Shi Lian had already thought about it thoroughly. In order for her son not to suffer, if it really didn’t work out, she would give Yu Bing’s family the average price of the betrothal money in the city. As long as they got married and Yao Nian controlled the money in the family, Yu Bing, the factory manager, would earn back the betrothal money she had given her family. This business wasn’t a loss.
When Duan Mei heard this, she was sincerely moved. Moreover, the betrothal money in the countryside was very little. If Yu Bing married Yao Nian, she could ask for two to three hundred yuan according to the city’s standards, and it would be settled in one go.
Yu Bing’s salary was paid monthly, so she had to be given two years’ worth of money before she could get the same amount as the betrothal money. If this wretched girl got married in the countryside before this, she might not be able to get enough! Therefore, it was more important to get the money!
Hence, Duan Mei smiled at Shi Lian. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a betrothal gift or not, as long as the young couple is happy. My husband and I will think about it carefully before replying to your family.”
Duan Mei basically agreed. However, as a woman, even if she agreed, she had to be more reserved. What she meant was that the man’s family took the initiative to beg her daughter to marry him, and not the other way around.
At this point, Shi Lian was no longer so anxious. She also had a daughter, so she naturally knew this unwritten rule. “Alright, men are afraid of entering the wrong line of work, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. It’s only right for you to consider it for two more days.”
The two families exchanged pleasantries before the Yao family left.
As soon as the guest left, Duan Mei’s expression instantly turned ugly. As she stood in the living room, she started to scold, “Yu Bing, that wretched girl! I raised her for 18 years. It wasn’t easy for her to get a salary, but she didn’t even send it back. We had to find out from Shi Lian. Now, Shi Lian is probably secretly laughing at our family! This little bitch! When she comes back to get married, I’ll tear her mouth apart!”
Yu Pan and Mr. Yu were already used to Duan Mei scolding Yu Bing, so they didn’t feel that she should not use such vulgar words on her daughter.
At this moment, Yu Pan vaguely felt that she had missed out on some important information. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes as she said, “Mom, don’t you think there’s something wrong with this?”
Duan Mei was in the midst of scolding when she was suddenly interrupted. She was a little unhappy and replied impatiently, “What’s wrong? Didn’t Shi Lian confess? She wants Yao Nian to get an easy job through Yu Bing.”
Yu Pan slapped her thigh. “It’s precisely this that is suspicious! Think about it, if she wants Yu Bing to help Yao Nian transfer jobs, she can just pay Yu Bing or ask Yao Nian to find a village official. The money spent on bribing definitely won’t be more expensive than the betrothal money, right? I don’t believe that with so many people, she can’t use any connections with this money. Yao Nian is her lifeline. Anyway, I don’t believe that Auntie Shi wants to use Yao Nian’s marriage in exchange for the job of a scorekeeper. In her eyes, even a fairy is out of Yao Nian’s league.”
When Duan Mei heard this, she slowly sat down. She thought for a moment and said, “But Yu Bing’s job has a salary. She earns more than a hundred yuan a year. Yao Nian might not even be able to earn even a hundred yuan a year in the countryside. If Yao Nian was in the city, Shi Lian would definitely be picky about her daughter-in-law. However, Yao Nian is in the countryside. What choice does he have? It’s not bad to marry someone like Yu Bing.”
Yu Pan shook her head in disagreement and continued to analyze, “Anyway, I think it definitely isn’t that simple. It’s not like we’re transferring Yao Nian back. If he’s transferred to the county or the commune, I think Auntie Shi might want Yu Bing to be her daughter-in-law. But now, it’s just so Yao Nian can be transferred to another position. Mom, do you think this is like the Auntie Shi you know?”
When Duan Mei heard Yu Pan’s words, she couldn’t help but waver. She couldn’t make up her mind, so she turned to look at Mr. Yu. “What do you think?”
To Mr. Yu, he didn’t care about anything else as long as he could eat his fill and wear warm clothes every day. He couldn’t be bothered with these complicated matters. Hence, he took out today’s newspaper from the side and said nonchalantly, “If you’re really worried, go to Yu Bing and you’ll understand everything.”
When Yu Pan saw that Mr. Yu was on her side, she immediately echoed, “My father is right. The round-trip ticket doesn’t cost more than 10 yuan. Mom, why don’t you go? At the same time, see if Yu Bing is hiding anything from us. Perhaps you’ll find out the real reason Auntie Shi came to propose marriage.”