Seeing Jacob only serving himself half a bowl of rice, Lara gently furrowed her brows. Coming from a poor family in a small county, her family’s situation only improved after her sister and brother-in-law got married.
If it weren’t for her brother-in-law’s financial support during high school, she wouldn’t have been able to afford the expensive tutoring classes, and she probably wouldn’t have been able to get into Coastville University, a key national university.
Moreover, her tuition and living expenses for four years of college were also covered by her brother-in-law.
Of course, that money was given to her through her sister Karen, but Lara wasn’t naive; her sister didn’t work, so where would the money come from? Ultimately, all the money came from her brother-in-law.
Not only did this brother-in-law support her education, but he also helped her parents buy a big house in their hometown.
One could say their whole family had benefited from Jacob’s kindness.
So, Lara was filled with gratitude towards her brother-in-law and looked down on her sister’s actions, even having a big fight with her sister over it, resulting in no contact for the entire month.
Now, seeing that her brother-in-law seemed uninterested in the dishes she made, Lara naturally felt a little disappointed and silently resolved to practice her cooking skills more in the future.
“Lara, don’t overthink it; I’m trying to lose weight.”
“After all, I’m approaching forty, and I can’t let my weight continue to exceed the limit.”
Seeing through his former sister-in-law’s little thoughts, Jacob smiled and explained.
“Oh, is that so?”
Lara’s brows relaxed, and she said with a grin, “Brother-in-law, you’re tall, so you’re not really that fat; instead, you give off a sturdy feeling.”
“Alright, only you would say that!”
“192 pounds, and you still say you’re not fat!”
Jacob shook his head with a smile, chewing on a slice of lotus root.
Meanwhile, Macy was clamoring for meat, and Lara placed a large piece of well-cooked pork knuckle into the little girl’s bowl.
Macy immediately began to eat happily, her lips greasy and utterly adorable.
In the AA and Southwest regions, this dish is called “Best food,” while in the North, it’s referred to as “Balance diet.”
When craving meat, having a big elbow is the most satisfying.
“Is work going well lately?”
After eating a few bites, Jacob asked.
“Not bad, I just run news every day, but those news stories are quite boring.”
When it came to work, Lara pouted slightly. It wasn’t that she was dissatisfied; it was just that the reality of being a reporter was quite different from her expectations.
She had imagined reporters interviewing celebrities and politicians, attending high-end events.
But recently, the news she covered included things like migrant workers demanding wages, disputes over installing elevators in old neighborhoods, and the installation of vibration sensors downstairs.
Either she was surrounded by a group of migrant workers complaining or surrounded by a bunch of elderly folks acting as judges, both sides arguing heatedly. Sometimes, she would even get splashed with saliva, leading her to think that being a junior reporter was tough. She had no chance to cover any valuable big news and could only spend her time on trivial matters, wearing down her once bright dream of journalism.
But Lara understood that she was just a junior reporter in her internship period, and those big news stories were not likely to come her way for now.
“Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without gathering small streams, one cannot form rivers and seas.”
“Take your time; I believe that one day you will transform into Lara the Great Reporter!” Jacob said with a smile to comfort her.
“Brother-in-law, I’m not a little girl anymore; I’ll be 22 next month.”
Lara pouted, correcting him.
“Alright, a big girl then!”
Jacob instinctively glanced at his former sister-in-law sitting across from him, feeling a bit dazed, as the two sisters looked quite alike. Now, there was a faint resemblance of Karen in Lara.
The year he met Karen, she was in her senior year of college, working part-time at his Best Diet restaurant to support herself.
At that time, Jacob quickly recognized her as a sensible girl who knew how to help her family.
But in the end, he had misjudged her.
Currently, it seemed that Lara was different from her sister; at least she knew how to be grateful.
Of course, people always change; perhaps after a few years of work, she too would be materialized by this money-centric society.
In fact, being materialistic isn’t wrong; everyone wants to live better.
But being materialistic shouldn’t come at the cost of moral boundaries; one shouldn’t harm innocent people, or else that would be a crime against humanity.
Jacob firmly believed that there is karma in this world! So whether in business or in life, he would always uphold his principles!
