Chapter 704 - 244: Your Little Aunt Has a Stomach Problem

The Gao family would pay a million for the bride price, but how much would the Qiao Family offer as a dowry?

If the Qiao Family’s dowry exceeded one million, then they would grit their teeth and scrape the money together.

"The Qiao Family isn’t offering a dowry," Gao Qiang said, his voice filled with indignation and a sense of being wronged. ’Young Master Qiao had been so blunt, yet Xu Jiali didn’t say a word.’

’The Qiao Family was obviously wealthy, but Young Master Qiao was insatiably greedy. The richer people were, the more miserly, despicable, and cunning they became.’

"What?" Grandma Gao was so agitated her voice cracked.

’Demanding such a high bride price without offering a dowry? What was that supposed to be?’

Mrs. Gao was furious as well. She took Grandma Gao’s arm, ready to leave. "Mom, let’s go."

"Go? Go where?" Grandma Gao angrily shoved her daughter-in-law’s supporting hand away and demanded, "What does the Qiao Family think they’re doing? By what right do they demand a bride price without offering a dowry?"

’If they’d asked for ten or twenty thousand without a dowry, the Gao family would have swallowed the loss. The family may have fallen on hard times, but they could still afford that much. But to demand a million right off the bat, with no dowry? Was Madam Qiao selling her own niece?’

"It’s Young Master Qiao demanding it," Gao Qiang said sarcastically, mentally cursing Jie Jingchen to hell and back.

"What right does he have?" Grandma Gao grew even more incensed. ’Jie Jingchen is from the younger generation, demanding a bride price for his own aunt! And she’s not even his blood-related aunt. The nerve of him!’

"Because his grandmother raised Jiali." The more Gao Qiang thought about it, the more resentful he felt. Jie Jingchen had handled the entire negotiation, while Madam Qiao stood by like a cold observer. When Jiali tried to protest, her great-aunt stopped her.

"His *grandmother* raised Jiali, not him," Grandma Gao pointed out. Gao Qiang understood her meaning but didn’t turn back to confront Jie Jingchen.

Grandma Gao then looked at her son and daughter-in-law. Seeing their helpless expressions, she glared at them with utter exasperation. ’Her husband was gone, and the Gao family was in decline. If she were to die too, the family would completely fall apart.’

They thought she was tactless and would ruin her grandson’s marriage, so they had her wait outside and chant sutras while they went in to negotiate. The result showed they were helpless against the Qiao family’s difficult demands. If she had been present, she would have unleashed a verbal torrent that would have drowned Jie Jingchen.

Grandma Gao muttered a few lines from her sutras to suppress her inner rage. "He’s not short on money. What does he need such a high bride price for?"

Gao Qiang took a deep breath, his tone dripping with contempt. "He said the Qiao Family isn’t short on money, but *he* is. He said he didn’t give his wife a bride price when they got married, so he’s going to take our Gao family’s money and give it to his wife as *her* bride price."

Grandma Gao was so infuriated by Gao Qiang’s words she actually laughed. What Jie Jingchen was doing was more despicable and shameless than simply taking from one person to give to another.

The Gao family wanted to unite with the Qiao Family through marriage to gain their support, not to be extorted by Jie Jingchen.

"Mom." Mr. Gao stepped forward to support Grandma Gao, reminding her in a low voice, "Mom, you need to calm down. We just failed to agree on the bride price. As long as we don’t burn our bridges with the Qiao Family, Xiao Qiang still has a chance to marry Jiali. We have to take our time."

The storm in Grandma Gao’s eyes gradually subsided into ice. Her expression turned so venomous that Mr. Gao could tell at a glance she was already concocting a vicious scheme.

A smile played on Grandma Gao’s lips, but her eyes were glacial. She called out, "Madam Qiao, a bride price of one million is no small sum for the Gao family in our current state. We’ll go home and discuss it further."

After the Gao Family left, Qin Mei entered the room and closed the door.

Xu Jiali was sobbing her heart out. Madam Qiao looked helpless, while Jie Jingchen was a mask of indifference.

Qin Mei sat beside Jie Jingchen, enjoying the sight of the beautifully crying Xu Jiali.

Seeing that no one was comforting her, Xu Jiali cried even harder.

Finally, Qin Mei couldn’t take it anymore. "Stop crying."

"SOB SOB SOB... Xiao Mei, Jing Chen went too far," Xu Jiali said, looking pitifully at Qin Mei. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s from crying.

Qin Mei shot a brief glance at Jie Jingchen before turning back to Xu Jiali, her voice softening considerably. "Marriage is no small matter. It didn’t work out this time, so you’ll just have to negotiate again next time."

At her words, Jie Jingchen couldn’t help but look at Qin Mei. ’Marriage is no small matter? How could she say that with a straight face? The methods she’d used to marry him had been utterly despicable.’

"There’s no point in negotiating again! Jing Chen is demanding so much for the bride price; the Gao family can’t possibly afford it." Xu Jiali wiped messily at her tears, glaring resentfully at Jie Jingchen.

’She didn’t care whether the Qiao Family gave her a dowry. What she cared about was that the bride price Jie Jingchen was demanding was too high. One million! How could he even say that number out loud? If she was being honest with herself, was she, with her status, really worth one million?’

"Don’t lose hope. As long as your boyfriend truly loves you and his family genuinely wants you as their daughter-in-law, they’ll find a way to overcome any obstacle, no matter how great." Qin Mei paused before continuing, "But the prerequisite for them to overcome this obstacle is that he truly loves you. If he gives up on your relationship so easily just because the bride price is too high, then it isn’t true love. True love can withstand the test of a bride price."