CHAPTER 65: SPANISH

Nancy’s expression shifted slightly, but seeing that Luis didn’t appear to be making any insinuations, she relaxed.

She had always shared the same impression of Luis as her second sister did, that he was a quiet, simple-minded, kind-hearted but socially awkward person. She never would have imagined that after Luis obtained the System, he would change so dramatically. Or perhaps, this kind of meticulous thinking was Luis’s true nature all along.

Nancy chimed in to support him, "Exactly, what’s all this about a bride price? Our family isn’t selling our daughter. When I got married, your brother-in-law didn’t pay a bride price either."

As soon as Daniel heard this, his expression changed, and he looked quite annoyed as he lit a cigarette fiercely.

However, no one paid him any attention at that moment. Ruth continued cheerfully, "That’s right, a live-in son-in-law is even closer. Since your father is never around, you’re the man of the house, the pillar of the family."

"People always laughed at me for not having a son, but you are my son."

The more she spoke, the more energized Ruth became. She snorted and said, "What’s so great about having sons? If they’re useless and just leech off their parents, the old folks will have to work themselves to death. Expecting those good-for-nothing sons to be filial is just a pipe dream."

"Having that kind of good-for-nothing son, even ten of them are useless. They’re not as caring and considerate as my one son-in-law."

Watching the mother and daughter getting along so affectionately, both full of praise for Luis, laughing and chatting happily, Daniel suddenly felt like an outsider.

Hearing this, Daniel’s face turned ashen. He was the very definition of a leech, and he even brought his wife along to leech off his parents quite happily. When Ruth fired off that broad generalization, he suddenly found himself as the precise target.

In truth, Ruth wasn’t that calculating and was definitely not targeting him specifically, but he was the only one present who could fit that description.

He wouldn’t go so far as to confront his mother-in-law, but seeing Luis being doted on and treated like the favorite just made him furious. His mind quickly worked, and he soon came up with an idea.

Daniel immediately said in a sarcastic tone, "I must have misjudged you. I never expected my brother-in-law to be a hidden wealthy man too."

As soon as he spoke, Luis knew he was up to something new again. Luis thought coldly to himself, you spoiled heir still won’t give up? With all the experience and strength I’ve gained from putting up with your mother-in-law’s temper under the same roof, you’re nothing but a speck of dust to me.

"Not at all, I just like to keep busy, like to tinker with things," Luis said dismissively.

"Brother-in-law probably knows my family background is a bit tragic. Since I was little, I haven’t been loved by my father or mother. If I don’t earn more money, I don’t feel secure. I’m just destined to work hard," Luis added.

Hearing this, the eyes of the mother and her two daughters suddenly softened. Luis’s background stirred up their maternal instincts again.

Daniel actually didn’t know much. He had only vaguely heard that Luis’s original family was a mess, that he was penniless and someone Daniel could bully.

He was always either playing new games or out partying at night, busy leaching off his parents and figuring out how much property they had. He never had the time to care about anything else.

But Daniel still stubbornly said, "That’s not how it is. Some people are just born with a wretched fate. They work hard because they have no brains and can’t earn much money anyway."

Saying something like this at this point clearly showed a lack of brains and emotional intelligence. Not only did Lily and her mother look somewhat angry, but even Nancy frowned, thinking he wasn’t thinking before he spoke.

This small barbecue shop had its door wide open. Suddenly, urgent arguing could be heard from outside.

The funniest part was that it was accompanied by a stream of foreign language. Given the World Wide habit of never missing a chance to watch drama, not only did Lily and her two sisters immediately run out, but even the tense Daniel ran out as well.

"Ding... Two random blind boxes in exchange for one exclusive innate skill. Would you like to exchange?"

Luis had just stood up and was a bit confused. "Two for one? What’s going on?"

The System’s voice continued to ring out:

"Exclusive innate skills are more advanced than the outdated System’s specialized skills. They are directly implanted into the brain as memories, granting the host the most needed skill at this moment."

"What skill?"

"Comprehensive Spanish proficiency (including dialects)."

Luis was even more confused now. "This, is it useful right now???"

The System thoughtfully reminded him, "This skill, in this current scenario, will help increase the favorability meter. Would you like to exchange?"

Based on their previous interactions, it was clear that the System was a high-level virus that parasitically resided within its host and would not harm him.

"Exchange."

"Two random blind boxes fused, exchanged for Comprehensive Spanish proficiency (activated)."

With a buzzing sensation, Luis immediately felt a flood of information pouring into his mind. It felt as though this knowledge had always belonged to him, requiring little adaptation to become second nature.

Running downstairs, he could see the boss’s wife, Auntie Fatty, looking very anxious, wearing an apron and explaining something.

On the other side was a group of foreign men and women, sitting together chattering away, but Auntie Fatty couldn’t understand them at all. The scene looked chaotic, though it wasn’t exactly a conflict, but the mutual misunderstanding certainly made it sound like an argument.

Auntie Fatty had a loud voice, and the white foreigners were also loud, which was the main reason for the commotion.

"Auntie Fatty, don’t worry, let me ask what’s going on," Luis immediately pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, and started communicating with the foreigner who knew a few broken phrases of English.

As soon as Luis opened his mouth, it was with authentic Spanish, flowing naturally without any need for switching modes.

This was clearly another language, but it felt just as effortless for Luis.

As soon as Luis spoke, the foreigner looked as if he had found a savior and kept talking, while Luis nodded and continued the conversation.

The Wood mother and daughters were stunned. Even Daniel was dumbfounded. As a standard university graduate, he could tell Luis wasn’t just putting on a show.

After chatting for a bit, Luis turned to Auntie Fatty and said, "Auntie, he said he’s eaten here before. He asked why the grilled preserved eggs you used to have are no longer on the menu."

"That, they didn’t sell well, so I took them off the menu," Auntie Fatty said excitedly before addressing the other customers, "It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Someone here can communicate with them now. Everyone, please continue eating. There’s no drama to watch here, it’s not a fight."

Luis and the white old man were chatting away enthusiastically. This scene was undoubtedly a spectacle, even if it was a bit anticlimactic.

Nancy whispered, "Lily, your husband’s Spanish is that good?"

Lily was also puzzled, but the evidence was right before her eyes. After being mocked by her eldest sister for so many years, she naturally felt a bit of resentment.

Although she wasn’t a vain person, Lily felt quite proud at this moment and said, "Luis loves studying. He has a bunch of phones and computers but doesn’t play games or watch videos. He’s always studying. Sometimes when he goes upstairs to study, I don’t even dare disturb him."

Ruth couldn’t help but ask, "My son-in-law stays upstairs cooped up in his room studying all the time?"

Lily felt extremely satisfied at that moment and seized the opportunity to say, "Yes, that’s why I don’t dare disturb him while he’s studying. When he wears headphones, it’s not to listen to music or comedy shows—it’s purely for studying."

This explanation seemed to make sense of their previous stereotypical impression that Luis was neglectful toward Lily.

Mainly, in any family, as long as it’s not dysfunctional or abnormal, studying diligently is highly praised, regardless of what you’re learning.

While Luis, Sophia, Lily, and Ruth were still looking both shocked and pleasantly surprised, Luis had already spoken to Aunt Fatty, "Auntie, he’s been here to eat a few times before, and what left the deepest impression on him was the eggs."

As soon as Aunt Fatty heard this, she immediately directed a young worker beside her to go buy century eggs, then said boldly, "So he’s a regular! Then the grilled eggs are on me."

At that moment, the foreigner exchanged a few words with his colleagues, then came up and put his arm around Luis’s shoulder, saying a bunch more.

After listening, Luis laughed and said, "He’s asking about the old food truck that used to park next door—the one that sold fried cheese curds. Why isn’t it around anymore? He came all this way hoping to try it again."

"They moved down by the main intersection. Got themselves a proper storefront now. No problem, I’ll have someone run and grab some," the restaurant owner said with a grin.

Luis translated smoothly for the older tourist, then picked up a menu and started helping them place their order.

Once the fried cheese curds were brought out, the whole table of foreigners cheered. Luis chatted with them a little longer before finally heading back to the private dining room.