mesbooks Chapter 48: Marriage, Debate [Data Requested]
Chapter 48: Marriage, Debate [Data Requested]
Words,
On the plane, flying towards the small mountain village.
An hour ago, in this quiet little mountain village.
Time stands still before Shen Wenjing, believing she had an infectious disease, called her father for help.
The night, like a coarse cloth soaked in ink, slowly covered the rolling mountains.
The starlight hung sparsely in the sky, offering little illumination.
A mountain breeze swept by, rustling the leaves of the old locust tree at the village entrance.
The remote mountain village has long lost its daytime liveliness, with only a few houses still lit up.
The Shen family's three-story house
It was one of the more impressive houses in the village, with off-white ceramic tiles on the exterior walls.
Three gray sedans were parked at the entrance.
now,
The lobby on the first floor was brightly lit, and the smells of smoke, tea, and the sweet and sour aroma of oranges mingled together, filling the air.
"Yu Mei, I have to say your Jingwen has a good eye; she actually took a liking to Yu Qi."
The speaker was a middle-aged woman dressed in a rather plump manner; she was Wen Xiulian, Shen Yuqi's mother.
She peeled the orange, broke off a segment, popped it into her mouth, covered her mouth with one hand, and laughed happily as she spoke.
This afternoon she heard that the Su family had come to propose marriage, but the Shen family had rejected them outright.
Before she could even settle in, Yu Mei came knocking and spent ages talking about the two children.
Wen Xiulian was a very shrewd person. She understood the meaning on the spot and went home to ask her son Shen Yuqi for his opinion. As soon as the boy heard that it was Shen Wenjing, he nodded vigorously.
She immediately rummaged through the tobacco, alcohol, and health supplements in her house, grabbed them, and rushed to the Shen family's house.
"Our family is rich. After Wenjing marries into our family, she can buy whatever bags she wants, and pick any lipsticks and perfumes she wants. We guarantee she won't suffer in the slightest."
As Wen Xiulian spoke, she reached for the photo album on the table. The album cover was pink with a cartoon bear printed on it, and the corners were already worn.
She turned to the first page.
Inside are photos of Shen Wenjing as a child, with pigtails, wearing a floral dress, standing in a rapeseed field smiling, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Look how beautiful this child was even as a child, and how smart she is in school. When she marries into our family, she will definitely improve our family's genes by a lot."
Wen Xiulian pointed at the photo, becoming more and more satisfied with it.
"Uh-huh."
Yu Mei sat opposite her, holding a cup of tea in her hand. She gently blew on the tea leaves on the surface of the water, her gaze seemingly waiting for something.
Wen Xiulian could easily see through her little scheme.
He immediately put the photo album on the table and leaned forward slightly.
Her smile widened: "Don't worry, we'll take care of all the hardware. Gold necklaces, gold bracelets, gold rings, gold earrings, gold anklets—we'll buy her everything."
"As for the betrothal gift, I'll give 280,000."
"Two hundred and eighty thousand!!"
Yu Mei's voice rose, and she paused in her teacup, spilling a few drops of tea.
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes lit up instantly, her mouth stretched uncontrollably to her ears, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were squeezed into a flower shape.
"Isn't this...is this too much?"
She spoke politely, but her hand had already picked up the thermos and filled Wen Xiulian's cup with water.
"What do you mean, 'a lot'!"
Wen Xiulian waved her hand, exuding an air of wealth and power, "How could our Yuqi's wedding be stingy? It's over 280,000, an auspicious number! In all the surrounding villages, who else can afford to give that much for a wedding? Wenjing will be proud to marry into our family, won't she?"
"Yes, yes, you're right."
Yu Mei nodded repeatedly, beaming from ear to ear, her heart overflowing with joy.
Two hundred and eighty thousand!
In their impoverished mountain village, this was an exceptionally high dowry.
Previously, the highest amount given in the village was 138,000 yuan, which was given to a family whose son was disabled and who was worried that he would not be able to find a wife.
really,
Insisting on breaking off the engagement with the Su family is the absolutely right choice.
Yu Mei was making plans in her mind.
If Wenjing really listened to the old man and married that poor boy Su Nan...
The Su family is already incredibly lucky to be able to come up with 50,000.
What can you do with 50,000?
We wanted to build two more floors on this house, but 50,000 yuan wasn't even enough to buy the bricks.
But 280,000 is a different story.
Not only can they build houses beautifully,
The remaining money can be deposited in the bank to earn interest.
That's enough for the two of them to live on for several years.
"Yu Mei, it's settled then."
Wen Xiulian picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, and continued, "Hehe, I never thought, I really never thought that we used to cut pig feed and collect cow dung together when we were kids, and now we're going to be a family."
"Yes, yes, you really can't predict fate."
Yu Mei smiled and agreed.
"Knock knock knock!"
Suddenly, the sound of the cane striking the ground rang out, heavy and urgent, interrupting their conversation.
Shen Guoli sat in a grand chair against the wall, leaning on a jujube wood cane. His face was flushed red, his white beard twitched, and his eyes were fixed on Yu Mei.
"You're selling your daughter!"
His voice was hoarse, yet carried an undeniable anger, and the tip of his cane scraped several shallow white marks on the ground.
"..."
Yu Mei's smile froze instantly. She put down her teacup, turned to look at Shen Guoli, and showed displeasure.
"How did I sell my daughter?"
She retorted, raising her voice a few decibels, "I let Wenjing marry into Shen Yuqi's family, so she would never have to worry about food or clothing and would live a happy and carefree life. Is that wrong?"
But you, insisting on marrying Wenjing to that poor boy Su Nan, aren't you also selling your granddaughter?
And it's a fire sale! If Wenjing really marries him, she'll be stuck toiling in the fields for the rest of her life, with no hope whatsoever!
"What do you know!"
Shen Guoli trembled with anger, his cane thumping against the ground. "Don't you know what kind of person Shen Yuqi is now? He's always running to the county town, drinking, going to bars, fighting, his mind has long been crooked."
He used to seem honest, but now he's full of tricks. Do you think he'll treat Wenjing well?
"It's different in southern Jiangsu."
Shen Guoli took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly, "I've watched him grow up. He's an honest, upright, hardworking, and responsible young man."
"Don't let his current poverty fool you, I guarantee he'll make something of himself in the future," Shen Guoli added.
"To rise above others?"
"Ha!" Yu Mei scoffed, her face full of disdain.
"What can a poor kid like him possibly achieve? In today's society, without money and power, everything is for naught. Even if he manages to earn some money in the future, can he compare to Shen Yuqi's family, who owns a cement factory?"
Wen Xiulian sat to the side and listened to Shen Guoli talk about his son like that, and her face immediately turned red.
If there weren't so many villagers in the hall, she would have jumped up and started arguing with Shen Guoli long ago. She's not gentle and virtuous at all; on the contrary, she's quite shrewish.
However, after hearing Yu Mei's words, the angry expression on her face subsided slightly.
Wen Xiulian was about to say a few words in defense of her son,
Then another woman's voice came from the side: "Hey, Yumei, your Wenjing is such a good catch, you can't rush into settling down."
The person speaking was Shen Jianping's mother, who had also come to Shen Wenjing's house for a walk that evening.
"I think Wenjing and Jianping are quite a good match."
"My Jianping is really something now. He's about to join a special department with special authority. I heard from that kid that this department has the power to execute first and report later, like a special privilege granted by the emperor in ancient times."
After Shen Wenjing married Jianping, she became an official's wife, which is much more glamorous than being a boss's wife.
She said it was a joke, acting like she was teasing, but her eyes were fixed on Yu Mei, her gaze full of seriousness.
Shen Wenjing is the most beautiful and promising young woman in the village. Who wouldn't want a daughter-in-law like her?
She's good-looking and academically gifted; it's a great honor to take her out.
Moreover, Shen Jianping is about to start working in that mysterious department.
Their future is limitless; Shen Wenjing and her son are a perfect match.
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