Chapter 235 Dowry

When Gu Yihan returned to the living room.

Grandma Gu sat on the mat watching Hao Hao and Zhou Ni.

Hearing the door open, she looked up at her granddaughter and gestured to her with her eyes.

Su Nian was sitting on the sofa, wiping away tears and crying.

Gu Yihan smiled slightly at Grandma Gu.

He walked straight to Su Nian and sat down next to her, turning his head to look at her with a puzzled expression: "I remember you weren't this pathetic when you were in school."

"Xiao Han, how can you talk like that?" Grandma Gu glared at her granddaughter and interrupted her.

Su Nian glanced at her son, who was sitting on the stool, sulking.

He said in a low voice, "Xiao Han, you don't understand that a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl."

“My family is far away, and I have no one to support me. My husband’s family won’t respect me either.”

Gu Yihan looked at Su Nian, who was speaking with her head down, with surprise upon hearing this.

With such a large dowry, how could they still be looked down upon? Is the Zhou family some kind of powerful family in the area?

Gu Yihan thought this way, and that's why she asked the question.

Upon hearing this, Grandma Gu looked up at her granddaughter, suppressed a laugh, and said, "The Zhou family is not a wealthy family at all; they are the poorest family in the village."

"If it weren't for Commander Zhou sending money and coupons every year while he was in the army, his family would have to pay less for the production team's grain every year."

She would occasionally chat with Zhou Yan and Su Nian, and knew more than her little granddaughter.

The Zhou family had been poor farmers for eight generations, and it was only with great difficulty that they produced a promising young man named Zhou Jun. The whole family wished they could leech off him.

Gu Yihan was stunned when she heard this. She looked at Su Nian in disbelief and exclaimed, "Where does Zhou Yan's sense of pride come from?"

"Besides, your in-laws are so poor, how can they not support such a wealthy wife like you?"

Gu Yihan really couldn't understand how Su Nian had managed to live her life like this.

Grandma Gu shook her head when she heard her granddaughter's words; she was still too young.

Most mothers-in-law don't like daughters-in-law who are richer than their own sons.

On the one hand, they feel inferior to their in-laws and will try every means to mistreat their daughter-in-law.

On the other hand, they felt that their daughter-in-law was bringing so much dowry when she married into their family.

They practically throw money at each other, and even the dowry they bring is treated as their own property.

Su Nian cried herself to sleep, forced a smile at Gu Yihan, and said, "When I married Zhou Jun, it happened to be a bad time."

"Back then, whether in the countryside or the city, people believed that being poor was a source of pride."

"What?" Gu Yihan thought she had misheard, and asked again, unwilling to give up: "The poorer you are, the more glorious it is?"

Su Nian: "Yes."

Gu Yihan turned to look at Grandma Gu in disbelief.

She has memories from childhood, how could she not know the saying that being poor is glorious?

When Grandma Gu saw her granddaughter looking at her, she gave an awkward smile and said to her, "There is no such saying in our Gu Family Village."

Gu Yihan's gaze shifted to Su Nian. A pampered young lady, how could she be bullied like this after marriage?

For a moment, I didn't know what to say to comfort her, so I could only stay quietly by her side.

"Mom, Auntie has worked so hard taking care of our whole family, why can't you be a little more accommodating to her?"

Zhou Jianghe's youthful, dissatisfied voice sounded extremely abrupt in the quiet living room.

Hearing her son's dissatisfied voice, Su Nian's breath hitched. She looked at Zhou Jianghe incredulously and asked, "You think Mom is wrong?"

Five-year-old Zhou Jianghe couldn't empathize with Su Nian at this moment, and rolled his eyes: "It was your fault to begin with!"

He stretched out his little hand, counted on his fingers, and said, "After I was born, my aunt took care of me. She washed my clothes and cooked my meals."

"And Mom, all you do every day is argue with Auntie, you can't do anything else."

After saying that, she stood up, ran to Su Nian's side, and took her hand: "Mom, apologize to Auntie. I want to go home and watch TV."

Su Nian's face turned pale, and she felt cold all over with anger. She never expected that the son she had carried for ten months would be born.

She wasn't on her side, but on the side of Zhou Yan, the one who hit her.

Gu Yihan and Grandma Gu exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

"Mom, let's go home. This place is no fun at all. There's not even a TV." Zhou Jianghe was still young, so he said what was on his mind.

Looking at Zhou Jianghe's youthful face, Su Nian felt her heart grow colder with every word he spoke.

"Mom, Auntie..."

Before Zhou Jianghe could finish speaking, Su Nian brushed his hand away, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

He said coldly, "Go back by yourself."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianghe's small eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately said, "Mom, I'm leaving."

After saying that, he ran out without waiting for Su Nian's reply.

"A television, a washing machine—these are all part of your dowry?" Gu Yihan asked Su Nian suspiciously.

These are not things that I, Zhou Jun, a mere regimental commander, can afford. Tickets are hard to come by, but money is even better.

Su Nian lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement.

Thinking of Zhou Jianghe's behavior just now, her heart sank. She raised her hands to cover her face, and tears slid through her fingers.

Gu Yihan frowned as she looked at Su Nian, also thinking about Zhou Jianghe's attitude.

Is it really true that girls have a stronger ability to empathize than boys?

Why isn't Zhou Jianghe close to Su Nian at all?

A dozen minutes later

Su Nianping composed herself and looked up at Gu Yihan.

He said in a low voice, "Every time I argue with Zhou Yan, it's because she secretly chews up food and feeds it to Zhou Ni."

"I've told her countless times, but she still won't change."

"As for laundry, we have a washing machine at home. She helps take care of the children, and I give her 20 yuan every month."

"You're still not satisfied with this much?" Grandma Gu looked at Su Nian in surprise.

This is no less profitable than a regular job, and it even includes food and lodging.

"Satisfied? She'll never be satisfied unless she marries a military officer." Su Nian finally understood.

Zhou Yan has become too ambitious and looks down on these ordinary soldiers.

Gu Yihan glanced at Su Nian and said, "Sister Su, you can ask the families of military personnel nearby to help you take care of the child."

She really couldn't understand why, if they couldn't get along, they would still let Zhou Yan live at home and take care of the child.

This is not as good as hiring a stranger to help, at least they won't dare to interfere.

Su Nian smiled, offered no explanation, and told Zhou Yan to go back. She said that in a few days, Zhou's mother would be able to bring the whole family to the family compound.

The criticism and accusations against her and Zhou Jun for being unfilial were aimed at getting Zhou Yan to stay.

Because they couldn't bear to give up the 20 yuan in Zhou Yan's hand.

"I heard from your sister-in-law that Commander Zhou sends half of his salary back to his hometown, and the rest is enough for your family to live on?"

Grandma Gu was really curious. She noticed that Su Nian spent a lot of money on daily necessities. The family often ate meat and bought expensive grains.

"That's enough." Su Nian forced a smile and explained to Grandma Gu.

Zhou Jun's salary is around 140 yuan. After sending it back to his hometown, he still has 70 yuan left. He gives 20 yuan to Zhou Yan, and the rest is enough for a month's expenses.

When it wasn't enough, her dowry was used to make up the difference.