"Sis, I have to say, this place really lives up to its reputation for the elite. Just one session has such a noticeable effect," Aurelia said, looking in the mirror and touching her smooth skin, smiling at Audrey. "Look at you, the sallow complexion is gone from your face. Your skin is so fair and clear now."

  Audrey nodded in agreement, not denying it, because the effect was indeed visible to the naked eye.

  "The most impressive thing about the treatments here is the immediate results, but to fundamentally improve skin condition, you need to come regularly," Grace said, then looked at her mother and instructed, "Mom, since the card has money on it now, you two should come here often to relax from now on. Don't be reluctant to use it. The money can't be refunded anyway."

  Mentioning the card, and now that they were alone in the private room, Audrey couldn't help but speak up: "Grace, you topped up a hundred Dollars for a membership card just like that. That's far too extravagant."

  "It's not that much. Your daughter has money. Besides, if I didn't make a strong move, how could I shut that uncle up earlier?"

  Audrey shook her head helplessly. "Earning money isn't easy for you. It would be better to save it for future emergencies. There's no need to compete with someone like that."

  If not for today's chance encounter, she would have almost forgotten about someone like Louis.

  Grace knew her mother was accustomed to frugality. Casually spending 100 Dollars on a card top-up truly exceeded her usual understanding of consumption. But Grace wanted to change her mother's mindset on this.

  And not gradually. She intended to be straightforward and somewhat forceful, making her mother quickly accept this lifestyle of not needing to worry about money.

  Because after Tony's college entrance exams, she planned to bring her mother to Aethelburg. Once they moved into a villa and drove luxury cars, her mother, by her side, should feel free to spend money without restraint.

  So now, whenever she had the chance, she would give her mother a little shock regarding her views on spending.

  "Mom, stop worrying about these things all the time. I'm not someone without a sense of proportion. Isn't earning money meant for spending? The more you earn, the more you spend. The fact that I can spend money also indirectly proves I earn even more."

  "It's not like I earned two hundred and spent one hundred on a beauty card, right? I'm not stupid!"

  Hearing her daughter say this, Audrey, who originally hadn't planned to pry into how much her daughter earned, couldn't help but feel curious now.

  She hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Grace, give your mom a hint. How much money have you actually earned?"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Aurelia also looked over curiously.

  Grace smiled slightly and said uncertainly, "Ten thousand?"

  She didn't dare to say more, but the figure "ten thousand" was enough to shock both Audrey and Aurelia.

  Both women instantly stared, dumbfounded, as if frozen in place.

  Seeing their reaction, Grace thought to herself, 'Good thing I didn't say more, or Mom might have fainted.'

  "Ten thousand?" Audrey felt her scalp tingle. Her heartbeat began to race uncontrollably. Whether from excitement or some other emotion, the shock left her mind blank, unable to form a complete sentence.

  Aurelia was even more affected, her mouth half-open, moving slightly, finding herself speechless.

  Ten thousand Dollars... How could she earn so much money?

  Grace looked at her mother and aunt with a calm, faint smile on her face, not saying anything more, just waiting for them to slowly digest and accept this fact.

  After a long while, Audrey gradually calmed down, but tears began to flow uncontrollably.

  Seeing this, Grace quickly handed over a tissue. "Look at you, crying. Aren't you happy that I earned money?"

  "It's because I'm happy that I'm crying," Audrey said, taking the tissue and wiping her tears. She wanted to say something but didn't know what, just holding her daughter's hand and beaming with a silly smile.

  Seeing this, Grace said, "Now do you understand why I don't agree with you continuing to look for a job? In the past, you worked yourself to the bone to take care of us. That was hard enough, and it was necessary for survival. Now that I'm earning money, how could I feel comfortable watching you exhaust yourself every month for a salary of just a few dimes, serving others?"

  Audrey nodded understandingly. "Mom understands. Mom knows."

  Aurelia also silently wiped her tears, feeling relieved for her sister, but inevitably also a touch of envy.

  Who knew the next second, Grace would look at her and suddenly say, "Auntie, now that you know what I'm capable of, I'll speak frankly. After Tony gets into a university in Aethelburg, I plan to bring Mom there. If you and Uncle want to go to Aethelburg, I'll bring you along too. Whether you want to continue running a barbecue restaurant or start some other business, I'm willing to help."

  "Oh, you child." Aurelia was deeply moved but said, "Your uncle and I are doing quite well now. We have many regular customers at the shop, and business is much better than a few years ago. We don't seek great wealth or honor. As long as you are filial to your mom, your aunt hasn't wasted her affection on you."

  "I can't just be filial to my mom. Over the years, if it weren't for you and Uncle helping out, Mom would have suffered so much more hardship. We've seen all that." Grace held her aunt's hand, looking at her seriously. "So, Auntie, I'll take care of my younger siblings, and I'll take care of you and Uncle, too."

  Those words made the already emotional Aurelia burst into tears, but she spoke through her weeping with a smile: "Look what you've done to your aunt. The skincare products I just applied are getting washed away by my tears."

  Audrey also smiled. "Grace is right. All these years, it's all thanks to you and Casper. Grace being where she is today, you both have played an indispensable part."

  Aurelia wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and looked at Grace with eyes full of warmth and approval. "Your aunt knows you're a good child. Let's talk about this matter later. Right now, my head is filled with 'ten thousand Dollars,' and I can't think about anything else."

  That sentence made Grace laugh. Grace smiled and nodded. "Alright, it's not an urgent matter anyway. Let's go then. I've booked a French restaurant today. I'm taking you both to try something new."