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Chapter 234: Chapter 234: Elope
Chen Jinlan was completely dominated by old-fashioned thinking, believing that she should get as much as she could from her daughter’s marriage. If she didn’t ask for the TV now, Si Chen might not buy it for her later.
A brother helps his younger sibling get married, and once the younger one gets married and has a whole family of his own, the elder one doesn’t have to look after him anymore.
If she doesn’t ask for the TV now, she will certainly regret it later.
Chen Jinlan wasn’t afraid of Si Boyi refusing to marry her daughter. If he dared to refuse Lijuan, she would make sure Lin Fengying couldn’t stay in the village due to her constant pestering.
"Mom, Boyi already told me that the milk tea shop is owned by Tong Yao. He doesn’t want Si Chen’s help with our marriage. If our family doesn’t let up, he will simply break up with me."
Of course, Zhang Lijuan wanted the television and a new bicycle for her marriage. It would increase her status in front of relatives and neighbours. But the problem was that Si Boyi was stubborn and completely unwilling to provide these things. If she insists, Si Boyi would break up with her.
After careful consideration, Zhang Lijuan realized she might not find someone as good as Si Boyi if they broke up. Plus, she was quite fond of him. Si Boyi now worked in the city and earned several dozen yuan a month. Since Tong Yao and Si Chen had stopped managing the milk tea shop in Li City, she could earn an additional salary by working there after marrying Boyi. Outsiders would even see her as a boss’s wife, which would enhance her social standing.
She and her husband could save up for a few years and then build a new tile-roofed house. Life would still be comfortable. Zhang Lijuan understood the pros and cons of her situation and realized it was not necessary to sacrifice a good future life for a bit of material gain now.
Zhang Youfu, sitting on the stool smoking a roll-up, remained silent as he listened to his wife and daughter argue. His wife was quite domineering and liked to take control of everything. Whenever he disagreed with her, there would be no peace in the house. So, he just stayed quiet and let her and their daughter discuss it.
Zhang Youfu didn’t have any objections to the marriage between his daughter and Si Boyi. He had watched Si Boyi grow up. The boy was capable, diligent, and hardworking. Furthermore, their two families lived close by. His daughter marrying him would be a good match.
He knew his wife was being unreasonable, but he didn’t want to get involved lest Chen Jinlan bring up some past issues and shame both families.
"How foolish can you be? You’ve already sided with them before you’re even married. How did I raise such a stupid daughter?" At her daughter’s words, Chen Jinlan gnashed her teeth in anger and was close to hitting Zhang Lijuan. "I’m doing all of this for you. If you don’t want the TV now, you’ll have to buy it yourself after getting married."
Right now, her family was the one to decide the terms because Si Boyi wanted to marry her daughter. They needed to agree to her demands, or they wouldn’t get her daughter.
Other families might not need to offer so many things as part of the wedding arrangements, but none of those other families were as well-off as the Si Family. Now that Si Chen owned a shop in the city and had a high income, what’s wrong with giving more as wedding gifts?
Zhang Lijuan stomped her foot in anger. Her mother still hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation. "Mom, have you been blinded by money? Can’t you see that we’re the ones who are worried about Boyi changing his mind and want to get married earlier? You’re asking for so many things, are you really trying to get Boyi to marry me? It seems more like you’re trying to break us up!"
Si Boyi was frequently around Zheng Xiaoshuang, a pretty girl who also worked at the milk tea shop. What if he developed feelings for her, where would she be then?
Her mother demanding such high wedding gifts was simply giving Si Boyi an excellent reason if he wanted to break up.
Word would spread, and people wouldn’t say Si Boyi was fickle; instead, they’d say her family was trying to sell their daughter.
Chen Jinlan had indeed been blinded by money. She only thought about her rights and responsibilities regarding her daughter’s marriage. It was only when her daughter reminded her about Zheng Xiaoshuang that she remembered her existence.
But instead of backing down now, Chen Jinlan decided to press even harder. "I totally forgot about that little vixen. Now just asking for wedding gifts isn’t enough. We have to add another condition: they must fire Zheng Xiaoshuang, and the shop can’t hire female staff in the future, only male."
"If he doesn’t agree to give a black-and-white television, then I’ll make Si Chen promise in writing that he’ll help you and Boyi build a new tile-roofed house within two years."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lijuan almost exploded in anger. Realizing that she couldn’t persuade her mother, she turned to Zhang Youfu. "Dad, can’t you say something? If mom keeps pushing like this, Boyi and I will be driven apart."
"What’s wrong with you, child? Are you trying to make me angry? How did I end up raising such an ungrateful daughter?" Chen Jinlan couldn’t stand her daughter siding with her in-laws before even getting married. She was so angry that she gave her daughter several hard slaps on the back.
Seeing this, Zhang Youfu finally spoke up, glowering with narrowed eyes. "Just talk. Why do you need to hit her?"
When Chen Jinlan heard Zhang Youfu not siding with her and even chastising her, she lost her temper immediately. She yelled in rage, "Fine, if you two are on the same side and feel you can handle everything, then I won’t get involved. And don’t even bother with the wedding anymore. Just let Lijuan go live with the Si Family directly. I’d like to see where you’ll put your old face, Zhang Youfu."
Chen Jinlan considered her husband useless. Without her, he couldn’t get anything done. So, she deliberately used this argument to pressure him. She thought her husband and daughter would give in and apologize, but instead, Zhang Youfu said,
"It’s late. Let’s talk about it another time. Let’s go back to our room and rest."
He felt no rush. The Si Family was not in a hurry, so why should they be? If others heard about them rushing this, they’d think his daughter couldn’t get married and make fun of them.
Not wanting to argue anymore, Zhang Lijuan stamped her foot and stormed off crying. Chen Jinlan kept cursing in the room, accusing her of being a good-for-nothing daughter.
Zhang Lijuan was twisting and turning in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She was scared Si Boyi would be pushed to his limit and might break up with her.
Zheng Xiaoshuang who worked at the shop was a lot prettier than her. If she insisted on these things, there was a chance her relationship with Si Boyi could be jeopardized. If it ended, she would have nowhere to cry.
Tong Yao didn’t like her and definitely wouldn’t spend money to buy her a TV. After she got married to Si Boyi, they could save up and buy a TV themselves in less than half a year. There was no need to fixate on getting a TV now.
Moreover, if they did buy the TV now, when the time came, her mother would keep it for her brother’s marriage instead of giving it to her as part of her dowry. Then, she would end up with nothing.
After weighing all the pros and cons, Zhang Lijuan believed that her happiness was in her own hands, and she couldn’t just listen to her mom.
Under the cover of the night, when her parents were sleeping, Zhang Lijuan made a major decision. She was going to the city to find Si Boyi. Her mother told her to just go, right? Then she would just go. Once the rice was cooked, there would be nothing her mother could do about it.
Chen Jinlan never expected that her daughter would take her words to heart and actually do it.
When she woke up the next day and found her daughter missing without a trace, all her clothes gone, she realized that her shameless daughter had run off to find Si Boyi.
So angry that she blacked out, she only woke up after her husband had exerted quite some effort. As soon as she came to, she set off to confront Lin Fengying and demand for her daughter, but was stopped by Zhang Youfu.
