sbdcsierra Chapter 1610 Paying Out of His Own Pocket
Chapter 1610 Paying Out of His Own Pocket
Chapter 1610 Paying Out of His Own Pocket
The next morning, as soon as the rooster crowed, all the families got up and busied themselves. The men went to buy groceries, and the women prepared breakfast.
During the two days of the wedding, everyone naturally ate at Ye Yaopeng's house.
The real busy time begins when the men come back from buying the groceries.
Ye Chenghai was also dressed in a completely new way, wearing a smart woolen overcoat with a red flower pinned to his chest, and his hair was styled with mousse and slicked back, which made the other young men envious.
Ye Chenghu looked on with admiration, "Wow, I've never seen Brother Hai so handsome before. When will I be able to be just as handsome..."
Ye Chenghai said happily, "When you get married, you'll definitely be as handsome as me."
He shook his head. "Then let's forget about it."
Sister-in-law Ye joked, "A few years ago, Ah Hai was just like you. He would shake his head whenever marriage was mentioned. But now that he's grown up, he's been following me around, begging to get married."
"No way!" Ye Chenghai's face flushed slightly. "It was clearly you who, after you found out I was dating, urged me to bring her back quickly and get married as soon as possible, lest she run away."
Ye Chenghe said proudly, "When it's my turn to get married in a few days, I'll have a suit like this too. I'll be even more handsome than Ah Hai then!"
"Bullshit, you're not as handsome as me."
"Nonsense, I'm clearly better looking than you."
"Take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror first."
"Let me take a piss and show you."
Ye Chengyang chuckled and said, "How about I take a piss and let you see what I'm doing?"
The two of them glared at him together.
"Dad said it would be a little later, after the bride came in, and told me to go to the room and let the baby pee in the 'offspring bucket'."
Sister-in-law Ye interrupted the brothers' quarrel, "Ah Hai, why hasn't your third uncle's friend's car driven into the village yet?"
Ye Chenghai glanced at his watch. "It's not time yet, is it? It'll be soon, let's wait a little longer."
"Why don't you go ask your third uncle?"
"What's wrong? You said you'd be here at 8 o'clock, but it's only a little past 7. It's normal that you haven't arrived yet. Just wait."
They originally planned to use a tractor to pick up the bride, which was already quite a good idea.
Ye Yaodong said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and since Hong Wenle happened to have bought a car last year, he could drive it over to help pick up the bride and attend the wedding banquet.
This was also a happy occasion. During the Lunar New Year, people usually eat and drink and there wasn't much to do. Hong Wenle readily agreed and said he would arrive before 8 a.m.
In recent years, cars have become a common sight on the roads of the provincial capital, but they are rarely seen in their rural areas; there are probably only one or two in the town.
After all, the road conditions are too bad, and in rural areas, people still mainly travel by tractor and bicycle, and most people still rely on their own two legs.
They didn't have to wait long. Around 7:30, the car drove into the village, and a large group of people, young and old, excitedly chased after it.
Even the dogs were chasing after the car, barking loudly.
"Hey? Why are cars coming into our village?"
"Whose car is this? My goodness, could it be Ah Dong's? That's amazing, they're driving a car now?"
"There were even cars driving towards the beach..."
"Oh my, it has to be your family, even using a car to pick up the bride."
"This car is so high-end, so stylish..."
Sister-in-law Ye's eyes lit up as she watched Hong Wenle get out of the car. "Oh, he's finally here! Comrade Hong, come and have breakfast quickly."
"You kids shouldn't touch it like that, you'll break it..."
"If you keep touching me like that, I'll grab a stick..."
She invited the people inside, then quickly went to keep an eye on the car to prevent the children from touching or rubbing it carelessly.
Ye Chengjiang and the others had already hung red ribbons on the car's side mirrors to add to the festive atmosphere, and they also tied big red flowers to the hood.
The tractor next to them had also been decorated for them that morning, with a big red flower tied to the front of the vehicle.
When they arrive to pick up the bride, they will ride in a tractor, while the bride will ride in a car.
Sister-in-law Ye was very satisfied with everything she saw; she felt she had gained both face and substance.
"Yes, like this. Tie it up like this for good luck. Once it's tied, keep an eye on it and don't let the kids touch it or get the car dirty. We're about to go pick up the bride."
Mr. Ye circled the toy car again and again, admiring it more and more each time, and even pulled Mrs. Ye aside to say, "This toy car is much prettier than a tractor..."
"It looks nice, but it can't hold much. It can only hold a few people, unlike a tractor which can carry a load of goods and a load of people."
As she spoke, Ye's mother shook her head, "Tractors are more practical; this little car is all show and no substance."
"This vehicle is protected from the wind and rain, it's better than a tractor."
"So what? Who would go out on a rainy day? They'd stay home."
"This vehicle is much more presentable, stylish, and sophisticated than a tractor!"
"What's wrong with a tractor? Not every family has one."
Ye's father couldn't argue with Ye's mother, so he didn't bother to debate with her. "Anyway, I just think this car is good. If Dongzi buys one in the future, you shouldn't ride in it."
Ye's mother glared at him, "Why shouldn't I sit in it? It's my son's car. I can sit in it if I want, and I can stop you from sitting in it if I don't want to."
Mr. Ye said smugly, "You're wrong. I follow him around every day, so I'm the one who gets to sit all the time, while you don't."
The car hadn't even appeared yet, and the elderly couple had already started arguing.
The old lady chuckled and interjected, "Stop arguing, I'll tell Dongzi not to buy it."
Ye's mother said, "You can't persuade him. He's been grumbling about buying it for a long time, but the road is too bad. It's a winding mountain road, not as good as a motorcycle. It's more convenient to go home by boat."
"Dongzi will buy this car sooner or later. The reason he's not buying it now is simply because it's unnecessary and he won't need it."
Ye's father spoke loudly, and everyone around him echoed his words.
On the other hand, Ye Chenghe also coveted the car. If he could ride in a car at his wedding, he would certainly be very prestigious.
He leaned closer and whispered to his mother, "Mom, when I get married in a few days, can I ride in this little car too?"
"Then you'll have to ask your third uncle; he borrowed it from a friend."
"I'll talk to my third uncle later. My eldest brother got married in a car, and we two brothers are getting married one after the other. It's different for me, but everyone will definitely compare."
Sister-in-law Ye patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'll talk to your third aunt later and see."
Ye Chenghe sighed happily.
She thought for a moment and then asked, "Your sister-in-law brought so much dowry, did Xiuni say anything when she saw it yesterday?"
The banquet started yesterday. Ye Chenghe's girlfriend, Chen Xiuni, is just one day away from getting married, so everyone at the banquet is treated like family.
The fact that all those things were unloaded must have been noticed. Just like Ye Chenghe said, the two daughters-in-law got married one after the other, only a few days apart, so people were bound to compare them.
When the bride price was discussed, it wasn't mentioned that large household appliances would be included as part of the dowry. Now that we've seen the bride's dowry, we wonder if her family has any say in this matter.
Logically, since they had already increased the bride price by more than double, it was only right that they should give a small appliance as compensation.
However, since it wasn't mentioned before, it's not appropriate to bring it up now. Besides, Chen Xiuni's family didn't say they would bring all the betrothal gifts. These things can only be asked indirectly afterward, not brought up in person.
Upon hearing this, Ye Chenghe's smile faded slightly.
"She said that if her sister-in-law brought such a large dowry and she didn't have something of similar value, people would talk her to death. Then she went home last night and told them about it, and I heard it caused quite a stir."
“When she came over this morning, her eyes and nose were red. She said her family didn’t agree. We gave her 1800 yuan, and her family used it to buy some quilts, washbasins and other things for the wedding. It cost them quite a bit.”
"She said her brother had also spent gold, so of course she had to spend some too. She spent some before the New Year, and said she only has less than 1300 left."
"Her parents said that half of the rest should be deducted to help the family. They raised her to adulthood, and now that she's married, she should give them some money to repay their kindness in raising her."
"The remaining money isn't enough to buy large appliances. We told her parents not to keep it, and we had a big argument. In fact, they actually used it to buy appliances. The remaining money won't even be enough to show off as dowry on the wedding day."
Sister-in-law Ye frowned deeply. "Then forget it. As long as she's not afraid of being talked about or compared, anyway, my two daughters-in-law are getting the same amount, so you can't say I'm being unfair."
“If we had known, we would have let you get married last year, and we would have saved money. This year, we even took the initiative to raise the bride price to the same level as your sister-in-law, just in case they compare and then feel unhappy and can’t live peacefully, and they’ll be making snide remarks every day.”
This is just a casual remark. People who get married early will still be compared to each other, since the time difference isn't that long. Even a difference of one year or ten years can be brought up and discussed.
Ye Chenghe was also very troubled. "I wish I hadn't gotten married. It's so annoying. I regret it so much. There are so many troublesome things to do. We have to keep comparing things, and all we can talk about is money, money, money."
"Never mind, we're getting married soon, let their family handle it themselves, we didn't make any demands on her."
“I didn’t care either, but she kept arguing in front of me, saying that I was too different from my sister-in-law and that people would laugh at me.”
"What can we do? It's not like our family is giving her anything; it's just that her family refuses to provide it for her. The extra 1000 yuan we gave her could buy two washing machines, but her family won't even give her a dowry."
As Sister-in-law Ye spoke, her face fell, and she pouted, "So if I hadn't given them that extra 1000 yuan, they would have kept all 800 yuan and wouldn't have needed to buy anything?"
Ye Chenghe scratched his head in frustration. "Alright, stop nagging me. You all keep saying things to me, it's not my problem."
"I was just wondering if people would compare the results, so I asked. It's because I care about you all."
"Don't worry about it. I'll just pay for a big color TV for her to bring over tomorrow."
Sister-in-law Ye raised her voice in disbelief, "Why?"
Seeing that people around her were looking over, she put on a smile again, then pulled Ye Chenghe to a corner to continue whispering to each other.
"Why should you pay for her color TV? Haven't we given her enough?"
"What can I do? Her family can't afford the dowry, and they're not willing to buy it. She's crying and complaining in front of me that she's going to be laughed at. What can I do? I can only pay for it myself to avoid trouble."
"What kind of logic is that? The bride price is given to her family, so it's theirs. And then you have to pay for the dowry? Why should you? It's not like you can't find a wife."
Sister-in-law Ye was furious, feeling that her family had been ripped off. Who would spend so much money to get a wife?
She was extremely agitated and launched into another tirade, “If you can’t afford to get married, then don’t get married. It’s not like our family can’t do without her. It’s not like we can’t afford to find a wife. You can pick and choose from all around here.”
Ye Chenghe regretted it. He should have known better than to tell his mother that he had bought a color TV as part of his dowry. Now he was in deep trouble, and it would never end.
"Stop joking around. The wedding invitations have already been sent out, and it's only a few days away. Now you're saying you don't want to get married? Have you no shame? How am I supposed to live with that?"
"But his family can't bully people like this."
"No, our family never cared whether her family gave a dowry or not. It's just that my sister-in-law gave a larger dowry..."
"Yes, I don't care how much dowry her family gives, but why should you have to pay more?"
Ye Chenghe picked at his ear. "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you."
"You know she'll be too ashamed if this gets out..."
"Alright, anyway, I'm buying it for her as part of her dowry to save face. This way, you'll look good too. Besides, the color TV will just be in our house, so you can watch it every day. We're not going to take it with us. It's like we bought it for you. Just think of it this way."
Sister-in-law Ye frowned, then changed her perspective and thought, "This way of thinking is actually quite good."
But she was still unhappy. It was under the guise of a dowry, so her family should have paid for it. Why should her son have to pay?
"You've chosen a bad wife, it's all your fault. You didn't study hard, what are you doing dating?"
As she spoke, Sister-in-law Ye angrily slapped him a few times.
Ye Chenghe pulled his arm back slightly. "I liked her back then. If I hadn't gone looking for her, I would still be stuck outside, definitely single, and would be a bachelor like Ajiang."
"So what if you're single? How old are you? Are you worried about not being able to find a wife? Why are you in such a hurry? You're driving me crazy. You don't study properly, all you know is dating."
“You didn’t say that before. You said I couldn’t study, but thankfully the tuition wasn’t a waste, and I even found a boyfriend.”
Sister-in-law Ye punched him a few more times, "You still talk back."
Ye Chenghe stood still and vented his anger on his mother's behalf. After he had finished hitting her, he said, "I'll tell you everything now. Don't look down on Xiuni just because she's all talk and no action. It's not her fault. Who can compare to your family? I bought the color TV as a gift to you."
"Filial piety my foot! It's clearly for your wife's sake, and you still have the nerve to call it filial piety? If you were really that considerate and filial to me, I could talk about you for three days and three nights and praise you to death."
"Alright, alright, it's all going from one hand to the other anyway, it's all coming into our house."
"How can that be the same? Our family spent so much money, and they wouldn't even buy us a color TV. If I only gave them 800, I wouldn't be upset."
"It's alright..."
"Something's wrong, how could nothing be wrong? I gave them extra dowry money and even kept some for them, so they got off easy."
"Shouldn't both wives be the same?"
“The things she brought were different. I didn’t say anything, but she got upset and started making a fuss with you.”
Ye Chenghe was in a terrible predicament, his head was throbbing, and he was filled with regret for his loose tongue.
Knowing full well what his mother was like, he still revealed it, thinking he could have just done it secretly and everyone would have been happy. Now it's all over.
Fortunately, he took his wife with him after the wedding; otherwise, his mother would definitely look down on Chen Xiuni.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Anyway, we just bought an extra TV, and it's for you to watch at home. Stop talking, or you'll miss your brother's wedding."
After Ye Chenghe finished speaking, he was about to leave from the corner when his mother quickly pulled him back.
"Wait, after the wedding, don't give her all your money!"
He lightly patted his forehead, utterly helpless.
"You knew to empty my dad's pockets, leaving him no money, but now you don't want me to keep my money with her?"
“That’s not the same. Your father and I have been married for decades, and you two just got married. Of course, we can’t give it all to her. What if she uses it to support her family? I don’t care if your older brother doesn’t have money, but you can’t. You earn so much…”
"I know, I know, I understand, stop nagging."
"Don't think I'm being long-winded, I'm just reminding you that you're always so naive, don't let yourself be fooled and end up supporting your in-laws."
"No way, who would be so foolish as to not live their own life and instead give money to their parents' family?"
"That's hard to say. There are plenty of confused women out there. Isn't that woman in the village, your third uncle's friend's wife, one of them?"
"understood."
How much money do you have on hand right now?
Ye Chenghe glanced at her irritably, looked at his watch, and said excitedly, "Oh no, we're too late, the wedding is about to start, let's go!"
After saying that, he took off running, just as someone outside called out to him.
Sister-in-law Ye heard this too, and quickly caught up with him, adding, "Besides a color TV, you're not allowed to buy anything else, understand?"
"understood."
Only then did she feel relieved and quickly ran over to finish taking care of her eldest son's wedding first.
The second son's wedding is still a few days away. I'll give him a good talking-to when I have some free time tomorrow.
Ye Yaodong stayed in the house with Hong Wenle, having breakfast and chatting as they ate. Anyway, it was still early, and the town was nearby. They just needed to bring the bride back between 9 and 11 a.m.
It's only a little past 8 o'clock now, there's plenty of time.
Of course, he doesn't need to go. He's the uncle, so he can just stay home and help out. Hong Wenle will drive Ye Chenghai, the bride will ride in a car, and the others will ride in a tractor.
Just before they were about to set off, Ye Chenghe suddenly disappeared, and it took a lot of calling for him to come out.
"Where have you been? We're about to go pick up the bride, and you still can't find me."
"Everyone has to go to the toilet."
"Lazy people poop and pee a lot, hurry up, you're the only one left to do it."
Sister-in-law Ye called out from behind, "Wait, wait..."
She hasn't even given them red envelopes yet.
It almost caused a problem; it's all that silly son's fault.
Sister-in-law Ye held a red cloth bag full of red envelopes in her hand. She searched through them and identified them before giving one to each of the wedding party members.
Hong Wenle naturally gave the biggest red envelope, after all, borrowing someone's car was a bother and would cost money for gas.
After giving out red envelopes and setting off firecrackers, they watched the two cars drive away.
People around were excitedly discussing how their family's wedding was the first in the whole village, and they even used a car.
"A few years ago, we would have been lucky to have a bicycle to ride. I never imagined that his family would have a car. They are really impressive."
"Many families used tractors for their weddings before the Lunar New Year, which is already quite good."
"Is Chenghe going to use a car for his wedding in a few days?"
After hearing this, Chen Xiuni glanced at her future mother-in-law.
Sister-in-law Ye turned her head away as if she hadn't seen her, but when she saw Lin Xiuqing, she still pulled her aside and mentioned her.
Lin Xiuqing nodded, "I'll talk to Adong, it should be fine. We can't favor one brother over the other, he'll definitely talk to him. I just don't know if he'll have time. I'll talk to him later."
"Okay, okay, just say it. You've done your best. If they really have something to do, you can't force them."
"Yes, we need to prepare a red carpet. When we get out of the car, we need to walk on the red carpet into the house. Also, we need to get the tables and chairs set up quickly."
After responding, Sister-in-law Ye quickly went to get busy.
The bride was picked up in about an hour, and they arrived home at 10 o'clock.
Firecrackers crackled and popped, leaving red paper scraps all over the ground. The helpers carried a large red carpet and spread it out by the car door, waiting for the bride to get out of the car and step onto the red carpet.
The children shouted excitedly, "Wow! Look at the bride!"
"The bride is here!"
"The bride is so beautiful!"
"I want to eat wedding candy! I want to eat the bride's melon seeds!"
Ye Chenghai led the bride through the door first, while the others distributed melon seeds and wedding candies that the bride had brought to the children and onlookers.
Everyone followed with smiles on their faces, watching the newlyweds enter the house and seeing them off upstairs.
Sister-in-law Ye, along with several of her sisters-in-law, other close female friends, and her own children, went upstairs together. There was a ceremony taking place in the room.
Ye Chengyang squeezed next to Lin Xiuqing and whispered, "Mom, when are we going to pee? I've been holding it in for so long, but you wouldn't let me..."
"Soon, after you enter the room, your aunt will take you to get the 'fertility bucket' that the bride brought. You just need to pee in the bucket."
"Hurry up, I can't hold it in anymore."
Lin Xiuqing patted his head and quickly led him to his aunt's place.
He was so eager that he put his legs together, stood on tiptoe, and twisted his whole body.
The "descendant bucket" was a red peony-shaped spittoon, a small toilet placed in the house to collect urine. After Ye Chengyang urinated in it, he received a red envelope, feeling both comfortable and happy.
After he finished urinating, Ye Huimei's twins were also carried onto the bed and made into bed boys.
A group of women surrounded the bed, watching with smiles as the two little boys rolled around on it.
After watching her two cousins finish rolling around in bed and even receive red envelopes, Ye Xiaoxi tugged at Lin Xiuqing's clothes.
"Mom, why do they all get tasks and red envelopes, but my sister and I don't?"
Lin Xiuqing chuckled, "You don't need to. You just need to eat. The red envelopes on the table later are yours."
She was finally satisfied.