"Dad, I cannot accept this money."
Liang Qingzhou refused. His parents had already said that since it was the Liang family marrying a wife, the Liang family should be the ones to pay. As he spoke, he pushed the money back toward his father-in-law.
Yan Zhiyuan insisted, pushing the money back again, his tone firm: "No, I, Old Yan, do not like to take advantage of others. At the time, we collected the gift money for the Yan family ourselves, so we should also pay for the banquet. Don't refuse yet, listen to me first. I counted the day of the banquet; there were over ninety tables in total. Our relatives from the Yan family occupied exactly forty tables. I specifically asked the hotel manager, and your parents booked them at 1,200 per table, so for the forty tables on our side, it should be 48,000. Before you returned to the maternal home today, your mother and I had already calculated this clearly. 48,000, rounded up to 50,000—we must pay this money, so Qingzhou, you must accept it."
Liang Qingzhou immediately refused again: "Dad, Mom, my parents said that since it is my family marrying a wife, my family should pay. Moreover, this money was provided by my parents, and this matter is not under my control. Most importantly, before I returned to the maternal home today, my parents specifically instructed me not to accept the banquet money you gave. If I accept it, they said they would break my legs when I get back. Dad, I don't dare to accept it, please don't make it difficult for me."
Hearing this, Yan Zhiyuan was stunned, and he and Su Yunxiu looked at each other in dismay.
They did not expect the in-laws to be so generous and reasonable, but Yan Zhiyuan had never been one to take advantage of others. "We accept the in-laws' token of appreciation, but we really cannot let you pay this money."
Liang Qingzhou had a face full of difficulty and feigned pleading: "Dad, Mom, please don't make it difficult for me! Why don't you talk to my parents later? I really cannot manage this matter, and I definitely cannot take the money back."
"Old Yan, don't make it difficult for Qingzhou," Su Yunxiu said to smooth things over. "This banquet was indeed hosted by Old Liang; you can talk to Old Liang about it later."
Yan Zhiyuan thought for a moment and nodded: "Fine, I will give the money directly to Old Liang later."
Hearing this, Liang Qingzhou let out a long sigh of relief.
If he had accepted this money, even if his parents didn't break his legs when he got back, he would definitely not have a good time.
After the visit to the maternal home ended, Yan Mo sat in the car on the road, looking out the window, her mind filled with thoughts.
Seeing that she was not in the right state of mind, Liang Qingzhou broke the silence: "Are you worried about something?"
"No."
Yan Mo quickly changed the subject: "It's just that I can't celebrate the new year at home this year, and I feel unaccustomed to it."
In the past, she would return from Haicheng every year, only arriving home on Lunar New Year's Eve, but no matter how late it was, her parents would have dumplings wrapped and ready, waiting for her to celebrate the new year.
This year she had returned early, but she had rushed to get married; a married daughter cannot celebrate the new year at her maternal home.
"Don't worry, no one will bully you at my family's home for the new year." After saying this, Liang Qingzhou added with a cold expression: "Anyway, you can celebrate the new year in your own home next year. Just endure it for this one year."
Yan Mo: "......"
After a moment of silence, Yan Mo said: "Qingzhou, thank you for today."
"No need to thank me, the gifts were prepared by my parents."
"But the mobile phone for my younger brother was bought by you! Giving my parents enough respect is also the reason I want to thank you."
"You're welcome. Today's matters were what I should do as a son-in-law and brother-in-law," Liang Qingzhou said. "If you really want to thank me, then just cooperate with me in front of my parents during these few days of the new year."
For this new year, the result of Yan Mo acting out of pique to get married was that she ended up celebrating the new year in a strange family. She shared a bed with a strange man, but nothing happened.
Although Liang Qingzhou's parents were very enthusiastic toward her, after all, it was only a Contract Marriage with Liang Qingzhou, and once the contract expired, all of this would cease to exist.
For this new year, she would fulfill the contract and accompany Liang Qingzhou to play the part well in front of his parents. After all, Liang Qingzhou had previously fulfilled the contract by giving her a decent wedding and had also given her enough respect when she returned to her maternal home.
On the evening before Lunar New Year's Eve, Liang Qingzhou had been busy with work in the Study Room.
Yan Mo was feeling bored in her Room when Zhao Luoluo's call came through.
"Momo, how have you been these past few days?"
"Quite well," Yan Mo said truthfully. These past few days had indeed been good. Not only did she sleep until she woke up naturally, but her parents-in-law also specifically saved breakfast for her. Whenever she woke up, there was still hot food to eat, which was exactly the same treatment she had at her maternal home.
She had asked her mother-in-law why she was so good to her, as other wives who slept in would face cold looks from their parents-in-law.
She said this because she had seen a video of a father-in-law going into a room and smashing things because his daughter-in-law was sleeping in.
Hearing Yan Mo ask, Liang Zhendong remained silent with a calm expression, without a hint of hostility. Zhou Xiulan, however, smiled warmly and said: "Young people, sleeping in is a very normal thing. By the time we reach our age, we wouldn't be able to sleep even if we wanted to. Besides, it's just sleeping in, what's there to be surprised about? Furthermore, a daughter-in-law sleeping in is the daughter-in-law's business; as parents-in-law, we cannot lack a sense of boundaries."
Yan Mo repeated her mother-in-law's exact words to Zhao Luoluo.
On the line, Zhao Luoluo continued: "Don't be deceived by surface appearances. Some parents-in-law just know how to pretend; after a long time, who knows if they will change."
Yan Mo smiled: "It won't happen, Luoluo. I can feel that Liang Qingzhou's parents are truly good to me."
Although she said that, she thought to herself that she would divorce Liang Qingzhou in a year, so whether her parents-in-law were good or not would have nothing to do with her in the future.
"Momo, don't be foolish. Tomorrow is the first Lunar New Year's Eve you are spending at your husband's family. This Lunar New Year's Eve is very critical. If this first one doesn't go well, life in your husband's family will be difficult in the future," Zhao Luoluo warned earnestly. "First of all, you must not rush to cook the new year's eve dinner, and after finishing the new year's eve dinner, you must not rush to wash the pots and dishes. If you do it this year, you will have to do it every year. Moreover, you will work hard and get no thanks; if your husband's family sees that you are easy to bully, they will start to control you."
Listening to this, Yan Mo couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Previously, she had heard colleagues complain. Her colleague worked in Haicheng just like her, and not only did she have to go back to her husband's family to act out a harmonious family scene for the new year, but once she arrived, she had to cook the new year's eve dinner, working from morning until night with an aching back and sore waist, yet during meals, she could only hide in the kitchen to eat leftovers, not even having the qualification to sit at the table.
After hanging up the phone, Yan Mo thought until midnight and decided to break the cauldrons and sink the ships.
Zhao Luoluo was being too serious. Yan Mo wouldn't stand idly by regarding helping with the new year's eve dinner; she would cook when it was time to cook, after all, everyone was eating together.
She could cook the new year's eve dinner, but if there wasn't even the most basic respect of being allowed to sit at the table to eat, she would not indulge such a husband's family.
Yan Mo was prepared to break the cauldrons and sink the ships; at worst, she would flip the table, and no one would get to eat.
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