"By the way, Jingzhu, what's the matter with you rushing home suddenly today?"
Zhao Jingzhu works in a machinery factory and usually only goes home once on Sundays. If he came home today, something must have happened.
"There is something... I want to tell you..."
When Feng Xiuqin asked, Zhao Jingzhu's hand holding the vegetables paused, and his words were a little unsteady.
"What's going on?"
Zhao Dagang put down his chopsticks and looked at his eldest son intently.
The eldest son has always had a stable temperament, but I don't know why he is so hesitant.
"It's... Xiaohong and I's marriage... her family asked us to settle it as soon as possible..."
When it comes to his marriage, Zhao Jingzhu feels a little unhappy for some reason.
"This is a good thing!"
When Zhao Dagang heard this, his eyes instantly lit up.
I’ve bought this commercial house, and it’s time to talk about marriage.
"Does Xiaohong's family have any requirements?"
Feng Xiuqin knew Zhao Jingzhu best as she knew her son better than her mother.
If everything goes well, Zhao Jingzhu should be very happy.
But now it seems that he is not very happy, and he seems to be in a bit of trouble.
"Alas! Xiaohong's father wants a betrothal gift..."
In front of Feng Xiuqin, Zhao Jingzhu finally took off his guard and spoke out.
"It's not too much to ask for a betrothal gift. Now that everyone's conditions have improved, it's normal to give a betrothal gift."
Feng Xiuqin said disapprovingly.
In the past few years, life was hard for everyone.
When young people get married, they almost never mention the bride price.
In fact, this "betrothal gift" has been around since ancient times.
The girls in Shencheng are very delicate, so it is not too much for the other party to ask for some betrothal gifts.
"Xiaohong's mother wants eight hundred if she opens her mouth!"
Zhao Jingzhu gritted his teeth and finally expressed the pain in his heart.
"What? Eight hundred? This..."
Feng Xiuqin was so surprised by this number that she was speechless.
"This is too much! At first, her family disliked our lack of a house, so our family bought a commercial house as a wedding room without saying a word. Now that she is asking for an 800 yuan gift, we might as well just go and steal the money!"
Zhao Jingmei said indignantly.
"Meizi, don't be so excited yet!"
Zhao Dagang comforted him in a low voice, then turned around and asked Zhao Jingzhu: "Jingzhu, has Xiao Zhu's family ever said what to do with this bride price?"
It wouldn't matter if the Zhu family received the betrothal gift and then sent most of it back as dowry.
Nowadays in Shanghai, it is also very popular for the girl's parents to buy large items as dowries for the newlyweds.
"I didn't tell you... but... I heard Xiaohong... I probably won't give her a dowry..."
Zhao Jingzhu lowered his head and murmured.
"What? This is too much! Isn't this selling your daughter?"
Zhao Jingmei's anger, which had just been extinguished just now, suddenly rose again.
"You also know the situation in Xiaohong's family...she also has a younger brother..."
"If you have a younger brother, you should be greedy for her gift money? If Zhao Jingsong wants to live on my gift money in the future, I will have to break his legs!"
Zhao Jingmei looked at Zhao Jingsong menacingly and even showed his fist at him.
"Sister, I didn't ask for your gift money..."
Zhao Jingsong, who was shot innocently, felt aggrieved.
"Jingzhu, what are you thinking now? Do you want our family to raise 800 yuan for you?"
Compared with Zhao Jingmei's raging anger, Zhao Dagang, who has always had a bad temper, is actually very calm.
Anger cannot solve this kind of problem.
"I don't know what to do either..."
Zhao Jingzhu murmured in a low voice, his eyes full of confusion.
He and Xiaohong are in a free love relationship. Their relationship has always been good, and Zhu's parents have always been very good to him.
But when it came time to talk about marriage, accidents happened frequently, which made him very exhausted both mentally and physically.
Every time he asked Zhu Xiaohong what to do, she always lowered her head and remained silent.
Such a silent attitude made him extremely tired.
"Cousin, what did Sister Xiaohong say?"
Just when everyone was silent, Liu Ye suddenly asked Zhao Jingzhu.
She has also met Zhu Xiaohong. She is a very outgoing and lively girl who is also good at chatting with everyone.
"She didn't say anything, she just gave me another five hundred yuan of her own and asked me to add another three hundred yuan to give to her parents."
When she first bought a commercial house, Zhu Xiaohong secretly gave Zhao Jingzhu 500 yuan for private housing.
Later, the factory issued a policy and refunded a lot of money. Zhao Jingzhu returned the money to Zhu Xiaohong.
Who knew that when it came time to ask for the bride price, Zhu Xiaohong took out the five hundred yuan again.
"This is too ridiculous...Does this count as redeeming yourself?"
Zhao Jingmei was stunned by Zhu Xiaohong's attitude.
He actually used his own personal money to send it to his parents' family as a bride price.
This is really unheard of.
"Cousin, is Sister Xiaohong always so weak and withdrawn when faced with her family's problems?"
Liu Ye did not express any opinion, but just asked another question.
"It's like this. She always said that it was not easy for her parents to raise her, and she should be filial to them..."
Zhao Jingzhu nodded and said weakly.
Zhu Xiaohong herself can be considered very filial to her parents.
I have been working for six years. Except for the 500 yuan I secretly saved, all my other wages have been given to my family.
I usually eat frugally and don't give up food or clothes.
"Then what is her parents' attitude towards her? Do they think that if their daughter earns money, she should give it to the family? Should she support her younger brother?"
Zhao Jingzhu was stunned by Liu Ye's question, and after a while he answered in a low voice: "That's about it..."
Zhu Xiaohong, who is lively and outgoing, is always cautious and even flattering when facing her family.
"Cousin, if this is the case, I advise you not to get married. When you become the son-in-law of the Zhu family, who knows what the Zhu family will ask you to do in the future."
As the saying goes: It is better to demolish ten temples than one marriage.
Liuye has been in society for so many years, so he naturally understands this truth.
The reason why she said this to Zhao Jingzhu so directly was entirely because she regarded Zhao Jingzhu as one of her own family members and considered him wholeheartedly.
Judging from what Zhao Jingzhu means, this girl Zhu Xiaohong is a "disobedient demon"!
We're not even married yet! So much nonsense.
When you get married, there will be more troubles!
"Jingzhu! Mom thinks the same as Liu Ye. Such a family is not a good match!"
Zhu Xiaohong is a good girl, but her family is such a jerk.
She didn't want to have such an in-law, and her son wouldn't be the one who would be in trouble in the future.
"Dad, what do you think?"
Zhao Jingzhu looked at Zhao Dagang expectantly, hoping that he would give a different opinion.
"Jingzhu, didn't you already have an idea in your mind when you went home today? Why are you asking me?"
Zhao Dagang smiled slightly bitterly and took a sip of wine.
My eldest son is a steady-minded person and will stick to it when he makes up his mind.
Now that he has begun to hesitate, it means that he has actually made his decision a long time ago.
"Dad, you still understand me... I just can't make up my mind to separate from Xiaohong..."
Zhao Jingzhu licked his lips and his tone was a bit more somber.
"Jingzhu, long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. You have already made a decision. Let's settle the matter as soon as possible!"
He also felt regretful that his son could not marry Zhu Xiaohong.
However, things in this world are like this.
Two people can't be together, it can only be said that they are not destined.