After that meeting, Huang Qinqin spent her days at home writing and cooking. Time passed by day by day, and nothing new happened.
Until today, someone suddenly came to her and asked with a gossipy look, "Qinqin, was the guy you went on a date with a few days ago named Xu Jingui?"
Huang Qinqin found it a bit strange that someone was suddenly asking about this, and when she was looking for a partner, not many people in the family compound knew about it.
A little puzzled, she asked, "I did meet him, but we didn't think we were a good match, so it didn't work out. Why are you asking about this?"
The man slapped his thigh excitedly and said, "It really is! I came here to tell you out of kindness."
"He came over today to get engaged to Chen Ermei, and Chen Ermei even said..."
Huang Qinqin suddenly had a bad feeling and asked anxiously, "What did Chen Ermei say?"
"She said that Xu Jingui doesn't like you because you're too lazy, and anyone who would marry you is blind."
Huang Qinqin was truly exasperated. If you want to get married, then get married. Why drag her into this? She said to the other woman, "Say whatever you want. Anyway, I don't like Xu Jingui. If Chen Ermei wants to be a stepmother, then let her be one."
"What?! That guy already has a child?! I need to go and gossip about it... no, I need to go and check on him."
"Qinqin, I'm leaving now. I'll come back later to chat with you."
......
"You're back? What did Huang Qinqin say? Did they really meet up?"
When the people gathered at Chen Ermei's house saw that Aunt Hu had returned, they swarmed around her and asked her questions.
Aunt Hu whispered mysteriously, "I'm telling you, that Xu Jingui not only went on a date with Huang Qinqin, but he already has two sons!"
"No way? Really?"
"So Chen Ermei became someone's stepmother? I haven't heard anything about that!"
"Yes, second marriages probably aren't taken this seriously. I saw the groom even came over to make a betrothal, and I heard the bride price is eighty-eight yuan!"
"Wow! Really?! Eighty-eight yuan?! If it were me, I'd be willing to be a stepmother too!"
"That's right. If they can afford such a large dowry, their family must be well-off. Chen Ermei will be living a life of luxury after marrying into their family."
"But none of them mentioned whether the man was divorced before. Should we go and ask him?"
"Who's going to ask? I'm too embarrassed."
"How about we shout it out together?"
The aunties exchanged glances and all thought the suggestion was excellent. Then they hurried over to Chen Ermei's house.
He shouted loudly, "Chen Ermei, I heard your boyfriend has two sons, is it true or not?"
After shouting, they hurriedly walked away. Although they were gossipy, they were also afraid that others would come out and beat them up, so it was better to stay away.
The Chen family, who were originally enjoying a harmonious time, fell silent because of the sudden shout.
Because Xu Jingui offered a high bride price, Chen Ermei's parents, Chen Dazhu and Ma Xiulan, invited all their relatives over.
The house is now packed with people. They know that Xu Jingui is a second-time bride. Although they don't care, they know that many people look down on second-time brides, and they deliberately haven't said anything.
They felt that as long as they didn't say anything, no one else would know, and they would only envy them for having such a generous son-in-law.
As a result, it's been announced out loud by outsiders, and now not only our relatives, but probably everyone in the entire residential compound will know soon.
Don't underestimate how fast some women spread gossip; it can spread to far and wide in no time, and automatically evolve into many different versions.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingui's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly: It must be that woman Huang Qinqin, who is jealous that he chose Chen Ermei instead of him, so she deliberately sent someone to cause trouble.
Thinking of this, Xu Jingui suddenly realized that Huang Qinqin must have feelings for him. He thought to himself, "How can I not want such a beautiful woman who is so infatuated with me?"
He was fine again, his expression shifting from gloomy to sunny, and he couldn't help but show a smug look.
Seeing the change in Xu Jingui's expression, Chen Ermei realized that he truly liked her.
I was happy so quickly because I like her, and I didn't bother arguing with those gossipy women outside.
She felt more and more certain that her decision was right, and that marrying Xu Jingui would allow her to completely escape the misery of her previous life.
She no longer has to be a maid, serving the whole family and being bullied by her in-laws. She's about to start living a good life!
Seeing that Xu Junhui's expression wasn't so bad anymore, the others also stepped in to smooth things over and started chatting again.
After all, it was Chen Ermei who was marrying into the family, and since her family didn't care about this, they were even less concerned. They were just here to freeload a meal, and besides, Chen Ermei had married well; she might even be able to help them in the future.
Ma Xiulan said to everyone, "It's getting late. My second sister and I will go to the kitchen to prepare lunch. You all chat for a bit."
After saying that, she forcefully pulled Chen Ermei towards the kitchen, almost causing Chen Ermei to fall. Xu Jingui, standing to the side, simply watched without saying anything.
...
"How would outsiders know that the son-in-law was married before and has two sons?"
"It must have been that bitch Huang Qinqin who said it! She couldn't find someone she liked, so she doesn't want anyone else to be happy."
Ma Xiulan said while chopping vegetables, "Who cares what she does? Anyway, you're the one getting married now. The son-in-law is willing to give eighty-eight yuan as a bride price. I want to see what kind of person she can find."
When it comes to betrothal gifts: "Mom, how much dowry will my family give me to take with me?"
When Ma Xiulan heard Chen Ermei ask about the dowry, her face fell and she threw down the knife: "Dowry? What dowry?! Don't you need money for food, drink, and shelter at home? And Dabao won't need a bride price when he gets married!"
"We didn't have dowries before; we just married into the family on our own."
“How can this be the same? Jin Gui gave a dowry of eighty-eight. If I don’t bring a single penny of dowry, how will their family view me in the future?” Although she was a little scared when she saw Ma Xiulan’s face fall, Chen Ermei still wanted to try her best.
“You’re already married into the family, do you think they’d abandon you? Anyway, they’ll be counting on you to help them take care of their children, so it doesn’t matter whether you have a dowry or not.”
Chen Ermei knew that her parents didn't really care about their daughters. As long as they earned the dowry, they wouldn't care anymore. But they cared a lot about their younger brother.
So he deliberately said, "Jingui's father started working at the Revolutionary Committee. If he has a problem with our family, will I still be able to help the family in the future? Mom, think about it, doesn't that make sense?"
"If my in-laws think our family is easy to get along with, they might even be able to help my eldest child find a job in the future!"
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