1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 148 Double Dowry, Another Showdown
"Take it."

Gu Bin took it for her, deliberately creating an atmosphere: "My dad doesn't make a move unless he's absolutely sure of it, but when he does, it's a game-changer. This time, he really amazed me. This engagement gift is exactly what I wanted. Sure enough, the one who understands his son best is his own father."

"Now you realize how good your real father is?"

Father Gu's face turned cold again, and he scolded in an annoyed tone: "You dare to make such an important decision on your own regarding the engagement? If your brother hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that the engagement banquet would be held separately."

"Big brother talks too fast."

Gu Bin was unusually embarrassed: "I just said it casually, and it hasn't been finalized yet, but he told you first."

"How dare you quibble."

Mr. Gu glared at her, about to scold her, but was interrupted by Grandma Fu.

"Alright, that's enough. Our in-laws are here, and the brat isn't here for a while. It'll only make us a laughing stock."

"Xiao Bin's father looks like a soldier; he has authority and can keep things under control."

Lin Xiyu's mother, Chen Xiulan, seeing that the Fu family valued her daughter highly, also developed a good impression of Gu's father and was happy to speak well of him and flatter him.

"I've made a fool of myself in front of my mother-in-law."

With Gu Bin's mother absent, Gu's father had to step in himself and exchange pleasantries with his in-laws: "My rascal is different from his brother. He's been naughty since he was little. If you give him a little kindness, he'll climb on the roof and tear off the tiles. If he dares to bully Xi Yu in the future, tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson."

"Xiaobin is a good boy. He is good at studying and has good character. It is Xiyu's good fortune to have such a good boyfriend."

Chen Xiulan knew perfectly well that it was acceptable for others to discipline their sons, but if she joined in, she would only be disliked.

"Xi Yu is also very outstanding."

Gu's father was indeed pleased to hear this, and for once he found Gu Bin more agreeable, and he did not scold him anymore.

"Since we are all satisfied, we can proceed to the next step."

Grandpa Gu seized the opportunity to speak up and take back the initiative: "Do you have any other requirements regarding the betrothal gifts and the engagement banquet? Let's take this opportunity to discuss them."

"Xiao Bin has already paid the bride price."

Chen Xiulan was about to decline, saying that she had already given it to him, when she was interrupted by a light cough.

"I've already discussed the wedding gift with Auntie."

Gu Bin pretended to cough and gave Chen Xiulan a meaningful look.

"Oh, right."

Although Chen Xiulan didn't understand what he meant, she still followed his words and said, "Xiaobin told me that we have no objection. As for the dowry, I have prepared it. We will give it to them after they get their marriage certificate."

"Old man Gu, what are you dawdling for?"

Grandpa Fu couldn't wait any longer and urged, "Hurry up and bring out the betrothal gifts so we can see your sincerity."

"Of course we are prepared."

At this moment, Grandpa Gu was truly glad that he had prepared double the dowry, so that he wouldn't lose face in front of the Fu family.

Grandma Gu and her husband worked together seamlessly, taking out the brocade box containing the betrothal gifts in front of everyone.

A pair of gold bracelets with dragon and phoenix motifs, a pair of gold rings inlaid with jade cabochons, and a pair of gold necklaces with novel designs.

The jade cabochon is emerald green, and under the light it looks a deep, shimmering green, making it exceptionally eye-catching.

"Nice ring."

Grandma Fu commented aptly: "It's a pity the bracelet is hollow and doesn't have enough weight."

Grandpa Gu's lips twitched: "It's not like you're wearing handcuffs, why does it have to be so heavy?"

"Hey, what are you saying?"

Grandma Fu believed that her family's betrothal gifts were of extraordinary significance and that she had the upper hand, so she was quite proud: "The betrothal gifts represent goodwill, and they are only valuable if they are substantial. However, no matter how expensive your gifts are, they cannot compare to the goodwill of my old man. This time, we, Old Fu, have won."

"Uh-huh."

Grandpa Fu found it pleasing to the ear and nodded with great satisfaction.

"You're cheating."

Grandpa Gu was furious: "Who gives military medals as betrothal gifts? You're deliberately trying to sabotage me and make a fool of myself."

"Grandpa, Grandpa"

Fearing that the two elders would get into a tense argument and it would be difficult to end the conversation, Gu Bin had no choice but to step in again to act as a peacemaker: "Let's put the matter of the bride price aside and discuss the engagement banquet. Originally, I wanted to hold it at Minghu Tower, but now it seems that there are too many people. The hall here is not big enough to accommodate so many people."

"Then let's set it at the Oriental Building."

Mr. Gu spoke up at the opportune moment, offering his suggestion: "The Oriental Building was completed last year. It has 25 floors and is a newly built landmark building in JN City. The banquet hall on the second floor is very large and can accommodate several hundred people. Setting up dozens of tables will not be a problem."

"Dozens of tables?"

Gu Bin was genuinely shocked: "You're going to host such a large banquet?"

Grandpa Fu said matter-of-factly, "You are the first grandson in the Fu family to get engaged, so it should be a lively occasion. We should invite all our relatives and friends."

"Wouldn't that require so many people?"

Gu Bin glanced at his grandfather subconsciously.

The engagement banquet was paid for by the maternal grandfather, and he suspected that the paternal grandfather was deliberately trying to trick the maternal grandfather, which was why he wanted to invite so many people.

"Cough cough."

The next second, just as he expected, Grandpa Gu's lips twitched involuntarily a few times, using a cough to cover up his embarrassment.

"Let's go to the Oriental Building."

Grandma Gu defended her husband, saying, "The Gu family is also coming from Beijing this time. Xiao Bin's sixth grandfather, who is also Old Gu's sixth brother, will be coming in person, along with several of Xiao Bin's cousins ​​of the same generation."

"Gu Jianye came in person?"

When Grandpa Fu heard that his maternal grandfather's sixth brother was coming, his expression softened somewhat.

The fact that the most influential person in the Gu family personally attended shows how much the Gu family values ​​Gu Bin.

He, as the grandfather, was genuinely happy for his grandson.

"My sixth brother has already booked his plane ticket. It's a 1 p.m. flight from Beijing to Jinan."

When Grandpa Gu mentioned his sixth brother, he became more confident, straightened his back, and his aura instantly changed.

Grandpa Fu nodded: "Jianye is here, I'll have a couple of drinks with him."

Grandma Fu glanced at him sideways: "Have you forgotten that you're in poor health and haven't touched a drop of alcohol for many years?"

"It's rare to be happy."

Grandpa Fu was determined to pave the way for his children and grandchildren: "Jianye came in person, which shows that he values ​​Xiaobin. As his grandfather, how can I not do something? For Xiaobin's future, I must drink this glass of wine."

Whether you drink it or not is not important.

Grandpa Gu finally found an opportunity to tease him: "Sixth Brother came because of me, so I'll just drink with him until I'm satisfied."

"Hey, old man Gu, are you getting worse with age? You can't even say polite things anymore?"

Grandpa Fu's face darkened, and he wanted to retort again.

"Stop!"

Gu Bin stopped him in time, gesturing for a pause: "Since my dad said the Oriental Building is nice, let's hold it there. I'll discuss with my brother later how many people to invite. We don't have time to write the invitations, so we'll just call them."

"to make."

"I have no opinion."

Grandpa Fu and Grandpa Gu were unusually on the same page and nodded in unison.

"Grandma, Auntie, what do you think?"

Gu Bin, being thoughtful, turned to look at Lin Xiyu's maternal grandmother and mother, seeking their opinions.

"Okay." "Alright."

Grandma and Chen Xiulan hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise, but they had watched the show for free and only now did they feel a little bit of presence.

"Then it's decided. I'll tell the manager of Minghu Building right now to cancel the original appointment and change it to Dongfang Building."

Gu Bin was incredibly proactive; as he spoke, he strode out of the private room in just a few steps.

-

"Xi Yu, do you like the military medal? It's something your Grandpa Fu racked his brains to come up with, the perfect dowry for you."

As soon as Gu Bin left, the Gu and Fu families began a new round of competition.

Now the two sides arguing have become Grandma Fu and Grandma Gu.

"like."

Before Lin Xiyu could even express her gratitude to Grandma Fu for her deliberate showing off, Grandma Gu pulled her away.

"This set of jewelry is the latest style this year, and it's especially popular with young girls. Xiyu, hurry up and put it on so your grandma and mom can see if it suits you."

"Okay."

Not wanting to offend her, Lin Xiyu put on the complete necklace, bracelet, and ring in front of everyone.

Her skin is delicate and has a cool, fair tone. Even slightly gaudy gold jewelry can make her look dazzlingly fashionable.

"Look how good Xiyu looks wearing it."

Grandma Gu was overjoyed. The more she looked at her, the more pleasing she became to the eye—her future granddaughter-in-law was so intelligent, obedient, and sensible.

"The significance of military medals is far greater than these vulgar things."

Grandma Fu couldn't stand her smugness and let out a disdainful snort.

"Gold jewelry can enhance one's appearance and make one's value immediately apparent, even if it is a bit tacky."

Grandma Gu wasn't one to back down either, and immediately retorted, "Unlike military medals, which people who don't know the inside story can't understand their value and need to be specifically explained to them."

"It doesn't matter whether others care or not, as long as Xiyu cares."

Grandma Fu was not convinced and started arguing again.

"Xi Yu is a sensible child. She will remember the kindness of both our families."

Grandma Gu was proud and unwilling to be outdone.

The two went back and forth, neither willing to admit defeat.

For once, Grandpa Fu and Grandpa Gu were of one mind, choosing to protect themselves and not getting involved in the women's squabbles. They silently lowered their eyelids and pretended to be deaf and dumb.

The same was true for the others; the private room fell into an eerie silence, with only the increasingly sharp and piercing sounds of the two struggling against each other audible.

-

Qinglong Back Street.

"Those two families have certainly broadened our horizons."

After the meeting between the elders of both families ended, Chen Xiulan returned home, still grinning from ear to ear: "I thought Gu Bin's maternal grandfather was a high-ranking leader and would be very serious and difficult to get along with. It turns out he's just a playful old man, just like his grandfather. They're both quite funny. It's hilarious to think about."

"That's because they haven't shown their true colors yet. Do you think they're really that stupid, tearing each other apart and hurling insults at each other in front of their in-laws?"

Grandma, being an old and wise woman, had a different perspective: "What we see is what they want us to see. People who can sit in that position are no pushovers; they must have a side that no one knows about."

"makes sense."

Chen Xiulan, who was used to listening to her mother, smiled and agreed, "Mom sees things clearly. I was just laughing and didn't think that much about it."

Grandma carefully instructed, "When Xiyu gets engaged, you should also calculate how many people our family will need to invite and let Xiaobin know as soon as possible."

"Isn't this all there is to our family?"

Chen Xiulan immediately replied, "My eldest sister's family, my third brother and his wife, and maybe one more child."

"Her former homeroom teacher, close classmates, friends, and Aunt Hu who taught her paper cutting."

Grandma smiled and reminded her, "You should think of everything you need to think of, so that people don't gossip about Xiyu and say that she is immature."

"Oh right, how could I have forgotten about that?"

Chen Xiulan slapped her forehead, feeling extremely annoyed: "Xi Yu has a good friend named Wu Meng, and her high school homeroom teacher, Teacher Jia, who takes good care of her. Such a good thing as an engagement should be told to them."

"Think about it some more, who else do you need to invite? Write it down when you think of anyone."

Grandma was a little tired and rubbed her temples: "Today is the 3rd, there are still some days until the 9th, no rush, let's think about it slowly when we get back."

"to make."

Chen Xiulan understood that her mother wanted her to leave, so she didn't want to bother her any longer: "Mom, you should rest now. I'm going back upstairs."

"go Go."

Grandma lay down on the bed and comfortably closed her eyes: "I'm really tired from not taking a nap at noon. I'm getting old, I can't deny it."

Chen Xiulan didn't say anything more. She tiptoed to close the door, left her grandmother's house, and went straight up to the fourth floor.

-

Since it was a rare occasion for Grandpa Fu and Grandma Fu to come to the city, Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu felt obligated to accompany the two elderly people to Daming Lake.

Grandpa Fu has difficulty walking and can't walk properly.

Gu Bin specially rented a pedal boat that can carry four people and took his grandparents boating on the lake.

He and Lin Xiyu worked in perfect harmony, pedaling their bikes and circling around Daming Lake.

In early autumn, the lotus flowers have all withered, leaving only a few withered leaves floating on the water.

"Pity"

Grandma Fu said with a hint of regret, "I didn't get to see the beautiful sight of the lotus flowers in full bloom."

"Grandma likes lotus flowers, let's go to Qiandao Lake next June."

Gu Bin tried to cheer up his grandmother: "There are more lotus flowers there, and the scenery is even more beautiful."

"September?"

Grandma Fu didn't take his words seriously: "Aren't you studying in Shanghai?"

"If Grandma wants to see it, I can come back anytime."

"Little slippery man."

Grandma Fu was delighted to hear this, and wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes as she smiled: "You're so good with words, always able to make people happy."

"Grandma, isn't today's commotion a bit too much?"

Taking advantage of his grandmother's good mood, Gu Bin hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that had been on his mind for a long time: "Whose idea was it to call all the uncles and elders back?"

"Who else could it be?"

Grandma Fu glanced at her husband and smiled broadly: "Your grandpa, he heard from your older brother that the engagement banquets were to be held separately, and he's been sulking for days. If I hadn't stopped him, he would have gone to your maternal grandpa's house to settle accounts with him."

"It was my fault."

Gu Bin felt ashamed and took the blame for his grandfather: "When my grandfather told me about this that day, he had drunk a couple of extra drinks and his mind wasn't clear. He agreed without thinking much about it."

Lin Xiyu lifted her eyelids and glanced at him.

If she hadn't been there, she almost would have believed it.

"Your grandfather did it on purpose."

Grandma Fu held a deep prejudice against Grandpa Gu: "He deliberately got you drunk, then brought this up to try and fool you."