Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

As soon as he finished speaking, the main room fell silent.

Eight hundred yuan.

These days, it takes an average worker more than half a year to earn 800 yuan.

The eldest aunt's eyes lit up with greed, her teeth grinding together. "Second son's wife, you've got some nerve! Eight hundred yuan as a dowry? Who in our area can afford that?"

Mrs. Sheng pretended not to hear the sourness in her words.

"The money my husband and I earn also goes to our children. In our family, it's about the same for our son and daughter."

Song Xianglan didn't reply immediately, but turned to look at Liu Yukun. "Yukun, this concerns your marriage and career. What are your plans?"

Liu Yukun put down his wine glass and stood up.

He glanced at Sheng Ruzhi, then at Sheng's mother.

He spoke solemnly:

"Godmother, Auntie, I also agree to buy a house and start a family here. It's not far from Hai City, which will be convenient for me to run my business there. I will absolutely not let Ruzhi come back to my hometown with me and suffer."

Chen Zui whistled and led the applause. "Good. That's more like a man."

Sheng Ruzhi's eyes reddened as she looked down at the river shrimp in her bowl.

Mrs. Sheng's heart finally settled down, and she could no longer hold back her smile. "Quick, Dawei's dad, fill Yukun's cup. We can take care of their child for a few more years after they have another one."

Mrs. Sheng served Song Xianglan more food, saying, "In-law, eat the fish quickly."

The meal lasted until after 2 p.m.

The Moutai on the table was empty, and the braised pork knuckle was reduced to bones.

Aunt Sheng, burping, swayed out of the courtyard gate with a handful of wedding candies in her hand.

The neighbors who had finished their meal in the alley were holding teacups to aid digestion when they saw her come out and immediately crowded around her.

"Sister-in-law Sheng, this is quite a feast today. They even brought in a large color TV. I bet the Sheng family has opened a bottle of Moutai." Aunt Wang gestured towards the courtyard with her chin. "Is this out-of-town son-in-law really that rich?"

My aunt was unhappy that her daughter was getting married with such a large dowry.

Pouting:

"People give appliances as gifts just to show off, but they'll just move them into the newlyweds' house anyway. Guess what? My sister-in-law just said at the dinner table that she's going to give Ruzhi an extra 800 yuan as a dowry."

"Eight hundred!"

Aunt Wang shook her teacup. "What a joke! Old Sheng and his wife gave all their savings to that girl? His wife, Dawei, doesn't have any objections?"

"She'll give up everything she owns to marry him off," Aunt Liu chimed in, standing next to Aunt Wang. "How old is Ruzhi? If she keeps dragging this on, she'll be an old maid, and then it'll be difficult for her to have children. This is what they call paying extra for stability."

"Why would I pay extra?"

Aunt Zhang wasn't happy to hear this. "With Ruzhi's looks and job, she wouldn't have trouble getting married anywhere. The Sheng family only has one son and one daughter. The old couple dotes on their daughter and is willing to spend money; who cares?"

Aunt Liu pouted:

"Even if you love your daughter, you can't be this biased. When Dawei married Zhuoyun, the dowry and wedding banquet only amounted to a few hundred yuan."

Now it's her daughter's turn, and she's asking for eight hundred as a dowry. If I were Dawei's daughter-in-law, I'd flip the table.

"Alright, alright, can you compare things from over ten years ago to now? Back then, you could get a wedding for just a few dozen yuan."

The group started talking all at once, and their voices grew louder and louder.

In the courtyard, Zhuo Yun was helping to clear away the dishes.

Zhuo Xia untied her apron, preparing to go home.

"Sister, wait a minute." Zhuo Yun pulled a cloth bag out of the inner room and stuffed it into Zhuo Xia's hand. "You've worked hard today. This bottle of Wuliangye was given to Dawei by Yu Kun before. Dawei gave one bottle to our dad and didn't want to drink the rest. Take it back and let my brother-in-law have a taste."

Zhuo Xia declined:

"This fine wine is for your father-in-law to use when entertaining guests."

"Take it if I tell you to." Zhuo Yun shoved the bag into his hand. "You've been busy in the kitchen all morning in this sweltering heat. I can't let you work for nothing. The Sheng family people just eat and leave."

Zhuo Xia smiled.

Without further hesitation, he picked up the bag and walked out.

I just got out of the hospital.

She was spotted by sharp-eyed Aunt Wang.

"Oh my, what good stuff is this? Even the cloth bag smells delicious." Aunt Wang leaned over to take a look. "They even brought good wine to cook this meal."

"Your Zhuo Yun now has a lot more leverage in the Sheng family. Aunt Sheng just said that the Sheng family can even afford an 800-yuan dowry; your family will definitely benefit from that."

His words had a sour undertone.

Several neighbors nearby all stared at the cloth bag.

Zhuo Xia tucked the cloth bag behind her back.

Having worked in the restaurant for so many years, she had seen all sorts of people and could see right through their intentions.

Many of your neighbors resent you for having something and laugh at you for not having it. They fear your wealth and despise your poverty.

If we really let them think that the Sheng family has made a fortune now, any little thing they do in the future will become a source of trouble.

"Aunt Wang, I don't even dare to respond to what you're saying." Zhuo Xia sighed, a worried look on her face. "What benefit are we getting? It's all thanks to our in-laws, Ruzhi, who brought some nice things, which has helped to save face for the Sheng family. But life isn't about giving gifts."

Grandma Wang was taken aback.

"That big color TV refrigerator isn't real?"

"The item is genuine."

Zhuo Xia deliberately lowered her voice, "But think about it, the young couple still needs to buy a house in the future."

Dawei's mother is just worried about her daughter; her husband's family can't afford a house, and she's even taking out her retirement savings.

"Eight hundred yuan. I heard from Zhuo Yun that he withdrew all the money from his home and even had my brother-in-law get an advance of two months' salary from his workplace."

If the elderly couple ever gets a headache or fever, who will they rely on? They'll have to rely on Dawei and Zhuoyun, the couple, to manage their finances carefully.

The crowd fell silent.

The sour smell had dissipated considerably.

Aunt Zhang nodded in agreement:

"That's true. Getting married is a huge financial burden for both sets of parents. It looks good on the surface, but they're completely drained inside."

"you do not say."

Zhuo Xia seized the opportunity, saying, "This wine is leftover from years ago. Zhuo Yun said Dawei doesn't dare to drink anymore, so he asked me to take it back. We're just ordinary people, aren't we all struggling to make ends meet? Ladies, I have something to do at home, so I'll be going now."

Zhuo Xia waved her hand.

I quickly walked out of the alley.

A group of neighbors were left watching each other.

Aunt Wang snorted, "I knew it! There's no such thing as a free lunch. Turns out, he was just putting on a show."

The turmoil subsided just like that.

in the afternoon.

The relatives who had filled the courtyard dispersed.

Only Chen Zui and Shi Xinyi were left in the front yard peeling and eating walnuts.

In the main room of the backyard, Mama Sheng and Song Xianglan sat facing each other, drinking tea.

"Sister Song." Madam Sheng poured tea for Song Xianglan, her smile never fading. "Today's matter is now perfectly settled. We should get down to business."

Song Xianglan: "The two children have taken a liking to each other, that's better than anything else. Just tell me what you're thinking. I'll cooperate completely."

"I checked the calendar." Mrs. Sheng took out an old, worn-out almanac. "It's an auspicious day in half a month. It's suitable for marriage."

I was thinking of having them get their marriage certificate first. Once they're officially married, Yu Kun can focus on setting up his business in Haishi.

Song Xianglan nodded. "Getting the marriage certificate first is appropriate. What about the wedding banquet?"

"There's no rush for the banquet."

Mrs. Sheng pointed to the sky, "We haven't even bought a house yet, and we still need to make furniture. We'll set up a few tables around November or December in winter. Weddings always take some time to prepare."

"You've thought this through very well," Song Xianglan agreed. "Then let's make it official. We'll get our marriage certificate in two weeks and have the wedding banquet at the end of the year."

Mrs. Sheng felt relieved.

"Then I'll have Ruzhi go to the neighborhood committee to get the certificate tomorrow. As for Yukun's certificate..."

"Let Yu Kun go to Hai City to get the certificate," Song Xianglan said. "But sister, we're getting the marriage certificate in half a month, so I'm afraid I won't be able to be with them in Hai City."

Mrs. Sheng was taken aback. "You're leaving?"

"I've been away for too long," Song Xianglan said, rubbing her temples. "The new production lines at the factory back home are still being broken in. Besides, there's a lot going on at home, so I have to go back."