NOVPUBSecond Sister-in-law Han finally couldn’t help it anymore, “I know that it’s our family’s Youngest Aunt getting married, but those who don’t know about it might think that some sort of rich city girl is getting wedded off. She’s already getting the 3 Wheels, 1 Sound treatment(1), so why is there a need to buy a sewing machine? Where are we supposed to get one? Even if Old Three can manage to muster it up, wouldn’t we have to wait for another 2 years or so? That’s worth more than 150 Yuan.”
(T/N: Traditionally, being gifted the 3W1S is the peak of marriage dowries. These items consist of a watch, a bicycle, a sewing machine and a radio. The name derives from the 3 objects being some sort of wheel whereas the radio produces sound)
As she said that, she looked at Lin Lan and said, “Sigh, or our Third Sister-in-Law here wouldn’t be as open to giving out the sewing machine at home, would she?”
Although everyone knew what the old lady was planning, Lin Lan was no fool.
Lin Lan said lightly, “Of course that’s impossible. Even if I intend for it to be dowry, it will only be my daughter’s.”
“You!” Han Jinyu in the room was so angry that she slapped her hand on the window sill, which hurt her fingers.
Old Lady Han was also enraged to the point of her raising her eyebrows. Unfortunately, she could only hold back because if she offended Lin Lan, the Third Family might not even contribute a single cent.
She said angrily, “Then replace the sewing machine with a mirror cabinet, a thermos, a white porcelain basin and a teapot.”
Lin Lan didn’t care. The thermos and teapot were in the old lady’s house, so she could just handle those. At any rate, Lin Lan was not going to contribute. As for the mirror cabinet? She could dream on. How could her newly acquired possessions be used as a dowry for Han Jinyu?
If anything, the girl could continue dreaming for a thousand years.
When Old Lady Han saw that Lin Lan was silent, she kept swaying her crossed legs, moving them up and down. On the contrary, Lin Lan sat as still as a mountain.
So the old lady had to settle angrily, “Then, there is no need for a sewing machine. One quilt and one set of clothes per family, 10 Yuan, 100 catties of noodles…”
“Aiya, old lady, do you think our family is a big landowner?” Second Sister-in-law Han rolled her eyes,
“Do you know how many catties of noodles are divided for our families? After working ourselves to the bone for an entire year, do you know how many measly hundreds of catties we can actually earn? How about we all decide to stop eating to make sure that our Youngest Aunt here is able to be wedded off? Whoever marries her would be blessed with the ultimate luck to be able to obtain the wealth from our entire family— it’s practically a better deal than rearing a big, fat pig!”
At any rate, it’s not like they hadn’t done this kind of thing before. The whole family had starved themselves in order to make sure that Jinbao and Jinyu were able to go to school in the County Town.
“What are you saying? Why are you putting things like that?”
Old Lady Han was so angry that she hitSecond Sister-in-Law Han with a cattail fan. Han Jinyu also ran out of the house and wanted to fight with the older woman.
Eldest Brother Han, “That’s enough. Everyone sit down and calm down— we’re trying to discuss important matters.”
