After Qin’s father finished speaking, the entire compound was once again in an uproar.
A girl taking the initiative to express her love was already astonishing enough, but now there was also the demand for no bride price and no wedding banquet.
One unconventional scene after another left the onlookers in the compound struggling to accept it.
Wait, isn’t this just letting Zhang Yuanlin take advantage for free?
And what a tremendous advantage at that!
To marry a wife without spending a single cent, and such a beautiful, outstanding wife at that.
How many lifetimes of good karma must one accumulate to deserve such treatment!
From initially watching the spectacle to finding it amusing, and now all turning into sour grapes, everyone was thoroughly jealous.
The adults found it absurd—how could the girl’s parents be so irresponsible? Not asking for a bride price when marrying off their daughter simply didn’t follow the rules!
Fine, if you argued that Qin Huairu and Zhang Yuanlin were deeply in love and the parents only wanted their children’s happiness, then forgoing the bride price might barely be acceptable.
But why skip the wedding banquet too? At least go through the motions—otherwise, does this even look like a proper marriage?
The younger generation, meanwhile, thought Zhang Yuanlin was incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful goddess throw herself at him, with her parents making no demands whatsoever.
This was something you couldn’t even dream of!
But upon reflection, it all boiled down to Zhang Yuanlin getting a wife for free without spending a single cent, leaving everyone feeling deeply unbalanced.
If she were plain-looking, like Zhu Bajie’s second aunt, it might have been somewhat acceptable.
Or if she were old, weak, sickly, or had some flaw, it might have been understandable.
But she was a stunningly beautiful, fresh-faced nineteen-year-old girl whose only drawback was her rural household registration—in every other aspect, she was flawless.
The onlookers beat their chests in frustration, sighing with mixed emotions. Some couldn’t make sense of it, others regretted not being the protagonist, and some yearned for a similar romantic encounter of their own.
Nearby, Jia Zhangshi was utterly dumbfounded.
She had stayed behind specifically to see what conditions the Qin family would impose on Zhang Yuanlin.
In her mind, the Qin family was money-grubbing and greedy, disdaining small sums and only agreeing for a hefty price.
But reality had slapped her hard across the face once again.
Following her son’s humiliation, Mother Jia Zhangshi gloriously followed in his footsteps.
Still hoping to watch a good show?
You are the biggest joke of them all!
Meanwhile, Jia Dongxu, who had been hiding at home crying, overheard the conversation outside. His eyes grew vacant as he lay on the bed like a dead fish, utterly lifeless.
Beside him, the bed was soaked with tears, a pitiful sight.
He couldn’t understand—what exactly did Zhang Yuanlin have that he didn’t?
Of course, Jia Dongxu couldn’t figure it out, but this wasn’t the only thing he failed to grasp. The Jia family’s hardships were only just beginning!
What no one knew was that before coming to the compound, Zhang Yuanlin had taken the Qin family out to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves, giving them a taste of truly high-end living.
Although… Zhang Yuanlin still hadn’t spent a single cent.
But without Zhang Yuanlin leading the way, how could the Qin family have had such an exhilarating experience?
The people in the compound were unaware of this, so they couldn’t understand why the Qin family was so courteous and generous toward Zhang Yuanlin.
In everyone else’s eyes, aside from her rural household registration being an issue, Qin Huairu was truly beyond reproach in every other aspect.
The child is outstanding, and the parents are decent too. Though they’re from the countryside, their overall demeanor is commendable—they’ve never made a fuss or raised their voices, showing more class than some city folks.
In contrast, Zhang Yuanlin seems utterly unworthy.
First, he’s all alone with no parents to support him—how can a young man like that manage a proper life?
Second, Zhang Yuanlin has a sharp tongue. He doesn’t speak much normally, but whenever he opens his mouth, no one in the entire compound has ever won an argument against him. The infuriating part is he never uses foul language—just leaves people feeling thoroughly uncomfortable.
Finally, Zhang Yuanlin is just an ordinary mechanic earning thirty-something yuan a month—hardly exceptional or remarkable!
If we’re talking about his merits… well, he’s handsome, tall, and owns three rooms. That’s about it!
So, most likely Zhang Yuanlin deceived the Qin family, sweet-talked them into this. Otherwise, how could such an outstanding girl marry him without costing him a single cent?
But there’s no evidence, and no one dares make baseless accusations.
The Jia family’s misfortune has served as a stark warning—nobody dares falsely accuse Zhang Yuanlin anymore.
Losing a whole year’s wages? Who could bear that!
Zhang Yuanlin possessed keen observation skills and was exceptionally perceptive.
Though the compound residents didn’t voice their thoughts aloud, their expressions of disdain, jealousy, and contempt revealed their profoundly unbalanced state of mind.
Zhang Yuanlin simply smiled it off.
This was his personal secret—why explain? Besides, they weren’t entitled to know anyway.
He knew these people were probably criticizing him inwardly, maybe even cursing him for deceiving the Qin family.
But it didn’t matter.
Deception or sweet-talk—what did it matter? He’d made Qin Huairu confess her feelings first, convinced Qin’s father and mother to forgo both bride price and wedding banquet. That was his capability!
Let them think whatever they wanted—he’d focus on living his own life well.
Still, his future in-laws were being too polite. Marriage was a lifetime event—how could they skip the banquet?
So Zhang Yuanlin approached Qin Huairu and said with a smile:
“Uncle, Aunt, we appreciate you waiving the bride price to help us young couples start our life together. Ten yuan isn’t much, but it could feed us for quite some time.”
“However, the wedding banquet must be held. You only get married once in a lifetime—how can we casually skip such an occasion?”
“Therefore, the banquet is absolutely necessary. As the oldest among the younger generation in this compound, I should set an example for everyone.”
As he spoke, Zhang Yuanlin scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering pointedly on Shazhu and Xu Damao.
With Jia Dongxu out of commission, you two are the most troublesome—and must be kept in check!
Meeting Zhang Yuanlin’s gaze, Shazhu and Xu Damao tensed up, instinctively lowering or turning away their heads, unable to face him.
They remembered clearly—they’d mocked Zhang Yuanlin all morning about remaining single forever, yet here he was with a wife who cost him nothing. How humiliating!
The rest of the compound residents grew interested.
Among their peers, only Jia Dongxu, Shazhu and Xu Damao were Zhang Yuanlin’s rivals. The others, regardless of their private thoughts, were ultimately just here for the spectacle.
Now hearing there’d be a wedding banquet, they all broke into smiles.
“Excellent! Marriage is a joyous occasion—it should be celebrated properly!”
“Haha, it’s been a long time since our courtyard held a happy event. For Zhang Yuanlin’s wedding, I volunteer to help!”
“Exactly! Although the Jia Family didn’t succeed, Zhang Yuanlin did. Since we all witnessed this match come together, I’ll lend a hand too—and maybe catch some of the wedding luck while I’m at it!”
…
This time, no one held back. Congratulations poured forth, and the housewives who usually had little to do at home eagerly offered assistance—though mainly to absorb the auspicious atmosphere, as older generations often believe in such things.
The courtyard quickly filled with cheerful energy.
Jia Zhangshi stood nearby grinding her teeth in resentment. If not for Zhang Yuanlin’s interference, this grand celebration should have belonged to their Jia Family!
Even now, Jia Zhangshi refused to admit defeat. Mere country folk—she refused to believe she couldn’t handle them!
Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai, who had initially been somewhat awkward, regained his composure and chimed in:
“Zhang Yuanlin, congratulations! I also think the wedding banquet should be held—we can’t let a fine girl like Qin Huairu be treated poorly. So how do you plan to arrange it? What standard are you considering?”
As Yi Zhonghai spoke, the crowd quieted again, all eyes turning to Zhang Yuanlin.
Whether to hold the banquet was one matter, but the standard was another—it directly concerned how well they’d eat, so naturally everyone cared.
After all, they’d be giving fixed-amount wedding gifts, not freeloading. The quality of the feast would depend entirely on Zhang Yuanlin and the Qin family’s arrangements.
Zhang Yuanlin smiled faintly, having long been prepared.
“I said I’d set an example for our courtyard, so of course it’ll be done properly. First Elder, you’ve asked the key question—let me outline the plan now.”
“However, personally, I don’t have much money. Everyone knows I’m just an ordinary mechanic. After covering daily expenses and given my somewhat casual lifestyle, I haven’t saved much and genuinely can’t contribute a large sum.”
“But doesn’t Jia Dongxu still owe me a year’s wages? Even after deducting half as compensation to the Qin family, there’s still at least a hundred yuan left. I did rough calculations: our courtyard has about a hundred people total, so we’ll set ten tables at three yuan per table, running from Sunday morning until evening—three consecutive feasts!”