As Yang Chuxia finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted.
"Auntie Li, you’re really something, aren’t you?" Uncle Cai said, "I’ve heard of families who can’t afford a betrothal gift using rocks in boxes instead, or even filling them with wood shavings or grass. But you’re the first to put seawater in the boxes."
That’s right, the betrothal gift Auntie Li prepared seemed like a lot, ten boxes in total. But each box held a small wooden barrel, and each barrel was filled with half a barrel of seawater to prevent spillage. And it wasn’t even the fresh water from their home.
"Heh, Auntie Li, look what you’ve done," Old Aunt-in-law Gen said unhappily from the side, "I was wondering why you were so eager to borrow my wooden barrels yesterday. If I had known what you were up to, I wouldn’t have lent them to you."
"Hehe, Sister-in-law Li, this is like getting something for nothing," Ms. Liu also chimed in. Indeed, it was impressive that she even knew the phrase ’getting something for nothing’.
That was precisely what Auntie Li had in mind: Yang Chuxia was a moneymaker, so without spending a dime, she could bring in the bride and earn money for her family. That was her cunning plan.
"Aren’t you just asking for embarrassment? Instead of being a decent person, you choose to act like a ghost, making others uncomfortable, huh?" Yang Chuxia glared at Auntie Li and continued, "You said your son is good at this and that, praising him like he’s a flower. But in my eyes, he’s not even close to Brother An. Especially with a mother like you, even his good qualities become bad."
"You..." Auntie Li’s face was already pale with humiliation when the secret of her boxes was exposed. Now, after Yang Chuxia’s ridicule, her face turned even paler.
Her son Li Anshun, who came with her, was also blushing by the side.
Li Anshun didn’t actually agree to propose in the first place, but after his mother’s relentless persuasion for several days, he finally agreed. However, he didn’t expect his mother to prepare such a betrothal gift. His embarrassment was evident in the mocking gazes around him.
Yang Chuxia gave Auntie Li another cold glance before walking up to Brother An. Then she turned back to Auntie Li and said, "Auntie, you said earlier that these gifts were prepared in the county town. But it seems that you don’t even know what a proper betrothal gift looks like." Then she said to Brother An, "Brother An, open your boxes and show Auntie Li what a real betrothal gift looks like."
Without any hesitation, Ye Zi’an looked into Yang Chuxia’s eyes and said, "Open them."
Suddenly, all six boxes were opened.
The crowd gasped in amazement.
"My goodness, there are so many clothes in this box. They should be enough for Xiaxia to wear for several years!"
"Isn’t that so? Look, there are shoes in that box, both big and small sizes."
At this point, Yang Chuxia spoke again, "Brother An, open the box in your hands, too. Let everyone see that my choice of person is never wrong."
Ye Zi’an hesitated for a moment before smiling and asking, "Xiaxia, this box contains what you mentioned earlier, should we open it as well?"
"Did you get everything?" Yang Chuxia hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Of course."
So Ye Zi’an opened the jewelry box in his hand, immediately dazzling the crowd once again.