Chapter 4: A Bride Price of Twenty Thousand—You Want Me to Raise It to Four Hundred Thousand?

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Hearing the shouting coming from the room, Ye Xingchen furrowed his brow slightly, silently pondering to himself: “It’s just a twenty-thousand bride price, yet they’re arguing so fiercely—this matter seems a bit tricky.”

However, he didn’t take it too seriously. After all, money was merely an external thing to him. As long as this marriage could be settled smoothly, spending a little more was no problem.

The two village guardians standing nearby wore awkward expressions. The one with a rugged face scratched his head and said to Ye Xingchen, “Brother, the Liu family aren’t usually so unreasonable. There must be some special circumstance today. Don’t take it to heart.”

Ye Xingchen smiled and waved his hand gently. “No worries, brother. Let’s go inside and see what’s going on.” With that, he strode toward the house.

As soon as the three entered, the room fell silent, all eyes turning to them.

Inside sat Liu Ruyan’s parents along with a few relatives. Liu Ruyan herself sat quietly to one side, her head bowed, a mixture of shyness and helplessness on her face.

Liu Ruyan’s father saw Ye Xingchen and forced a smile, standing up to say, “Ah, Xingchen, you’ve come. Please, sit down. We were just discussing the bride price.”

Ye Xingchen nodded and, without hesitation, took a seat nearby, smiling as he said, “Uncle, I overheard everything outside. It’s just the bride price, right? You think twenty thousand is too little?”

Upon hearing this, Liu’s father’s expression shifted slightly, a bit embarrassed. “Xingchen, you know, these days it’s not easy raising a daughter. Twenty thousand is just the baseline. We only want Ruyan to have a stable future.”

Ye Xingchen smiled softly, pulling a bank card from his pocket and slapping it on the table with casual ease. “Uncle, I understand your concerns. If you think twenty thousand isn’t enough, I can’t let you be troubled. Here’s two hundred thousand—consider it the bride price. Use it however you need, but please don’t let Ruyan suffer any hardship.”

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The moment he spoke, everyone in the room gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

Liu’s father was stunned, frozen in place for a long while. He never expected Ye Xingchen to be so generous, offering two hundred thousand outright—far beyond their original hopes.

Liu Ruyan looked up in surprise, gazing at Ye Xingchen with eyes full of gratitude and bashfulness. She opened her mouth as if to say something but didn’t know how to begin.

While everyone was still shocked, Ye Xingchen leisurely added, “Uncle, Aunt, I think the bride price is just a token of sincerity. What matters most is that Ruyan and I live well together. But since it’s given, it should satisfy everyone. If two hundred thousand isn’t enough, I’ll add another two hundred thousand—totaling four hundred thousand. How does that sound?” He then took out another card and gently placed it on the table.

The room erupted completely. Liu family relatives crowded around the table, staring at the two bank cards, murmuring, “Good heavens, four hundred thousand for a bride price! Such generosity! No one in this village has ever heard of such a high bride price.”

Liu’s father finally regained his composure, trembling with excitement as he picked up the card. “Xingchen, this... you’ve really surprised me. I don’t even know what to say. Rest assured, if Ruyan marries you, we will never mistreat her. If she ever misbehaves, I’ll be the first to discipline her.”

Ye Xingchen smiled and stood, walking over to Liu Ruyan, gently taking her hand. “Uncle, what are you saying? Ruyan is such a wonderful girl; I adore her. How could I ever let her suffer? The bride price is just a formality. What really matters is our family’s happiness.”

Liu Ruyan’s cheeks blushed a deep red, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head, letting Ye Xingchen hold her hand, her heart sweet with the feeling that she had truly married the right man.

The two village guardians watched the scene, utterly admiring. The rugged one gave Ye Xingchen a thumbs-up. “Brother, you’re truly magnanimous. I’ve seen a lot, but this—pulling out four hundred thousand just like that and acting like it’s nothing—is unmatched in our village.”

Ye Xingchen chuckled in response. “Brother, you flatter me. Money—after all, we bring nothing into this world and take nothing out. As long as it’s spent wisely and makes everyone happy, it has value. I never take it too seriously.”

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At that moment, a commotion arose outside the door. Everyone turned to see the gangster boss from before returning with his men, each carrying large bags, smiling broadly as they entered.

The gangster boss bowed respectfully to Ye Xingchen upon entering. “Big Brother, I thought it over after I left. We’re truly grateful for your generosity and not holding grudges. We feel deeply sorry and wanted to bring some gifts to make amends—and to congratulate you and Miss Liu on your happy union.”

Ye Xingchen was a bit surprised but smiled. “You’re too polite. I already said, what’s done is done. No need for gifts. But since you’re here, let’s all sit down for a while.”

The gangster boss quickly waved him off. “No, no, Big Brother. We just came to deliver these gifts as a token of our respect. We wouldn’t want to interrupt your important discussions with the Liu family. We’ll leave now.” Saying so, he had his men set down the bags and hurriedly exited.

Ye Xingchen inwardly smiled, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he thought: “Fortunately, the author of this story didn’t dwell too much on the bride price or set harsh conditions. Otherwise, with that stingy style, even twenty thousand might have been exaggerated. If it were me, they’d be trying to haggle it down—maybe even to ten thousand.”

“But now, I don’t care about such sums. I’ll give however I please, as long as the marriage is settled smoothly and everyone is satisfied.”

Ye Xingchen continued, “The bride price seems settled, but what about the wedding arrangements and the wedding car? I suppose those haven’t been prepared yet?”

Liu’s father frowned and said, “Let’s keep it simple. A tricycle will do for the wedding car.”

Ye Xingchen slammed the table. “Get me a Rolls-Royce!”

Everyone else: “?”

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