After packing the red envelope, Song Qinglan felt it wasn't enough.
Since she knew the proper etiquette, she also knew that getting married involved betrothal gifts and dowry.
Qi Chengyan and Cheng You got married in the countryside and didn't have a wedding banquet in Yancheng.
She and Qi Shengwen hadn't attended, so it wasn't formal at all.
Lin Sao nodded thoughtfully, "That's true. If my daughter got married and the groom's parents didn't attend, then the marriage wouldn't be worth it."
It was too unfair.
Song Qinglan glanced at her with a sigh. She had been angry and foolish at the time, of course, she wouldn't attend.
Now she knew she was wrong.
"How much is the customary gift for a wedding now?"
Lin Sao considered for a moment and said, "It's not fixed. When my daughter got married, the gift was only three hundred, which was considered a lot. For rural families, fifty or a hundred is also common."
Song Qinglan thought about it. Three hundred was too little.
With a wave of her hand, she decided to give Cheng You a nine-hundred-and-ninety yuan gift, symbolizing longevity.
Adding the two-hundred yuan for changing titles, one for her and one for Qi Shengwen, it would be over a thousand yuan.
Lin Sao's jaw dropped. Song Qinglan was really spending a fortune.
"There should be 'three turns and one sound', right? Cheng You doesn't do sewing, so we won't buy a sewing machine. I'll get her a big wardrobe or something."
There was no need to make a bed. Cheng You's existing four-poster bed was left by the old lady, and no bed could compare to it.
"I'll give her the gold bracelet from my jewelry box too. Although it's not suitable for wearing, it's still valuable to keep."
She originally had quite a few gold ornaments, but they were all given as dowries to Qi Yang.
"And two jade bracelets, we can't be too stingy."
"Oh, Teacher Song, you call this stingy? One gold bracelet of yours is enough for a rural family to live on for several years!"
Song Qinglan shook her head and sighed, saying earnestly, "Lin Sao, you don't know, Cheng You's father in the countryside is unreliable, and her mother is gone, so she definitely won't have much of a dowry."
Especially since Cheng You didn't wear any jewelry, she looked very simple.
Girls loved to dress up, but Cheng You was different, always out in the fields.
Lin Sao nodded, "That's true. With a stepmother, she must have had a difficult time all these years."
If Cheng You heard this, she would definitely explain herself.
With her around, it was the stepmother who had a difficult time.
...
The next day, Zhou Xia entrusted her child to a neighboring aunt and went to the military district again.
She went straight to the cultural troupe to find Ruan Jiqiu.
Ruan Tianyang still hadn't come home last night. Zhou Xia thought that Ruan Jiqiu, as his sister, would surely know where Ruan Tianyang was.
"Looking for Jiqiu? She's in the dressing room. Today, she and Qiu Tingting are going to compete."
Zhou Xia then headed towards the dressing room.
As soon as she walked in, she saw Ruan Jiqiu squatting with her back to her, doing something.
She walked over and patted Ruan Jiqiu on the shoulder.
Ruan Jiqiu was startled, and her hand, which was in her dance shoe, suddenly twitched.
"Ah..." Ruan Jiqiu winced in pain, pulled out her finger, and blood beaded on her fingertip.
Seeing that it was Zhou Xia, she was no longer afraid and calmly put down the dance shoe.
Zhou Xia glanced at her and asked, "What are you doing?"
"It's none of your business. Why are you here looking for me?"
Zhou Xia ignored the dance shoe matter and looked at her with sharp eyes.
"Your brother has been suspended. Do you know that?"
Ruan Jiqiu's face showed impatience, "He wasn't suspended today, so how could I not know?"
Zhou Xia grabbed her arm, "You caused this trouble, why should your brother take the blame? If your brother is suspended, our family will have no income. How will you and your nephew live?"
Ruan Jiqiu sneered disdainfully, "It all comes down to money, doesn't it? How much do you want? I'll give it to you!"
Zhou Xia was stung by her gaze and gritted her teeth, "How much can you give me to support me and my child for life? Ruan Tianyang hasn't been home for several days now. If you can't resolve the suspension, at least tell me where he is!"
Ruan Jiqiu's expression froze, and then she smiled.
"You are his wife, and you don't know where he is, so how would I? When you got married, I told you that you weren't worthy of my brother, but you didn't believe me! A incompetent woman, how can she lock a man's heart?"
Zhou Xia's face changed drastically, "What do you mean?"
Ruan Jiqiu didn't want to deal with her anymore. Just as she was about to shoo her away, she saw Qiu Tingting walk in from outside.
She glanced at Ruan Jiqiu, said nothing, and took her dance shoe out directly.
Ruan Jiqiu's heart tightened. Impatient to deal with Zhou Xia any longer, she pushed her away.
"I have something to do. You should go back first." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Thinking about what might happen later, the wound on her hand didn't even hurt.
Zhou Xia was pushed out by her, still lost in thought, imagining what Ruan Tianyang might be doing outside.
At the same time, she kept comforting herself, it wouldn't happen.
She should trust her husband. How could she think he had betrayed her just because Ruan Jiqiu said a few provoking words?
Zhou Xia felt a trace of resentment. Her gaze swept over Qiu Tingting's figure, and she followed.
Walking to the other side, she stopped Qiu Tingting just as she was about to put on the dance shoe.
"I saw Ruan Jiqiu put something inside just now. You'd better not wear it. You should tell your group leader."
Qiu Tingting was stunned. She carefully put her finger inside.
Suddenly, she touched a sharp object. She turned the shoe over and saw a nail.
"There's Ruan Jiqiu's blood on it. Go and check, you'll know that Ruan Jiqiu cut her finger. I'm not lying to you."
Qiu Tingting found it strange. Weren't Zhou Xia and Ruan Jiqiu friends?
They were just talking a moment ago.
After speaking, Zhou Xia left, showing no concern for how Ruan Jiqiu would be disciplined.
Qiu Tingting didn't delay any longer and ran directly to Group Leader Jiang with the dance shoe.
When Group Leader Jiang heard about this, he said coldly, "The competition will not continue. Ruan Jiqiu's actions make her unsuitable to remain in our cultural troupe."
Qiu Tingting pouted sweetly, "Group Leader Jiang, let's proceed as usual. Deal with her after the competition. I want to show her with my strength that I, Qiu Tingting, am better than her!"
Her charming face was filled with arrogance.
Group Leader Jiang had taken a liking to her back then because he admired her confidence.
On stage, she seemed to glow, full of spirit.
"Alright, I'll look forward to your performance!"
She personally chose a pair of dance shoes for Qiu Tingting and told her to prepare for the competition with Ruan Jiqiu.
The moment Ruan Jiqiu saw Qiu Tingting dancing on stage, her face seemed to crack.
Qiu Tingting's small feet spun and leaped, effortlessly displaying her elegant posture to everyone.
At this moment, she was like a shining sun.
Regardless of her appearance, this was the charm of dance.
Ruan Jiqiu felt despair. She knew she was finished.