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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
"Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law, there's no need to be busy. Qi Zheng and I went to the county today and had lunch there," Zhao Jin explained to Qian Minmin as she stopped her. "I heard that Fourth Uncle's family has been causing trouble at our house?"
"You heard about it too!" Qian Minmin pouted without hiding her expression, nodding as she spoke. "That's right. Zhao Ying'er from their family is getting married, and they came to our house asking Qi Zheng to give them the bride price he sent you."
"Why are they bringing up Qi Zheng's bride price again? Don't they have enough?" Zhao Jin felt that after marrying into the Qi Family for so long, the matter of the bride price was far behind her.
She didn't expect Zhao Ying'er to still be thinking about these things, which left Zhao Jin speechless.
"They keep coming back because they are shameless," Qian Minmin said, but still went to the kitchen to get two more sets of chopsticks and bowls for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng. "Even if you've eaten, you should have a little more and drink some soup."
This time, Zhao Jin didn't refuse again and pulled Qi Zheng to sit down.
At the dining table, Qian Minmin recounted all the recent commotion caused by Zhao Ying'er to Zhao Jin.
After Zhao Jin married into the Qi Family, the marriage between Zhao Ying'er and Wu Feng had finally been settled after nearly two months of entanglement.
The reason it was called "entangled" was that, according to rumors, the Wu Family was not very satisfied with Zhao Ying'er.
The word "according to" referred to external gossip. Anyway, this was what Qian Minmin had heard.
It seemed that the Wu Family's stance was that Wu Feng had his eyes on Zhao Jin and wanted to marry her instead. They were unhappy that Zhao Jin married into the Qi Family because of Zhao Ying'er.
In fact, it wasn't just the Wu Family; most villagers who knew about Zhao Jin marrying Qi Zheng easily misunderstood the situation. It was commonly believed that Zhao Jin had replaced Zhao Ying'er in marrying into the Qi Family.
Zhao Guoqiang's family never clarified this misunderstanding and didn't think it was necessary to do so.
If they hadn't known in advance, Zhao Jin truly wanted to marry Qi Zheng. Zhao Jin had made her intentions clear to everyone before Grandfather Zhao and others pressured them. The family of Zhao Guoqiang would certainly stand with all the Villagers on this matter.
However, even though the family of Zhao Guoqiang was aware of the situation, they could not deny that the thoughts of the Fellow Villagers were not entirely wrong.
Regarding Zhao Jin marrying Qi Zheng, aside from Zhao Jin's own wishes and attitude, the plans of Grandfather Zhao, Zhao Guofu, and others indeed aimed for Zhao Jin to fulfill the marriage contract with the Qi Family on behalf of Zhao Ying'er.
In such a situation, the family of Zhao Guoqiang found it hard to explain. Anyway, Zhao Jin had already married Qi Zheng, and it was not their family that would be directly affected.
It was just that Zhao Ying'er constantly came to demand what she called her "Bride Price," which left the family of Zhao Guoqiang feeling helpless and annoyed.
This was not the first time Qian Minmin had exchanged words with Zhao Ying'er. Whether in public or private, Qian Minmin had never hidden her dislike for Zhao Ying'er. She was truly oblivious and unreasonable, acting like a complete lunatic!
Just as Qian Minmin was talking with Zhao Jin, unfortunately, Zhao Ying'er showed up again.
"Uncle, Aunt, I'm here again!" Zhao Ying'er wasn't exactly willing to come. However, she felt she had no choice; if she didn't fight for herself now, she would never forgive herself.
With the efforts of her grandparents and parents, her wedding date with Wu Feng had been set. She was getting married next week.
Zhao Ying'er thought simply and stubbornly. If she didn't actively fight for herself now, after getting married, she would have even less chance to come to the family of Zhao Jin to claim what rightfully belonged to her as a "Bride Price."
So, no matter how much the family of Zhao Guoqiang disliked her, Zhao Ying'er gritted her teeth and persisted. She kept coming back for more despite repeated failures.
"Zhao Jin! You're back too!" Spotting Zhao Jin sitting in the living room, Zhao Ying'er suddenly raised her voice, her fighting spirit and emotions surging at once.
"Mm." Meeting Zhao Ying'er's eager gaze, Zhao Jin calmly nodded in response.
"You came back just in time. Let's make things clear between us. When are you going to return the Bride Price that you took from me?" Zhao Ying'er intended to take this Bride Price as her dowry. Therefore, even though Grandfather Zhao and the others were not here to help, Zhao Ying'er still fought alone and came.
"Aren't you already going to marry into the Wu Family? Why are you still coveting my Bride Price?" Zhao Jin was completely at a loss for words when it came to Zhao Ying'er.
Although she knew from her past life that Zhao Ying'er was shameless, she was still surprised by Zhao Ying'er's blatant actions in this life.
Was it because Zhao Ying'er was still too immature now? So she couldn't immediately hide her true nature?
"What do you mean your Bride Price? Zhao Jin, do you even understand what's going on? The one who has an engagement with the Qi Family is me, Zhao Ying'er. Not you, nor anyone from your family. So why do you think you can take the Bride Price sent by the Qi Family?" Zhao Ying'er was being unreasonable. She wasn't completely unfeeling, but compared to feeling guilty, she was more selfish.
As long as she could get back the Bride Price sent by the Qi Family, her dowry would be significantly enhanced. For this reason, Zhao Ying'er was determined and quite expectant.
"Because the one marrying Qi Zheng is me, not you." Compared to Zhao Yinger's agitation and anger, Zhao Jin remained calm, her expression composed and serene.
She truly couldn't understand how thick-skinned Zhao Ying'er could be. However, no matter how shameless Zhao Ying'er was, Zhao Jin would not back down or be modest.
"But you..." Zhao Ying'er was about to continue arguing with Zhao Jin when her gaze suddenly fell on Qi Zheng, who was sitting next to Zhao Jin.
Zhao Ying'er still vividly remembered Qi Zheng's power. His response last time had left her trembling with fear.
Thus, as soon as she met Qi Zheng's gaze, Zhao Ying'er felt a shiver run down her spine and immediately fell silent.
Seeing the obvious contrast in Zhao Yinger's demeanor, Qian Minmin scoffed and couldn't be bothered to say another word to her.
These days, she had been on the verge of confronting Zhao Ying'er physically. If Zhao Ying'er continued to be so unreasonable, the one who would ultimately suffer would definitely not be her.
“Will the Wu Family not give you a Bride Price?” Zhao Jin did not want to argue with Zhao Ying'er about the Qi Family's Bride Price any longer, so he simply changed the topic.
Zhao Ying'er instinctively raised her head and glared at Zhao Jin arrogantly, “Of course they will.”
“Right, since you already have the Wu Family's Bride Price, why do you still want to take the Qi Family's? Aren't you afraid that if the Wu Family finds out about this, they might get angry and refuse to marry you?” Zhao Jin's words hit the nail on the head, completely throwing Zhao Ying'er off balance.
“Zhao Jin, stop cursing me!” Zhao Ying'er placed one hand on her hip and pointed at Zhao Jin with the other, fuming.
How could the Wu Family possibly refuse to marry her? This marriage had already been arranged; it couldn't be changed!
But despite Zhao Ying'er repeatedly reassuring herself in her heart, she still couldn't withstand the impact of Zhao Jin's retort.
“What I said is a fact; why would I curse you?” Facing Zhao Ying'er's anger, Zhao Jin was indifferent. “You should know your own situation regarding your marriage. In any case, if the Wu Family doesn't marry you, it will be your loss.”
“Zhao Jin!” Zhao Ying'er stamped her foot angrily, almost rushing forward to scratch Zhao Jin.
“I’m here,” Zhao Jin nodded. It was hard for him to feel sympathy for Zhao Ying'er, so he didn't care about offending her.
Zhao Ying'er's face turned pale in an instant. She wanted to retaliate strongly against Zhao Jin but couldn't find a single word to say.
Deep down, Zhao Ying'er knew very well that her engagement with Wu Feng was quite forced. It was her one-sided wish that she had desperately pursued. The person Wu Feng liked was not her; the one he truly wanted to marry was clearly someone else.
Thinking of this, Zhao Ying'er shot another fierce glare at Zhao Jin, her eyes filled with uncontrollable anger.
As for the Wu Family's Bride Price, for now, Zhao Ying'er had not received it. Although she was eagerly anticipating it, there was nothing she could do to force it.
Just at the moment when Zhao Jin finished speaking, a voice called out from outside.
“Ying'er, what are you doing here? Hurry up and come home. The Wu Family has sent someone to deliver the Bride Price for you!” Chen Cui's voice was loud, filled with pride and boasting. It was clear that she intended for Zhao Jin's family and the surrounding villagers to hear.
Recently, whenever anyone saw members of their family, they would incessantly bring up Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng's marriage. They often spoke ill of her family, and Zhao Ying'er was not spared either, which made Chen Cui extremely angry.
However, starting today, with the Wu Family's Bride Price in hand, Chen Cui no longer feared the gossip of the villagers.
So what if their Ying'er had rejected the Qi Family's marriage proposal? So what if they hadn't received a Bride Price from the Qi Family? Ying'er was going to marry someone better, and the Bride Price she would receive would be more substantial and impressive!
Filled with joy and pride, Chen Cui hurried into Zhao Jin's family home. She didn't even bother to greet Wu Feng or take a good look at the Bride Price he brought.
In Chen Cui's eyes, the Wu Family's Bride Price was certainly generous enough. Previously, the Wu Family had boasted that if they were to marry Zhao Jin, they would prepare two major gifts.
Chen Cui had already begun to envision a life with a bicycle and a sewing machine at home. Who knows, after some time, they might even be able to buy a television. By then, their family would truly have nothing to worry about.
Hearing that Wu Feng had come to deliver the Bride Price, Zhao Ying'er was overjoyed and rushed home without caring about anything else.
No one in Zhao Jin's family stopped Zhao Ying'er; in fact, they were more than happy for her to leave and stop bothering them.
However, Chen Cui did not want to miss this opportunity to show off.
Seeing that Zhao Jin's family remained seated without moving, Chen Cui immediately laughed and said, “Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, why are you still sitting there? This is a great occasion for our Ying'er’s wedding! Aren't you going to congratulate Uncle and Aunt?”
Chen Cui spoke with an arrogant tone as if looking down on them, clearly intending to provoke Zhao Jin's family.
According to Chen Cui's expectations, just like the day when the Qi Family sent the Bride Price to Zhao Jin, today their home would also be particularly lively, causing all the villagers to feel envious and jealous.
Among them, the most jealous would undoubtedly be Zhao Jin's family.
After all, the Wu Family initially wanted to marry Zhao Jin. Now that the Bride Price belonging to Zhao Jin has become that of their Ying'er, wouldn't that make Zhao Jin's family furious?
However, regretting it now is useless. The one who is about to marry into the Wu Family is their Ying'er, not Zhao Jin. From now on, Zhao Jin can only watch helplessly as their Ying'er enjoys a good life in the Wu Family, while they can only live with envy and resentment for the rest of their lives.
Thinking of this, Chen Cui felt particularly pleased and was even more eager to invite Zhao Guoqiang and others to come and watch.
Of course, Chen Cui would not forget about the important figure of Zhao Jin. She also decided to bring Qi Zheng along.
"Jin has returned! Just in time, let's go join the fun together and help your cousin strategize a bit, see what your future brother-in-law is like. Qi Zheng is also coming; the new son-in-law hasn't even had a meal at our house yet! Today is a good day, it's rare for everyone to gather together like this, let's get acquainted," Chen Cui's words sounded quite appealing. However, her tone and expression were anything but sincere. Her motives were clearly less than pure.
Initially, Zhao Jin wasn't very interested in this matter. However, since Chen Cui had invited her with such ill intentions, Zhao Jin could only nod in agreement.
Zhao Jin wasn't interested in whether Zhao Ying'er received a Bride Price or how much it was. But if they didn't go today, Chen Cui would have something to hold over them for a lifetime.
Zhao Jin didn't care about being at odds with Chen Cui. After all, she was already married into the Qi Family and rarely returned to her maternal family, so she wouldn't often run into Chen Cui. But her parents and siblings were different.
People like Chen Cui should be dealt with decisively; otherwise, if given any opportunity to rise up, she would become a persistent nuisance—both pretentious and disgusting.
Zhao Jin didn't want her family to suffer because of her and certainly wouldn't give Chen Cui any chance to stir up trouble.
It was just going to see Wu Feng! Zhao Jin truly wasn't afraid.
Thinking this, Zhao Jin nodded at Chen Cui and happily replied, "Sure, let's go take a look."
"Alright, are we leaving now?" Chen Cui asked in a tone full of provocation, particularly condescending and quite unpleasant.
"Yes." Zhao Jin agreed decisively, then pulled Qi Zheng along and shouted to Qian Minmin, "Second Sister-in-law, we'll lead the way; Mom and Dad will come later."
"Oh, it's not like we don't know the way; why do we need a guide? Let's just go together. It's not far anyway; it won't take much time." Chen Cui was eager to embarrass Zhao Jin's family and couldn't wait to catch them off guard, giving them no time to react or prepare.
To be honest, Zhao Guoqiang and Xu Mei did not want to join the commotion.
Strictly speaking, they had already distanced themselves from the fourth family and had no need to continue interacting. They didn't want to attend gatherings like this.
However, with Chen Cui aggressively blocking their yard and considering that Zhao Ying'er getting married was a significant life event...
Both Zhao Guoqiang and Chen Cui were inherently kind people. In the end, they did not refuse and followed Chen Cui to Grandfather Zhao's house.
On the entire road from Zhao Guoqiang's house, although the two families lived quite close to each other, Chen Cui still strolled leisurely for nearly ten minutes before proudly bringing Zhao Guoqiang's family to her own doorstep.
At this moment outside Grandfather Zhao's house, a large crowd of villagers had gathered to watch. Just as Chen Cui had anticipated, they were all there for Zhao Ying'er's bride price.
"Excuse me, excuse me. It's just delivering a bride price; why is everyone more anxious than our own family? Really." With a smug smile on her face, Chen Cui deliberately raised her voice in a particularly insincere manner, as if afraid that those around her wouldn't notice her arrival.
"Mom, come over here!" After waiting for a while to finally see Chen Cui's figure, Zhao Ying'er's irritated mood finally found an outlet as she impatiently shouted.
"I'm coming! I'm coming. Mom is sincerely inviting your Uncle's family over for the ceremony! After all, it's our new son-in-law's first visit; we can't lose our manners. We should gather all the relatives from the maternal family to see him, right?" Chen Cui said this intentionally for Qi Zheng to hear. The implication was that Qi Zheng was not given the proper attention during his first visit to Zhao Jin's family and was neglected by them.
Regarding Chen Cui's provocation, Zhao Jin pouted and shook Qi Zheng's hand. Listen, she is trying to ruin our relationship!
While Chen Cui was speaking, Qi Zheng maintained a cold expression throughout, as if he hadn't understood a single word, appearing completely detached like a stranger. At that moment, when Zhao Jin shook his hand, he couldn't help but turn his head.
"What's wrong?" Qi Zheng naturally didn't really fail to understand Chen Cui's provocation; he just didn't take it to heart and didn't think it was necessary to pay attention. So it went in one ear and out the other—he heard it and that was enough.
"Nothing," Zhao Jin shook her head and couldn't help but smile.
Compared to Qi Zheng's indifference, her fussing over it seemed overly dramatic!
Zhao Guoqiang and the others were also paying attention to Qi Zheng's reaction. They found that Qi Zheng didn't care at all and had a confused expression, which made them both amused and relieved.
They all knew how much importance their family placed on Qi Zheng as a son-in-law; they didn't need an outsider like Chen Cui to meddle.
Seeing that Qi Zheng wasn't following her script, Chen Cui couldn't help but grit her teeth. She had made her words so obvious, with such a clear contrast, yet Qi Zheng still didn't care at all?
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