Having achieved his goal, Wu Shih-ren's eyes flashed with joy, but he suppressed the smile on his lips.
"I don't have any special requests. I've already discussed it with Chen Feng. I don't need the secret recipe for the mala tang, but you must give double the monetary gift."
Seeing his greedy appearance, Chen Zhanshan laughed in anger, "You just said you didn't have any requirements, but you're asking for double the dowry. I think you're not marrying off your daughter, but selling her. If that's the case, then this marriage can't be discussed anymore."
Wu Shiren's face stiffened, and he quickly explained with a smile, "I only have one daughter, Cuihua. I spoiled her since she was a child. I would give her anything she wanted, and I was afraid she would break if I held her in my hands or melt if I kept her in my mouth."
Raising her took so much of my time and energy. Now, all I'm asking for is an extra dowry, why are you making such a fuss? Besides, your family's circumstances aren't what they used to be; surely a few hundred taels of silver isn't something to be so stingy about!
Chen Qingqing sneered, "A mere few hundred taels of silver, how dare you even say that? You should have done your research. Even the best girls in Qingshui Town only get twenty taels of silver as a wedding gift. You're asking for four hundred taels of silver. Why don't you just rob someone!"
"Exactly! Just now you were saying it was for the sake of the two children, and now you want double the dowry. It's utterly ridiculous!" Madam Lin rolled her eyes at Wu Shiren. "Sorry, the Chen family can't afford to marry your daughter. You can leave now!"
Chen Zhanshan, his face grim, dismissed them, saying, "If you don't even have this much sincerity, what else is there to talk about? Goodbye."
Hearing their words, Wu Shiren panicked. If he didn't go through with the marriage, it might ruin his daughter's happiness for the rest of her life.
There are no women who can't get married, only men who can't find wives!
But with his daughter in that state, no good family would accept her; only people with disabilities or physical impairments would be willing to marry her.
The thought of that outcome made his heart clench with pain.
If it weren't for that secret recipe, things wouldn't have come to this point; he had forcibly broken up a perfectly good marriage.
He took a deep breath, looked at Chen Feng, his eyes full of pleading, "Chen Feng, Cuihua is in such a state now. If you don't take care of her, she won't survive. You can't abandon her..."
Chen Feng bit his lip. "Father, Mother, Cuihua is a good girl. I can't bear to see her sad."
Wu Shiren's eyes gleamed with pride. This kid has a conscience; Cuihua's sincere efforts weren't in vain.
Madam Lin shook her head and sighed, feigning difficulty, "My son, Cuihua is a good girl, but with four hundred taels of silver, you can find any kind of girl you want. Why do you have to marry a bald man?"
“Your mother is right, I disagree,” Chen Zhanshan snorted coldly.
Seeing their firm stance, Wu Shih-ren completely panicked. If the negotiations broke down, there would be no room for maneuver.
In order to ensure his daughter's smooth marriage, he didn't want to ask for any more dowry.
"Brother Zhanshan, you just think the dowry I asked for is a bit too much, right? That's negotiable. I won't ask for more. Let's just keep the original two hundred taels of silver, plus a courtyard. Is that alright?"
Seeing that he was losing his temper, Chen Qingqing sneered, "Sister Cuihua was indeed worth these things before, but things are different now. She has contracted a strange disease and was rejected by the Wang family. Her reputation is ruined. Although my brother doesn't mind, no one knows if her strange disease can be cured or if it will affect her ability to continue the Chen family line. What if her condition worsens and she passes away after marriage? Wouldn't that be too unlucky for our Chen family?"
Madam Lin nodded repeatedly, "Yes, what my daughter said is true. If it weren't for the fact that Cuihua is somewhat sincere towards my son, I wouldn't agree to this marriage even if I had to pay extra."
Wu Shih-ren's face darkened, and he was immediately at a loss for what to do.
He was determined to finalize the marriage today, even if it cost him money.
Having made up his mind, he quickly put on a smiling face and said, "It's just a bride price, what's the big deal? Why don't you give whatever you think is appropriate? Is that alright?"
Lin sighed regretfully, "Brother Wu, it's not about how much money the bride price is now. A child's marriage is a lifelong matter and cannot be taken lightly. Let us think about it some more. If we really think the two children are suitable, then we will go to your house to propose marriage."
Wu Shih-ren was both angry and anxious. These stubborn people wouldn't budge no matter how much he tried to lead them, and they would back down no matter how much he tried to push them. Even after he had said all that, they still managed to hold him back.
He really wanted to walk away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. If he really walked out that door, his daughter's marriage would be in serious jeopardy.
What should I do? Am I really going to have to pay out of my own pocket?
Seeing that the situation had reached a stalemate, Madam Wu also tried to smooth things over.
"Our Wu family doesn't care about a mere few hundred taels of silver. The main thing is that our master cares a lot about his reputation. The reason you gave so much is to let the Wang family see that our Wu family's daughters are not unmarriageable, but rather highly sought after."
The money we're asking for is purely for Cuihua's protection. Don't worry, no matter how much silver you give, we won't keep any of it. We'll give it all to Cuihua when she marries into the family.
These words were so reasonable and persuasive that no one could refute them, and Lin was at a loss for words.
Wu Shiren had expected the Chen family to agree readily, but to his surprise, none of them responded, which made him very anxious.
He gritted his teeth and made a great decision, "If you agree, I'll give you two hundred taels of silver as a dowry, and I'll buy a house in town for the young couple as their wedding gift. Is that alright?"
Chen Qingqing smiled with satisfaction. The dowry was meant to be a guarantee for the newlyweds to start a family and embark on a better life. As for the courtyard that came with the dowry, it was a pleasant surprise.
"Since Manager Wu is so sincere in offering to provide the newlyweds with a dowry courtyard, we are willing to pay the two hundred taels of silver as a wedding gift."
After hearing these words, Chen Zhanshan and Lin exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.
To make sure Wu Shiren wasn't acting on impulse, Chen Zhanshan pressed on, "Brother Wu, don't say things in anger. Go back and think it over carefully, lest you regret it later."
"Hey my brother, do you think I'm just saying this out of anger? I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, we can even sign a written agreement right now."
Wu Shiren was so anxious he was almost crying. He was really afraid that the Chen family would not agree to the marriage. With his daughter's current conditions, it would be incredibly lucky for her to marry Chen Feng.
Chen Qingqing smiled slightly, "Let's forget about the written agreement. We'll just exchange the birth charter and have the marriage certificate written at the government office. That way, the marriage will be considered settled, and neither family can back out."
With the official marriage invitation, the marriage was legally binding. Even if Wu Shiren later made unreasonable demands or tried to back out, it would be impossible for him to do so...
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