Chapter 4: Encounter Xie Yanli again!
Song Qiao paused for a moment and her face turned red. She was in a hurry to get to the restaurant and didn't carefully check what the shopping guide gave her. Xu Qin had been a widow for many years, and it was really inappropriate for her to give such a gift.
She explained with a guilty look on her face: "I'm sorry, Auntie, I was in a hurry to come here so I didn't pay attention..."
"Okay, I know you never care about me, but this has happened more than once or twice, I'm used to it, sit down, I have something else to tell you."
Before Song Qiao could finish his words, Xu Qin interrupted in a sarcastic tone.
Song Qiao suddenly felt very aggrieved. Ever since she and Chen Yang had been together, she had been particularly attentive to Xu Qin. She just didn't know what was going on. No matter how she tried to please Xu Qin, Xu Qin always found fault with her.
She pursed her lips and was about to speak when Chen Yang put his arm around her waist and sat down.
"Song Qiao, you are from the city, so you may not understand the customs of our hometown. Let me tell you, when a girl gets married here, her parents have to give her 'waist money'. I wonder how much your family plans to give at that time?" Xu Qin spoke with a matter-of-fact look.
"A deposit?" Song Qiao looked at Chen Yang in confusion.
Chen Yang looked up guiltily. He gently touched Song Qiao's hand under the table, motioning her to accept it first.
Chen Yang's action immediately reminded Song Qiao of the time when Xu Qin insisted that he take out his savings to build a house in his hometown, and he also begged her in the same cautious way.
"Qiao Qiao, my mother has old-fashioned ideas. She hopes that I can return to my hometown in the future. It was not easy for her to raise me. We should just follow her will."
This time she was not going to compromise. She moved Chen Yang's hand away and replied calmly, "Auntie, I can pay the "waist money" according to your rules. How much do you plan to give me as a betrothal gift?"
Xu Qin's wrinkled eyes twitched, and she said confidently: "Song Qiao, I really can't afford a penny for the betrothal gift. Since you and Chen Yang are about to become a family, you should be more considerate of him and stop caring too much."
"Since you are unwilling to pay the bride price, why do you ask for a 'waist money'?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the air froze instantly.
After a moment's silence, Xu Qin glanced at Song Qiao and spread her hands.
"That's because your family can afford it. My family doesn't have money. Chen Yang's father left us when he was a few years old. I make a living by farming during the day and mending clothes for others at night. My fingers have blisters from rubbing to support his studies. Now I have even taken out my own pension money to build a house for him. What else do you want? Are you going to force me to sell blood to satisfy you?"
Song Qiao knew that Xu Qin was unreasonable. She looked at Chen Yang and asked calmly, "Chen Yang, what do you mean?"
Chen Yang and Song Qiao's eyes met, and he immediately lowered his head.
Silence means consent, and Song Qiao felt a little disappointed.
Seeing that Chen Yang didn't say anything, Xu Qin instantly felt relieved. She coughed lightly and said indifferently, "Chen Yang hasn't married yet. I still have the final say in everything at home. Young people nowadays are just spoiled. We didn't have any dowry in the past, and we lived a good life."
She crossed her arms and curled her lips as she spoke: "Song Qiao, the betrothal gifts are all empty talk. The real thing is for you two to get married and live a good life together. Since you love Chen Yang, why make things difficult for him?"
Song Qiao saw Chen Yang's head lowered even more. She was extremely dissatisfied with his inaction, and felt aggrieved and angry at the same time.
She wanted to argue with you, but in the end she suppressed her anger and spoke as calmly as possible: "Auntie, asking for a dowry does not conflict with my love for Chen Yang, and the suffering of you and Chen Yang is not caused by me. You don't have to mention this to me every time. I came to discuss the dowry with you just because I want to live a good life with him. I didn't ask for too much and deliberately embarrass you. The dowry is a commitment to marriage and a respect for me."
"Anyway, my family really can't afford a penny for the bride price. I'm from the countryside, and I don't have as many twists and turns as you city people. I just believe in one thing: marry a chicken and a dog and follow the dog. If you despise my family being poor, then break up with Chen Yang and find someone else."
Xu Qin's face was filled with anger, and she looked like she had given up hope.
As soon as these words were spoken, the air was suddenly filled with a strong smell of gunpowder. Song Qiao looked at Chen Yang again. She thought that if Chen Yang continued to be a dead person, there would be no need for her to stay here any longer.
Chen Yang felt Song Qiao's burning gaze coming towards him, and he knew that if he didn't express his opinion, the marriage would fall through. He stood up and watched them smooth things over: "Mom, Qiao Qiao, we are about to become a family, is there anything that can't be discussed properly?"
He first looked at Xu Qin and said in a soft voice, "Mom, I know you have been worrying about this family and me all your life. I know how hard it is for you and the difficulties at home."
After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Song Qiao, and said tenderly, "Qiao Qiao, I also know that you want a betrothal gift not for money but for respect. You two should calm down first. There is always a way to solve the problem."
Xu Qin snorted and said proudly, "Chen Yang, I also want to give you the money, but my family really has no money left. If you have the ability, let her enter the house without a betrothal gift."
Song Qiao's eyes flashed with determination: "Auntie, since you insist so much, then I'll put my words here. If you are unwilling to pay a penny, then I will reconsider whether I want to marry into your family. After all, no one wants to be wronged and looked down upon by the in-laws as soon as they enter the house."
Seeing Song Qiao's attitude, Chen Yang turned his gaze to Xu Qin again: "Mom, can you please stop talking like that? Qiao Qiao really understands our family."
Xu Qin looked at Chen Yang, and her eyes suddenly turned red. She raised her hand and pointed at Chen Yang angrily, crying and saying, "They say that a man forgets his mother after marrying a wife. Chen Yang, I raised you with my own hands, and you treat me like this? Fine, fine, you can go to the Song family to live your rich life in the future, and I won't stay here to bother you anymore. I'm going back to my hometown now!"
After she finished speaking, she walked out crying. Lin Shiyu quickly stood up and took her arm, and gently comforted her: "Auntie, please don't say angry words. Chen Yang was raised by you. You know him best. He has always been sensible and filial. He is not the kind of person who despises the poor and loves the rich."
Xu Qin rolled her eyes at Chen Yang and said pointedly, "Since he got together with Song Qiao, he is no longer the same Chen Yang. Shiyu, don't pull me in. I'm just an old woman with no money or power. I won't stay here and cause trouble for him."
After she finished speaking, she cried and left the room. Lin Shiyu glanced at Chen Yang and said solemnly, "Chen Yang, it's so late, I'll take Auntie to my house first. But you know Auntie's temper best, I'm afraid I can't persuade her by myself, do you want to go with me?"
Chen Yang didn't say anything. He turned to look at Song Qiao and asked for his opinion.
Song Qiao's heart sank. She pursed her lips and said calmly, "Go ahead."
Chen Yang took Song Qiao's hand and said with a guilty look on his face: "Qiao Qiao, wait for me here, I'll be back soon." After he said that, he followed Lin Shiyu and left quickly.
The private room suddenly became quiet. Song Qiao looked at the table full of untouched food and the nutritional supplements thrown on the ground. Her eyes dimmed and her rims turned red.
Two hours later, Song Qiao still hadn't seen Chen Yang. In fact, this was something she had expected. She stood up and left the private room. After a few steps out of the room, she turned back and picked up the pile of nutritional supplements.
Song Qiao went downstairs dejectedly, paid the bill and left the restaurant. While waiting for the car, the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She didn't care what others thought, she squatted down, covered her face and burst into tears.
Just when she was crying hard, she suddenly heard a mocking voice behind her: "Because of him, is it worth it? With his character, he will cheat even if he gets married."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
