From the very beginning, everyone treated Hansen Ruiz as a wealthy benefactor, asking him to fund the construction of houses for all those still living in mud-brick homes. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Based on the current cost of materials, building a two-story house for each family would cost over a hundred thousand each; multiplied by the number of people, the expense would easily run into several million. While such a sum meant little to Hansen Ruiz, would he really be willing to be treated like a cash cow to be milked at will?

In an instant, everyone’s gaze once again fell upon Hansen Ruiz.

"No problem, I can provide the funding for your houses immediately, and I will also take care of paving every path in the village with concrete," responded Hansen Ruiz, his face showing neither disdain nor impatience, readily agreeing.

"Hansen Ruiz."

Hearing his response, Rachel Bailey couldn’t help but sigh and say, "I have so many poor relatives; marrying me means you’re also marrying a village full of poor relations. Aren’t you afraid they’ll constantly come to you with demands, asking for money today, borrowing items tomorrow? Can you handle that? Won’t you despise them? Won’t you feel it’s disgraceful? Marrying a country girl like me is like smearing feces on your own face."

"Rachel."

Hansen Ruiz stepped back to her, took hold of her shoulders, looked into her eyes with deep affection, and declared firmly, "I’m not afraid, nor will I despise them. They are your relatives, so they are my relatives too. As long as I have a bite to eat, I will absolutely not let you or your family go hungry. I won’t feel disgraced. My face is my own. How others view it is their business; my face is still my own, it’s not something that can be lost due to their opinions. Rachel, rest assured, I will ensure your family’s well-being. If the sky falls, I will hold it up for you."

Such a delightful scent!

A delicious aroma suddenly wafted from the small villa fifty meters away.

At that moment, two middle-aged women dressed neatly but wearing aprons emerged from the small villa, shouting to Rachel Bailey and the others, "Alright, the act is over; it’s time to eat. The weather is cold, and the food will get cold too. Let’s not have our future son-in-law get a stomachache."

The villagers who had been sitting sprang to their feet, promptly stripping off their patchwork coats to reveal clean, neat clothing beneath; some of the younger ones were even dressed in suits worth several hundred each. The hookah was taken away by a few individuals, and the old tables and chairs were cleared away as well.

This dramatic shift initially astonished Hansen Ruiz, but then he understood—these people were testing him on behalf of Rachel Bailey.

Instantly, he broke out in a cold sweat of relief; fortunately, he wasn’t bothered by such things and his love for Rachel Bailey was worth more than gold. Otherwise, if he had shown even the slightest dissatisfaction or disdain, he could kiss the chance of marrying Rachel Bailey goodbye.

Rachel Bailey started to smile, took his hand again and said with a laugh, "This was a setup by my parents; please don’t be angry, they were just afraid you were toying with me."

At that moment, Rachel’s father presented a pair of brand-new leather shoes to Hansen Ruiz with a big smile, saying, "Mr. Ruiz, your shoes got dirty. These are a new pair my son hasn’t worn yet. Although they’re not worth tens of thousands like yours, they’re still valued at a few thousand. That boy loves brand names; they’re the right size, I figure they’ll fit you well and you won’t feel too bad wearing them."

Rachel’s father could even tell the price of the shoes he was wearing! The Bailey family’s financial situation indeed matched what his investigation had revealed.

"Thanks, Uncle," Hansen Ruiz hurriedly accepted the brand-new shoes and found they were indeed exactly his size.

"Heh, I would rather hear you call me Dad," Rachel’s father chuckled mirthfully.

Compared to the earlier indifferent and unresponsive version, Rachel’s father seemed like a completely different person.

"Dad," Hansen Ruiz said quickly, smoothly.

"Dad!" Rachel Bailey blushed at his words.

"Alright, alright, let’s go home and eat, don’t let the guests get hungry," Rachel’s mother, now looking entirely refreshed, came forward to smooth things over and ushered Hansen Ruiz and Rachel Bailey toward the small villa.

The gifts that the villagers had "snatched away" were all brought back by them into the small villa, neatly arranged in the Courtyard and the house.

Upon entering the small villa, Hansen Ruiz saw that the hall was set with several round tables, each laden with a variety of dishes that seemed quite tasty. It’s not as lavish as the meals I’m used to at a Five-Star Hotel, but it’s still impressive, he thought, noting it featured delicacies from the sky, the water, and the land.

"My dad invited everyone over for a meal, and since there are so many people, we set up a few tables," Rachel Bailey explained. "This here is my real home. Today happens to be my dad’s fifty-first birthday. In our village, we always host guests for birthdays ending in ’one,’ like his fifty-first today." The implication was that the food and guests weren’t specially prepared for Hansen Ruiz, so he needn’t feel uncomfortable.

"Why didn’t you tell me today is Dad’s birthday? I didn’t bring a birthday gift," moaned Hansen Ruiz regretfully.

He wasn’t upset at all about Rachel’s parents setting up a ruse to test him.

"Haven’t you given enough gifts already?" Rachel Bailey shot him a glance, then started to chuckle softly, giving his hand a playful squeeze. "I bet you’ll be taking all these presents back home later."

While the Bailey family might not be as affluent as the Ruiz Family, they were still a comfortable middle-class household; her parents still had their own modest income and wouldn’t accept Hansen Ruiz’s expensive gifts.

Hansen Ruiz blinked. The things he gave away, he would never take back. Looks like I’ll have to ’spar’ with my future father-in-law later on, he mused.