"A formal job is a good match for my Meimei. She is worthy of it." Zhang Jidi nodded in affirmation of Grandma Chen. Before she could even smile, he immediately added:

"But my boss said his son is willing to give Meimei a temporary job at the coal factory, plus a 250 yuan gift, which is quite a lot."

400 yuan for a temporary worker, plus 250 yuan for a betrothal gift, that’s 650 yuan!

Grandma Chen was stunned. She knew that regular workers' wives were in high demand, but she didn't expect them to be so popular.

She pursed her lips and was speechless for a long time.

What are you talking about? Is the Chen family's 400 yuan betrothal gift or something else they can get?

Chen Wei is a boy with a plain face and a flat head. He is neither tall nor handsome. He has three older sisters and a younger brother. Both his parents and he are formal employees. However, the leader of the coal factory is at a higher level and is in charge of Zhang Jidi.

What Zhang Jidi didn't say was that she had visited the leader's son, and it was as if he had a genetic mutation, so ugly that it was unbearable to look at. No wonder he chose her second beauty, it must be because of improved genes.

Whoever marries will suffer. She couldn't bear to see Meimei being woken up in the middle of the night by the person next to her.

Seeing that Granny Chen was speechless, Zhang Jidi immediately comforted her and gave her a way out:

"It's not that your family isn't good enough. It's definitely a good thing that the two children have feelings for each other. It's also true that Chen Wei isn't outstanding. They say marry a daughter of high status and marry a daughter of low status. Meimei can't marry too badly, right? She's still young, so I'll take a closer look."

Granny Chen wiped her sweat and forced a smile: "Yes, yes, I understand you. Every mother wants her daughter to live a good life."

She knew that Zhang Jidi didn't need to lie because the matchmaker had many connections and could tell the truth by just asking. Xiang Meimei looked so pretty that there might be someone who could afford the bride price.

"I'm not a stepmother. She's my own flesh and blood. This way, it won't be difficult for you. 400 yuan, plus buy Meimei a watch, and it's settled."

For a watch, the cheapest one is Hero brand at 80 yuan, and the best one is a foreign brand Patek Philippe at 350 yuan, not including tickets.

Take the middle number, a watch worth over a hundred yuan, right? That would be a betrothal gift of over five hundred yuan. Compared to the 650 yuan offered by Zhang Jidi's leader's family, it was indeed not difficult, Grandma Chen calculated quickly in her mind.

"I'll go back and discuss it. We originally planned to give the newlyweds a bicycle ticket. It would be more convenient for them to buy a bicycle." Grandma Chen smiled awkwardly, expressing the man's sincerity.

As for where the money came from, it must have come from the bride price, which she used to buy a car as a dowry.

This ticket can be sold for 60 yuan per piece in the pigeon market.

Zhang Jidi frowned. "Meimei is now an officer in the Propaganda Department. The most important thing is definitely a watch. A bicycle is fine without it, but it would definitely be better if it were."

The woman made a request, and Grandma Chen naturally knew when to quit. She was not afraid of making requests, but she was afraid of being rejected outright and not even willing to listen to the conditions.

She said some soft words to coax Zhang Jidi: "...Okay, I'll go back and talk to Dawei. Meimei has such outstanding qualifications, so she deserves better treatment."

This time, the two came out with smiles on their faces. Xiang Meimei watched her mother send Grandma Chen away, not daring to say a word.

Zhang Jidi couldn't stand her useless look and said, "Stop interfering and go back to your room."

Who is she thinking so much and talking so much for?

The child looked worried that she would make things difficult for Chen Wei, which made people angry.

On the other side, Grandma Chen returned to the match factory compound before dark. Instead of going back to her own home, she went straight to Chen Wei's house.

Mother Chen said thank you for your hard work while pouring water for the sweaty old lady Chen. She also put a few grains of precious sugar in the water and asked: "How is it? Did her family agree?"

"Alas, it didn't work out." Grandma Chen's words made the two of them look unhappy, and the next sentence made them look unhappy again: "I tried my best to persuade her for a long time, and then Meimei's mother gave the conditions.

400 yuan, and you should also buy your wife a watch, and you'd better bring the bicycle ticket as well."

This adds up to more than five hundred yuan, including the two tickets.

Mother Chen looked unhappy. She had a watch ticket, but it was for her younger brother Chen Liang to get married.

Chen Wei, who knew the inside story, looked at his mother's face cautiously and said, "Mom, how about I trade with my younger brother? I'll just buy a watch instead of the bicycle ticket."

Mother Chen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Are you stupid? What do the words 'best' mean?"

The representative of the woman’s family also likes the bicycle ticket, and if you don’t give it, it will not be safe!

"There's nothing we can do. Everyone is competing for betrothal gifts. Meimei's mother said her leader offered her a temporary job and added 250 yuan for betrothal gift, which makes 650 yuan in total. He also knows Meimei's mother very well." Grandma Chen said embarrassedly.

400 yuan, watch ticket plus 160 yuan, bicycle ticket 60 yuan, which is almost the same price as her leader.

Aunt Chen's face darkened. Just as she was about to say she couldn't afford this daughter-in-law, she saw Chen Wei's expression, which made him want to kneel down in front of her. The words got stuck in her throat: "Aunt, wait for my husband to come back and discuss this."

Granny Chen naturally knew that suddenly adding more than a hundred yuan to the watch was not a small amount of money, so she readily agreed: "Okay, you two talk about it, and I'll go back and get it polished for the Xiang family."

She got up and left.

Chen Wei sent his aunt home. Mother Chen was already sitting on her bed, taking out the two tickets.

"Mom, I..." Chen Wei knew that one of the photos belonged to his younger brother. He couldn't say it out loud, but his eyes were full of desire.

Mother Chen sighed: "Children are all debts, and you are my biggest creditor!"

Usually dull as Chen Wei, at this moment he keenly sensed his mother's softness in his heart. He immediately knelt down at Chen's feet and put his head in her arms, as if he was still in his childhood, with his mother holding him in her arms.

Chen Wei's voice choked with sobs: "Mom, you have loved me the most since I was a child. I am not good at speaking and can't say anything funny, but I promise you that your wife and I will be filial to you and dad."