REBORN RICH WITH A SYSTEM

Chapter 5

“Raven...” Mrs. Aisyah called out.

Hearing what Raven had just said, Mrs. Aisyah naturally didn’t believe it. Since when had Raven ever wanted to earn an honest living?

“Mom, please believe me.”

“Raven, this is no time to play around. Stomachs don’t compromise when you’re starving. Today we were lucky Mrs. Tina was willing to buy that firewood after you practically forced her. Tomorrow, we’ll be back to the usual prices,” Laila retorted.

“That’s right, you’ve barely got a fifty dollars yet you’re already acting so arrogant. You think you’re the richest man alive and now you’re forbidding Mom and Laila from working,” Mrs. Aisyah chimed in.

“I am going to be the one to work, Mom.”

Mrs. Aisyah and Laila exchanged glances once again. Both of them, of course, didn’t believe a word Raven was saying.

All this time, if Raven had been willing to work even just a little bit, their debts wouldn’t have piled up. At the very least, for his gambling and drinking habits, Raven would have tried to fund them himself. But unfortunately, up until now, all he ever did was snatch away whatever his mother and wife managed to earn.

“I’m not lying. Starting today, Mom and Laila, you don’t have to work anymore. Leave it to me,” Raven repeated.

“What kind of job do you even plan on doing, Raven?” Laila asked flatly.

There wasn’t a shred of joy on her face hearing Raven’s promise to work. Laila simply disbelieved him that much.

In fact, just hearing Raven say he wanted to work made them want to laugh.

“Whatever job it takes, I’ll do it,” Raven replied.

“But—”

“The point is, starting today you are not allowed to go to work,” Raven cut in quickly.

Laila still wanted to argue. She still wanted to go help harvest at Mr. Broto’s orchard because missing out on it felt like such a waste. The little bit of money they could earn meant everything.

While waiting for two o’clock in the afternoon, Raven’s heart beat wildly out of control.

Raven even trailed behind Laila wherever she moved.

“Raven, what is wrong with you? You’ve been following me around this whole time. I’m not going to Mr. Broto’s orchard, okay? Are you happy now?” Laila asked, annoyed.

Actually, Laila was quite glad to see that Raven seemed to have come to his senses. But whenever she remembered his behavior over the years, she felt like her burdens were only going to increase, especially with this strange new behavior of his.

“You’re my wife, why shouldn’t I follow you?” Raven answered.

“Raven, I’m on my period,” Laila finally blurted out.

This was the only excuse Laila could use to push Raven away in bed, because normally Raven didn’t care whether she was exhausted or tired. As long as she wasn’t dead, Raven would still demand his rights.

He only knew how to demand his rights, without knowing a thing about his responsibilities.

Originally, Laila had actually refused to be married off to Raven because what woman in her right mind could bear having a husband like that?

However, out of respect for her mother-in-law and a desire to make her happy, Laila figured she would just view it as a way to repay Mrs. Aisyah, who had raised her since she was a little girl. In the end, Laila accepted the marriage.

As someone who grew up alongside Raven, Laila naturally hoped that the man would eventually change. But in reality, he remained just the same—or perhaps even worse.

It had crossed Laila’s mind more than once to file for divorce from Raven and leave him as far away as possible. But she just couldn’t bring herself to abandon her mother-in-law and the younger siblings.

Raven shook his head softly. His heart felt as though it were crushed under thousands of loads, the ache of hearing Laila’s answer was that painful. He wasn’t angry at Laila; rather, he was furious with himself.

“I didn’t mean to ask for that, Laila. I was just following you,” Raven replied.

“Well, you’re bothering me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Laila, who was about to head out back to take in the laundry, froze in her tracks upon hearing Raven apologize. For as long as she could remember, those words were sacred to Raven—he had never once uttered them.

Laila turned around and approached Raven. Her hand slowly reached out to touch her husband’s forehead.

“You don’t have a fever,” she muttered.

Raven caught Laila’s hand, holding her rough, calloused fingers. Gently, Raven kissed them.

“I promise you, I will make you happy, both now and in the future.”

Quickly, Laila pulled her hand away. “Raven, what is wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?”

“Laila, I love you,” Raven confessed, ignoring his wife’s question.

“Raven, if there’s something you want to say, just say it. Don’t act like this because it’s really terrifying,” Laila said, quickly turning away and heading to the backyard to take in the laundry.

Raven watched Laila with a thoroughly unsettled mind. Time and again, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Laila, please don’t leave me. Give me time to fix all my past mistakes,” Raven thought to himself.

Finally, two o’clock in the afternoon passed. Raven let out a sigh of relief.

“Laila, I’m going out. I might not be back until evening. Please don’t go anywhere. Just stay home and wait until I get back. I’ll bring money,” Raven said before setting off for the district town.

“Where are you going?” Laila asked indifferently.

“I’m going to town for a bit, and looking for a job while I’m at it.”

“Oh.”

Laila was completely cold and indifferent toward Raven.

Yet, Raven didn’t get angry. He knew it was the result of Laila’s deep disappointment in him. Any woman would undoubtedly despise him. Fortunately, Laila was still enduring it all up to this day.

“Please don’t go anywhere. Just wait at home until I return,” Raven added.

“Where else would I go? It’s too late to go to Mr. Broto’s orchard, everyone’s already left,” Laila replied sharply.

“You’re not allowed to go anywhere anyway. Just wait for me to come back.”

Raven immediately left the house they referred to as an orphanage. It was a simple semi-permanent structure with rotting wooden walls, and termite nests were everywhere.

The trip from the village to the district town took half an hour by car. Raven quickly flagged down a public van that would take him to town. He was confident that the bank would still be open by the time he arrived.

Sweltering in a car without air conditioning, Raven finally arrived in the district town.

He couldn't help imagining his future life. To check his money, he wouldn't even need to come all the way to the bank like this. He would only need to press a button on his phone, and the mobile banking app would be right there at his fingertips.

Yet now, just to get one million rupiah, he had to travel all this way. Back in his previous life, that same million rupiah would have been easily spent on a single meal.

Eventually, Raven arrived at a bank. He hurried over to the teller since it was already late in the afternoon, meaning the queue wasn't very long anymore.

“I’d like to check this account. Has any money been deposited?” Raven said, handing over his passbook.

The teller took the book from Raven and began checking the computer screen.

“Oh yes, there’s a deposit of US$1,000 entering the account today.”

“Can I withdraw all of it?” Raven asked.

“Yes, you can. How about we also issue you an machine card while we’re at it? That way, if any money comes in later, you won’t have to queue at the bank. You can just make cash withdrawals at an machine on behind.”

Raven nodded, even though he knew that in this year, machine were not widely spread, especially for someone living in a village.

Now, that US$1,000 was right there in Raven’s hands. He widened his eyes in disbelief, marveling that the system had actually given him this much money.

“I have to buy a gift for Laila,” Raven said, a bright smile blooming across his lips.