Chapter 160

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Who knows if Wang Changgen's mouth has been blessed by the gods.

It was just an offhand compliment from him.

Unexpectedly, only a week passed.

Zhang Zhongtian's son Zhang Zhiqiang brought a girl back from outside.

That girl wasn't old either, the same age as Zhang Zhiqiang, named Li Xiaohe.

A son bringing his girlfriend home should be a happy occasion.

But Zhang Zhongtian wasn't happy at all, instead he was furious!

It wasn't that he disliked this young girl Li Xiaohe.

Rather, he was furious at his son messing around outside!

His son Zhang Zhiqiang and Li Xiaohe were in the same class at the same technical school.

They haven't even finished technical school yet, still one year short of getting their graduation certificates, yet they've already started dating and gotten together — isn't this a textbook case of puppy love?

The most fatal thing was, Zhang Zhiqiang also told Zhang Zhongtian a piece of news that struck like a bolt from the blue:

"Dad, Xiaohe is pregnant with my child."

"What??!" Zhang Zhongtian's face changed wildly, he simply couldn't believe his ears.

He deeply regretted sending his son to technical school back then.

He'd long heard people say that vocational and technical schools are chaotic, puppy love is a dime a dozen there, he had repeatedly urged Zhang Zhiqiang to study hard in school, never expecting Zhang Zhiqiang to let it go in one ear and out the other, directly giving him such a "big surprise"!

"Dad, I didn't want this either, but things have come to this, nothing can be changed now, so I brought Xiaohe to see you, you decide for us, keep it or abort it? If we keep it, I have no money, you'll probably have to support them; if we abort it, please give us the abortion fee, I'll accompany Xiaohe to get it done."

Zhang Zhongtian was half-dead with rage:

"You rotten brat, how can you ruin a young girl like this!"

But Zhang Zhiqiang talked back:

"Dad, I didn't ruin Xiaohe, Xiaohe and I truly love each other!"

Zhang Zhongtian got even angrier:

"You don't know shit! You haven't even grown all your hair yet! Do you know what love is!"

Seeing Zhang Zhiqiang's father so angry, Li Xiaohe could only tremble with her head lowered, not daring to say a word.

It was Zhang Zhongtian's wife Yao Aina who stepped in to mediate:

"Don't scare the kids like that, they're still young, making a mistake is normal! As long as they know they're wrong and can correct it!"

Yao Aina hurriedly asked:

"Xiaohe, have you told your parents about this?"

Li Xiaohe said timidly:

"I don't dare tell them, I'm afraid they'll beat me to death. Also, my parents divorced when I was very small, they both work in the city, rarely come back to see me, I live with my grandpa and grandma now."

Hearing this, Yao Aina knew Li Xiaohe was a pitiable rural girl, and couldn't help but feel sympathy in her heart.

"Don't be afraid, we won't do anything to you, we'll respect your choice."

Yao Aina comforted her like this.

Zhang Zhongtian frowned worriedly, smoking a cigarette, and said:

"How about this, Xiaohe, you go talk to your parents, and your grandpa and grandma, if they agree to you being with our Zhiqiang, we'll hold the wedding; if they don't agree, we'll pay the abortion fee, after the abortion you separate from our Zhiqiang, no further contact, what do you think?"

Li Xiaohe was so young, how could she have her own independent opinion, so she nodded in a fluster:

"Okay, then I'll go back and talk to them..."

Regarding this accidental pregnancy, she was actually very scared inside.

But this kind of thing, actually, has long been nothing strange.

Rural kids lack discipline, and from a young age haven't received sex education, some kids don't even know what a condom is, during the peak of puberty hormones, one moment of losing control, stealing the forbidden fruit, accidentally getting pregnant — it's simply too common.

Especially in vocational and technical schools, those places where dragons and snakes are mixed together, it's even more common.

Li Xiaohe stayed at Zhang Zhongtian's house for a day, the next day Zhang Zhongtian had Zhang Zhiqiang send Li Xiaohe back.

What followed was a long wait.

Waited about a week.

Only then did Li Xiaohe give a reply, she said her parents agreed to her marrying Zhang Zhiqiang, her grandpa and grandma also agreed, but they want a banquet, and want bride price.

Zhang Zhongtian asked how much bride price.

Li Xiaohe said:

"I don't know, my parents said wait until Uncle you come to my house, see you face to face then talk."

Zhang Zhongtian's face darkened involuntarily, he felt Li Xiaohe's parents might take the opportunity to extort him.

After all, Li Xiaohe is already pregnant now, many selfish and snobbish parents would seize the opportunity of their daughter's pregnancy to jack up the bride price ruthlessly.

But Zhang Zhongtian had already made psychological preparations.

If the other side asks too high, then forget this marriage!

Anyway, the one injured isn't his son!

At worst, pay a bit of abortion fee!

So he kept a calm face and asked:

"When shall we meet?"

Li Xiaohe said:

"My parents said they'll come back from the city this Saturday. At that time, Uncle, you can come to my house together with Zhiqiang."

Zhang Zhongtian said:

"Good, good. Then we'll come over this Saturday."

In a blink, Saturday arrived.

Zhang Zhongtian prepared gifts, brought along his not-biological son Zhang Zhiqiang, and also his wife Yao Aina, and together they went to Li Xiaohe's home.

By this time Zhang Zhongtian had already bought a small sedan, and it was a Toyota SUV at that, very imposing.

He drove to Li Xiaohe's home.

He discovered Li Xiaohe's home was poor as a church mouse; they still lived in a mud-brick tile house.

The two old people at home were emaciated and sickly; the hygiene situation inside the house wasn't good either, a world of difference from his family's environment.

So he at once became confident.

In his heart he thought: if Li Xiaohe's parents are too snobbish, then this marriage he absolutely will not agree to!

He absolutely cannot let a poor girl raised by such a poor family burden his son!

So after sitting inside for a while, without waiting for Li Xiaohe's parents to speak, he took the initiative to bring up the matter of the bride price:

"In-laws, regarding the bride price, I want to follow our county town's funeral custom: the bride price is merely a token of good luck; giving a good number is enough. As for whether the money is more or less, that's secondary. I wonder what your opinion is?"

Li Xiaohe's father Li Jianguo was stunned for a moment, first echoing:

"Right, right, right. The bride price is just a token."

Then he asked:

"Then, In-laws, what do you think is appropriate?"

Zhang Zhongtian said:

"Let's make it 9,999 yuan. It symbolizes the young couple lasting forever, growing old together in the future, happy and fulfilled. What do you think?"

When Zhang Zhongtian said this, his wife Yao Aina secretly pinched his arm once.

Her eyes held some complaint, as if saying our family isn't short of money; is giving this little too shabby?

Although local custom doesn't compete on bride price, and there won't be cases of demanding over a hundred thousand, what's given is at least ten or twenty thousand; only a minority give below ten thousand.

Yet Zhang Zhongtian was indifferent to Yao Aina's hint, because from the bottom of his heart he did not hope his son would marry Li Xiaohe as a wife.

Because marrying Li Xiaohe would mean being responsible for the family behind Li Xiaohe.

And what kind of family lies behind Li Xiaohe is now clear as day.

The family being this poor is one thing; the parents are even divorced.

Li Xiaohe is still a left-behind child, raised by her grandfather and grandmother; she probably understands nothing, just a useless silly girl.

Zhang Zhongtian was expecting Li Jianguo's refusal; as long as he refused, he would immediately pay the abortion fee on the spot, then sever this matter with one clean cut, a decisive and thorough break.

However, what Zhang Zhongtian didn't expect was that after Li Jianguo thought for a bit, he replied:

"No problem. 9,999 it is. The bride price is just a token; the amount doesn't matter. My only requirement is that the wedding ceremony be held grandly and spectacularly."

Li Jianguo's ex-wife Zhang Huijuan, who had been silent all along, now asked with a stiff face:

"Both kids haven't reached marriageable age yet; how can they marry?"

It was very obvious that Zhang Huijuan did not hope her daughter would marry this early.

Li Jianguo, however, said:

"Hold the banquet first; the marriage certificate can be supplemented later!"

He also said:

"In our rural area it's all like this. Holding the banquet counts as the real marriage; the marriage certificate is secondary instead! In-laws, you say, isn't that right?"

Zhang Zhongtian responded with a dry, dry laugh and a nod:

"Exactly. Indeed it is like this."

He never in a million years expected that this marriage would actually just like that become a done deal.