Chapter 602: The Price of Marriage

Since we’re here to discuss marriage, the bride price is the main event.

Zhou Can had found out that the local custom was about a hundred thousand at the high end. He brought three hundred thousand, triple that amount—more than enough.

“Sure, things are moving a little fast, but you young people are busy with work. I get it.”

When Uncle heard Zhou Can was paying the full bride price today, he couldn’t help but give him another look, clearly impressed.

Faced with such a hefty sum, Uncle’s face was alight with barely-contained excitement.

Ever since Su Qianqian had her accident and called home asking for help, the family had mostly written her off as no longer their ‘daughter.’ They never expected that, after all those years, she’d come back alive.

And not only that, but she could get married and bring them such a huge bride price.

It was like a windfall from heaven had landed right in their lap.

“Uncle, since you agree, once dinner’s done I’ll hand over the money. Then we can pick the wedding date, and I’ll send a car to bring you all to the city for our wedding.”

Zhou Can liked to get things done at a brisk pace.

“Okay. According to our customs, the daughter should stay at home before the wedding and then the groom comes with his people to fetch her. But since you’re coming from so far away, we can be flexible. Qianqian can stay at a hotel, and you can come pick her up there instead.”

With the promise of a big payday, Uncle was more than happy to make things easier for Zhou Can and Su Qianqian.

He even suggested an alternative for the wedding pick-up.

“Thank you for being so understanding and supportive! Let’s do it exactly like that.”

Seeing everything go so smoothly, Zhou Can was in a great mood.

Unless something unexpected happened, they’d settle the engagement today and handle the rest later.

……

Just as dinner was nearly ready, a silver-gray Volkswagen Bora pulled up to the front door.

“My son is home!”

Uncle jumped up, beaming as he went to greet him.

Zhou Can stood up as well.

He watched as a stylish young woman and a young man in a suit got out of the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

“Xiao Jun!”

Uncle couldn’t help but call out.

“Dad!”

“Hello, Uncle!”

Su Jun and his girlfriend greeted Uncle one after the other, then both turned to Zhou Can.

“This is Qianqian’s boyfriend, Zhou Can. He came all the way from the provincial capital to propose today.”

Uncle introduced them.

“Hello!”

Zhou Can greeted them with a smile and offered a cigarette.

Su Jun took a cigarette with a nod, while his girlfriend politely waved it off.

“Hey, is that a Mercedes out front? That’s a real luxury car.” Su Jun glanced at the Mercedes parked in the yard, his face showing both envy and surprise.

“Just a rental. Since today was for the proposal, Qianqian said it would look better to pull up in a nice car.”

Zhou Can explained with a smile.

“So it’s a rental! Makes sense. We look about the same age. Even getting a loan for a Mercedes would be tough.” Su Jun’s face relaxed visibly at that.

His girlfriend was definitely interested, walking over to check out the Mercedes up close.

Somehow, women have always had a soft spot for fancy cars and big houses.

Out of every ten women, nine are vain, and the last one just isn’t as obvious about it.

Expensive cars and houses really speak to their sense of pride. Showing off in a luxury car gets attention. Living in a mansion isn’t just for show—it’s comfortable too.

“What do you do for work, man?”

After learning Zhou Can had only rented the car, Su Jun loosened up and spoke more freely.

If Zhou Can actually owned a Mercedes, their financial levels wouldn’t even be close. Only bosses or the rich drive cars like that.

That kind of gap would make anyone feel inferior.

“I’m just a small-time doctor. A few thousand a month, and the work’s exhausting.”

Zhou Can replied.

“Doctor’s not a bad job though! I work in auto detailing. If you ever need anything—buying a car, selling a car, auto beauty, maintenance, title transfer, inspections—I’m your guy.”

Su Jun took the initiative to introduce himself.

“Sounds good! If I ever need anything car-related, I’ll call you.”

For a first meeting, the two actually got along pretty well.

Su Jun glanced over at Wei Fang, who was sitting outside. It was dim, and at first he thought she was Su Qianqian. But a closer look showed otherwise.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, that’s the driver I hired for the day. Two hundred a day.”

After dealing with enough patients, Zhou Can found he could spin a story without so much as blinking. Lying came easy now.

“You don’t have a license?”

Finding out Zhou Can had hired a driver made Su Jun feel even more at ease.

This city guy didn’t even have a license—so he wasn’t anything special after all.

“I figured I’d wait until I buy a car to get one. You can’t handle licenses too, can you?”

Zhou Can asked.

“Ha, I’m afraid that one’s strictly personal. The exam is tough—you have to show up yourself. But if you want to get a license, I can set you up with a coach I know. Cheaper rates, and your chances of passing go way up.”

Su Jun laughed, looking even more favorably on Zhou Can.

At that moment, Su Qianqian came out of the kitchen when she heard the voices.

“Su Jun!”

Su Qianqian greeted him with a smile.

“Huniu!”

Instead of calling her sister, Su Jun used her childhood nickname.

It might be affectionate from elders, but as her younger brother, it was less respectful.

This showed just how little place Su Qianqian held in this family. Su Jun was so used to being above her that calling her by her nickname came naturally.

Su Jun’s girlfriend glanced at Su Qianqian, who was as striking and elegant as a fairy, and couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious.

“Su Jun, is this your girlfriend? Aren’t you going to introduce her to your sister?”

Su Qianqian noticed the girl’s shyness and took the initiative to ask.

“This is Yan Yan. She works as a nurse in the city. We’ve been together almost two years now, planning to get married this year.”

“Hi, Miss Yan! I really admire nurses. Every time I’m in the hospital, it’s the nurse who gives me shots and changes my dressings. If I have questions, they’re the ones I ask. Feels so warm and comforting.”

Su Qianqian smiled as she reached out to shake her hand.

“Hehe, it’s just our job. I knew Su Jun had a sister, but I never expected her to be so beautiful. It’s great to finally meet you.”

Su Qianqian’s high emotional intelligence put Yan Yan at ease right away.

If it came to social skills, Jiang Wei was actually even more talented than Su Qianqian.

“Dinner’s ready! Everyone come in and eat!”

Aunt stood at the door calling everyone in.

They all washed up and sat down around the table. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Before long, the conversation naturally turned to Zhou Can and Su Qianqian’s engagement.

They even chatted about Su Jun and Yan Yan’s relationship.

There was a time Su Jun got sick and went to a clinic. There, he fell for a pretty nurse who was especially gentle when giving him shots. He courted her hard, and in the end, they got together.

Of course, they’re just boyfriend and girlfriend right now; not married yet.

“Sis Qian, you really look like that celebrity on TV!”

Under the light, Yan Yan eyed Su Qianqian and suddenly blurted it out.

“Oh? Am I really that pretty?”

Even without makeup, Su Qianqian was a real beauty, impossible to hide.

She never guessed Yan Yan would figure it out.

Actually, she’d already stepped away from the entertainment scene for two years. Still, she took some singing and music gigs now and then and kept up with live streaming—nobody dislikes making money, after all.

Besides, Zhou Can was one of the bosses at Jin Yu Interactive, so he could give her plenty of resources and support.

That was just one of Su Qianqian’s many advantages.

“That celebrity is really pretty and looks just like you. I think she’s a singer too, and her name sounds like Qianqian. Her songs are amazing!”

Yan Yan answered sincerely.

It turned out Su Qianqian had more fans than she’d thought.

Even in this remote little county, people still recognized her.

“Qianqian, I remember when you called home for money and said something happened at a concert. You’re not really a celebrity, are you?”

Aunt’s small eyes stayed glued to Su Qianqian.

“Yeah, and I remember Huniu went to university for that kind of thing too.”

Su Jun was sharp enough to catch on.

“I wouldn’t call myself a star. I just love music and work in the industry, that’s all.”

Realizing she couldn’t hide it anymore, Su Qianqian gently acknowledged the truth.

“So you really are? Let me check online!”

Yan Yan pulled out her phone on the spot, searching and comparing Su Qianqian to the photos.

“Wow, it’s spot on! Su Jun, I can’t believe your sister’s a big star!” she said excitedly. “Oh my god, this is so cool, eating at the same table as a celebrity.”

Just like most regular folks, Yan Yan thought celebrities were out of reach.

And in reality, that was true. Their special status kept them away from ordinary people, making them seem all the more mysterious.

Being a star was also one of the most lucrative jobs. With all that money, their status naturally went up.

On top of that, they’re either great actors or singers, and their looks are off the charts. It’s no wonder people look up to them.

“Qianqian, when you called home asking for money that time, we really couldn’t spare any. I hope you didn’t take it too hard.”

Hearing Su Qianqian might really be a celebrity, Aunt quickly tried to cover her tracks.

She wasn’t stupid. She realized this ‘daughter’ could be a goldmine. The time Su Qianqian called for help and got nothing must’ve hurt. Later, she called back twice, but Aunt was so afraid she wanted more money that she refused to answer.

That’s how they fell out of touch for years.

Who would’ve thought the girl was a star all along.

“It’s all in the past. I’m not holding a grudge.”

Su Qianqian said.

Once the family realized she was a celebrity, the mood suddenly turned feverish. The questions started flying, most about how much she made and what she was worth.

Zhou Can and Su Qianqian had already agreed on answers before coming, so she dodged the questions as best as she could.

She was determined not to share any details about her income.

On top of that, coming home to find the old house demolished and most of the land now taken over by Uncle’s family, Su Qianqian’s feelings for this home had all but faded away.

After dinner, Zhou Can shifted back to business.

He grabbed a stack of cash—168,000 yuan—from the car.

“Uncle, Aunt, raising Qianqian all these years can’t have been easy. This money is a token of my gratitude. Once Qianqian and I settle on a wedding date, we’ll let you know.”

When Zhou Can unwrapped bundle after bundle of bills, Su Jun, his whole family, and Yan Yan all stared wide-eyed.

The sheer amount was just too tempting.

“Mom, if my sister were just an ordinary woman, 168,000 would be enough as bride price. But she’s a celebrity! She deserves a lot more. Everybody knows stars earn fast. We can’t agree to this marriage for so little.”

Before learning Su Qianqian was a celebrity, Su Jun was friendly with Zhou Can.

Now he changed his tune in an instant.

He directly refused the marriage.

“Uncle, Aunt, we talked everything through before. Could you say something?”

Deep in his eyes, Zhou Can’s gaze turned icy.

He’d seen enough of the ugly side of human nature.

This was just another round.

He’d already agreed when they raised the price from 128,000 to 168,000.

Now that they’d learned Su Qianqian was a celebrity, they wanted even more. He’d leave the choice to Su Qianqian.

If she wanted it, he’d still respect her wishes.

“That’s right, Uncle, Aunt, Su Jun. You already promised Zhou Can. How can you suddenly go back on your word? You raised me; I’ll never forget your kindness. Zhou Can and I truly love each other. Please let us be together.”

Su Qianqian stepped in to support Zhou Can.

“So now you’re siding with outsiders? You didn’t even tell us the truth when you came home! If you’d said right away you were a star, we wouldn’t have agreed so lightly.”

Aunt scolded her sharply.

Uncle just sat there smoking, saying nothing.

“Then what do you expect from us?”

Zhou Can asked calmly.

“Every celebrity wedding costs at least hundreds of millions! Look, we don’t need that much—just give us fifty million, and she’s yours.”

Su Jun wasn’t shy about naming his price.

Fifty million for a bride price—that was insane.

“And besides the fifty million, half of Qianqian’s future earnings have to go to her family.” Aunt added.

Mother and son, truly cut from the same cloth.

Each was greedier than the next.

They were the textbook case of insatiable greed.

“Uncle, what’s your opinion?”

Zhou Can turned to Uncle.

“I’m not the head of this family. It’s their call,” Uncle replied.

Zhou Can nodded and glanced at Su Qianqian.

After all these years together, they understood each other perfectly. Just a look said it all.

“Uncle, Aunt, Su Jun, maybe we should talk this over again. How about this: Zhou Can offers five hundred thousand as bride price, enough for a good retirement and to pay for Su Jun’s wedding. What do you think?”

For the sake of the past, Su Qianqian raised the offer to five hundred thousand.

“Ha! Five hundred thousand and you think that’s enough? Su Qianqian, do you even have a conscience? You rake in so much each year and all you give us is that?” Su Jun sneered, tone icy with anger.