Chapter 460 Luo Dad Considers Everything for His Daughter
Not long after the Chinese New Year, Bai Chuvan took Luo Xueli to the county town again. Today, he was going to call his future father-in-law personally, as they were planning to get married soon.
Luo's father was quite happy to receive a call from his daughter. He already felt guilty about her being sent to the countryside, and knowing she was doing well and had someone looking after her eased his mind.
However, when Bai Chuvan called, he felt a pang of discomfort. After all, this was the man who was going to take his daughter away.
"Hello, Uncle Luo."
"Mm."
Bai Chuvan was unfazed. Even before meeting his sister, the Bai family had been displeased with Zi Yisheng. He had been part of that sentiment and understood the future father-in-law's feelings well.
"Uncle Luo, I plan to bring Xueli back for a visit and would like to discuss wedding arrangements with you."
"Uh, you're thinking about marriage before even being engaged?"
Bai Chuvan chuckled softly. While he didn't consider himself old at 24, most people didn't see him as young when he mentioned his age.
"Uncle Luo, I'm about to turn 25. My family is quite eager, and I met Xueli by fate. I don't want to miss this opportunity."
His words were so eloquent that Luo Xueli, listening nearby, blushed.
Luo's father thought that his daughter was also about to turn 21, which was indeed not young. However, he absolutely couldn't agree easily.
"Well, I'll consider it first."
"Uncle Luo, my family would really like to visit and discuss the wedding matters with you in person. However, my grandparents are too old, and it's also inconvenient for us to return to Mingcheng, so..."
Luo's father suddenly recalled what his daughter had mentioned in her letter – that her future son-in-law's family was no ordinary family. The Bai family, surnamed Bai! Luo's father shivered all over. Was it the Bai family he was thinking of?
"Ahem, if it's inconvenient, there's no need to come. I'll come over personally in a few days. After all, there are elders at home, and I should go and see them."
Bai Chuvan curled his lips. The Bai family couldn't show their faces in Mingcheng at this time. He hadn't expected his father-in-law to be so understanding.
"That would be wonderful, Uncle Luo. If it's convenient, it would be even better if you could bring the whole family. Luo Xue misses you all very much. All expenses will be covered by me, consider it a family outing to relax."
"How can we let you pay? We're not without travel expenses."
"Uncle Luo, please don't overthink it. I do have many inconveniences on my end. It should have been me bringing my elders to visit you, and I feel very bad making you travel this far. So please, Uncle Luo, give me this chance."
Luo's father was still pondering the matter of the Bai family. If his daughter were to marry into the Bai family he was thinking of, she would have a lifetime of happiness. Even if the Bai family had declined, a fallen camel is still larger than a horse; who wouldn't have some hidden backup plans?
"I'll send you a telegram after I get leave."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, Uncle Luo."
After hanging up the phone, Bai Chuvan took out two thousand yuan and gave it to Luo Xueli.
"Send money home immediately and tell your aunt and uncle not to be stingy on the way."
Luo Xueli had become desensitized to money since confirming her relationship with Bai Chuvan. She had received over a thousand yuan in red envelopes just during the New Year, so she wasn't surprised when Bai Chuvan gave her family two thousand yuan.
"Mhm, I'll remit the money right away."
"I'm sorry to put you through this. It should have been us visiting with gifts."
Luo Xueli never felt wronged. She felt like she was about to be buried in a treasure trove of fortune.
"I'm not wronged at all, you're so good to me."
Bai Chuvan smiled. He wanted a wife who was obedient and sensible. She didn't need to deeply love him; as long as he didn't dislike her, he would respect her for a lifetime.
Bai Chuvan stood by, watching stamps. His sister seemed to have a stamp-collecting hobby; he wondered if she had bought any recently.
After hanging up, Luo's father went to inquire about the Bai family. He had never been in a position to interact with the Bai family when they were in Mingcheng, so he had no information about them.
But there were always people who had contact with the Bai family. With persistent effort, he learned two days later that the eldest grandson of the Bai family was indeed named Bai Chuvan, and his heart became very excited.
That same day, he received a remittance slip. Looking at the amount, his heart skipped a beat. He suddenly realized that the Bai family hadn't just declined; they might have retreated completely before the "wind" even began to blow.
If his thoughts were correct, his daughter would be marrying into the wealthiest family in the country, and as the eldest grandson's wife, what did that represent? The future matriarch. What kind of fortune was this for his daughter? She had fallen into a nest of gold.
However, thinking of his wife, that muddle-headed woman who only doted on her sons and was indifferent to their daughter, not showing an ounce of concern. What would people think of his daughter if her mother asked the Bai family for this and that for her son?
Luo's father looked at the remittance slip in his hand. His daughter had sent it directly to his workplace, clearly intending to keep it from her mother. This meant he couldn't bring his wife to Chuncheng, and even more so, he couldn't let her ruin his daughter's future.
Luo's father was clear-headed. His daughter's good fortune would also bring luck to his son. But first, his daughter had to be well-off. He absolutely couldn't let his wife know that their daughter was marrying into the Bai family. At least, not until the Bai family returned to Mingcheng. He would pretend she had married into an ordinary family.
Luo's father's thoughts were accurate. When he told Luo's mother that evening that their daughter had found a boyfriend in the countryside, her face showed disdain.
"Heh, what a useless person. She only embarrasses me."
Luo's father looked at Luo's mother with disdain, even a hint of coldness.
"Isn't your maiden family also from the countryside? Your eldest brother is still toiling in the fields. Why don't you say they embarrass you? You secretly send them money every month."
Luo's mother's face turned ugly. She hated it the most when people mentioned she was from the countryside. She had finally escaped the countryside, but she couldn't shake off this fact. She sent money to her maiden family every month so that her nephews could buy jobs in the county, and perhaps eventually, her entire maiden family could move to the city.
"It's precisely because my maiden family is from the countryside that I don't want my daughter to marry into the countryside. Is it wrong for me to care about her?"
"Heh, how do you care about your daughter? Have you ever sent her clothes or money? When you send money to your maiden family every month, did you ever think about your daughter suffering and toiling in the countryside?"
Luo's mother felt embarrassed at being exposed. She decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, she already had two sons, what could her husband do to her?
"Yes, I never thought about caring for Xueli. It's already her immense fortune to be raised by me, she's a jinx."
Luo's father was deeply disappointed. You can be biased, but you absolutely cannot treat your daughter as a jinx.
"Heh, alright. You're a woman yourself. Who gave you the audacity to dislike my daughter? Since you're also a jinx, from today onwards, you won't manage the household finances. You can spend your salary however you wish, but don't ask me for a single cent from now on. I'm still saving money to support my daughter."
"What? I'm your wife, why can't I manage the household and finances?"
"Because you're also a jinx. Giving you a place to eat in this house is already showing you respect. If you're not satisfied, I'm open to divorce at any time."
Luo's mother was going crazy. What was she hearing? Divorce!
"You scoundrel, you want to divorce me for Xueli? Don't forget, Luo Xueli came out of my womb."
"Heh, it's your honor to give birth to children for me, you jinx. Behave yourself from now on."
At this moment, Luo's father firmly decided that this woman needed to be properly managed. He knew very well that most of this woman's salary went to her maiden family. If he cut off his own finances, he could soon control this woman.
Luo's mother was greatly stimulated and cried her heart out. In her heart, she resented her daughter even more. She always argued with her at home, and now she had caused her to lose control of the household finances. She was a jinx.
"Now, bring out all the household money. Don't think of hiding any. I know exactly how much I give you. If even a cent is missing, you'll go for a divorce immediately."
"Luo Yongfu, you keep mentioning divorce. Don't you remember your daughter is about to get married? Do you want her to be unable to hold her head up at her in-laws' house?"
"Heh, I'm not afraid at all. A mother like you will only be a burden to your daughter at her in-laws' house. Hurry up, I'm losing my patience."
Luo's mother was so angry she was helpless. She knew this man could be ruthless. Besides, at her age, how could she divorce? She was the wife of a deputy factory director, and many people flattered her when she went out. She absolutely couldn't lose face.
"Fine, I'll get it. Don't come to me for Luo Xueli's dowry. Prepare it yourself."
"I don't need you. I've already started preparing my daughter's dowry. As if you're that useful. It's better without you."
Luo's father had also figured it out now. Only if his daughter lived well could the whole family live well. He wasn't being mercenary; who would give up the opportunity to improve the family's conditions? Moreover, his love for his children had always been pure, all for their sake.
Luo's mother sat inside and looked at the money box. There were only a little over 800 yuan inside. She had spent a lot on supporting her eldest son and maiden family, and she had also hidden some personal savings. Now, it definitely didn't match the total amount.
Luo's father took the money box, counted it, and his expression turned very grim. In his mental ledger, there should have been at least another 1,500 yuan left. Now, it was short by half. He looked at Luo's mother with icy eyes.
"Where's the money?"
"It's just this much. Didn't you know how much was spent on the eldest son's wedding?"
Luo's father didn't consider himself a man who would hit women, but now his hands itched. He raised his hand and slapped Luo's mother.
Luo's mother was stunned by the slap. She didn't get angry, but felt very scared, as this was the first time she had been slapped.
"I used to think you were a capable homemaker. But now, with the daughter and youngest son not yet married, half the household money is missing. I calculated that there should still be 1,500 yuan left, and that's not including your salary. Considering this, how much blood has your maiden family drained from me over the years?
I must see 1,500 yuan today. If even a cent is missing, I will immediately sell your job and send you back to your maiden family. I don't want a leech constantly draining me!"
"Yongfu, I don't have that much money right now. How can you expect me to produce this much money all at once?"
Luo's mother was truly frightened. She knew her husband was serious this time.
"How is it impossible? If you don't have money, go back to your maiden family and ask for it. Let me tell you, I, Luo Yongfu, can afford to support my parents and my children, but there's absolutely no reason to support your nephews.
I've been more than generous in tolerating you sending your salary to your maiden family. From the day you married me, you've been supported by me. Your job was given to me. Your children were all raised by me. You are the typical jinx. Who gave you the audacity to dislike my daughter?"
Luo's father didn't want to say anything more. He took the money and pushed Luo's mother out of the house, his attitude extremely firm. If she didn't get the money back today, she would have no place in this home.
Actually, Luo's father wasn't so angry initially. It was because the money his daughter sent back was two thousand yuan. Although he had a personal stash, it was less than two thousand. Even with the household money, it was only a little over three thousand, and now it was even less.
Luo's father had been thinking about giving his daughter a more generous dowry when she got married. Although it wouldn't be much compared to the Bai family, he still wanted to do his best to give his daughter face. After all, he was just a small factory director; giving such a dowry was already the limit.
Luo's father was sufficiently angry. He went into the kitchen to start cooking. His youngest son would be back soon. He needed to save his strength for preparing his daughter's dowry.
Luo's father had decided that when he went to see his daughter, he would send the dowry to Chuncheng. By the time he arrived in Chuncheng and finalized everything, the dowry should have arrived, so it wouldn't delay his daughter's use and would give her some confidence.
Luo Xueli was completely unaware of the commotion in the Luo family. She went to work every day without a care, ate at the Bai family's house, and slept contentedly at the educated youth point. She felt very satisfied with her current life.
Now, everyone in the village knew that the eldest grandson of the Bai family was going to marry Luo Xueli, so no one gossiped when Luo Xueli went to the Bai family every day.
But Luo Xueli was also diligent, wishing she could do all the work. She had already captured the hearts of everyone in the Bai family, and they treated her very well.
Ye Shenge had also been racking her brains recently for a wedding gift for her eldest cousin. After all, the Bai family lacked nothing in terms of wealth, so she genuinely didn't know what would be suitable. When she got married, her uncle, aunt, and eldest cousin had given her money and even a house. She couldn't possibly return it.
Finally, Zi Yisheng couldn't stand it anymore. He often saw his wife disappear suddenly and not reappear for a long time. He finally couldn't bear it and stopped his wife, who was about to enter the spatial dimension again.
"Why are you thinking so complicatedly? The Bai family doesn't care about money, but anything you send will be managed by Luo Xueli. Do you think she would like money the most?"
Ye Shenge thought about it and agreed. Her eldest cousin hadn't taken charge of the household yet, so he didn't actually have much money. Their future small household wouldn't find too much money to be a burden.
"Then how much do you think I should send?"
"Actually, you can't base it on how much they gave you. Because when they get married, our parents will also give a gift. You definitely can't exceed what our parents give."
Ye Shenge rolled her eyes inwardly. This guy didn't know that all her parents' assets were in her hands. The poorest in the family were the old couple.
"Then I'll discuss it with Mom."
"That's right. Whether we give a lot or a little, we must have Mom's opinion."
Zi Yisheng breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he and his wife could both earn money. Otherwise, having a wealthy maternal family would also be a significant burden, and there were five more waiting below.