Even after the wedding banquet ended, Lin Xiaoxiao's supposed "biological parents" never showed up. He Meng looked annoyed when she saw Lin Xiaoxiao, and she was furious at being stood up.
Lin Xiaoxiao and Qin Yushen planned that if they didn't show up by tomorrow, they would return to Beijing the day after tomorrow.
That evening was a family dinner at the Zhao family's house, but the two of them didn't attend. Instead, they went to a state-run restaurant to eat authentic Jiangcheng cuisine.
Unbeknownst to Lin Xiaoxiao, while she was happily eating, the newly appointed director of the Jiangcheng Tail-Cutting Association led his men to the military base.
At this moment, the Zhao family was also having dinner. Today was a special day, as the Zhao family had a new member. He Meng was afraid of neglecting her daughter-in-law, so she prepared a large table of dishes.
I was eating when the phone rang.
Zhao Weiguo went to pick her up, and He Meng put a piece of meat on Zhou Mingmei's plate. "Keep eating, don't be shy, just make yourself at home."
Zhou Mingmei was pampered by her parents and brother at home, and even after marrying into the Zhao family, she still maintained the habits she had at her parents' home.
She frowned when she saw that He Meng had put a piece of braised pork with a lot of fat on it.
"Mom, I don't like fatty meat."
After saying that, he picked up the meat and threw it into Zhao Yu's bowl.
He Meng's face stiffened, and she stopped serving her food, saying only, "Then help yourself to whatever you like to eat."
Zhou Mingmei pouted. The dishes on the table looked quite plentiful at first glance, but there were only a few that she liked, and for a moment she lost her appetite.
"Let me get you some food, eat up." Although Zhao Yu wasn't entirely satisfied with Zhou Mingmei's attitude towards He Meng, seeing that she wasn't taking the initiative to pick up food and was just poking at the white rice in her bowl, he still patiently picked up some food for her.
He served her only lean meat, which Zhou Mingmei ate reluctantly.
After finishing his meal, he said, "Mom, don't put scallions in your cooking next time. I don't like them."
He Meng paused for a moment, then reflexively said, "From now on, you'll be cooking. Just put whatever you want in the pot; we won't be picky."
"Me, cook?" Zhou Mingmei slammed down her chopsticks, her expression one of surprise as if she had heard something out of the blue.
He Meng also knew that it was inappropriate to say such things on the first day a new bride entered the family.
But since Zhou Mingmei brought it up, He Meng still wanted to make things clear to her.
"Xiao Yu has to train every day, and the food in the cafeteria isn't very oily, so we all cook at home."
“I used to do it, but I also have to go to work. From now on, you will be in charge of cooking and housework. Your dad and I will give you forty yuan a month for living expenses.”
"No need to cook breakfast; let the father and son grab a bite at the army base. The main thing is lunch and dinner; make sure there's meat at every meal..."
When talking about these things, He Meng got especially excited and kept going on and on.
Zhou Mingmei's expression grew increasingly grim as she listened, and she abruptly turned her head to look at Zhao Yu, "Is that what you're thinking too? You want me to cook for the whole family?"
When did she ever cook a meal at her parents' home?
Why should someone become a nanny and serve the whole family after getting married?
Zhao Yu looked troubled. "Mom has to go to work, you..."
"What does this have to do with me?" Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Mingmei interrupted him, directly expressing her unwillingness through her attitude.
“When you asked for a dowry of 11,000 yuan, my parents didn’t say it was none of their business.” Zhao Yu’s expression changed instantly.
Zhou Mingmei's attitude reminded him of when he first discussed the bride price with her; she did the same thing, asking for an exorbitant bride price right off the bat.
At that time, the Zhao family lost all their wealth because Zhao Dong embezzled state property.
To save face for him, his mother gave Zhou Mingmei two or three thousand yuan over time during their engagement, as a sign of how much she valued this future daughter-in-law.
When discussing the bride price, he frankly told Zhou Mingmei about the current situation of the Zhao family and hoped that Zhou Mingmei could understand. However, Zhou Mingmei still insisted on asking for a bride price of 11,000 yuan.
Zhao Yu didn't know the Zhou family's attitude, but they were likely to support Zhou Mingmei.
To pay the 11,000 yuan dowry, plus the "three turns, one sound, and seventy-two legs" (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), his father borrowed 4,000 yuan from Political Commissar Liu, 2,000 yuan from Division Commander Wu, and his mother shamelessly borrowed 1,000 yuan from his maternal grandfather in the countryside. With what they had left at home, they finally managed to scrape together the dowry.
Basically, I'll have to use my salary for the next two years to pay off my debts.
Zhao Yu asked Zhou Mingmei how the Zhou family handled the bride price and how much they gave her as dowry, but Zhou Mingmei didn't say anything.
It's one thing to treat him like this in front of him, but after she married into the family, she still treats his parents the same way.
Zhao Yu was genuinely angry.
If you had just spoken properly, there would have been room for negotiation.
"Smack!"
Zhou Mingmei slammed her hand on the table. "What? Didn't you beg me to marry you?"
"I only want that much of the bride price. If you have any objections, you don't have to give it. If you do give it, you'll bring up old grievances with me. What's the point of that?"
"I've only just married into this family, and you're already trying to torment me? Dream on."
Zhao Yu's fingers trembled with anger. "You... when has my mother ever tormented you? Even if you don't want to cook, can't you speak properly? She's my mother. Can't you show her some respect?"
Zhou Mingmei rolled her eyes. "You know that's your mother, what does it have to do with me?"
Even her mother can't control her at home, so why should He Meng boss her around?
Zhao Yu's eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he looked at her with disbelief. "Don't you want to live a peaceful life with me?"
"Is it still...?"
He was halfway through his sentence when Zhou Mingmei yelled at him, "Is it that I don't want to live a good life? It's your family that's gone too far."
Seeing that she seemed like a completely different person, Zhao Yu was in a daze.
"Never mind, Xiao Yu." He Meng saw that the couple had started arguing as soon as they got married, and their voices were getting louder and louder. To avoid being laughed at by outsiders, she quickly tugged at Zhao Yu's arm.
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