Mundane Matters

Yang Wu had just returned home from the Wilderness Area, and he finally relaxed completely.

So he didn't train that evening. After buying the manuals, he washed up and went to bed.

The next morning, Yang Wu woke to sunlight streaming through the window. It was already past six.

It was midsummer, and the sun rose early. Mingyue Residential Quarter also got plenty of sunlight. At their old home in Lanta Residential Area, the sun probably wouldn't have reached their room at all.

"I think this is the best night's sleep I've had in half a month!"

Yang Wu stretched and said to himself.

Even when resting in the Wilderness Area, knowing that his teammates were keeping watch, no one dared to let their guard down completely. After all, the Wilderness Area was full of danger, and trouble could strike at any moment.

But home was different. For one thing, it was inside a Base City, where they were much safer. More importantly, his family was here, and that made all the difference.

After washing up, Yang Wu went downstairs and found his parents and younger brother waiting for him at the table.

"Second Brother, hurry up and eat! You got up way too late today. I'm starving!"

When Yang Wu appeared, Yang Fan hurriedly called out from beside the dining table.

Normally, Yang Wu got up as soon as the sky began to brighten. Today, he'd slept until after six.

"It feels so good to be home!"

Yang Wu just smiled at Yang Fan's call and said nothing more.

But his mother, Liu Yuhua, who was serving the rice, wouldn't let that slide. She smacked Yang Fan's left hand with her chopsticks and scolded, "You little rascal. Your brother just got back safely from the Wilderness Area. What's wrong with waiting a little for him? Are you going to starve to death?"

"Mom, I'm your son too!" Afraid she'd hit him again, Yang Fan snatched his left hand back and protested, "Why does it feel like I'm not your real son now that Second Brother's back?"

With that, Yang Fan hurriedly ducked aside.

Sure enough, Liu Yuhua stopped serving the rice and went after him with her chopsticks.

"You little brat! How dare you say you're not my real son? You're asking for a beating!"

"Mom, Xiao Fan didn't mean it. Let him off this time!"

Yang Wu knew their mother wouldn't really hit Yang Fan, but he still hurried over and stood in front of Liu Yuhua.

Since moving into Mingyue Residential Quarter, the Yang Family no longer had to worry about making ends meet, and Yang Fan had really let loose. He'd never slacked off on his studies or martial arts, but otherwise, he'd become much more lively.

Yang Wu was glad to see it. That was what made a place feel like home.

As for the pressure, he'd face it on his own!

Liu Yuhua looked at Yang Wu's tall, sturdy frame, feeling both happy and sad.

She was happy that, thanks to Yang Wu's efforts, the family now lived in a detached villa, and their lives were incomparably better than before.

But she was sad that her son had to keep going to the Wilderness Area to hunt monsters.

She had lived through the Great Nirvana Period as a child. How dangerous had that been?

Even now, just a few days ago, when martial artists returned to Mingyue Residential Quarter, Liu Yuhua saw one of them badly injured, with an entire leg missing.

Seeing that martial artist with one leg gone, Liu Yuhua truly didn't want Yang Wu to return to the Wilderness Area. But she also knew he would never agree.

She looked at Yang Fan, who had run off to the side, then at Yang Wu, who stood before her like an iron tower.

Well, her son must not have eaten properly in the Wilderness Area, so Liu Yuhua decided they should eat first.

"Your Second Brother pleaded for you, so I'll let you off this time. Come eat!" Liu Yuhua called to Yang Fan, then returned to the table and started serving the rice again.

"If it weren't for Second Brother, I wouldn't have gotten in trouble with you in the first place!"

Yang Fan only dared to think that. He wouldn't have dared say it aloud.

Yang Wu quickly took the rice scoop from his mother so she wouldn't start hitting Yang Fan again, and began serving the family.

As he served the food, Yang Wu asked, "Dad, Mom, did anything happen at home while I was in the Wilderness Area?"

"Your dad and I ate and slept just fine. What could've happened?" Liu Yuhua took the bowl of porridge Yang Wu handed her and passed it to Yang Yuande. Then she continued, "It's your younger brother, Yang Fan. He keeps going to the Martial Arts Hall to find people to practice sword techniques with, and he's always bothering them! And..."

Liu Yuhua hesitated.

"And what?" Yang Wu asked, handing her another bowl of rice.

Yang Fan's martial arts training was a small matter. If he really wanted to become a martial artist, Yang Wu could ask Wu Tong to help train him.

Liu Yuhua took the rice and passed it to Yang Fan, who was looking at her eagerly. Then she continued, "There's also Boss Wang, from the place where you used to work. He's been coming to our house a lot lately. Every time, he brings a pile of gifts, sets them down, chats for a while, and leaves. I asked if he wanted something from you, but he said he didn't."

"He's come four times while you've been away these past two weeks, and each time the gifts have been more valuable. I had Xiao Fan look them up online. They're worth nearly five million in total. A-Wu, he isn't asking you to do something terrible, is he?"

Five million!

Liu Yuhua had once been an ordinary supermarket sales assistant. She'd never seen that much money. Even after moving to Mingyue Residential Quarter and learning that her family had become wealthy, five million still seemed like far too much. And these were only gifts he'd casually brought over.

Uh...

Yang Wu couldn't help laughing. "Mom, what are you thinking? They're just gifts. How did you get from that to him asking me to do something terrible?"

"Just ordinary gifts? A-Wu, don't lie to your mom. That's five million!"

Liu Yuhua and Yang Yuande both stood up and stared seriously at Yang Wu.

They'd once been ordinary people scraping by, and the most they'd ever saved was a few hundred thousand. Their son was a martial artist now, but five million was still an enormous sum to them.

Yang Fan stood frozen to the side too. He might have seen a little more than his parents, but he was still only a middle school student, and his experience was limited.

"Dad, Mom!" Yang Wu helped them sit down. "I'm a martial artist now, and my strength has reached War General Level. You can't keep looking at things the way you used to."

"Take this trip to the Wilderness Area, for example. The monster materials our squad hunted were worth as much as five billion Huaxia Currency. My share alone came to more than six hundred million."

To make his parents believe him, Yang Wu took out his Communication Watch and showed them the one hundred million still in his account.

"I bought some things after I got back last night, so I still have one hundred million left."

"Six hundred million? You still have one hundred million?"

Liu Yuhua and Yang Yuande hurriedly looked at Yang Wu's Communication Watch.

When they saw the one hundred million Huaxia Currency in his account, they were stunned all over again!

Good heavens!

Even the boss at their old workplace probably didn't have that much money.

And their son had earned that astronomical amount in just half a month in the Wilderness Area!

"I'm going to become a martial artist too!" Seeing the one hundred million in Yang Wu's account, Yang Fan first gaped in shock, then shouted excitedly.

This time, though, Yang Yuande and Liu Yuhua didn't scold him. They still hadn't recovered from what they'd just learned.

In truth, the villa the Yang Family lived in was worth more than one hundred million Huaxia Currency. But Liu Yuhua and Yang Yuande both knew they only had the right to live there, not to sell it. So they hadn't been all that shocked.

But this time, one hundred million Huaxia Currency was right there in front of them. How could they not be stunned?

"Dad, Mom!" Yang Wu called softly.

At his voice, Liu Yuhua and Yang Yuande finally came back to their senses.

Yang Wu continued, "So, Dad, Mom, you really don't need to worry. The gifts Brother Wang brought our family are just part of the usual courtesies. I can buy him something and return the favor when I have time!"

That was what he said, but Yang Wu knew Wang Zijin wasn't giving him all those gifts because he expected something in return. He must have heard that Yang Wu had joined the Phantom Squad, which was why he was making so much effort.

Still, Yang Wu didn't mind at all.

Wang Zijin had treated him well before. If he ever ran into some minor trouble that Yang Wu could help with, Yang Wu wouldn't hesitate to lend him a hand.

"All right, I'm hungry. Let's eat first!"

Yang Wu put the matter out of his mind, served himself a bowl of porridge, and sat down to eat.