After a cup of tea, they agreed on their story.
“Mrs. Yan, this wedding dress is indeed a bit expensive. After all, we are going to become in-laws, right? It’s not about making enemies. We understand that you just built a new house and are a little short on money. How about this, we don’t need the wedding dress. Instead, the bride price is five taels of silver, plus a gilded hairpin and two new sets of clothes.”
This time, Old Lady Zhao remained silent; instead, it was Zhao Yuefang's mother, Zhao Zhengshi, who spoke up.
Yan Xia really wanted to laugh at their faces.
This wedding dress was probably just a pretext they used to make up the difference, so that when it came time to negotiate, they could remove the two taels of silver from the dress so she wouldn't be able to bargain for the bride price.
So from beginning to end, all the Zhao family wanted was that five taels of silver as a bride price.
They didn't care at all about the gilded bracelets or the two new sets of clothes.
"We've been discussing the bride price for so long, what is the dowry from your Zhao family?"
Yan Xia did not reply.
Her answers all revolved around her dowry.
If the Zhao family weren't the kind of family that would sell their daughters, then they would have given them five taels. After all, Jin Fu had taken a liking to Yue Fang at first sight, and there was no need for his eldest son to miss out on his sweetheart and regret it for the rest of his life because of two taels of silver.
"A dowry? Of course, there will be one. In our Zhao Family Village, the custom is to give a towel as a dowry. Our family is easy to talk to. Yuefang has been raised by me since she was a young lady from a wealthy family, so I'll give her two towels!"
Yan Xia was so angry she almost laughed.
She had no idea how Zhao Zhengshi could have the audacity to say such a thing.
Two towels?
How much is that?
It's not even worth ten copper coins.
They have the nerve to say they were raised like a pampered young lady? What kind of pampered young lady only gets two towels as part of her dowry?
It's important to know that in ancient times, betrothal gifts were not taken back with the bride.
What's the difference between this and her spending money to buy a wife?
Oh well, since my eldest son likes it, let him be. Consider it money spent to buy his favorability points. Maybe his favorability points will rise to 100 when he gets married.
Yan Xia swallowed her anger, feeling frustrated.
He agreed with a stern face.
On the road.
Even the matchmaker, Xu, was secretly cursing the Zhao family.
"If I had known her family was like this, I wouldn't have introduced them to you. It's my fault too. I thought that Sister Zhao was still as kind as before. People can change. I'm sorry, Xia, I really didn't know it would turn out like this."
"It's nothing, Auntie. You're doing this for my own good. I'm sorry to trouble you with all this running around. I'll need your help to ask the Zhao family for my hand in marriage in seven days."
Yan Xia didn't blame Xu the matchmaker for this.
Since you've already agreed, there's no need to talk about them behind their backs.
Otherwise, how will Jin Fu get along with the Zhao family in the future? They can't keep their daughter-in-law from ever returning to her parents' home again.
If the daughter-in-law goes back, the son will naturally have to accompany her.
Why.
This was the first time Yan Xia had ever felt like a mother.
I'm so tired!
Back home, Jin Fu was weaving bamboo baskets in the yard, looking restless.
"Mother, how is it?"
Upon seeing his mother enter, Jin Fu immediately stood up and asked.
"Alright, in seven days your Grandma Xu will go to propose marriage. We need to send her a betrothal gift in advance, just a pound of pork and two strings of cash, that's quite generous."
"Hehe, Mom, you've worked hard. Let your son give you a back massage."
Jin Fu grinned foolishly and pulled Yan Xia to sit down on a chair.
This sight made Yan Xia glad that she hadn't lost her temper at the Zhao family.
It seems this silly boy has fallen in love with Yuefang at first sight. Well, such a beautiful girl is hard to find even with a lantern.
"Mother, how much is the bride price you've discussed?"
Yan Xia was stunned for a moment.
He said in a low voice.
"Five taels of silver plus a gilded hairpin."
"What? Five taels of silver? My goodness! Is this to help my eldest brother marry a fairy? And what's with the gilded hairpin? Did she only ask for it because she saw you buying hairpins for me and my second sister?"
Wax Plum happened to come back from outside and was so excited when she heard this.
This house only cost a dozen taels of silver; five taels of silver could build a room.
Could it be that my sister-in-law is a girl from town?
That's an outrageous dowry demand.
Her best friend had just gotten engaged, and the bride price was only one tael.
"Mother, why don't you give this hairpin to my sister-in-law? It'll save you from having to buy a new one. I've only worn it a few times; it's still brand new."
Guihua heard her sister's words and came out of the kitchen. She took off the hairpin from her hair and handed it to Yanxia.
"Mother, I don't want to marry her anymore."
Jin Fu murmured, his smile vanishing the moment he heard about the bride price.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Your mother has already agreed. Why are you all worrying about this? Your mother has money. Didn't we just sell the grizzly bear? It's alright, there's enough money. Not to mention marrying your eldest sister-in-law, your mother has even saved the money for your third brother's wedding, as well as the dowries for your two girls. That's all! Let's not talk about this anymore. Have you cooked? Your mother didn't eat enough this morning and is starving."
Changing the subject, Yan Xia went into the main room.
She could sense how downcast Kim Bok was when he said those words.
The children are all very sensible.
I don't want to add to her burden.
Therefore, under Yan Xia's strong insistence, Jin Fu had no choice but to compromise.
These past few days, he accompanied his mother to town, where they bought meat for Grandma Xu, picked out a gilded hairpin for his future wife, and even got her two pieces of fresh fabric to make clothes that would look beautiful on her.
Jin Fu secretly vowed in his heart that he would definitely return the money he had spent on marrying Yuefang to his mother in the future.
After the wedding, he went to town to do odd jobs.
Seven days later, Xu the matchmaker's first attempt to propose marriage failed, but she cheerfully declared that she would come again the next day.
Generally speaking, the second time will be successful.
However, the Zhao family refused again.
On the third attempt, Yan Xia's family waited all morning, but Xu the matchmaker still hadn't returned. Jin Fu was restless, while Yan Xia remained calm, eating and drinking as usual.
"You little rascal, do you have fleas in your butt? Your Grandma Xu will be back by noon at the latest. Don't worry, she'll definitely agree on the third time. I guess the Zhao family is trying to test us."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the door.
Jin Fu quickly opened the door, but Xu the matchmaker walked into the Yan family home with a dark face.
"The Zhao family is truly heartless and deserves to die a horrible death! I've helped them so much, and they're trying to trample on my dignity! How am I supposed to continue working in this line of work after this?"
Yan Xia's heart skipped a beat.
"What's wrong, Auntie?"
"That utterly shameless Zhao family actually went on to be interested in two different matchmakers at the same time! I knew something was wrong when they refused the second time, but I didn't tell you, afraid you'd worry. So I asked an old friend from Zhao Village to help me investigate. But no sooner had I left than another matchmaker went to her house. So, they were comparing who offered the bigger dowry? Did she really think her eldest granddaughter was some kind of fairy from heaven? Bah! Shameless! The whole family is a bunch of scoundrels!"
Yan Xia's expression also darkened.
"It's not over yet," Xu the matchmaker continued, grumbling and cursing.
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