Xu Damao pursed his lips, feeling resentful but not daring to utter another word.
What they said is true. If you get married with a bruise on your head, everyone will laugh at you. Your family will probably be ashamed to face you, and it will definitely become the talk of the town.
Wang Dabao chuckled and said, "Since everyone is willing to help, let's make some plans. Da Mao, what are the woman's requirements?"
Xu Damao scratched his head: "The bride's family said they want to make it a big celebration, and the bride price and other gifts can't be less."
Yi Zhonghai nodded quickly: "Of course, it's only right to give a dowry when someone raises their daughter to this age and she gets married. Our courtyard hasn't had a wedding for several years. A grand wedding not only makes Da Mao look good, but everyone in the courtyard also benefits."
Liu Haizhong nodded and echoed, "Old Yi is right. Everyone should lend a hand and let all the courtyards on this street see how grand the wedding of a bride is at Hongxing Courtyard."
“That would be great. Maybe when I’m looking for someone to marry, they’ll hear that it’s a Hongxing Courtyard and they’ll be eager to marry into the family.”
Liu Guangtian chuckled beside him, "By the way, Da Mao, how much dowry is the bride's family asking for?"
"Eighty yuan." Xu Damao curled his lip.
"How...how much?" Yan Bugui was the first to widen his eyes. "Isn't this a bit too much? But who can blame him when he's got a lot in his belly? Da Mao, you've got two at once."
Yi Zhonghai nodded: "Times have changed. It's not a lot, but it's a wedding after all. The money isn't like buying vegetables where you have to haggle over the price."
Wang Dabao had no say in this matter. He and Xiao Su had already set a wedding date, but they hadn't discussed the bride price. It was only after Xu Damao brought it up that he remembered it.
It seems I'll have to ask Xiao Su tomorrow if I have time. From ancient times to the present, no marriage has ever been done without a bride price. Whether the bride wants it or not is one thing, whether you give it or not is another.
Sure enough, Yan Bugui immediately set his sights on Wang Dabao.
"Da Bao, how's the negotiation going? How much is the bride price?"
Wang Dabao shook his head: "The approximate month has been set, but the bride price hasn't been discussed yet. My wife might have forgotten about it. I'll ask her about it tomorrow."
Everyone was stunned. How could the bride's family forget about the bride price?!
Liu Guangtian arrived quickly: "Uncle Dabao, I don't think it's because they forgot. My aunt didn't even think about asking for it. They don't lack money, and neither do you. They might even give you a lot of money as a dowry."
"I think that's the idea too."
Yan Bugui nodded in agreement, "I saw it last time. That bicycle was brand new, probably just bought so it would be easier for him to come to our compound to find Da Bao."
Last time, Yan Bugui was extremely envious when he saw Xiao Su's bicycle. He had wanted to own a bicycle for many years, but unfortunately, he couldn't afford it because he had a family to support.
Liu Haizhong also felt it was time to flatter her: "Last time Da Bao's wife came to our courtyard, I saw that the clothes she wore were worth at least fifty or sixty yuan, and those leather shoes must have cost at least twenty yuan."
Xu Damao was extremely envious. When he was dating, his girlfriend would buy him this and that, and in the end, he still had to pay eighty yuan as a bride price.
Then look at Wang Dabao. His girlfriend gave him a lighter that cost a hundred or two hundred yuan, and she also had a bicycle. In the end, she didn't even ask for a dowry. Where can you find justice in this?
Comparing people is a recipe for disaster, comparing goods is a recipe for throwing them away!
Even if Xu Damao doesn't marry Qin Jingru, it will be difficult for him to find someone like Wang Dabao. He is aware of this.
When it was time to eat, everyone dispersed.
As the group walked to the central courtyard, Yi Zhonghai immediately invited Wang Dabao to have a drink at his place.
It means that Da Bao is the only child in his family, unlike Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao who have family members waiting for them.
Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao remained silent, knowing that Yi Zhonghai was trying to win over Wang Dabao. It seemed that the old man still harbored thoughts of "restoration."
"Next time, Lao Yi. There are still leftovers from yesterday. I'll make do with them and then go to sleep."
Wang Dabao chuckled and waved to Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai did this deliberately in front of Liu and Xu to remind them not to take him too lightly.
Yi Zhonghai was truly provoked by the attitude of the two people in the front yard just now.
Regardless of Yi Zhonghai's intentions, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao are not afraid at all.
Yi Zhonghai wanted to be the head of the household, but the residents of the compound wouldn't have it.
Wang Dabao went straight into the space farm after returning home. After he gets married, he will have less and less time to enter.
When Yi Zhonghai returned home, his aunt had already prepared the meal.
Two days ago, Yi Zhonghai approached the workshop leader and arranged for Yi's nephew to work in the factory. Although it was just a temporary job, it was still a position he had snatched.
Aunt Yi was very satisfied with this, and she has been cooking different dishes for Yi Zhonghai these past two days.
"What's wrong? Why don't you seem happy to be back today?"
"Hey, there's nothing to be upset about. It's just that Da Mao isn't allowed to get married. Just now, those people in the front yard gave Zhu Zi a piece of their mind, saying he'd never get married in his life."
Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, "To be honest, I'm both angry and heartbroken about Zhu Zi. That kid is so naive, he believes everything he hears, and he's fought with me several times. I really can't do anything about him."
Aunt Yi nodded in agreement: "You know, this child's father ran off with a widow when he was little, and he's been struggling on his own. It's not easy for him, but why doesn't he know how to be grateful? We've been good to him all these years, so why does he still hit you?"
"Maybe it's because I haven't gotten married and haven't grown up. I've reached a certain age, but my mind hasn't kept up."
Yi Zhonghai poured himself a glass of wine, then looked at Aunt Yi and said, "Qin Jingru is going to marry Xu Damao, and he's a bit upset. How about this, you go to his house and call him over for a meal."
Aunt Yi hesitated a bit: "Is it okay? Did you two talk to each other?"
"It's not really talking. I'm the elder, and he's so young. I can only bow my head and say something. Go ahead, whether he comes or not is his business."
"Okay, I'll go take a look."
With that, Aunt Yi went out the door.
Sha Zhu said he was going home to cook, but he had no interest in that at all; his mind was full of Qin Jingru.
Although he complained about Qin Jingru in the front yard, it was only because he couldn't have her.
When he got home and lay in bed, he felt that Qin Jingru was good in every way, except that she had bad taste. How could she have fallen for that idiot Xu Damao?
I'm so angry! I didn't expect things to progress so quickly between them; she's even pregnant.
Just thinking about Xu Damao and Qin Jingru rolling around in bed makes Sha Zhu want to vomit blood.
The child in Qin Jingru's belly should have been Sha Zhu's!
Sha Zhu banged on the bed, cursing God for being blind. It was one thing for Wang Dabao to find a good wife, but she was rich, beautiful, and had status.
But Xu Damao is just a lousy projectionist, not even as good as the cook, and he's also incredibly ugly.
Qin Jingru is truly blind. She didn't marry such a good person like him, but insisted on marrying that big donkey Xu Damao!
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