Mixed in 1980

Chapter 448 A Slap in the Face Delivered to Your Doorstep

Chen Yanyin doesn't mind living with her parents-in-law.

This has always been the case in my family. We have three mothers, and none of them have ever said they feel uncomfortable living with their in-laws. On the contrary, each one of them is more filial than the last.

My aunts, as well as my younger aunt and older sister, all live with their parents-in-law after they get married. The house is spacious, so there's plenty of room for them.

My aunt doesn't live with her in-laws, and the reason is simple: they are biased and don't get along. Anyone would feel uncomfortable if they encountered that.

Mr. and Mrs. Lu are quite easy to get along with.

However, there's no rush. Some parents simply don't adapt well to city life and feel uncomfortable in the city.

After lunch and tea together, Chen Yanyin asked Lu You to take her for a walk. As soon as they arrived at the place, they went inside, as they hadn't seen the place before.

This is Yanshan Town in Guilin.

In recent years, with the continued boom in tourism, the economy has actually been doing alright. Lu You's family had a store in the town, which they turned into a convenience store, and they were doing reasonably well.

Actually, things have only really gotten better in the last two years. In the earlier years, we had to support our children's education, as well as pay for Lu You's marriage, house purchase, and car purchase, which left us with a lot of debt.

Watching the two leave, Lu's mother grinned and said, "This girl is so sweet, her words are as sweet as honey. Our family's ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke."

Mr. Lu nodded slightly: "Indeed, she is a good girl with a high level of education. We won't have to worry about Xiaoyou in the future."

"Don't worry about it, just don't hold us back."

Lu Yan rolled her eyes at her father: "Your eldest son and daughter-in-law will definitely come over symbolically in a couple of days. I hope they don't cause any trouble then."

"Don't talk nonsense, those are your brother and sister-in-law!"

Lu's mother glared at her daughter reproachfully, but her expression darkened: "If you didn't come today, don't come in a couple of days either. It's not too late to meet again after Xiaoyou gets married."

"So you've come to terms with it?" Lu Yan teased.

Parents always hope that their two sons can be of one mind and live in harmony, but some things cannot be achieved just because you want to or do them.

From childhood to adulthood, the eldest brother has always been selfish, never caring about himself or his younger brother. Even after he started working, he did not take care of his younger siblings at all.

After getting married, all he knows is how to leech off his family.

How can brothers be of one mind and live in harmony like this? If you really want to live in harmony with him, you have to be like your parents and let him leech off you.

Thinking of all this, Lu Yan recalled the Hetian jade bracelet and felt a wave of unease.

Everyone knows that my mother likes jade, but no one can afford to buy it. My mother herself did buy two chalcedony bracelets to wear and play with, which only cost a few hundred yuan.

My younger brother received a project bonus, but instead of spending it on himself, he bought a Hetian jade bracelet. I really don't know where my sister-in-law got the nerve to take it away.

When her younger brother brought Chen Yanyin back, Lu Yan took advantage of a break to call Chen Yanyin into the room and quietly explain the matter to her.

The bracelet was bought by Lu You, and it was bought through Chen Yanyin. If this isn't explained clearly, it might cause misunderstandings if people see the bracelet on their sister-in-law's wrist later.

Chen Yanyin was also surprised by this.

The family showed her the information and she learned that Lu You's sister-in-law loved to take advantage of others and treated her husband's family like sheep to be fleeced. They never expected that she would be so greedy and take advantage of everything.

However, since Lu Yan was able to explain in advance, Chen Yanyin didn't mind: "Sister, I thought it was a big deal. It's just a bracelet, so what if I gave it to her?"

At the same time, he was secretly on guard.

From now on, I should stay away from Lu You's elder brother and sister-in-law. It's true that I have money, but no matter how rich I am, I don't like being taken advantage of.

Just make sure it looks presentable.

The next day, he went out with Lu You to visit Lu You's maternal grandparents and two uncles. They were all good people and there was nothing wrong with them.

On the third day, they originally planned to go out for a stroll, but unexpectedly, Lu You's elder brother and sister-in-law arrived, carrying a bag of fruit and accompanied by a little boy.

The little boy was very naughty. In Chen Yanyin's opinion, he was just like Xiao Wu when he was a child. The difference was that Xiao Wu would immediately become obedient when his older sister glared at him, but this child was fearless.

After being labeled a "brat," Chen Yanyin stopped getting close to him. Who would like a brat when there's no blood relation?

Moreover, behind every unruly child, there are often unruly parents. As the old man wrote in his collection of editorials, a phrase that unruly parents often use is: "He's just a child..."

While making tea, Chen Yanyin discreetly returned to her room. When she came out, she locked the door behind her, just in case the mischievous child broke in and damaged her things.

Don't let things break and the other person say, "He's just a child. Why are you, a grown adult, arguing with a child?" In the end, you'll be the one in the wrong.

This is not a malicious speculation by Chen Yanyin.

The unruly child showed no manners after entering the house, not only towards her as an outsider, but also towards his aunt, grandparents, and other relatives.

And after entering the house, he started rummaging through everything.

As for his parents, they saw all of this but did not stop them at all; on the contrary, they took it for granted. Chen Yanyin made no comment on this.

They've come home, so there's nothing wrong with that. Just don't go through their things.

After closing the door, she sat down to make tea and chatted about trivial things. Chen Yanyin was an expert at this kind of idle talk, and she never stopped talking.

Lu You's sister-in-law, Cao Ning, seeing how much Lu You's mother and Lu Yan liked her, couldn't help but mutter to herself, "She's really scheming, always saying nice things."

After thinking for a moment, Cao Ning asked, "Xiao You, Yan Yin, when are you planning to get married?"

Chen Yanyin smiled: "Sister-in-law, it's not decided yet. Both families need to sit down and talk before we can finalize things. We wouldn't dare make a decision privately." "That's true!"

Cao Ning nodded slightly and said, "By the way, how much is the bride price where you live? My family is just an ordinary family, and I don't know if we can afford it."

Upon hearing this, Lu's mother and Lu Yan's expressions changed slightly.

Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble? How much dowry is required, you're not paying any money, whether you can afford it or not, whether you can keep up with the demand, what does it have to do with you?
Marrying you would come with a hefty dowry.

It cost a total of 38 yuan, and I also had to buy a house and a car. I even had to borrow money from relatives to pay off these debts. It wasn't until two years ago that I was able to pay them off.

Lu Yan pondered that her sister-in-law was probably asking on purpose. If she offered more than 38 yuan, she probably wouldn't let it go.

Chen Yanyin didn't understand, so naturally she couldn't guess.

She disliked being associated with dowries: "My family never mentioned this, and I don't know how much they usually give in Guilin."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan raised the corners of her mouth: "There aren't many in Guilin, usually it's 5 or 8. If you marry someone from another place, it depends on the woman's side."

As he spoke, he looked at Cao Ning and said, "For example, my sister-in-law's side asks for 38 yuan. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Generally, it is based on the woman's side of the bill."

"According to the woman's standards?" Chen Yanyin pressed.

Seeing Lu Yan nod, Chen Yanyin pretended to be mournful and said, "Sister, can we not follow the woman's standards, but follow the standards of Guilin?"

The whole family was a little confused.

Chen Yanyin explained, "My family is in Beijing, and my hometown is in Fujian. Neither place has a bride price. In Beijing, they only give money as a gift, while in Fujian, they give betrothal money."

"Isn't that different?" Cao Ning asked.

“Sister-in-law, it’s different.”

Chen Yanyin hurriedly shook her head: "In the capital, the betrothal money is given to us by both sets of parents. It is usually 10001 yuan or 9999 yuan, depending on whether it is a one-in-a-million or a long-lasting relationship.

"So little?" Cao Ning asked in surprise.

Chen Yanyin nodded and said, "That's right. In southern Fujian, there is only a betrothal gift, which corresponds to the dowry. The amount of the betrothal gift will increase the amount of the dowry. In some places, it will be doubled."

"You have to give money to your daughter when she gets married?" Cao Ning feigned surprise, secretly looking down on him.

“Basically.”

At this point, Chen Yanyin's eyes lit up, and she took Lu's mother's arm and said, "Auntie, why don't you give me more, and I'll ask my dad for more dowry?"

Lu's mother was amused; this girl was truly endearing.

The implication is clear: the bride price issue won't be put in a difficult position. This comparison reveals the situation with the eldest son's wife…

Seeing this, Cao Ning had mixed feelings.

Chen Yanyin asked for a small dowry, that's because she was foolish. The money saved will go to the old couple, and they'll have plenty of opportunities to squeeze it out in the future.

But she was also frustrated.

Before Chen Yanyin even entered the family, her family adored her, doting on her and treating her like an afterthought.

But compared to money, none of that mattered, so he continued, "Yan Yin, you'll be settling in the capital, right? You'll need to buy a house in the future, won't you?"

“Housing prices in Beijing are so high, costing tens of thousands of yuan per square meter. You’ve seen our family’s situation; I’m afraid we can’t offer much support.”

"You'll have to rely on yourselves in the future."

After hearing her words, Lu's mother frowned: "Eldest daughter-in-law, why are you saying this? You bought a house, and the family paid for it. If Xiaoyou wants to buy a house in the future, we will definitely have to contribute a sum of money."

"Mom, I didn't mean anything by it."

Cao Ning touched his nose and continued, "House prices in Beijing are so high, tens of thousands per square meter, and the down payment is over a million. How much do you two old folks have?"

"Take as much as you can!" Mother Lu gritted her teeth.

They knew the Chen family was wealthy, but when their youngest son wanted to buy a house in the future, the elderly couple wouldn't just stand by and watch; they would do what they were told.

"Auntie, you don't need to worry about the house."

Chen Yanyin, arm in arm with Lu's mother, smiled and said, "My parents have already made preparations. We don't need to worry about buying a house anymore; we can move in right away."

“In a few years, when we both graduate with our doctorates, Lu You will want to buy another house. With our combined salaries, there won’t be any pressure.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Ning was surprised and asked curiously, "Your family has a house planned? Where will it be bought, and how big will it be?"

Chen Yanyin nodded and said, "My family bought the house the year I was born. It's been more than 20 years since then, and the house is quite old, but it has been renovated and is still quite nice."

"More than twenty years, wouldn't that make the old house dilapidated?"

"Old, it is indeed very old. That house should be two or three hundred years old. It's the kind of courtyard house that appears in Beijing all the time, often on TV."

"You live in a courtyard house? Like the one in the TV series 'Under the Zhengyang Gate'? Many residents live together, it's also called a 'big tenement'?" Cao Ning slightly pursed his lips.

Chen Yanyin smiled and nodded slightly: "That's how it is, but it's not a tenement courtyard; the whole courtyard belongs to one family."

Then, he said to Lu's father and mother, "Uncle, Aunt, when you come to the capital, don't worry about not having enough room. My dad gave me a courtyard with three courtyards and an additional side courtyard."

(End of this chapter)