Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Tang Yu brewed tea for Xu Jian and handed it to him with both hands, asking, "Brother Xu, what industry do you mainly work in?"

“I run my own company, and the business is quite diverse. I used to do clothing wholesale, then I went into export trade, and in the last two years I started an entertainment company with a friend and signed a few actors.”

The Tang family was stunned by Xu Jian's words.

Knowing Chen Xinyue's family background, they had no doubt about the Xu family's wealth, but they never expected Xu Jian to be so capable, actually a big boss!

Why did it take so long to discuss marriage under such circumstances?
Everyone in the Tang family had the same question, but they were too embarrassed to say it aloud.

In the end, it was Ding Ruman who tactfully asked the question.

Lin Ying seemed to have opened a floodgate of complaints, venting her grievances about Xu Jian: "He used to be so focused on making money, buying land and building houses and skyscrapers in Guangdong Province. He didn't care about finding a partner at all. If you ask me, he's just a blockhead, completely clueless. Now that his cousin is married, he's finally starting to have ideas."

But if you ask me, Jingjing is the one who's truly outstanding; otherwise, this rascal of mine wouldn't even consider her.

Lin Qin chimed in, "I can't guarantee anything else, but you can rest assured about this. Our Jian is the most virtuous and clean-living man, and he's just not romantic at all. If a woman flirts with him, he'll think she's seeing things. Tell me, how is he supposed to find a girlfriend like that?"

Tang Jing thought of Xu Jian's honest nature and wholeheartedly agreed.

The Tang family members were surprised to find Xu Jian to be this kind of person. Although they were embarrassed, they were mostly happy.

After explaining her family's situation, Lin Ying frankly inquired about the Tang family from Tang's mother.

Tang's mother felt somewhat inferior. She looked at her son and daughter, unsure of where to begin.

Tang Yu volunteered to answer for his mother, "Auntie, our hometown is in the deep mountains of Northwest China. It's very poor there. My sister and I have to transfer several buses to get to the county town and then take the train. It takes several days to get here."

We strive so that our parents and future generations will no longer be trapped in that barren land.

Over the years, I've worked hard in Guangdong Province and spent two years buying this house. The first thing I did after getting the house was to bring my parents from my hometown over. My other older siblings all have their own families to support, so I really couldn't take care of so many people. I used the method that my sister Xinyue had helped us with: shipping goods back to our hometown.

I asked my older brother, sister-in-law, sister, and brother-in-law to set up stalls in the town and county to sell some cheap and useful things.

Their lives have obviously improved a lot in recent years. Our area is sparsely populated, and even land in the county town is not expensive.

They saved up money and used it all to buy land and build houses in the county town. They have all left their hometown.

We also have a second brother who went out to work at a young age and has hardly had any contact with his family over the years. I only got in touch with him after I went to Guangdong Province, but we didn't see eye to eye and had a bad argument. Now we've lost contact again.

Currently, I work in the financial sector, and my side job is wholesale. That's roughly the situation.

Although my family isn't particularly wealthy, I'm capable enough to take good care of my parents without my third sister having to worry about them.

My older siblings back home are doing much better now, and they certainly won't bother my third sister.

Lin Ying immediately praised Tang Yu highly.

With everything discussed to this point, both parties were quite satisfied with the situation. The next step was to discuss the wedding date and dowry.

Lin Ying pulled out an old almanac from Anshi from her bag. Xu Jian's eyelids twitched as he looked at it.

Lin Ying ignored him completely and placed the old almanac in front of Tang Yu. "Take a look. I had a feng shui master check it before I came. There are quite a few auspicious days at the end of the year. We can choose one and get the wedding done before the Chinese New Year this year."

As for new houses and cars, you don't need to worry about those. My son has a large villa and luxury cars in the city. He can just buy some new furniture and decorate the place, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied.

Back in our hometown, we have our own house in Anshi city, and another self-built house in the town specifically for our child. We haven't lived there much in recent years, and it looks brand new. If you're worried, you can come with us.

Jingjing has been to Anshi, but you haven't. It's a good opportunity for you to go and have some fun.

Mr. and Mrs. Tang quickly shook their heads, politely declining.

Tang's mother said sincerely, "You are a very good family. I trust you. There's no need to look at the house. We'll go there when the two children get married."

Lin Ying slapped her thigh and excitedly grabbed Tang's mother's hand, "That's fine! We'll arrange a bus to pick you up, and all the food and lodging will be included, so you can have a good time in Anshi for a few days."

The two families reached a consensus on this matter, and the next step was inevitably to discuss the bride price and dowry.

When it came to money, Lin Ying didn't dare to be so casual. She looked at Tang's mother with a sincere expression and asked, "Please tell us what your family thinks about the bride price. Do you want to follow your customs, ours, or the customs of Guangdong Province?"

Tang's mother was a little at a loss. She subconsciously looked at Tang Jing and Tang Yu and said awkwardly, "Our hometown is very poor. When my two older daughters got married, the bride price was only a few hundred yuan. You can decide."

Lin Ying immediately frowned, "Things are different now than before. Back in our day, the bride price was several hundred yuan. You can't calculate it like that."

She then turned to Tang Jing and asked, "Jingjing, what are you thinking?"

Tang Jing blushed and shook her head, "I'm fine with anything."

Seeing that her mother-in-law and third sister-in-law were hiding like cowards at this crucial moment, Ding Ruman quickly spoke up, "Aunt Lin, when Ayu married me, the bride price was 80,000. If they don't have any ideas, they can refer to mine."

When she married Tang Yu, her parents were actually a bit difficult, deliberately asking for a high dowry. They only agreed to let her marry into the family after seeing that Tang Yu agreed without hesitation.

In fact, the standard bride price in her hometown is between 40,000 and 60,000 yuan.

Lin Ying laughed, "That works too, but since it's a reference point, we can't forget my niece. I think the dowry when she got married was..."

Lin Ying looked at Lin Qin.

Tang Jing knew a little about it and quickly stopped her, "Auntie, Xinyue married into a prominent family in the capital. We can't compare her to her. It's fine if we follow my sister-in-law's standards."

If she remembered correctly, Chen Xinyue's dowry was not just money, but also included many rare and precious items, totaling over 100 million yuan.

Lin Ying fell into deep thought.

Lin Qin, who was standing nearby, reminded her at just the right moment, "Have you forgotten the jewelry we bought yesterday?"

Lin Ying's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, and jewelry too! Okay, then, according to your sister-in-law's standards, a dowry of 100,000 yuan, plus jewelry, the bride's dress, and all the wedding candy and cakes—we'll cover it all, and give an extra 100,000 yuan." (End of Chapter)