Zhao Ziming had always planned that once the remittance slip arrived, he would withdraw the compensation money. Part of it would be used to marry the woman he loved, and the rest would be invested when policies opened up the following year so he could become one of the first to seize the opportunity and make a fortune.
Now that the remittance slip was gone, all of those plans had become impossible.
Even the bride price he had promised to deliver in two days and the wedding banquet scheduled for half a month later were now in jeopardy.
“Ziming?” Zhou Rulan noticed that something was wrong with his expression. “What’s wrong? Is it that you can’t find the remittance slip, or…”
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Or you can’t fulfill your promise about the bride price and the wedding banquet?”
At the mention of the latter, Zhao Ziming immediately denied it.
“How could that be!”
Forcing himself to calm down, he stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Zhou Rulan, and reassured her gently.
“There is indeed a remittance slip involved, but somehow it’s gone missing and we’re still looking for it. But that won’t stop us from getting our marriage certificate! I’ll definitely prepare the bride price and bring it to your family. We can also start preparing for the banquet.”
Only then did Zhou Rulan smile sweetly and nod.
Zhao Ziming, however, could not smile. The missing remittance slip weighed heavily on his mind. After saying a few perfunctory words to comfort Zhou Rulan and sending her home, he returned to his own house with a dark expression and went straight to knock on the door of Zhao Yunzheng and Zhou Yu’s room.
By then, the sky was gradually darkening, and Zhou Yu was considering what to make for dinner.
Hearing the knock, she walked over and opened the door. The moment she saw Zhao Ziming, her face fell, and she immediately moved to close it.
But Zhao Ziming reacted quickly and blocked the door with his arm.
“Were you the one who told the villagers about the remittance slip this morning?”
“No.”
Zhou Yu denied it confidently.
Uncle Li had been the one to say it. What did that have to do with her?
“Then how did the villagers find out?” Zhao Ziming demanded.
On his way back, he had noticed several villagers looking at him strangely. Now he understood why.
Thinking about how he had almost embarrassed himself in front of the woman he loved only made him angrier.
“What does it have to do with me if the villagers know? I didn’t tell anyone. I only went to the county town at noon to collect the money Dad and Mom compensated me with and buy some nourishing food for Brother Zhao.”
Zhou Yu clicked her tongue.
“Maybe the neighbors overheard you all accusing me. And besides, what’s being spread isn’t even false. Nobody is slandering you or Mom and Dad, so you’re not exactly suffering a loss.”
Zhao Ziming nearly choked on his anger.
How was that not a loss?
But seeing how completely unflustered Zhou Yu appeared made him hesitate.
Could it really have been overheard and spread by the neighbors?
Seeing his increasingly gloomy expression, Zhou Yu deliberately asked,
“Dad and Mom still aren’t back, but you are. Does that mean you found the remittance slip?”
Mentioning it only made his face darker.
Without another word, Zhao Ziming turned around and stormed back into his room.
Zhou Yu laughed.
Seeing that scoundrel angry and suffering losses made her happy.
She simply left the room and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for herself and Zhao Yunzheng.
Not long afterward, Zhao Changdong and Wang Hongmei returned in a fury.
The two of them had spent the entire afternoon searching for the remittance slip without success. They had not dared let the villagers know what they were looking for, so they had searched discreetly.
But when they finally gave up and headed home, they ran into some villagers and were met with sarcastic remarks.
Only then did they realize that the family’s affairs had already spread throughout the village. Even the fact that they had neglected their eldest son for so long had become public knowledge.
Like Zhao Ziming, their first thought was that Zhou Yu had told everyone.
“Zhou Yu, get out here!”
The moment they got home, they headed straight for Zhou Yu’s room.
Just as they were about to knock on the door, Zhou Yu’s voice came from behind them in the kitchen.
“Dad, Mom, what do you need me for?”
Zhao Changdong immediately spun around, his face dark with anger.
“You have absolutely no respect for me as your father-in-law—”
Zhou Yu could already tell what this was about, so she quickly interrupted with a worried expression.
“Dad, Mom, thank goodness you’re back. I was just about to tell you something terrible!”
Zhao Changdong was caught off guard.
“What?”
Wang Hongmei, who had planned to use this opportunity to demand back the money and goods Zhao Changdong had secretly given Zhou Yu, also paused in confusion.
“What happened?”
Zhou Yu spoke rapidly.
“I only found out from Third Brother just now. The villagers all know about what happened this morning! Third Brother and I compared notes, and we think the commotion you made while searching for the remittance slip this morning was too loud. The nosy neighbors must have overheard it!”
Zhao Changdong and Wang Hongmei were stunned.
“It wasn’t you?”
“Of course not! I only went to the county town to buy food for Brother Zhao, then came straight home. The whole village saw me. They can all testify!”
Zhou Yu even pretended to wipe away tears.
“Dad, Mom, if you keep falsely accusing me, you’ll really break my heart. And this time, ten yuan and a few gifts won’t be enough to settle it.”
The moment they heard they might have to compensate her again, Zhao Changdong and Wang Hongmei immediately fell silent.
Now they were only half convinced, but no matter how angry they were, they could only swallow it. Their expressions became truly colorful.
“Dad, Mom, you must be exhausted after searching all afternoon. Go rest. I’ll make dinner,” Zhou Yu said thoughtfully.
“Don’t worry. I know all those rumors about how you disliked Brother Zhao and were always trying to make me do all the work are false. I won’t believe them.”
Zhao Changdong and Wang Hongmei had been about to take her advice and rest.
But after hearing those words, how could they possibly sit still?
They had been mocked and ridiculed all the way home.
The villagers had long been jealous of how well their family had lived over the years. Now that they had an opportunity, of course they were kicking them while they were down.
Zhao Changdong shot Wang Hongmei a look.
She was unwilling, but had no choice.
Forcing a concerned expression onto her face, she said that Zhou Yu must be tired after taking care of Zhao Yunzheng all day and told her to rest while she cooked dinner herself.
After a few token refusals, Zhou Yu readily accepted and returned to her room to relax.
Knowing Zhao Ziming had already come home, Zhao Changdong went to his room to ask about the mail carrier.
Sitting at his desk, Zhao Ziming replied irritably that he had not seen the mail carrier.
“Third Son, tell me honestly,” Zhao Changdong said reluctantly. “Is there really a remittance slip?”
“There is! Once the mail carrier comes back, I’ll definitely be able to get the truth from him!”
But Zhao Changdong poured cold water on his confidence.
“You said it would take half a month before you could see the mail carrier and ask him. But half a month from now is also the date of your wedding banquet with Rulan. What about the bride price and banquet expenses?”
Instinctively, Zhao Ziming looked toward his father.
Then he remembered that their family savings weren’t even enough to cover the bride price he had promised.
Looking at him, Zhao Changdong could not help saying,
“Third Son, you should listen to your mother and me. Cut the bride price in half…”
That way, if they ever found the remittance slip, they could still save some money.
But before he could finish, Zhao Ziming interrupted him firmly.
He had made a promise to Rulan, and he intended to keep it.
“I’ll think of another way!”
Grinding his teeth, Zhao Ziming thought to himself that there was no way someone who had lived an entire lifetime could be defeated by something as simple as a bride price.
Besides, there was still time before the bride price had to be delivered and the banquet held.
He was certain that he would find a solution.