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Chapter 600: Chapter 600: Don’t You Have A Clue?
Gu Hongwei and Guo Jinnian exchanged a glance, secretly pleased. With so many people as witnesses, and considering Guo Xinpei’s affection for maintaining face, the house matter seemed to be settled.
However, the problem was that the receipt for the house had been pawned. This posed a dilemma.
Listening to Guo Xinpei’s words, Tong Yao’s eyes sparkled before she laughingly said, "Uncle Guo, are you really deciding to give your house as a part of Jinnian’s dowry? That’s not very common, a house is usually left for a son to get married. Shouldn’t you get your son’s opinions on this?"
Guo Xinpei waved his hand, "I am the head of this family, if I say it can be part of the dowry, then it can be. There’s no need to consult anyone else."
His son was still too young to have a say in front of him.
As the saying goes, no pain, no gain. If you want more benefits, you have to make some sacrifices.
Compared to the gifts from the Tong Family, this little offering was nothing.
Tong Yao, picking up on this, quickly flattered, "Uncle Guo, you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. Your readiness to give away a house worth a few thousand yuan as dowry... if my parents hear about this, they’ll think highly of you."
Being praised by Tong Yao made Guo Xinpei incredibly pleased, and he launched into another round of boastful talk. In the end, he even asked Guo’s uncle and second uncle to bear witness to his promise, swearing he would never break his word.
Deng Qiuxia was in great distress, but she was utterly helpless. Her husband was stubborn with a temper and was pretty dictatorial at home. Anyone who dared to refute him would be met with a slap from Guo Xinpei without any hesitation.
It was only that Guo Jinnian had grown up, became stronger and gained the ability to earn money that Guo Xinpei stopped raising his hand against her.
Guo Xinpei was a quick drunk, never stopping until he was unconscious. Tong Yao achieved her goal and went to rest in the room with Guo Jinnian after dinner, while Gu Hongwei slept in Guo Xinpei’s room. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Although Deng Hongxia had married and moved to the countryside, she maintained her old habits, keeping the house extremely clean and the bedding neatly arranged.
The winter night was cold, and after a quick wash, Tong Yao climbed into bed. Guo Jinnian also removed his shoes and lay down beside her. Guo Miaomiao, feeling awkward, was afraid that Tong Yao would think she was unclean. So, she clutched her blanket and slept in the small bed on the other side.
Usually, her younger brother occupied this small bed, but he was currently at his elder sister’s place, so the bed was vacant for her to use for now.
There were only three rooms in the Guo Family home. The eastern room was occupied by Guo Xinpei and his wife. But now that there were more people in the house, the couple had to sleep separately.
Guo Xinpei and Gu Hongwei shared a room, while Deng Qiuxia and Guo Miaomiao squeezed into one bed.
Thinking about the house, Deng Qiuxia was somewhat restless and couldn’t sleep. So, she started a conversation with Guo Jinnian, "Jinnian, how are your aunt and uncle? Are they in good health?"
Guo Jinnian replied coldly, "They’re doing quite well."
Deng Qiuxia detected the distinct tone in Guo Jinnian’s voice, as if she had guessed something, she asked, "Jinnian, have you been back to the city?"
Problem was, the moment she brought it up, Guo Jinnian was filled with anger, she blurted out, "What were you all thinking? You turned my house into a pigsty. I almost vomited from the disgust, you aren’t usually this much of a slob. How come in the city you don’t care about cleanliness?"
Deng Qiuxia thought her daughter was angry over the house keys being changed and learned it was because the house was too dirty. She explained, "I haven’t been to the city. It was your father, your aunt, and your uncle who stayed there for a few days. Didn’t they clean up?"
Guo Jinnian snorted, "Do you have no idea about their character?"
Deng Qiuxia was taken aback, and after a while, she changed the subject and advised, "If the house is dirty, just clean it up. You’re about to get married, you need to work on your temper. You can’t be the same as you are at home."
Tong Yao found Deng Qiuxia’s words quite amusing. It was pretty unfortunate to have Deng Qiuxia as one’s mother. No wonder Deng Qiuxia could endure Guo Xinpei, they were both birds of a feather.
This was a conversation between a mother and daughter after all. Although Tong Yao found it ridiculous, she remained silent.
Guo Jinnian was angry. She knew if they continued discussing the matter, they would end up quarreling so she chose to be diplomatic, "Since dad agreed to give the house as part of my dowry, you all need to stop messing up the house. Let’s not pursue this matter."
The receipt for the house has been pawned, Deng Qiuxia wanted to explain this, but held back her words when she remembered Tong Yao being present.
Remembering the matter pertaining to Guo Miaomiao, Guo Jinnian asked again, "What was going through your mind? Miaomiao is so young. Are you planning to marry her off?"
Deng Qiuxia responded, "We’re not planning to get her married immediately. We’re just exploring potential matches. She will be turning eighteen after the New Year."
Guo Jinnian is still unmarried at her age. Deng Qiuxia is worried that Guo Miaomiao might resist marriage when she grows older. She wants to arrange a marriage for Miaomiao while she’s still too young to resist.
When one daughter isn’t married yet, people are already gossiping about it behind her back. She can’t afford to have another unmarried daughter.
Guo Jinnian responded angrily, "Is eighteen considered old? Miaomiao is still a child. What can she know? Are you that desperate to sell her off for money?"
Deng Qiuxia’s face fell, "How can you say such things? I’m your mother. Could I harm you? You’re lucky to meet Hongwei even though you didn’t get married till this age. If you weren’t lucky, who would marry you? Haven’t you noticed that no one has proposed marriage to you in the past two years? I’ve lost countless nights of sleep worrying about this."
Guo Jinnian laughingly retorted, "Indeed, you wouldn’t harm us. Also, my elder sisters got married before they turned twenty, and you saw how they’re doing now, didn’t you?"
"What’s wrong with your sisters? Their lives are just fine. Stop looking for trouble. Go to sleep!" Deng Qiuxia was somewhat guilty about what Guo Jinnian said and she didn’t want to continue the conversation. She shut her eyes and stopped talking.
But Guo Jinnian was so angry she couldn’t sleep. She continued, "Why aren’t you talking? Feel guilty? Don’t dare to admit the truth, right? My elder sister didn’t get anything for her dowry when she got married and had to face a beating on her wedding night. Neither you nor dad said a word, or even went to see her. My second sister was picked on just because she gave birth to two girls and no boys. Did anyone stand up for her?"
"All you care about is how much dowry you can get. You never consider the character of the groom-to-be. My sisters’ husbands look like toads, yet you still married them off. Didn’t they both cry before getting married? But then dad beat them, and you didn’t intervene. Sometimes I doubt if we’re your biological children."
Discussing a mother who doesn’t feel a shred of affection for her daughters is quite unheard of, even in a culture favoring the male child.
It was only when Deng Qiuxia heard the last line that she reacted and defended herself, "If you’re not my biological child then whose are you? You know your father’s temper. What’s the use of me saying anything? He’d just end up hitting me too."
