Having spent so much time together, Li Mei had figured out He Ci's temperament and knew that he was a trustworthy person. The two children liked each other, and Li Mei didn't want to be the bad guy anymore.
She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Get up quickly. If I didn't want to grant your wish, I would let you two cause trouble at home."
"Thank you for your support, Mom and Dad. I believe Ci-ge will treat me well, and we will take good care of our parents."
Su Qiang helped them up, and then the family sat down at the dinner table to start talking about serious matters.
"Your father and I have discussed it and decided to set the wedding date for the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. It may be a bit rushed, but we should still have time to prepare."
He Ci was very grateful for his parents' understanding. "Mom and Dad, although I am a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family, I will ask for a normal dowry. The question is, do you want me, your adopted son?"
One sentence made everyone laugh, and Su Qiang finally got a chance to speak.
"Yes, yes, yes! Such an outstanding son is hard to find even with a lantern. Are your parents really willing to give him up?"
Li Mei had the same problem. After all, He Ci's identity was what it was, and he would have to go back sooner or later. Whether his parents could accept Ning'er was another matter.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have said those things earlier. They couldn't bring themselves to let He Ci marry into their family. It's not easy for them to raise a son. Li Mei was still worried that her daughter would be bullied.
"Dad, Mom, they can't make my decision about marriage. I'm determined to marry Ning'er. Whether they accept it or not, I will choose my own life."
Li Mei was very pleased. He Ci was quite opinionated. As long as he protected her, she was sure her daughter wouldn't suffer any losses after marriage.
Soon the news of Su Ning and He Ci's upcoming marriage spread throughout the village, and He Ci hired a matchmaker to present the betrothal gifts to Su Ning's family.
In the countryside, people value proper marriage and not illicit unions. He Ci didn't want people to gossip behind his back, and Li Mei said that the bride price shouldn't be too ostentatious, as there are many people who are envious in this day and age.
In the village, the betrothal gift is 3,300 yuan. He Ci felt that this was a bit too little and would be unfair to Su Ning. If it were in Hong Kong, he would definitely give a betrothal gift of 10 million yuan.
In the end, Li Mei couldn't persuade He Ci otherwise. 100,000 was He Ci's bottom line. Then, He Ci bought a gold bracelet, a gold necklace, and gold earrings, commonly known as the "three golds," one in platinum and one in gold, as well as a motorcycle, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a color TV, a sewing machine, a sofa, and furniture.
According to custom, these gifts are paid by the bride from the groom's betrothal gifts. He Ci's betrothal gifts were the first of their kind in the village. Everyone knew he was marrying into the family, but no one expected him to be such a wealthy son-in-law.
There are quite a few people in the village who are jealous and have all sorts of complaints. Their tone is so sour, as if they've fallen into a vat of vinegar. Even the relatives who used to look down on Su Ning's family are now coming to curry favor with her.
This move certainly gave Li Mei and Su Qiang a lot of face. The dowry of 100,000 yuan was given by the son-in-law who was marrying into the family. They couldn't understand why He Ci, who was so rich, would give money away.
Some nosy aunties and grandmas asked He Ci if he had any brothers in his family, or if he knew anyone like that.
He Ci was also quite familiar with these older women, he joked.
"I don't have any biological children, but I have several friends. I'll ask them tomorrow if they're willing to marry into my family."
Sun Man's mother was among them. She felt that her daughter had been working in Gangcheng for a year and was quite familiar with He Ci. She thought that such a friend should be introduced to her family first.
Sun Man's mother, Wang Ju, squeezed in front of He Ci, her face crinkling with smiles. She was going all out for her daughter.
“Xiao He! You and Mengmeng are friends, after all. If you have any good things to say, you should think of your aunt first. Mengmeng is getting on in years, and your aunt is worried about her.”
He Ci knows Sun Meng's mother, and he also knows about Lu Zhou and Sun Meng! He just doesn't know if his brother would be as willing to go all out as he is.
"Don't worry, Auntie. I have a brother you'll definitely like when you meet him. His family background is also good. You'll have to ask him if you want him to be your son-in-law."
Wang Ju's eyes lit up when she heard this, "Okay, okay, it doesn't matter if he comes to visit or not, as long as he has good character and a good family background, that's fine."
The few brothers who had come from the port city were unaware that He Ci had already sold them out. Once they entered the village, they would become highly sought-after.
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