Around eleven in the morning, a middle-aged couple stood on the main road outside the urban village, craning their necks and anxiously pacing as they stared toward the end of the street.
The mother kept checking her phone.
Her daughter’s last message was from half an hour ago.
If she’d taken a rideshare, she should have arrived by now.
But she wasn’t replying to messages, and her phone was off.
The mother paced back and forth in agitation when a neighbor aunt who had lived nearby for over a decade walked past and asked, “Who are you waiting for?”
“My daughter.”
“Your daughter?”
The aunt paused for a moment before her expression grew complicated.
She offered an awkward compliment.
“Bai Yao… she’s so pretty after becoming a girl. Why didn’t I see her during the New Year?”
“She stayed home the whole time and hardly went out.”
The father kept his head low, his chin nearly touching his chest.
He turned away, as if the conversation had nothing to do with him.
Even though the mother tried hard to cover it up, news about Bai Yao had spread over the past few years until all the neighbors knew.
Afraid of hearing gossip, the father felt embarrassed every time someone brought up his daughter.
After chatting with the neighbor for a bit, the mother saw a rideshare pull up at the curb.
She craned her neck to look.
A tall, handsome young man with a trendy American-style spiked haircut got out first, followed by a long-haired girl in a high-waisted short skirt.
Honestly, she almost didn’t recognize her own daughter.
She was pretty, sure—but it was the first time she’d seen Bai Yao in a short skirt.
The mother immediately rushed over and started scolding her without holding back.
“What do you mean you’re not getting married?! Asking for a bride price is for your own good!”
The joy Bai Yao had felt—planning to tell her mother she’d finally found a job and would start in a few days—vanished instantly.
Expressionless, she moved a step behind Qiu Ye.
Qiu Ye quickly offered the milk and red wine he’d brought, trying to smooth things over.
“Let’s talk inside. Let’s talk inside.”
“Why bring anything? We’ve got plenty at home.”
The mother grumbled, then shot a displeased glare at Bai Yao.
“You should say something to her. And that skirt is way too short.”
Bai Yao silently lifted the hem.
It was actually a pair of wide-leg pants designed to look like a skirt.
The mother’s expression softened slightly.
“Let’s go. I went to the market early this morning and bought crawfish. I’ve been cooking all morning.”
“Oh!” Bai Yao brightened a little.
She and Qiu Ye rarely splurged on crawfish, so getting to eat as much as she wanted at home was great.
She followed her mother toward the house, glancing at her father, who walked last like an outsider.
The mother gently tugged Bai Yao’s arm and, lowering her voice, asked while looking at Qiu Ye, “Did Xiao Ye put you up to this?”
“What?”
“He must want the bride price as low as possible.”
“Are you stupid? Whatever bride price we ask for, it all goes to you. With the dowry your dad gives, even if you divorce later, you’ll be fine. You’ll have leverage when you marry into his family.”
The mother, disappointed that her daughter wasn’t listening, poked Bai Yao’s forehead.
“Plus, with both families splitting the down payment on a house, you’ll get half of it in a divorce.”
The mother couldn’t understand Bai Yao.
And Bai Yao couldn’t understand her mother.
“But… planning divorce money before we’re even married?”
“What do you mean, ‘planning’?”
The mother retorted righteously.
“Isn’t it all for your own good?”
Bai Yao turned her head away helplessly.
To be honest, it was already good enough that Qiu Ye’s family didn’t mind that she used to be a man.
“Ask for as much dowry from your dad as you can. Make him pay half the down payment on the house, too.”
The mother nagged nonstop, teaching Bai Yao how to maximize the benefits.
“And the bride price—if you’re marrying far off to Dongbei, you need to ask for a lot. It all goes into your own pocket. Why wouldn’t you ask for it?”
Bai Yao thought to herself, ‘I’m not really moving up north.
Qiu Ye is the one ‘marrying’ down south.’
After all, they’d most likely stay in the city where their university was to work and live.
On the way home, Bai Yao felt like all the neighbors were staring at her, as if she were on a parade.
Some were marveling at how pretty she’d become, others were whispering about her.
Once she got home and kicked off her shoes, Bai Yao finally relaxed.
She pulled a pair of men’s slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to Qiu Ye, then hurried over to the dining table.
A large metal basin sat on the table, piled high with steaming crawfish.
Looking a bit nervous, Qiu Ye placed Bai Yao’s crossbody bag on the shoe cabinet and sat down at the table, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward his future father-in-law.
He’d been to Bai Yao’s house twice before and was more familiar with her mother.
But those times, even when he tried to talk to Bai Yao’s father, he barely got a response.
‘He’s way too quiet, isn’t he?’
“Treat this place like your own home.”
The mother came out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks, smiling at Qiu Ye.
“Does Bai Yao ever bully you? If she does, you tell me—I’ll straighten her out.”
“He’s the one who bullies me, okay?”
Bai Yao muttered, not bothering to wait for utensils as she reached into the basin and grabbed a crawfish.
“He bullies me during the day and at night, too!”
“Wash your hands! You’re about to get married and I still have to tell you!”
“I’m about to get married and you still treat me like a kid!”
Bai Yao scampered off to wash her hands.
Afraid he’d get scolded too, Qiu Ye followed her into the bathroom.
“Does Uncle usually drink?”
“I’ve never seen him drink.”
“How about I have a few drinks with him later? Otherwise, I’ve come here several times and never said a word to him.”
“Just don’t drink too much.”
Inside the bathroom, they whispered to each other for a moment before hurrying back to the table.
“Mom! Any more dishes? Can we start on the crawfish?”
“I’ll stir-fry two more.”
The mother poked her head out of the kitchen.
“Do you want some rice or noodles? Qiu Ye, you’ll eat, right?”
“A little.”
“Okay.”
So the mother filled a big bowl to the brim, feeding Qiu Ye like he was a pig.
He couldn’t refuse, so he took a couple of bites of rice, peeled some crawfish, and casually dropped the meat into the small bowl in front of Bai Yao.
His eyes kept wandering to his future father-in-law.
After organizing his thoughts, he spoke up.
“Uncle, how about a drink?”
At that, both Bai Yao and her mother turned to look at the father.
“Sure.”
The father nodded in a subdued manner.
Qiu Ye immediately stood up, used the bottle opener on the red wine he’d brought, and respectfully poured a glass for the father.
“To your health, Uncle.”
“Mm.”
The mother went back to the kitchen and stir-fried two vegetable dishes before bringing them to the table.
She sat beside Bai Yao, eating and chatting.
“Bai Yao, have you found a job yet? Why not come back here and work? You’d have a place to stay, and I’ll cook healthy meals.”
Bai Yao was gnawing on a crawfish and shook her head rapidly.
“I already found a job. I’m an operations intern—a little over three thousand a month. I’ll start in two days.”
“Only three thousand?”
The mother was disdainful.
“I make almost four thousand as a waitress.”
“Well… I’m an intern.”
Bai Yao didn’t have the heart to tell her mother what industry her company was in.
“What about Xiao Ye?”
“I’m planning to take the civil service exam and get a stable job.”
“The civil service exam is good too. Eat more vegetables…”
The mother nodded and put a piece of vegetable on Qiu Ye’s plate.
Then she abruptly changed the subject.
“Xiao Ye, you two have been together so long and get along so well. Shouldn’t you get married? How much bride price can you offer?”
Before Qiu Ye could answer, Bai Yao protested first.
“Mom! I’m fine with however much it is.”
She hated mixing feelings with money.
The mother glared at her daughter, then turned to Qiu Ye.
“I discussed it with my family. Maybe around a hundred thousand?”
Qiu Ye asked tentatively.
“Isn’t that a bit low? Around here the custom is three to four hundred thousand. And Bai Yao is so pretty—her cousin isn’t even as good-looking as her, but she got five hundred thousand for her bride price a few years ago.”
The mother paused and spoke more gently.
“But we can’t afford a huge dowry either. If the bride price is too high, people might say we’re selling our daughter. How about two to three hundred thousand as a gesture?”
Bai Yao’s face darkened.
Qiu Ye smiled awkwardly and quickly took a couple of gulps of red wine to calm himself.
Bai Yao got up and went into the bedroom.
Qiu Ye hesitated, then asked, “Maybe… we should consider Bai Yao’s opinion?”
“She’s naive. What does she know? Isn’t it all for her own good?”
“Uncle, what do you think?”
The father drank his wine and replied, “I’m fine with it. I can contribute a hundred thousand or so for the dowry.”
“See? Our family gives a hundred to two hundred thousand, and your family gives about the same for the bride price. It’s basically the same thing.”
The mother smiled.
“It’s all for you two. We’re not taking any of it.”
“Well… I’ll have to discuss it with my family.”
“Let’s settle it in the next couple of days. Then we’ll pick a good date for the engagement. We’ll each put up half the down payment for a house. By the time you graduate next year, the house will be renovated, and you’ll have a new home to move into after the wedding. Sounds great, doesn’t it?”
It did sound good…
Before Qiu Ye could answer, Bai Yao’s father spoke up.
“How much is the down payment?”
“At least two to three hundred thousand? Housing in our county is almost ten thousand per square meter.”
The father’s face showed difficulty.
“Where am I supposed to get that much? I have to pay half the down payment and also give a dowry.”
The mother’s expression changed instantly.
“Then where’s your money? Your daughter’s getting married and you can’t even get her a house? What, she’s supposed to rent a place like we did?”
“I’m full!”
Seeing a fight about to break out, Qiu Ye quickly finished a couple of bites of rice and slipped away toward Bai Yao’s room.
As soon as he entered, he saw Bai Yao sitting on the edge of the bed, looking very upset.
She looked up at Qiu Ye, a hint of apology in her eyes.
“It’s okay. As long as you’re on my side.”
Qiu Ye was easygoing and sat down next to Bai Yao with a silly grin.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“Mm.”
“Then don’t get handsy. Your parents might hear.”
Bai Yao lightly kicked Qiu Ye.
She sighed softly.
“We should wait a few more years before thinking about marriage. Begging for money everywhere just to get married—might as well save up ourselves.”
“It’s normal for parents to help pay for the wedding.”
But Bai Yao had never liked asking her family for money since she was a child.
Every time she asked, they said they were poor, which always made her feel guilty.
And not only would she drain her own family—according to her mother, she’d also have to drain Qiu Ye’s.