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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
The matter of fifty dollars was explained by Xu Mei when she gave it to Sun Chun'er. Qian Minmin was present at the time and heard everything. Now, seeing Zhao Daxi accept the fifty dollars, she didn't think much of it.
Although she wasn't particularly close to Zhao Daxi, Qian Minmin's instinct to protect her friends was ingrained in her.
Thinking that Zhao Daxi might have had a hard time at the Wang Family because of the one hundred dollars given to Zhao Jin, Qian Minmin fully supported Xu Mei's actions. The fifty dollars didn't stir any feelings in her heart.
Strictly speaking, what Qian Minmin cared about more was the money that Zhao Zhenan brought back from the Qi Family yesterday!
Yes, Qian Minmin had known all along that Qi Zheng was going to give wages to the Zhao Brothers. But when she actually received the wages from Qi Zheng, she almost scolded Zhao Zhenan.
Even though they had been working hard at the Qi Family these days, wasn't the Qi Family struggling even more? They had to provide food and discipline; did the Zhao Brothers even have a simple wooden task to do when they returned home?
This was a family secret of the Qi Family, not meant for outsiders. The Zhao Brothers had already taken such a big advantage; how could they still accept wages?
Even if Qi Zheng forced them to take it, they should have firmly refused. If it really came down to it, couldn't they just return it before leaving?
Sun Chun'er shared the same thoughts. On this matter, she stood with Qian Minmin, both insisting that Zhao Zhenqi and Zhao Zhenan return the money.
In the end, it was Zhao Guoqiang who stopped them.
Zhao Guoqiang said this was a small gesture from Qi Zheng, and they shouldn't refuse; they should accept it.
Then there were Xu Mei's persuasion and reminders. Even until now, they still hadn't managed to return the money to Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin.
Zhao Jin was quite open-minded about this matter. Firstly, it was something her two brothers deserved; there was no question of taking advantage. Secondly, even if it could be considered an advantage, it was her maternal family's brothers who benefited, not outsiders, so it didn't really matter.
As for whether this truly counted as an advantage, only Qi Zheng could answer that. Anyway, Qian Minmin and the others didn't count, and neither did Zhao Jin.
When Zhao Daxi got married, the relationship between Zhao Fourth Uncle's family and Zhao Jin's family had not yet soured publicly. Therefore, after Zhao Daxi's marriage, she still maintained contact with her uncle Zhao Guofu.
So, on such a day as today, Zhao Guofu's family came over.
Of course, if there hadn't been so much unpleasantness in between, Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao would definitely have attended. However, due to the disputes and grievances arising from the bride price that Zhao Jin received, Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao had redirected their anger elsewhere.
Thus, only Zhao Guofu, Chen Cui, and their children Zhao Ying'er and Zhao Lei came over.
Initially, Zhao Guofu had considered not coming at all. After all, he had cut ties with his elder brother's family; why would he still interact with his brother's daughter? Moreover, she was already married—what was there to discuss?
However, Chen Cui disagreed.
In Chen Cui's view, Zhao Daxi had married well; Wang Jun was a relative worth maintaining ties with. Who knows when they might benefit greatly in the future!
So even knowing that Zhao Guofu was reluctant, Chen Cui insisted on bringing the whole family to attend the wedding banquet.
Since it was Zhao Daxi's son's wedding banquet, seeing Zhao Guoqiang's family at the celebration was naturally understandable.
From a distance, Chen Cui spotted Xu Mei's figure, and her expression darkened noticeably for a moment. However, she quickly regained her smile.
There are so many people here today; I can't afford to embarrass myself. Even if I do end up embarrassed, it should be the Zhao Jin family that faces the shame. They can just stand by and watch the spectacle.
When Chen Cui spotted Xu Mei, Xu Mei also noticed Chen Cui. She pursed her lips and tugged at Zhao Guoqiang's sleeve, saying, "The Zhao Guofu family has also arrived."
It was undeniable that the arrival of Zhao Guofu's family was unexpected for Xu Mei and Zhao Guoqiang.
They had thought that after all the unpleasantness between them, the Zhao Guofu family would not want to associate with them anymore. This naturally included Zhao Daxi as well.
After all, when Zhao Jin got married, although the Zhao Guofu family attended the wedding, they clearly stated that they would not maintain contact with Zhao Jin in the future.
At that time, Chen Cui's words were particularly pleasing to hear. In front of a crowd of relatives and friends, she claimed: marrying Jin is not the same as marrying Da Xi. Jin's marriage is not as good as Da Xi's; if she interacts more with her maternal relatives in the future, it would only add unnecessary burdens to Jin. So it’s better to just let it go.
At that moment, Xu Mei nearly lost her temper and would have kicked Chen Cui's family out right then and there. If it weren't for the fact that it was Zhao Jin's big day, Xu Mei might have really caused a scene.
However, due to Chen Cui's outburst, other relatives from the Zhao family clearly saw what was happening and were certain that Zhao Guoqiang and Zhao Guofu had completely fallen out.
No matter how Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui tried to paint a rosy picture of how Zhao Jin married Qi Zheng, everyone still understood the reality. Seeing Chen Cui so openly proclaiming that Zhao Jin's marriage was poor truly lowered their family's standing and reputation among many relatives.
Especially Uncle Zhao's family, who completely ignored Chen Cui.
Uncle Zhao is named Zhao Guoqing. Unlike his two brothers, Zhao Guoqing is a thorough intellectual. He currently works as a teacher at the County School, teaching mathematics.
What makes Zhao Guoqing even more impressive is that he married a wife from the county, He Yun.
He Yun is the daughter of the principal of County School and is also a teacher, specializing in language. She has never been fond of the Zhao family relatives, but for the sake of Zhao Guoqing, she maintains some social connections for important matters, such as the wedding of Zhao Jin.
Compared to Zhao Guofu and Chen Cui's family, He Yun prefers the way Zhao Guoqiang and his family conduct themselves.
Initially, because she gave birth to two daughters in a row, Grandfather Zhao and Grandma Zhao looked down on her. Chen Cui often spread rumors about her behind her back, saying unflattering things like "a hen that doesn't lay eggs," which He Yun still remembers vividly.
On the contrary, Sister-in-law Xu Mei was very kind to her. Not only did she take great care of He Yun during her confinement, but she also often secretly brought her delicious food.
He Yun has never forgotten the time when Xu Mei was scolded harshly by Grandma Zhao and blushed with embarrassment after being pressured by Chen Cui just for a bowl of steamed egg custard. Due to her good upbringing and education, He Yun has always held herself in high regard and has been somewhat arrogant. Perhaps her usual demeanor offended Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui, or maybe her personality pricked their pride. In any case, at that moment, Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui took the opportunity to humiliate He Yun.
Where there is comparison, there is bound to be hurt; where there is discomfort, there is also a mix of gratitude. Although over the years He Yun has not grown particularly close to Xu Mei, she always attends any celebrations at Xu Mei's home, regardless of their size.
This was true for the weddings of Zhao Zhenqi's four siblings, as well as for their births. For He Yun, these joyous occasions are enjoyable, and she does not want to miss out.
Conversely, He Yun shows little interest in matters concerning Chen Cui's family.
However, with Chen Cui's pair of children still around and Zhao Ying'er’s marriage just settled, there was no significant emotional gap. Chen Cui did not take it to heart and failed to see He Yun's indifference and disdain hidden beneath her actions.
While Chen Cui remained oblivious, He Yun never concealed her dislike for Chen Cui's family from her own relatives.
At Zhao Jin's wedding, after hearing Chen Cui's remarks, He Yun shot a sidelong glance at Chen Cui and turned to Zhao Guoqing, saying: "It's a joyous occasion; we should show our support. Jin is getting married; she is still our niece and deserves our attention."
Zhao Guoqing cannot be considered a henpecked husband, but aside from teaching and educating, he has always prioritized He Yun. Whatever He Yun says is what goes.
As for Chen Cui's family, Zhao Guoqing personally experienced the pain that He Yun went through back then, so it was not easy for him to let it go. Like He Yun, he also enjoyed interacting with his elder brother's family and immediately nodded in agreement with He Yun's words.
He Yun's voice was not loud, nor did she deliberately raise it. However, since everyone was sitting at the same table, who could possibly miss anyone's conversation?
Faced with He Yun's blatant undermining of her, Chen Cui's expression instantly changed with anger.
Chen Cui's dislike for He Yun was simple and easy to understand. It boiled down to two words: jealousy.
Chen Cui could not stand He Yun's proud demeanor towards everyone and greatly disliked how He Yun always had an air of superiority, looking down on others.
What was it? Just that she was born into a good family! Just that her father was the principal of County School! If she was so capable, why did she marry into the Zhao Family? No matter how capable or impressive she was, didn't she still end up as her sister-in-law?
Both were daughters-in-law; why did He Yun have the right to give her a hard time? They were both daughters-in-law of the Zhao Family; why did He Yun get to live in the county while she had to toil away in the countryside for her entire life?
In fact, when Chen Cui first became He Yun's sister-in-law, she had thought about trying to win her over. Who would have thought that He Yun looked down on her completely? Every time they met, He Yun would regard her with disdain...
Chen Cui was not a magnanimous person to begin with. After several encounters like this, she began to resent He Yun from the bottom of her heart. From then on, she started looking for ways to make things difficult for He Yun.
However, because He Yun lived in the county and did not stay with the Zhao Family in Willow Leaf Village, Chen Cui had a hard time finding opportunities to pick on her for quite some time.
It wasn't until He Yun gave birth to her second daughter that Chen Cui completely lost it and seized the opportunity to stir trouble in front of Grandma Zhao. She would say that He Yun relied on her good background and never regarded Grandma Zhao as her mother-in-law; clearly living a happy life but never considering bringing Grandma Zhao to the county to enjoy life. Then she would say that He Yun looked down on the Zhao Family entirely, being so arrogant after giving birth to two daughters.
High and mighty, utterly unreasonable...
Anyway, Chen Cui just says whatever comes to her mind, fearing that Grandma Zhao won't be angry enough. In fact, Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui are indeed a perfect match, easily coming together in their indignation.
In the end, Chen Cui successfully incited Grandma Zhao, and the two of them teamed up to suppress He Yun for a month, feeling particularly vindicated whenever they thought about it.
However, because of this incident, Grandma Zhao and Chen Cui completely offended He Yun. Even after more than a decade, their relationship has not softened.
To be honest, Chen Cui regrets it.
Back then, she was too young and impulsive; she couldn't stand He Yun and didn't hold back from taking action. Now, reflecting on her past impulsiveness, Chen Cui can't help but want to slap herself.
No matter how proud He Yun is, there were benefits to be gained from her! If they hadn't offended He Yun, how many advantages and benefits could their family have enjoyed?
Just looking at the Zhao Zhenqi siblings getting married and having children, and every time He Yun came back to give gifts, it's enough to show that He Yun is a generous person who values face.
If only their family could have received those gifts... just thinking about it makes Chen Cui feel particularly satisfied.
Thus, with the passage of time, Chen Cui no longer harbors the same hatred and resentment toward He Yun as she once did. Or perhaps she has seen the benefits in He Yun and inevitably feels a bit guilty and small.
Now, Chen Cui no longer confronts He Yun like she used to. In fact, whenever He Yun speaks, she generally agrees with her.
However, this time when He Yun directly interrupted her, Chen Cui gritted her teeth and couldn't bring herself to back down in front of so many people.
Grinding her teeth, Chen Cui ultimately stuck to her previous declaration: she would not associate with Zhao Jin, who was marrying into the Qi Family.
Of course, Zhao Jin was Zhao Jin, but Chen Cui still hoped to get along well with He Yun.
Now, even though He Yun didn't want to pay attention to Chen Cui, Chen Cui eagerly approached Zhao Ying'er to get closer.
Last time when Zhao Jin got married, Chen Cui wanted to talk to He Yun, and now their family Ying'er was about to get married too. However, the atmosphere back then wasn't great, and Chen Cui never found the opportunity to speak up.
But today was different. Taking advantage of everyone being present, Chen Cui boldly approached He Yun and started chatting: "Sister-in-law Three, you came too! Perfect timing; I won't have to make another trip to the county. By the way, my Ying'er is getting married in four days. Sister-in-law Three, you must remember to come back for the wedding feast!"
"Four days?" He Yun took a while before turning her head to look at the fawning Chen Cui. After a pause, she replied, "I have classes; I can't come back." Chen Cui's smile immediately froze. After a moment, she regained her composure and put on a smile again: "Look at what Sister-in-law Three is saying. Our Ying'er is having such a big wedding; why not ask for a leave from school? After all, Sister-in-law Three is the principal's daughter; you shouldn't have to worry about anyone else's opinion on this matter."
To be fair, Chen Cui was somewhat talented. Even if she truly thought that way in her heart, did she really have to say it out loud in public, hoping that everyone would hear?
Was it really honorable to take advantage of others? Just because her father was the principal, did that mean He Yun should wield power at County School?
He Yun herself didn't think that way but was unfairly labeled by Chen Cui.
"Chen Cui, hold your tongue," Xu Mei actually liked He Yun as a sister-in-law. Although He Yun often appeared arrogant, she was straightforward and genuine in her dealings.
On the other hand, Chen Cui was particularly calculating and petty, always wanting to gain something from every situation, which made her hard to like.
"Sister-in-law, I'm talking to Sister-in-law Three! I'm not talking to you, so why are you interrupting?" Chen Cui did not forget the grievances between her family and Xu Mei's. Being publicly called out by Xu Mei immediately made her unhappy.
"Sister-in-law, don't pay attention to her," Chen Cui showed no respect to Xu Mei, while He Yun also disregarded Chen Cui and simply held Xu Mei's hand, chatting casually.
He Yun was not particularly good at small talk. However, in front of Xu Mei, she could talk about anything and was willing to share everything with her. This time, what worried her was the issue of her eldest daughter Zhao Yamei having children.
Seeing that Zhao Daxi already had children, but Zhao Yamei had none, He Yun's mood was quite poor.
Even a daughter would be fine. As long as Zhao Yamei could get pregnant, He Yun would be more than happy.
Unexpectedly, after being proud for half her life, she found herself troubled by the issue of her children's children. He Yun truly couldn't get over this mental hurdle.
In front of so many people, Xu Mei didn't say much. Hearing He Yun repeatedly mention how fortunate Zhao Daxi was, Xu Mei pursed her lips and gently patted He Yun's arm in comfort.
When it comes to the issue of children, it seems that no matter who it is, aside from leaving it to fate and letting nature take its course, there really aren't any specific remedies. Otherwise, Xu Mei would definitely have shared everything she knew with He Yun.
As an intellectual, He Yun understood that this matter couldn't be forced. She was just expressing her feelings and indeed had concerns, which made her anxious.
After exchanging a few words with Xu Mei, He Yun felt much more at ease. With a calmer mindset, she sat back and waited to celebrate the wedding.
However, Chen Cui was not willing to let things go so easily.
Although she had just been publicly embarrassed by He Yun, Chen Cui still wanted to continue discussing the wedding of Zhao Ying'er with He Yun.
He Yun was really annoyed and suddenly asked, "Have you received all of Ying'er's Bride Price? What did the Wu Family send as Bride Price? Is the gold Bride Price heavy?"
Even though she lived in the town, He Yun had heard about the unpleasantness caused by Wu Feng's Bride Price. Since Chen Cui insisted on making things difficult for her, He Yun didn't hold back and began to poke at Chen Cui's sore spot.
Chen Cui's expression changed instantly. When it came to the Wu Family's Bride Price, it was undeniable that her family had indeed lost face. She had tried to communicate with Sister-in-law's Family to discuss the matter with the Wu Family, but the outcome was not satisfactory.
Her Sister-in-law's Family said that the Bride Price was entirely arranged by Wu Feng. What was sent as Bride Price or not sent was all decided by Wu Feng. The elders of the Wu Family were not involved and couldn't intervene; it was useless no matter what.
Her Sister-in-law's Family also mentioned that Wu Feng was very insistent on this matter. If their family truly wasn't willing, then this marriage would just be considered over, and they shouldn't bring it up again.
Over? Not to bring it up again? How could that be? Things had already come to this point; if they just let it go, Ying'er would have no face to see anyone. Even their elders would have to endure gossip and rumors in the future.
Because of the Wu Family's stubborn attitude and their unwillingness to supplement the Bride Price, Chen Cui seriously discussed it with Zhao Guofu, Grandfather Zhao, and Grandma Zhao several times. In the end, everyone unanimously decided: they would let the Bride Price matter go for now and settle this account slowly after Zhao Ying'er married into the Wu Family.
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