outright.

The aunties around them chimed in with questions of their own.

Truthfully,

Cao Cheng had told them all this for the sake of emotional gains.

Whether they listened to him or not, they’d either feel positive afterward or drown in regret.

Those who followed his advice and profited would naturally provide positive emotions.

But those who ignored him would live to regret it for the rest of their lives.

Cao Cheng never lost.

...

After chatting for a while,

Cao Cheng’s sharp eyes caught sight of several figures lurking outside the neighborhood—skulking, sneaking, surveying the area.

His vision was keen, and he recognized them instantly: a few of the same lackeys from that gang of troublemakers he’d dealt with before.

They’d been released!

Coming back for revenge?

This time, though, they seemed smarter—instead of charging into the neighborhood, they were loitering outside, keeping watch and scouting the place.

Cao Cheng grinned.

Who’d have thought that stepping out for a chat would lead him straight to these walking experience points?

Tonight…

was bound to be a fruitful night.