As more guests started to arrive, Zhao Haiyang no longer had time to fish for information from Ye Qiu.
Ye Fang was also showing off to her classmates and fellow villagers with her husband, saying that even though she didn't mix well in the village, the marriage was truly enviable.
Listening to the praise from the people around her, Ye Fang felt elated and even more proud. The only regret now was that her elder brother was unwilling to give her more dowry money, which unavoidably rekindled her resentment towards the couple...
After the meal, since they had already split the family, Ye Qiu gave five hundred yuan as a gift.
In this rural area, where ten to twenty yuan was the norm, this was an astronomical sum, yet there were still those who were unsatisfied.
But what could dissatisfaction do? Who could actually point out a fault?
Ye Qiu chuckled secretly, with just this five hundred yuan, he guessed that after they left, there would be quite a fuss between the second brother's family, Granny Ye, and Ye Fang!
When the time came in the evening to give the dowry money, there was another round of disputes.
Ye Qiu's stance was very clear; according to the previous agreement, he would match whatever the second brother gave.
However, upon hearing of her elder brother's wealth, Ye Fang was even less impressed with the couple hundred yuan, thinking that if her second brother could give five thousand, the elder brother should also give five thousand, then she would have ten thousand.
If each person gave ten thousand, then she would have twenty thousand! The thought alone got her blood boiling!
But could Liu Ping agree to that?
Granny Ye and Ye Fang even thought that if Liu Ping didn't agree to give so much, it wouldn't matter; they would just take out the money first to draw out the elder brother's contribution, and then return her own money to her.
But Liu Ping didn't see it that way. The dowry money was to be given in full view to her young sister-in-law. If the sister-in-law didn't return it later, where would she go to reason about it?
And over the years, Granny Ye had more money at hand than she did, so Liu Ping's mind started spinning: "Mom, you know your son isn't much capable and hasn't saved any money over the years. How about this: you give your money to me first, and then I'll take it out to give to the young sister-in-law, wouldn't that work?"
What Liu Ping could think of, Granny Ye could naturally think of too. She wasn't foolish; she knew her own daughter was selfish and self-centered. But since her daughter was usually filial to her, she let it be.
But if such a sum of money really ended up in her daughter's hands, don't expect to get it back again. And would her daughter's in-laws agree?
When the time comes, how could they be persuaded that the dowry money given by the brother, sister-in-law, and old mother should be returned?
Granny Ye's eyes sharpened: "What money could an old woman like me have? Giving the young sister-in-law her dowry money is your responsibility as the elder sister-in-law."
On hearing this, the corner of Liu Ping's mouth twitched. If this old woman couldn't take out money, then she definitely couldn't either.
Chen Wen didn't care about the undercurrent between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, walking in with a casual smile, it was unclear if he had heard their conversation or not.
"How much are you planning to give to the young sister-in-law, second sister-in-law?"
Seeing the other's delicate makeup, attractive figure, and valuable attire, Liu Ping glanced at her own chubby body and touched her sallow face. Even the clothes she had scrimped and saved to buy in the county couldn't compare to the sleeve of another, her resentment grew deeper.
Even though she was two years younger than the other woman, she looked a decade older. They were blood brothers, one made big money and moved into the city, the other still scavenged in the soil for food. How could she have been so blind back then.
Thinking this, Liu Ping spoke in an unfriendly tone: "Elder sister-in-law, now that you've moved to the city and made big money, why are you still acting like a rural woman like me?"
Chen Wen smiled indifferently: "I just follow Ye Qiu's lead, he's the boss at home."
Liu Ping was even more resentful upon hearing that. This woman had no skills except for marrying a good husband. Flaunting what in front of her? If she had married the elder brother...
Then, she would have done much better, not like this woman who couldn't even produce a son.
At this moment, Liu Ping felt nothing but jealousy, failing to realize that although Ye Qiu had talent, he didn't know how to make clothes. Without Chen Wen's skills and ability to endure hardship, the business wouldn't have been able to start so quickly.
Human nature is such that most people wish others worse off than themselves, never hoping for their betterment, always believing themselves right and others wrong.
After the guests had left, Ye Fang also led Zhao Haiyang into the house.
For some reason, Ye Xiu was sitting at the doorway smoking and didn't go inside. Ye Qiu was thinking of his daughter; he didn't want her to hear those harmful words, so he carried her in his arms and walked around the yard.
He trusted his wife; after two years of experiences, ordinary troubles couldn't knock her down. Moreover, the few people in the room wouldn't turn things too sour, considering their long-term interests.
In the end, buckling under Granny Ye's pressure, Liu Ping only took out two hundred yuan.
Honestly, for an elder sister-in-law in that era, that was already quite generous.
Chen Wen didn't say much either; seeing Liu Ping take out the money, he also handed the two hundred yuan to Ye Fang's embrace.
At this time, the expressions on the faces of Granny Ye, Ye Fang, and Zhao Haiyang weren't exactly pleasant. Seeing this, Liu Ping actually felt a hidden sense of joy.
Zhao Haiyang hadn't expected that, let alone the family of his second brother, his eldest brother who had made his fortune, would only give two hundred yuan for his only sister's wedding dowry!
Earlier Ye Fang bragged to him how much her big brother doted on her as a child; was this two hundred yuan really a sign of affection?
Or was it that her big brother gave her the money secretly, without letting him know?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. It made no sense for someone who could afford a car in the provincial city to give only two hundred yuan as dowry to his own sister. After the marriage, he would surely make her cough it up.
They had just gotten married, and the couple already had discord. Having seen much of the world in these two years, Chen Wen guessed what Zhao Haiyang was thinking just by looking into his eyes.
However, she had no intention to be the good person and tell her sister-in-law. Though she was not a person to hold a grudge, there was no reason to repay evil with good. She remembered clearly how her sister-in-law had made her work hard over those years.
Seeing both daughters-in-law had given the money without saying a word, her son-in-law frowning, and her daughter looking at him expectantly with an unsightly face, Granny Ye wasn't pleased either.
She knew her daughter wanted her to give more, but tomorrow her daughter would be married off and belong to another family. Her money was meant to be saved for her eldest grandson.
But after all, she was the child borne from her own womb. Granny Ye pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and gave her daughter all three hundred yuan that Zhao Haiyang had brought over in the morning.
Zhao Haiyang's face turned even uglier; the old lady didn't give even a dime!
After all, he was an educated man and didn't make a scene right then. But no one knew what kind of torment Ye Fang would endure behind closed doors.
The wedding was the next day, and Ye Qiu didn't go to the extreme; after all, he had come back in a car, so it would be unreasonable not to attend the bridal procession.
It was also this car that effectively intimidated Zhao Haiyang's parents, laying the foundation for Ye Fang's future pretensions of power, while also sowing the seeds of her vanity.
Ye Qiu couldn't be bothered with these issues. During the three days back in the village, he made sure to show the right attitude to the villagers. He felt incredibly satisfied as he earned praise and metaphorically slapped certain people in the face.
His daughter needed to go to school, and the business at home could not be neglected. He refused to comply with that family of bloodsuckers' insatiable greed and leisurely returned to the provincial city.
At this time, Ling Heng, who hadn't seen his little sister for three days, was throwing a tantrum at home.
Ling Zhiyuan was out of ideas too. This little rascal had his own mind since he was little. Although only five years old, he always kept a poker face like a stoic.
Surprisingly, after making a little friend, he seemed to have regained some childlike qualities.
Thinking it over, it seemed positive. His son had never had a playmate before, and it was rare for someone to catch his attention. After all, a child should act like a child.