Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Zhang Taoâs voice was sharp and high-pitched, and her daughter-in-law subconsciously trembled. She quickly stopped what she was doing and went to the kitchen.
âCook some dumplings for him! Ones with celery filling!â Zhang Tao shouted after her. Looking at her daughter-in-lawâs receding figure, Zhang Tao resentfully commented, âTsk, she just went off without a single word of reply! I Imow she heard me! That womanâs so quiet she might as well be a mute. Sheâs such a wimp; sheâd probably be bullied to death if she gets a daughter-in-law in the future.â
Zhang Xian had already brazenly sat on Zhang Taoâs rocking chair and lazily replied, âGranny, what daughter-in-law? How can I get a wife with this shabby house of ours?â
Zhang Tao disagreed. âSweetie, how can you say that about yourself? Youâre so good-looking, soâso⦠What was it again? Ah, yes, dashing and debonair! My grandson is a handsome, dashing, and debonair man. Thereâs no way you wonât be able to get a wife!â
Zhang Xian rolled his eyes at his grandmother. âOh, come on, get real. Young women these days are all so realistic. You would need real money to get married! You canât trick women into marriage nowadays like how you tricked my mother. â
Zhang Tao retorted, âWhat do you mean âtrick?! I spent 300 dollars to buy your mother! Hmph! That woman cost me 300 dollars!â So saying, she couldnât help but look toward the kitchen again. She felt that the 300 dollars she spent wasnât worth it. If that wretched girl, Xiao He, hadnât run away, she wouldnât have had to sDend that extra ROO dollars.
Zhang Xian sighed as he rocked in his rocking chair, âThat was way back when. Besides, 300 dollars to buy someone like my mother is already a pretty good deal. You wonât be able to buy such a wife even if you spend 30,000 dollars now.â
â30,000 dollars? What kind of woman would cost so much? Thatâs more expensive than the pigs in my pen! Iâm telling you, Little Xian, a wifeâs duty is to work and bear children! You donât buy a wife so they can sit there and look pretty! Donât follow Old Li and Old Liuâs familiesâ examples; those idiots put their wives on a pedestal and dress them to the nines. Those fools dote on their wives so much that those women couldnât lift or carry anything, let alone do any labor work, and they couldnât beat or scold them. Our family doesnât raise idle people! Do you hear me, Little Xian?â Zhang Tao earnestly instructed her grandson.
Zhang Xian disagreed. âGranny! That kind of thinking is old history!â
Zhang Tao glared at him. Zhang Xian suddenly leaned close to Zhang Tao and said ingratiatingly, âGranny, thereâs this girl I like.â
Zhang Tao was delighted and asked, âWho is it? Granny will go and propose marriage for you!â
Zhang Xianâs face immediately fell. âThe bride price sheâs asking for is a little too high. We canât afford it. Why donât we just forget about it?â
Zhang Tao raised her eyebrows. âWhat? Does she think youâre poor? Is she looking down on you?
Zhang Xian sighed. âNo, not really. She doesnât mind that Iâm poor, nor does she look down on me. Itâs just that her mother is worried about letting her marry someone like me. Sheâs afraid her daughter will suffer in the future. Her family is quite wealthy, after all.â
â Wealthy? Zhang Tao immediately perked up at that. âYouâre saying you found a girl from a wealthy family?â
Zhang Xian nodded. âHer father is a big businessman. Their family lives in a big house and drives luxury cars. They also have several nannies!â
âReally?â Zhang Taoâs eyes lit up when she heard that. âIsnât that the same as whatâs shown on television? she thought.
Zhang Xian nodded and slightly depressedly said, âBut I donât dare to think about marrying her! How can our family support such a rich young lady? Although she says she doesnât care about material conditions, Iâm a manâI care! Granny, what should I do?â
Zhang Tao squinted her eyes and suddenly had a thought. âThen, her family will prepare a huge dowry for her, wonât they?â
Zhang Xian answered a little dispiritedly, âI guess so. Sheâs her familyâs only daughter, so sheâll definitely have a lot of dowry.â
Zhang Tao patted Zhang Xianâs shoulder. âPerfect! Little Xian, donât worry! Granny will make sure you get to marry that wealthy girl!â
Zhang Xian smiled bitterly. âHow? With what? Are you telling me to talk my way into marriage? Save it, Granny! Thatâll never work!â
Zhang Tao swatted Zhang Xianâs shoulder mock-angrily. âWhy canât you believe in Granny? If I say you can marry her, then you can! Did you think we donât have any riches? Well, youâre wrong. You look down on Granny too much! Let me tell you, Granny has already prepared the things for you to get married!â
âWhat did you prepare?â Zhang Xian asked curiously. âGranny, did you save up money for me? How much did you save? Quick, tell me! I want to see if itâs enough for me to marry Ting Ting!â
Zhang Tao chuckled, âI donât have any money. Your grandfather and your fatherâthose two idiotsâsquandered all the money they had!â
Zhang Xian felt disappointed. âThen how am I going to get a wife? You canât use anything other than money to get a wife!â
Zhang Tao gave her grandsonâs head a good whack and scolded him, âSilly boy, youâre really ignorant. You only know that gold, silver, and cash are valuable.. Donât you know that jade is even more valuable than gold and silver?â