Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 95 Huge Compensation
It was impossible for Wang Chengpeng to have been slapped; with Liu Yanran's weak strength, she couldn't even have touched Wang Chengpeng.

Liu Dongran, who had been speechless with shock at her daughter's outrageous actions, finally came to her senses, raised her hand, and slapped Liu Yanran hard across the face, shouting angrily:
"What a misfortune for our family, what a misfortune for our family."

"Liu Yanran, shut up. You have no right to speak from now on."

Whether it was a ruse or not, Liu Dongran's slap was extremely hard, leaving a deep, iron-like handprint on Liu Yanran's face.

Overwhelmed by Liu Dongran's fatherly authority, Liu Yanran, though her face was full of grievances, ultimately said nothing and simply sat down on the ground, sobbing pitifully.

Those who didn't know the situation might have thought that Wang Chengpeng was extremely wicked and had bullied Liu Yanran severely.

After subduing Liu Yanran, Liu Dongran, with a fawning smile, said:

"Xiaopeng, Yanran was indeed wrong in this matter."

"But now that it has already happened, let's not discuss who is right and who is wrong, let's just think about how to resolve this matter."

At this point, Liu Dongran gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind, and said:
"Since you've liked Yanran for so long, Xiaopeng, why don't you take the betrothal gifts back and call off this marriage?"

"I'll give you an extra twenty yuan, and that'll be the end of it. Let's not bring it up again."

As expected, birds of a feather flock together. Liu Dongran had been plotting for so long, yet he only offered twenty yuan in compensation. Wang Chengpeng was so angry he burst out laughing, saying:
"Twenty yuan? Are you kidding me?"

"Putting everything else aside, I gave Zhang, the matchmaker, a hundred yuan in cash, plus twenty yuan worth of grain just to help her with the matchmaking."

"Don't call me Xiao Peng, I wouldn't dare to associate with your Liu family."

"Since your Liu family is so insincere, it seems there's no need for us to continue this conversation. The eyes of the matchmakers are discerning and will tell you who is right and who is wrong."

Wang Chengpeng was already extremely generous, and knowing that someone would definitely foot the bill for this, he offered an extremely high matchmaking fee, which now serves as a convenient excuse.

After all, Zhang the matchmaker had received a large sum of money from Wang Chengpeng. Even if she didn't manage to arrange a marriage with Liu Yanran, she would still have to continue to help Wang Chengpeng find a partner.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhou Erhua screamed and said:

"What matchmaking fee? Now that the matchmaking hasn't even happened, where does Zhang the matchmaker get the nerve to accept this money?"

"Return the money quickly. Aren't you afraid of feeling guilty about taking it?"

Which matchmaker is easy to get along with?
Wang Chengpeng's words clearly indicated that he did not intend to recoup the considerable money he had spent on matchmaking. How could Zhang the matchmaker possibly fail at this crucial moment?

Her face immediately darkened, and she said with extreme reluctance, "Little sister Zhou, you can't just eat whatever you want, and you can't just say whatever you want."

"If it weren't for your family's messy affairs, today would be the day to exchange betrothal gifts and get engaged. Why didn't this marriage go through?"

"Since the marriage was canceled due to your family's problems, you should naturally pay for the matchmaking fee."

"You don't think I'm easy to bully just because I'm old, do you?"

“Okay, okay, okay. If your Yanran doesn’t mind becoming famous in the surrounding area, I don’t mind helping her spread the word.”

Snapped,

Another crisp slap rang out, but this time it was Zhou Erhua who got slapped.

Liu Dongran was furious with the mother and son; they were both as stupid as pigs.

Although this was Wang Chengpeng's wedding, there were still three witnesses present.

If we really offend them all, what's the point of Wang Chengpeng agreeing alone?

After "appeasing" Zhou Erhua, Liu Dongran smiled apologetically again:

"Xiaopeng, I was wrong just now. Twenty yuan is really too little for your family's losses."

"How about this, our Liu family will offer two hundred yuan to settle this matter. What do you think?" "No way," Wang Chengpeng retorted bluntly. "You surely know how much the 'three turns and two sounds' your daughter requested costs, don't you?"

“Originally, our family didn’t need to buy these things at all. Now, not only have we bought them, but we’ve also bought the best brands. This has resulted in a loss of at least five hundred yuan.”

"In addition, our family borrowed money at high interest rates to get married, and the monthly interest alone is not a small amount."

"Okay, I won't ask for much more. As long as you agree to compensate me two thousand yuan, this matter will be considered settled."

Two thousand yuan?

The Liu family of three stared wide-eyed and exclaimed in unison, "Wang Chengpeng, this is extortion!"

Although they were mentally prepared for the numbers Wang Chengpeng might report, the Liu family of three were still taken aback.

Even if it's just 200 yuan, that's all their family's savings. Now Wang Chengpeng is demanding 2,000 yuan in compensation, which they probably couldn't afford even if they demolished their house.

Compared to the grievances I suffered in my past life, what are these two thousand yuan?
Wang Chengpeng sneered, "Extortion? Then consider me an extortionist."

"I'm making this clear today: if the Liu family doesn't pay two thousand yuan in compensation, this matter isn't over."

“Your daughter is vain and should have been prepared to lose everything when she had an affair with a city man.”

"I advise you to think this through carefully; time waits for no one."

"If anyone notices something's wrong and comes to join the fun, don't blame me for not warning you."

The Liu family certainly couldn't squeeze out that much compensation, but don't forget that Zhou Xia is still here.

It was indeed extremely difficult for Zhou Xia to come up with this money, but it was by no means impossible.

As expected, after Wang Chengpeng said that, Zhou Xia immediately begged for mercy, saying:

"Comrade, please have mercy."

“The Liu family will contribute 500 yuan, and I will compensate them with the remaining 1,500 yuan.”

"But I don't have that much money on me right now. How about I give you an IOU?"

"I am the head of the production department at Hongqu Textile Factory. Don't worry, I will never shortchange you a single penny."

Zhou Xia's idea was good, but he underestimated the greed of the Liu family.

His words instantly made the Liu family realize that there was someone else they could trick, and they immediately shouted:

"Zhou Xia, how dare you suggest that the Liu family pay five hundred yuan?"

"You shamelessly seduced my Yanran, so you should pay all two thousand yuan!"

Zhou Xia stared wide-eyed at Zhou Erhua in disbelief, exclaiming in surprise:
“That’s not what you said when you let me in.”

"I only have so much money. Take it or leave it, or we'll all perish together."

Having witnessed too many poor relatives, Zhou Xia knew just how cunning these people could be. He knew he couldn't back down at this point, otherwise they wouldn't just refuse to pay him, they might even demand compensation from him.

As expected, after Zhou Xia adopted a nonchalant attitude, Zhou Erhua and the eager Liu Yanran immediately shut up and dared not say another word.

In the end, it was Liu Dongran, the head of the family, who stepped forward and said through gritted teeth:

"I accept this compensation plan."

"Xiaopeng, didn't anyone tell you that having too big an appetite is bad, that you'll choke and overeat?"

(End of this chapter)