freenovelworld Chapter 699 The title of scholar is not worth it 52
Chapter 699 The title of scholar is not worth it 52
There was silence at the dinner table.
Old Lady Gu said, "To tell you the truth, your grandfather and I are worried about your aunt's dowry. The Fan family's condition is that your aunt must have at least 500 taels of silver as a dowry, otherwise the marriage cannot be concluded. Your aunt is old, and there is no better match than Fan Tong. We asked you to come here to discuss your aunt's dowry."
In fact, Mrs. Gu said three hundred and fifty taels more.
She thought that five hundred taels would not be difficult for Lu Zhaozhao to handle.
I can get five hundred taels of silver, give two hundred taels to Honglian, two hundred taels to Gu Youtian, and keep the remaining one hundred taels for the coffin money.
Gu Jingzhe did not respond to Old Lady Gu's words. Instead, he turned his head and asked Gu Youtian, "Second Uncle, what do you think about my aunt's dowry?"
Gu Youtian felt a little nervous when his nephew suddenly called him.
Whatever he thought, he had no idea.
He felt that Mr. Fan, a poor scholar who could not afford the bride price, should not agree to the marriage proposal with Gu Honglian. As a sister, Gu Honglian should earn the bride price for her brother.
However, Mr. and Mrs. Gu could not persuade Gu Honglian to marry Fan Tong.
Since he can't get any benefit from my sister's marriage, don't expect him to pay the dowry.
Gu Youtian took a piece of egg and stuffed it into his mouth, saying, "What can I think? Rui Nian still has a lot of debts to pay after getting married, so how can he have extra money to prepare a dowry for your aunt?"
Gu Honglian's eyes turned red.
You can't rely on your second brother at all.
Even if I had money, I wouldn't give her a dowry.
He still wants to sell her for a good price, and she will definitely not let her second brother do as he wishes.
Mr. Gu said, "You know the situation at home. We can't even afford 500 taels, let alone 50 taels."
Gu Jingzhe looked at Old Man Gu: "You knew you couldn't afford 500 taels, so why did you agree? 500 taels, why didn't he go and rob him? How much dowry did the Fan family give to my aunt?"
Based on his understanding of Fan Tong, he would like to exchange his status as a scholar for a dowry that is half of Yue family's wealth.
For example, Huang Jingshan was once Fan Tong’s target.
If he wants more dowry, someone has to be willing to pay for it.
There are several Huang families in the entire Yanguan Town.
Ever since he had to hook up with Huang Jingshan and Gu Taohua, with the joint efforts of the Huang family and Tong Huaqiong, Fan Tong's reputation in the entire Yanguan Town has become ruined.
He only had the title of scholar, but it could not be exchanged for any benefits, and most wealthy families were unwilling to marry him.
Even if you are willing to marry him, the title of scholar is not worth five hundred taels.
His status as a scholar could only fool Mr. and Mrs. Gu.
Old Master Gu avoided the question and refused to say how much dowry Fan Tong gave to Gu Honglian.
Gu Jingzhe sneered in his heart, fearing that his grandparents were too sensitive about their status as scholars, and would not consciously feel inferior to the Fan family.
Mr. Gu said, "Fan Tong is different from ordinary farmers. Your aunt is already marrying up because she has found a scholar. How can you ask the Fan family to pay a betrothal gift?"
Gu Jingzhe said, "Why do you have to lower your attitude so much? How can my aunt marry above her station? My aunt is not a freeloader when she comes to the Fan family. She has to do housework and bear children for the Fan family. I think my aunt has paid much more than Fan Tong. Why doesn't the Fan family pay an equal amount of betrothal gifts?"
Gu Jingzhe felt that it was okay for Fan Tong to ask the Gu family for a dowry, but he also had to give something in return. He couldn't just give a title of scholar.
Gu Jingzhe said, "How could Fan Tong not know what's going on with you? The Fan family is asking for a dowry of 500 taels of silver, which means they are not sincere in getting married. They are asking for too much and want to make a fortune through marriage."
At this point Gu Jingzhe suddenly understood.
Fan Tong was not asking Gu Honglian for a dowry, he was asking Tong Huaqiong for a dowry through Gu Honglian.
Old Lady Gu said, "You are a juren, so naturally you don't take a scholar seriously. For us farmers, marrying a scholar is a blessing. Besides, if your aunt marries a farmer, she will still have to work and have children, and she won't have the glory of a scholar's wife."
Gu Jingzhe didn't understand Mrs. Gu's train of thought, and said, "You just said that the reason why Fan Tong was willing to discuss marriage with my aunt was because of my mother's resources. In this case, how can you be controlled by Fan Tong with the resources of our eldest house? He says how much dowry you want, so if he wants the entire Gu family, do you have to offer your entire family assets to him? That doesn't make sense."
"Go and ask around. Apart from my aunt, who else in the entire Yanguan Town is willing to marry Fan Tong?"
Gu Honglian felt uncomfortable after hearing this.
Fan Tong is better off than Gu Ruinian in any way, and Gu Ruinian even has Wu Na throwing herself at him.
The scholar's appeal was far more important than Gu Jingzhe thought.
Grandpa Gu pondered for a moment and said, "The point is not that we give Fan Tong as much as he wants, but that your grandmother and I want your aunt to marry him without being wronged. Your grandmother and I only have this little daughter, and the dowry cannot be worse than that of your wife, or any other girl in the village."
Old Lady Gu said, "With the dowry, your aunt will have confidence when she arrives at the Fan family. If Fan Tong becomes rich and has evil intentions in the future, your aunt will still have the dowry to rely on. Just like your daughter-in-law, why did the Lu family prepare so much dowry for her? Isn't it just to prepare for that day?"
Gu Jingzhe wanted to hold his forehead.
How should he respond to this sentence?
If he changes his mind, his mother will be the first to kill him.
Gu Honglian looked at Gu Jingzhe with burning eyes. He wondered how his nephew had managed to pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar. No matter how much his parents said, he just couldn't understand the intention.
Old Master Gu was also angry. He wanted to save face, so he wanted to hint at Gu Jingzhe to ask for help from his aunt.
The grandson kept pestering people but refused to take the initiative to do everything.
Old Man Gu looked at Lu Zhaozhao. Shouldn’t his granddaughter-in-law remind Gu Jingzhe?
He didn't believe that Lu Zhaozhao couldn't see through their intentions. He had heard that Lu Zhaozhao was in charge of the Lu family's business and had seen all kinds of faces in the business world. Her failure to remind Gu Jingzhe only meant that Lu Zhaozhao didn't take them two elders seriously, and didn't take Gu Honglian seriously.
Lu Zhaozhao pretended to lower his head to drink his soup, completely ignoring the commotion at the dinner table.
At this time, Jia spoke with a smile.
"Jingzhe, don't blame me, your second aunt, for being nosy. Your aunt has been looking for a date since she was fourteen, but she has never met a satisfactory man. Finally, she met Mr. Fan, who is suitable in every aspect. We can't let it fall through because of the dowry."
"Logically, your grandparents should pay for this money, but they are old and have no money, so they invited you here. They are too embarrassed to ask for money, so I have to be the bad guy. Your family is not short of money now, can you pay for your aunt's 500 taels dowry?"
Old Mrs. Gu looked at Jia.
This was the first time in these three years that she felt satisfied with Jia.
Gu Honglian also looked at her second sister-in-law with gratitude.
Jia looked at Gu Jingzhe with a smile.
She has put it so bluntly, Gu Jingzhe should not refuse.