52: Chapter 52: Find the Sucker Who Can Afford It!

"Auntie, it's not a matter of whether I can afford it or not. We already agreed on this, so how can you suddenly raise the price?"

Mr. Chen slammed his hand on the coffee table, making the sunflower seed shells jump.

"So what if I raised the price? If you want to marry my daughter, you have to follow our rules! Four hundred eighty-eight thousand, not a penny less! If you can't come up with it, get out!"

Wang Xiaohu's face flushed red.

He looked at Chen Yali.

"Yali, say something."

Chen Yali finally raised her head and glanced at him.

"My mom is right. Prices are so high now; three hundred eighty-eight thousand really isn't enough. Why don't you try to scrape together a bit more?"

Her tone was light, as if she were talking about something trivial.

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued eating sunflower seeds.

Wang Xiaohu's heart went completely cold.

He looked at Chen Yali, the woman he had loved with all his heart for three years.

She was wearing the down jacket he had bought, using the phone he had bought, wearing the lipstick he had bought, and eating the sunflower seeds he had bought.

Everything valuable on her was bought with money he had saved by scrimping and saving.

But now?

She sat in this dilapidated old house, crossing her legs and eating sunflower seeds.

Watching her parents make things difficult for him without saying a single word to help.

Wang Xiaohu took a deep breath.

He stood up.

"I don't have four hundred eighty-eight thousand."

Mrs. Chen's face darkened.

"Then what are you still doing here? Get out!"

Wang Xiaohu looked at the family of three.

Mr. Chen sat with a sullen face, smoking a cigarette and crossing his legs.

Mrs. Chen was arrogant, with a look of disdain on her face.

Chen Yali lowered her head to eat sunflower seeds, as if none of this had anything to do with her.

He laughed.

He laughed until his eyes turned red.

"Fine, I'll get out."

He turned and walked out.

When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.

"Chen Yali."

Chen Yali raised her head.

Wang Xiaohu looked at her, enunciating every word.

"For these past three years, I have been good to you. Your clothes, shoes, phone, cosmetics—everything valuable on you was bought by me. You calculate it yourself: how much money have I spent on you over these three years?"

Chen Yali's expression changed.

Wang Xiaohu continued.

"And you? What have you ever given me? Where were you when I was sick? When I was exhausted from working overtime, you didn't even make a phone call. When my parents were hospitalized, did you ask about them even once?"

Mrs. Chen stood up and pointed at his nose, cursing.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you scold my daughter? My daughter is so beautiful; there are plenty of people chasing her! Who do you think you are?"

Wang Xiaohu ignored her and just stared at Chen Yali.

"I gave you my heart and soul for three years, and this is what I get in return? You sit in this run-down house, eating sunflower seeds, watching your parents make things difficult for me, and you don't say a single word?"

Chen Yali's face flushed.

"I, I can't help it. I listen to my mom..."

Wang Xiaohu laughed.

"Listen to your mom? What a great excuse, 'listen to your mom.'"

He pulled the door open.

"Then you can keep listening to your mom and keep waiting for that sucker who can afford four hundred eighty-eight thousand. I, Wang Xiaohu, am done serving you."

With that, Wang Xiaohu slammed the door and left.

...

In the hallway, the dim light shone on his face.

Wang Xiaohu walked down with large strides, his footsteps echoing in the narrow hallway.

When he reached the second floor, he stopped and leaned against the wall.

His eyes were red, and his hands were trembling.

But he didn't cry.

What was there to cry about?

It wasn't worth it.

He took a deep breath and continued walking down.

Walking out of the hallway, a cold wind hit his face.

He got into the car, started the engine, and stepped on the gas. The gray volkswagen bora rushed out of the residential complex and disappeared into the street.

Inside the house.

Mrs. Chen was so angry she stamped her feet.

"What a thing! How dare he slam the door! How dare he scold my daughter! He's really overstepped his bounds!"

Mr. Chen's expression was also very ugly as he stubbed out his cigarette butt fiercely in the ashtray.

Chen Yali sat on the sofa, biting her lip, her face pale.

Mrs. Chen walked over and poked her head.

"Look at the kind of trash you found! He even dared to give us attitude! And he dared to curse!"

Chen Yali said softly.

"Mom, maybe he really can't come up with that much..."

Mrs. Chen glared at her.

"If he can't, then let him get out! Our Yali is so beautiful, why worry about not being able to get married? Four hundred eighty-eight thousand, not a penny less!"

Chen Yali lowered her head and said nothing.

Mrs. Chen added.

"Don't worry, he's just angry for a moment. I've seen plenty of men like him. In a few days, he will definitely come back begging to get back together with you. By then, we'll raise the price again—five hundred eighty-eight thousand!"

Chen Yali raised her head and looked at the door.

The door was closed; Wang Xiaohu had already left.

He really had left.

She suddenly felt a little panicked.

But on second thought, Mom was right.

He loved her so much, how could he bear to let go?

In a few days, he would definitely come back.

Thinking this, Chen Yali grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds and continued eating.

But her fingers were shaking a bit, and after a long time, the kernels kept falling to the floor.

Outside the window, the cold wind howled.

...

The gray volkswagen bora was parked on the side of the road, the engine turned off.

Wang Xiaohu sat in the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel with both hands, staring blankly ahead.

Outside the car window, the streets of the county town were bustling with people.

People buying New Year goods were carrying bags, their faces filled with the joy of the New Year.

Small shops by the roadside were playing music about getting rich, making it lively.

But this liveliness had nothing to do with him.

Wang Xiaohu slowly pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the glove box, took one out, and lit it.

The smoke filled the car, blurring his vision.

He thought of the scene just now.

Chen Yali sitting on that run-down sofa, crossing her legs and eating sunflower seeds.

She was wearing the down jacket he had bought, using the phone he had bought, wearing the lipstick he had bought.

Everything valuable on her was bought with money he had saved by scrimping and saving.

But what about her?

She was sitting there, watching her parents make things difficult for him, without saying a single word to help.

"My mom is right. Why don't you try to scrape together a bit more?"

Her tone was light, as if she were talking about something trivial.

Wang Xiaohu took a deep drag of the cigarette.

He thought back on these three years again.

In order to save money to buy things for Chen Yali.

He scrimped and saved, eating only the cheapest boxed lunches at noon and working overtime late into the night.

He never went to colleague gatherings, and when friends got married, he would leave right after giving his gift money.

When others bought new clothes for the New Year, he wore old ones.

When others bought new phones, he used a three-year-old model.

His mother asked him, "Xiaohu, be good to yourself, don't be so frugal."

He said, "Mom, I'm fine. I'm young, I don't mind a little hardship."

But where did all that money go?

It all turned into the clothes on Chen Yali's body, the phone in her hand, the cosmetics on her face.

It all turned into those cigarettes, alcohol, fruits, and health supplements he hauled to her house in big bags.

It all turned into the dowry—three hundred eighty-eight thousand—and it still wasn't enough; they wanted another hundred thousand.

Wang Xiaohu thought of his parents again.

To scrape together those three hundred eighty-eight thousand, his father had taken out his life savings, the money he had saved for his own funeral.

His father said, "Xiaohu, Dad doesn't have much ability. This is all the money I have. Take it, don't think it's too little."

His mother had borrowed money everywhere, begging relatives with her head held low.

His mother said.

"Xiaohu, Mom doesn't care about her pride anymore. As long as you can get a wife, Mom is willing to do anything."