Chapter 601: The Bride Price Bargain

“Not tired at all! Seeing you back makes me happier than anything. You two sit and have some tea—once I finish tidying up I’ll get started on dinner!” With that, Aunt turned and called to her husband, “Go and buy two kilos of meat, will you? Qian Qian’s brought a man home, we have to make something special.”

“Alright!”

Su Qianqian’s uncle agreed, headed into the room on the left, and came out again just a moment later.

Most likely he’d gone in to grab some cash.

A lot of older folks in the countryside still haven’t caught up with the times and never learned how to use mobile payments.

They think keeping money on their phones isn’t safe.

Turning hard cash into a bunch of numbers just feels wrong to them. It makes them uneasy.

“Huniu, young man, you two sit inside. I’ll be quick—just off to buy some meat!”

Uncle greeted them both, hopped onto an old motorcycle, and drove off.

While Aunt went to tidy up the back room, Zhou Can told Wei Fang to pull the car in, then began unloading their gifts.

Since ancient times, marriage has always called for a go-between and proper betrothal gifts.

Zhou Can and Su Qianqian didn’t have a matchmaker; theirs was a love match. Even so, they couldn’t ignore the necessary traditions.

The betrothal letter was already prepared.

They’d bought a pre-printed one—just needed to fill in the names, birth dates, that sort of thing.

Zhou Can took the betrothal letter into the house to look for Su Qianqian’s aunt. It was clear she was the one in charge around here.

Inside, the room was piled with clutter. Aunt moved things aside with quick hands, then threw an old sheet over the rest. Looked like this was the guest room, used for relatives staying over when they visited.

If her aunt and uncle truly saw Su Qianqian as a daughter, it would show in their actions, not just their words.

At the very least, she should have her own room.

“Auntie, this is the betrothal letter I prepared to marry Qian Qian. Please accept it.”

Zhou Can held out the letter with both hands.

Aunt hesitated for a few seconds before finally taking it.

“There are also some gifts Qian Qian and I picked out for you and Uncle. I hope you won’t mind.”

Zhou Can gestured toward the gifts in the living room.

Aunt peeked out for a look. Her face instantly brightened, a smile blooming across her lips.

“Why bring so many gifts? You’re too polite.”

She might say that, but those shrewd, eager eyes gave away her true feelings—just like a mouse spotting sesame oil.

“Young man, where are you from?”

She started digging into Zhou Can’s background.

“I’m from Xinhai City.”

“And what do you do for a living?”

“I’m working in healthcare at the moment.”

“A doctor! That’s impressive. Do you have an apartment?”

“I do.”

“I mean, do you own a place in the city?”

Clearly, Aunt thought Zhou Can was a rural guy who’d landed a job in the city.

“Yes, I own an apartment in town.”

To Zhou Can, owning an apartment didn’t mean much. At his level, buying property was about as easy as grocery shopping. He could afford a mansion most people only dreamt about.

“Wow, having a place in the city is fantastic. Qian Qian lost her parents so young; my husband and I raised her ourselves. We never let her go without. If we had food, she did too. She was always such a good kid—never gave us trouble about schoolwork. Some of the neighbors gossip that we sent her to college but let our own son quit after middle school. They say we treat her better than a daughter…”

Aunt started listing all the ways she’d cared for Su Qianqian.

Zhou Can found it all especially revolting.

Truth was, her son dropped out of school because he had no ambition, not to pay for Su Qianqian’s studies.

All that talk about sacrificing for Qian Qian’s education? She was no saint.

The truth: Su Qianqian put herself through college with loans and part-time work.

Her aunt and uncle never gave her a cent.

“You and Uncle have worked hard. Without such wonderful relatives, Qian Qian wouldn’t have the chance to live in a big city.”

No matter how disgusted he felt, Zhou Can still had to put on a polite face and flatter them.

That’s just how people are.

As a kid, you say exactly what you think, but can never get the words right. As an adult, you know how to say what’s expected—even when you don’t mean it.

“It’s just… Qian Qian had a rough life, and I’ve never been able to stand seeing a child suffer after losing her parents,” Aunt even sighed as she spoke.

Zhou Can felt sick all over again.

Luckily his work brought him face-to-face with the worst sorts, so his nerves were well trained.

“You doctors must make good money, right?”

Once she finished bragging about raising Su Qianqian, Aunt smoothly changed the subject to Zhou Can’s income.

Every word and action from an adult is just weighing up their own interests.

Her little speech was just to pave the way for what she really wanted to ask.

“Five or six thousand yuan a month, tops. I’m still early in my career, so my salary isn’t high—just enough to keep the family going.”

In reality, Zhou Can earned at least fifty or sixty thousand a month just from the Emergency Department at Tuyu Hospital.

With cardio and peds consultation fees added in, he never made less than eighty thousand a month. He was likely the only resident doctor at Tuyu Hospital earning that much.

Surgical income was excellent, plain and simple.

That’s why so many doctors fought to get into the operating room.

Internal medicine doctors did okay too, but compared to surgeons, they started with a disadvantage.

First, an internist needed fifteen years or more to earn a proper paycheck. That’s assuming they made it to associate chief or higher.

And even then, there was always a cap on income.

If you were talented enough in surgery to lead your own team, your earnings were basically unlimited.

Plenty of top surgeons in China pull in over two million a year. Among internists, though, that kind of money is almost unheard of.

The only real advantage in internal medicine was prescription-writing.

But with today’s strict hospital policies, drug sales are tightly controlled. Some hospitals even try running private pharmacies just to sidestep the rules. Naturally, doctors’ incomes also take a hit.

Zhou Can wasn’t about to reveal his true salary—he wasn’t stupid.

If he let Su Qianqian’s relatives treat him like a fat sheep to be fleeced, he’d rather donate the money to charity instead.

“Five or six thousand a month isn’t bad. Out here, folks struggle to make two thousand! And anyway, your pay will only go up from here. Hospital care is expensive—everyone knows hospitals are where the real money is.”

Aunt’s smile faded noticeably after hearing his ‘modest’ income.

He even caught a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

She seemed to rethink her plan to demand a huge bride price.

“Hospitals might rake in the money, but it doesn’t all go to the doctors and nurses. We’re just workers, really.”

Zhou Can kept up the act about his low wages.

“Right, right. Little Zhou, let me be upfront about a few things—if I step out of line, just say so. I hope you don’t mind.”

She’d asked enough questions. Time to get to the real business.

“Please, go ahead!”

Zhou Can was curious: how much would she ask for?

He’d already asked around before coming. Bride prices here usually range from fifty to a hundred thousand.

Most would insist the groom buy a house, sometimes even a car.

Those, of course, weren’t for the bride’s family but for the young couple after marriage—giving them a solid start.

At a minimum, the couple needed a place to live.

With more women than men these days, it’s a buyer’s market for brides.

Some young women could get matched with a dozen or more bachelors a day if they returned home for the holidays.

With that much choice, expectations naturally climb.

“We only have Qian Qian—she’s not our own, but we’ve always treated her like a true daughter. With her parents gone, it’s up to us to look after her. So, there are a few rules about marriage in our hometown I should explain.”

Aunt paused, saw Zhou Can listening carefully, then went on.

“First and foremost, Qian Qian’s feelings come first—and from what I can see, she’s happy with you, or she wouldn’t have brought you home. Next, we expect our girl to be married off with dignity—not a single grievance suffered. Gold necklace, earrings, rings, bracelets… all five traditional gold pieces, not a thing less.”

Some families with high standards would insist on all five gold pieces as bride price.

Others, if they felt the groom’s finances were tight, might settle for just three.

And every so often, there’d be a foolish girl who, so long as she cared for her guy, agreed to a bare-bones wedding—no house, car, bride price or even a gold ring.

No fancy ceremony—just an exchange of vows.

But girls like that were rare.

Most young women today are too savvy for that.

Besides, their parents would never allow it.

Besides, their parents would never allow it.

“No problem, I promise Qian Qian won’t be slighted—we’ll get all five gold items.”

Zhou Can agreed without hesitation.

“One more thing—here, the groom’s expected to buy a place in the city. Since you’ve already got an apartment, that’s taken care of. Last is the cash gift. My son’s fiancée’s family asked for 128,800 yuan last year. Qian Qian is so outstanding and beautiful—guys would line up to marry her. So the cash gift can’t be less, or people would talk.”

To be fair, Aunt wasn’t being greedy.

128,800 was well within Zhou Can’s means.

Honestly, if Su Qianqian’s parents were still alive and had treated her kindly, Zhou Can would give them two or three million without thinking.

“No problem. We’ll go with your suggested 128,800. You two raised Qian Qian—it’s only right I give something back.”

Again, Zhou Can agreed eagerly.

Aunt smiled again, studying Zhou Can with beady little eyes.

Maybe she was wondering how he could say yes without a second thought.

City folks sure had money to burn.

“No, no, you haven’t quite caught my meaning yet. My son’s fiancée isn’t as pretty or educated as Qian Qian, and even going to college cost a fortune. How about 168,800? Does that sound fair?”

Aunt must’ve figured that Zhou Can was loaded, seeing how he’d agreed so quickly.

So she bumped the price up by forty thousand on the spot.

In her eyes, forty thousand was a huge sum.

“Sure—if it’s about giving Qian Qian a grand wedding, a little extra is only fitting. We’ll do it your way: 168,800.”

Again, Zhou Can was as agreeable as ever.

Aunt was surprised for a moment, but on seeing his reply, she looked pretty pleased.

“Heh, it looks like you really do like our Qian Qian. Then it’s settled. If you want to get engaged tomorrow, just bring the money and follow ceremony—we’ll make it official.”

Aunt had likely never even seen that much money all at once in her life.

“That’s fine with me.”

Zhou Can appreciated efficiency.

Honestly, what’s 160 or 170 thousand to him? It was nothing.

As for those five gold pieces, given Su Qianqian’s own means, she’d have no interest in ordinary jewelry. He’d already bought her plenty of luxury items in recent years.

One diamond-and-jade necklace alone had cost over 700,000 yuan.

There was also a Cartier bracelet north of 300,000.

The watch cost even more.

When it came to rings, young women cared most about diamonds.

So, Zhou Can would be sure she had a ‘pigeon’s egg’—if that’s what she wanted. At the end of the day, her happiness mattered most.

……

Twenty or so minutes later, Uncle came back carrying a slab of meat and a fresh fish.

As he walked in, he called to his wife, “I called our son—he’s taken the day off and will be home today. The whole family can have a reunion dinner. Oh, and make plenty of food tomorrow—our son’s bringing his girlfriend, too.”

Su Qianqian was already twenty-eight, so her cousin could hardly be much younger.

She’d mentioned him once—he was only about two years her junior.

That made him probably twenty-six this year.

Most young men started dating in their early twenties, though some troublemakers started in their early teens—some even went so far as staying overnight with their girlfriends.

Kids these days grew up fast.

“Can, just stay and chat with Uncle for a bit—I’ll go help Aunt in the kitchen.”

Su Qianqian volunteered to help with dinner.

Wei Fang had already dragged a chair outside to sit alone.

Aunt and Uncle both knew she was a temp driver, hardly giving her a second glance.

“Uncle, I just talked to Aunt about marrying Qian Qian. Her requests: the five gold items, an apartment in the city, and a cash gift of 168,800.”

Zhou Can brought up the topic himself.

To be honest, he was disappointed after coming here.

He hadn’t felt any warmth from Su Qianqian’s aunt and uncle—she was treated more like an outsider.

He just wanted to settle things quickly and get back to the city.

“What do you think?”

Uncle took a drag on a cigarette Zhou Can had given him, squinting as he asked for his opinion.

He was clearly surprised by the bride price.

It was already way above the local average.

“No objection. I’ll do exactly as you and Aunt ask. My idea is to finalize things now, with the driver as a witness, and hand over the cash. My work is busy and there’s always a chance I’ll be called back to town at a moment’s notice.”

Thankfully, Zhou Can had planned ahead before coming.

He had plenty of cash with him.

He’d withdrawn three hundred thousand from the bank and had it stashed in the car.