Chapter 105 Gathering Dowry
"Lu Zhonghe! Come over here and help me up!"
Lu Jianguo roared gruffly.
He lay half-reclined on the stone bench in the courtyard, his voice sounding as if it were being forced out from deep in his throat.
The courtyard was pitch black, with only a faint light leaking through the cracks in the east room window.
This child is so slow to understand.
Can't he see that he has to spend the night with me?
Lu Jianguo glanced toward the entrance of the main room and saw that Lu Zhonghe was still standing there motionless.
He cursed inwardly.
This kid has never had any sense of propriety since he was a child; he's just a hothead!
Lu Zhonghe slowly walked over, helped Lu Jianguo up, and carried him back to his own room.
Lu Jianguo kept cursing.
"You brat, take it easy! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Lu Zhonghe ignored him and just kept walking forward with his head down.
The room was littered with broken tiles, and it took him a while to clear a space where he could lie down.
A broken basket and an old straw mat were piled up in the corner.
He casually dragged it over and spread it on the ground, then rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a worn-out mattress, which he barely managed to smooth out.
I felt somewhat comforted: thankfully, summer is almost here, and the nights aren't too cold.
The thought of marrying Muxiang in a few months warmed his heart.
I'll have my own house then.
I no longer have to squeeze into this cramped place with the old man.
He even started to fantasize about how to decorate the new house, what Muxiang would look like in her red coat, and the envious looks from the villagers.
These thoughts made him temporarily forget his current predicament.
Thankfully it hasn't rained tonight!
He looked up at the roof and saw that several tiles were missing.
If it rains, this house will probably flood.
But before he could finish speaking, the night sky above seemed to hear his "relief," and suddenly the weather changed color.
The thought had barely formed when a thunderclap boomed from the sky.
Immediately afterwards, a pale bolt of lightning ripped through the clouds, illuminating Lu Zhonghe's pale face.
He was startled, his hand trembled, and he almost knocked over the oil lamp.
The moon, which was just shining, was suddenly covered by dark clouds.
The entire village seemed to be encased in a dark dome, filled with the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.
"Damn it! How could I be so unlucky!"
Lu Zhonghe couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.
His brows furrowed, and he muttered to himself again.
"What a run of bad luck, all sorts of misfortunes have come at once."
He looked up at the roof, fearing that it would leak and flood the floor when it rained.
He was furious!
Today has been filled with one problem after another, and nothing has gone smoothly.
First, Shen Cuifen filed for divorce, and now she can't even sleep peacefully.
But I can't have it happen, since I'm lying right next to him.
Just when she was discussing marriage, Lu Jianguo and Shen Cuifen started arguing about getting a divorce.
His mind was filled with Mu Xiang's delicate face.
And then there was her father's cold-faced remark: "If the money isn't right, we'll replace him."
He's twenty-six this year, and it wasn't easy for him to find this marriage partner.
The bride price was over 600 yuan, plus three qian (a unit of currency) in gold, which was already the highest in the village.
If he's delayed because of this mess at home, he'll probably never be able to get married again in his life.
Thinking about this made him feel as if ants were gnawing at his heart.
These two people didn't care whether he lived or died.
If they really get divorced, it's hard to say whether Muxiang would still be willing to marry him.
He glared at Lu Jianguo, who was lying on the other side, and cursed inwardly.
If you want to divorce, then divorce. I won't stop you anyway, but don't drag me down with you!
His marriage to Muxiang involved a proper proposal and the exchange of betrothal gifts.
Now everyone in the village is watching the spectacle, saying that the Lu family is in turmoil and their son can't find a wife.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, but he could only swallow his anger.
He secretly went to see Mu Xiang during the day.
He deliberately avoided the main road at the village entrance and instead made his way to Muxiang's vegetable garden via a small path behind the mountain.
Mu Xiang was picking green beans when she saw him arrive, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.
He quickly recounted in detail the whole story of Shen Cuifen's divorce proceedings.
He emphasized that it was "a momentary impulse" and would absolutely not affect his marriage.
I also asked her if the bride price could be reduced a bit.
"Muxiang, look how close we are, we've known each other since we were little... My family is really having a tough time lately, could you... make an exception for us?"
He looked at her nervously, his palms sweaty.
He knew this request was somewhat shameful, but he couldn't care less about it in order to get married.
As it turned out, Mu Xiang explained it clearly.
Mu Xiang straightened her back, her tone calm yet resolute.
“My father said that if the money is not in place by the end of the month, we will cancel the engagement gift and go talk to the Li family.”
She paused, then added.
"If you really want to marry me, don't delay any longer."
Lu Zhonghe stood frozen in place, his heart sinking to the bottom.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhonghe turned around and shouted at Lu Jianguo.
"Dad! You keep talking about dividing up houses and land! What about the little money we have at home?!"
He stared at Lu Jianguo, his eyes full of questioning. "When you split up the family, you have to leave me a way to survive, right?"
A dowry of 600 yuan is not a small amount; where am I supposed to get the money?
Lu Jianguo was about to lie down when he was startled by the shout and shuddered violently.
He sat up abruptly, instantly sobering up by half.
He glared at Lu Zhonghe, his eyes filled with anger.
"Are you crazy? What are you yelling about in the middle of the night?!"
"Are you trying to kill me, Lu Zhonghe! Can you keep your voice down?! Are you trying to scare me to death?!"
For a moment just now, he really thought that Shen Cuifen had returned with her men.
His heart was still pounding, and he couldn't help but curse again.
"You unfilial son! You'll drive me crazy one of these days!"
Lu Zhonghe pursed his lips and muttered in a low voice.
"I didn't shout that loud... Dad, Muxiang said that if we don't raise enough money for the marriage proposal, her father will immediately give her away to someone else!"
His tone was filled with grievance and urgency.
He stared at Lu Jianguo, hoping to see a hint of relenting on his face.
Lu Jianguo just rolled his eyes and didn't take it seriously at all.
"There are plenty of women out there! I'll just marry him! Six hundred yuan for a gold-plated woman? We'll find another one after that!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhonghe was so angry he almost jumped up.
"You make it sound so easy! Muxiang is the most beautiful girl in the village, so many men are lining up to propose! I finally got her settled, and you think you can just marry her off like that?"
When he married Lu Guizhen, wasn't it just to save up for Lu Zhonghe's dowry?
Lu Jianguo turned over, his back to his son, and muttered to himself.
That year, he sold two acres of land and worked as a cement carrier at a construction site in the city for half a year before he could save up that money.
Now that his son is getting married, where does he find the energy to work so hard again?
But he didn't say it aloud; he just sighed heavily.
Lu Zhonghe was originally heading towards the kitchen door, but he couldn't see the ground clearly in the darkness. His foot sank and he stepped right on Lu Zhongping's right foot, which was wearing an old cloth shoe.
The foot stomped down hard, and Lu Zhongping hissed in pain.
Lu Zhonghe was startled and hurriedly pulled his foot back, wanting to apologize.
But the more anxious you are, the less you can control your movements.
I stepped on a small oil stain on the ground.
His body swayed, his center of gravity lost, and he lost his balance, falling heavily onto the cold cement ground.
"Damn it! Which bastard ran me over?!"
Lu Zhongping's feet were already sore from being stepped on.
This was even worse; when Lu Zhonghe fell, half of his body landed on Lu Zhonghe's thighs and chest.
Lu Zhonghe wasn't actually hurt much from the fall; his back just hit the ground and felt a little numb.
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