Based on Mother Lin’s doting on my older sister, if the marriage arrangements hit a snag midway, it certainly wouldn’t be because of my sister.
If it wasn’t my sister’s fault, then it must be mine.
Truly, like a mother, not only did she switch the marriage engagement using my name, but she also demanded such a large dowry from the Qin Family, completely disregarding whether I’d live or die after marrying off.
The fact that the Qin Family agreed is commendable; no matter what kind of person Qin Yang is, the Qin Family people are genuinely good-hearted after all, given that in this era, a woman who has been rejected in marriage leads a difficult life.
Lin Chuxia will remember this kindness from the Qin Family.
Suppressing the emotions in her eyes, Lin Chuxia spoke indifferently, “I didn’t want to bring this up, but wasn’t my sister incessantly praising the Qin Family? I’m worried my sister was confused for a moment when she let Mother switch the engagement. It’s not too late to regret it now. Once you marry, there’s no turning back.”
“I won’t regret it,” Lin Jiayi retorted without thinking.
“Then why does my sister care so much about the Qin Family’s dowry? Or is it because you think the Li Family is too poor to provide a dowry? If you ask me, Mother should’ve demanded more dowry from them. What you have in hand is yours. Mother understood this when discussing my marriage arrangement with the Li Family; how could she become so muddled when it came to my sister? Eighty yuan—the village’s Li Cuihua’s marriage dowry was surely more than eighty, right?”
Lin Jiayi’s face flushed red with anger. Li Cuihua was the village idiot, and this wretched girl actually dared to compare her to that fool?
Moreover, as Mother said, the Li Family is so poor, if they really gave a dowry of three hundred yuan, wouldn’t that be sending off liabilities to the bride’s family?
“Enough, all of you shut your mouths,” Mother Lin glared fiercely at Lin Chuxia, “Day in and day out doing nothing right, just fixated on these trivial matters. Do you really think I raised you for nothing? And don’t you act all smug; your sister gave you such a good marriage. You should be grateful. Without further ado, your dowry should naturally focus on your sister. The Qin Family is well-off; they won’t miss what you need.”
Mother Lin never expected that her usually obedient younger daughter would one day become so defiant.
Lin Chuxia nodded, “I understand, Mother. I won’t argue with my sister about the dowry. After all, the marriage was her leftover pick, and even if I go to the Qin Family empty-handed, and speak the truth, I believe the Qin Family will understand.”
Hearing the first half, Mother Lin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that her younger daughter had no other merits, but she was obedient. The second half almost choked her.
“What are you even saying? Didn’t I tell you not to bring up the switching of the marriage again? Are your ears stuffed with donkey hair?”
“Mother, look at what you’re saying. Nobody else knows, but do the three families not know? We can pretend nothing happened, but can the Li Family and the Qin Family?”
“They can’t know the truth either,” Mother Lin blurted out her true feelings in a moment of agitation.
“So, what does Mother suggest I say? If the Qin Family asks, I can’t play dumb, can I? Should I say I’ve been pampered since childhood and have become spoiled, insisting on marrying Qin Yang, and it was my sister who accommodated her little sister by switching the engagement? Or should I say I am better than my sister in every way, a first-rate worker, and that the Qin Family struck gold by marrying me to Qin Yang?”
Lin Chuxia posed the question with a look of earnest negotiation, leaving Mother Lin red-faced and speechless.
It has to be said, her younger daughter truly understands her—those words were indeed what she had told the Li Family and the Qin Family.
But such things should only be heard by the speaker; they must never reach the ears of the other party.
“Mother better think it through. Going there without a dowry, do I look like someone who has been pampered at home? If it’s the latter, you have to ensure that the Qin Family won’t spread the word. If it really gets to the Li Family’s ears, what would the Li Family think of my sister? We won’t mention it at home as you wish, but the mouths of the Qin Family and the Li Family belong to themselves.”
Mother Lin felt both embarrassed and annoyed, her face showing a trace of displeasure, “Just keep your mouth shut; there’s no need for you to comment on adults’ affairs.”
Lin Jiayi also huffed angrily, put the things from the net bag into the cupboard, and then, not reassured, pointed at Lin Chuxia and said, “These are all mine, bought for me by Mother. Don’t you even think about claiming them.”
Chuxia didn’t even lift her head, “Don’t worry, I’m not the type to covet things I see,” what she wanted, she would strive for on her own.
Jiayi’s face darkened even more, thinking about how she wanted the fabric she saw as soon as she had walked in.
This wretched woman, always acting so nonchalant, let’s see if she can still be so arrogant after marrying into the Qin Family.
Chuxia’s expectations were not wrong; Mother Lin went out again in the afternoon and returned at dusk, carrying stuff directly in front of her.
“These items are the best I meticulously selected from the supply and marketing co-op. Don’t say I’m biased again. You should be grateful for such a good marriage arrangement and stop complaining. Just go out and ask around, everyone envies you for marrying into the Qin Family.”
Chuxia looked at them; they were all daily necessities such as basins, thermos, towels, and so on. Although they couldn’t compare to Jiayi’s, they were decent enough to save face.
Despite not having high hopes for the Qin Family side, if she could make a good impression, Chuxia didn’t want to start on hard mode.
Switching to such a marriage and receiving a large dowry, which wife wouldn’t feel uncomfortable not having any dowry when married over?
In the dead of night, Chuxia took the opportunity while everyone else was sound asleep to enter the space.
First, she went to the ancient well to drink some Spiritual Spring water, then soaked in the bath, adding some Spiritual Spring water as she bathed.
Ever since she discovered the benefits of Spiritual Spring water on the body, she had been using it these days and found that her body had become much stronger.
In her past life, although she died in a car accident, her body was already worn out by the end, with frequent pains in her waist and knees, going through menopause at just over forty, hair falling out in clumps, and consuming loads of medicine.
Now back, Chuxia cared even more about her own body. After some time of conditioning with the Spiritual Spring water, her original dry and yellow hair had become moisturized, her undernourished skin had become delicate, and she felt much stronger.
After bathing, Chuxia fried a steak for herself.
Originally she was reluctant to use things from the villa, but then she found out that items in the villa could regenerate, being replenished within 24 hours.
Satisfied with food and drink, she then left the space.
…
Before the wedding, the Qin Family and Li Family came to deliver the betrothal gifts once.
Apart from the matchmaker, Brother Qin, Qin Han, and his wife, Zhang Guilan, also attended.
Qin Han was not short, around 1.75 meters, with slightly dark skin, deep-set eyes and brows, and a handsome set of features.
If the brother looked like this, Qin Yang himself probably wouldn’t be ugly.
Like everyone else, Chuxia cared about appearances; especially in the later years when Li Guangyuan had affairs, she didn’t want to settle for less.
Those under her command, the higher the appearance, the higher the salary would be by ten to twenty percent, not one of the assistants or drivers around her was bad-looking.
Looks are justice, if Qin Yang was good-looking, even if he had a colder disposition or worse temperament, considering he is not often at home and looks good, she would probably be able to live with him.