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Bride Price Controversy
墨書 Inktalez
I sat on the wedding bed for two hours, glancing down at my phone. The agreed time to enter was 7:18, and now it was already 7:30 with no sign of Xu Chi.
The silence outside was unnerving, and my heart raced like a rabbit trapped in my chest. Relatives and friends began to murmur quietly.
The videographer leaned in to whisper to his assistant, "It's the first time I've seen a groom arrive late; this is interesting."
My aunt shot me a nervous glance. "What if something really happened?"
My second uncle immediately nudged her. "What nonsense are you talking about!"
My mother squeezed through the crowd and leaned in to ask, "What's going on with Xu Chi? Should we call him? I hope nothing happened on the way!"
My heart sank, and I disregarded the customs, lifting my veil to pull out my phone and dial Xu Chi's number.
After a few rings, he answered, but to my surprise, it was Xu Chi's mother on the line.
As soon as she spoke, she asked, "Xinran, will you be able to bring back the Eighty-Eight Thousand Betrothal Gifts today?"
I was taken aback, not understanding why she suddenly brought this up. I could only explain, "Mom, according to our customs, the Bride Price isn't taken back."
"But don't worry, I'll save that money for you two to use in your life together," she said with a sharp laugh.
"Xinran, you're pregnant now. You young people spend money so freely. If you bring the money back, I'll keep it for you as your child's education fund."
Suddenly, everything clicked into place; their family had clearly planned this all along.
No wonder there had been a month-long argument over the Bride Price, and now suddenly they were relenting.
I glanced around the room; everyone was quietly watching me, listening to my phone call. I didn’t want to make things too awkward, so I steeled myself and said, “Mom, let’s discuss this later. For now, please let Xu Chi come to pick me up. The relatives and videographers are all waiting; we’ve already missed the auspicious time.”
Xu Chi's mother still wouldn’t budge. “You young people don’t understand. It’s not wrong to listen to your elders. Am I trying to harm you?”
I looked at my mother, who wore a worried expression, her hands clasped tightly together as she mouthed to me, “What’s going on?”
I bit my lip. The hotel was booked, the invitations sent out, and relatives and friends were probably already on their way. If something went wrong today, it wouldn’t just be my face on the line; it would also reflect poorly on my parents.
I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. “Alright, Mom, we’ll do it your way. I’ll bring back eighty-eight thousand.”
I thought that would settle things, but just as I took a step back, Xu Chi's mother struck again. “Now that’s what makes a good daughter-in-law.”
“Oh, and by the way, Xu Chi’s younger brother is dating too. That girl’s father is a leader; she’s quite suitable for our family.”
I was growing increasingly anxious, sweat threatening to ruin my makeup. I couldn’t understand why she was bringing this up now; all I could do was endure and listen.
Xu Chi's mother spoke in a commanding tone: “This girl seems alright, but she requires that Xu Chi has a marital home.”
My heart sank as I raised my voice: “Are you suggesting that we give our marital home to his brother? That’s absolutely out of the question!”
She chuckled and said, "I heard from Xiao Chi that your family has a house in the city, right? The one at Green Water Pavilion, it's over a hundred square meters, isn't it? You’re not living there now, so why not use it as a wedding house for his brother? A little over a hundred is a bit small, but our family doesn’t mind. They can make do for now and upgrade later."
I was taken aback by her mother's shamelessness, momentarily at a loss for words. After a while, I dug my nails deep into my palm, suppressing my anger. "Mom, please hand the phone to Xu Chi."
I needed to see if this was the consensus of their family. If Xu Chi felt the same way, then there was no need to go through with this marriage.
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