Chapter 26 The Bride Price Controversy
When Li Cuihua heard the news, her face turned green instantly.
Could it be that she was thinking wrongly? What kind of extraordinary background does this Su educated youth have?
Otherwise, how could Li Yue'e, the woman, be willing to give such a high bride price?
When her old son married his wife, her family only gave a bride price of 200 yuan, which was already considered high, and her old daughter-in-law was still a salaried worker. The more
Li Cuihua thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. She was so anxious that she stopped picking peanuts and walked around the sun-drying field.
"Cuihua, what are you doing? You're making me dizzy." An auntie was a little dissatisfied.
"It's okay, I ate lunch at noon to help digest the food." Li Cuihua waved her hand casually.
The aunties looked at each other in bewilderment. People these days can't even eat enough, but they still need to digest the food. If you want to lie, tell it seriously.
An auntie who didn't get along with Li Cuihua laughed and said, "Don't you feel that you are being outshined because Li Yue'e gave a high price for the bride price?"
Li Cuihua was about to scold her, but she suddenly stopped.
Yes! Maybe this was Li Yue'e's trick, and she spread it deliberately for her to hear.
The money was sealed in Honghong, and it was just how much she said. Even if it was not that much, Su Zhiqing, an outsider, would not dare to say it out loud and slap her mother-in-law in the face. Maybe she
felt that she could not compare with her old daughter-in-law, so she said it out deliberately to annoy her.
Her old daughter-in-law was paid a salary, and Su Zhiqing was farming in the countryside. This was an obvious fact, and her old daughter-in-law was superior no matter how you looked at it.
Even if the educated youth from Su had a better family, he could still take care of his daughter-in-law for one or two years, but after three or four years, who would still remember that there was a daughter-in-law in the countryside? She might live in the countryside for the rest of her life.
After thinking it through, Li Cuihua was happy again.
"What's there to be worried about? It's her business if she gives a high betrothal gift. It's not like that in my family. I treat everyone equally. If I give so much to only one daughter-in-law, how can the other daughters-in-law feel happy? This is just asking for trouble."
Li Cuihua said, her heart was filled with joy. It would be best if they all got into a fight, so that Li Yue'e would never have a peaceful life.
Besides Li Cuihua, Lu Guihua's mother Zhao Jiuxiang was also upset when she heard the news.
The mother-in-law must be extremely biased. Her daughter only gave a betrothal gift of 50 yuan at that time. When she came to propose marriage, she only brought a small bag of flour.
To put it bluntly, she looked down on their family. Over the years, she has been lukewarm towards their family.
Her daughter is the hero who gave birth to two big fat boys for their family.
The more I think about it, the more angry I get.
Zhao Jiuxiang stopped picking peanuts and told the team leader that she was going to relieve the water. She secretly ran to where Lu Guihua worked, grabbed her and asked.
"Did your mother-in-law really give that Su educated youth a betrothal gift of 400 yuan?"
Lu Guihua was unhappy about this. She clearly said before that she would give 200 yuan, how come it became 400 yuan now.
"I don't know why she would tell such a thing to me, her daughter-in-law. If everyone is spreading it, then it must be true."
Zhao Jiuxiang was really angry at his daughter-in-law for not fighting back.
"Come on, how come you don't know anything? You gave birth to two boys. You will get the lion's share of what the Lu family has in the future. If you give all this money away, how much can you get when you divide the family in the future? You'd better stand up and make trouble for me when you go back, do you hear me?"
"Not to mention 400 yuan, at least I have to make up to 200 yuan for you."
"Did you hear me?"
"Hey, you little girl, don't just work and don't talk, do you hear me?"
Lu Guihua was impatient to listen to her mother, so she could only wave her hand and said, "I know, I know."
"After you make up the betrothal gift, remember to give half of it to your family, your brother is about to get married." Zhao Jiuxiang did not forget to explain.
Lu Guihua curled her lips and said nothing.
In the afternoon, Su Mo received another three acres of land.
Because of the marriage proposal and the 400 yuan gift, Su Mo could clearly feel that the villagers were paying more attention to her. From time to time, she could see three or two aunts passing by in a group, pointing at her and whispering.
When they saw her looking away, they pretended nothing happened and walked away.
Su Mo was speechless.
No wonder they say that rumors in this era can drive people to death. It's okay to be like this for one or two days, but if it goes on for a long time, it's really unbearable.
This is not a bad thing for her. If those who encounter bad things are pointed at like this for a few days, those who have poor tolerance will probably commit suicide.
Lu Changzheng went to the commune post office in the afternoon to make a phone call, but didn't get a definite reply, so he had to go back to the brigade first and call again in the evening to urge them.
Lu Changzheng helped his mother pick peanuts first, and then went to find Su Mo.
When they got to the field, they found his wife was still busy picking peanuts, not even taking a break. Lu Changzheng hurried over to help pick them so that his wife could go back and rest earlier.
"Hey, you don't have to pick them, just help me pick them." Su Mo hurried to stop him, not to take away her energy.
"I'll pick them when we're almost done, it'll only take a few trips."
"My field is easy to pick, it doesn't take much effort. You pick them first, I'll pick one trip here, and auntie will pick one trip over there, we'll take turns."
"No, I'll pick them with you first, so you can go back and rest earlier."
"Aren't you afraid that others will say that you've forgotten your mother because you have a wife?" Su Mo smiled.
"Whether I forgot or not, my mother knows it herself." Lu Changzheng didn't care what others said.
"You have helped me pull the peanuts, but I can't go back yet. I have to help other educated youth pull the peanuts. They have helped me before, so I can't finish it myself. I will go back first."
Lu Changzheng: ...
"Okay, I'll pick them first." Lu Changzheng silently put down the peanut vines and went to pick peanuts.
After Su Mo finished pulling the peanuts, she went to help Ma Xiaojuan. When they finished, it was almost 6 o'clock. Su Mo asked Ma Xiaojuan to help Chen Lan, and she went back to cook.
******
After Lu Guihua returned home, she started to smash pots and bowls in the kitchen, making ping-pong noises everywhere, and she was upset and scolded her two sons until they cried.
Li Yue'e became impatient and came out of the house and said, "What are you dissatisfied with? Just say it directly, don't make indirect accusations."
Lu Guihua didn't dare to say anything again.
"Why don't you say it? Now I give you a chance. If you are dissatisfied with something, tell me quickly. Maybe I can solve it for you. After today, it won't be so easy to say."
"Mother, mother, you are too partial." Lu Guihua said timidly.
"Oh? Why are you partial? Because I gave 400 yuan to the third brother's family as a betrothal gift, and you only got 50 yuan?"
"The third brother's family got 400 yuan, that's because the third brother gave me 200 yuan in private and asked me to give it together. If you want it, ask your man to make up for it."
"That family also gave 200 yuan, mother, you should treat them equally."
"Treating them equally?" Li Yue'e laughed angrily.
"The third brother has been in the army for seven years. Except for the first two years when he sent 5 yuan a month, he sent 20 yuan a month in the next five years. Not to mention the food, clothing and daily necessities he sent back from the army from time to time, just the money he sent in these seven years, he sent 1,320 yuan."
"The third brother has had nothing to eat or drink in these years, and the family has nothing. If I really want to be fair, I would have to give him more than 200 yuan, at least 500 or 600 yuan."
"Didn't you also build a house for your third uncle? That house is much more magnificent than ours." Lu Guihua retorted in a low voice.
"His house is luxurious, that's because he sent money separately. The money his family gave him to build the house is the same as the money your two families gave." Li Yue'e was almost mad. "If you want it to be luxurious, go and get it with your own money. Don't dream of good things without making any contribution to the family."
"How come we haven't contributed to the family? Weiguo pays the family every month, and I gave birth to two big fat grandsons for the Lu family." Lu Guihua said indignantly.
"The second son pays money to the family, but doesn't your family worry about food and drink at home? Paying money has only been a matter of the past two years. What about before that? In a family of four, you do the least work but eat the most."
"Mom, how can you say that about your eldest grandson?"
"What's wrong with the eldest grandson? Let me tell you, I'm not Zhao Jiuxiang. I only treasure boys. Giving birth to a son is not a hero to me. To me, only those who are filial are useful."
"If all the sons born are like the second son, it would be better not to have them."
Ever since Lu Weiguo did that in order to marry Lu Guihua, she has been disappointed in him.
Lu Weiguo just got home and heard his mother's words. He felt wronged: "Mom, how did I offend you? Why don't you give birth to a child?"
"How did you offend me? Look at the good wife you married, she is simply a troublemaker. After the third child is married, separate the family immediately and take your wife to another place. Don't bother me."
"Lu Guihua, what good things have you done this time?" Lu Weiguo yelled directly.
Damn it, he worked so hard in the factory, and now he has to endure this kind of humiliation.
"What can I do? I just said that I should treat everyone equally." Lu Guihua cried, "My mother gave 400 yuan as a betrothal gift to the third son's family, and I can't say a word."
"Of the 400 yuan betrothal gift, 200 yuan was given by the third son, and the family only gave 200 yuan." Li Yue'e said coldly.
"Second son, you tell me. Should the family pay the 200 yuan to the third son?" "
Yes." Lu Weiguo nodded vigorously.
"When we gave your wife 50 yuan as a betrothal gift, was the family giving too little?"
"No," Lu Weiguo said. At that time, giving 50 yuan in the countryside was considered very respectable.
"How much do you want to give as a betrothal gift? Does your wife have the right to manage it?"
"No."
"Then ask your wife what she is making a fuss about. If she is not satisfied with our family, let her pack up and go back to her parents' home. I will marry you another one." Li Yue'e said this and walked into the room.
Lu Guihua was so scared that she dared not cry anymore. She dragged her two sons back to the room in shame. How could she dare to make trouble again?