The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 583: Chapter 574: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Doormat 62

Today is the day Li Zhiyuan’s family meets with the in-laws, the two families meet, everyone sits down, orders food, and waits for the dishes to be served. Li Zhiyuan also opened several bottles of wine.

After three rounds of drinks, Li Zhiyuan smiles and says, ”The kids have been dating for two years now, and we haven’t met before. In-laws, you probably don’t know me that well; I am a straight shooter and say what’s on my mind. You see, the kids are of age. I was thinking after the New Year, we should just get things settled. What do you think?”

Lu Fu looks like an honest man.

He keeps nodding, ”Yes, it’s time.”

However, Lan Cui starts laughing at this moment: ”What the in-law says is right, the kids are not getting any younger, and it’s natural for men to marry and women to marry off; this matter should indeed be settled. But before the children get their marriage certificates, we should talk some things over. Our Yi has grown up to be beautiful and filial. We’ve raised her for over twenty years. It can’t be for nothing, can it?”

This means they’re asking for a dowry.

Li Zhiyuan pours another glass of wine for Lu Fu, noticing that some dishes on the table have gotten cold, so he asks the waiter to serve some more hot dishes: ”In-laws, you’re right; let’s discuss the dowry. Just lay down your conditions.”

Lan Cui’s smile is gentle, but her words are anything but: ”In-laws, you’re well off, so a small dowry must not be an issue for you. So, we’ll just say it. We want you to buy a house in the county town for us and give an additional eighteen thousand for the dowry. What do you think...”

Li Zhiyuan’s face, which was smiling, now becomes serious as he turns his head to look at Lu Fu: ”Father-in-law, what do you mean by this?”

Lu Fu mumbles and does not speak.

Aunt Wu sees that things aren’t going well and quickly smiles, trying to smooth things over: ”Lu Yiniang was just speaking nonsense. We don’t truly ask for that much. Why not settle for eighteen thousand for the dowry?”

Suddenly, Lan Cui’s face hardens: ”I’m not asking for nonsense. That’s really what I think. We’ve raised our daughter for over twenty years, and when we marry her off, we definitely should ask for more dowry. Besides, our Yi has no shortage of suitors. Look, another family in the county town has taken a liking to Yi, and they’re willing to offer a high dowry.”

Anning hasn’t been eating or drinking at this moment. She just sits there, peeling chestnuts, listening to the back and forth negotiation between the two sides.

When Anning hears Lan Cui say another family is interested in Yi, she can’t help but laugh.

”This elder sister-in-law, no offense, but we’re all very clear on what kind of families we have here in our county. My Eldest Brother has been running a store in the county town not just for one or two years now. You mentioned another family that has an eye on Yi. Now, I’m really curious. Exactly which family is willing to give a house plus eighteen thousand dowry?”

Anning’s timing in speaking up is impeccable.

Mostly men are sitting at the table. Even Li Zhiyuan wouldn’t be proper arguing with Lan Cui, a woman. At this time, it’s indeed Anning’s turn to speak up.

Lan Cui snorts: ”It’s the Gao family.”

”Oh.”

Anning nods, feigning sudden understanding: ”So, it’s that family. However, I’ve heard their son is not right in the head. What then, are you considering marrying your daughter to an idiot all for the sake of money?”

Anning has called out the Gao family’s situation, leaving Lan Cui quite embarrassed.

She replies angrily and a bit ashamed: ”No matter what, they are willing to give money. I’ve heard that the Li family is also quite wealthy. I didn’t expect you to be so stingy, unwilling to give even the slightest dowry for a daughter-in-law.”

Anning is not upset, responding with a light laugh: ”Sister-in-law, you’re mistaken there. It’s not that we aren’t willing to give, but rather we cannot give. You say the Gao family is willing to give such a high dowry to find a wife. That’s because their son’s not right in the head; if they don’t, they can’t get someone to marry him. Our Jingming is nothing like that, quite capable in fact. If we were to offer such a high dowry too, wouldn’t that make our Jingming seem in the same league as the Gao’s idiotic son? We can’t do such a thing.”

Anning is eloquent: ”You say your daughter is wonderful, and I won’t deny that, after all, which parents wouldn’t think the world of their own daughter? But you see, I think very highly of our Jingming too. Plenty of young women are eager to marry him; some are even willing to bring a substantial dowry without asking for one in return. But our family isn’t greedy for dowries either; when we arrange a marriage for our son, we naturally want him to be happy. Jingming values loyalty and has been with Yi for two years now; he’s not willing to let go of Yi. It’s for our children that we’re sitting here discussing.”

Anning’s intention was crystal clear; if it weren’t for our child taking a fancy to your daughter, do you think we’d be willing to sit here and listen to your nonsense?

And to ask for a wedding gift of a house plus eighteen thousand yuan, that’s utter foolish talk, completely out of touch with reality.

Nowadays we’re in the nineties, how much does a worker earn in a month? Just the other day in Li Jiazhuang, someone gave a wedding gift of one thousand eight hundred and eighty yuan and it was considered high, eighteen thousand, isn’t that just lunacy?

If we truly offered such a high wedding gift, the Li family would become the laughingstock of the village.

People would certainly say that the Li family’s child can’t find a wife and that they’re spending so much money to buy one, who knows, someone might even suspect that there’s something wrong with the Li family’s child, otherwise why give the bride’s family so much money?

The Lu Family also caught the meaning in Anning’s words, Lan Cui was infuriated, Lu Fu hung his head in silence without a word, and Lu Yi was so embarrassed she could cry.

Her eyes reddened as she stood up: ”I, I’m going out for a walk.”

Li Jingming also hurriedly followed: ”I’ll go out for a stroll too.”

”How can you speak like that?”

Lan Cui glared at Anning.

Anning was unbothered: ”What’s wrong with how I speak? Isn’t it the truth? Is our Jingming not handsome enough, or not capable enough, or is it that my elder brother’s family background is not good enough? Or did our Li Family do something shameful? Our family is all around good, I don’t know how many girls are crying and shouting to marry into our family, why should we be so accommodating to you?”

At this time, Li Zhiyuan spoke up: ”Brother Lu, we all know the current market rates, I was originally planning to give a wedding gift of three thousand eight hundred yuan. If you’re satisfied with this, let’s settle on that, if not, then let’s delay this matter.”

Lu Fu’s face turned red instantly: ”I, I...”

Lan Cui pinched him: ”Then let’s delay.”

She rose to her feet and walked outside.

Anning thought she was going to leave, but to her surprise, Lan Cui came back after a short while with two lunch boxes. She packed all the remaining good dishes from the table into the lunch boxes, then put the lunch boxes into the bag she had brought with her, and only then did she drag Lu Fu along: ”Let’s go.”

What ridiculous people.

The Li brothers were all silent, none of them said a word, none of them stood up to see the guests out.

Anning smiled: ”So, we’re not seeing you out?”

Watching the Lu couple leave, Aunt Wu’s expression was also not pleasant: ”Well, I also have to go, there are things to take care of at home.”

Anning stood up to see Aunt Wu out.

At the door, she heard the sneering laugh of Li Zhiping: ”What an eye-opener, never thought that there are such people in the world, truly is...”

”Seeing the world in wonder.”

Li Zhikang added.

Li Zhicheng spoke with a heavy voice: ”If things don’t work out, in the future when Jingming and the others look for partners, elder brother should first inquire about the other family’s situation to avoid situations like this.”