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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
"Mom, look! Zhao Jin is making a big splash again!" Among the crowd, besides the villagers from the same town, there were also Grandfather Zhao, Grandma Zhao, and Zhao Fourth Uncle's family. The one expressing dissatisfaction was Zhao Fourth Uncle's daughter, Zhao Ying'er.
Zhao Ying'er knew that she had been betrothed to the Qi Family since childhood. In the early years, she didn't mind it at all; in fact, she felt some joy and anticipation. After all, the Qi Family was truly wealthy, and if she married into them, she would never have to worry about food and clothing.
However, later on, the Qi Family fell into poverty. Naturally, Zhao Ying'er refused to marry into the Qi Family anymore.
This time, when her parents and grandparents pressured Zhao Jin to marry into the Qi Family, Zhao Ying'er was well aware of the situation. Not only did she not try to stop it, but she also welcomed it.
Just like her parents said, as long as Zhao Jin married into the Qi Family, their engagement would be settled. In the future, when she wanted to get married, she wouldn't have to deal with gossip—how wonderful!
However, what Zhao Ying'er didn't expect was that the bride price prepared by the Qi Family was so generous that it caught everyone's attention. It made Zhao Ying'er feel envious and resentful, instantly holding a grudge against Zhao Jin.
That bride price should have been hers; it was snatched away from her by Zhao Jin! How shameless!
Chen Cui was also surprised. Wasn't the Qi Family supposed to be so poor that they couldn't even afford a meal? How could they afford such a hefty bride price? Were they just putting on a facade?
Yet even if they were putting on a facade, the Qi Family's performance today brought plenty of face and glory to Zhao Jin's family.
Even though everyone knew that the Qi Family was poor and that this bride price might have come from borrowing money, so what? The Qi Family was willing to go into debt to give face to their future daughter-in-law, Zhao Jin!
Even if life after Zhao Jin's marriage might not be prosperous, at least her wedding would be grand and envied by all! The Qi Family's emphasis on Zhao Jin as their daughter-in-law had already overshadowed material wealth.
At this moment, everyone was thinking more about how well Zhao Jin had chosen her husband and how good this marriage arrangement was. The Qi Family's poverty wasn't an issue; what mattered was how well they treated Zhao Jin.
"Mother, look at this..." Chen Cui certainly did not want Zhao Jin to overshadow Zhao Ying'er. Moreover, this marriage proposal was something their family had forced upon Zhao Jin, despite Ying'er not wanting it.
If everyone saw Zhao Jin marrying so grandly, wouldn't their Ying'er become a joke in everyone's eyes?
Grandma Zhao's expression was grim. She gritted her teeth but didn't utter a word.
Who didn't know that the Qi Family was dirt poor? Being poor should come with the awareness of one's situation; why pretend to be wealthy? What was so impressive about preparing a large bride price? It would just lead to being buried in debt—how embarrassing!
No one paid attention to Grandma Zhao's unspoken sour remarks. Everyone's gaze followed the actions of Zhao Zhenqi's two brothers and the three brothers from the Qi Family, their eyes shining as they watched a cart full of bride price being carried into the Zhao Family's gate, filled with envy.
In an instant, Zhao Jin's marriage and the Qi Family's bride price became hot topics among all the fellow villagers in Willow Leaf Village. When they turned their heads back to see Zhao Ying'er, their expressions inevitably changed.
If Zhao Ying'er hadn't rejected the Qi Family's marriage proposal, all that bride price would have belonged to her...
The excitement outside the door was lost on Zhao Jin's family inside; they were too busy entertaining the three brothers from the Qi Family.
"Come, come, have some water. You must be tired! I specially added sugar," Qi Zheng said. This was his first visit, and bringing so much bride price made the Zhao Family very happy and especially welcoming. Qian Minmin even added extra sugar to the water while calling out to Zhao Jin, "Jin, quickly bring some water to Qi Zheng."
Xu Mei and Sun Chun'er had already started serving water to Qi Ze and Qi Rui, leaving out Qi Zheng, clearly creating an opportunity for the two of them.
Zhao Jin initially thought her skin was thick enough. However, when Qian Minmin called out like that in front of everyone, especially since Qi Zheng actually looked over at her, she felt herself blush deeply.
But still, she had to serve the water. Who was she? She was Zhao Jin! The girl who boldly kissed Qi Zheng on the street in town...
Ah, no, she misspoke; she wasn't a rogue; she was just... swept up in emotion. That's right; she was swept up in emotion—she really wasn't being mischievous!
In her mind, a jumble of thoughts swirled as Zhao Jin slowly took the water from Qian Minmin's hand and walked step by step towards Qi Zheng.
"Hey Jin, what are you dawdling for? At this turtle speed of yours, by the time you deliver the water, your Qi Zheng will be close to dying of thirst." It was still Qian Minmin who spoke, cheerfully teasing Zhao Jin even in front of the three Qi brothers.
There was no way around it; before this, Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng had hardly interacted. Getting married like this was indeed quite awkward. That was why Qian Minmin spared no effort in creating opportunities for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, hoping to help them find some feelings for each other. In short, she wanted to speed up their familiarity with one another.
Zhao Jin did not feel that Qian Minmin's actions would help her get closer to Qi Zheng, but there was definitely some ambiguity between them. For these two young people about to get married, it seemed quite important.
At the very least, Zhao Jin, who originally wouldn't have felt uncomfortable, was now nearly stumbling over her own feet because of Qian Minmin's remark about "your Qi Zheng."
Today's Zhao Jin was like a completely different version from the one encountered in the county—distinctly different in demeanor. However, regardless of which Zhao Jin it was, Qi Zheng could not take his eyes off her.
He had always been fond of only Zhao Jin. Upon learning that he could marry her, Qi Zheng was filled with unprecedented excitement and joy. For the past half month, while preparing the Bride Price, he often stayed up all night but never felt tired; he was full of energy.
It wasn't until today when he brought the Bride Price to Zhao Jin's family and saw her slowly walking towards him with a bowl of water that Qi Zheng began to feel a tangible sense of reality.
Zhao Jin's blushing face, shy expression, and awkward movements were all incredibly adorable in Qi Zheng's eyes. Even his usually cold demeanor softened at this moment, his face displaying a gentle expression with hints of a smile and tenderness in his eyes.
He was truly very happy—happier than ever.
In the end, Zhao Jin delivered the bowl of sweet soup right in front of Qi Zheng. Not daring to look at his face, she shoved the bowl into his hands and turned to escape.
"Jin, where are you going? Take Qi Zheng to your room to chat. You're getting married soon; you two should sit down alone and talk. See if there's anything you're dissatisfied with about each other or what expectations you have for the future. Get familiar with each other," Qian Minmin said, being the only one bold enough to speak in such a situation.
As soon as Qian Minmin finished speaking, Xu Mei and Sun Chun'er nodded along without any objections. They genuinely cared for Zhao Jin and naturally thought of her well-being in everything they did.
Zhao Jin felt her legs go weak, almost stumbling to the ground. Her relationship with Second Sister-in-law had indeed been improving, but who could tell her when Second Sister-in-law had started acting like a matchmaker?
Clearly, when she married Wu Feng in her previous life, Qian Minmin had hardly said a word, only watching coldly as she waited for her to embarrass herself.
Because of Qian Minmin's words, Qi Ze and Qi Rui both looked towards Qi Zheng.
Before coming to the Zhao Family, they had been worried that Zhao Jin was being forced into this, and that Zhao Jin's family would be very unfriendly towards them. However, in reality, Zhao Jin's family was genuinely warm and truly satisfied with their older brother.
Having confirmed this, Qi Ze and Qi Rui both relaxed their tense hearts.
When Qian Minmin suggested that Qi Ze and Zhao Jin spend some time alone together, Qi Ze and Qi Rui almost instantly accepted Zhao Jin as their Sister-in-law. They were now hoping that their older brother wouldn't keep a cold face, as they didn't want to upset Sister-in-law. If Sister-in-law misunderstood that their brother wasn't genuinely fond of this marriage, it would be disastrous.
The brothers' worries were not unfounded. Just looking at Qi Zheng's perpetually cold expression and considering the Qi Family's background, it was true that an ordinary girl might be intimidated by him.
However, Zhao Jin would not be.
When it came to being alone with Qi Zheng, Zhao Jin was definitely willing. Thanks to Qian Minmin, she now had a legitimate reason to take Qi Zheng away. Without hesitation, she took the lead.
Qi Zheng silently followed behind Zhao Jin.
"Come on, both of you uncles should eat something. These were bought by Jin and her two Sisters-in-law from the county; give them a try." After sending off Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin, Xu Mei officially began to entertain Qi Ze and Qi Rui.
Qi Ze was twenty years old this year, while Qi Rui was only thirteen. As an elder, Zhao Guoqiang inevitably put pressure on the two brothers. So they left it to Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan to lighten the atmosphere.
Qi Ze and Qi Rui felt somewhat awkward. However, both sensed the goodwill from the Zhao Family, so even though they weren't entirely comfortable, they straightened their postures and started chatting casually with the two brothers, Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan.
On the other side, Qi Zheng sat on Zhao Jin's bed.
Zhao Jin only realized after entering the room that there were no chairs specifically placed in her room. Since she had brought Qi Zheng inside, the only place to sit was on the bed.
Fortunately, it was Qi Zheng, so Zhao Jin didn't mind. After a moment, she pointed to the bed, indicating for Qi Zheng to sit down.
Qi Zheng hesitated for a moment, looking around the room and confirming that there was indeed nowhere else to sit before leaning against the edge of the bed.
Zhao Jin didn't think too much about it. When it was just the two of them together, she felt increasingly at ease.
"How did you bring so many things? Did you spend a lot of money?" Zhao Jin then took out the three hundred yuan that Xu Mei had given her and handed it directly to Qi Zheng. "Here, see if this is enough to pay off your debt."
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