AWB Chapter 158 The Young Widow 9
Chapter 158 The Young Widow 9
That day, the boss, Chen Jianhua, came to Lin Cuilan, who worked at the subdistrict office, with a smile on his face. Lin Cuilan was knitting a sweater at the time, and when she looked up and saw Chen Jianhua walking in, she frowned slightly, and a hint of doubt surged in her heart.
When Chen Jianhua saw Lin Cuilan, his smile remained unchanged and he said, "Mom, I have something to tell you. I've found a partner and I'm planning to get married."
Lin Cuilan heard this without much emotion, and responded calmly. However, when Chen Jianhua went on to reveal the identity of the woman, her expression darkened. It turned out that he was still looking for Liu Mei, the "ungrateful daughter-in-law" who had troubled Lin Cuilan in her previous life. Remembering how much she had worried about this marriage in her previous life, not only providing money and effort, but in the end, only to receive indifference and unfilial behavior from her son and daughter-in-law, Lin Cuilan was filled with annoyance and was now too lazy to care.
She looked at Chen Jianhua coldly and said bluntly, "The family has already been divided. You can handle your own affairs. I won't go to her house to help you meet her parents. The same goes for the betrothal gift. You can pay as much as you want. I won't pay a penny anyway."
Chen Jianhua's eyes widened upon hearing this, the joy on his face quickly transforming into disbelief and anger. He had originally hoped his mother would help with the wedding arrangements, like she had done with his second son, and contribute some money to the betrothal gifts, but he hadn't expected her to be so resolute.
"Mom, what do you mean? When the second son got married, you worked hard for him. I am still your eldest son, and Liu Mei is also a city dweller, but you just gave up. I don't understand, how can a mother just ignore her son when he gets married?" Chen Jianhua was so angry that his voice trembled.
Lin Cuilan remained unmoved and responded calmly, "Don't you understand what I mean? I've given so much for you, but what have I gained? Think about it carefully. I don't want to get involved in your affairs anymore. You can do whatever you want."
Chen Jianhua was so angry that his face turned blue and his lips trembled, but he had nothing to say. Finally, he glared at Lin Cuilan fiercely, turned around and walked away angrily.
After leaving his mother's home, Chen Jianhua had no choice but to face the issue of the bride price alone. Soon, the two parties met to discuss the marriage, and the location was set at Liu Mei's home. That day, Chen Jianhua dressed neatly and arrived at Liu Mei's home with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Liu Mei's parents sat in the living room early, their expressions serious. After a few pleasantries, the topic quickly turned to the betrothal gift. Liu Mei's father spoke first, his tone firm: "Xiao Chen, we have three children, and Liu Mei is our only daughter. It was not easy to raise her with all the hardship. In today's society, marriage requires caution. We don't ask for much, just 300 yuan for the betrothal gift, plus a bicycle."
Chen Jianhua's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he immediately felt overwhelmed. Three hundred yuan for the betrothal gift wouldn't be much if Lin Cuilan had paid it before the family split up, but he couldn't bear to pay it himself. Besides, a bicycle wasn't cheap these days; it required not only money but also bicycle tickets or industrial tickets. He didn't have bicycle tickets. There were only two industrial tickets issued each month, which wasn't enough to buy a new bicycle. He would have to pay someone to exchange it for him. And then there was the wedding banquet—everything cost money.
"Uncle, aunt, three hundred yuan for a betrothal gift is really too much. I really can't afford that much money. My monthly salary is limited, and I have to deal with various living expenses. I really can't afford it. I have also thought about the bicycle, and it is indeed too expensive. Can you be flexible and ask for less betrothal gift?" Chen Jianhua said with embarrassment.
When Liu Mei's mother heard this, her face immediately turned gloomy and she said unhappily, "Xiao Chen, what you said is wrong. We have raised our daughter to this age and put in so much effort. Is this a lot of betrothal gifts? Other families give much more than this when they marry off their daughters. Besides, this bicycle is also a guarantee for our daughter. It will be convenient for her to go out in the future. If you are reluctant to even give this little betrothal gift, how can I expect you to treat my daughter well in the future?"
The words sound nice, and the Liu family also knows that the bride price is too much, and they will not give the bicycle to Liu Mei.
Chen Jianhua quickly explained, "Auntie, it's not that I don't value Liu Mei, nor do I want to treat her well. I'm just in a difficult situation. How about this: I'll give you a hundred yuan as a betrothal gift, and I'll try to find a way to get the bicycle. Is that okay with you?"
Liu Mei's father frowned and said, "One hundred yuan is still too little. Your parents should have said this. It's inappropriate for you to say this. But your mother doesn't know etiquette, and we accept it. After all, Xiaomei likes you. In short, two hundred yuan for the betrothal gift and a bicycle, this is the bottom line, no less."
Liu Mei also chimed in, "Jianhua, my parents have had a hard time raising me, so this isn't too much to ask. If you really want to marry me, don't be so fussy about the betrothal gift."
Chen Jianhua was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he didn't want to ruin the marriage because of the betrothal gift, but on the other hand, he couldn't bear to spend so much money. He gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle and aunt, I'll try harder. One hundred and eighty yuan is the limit of what I can afford. I promise to buy you a bicycle. Is that okay?"
Liu Mei's parents looked at each other, and Liu Mei's father slowly said, "Alright, since you're quite sincere, I'll do as you say. Xiaomei isn't young anymore, so it's better for you to get married sooner. But let's make it clear first: Xiaomei's job will be transferred to her second brother before the wedding, and she won't take it with her."
Although Chen Jianhua was somewhat reluctant, he thought about how hard they had come to an agreement on the gift and the bicycle, so he could only nod and agree: "Uncle and aunt, I will follow your arrangements."
However, after Chen Jianhua returned home and thought about it, he felt that the bicycle was still too expensive and he really couldn't afford it. At this moment, he suddenly remembered that Lin Ruan had bought a bicycle.
He had an idea in mind. He thought, after all, he was Lin Cuilan's biological son. After all, he was no better than a daughter-in-law who had no blood relationship with him. He would find a time to plead his poverty to Lin Cuilan and plead his case. He would ask Lin Cuilan to give him the bicycle as a betrothal gift. This way, he could satisfy Liu Mei's family's request and save himself some money.
So, Chen Jianhua found Lin Cuilan again, with a flattering smile on his face: "Mom, I heard that Lin Ruan bought a bicycle. You see, I'm getting married soon. Can you lend me Lin Ruan's bicycle first to help me with the occasion? I'll return the bicycle to her after the wedding, okay? Just consider it as helping your son."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cuilan knew exactly what Chen Jianhua was thinking. She flew into a rage, her eyes wide open as she yelled, "Boss, do you have any sense of shame? Lin Ruan bought her own bike, so why should I lend it to you? Besides, is that a loan? If I did, would I ever get it back? I've raised you for over twenty years, and you're treating your mother like a fool? I'm telling you, this marriage is up to you, whether you want to save face or not, and whether you're borrowing a bike? No way!"
Chen Jianhua's face flushed red after being scolded, and he still wanted to defend himself: "Mom, I will really return it. I didn't fool you..."
Lin Cuilan didn't listen to him at all. She turned around and left, leaving Chen Jianhua standing there alone. He couldn't finish his words, and his face turned blue and red.
Although Chen Jianhua was very depressed, he had no other choice. In order to get enough money to buy a bicycle ticket, he had to look for people to exchange for industrial tickets.
On the wedding day, Chen Jianhua still had to invite Lin Cuilan to dinner because of his reputation. After all, in this small town, weddings and funerals are all about family reunions and lively celebrations. If his own mother was not present, it would inevitably lead to criticism.
When Lin Cuilan received the invitation, she sneered inwardly. She had long heard that Liu Mei's family had asked for a betrothal gift of 180 yuan plus a bicycle. This was less than in their previous life, when they had asked for 300 yuan. She had bargained down the price, but her eldest son still felt embarrassed and received a lot of complaints. The Liu family had even insisted on the 300 yuan.
This time, Chen Jianhua knew he had to lower the price and no longer felt embarrassed. The Liu family also knew they had to lower the price and no longer insisted on 300 yuan.
It turns out that they are all plotting against Lin Cuilan!
But despite her anger, she still arrived on time, adhering to the principle of "if you don't eat, you won't waste it." The wedding venue was decorated with lights and the guests were filled with laughter and joy. Lin Cuilan found a corner and sat down, devouring the food on the table. She ate slowly and at a leisurely pace, paying no attention to the eyes of those around her.
After the banquet, Lin Cuilan stood up, brushed off the nonexistent dust, and walked out, showing no intention of helping to clean up. Chen Jianhua's in-laws saw this and frowned, muttering something under their breath. Some of the surrounding relatives also cast strange glances and whispered to each other.
Chen Jianhua's face flushed and paled as he heard these gossips, and his resentment towards Lin Cuilan intensified. His marriage had been unhappy to begin with. The Liu family hadn't even let Liu Mei bring home a bicycle, let alone a betrothal gift. The bride's dowry consisted of two hand-me-downs. Even the new wedding dress had been bought by Chen Jianhua.
In addition, he felt that his mother's behavior made him lose face in front of everyone, and the already tense relationship between mother and son reached a freezing point.
However, Lin Cuilan didn't care. She walked home with a brisk pace, thinking to herself: In a past life, she poured her heart and soul into arranging her son's wedding, exhausting herself with the hope that it would earn him filial piety and bring harmony to the family. But what was the result? After resigning from the steel mill, her son not only didn't give her a penny, but also showed no concern for her life. If so-called "satisfaction" couldn't even be exchanged for filial piety, why bother caring about his satisfaction? From now on, she would live solely for herself, and no longer waste her energy on these ungrateful children.