Chapter 705 - 244: Your Little Aunt Has a Stomach Problem (Part 2)

Instantly, Xu Jiali stopped crying. After a few sobs, she asked, "Jing Chen, a one-million-yuan bride price... is this your test for your future uncle?"

Her future uncle. Jie Jingchen felt his temples throb. His glacial gaze met Xu Jiali’s, his voice filled with repressed anger. "No."

Xu Jiali burst into loud sobs again, crying so hard it gave their grandmother a headache. Since her eldest grandson was playing the bad guy, she couldn’t play the peacemaker. The wisest choice was to leave.

Grandma rubbed her temples and said, "I have a headache. I’m going back to my room to rest."

"Auntie," Xu Jiali said, looking at her grandmother with a tear-streaked face.

"Jiali, I’m old now, and there’s a lot I can no longer handle. I’m leaving your marriage to that Gao boy for Jing Chen to manage," Grandma said to Xu Jiali.

Xu Jiali felt like she could die. "Auntie, you can’t leave it to Jing Chen! You saw his attitude. The Gao family really can’t afford such a high bride price. If Jing Chen doesn’t back down, Gao Qiang can’t marry me. How are we supposed to get married?"

"Old Madam Gao can afford it," Grandma said with conviction.

"Auntie!" Xu Jiali stomped her foot.

"If Gao Qiang truly wants to marry you, and if Old Madam Gao truly dotes on her grandson, she will find a way." The grandmother’s implication was clear: the bride price would not be lowered. As for the dowry, she would provide one, and it would be worth even more than the bride price. Her eldest grandson had said he wouldn’t give one, but she never said she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let Jiali know her intentions, however. For now, everything depended on the Gao Family’s decision.

"She has no way!" Xu Jiali was frantic. Even crying wasn’t working anymore.

"She has a way." Grandma stood up, walked over to Xu Jiali, and patted her shoulder. "Old Madam Gao has a large collection of treasured jewelry. Selling just a few pieces would be enough for the bride price to marry you. It all depends on whether she’s willing to sell her jewelry for your sake."

"Auntie, forcing an elderly woman to sell her treasured jewelry just to scrape together a bride price... Auntie, is that right?" Xu Jiali disagreed.

"If she’s willing, then it’s right. If she’s not, then it isn’t. Jiali, this isn’t for you to worry about. You just need to think deeply about whether that Gao boy’s love for you is real," Grandma said, looking at Xu Jiali, a sharp glint in her otherwise kind eyes.

"It is real love," Xu Jiali replied without a hint of hesitation.

"Real love isn’t something you just talk about. It’s something you feel... here." Grandma pointed to Xu Jiali’s heart.

The moment Grandma left, Xu Jiali immediately grabbed Qin Mei and, right in front of Jie Jingchen, asked to borrow money.

"Xiao Mei, lend me eight hundred thousand," Xu Jiali said, asking for a huge sum right off the bat.

After swindling a sum of money from the German Merchant, Mrs. Xie hadn’t taken a single cent, giving it all to Qin Mei.

Qin Mei had the money, but she didn’t want to lend it.

For Xu Jiali to ask her for money at a time like this... her motive was painfully obvious.

"Why eight hundred thousand, and not a million?" Qin Mei asked.

"I have two hundred thousand," Xu Jiali said meekly. Her aunt and uncle had never been stingy with her; in fact, they were very generous. She had always squandered her monthly allowance, thinking that once this month’s money was gone, her aunt would just give her more next month. She had no concept of saving money until she met Gao Qiang.

Every month, she would squander half the money and spend the other half on Gao Qiang.

They had started planning to get married in the last two months, so she had reined in her spending and managed to save two hundred thousand.

If she had started saving from the beginning, she could have easily come up with the million herself and wouldn’t have needed to shamelessly ask Qin Mei for a loan.

Qin Mei was speechless. ’So the girl wants to pay for her own bride price out of pocket. She’s truly sunk so deep into the swamp of love that she can’t get out. How could she think of something so foolish? If you marry someone without paying any price, without the slightest effort, will you be valued? Will you be cherished?’

Jie Jingchen shot to his feet, a frigid aura radiating from him. His stare, fixed on Xu Jiali, was terrifying, and his voice was as cold and sharp as a knife. "Xu Jiali."

Xu Jiali shrank back in fear but stuck her neck out and retorted, "I’m not asking you for money. I’m asking Xiao Mei."

"I don’t have any money," Qin Mei stated her position clearly.

"Qin Mei," Xu Jiali said, staring at her in disbelief. She had actually refused to help. ’Is our sisterhood really so fragile that it can’t withstand a test of money?’ "I’m borrowing it, not asking for a handout. I’ll pay it back."

"What will you pay it back with? And when?" Jie Jingchen demanded, his cold voice carrying an aggressive, intimidating force.

"I..."

"After you marry into the Gao family, Grandpa and Grandma won’t be giving you a monthly allowance anymore. Are you expecting the Gao family to give you one?" Jie Jingchen cut her off.

She couldn’t count on the Gao family. Neither she nor Gao Qiang earned any money. Once her monthly allowance was cut off... Xu Jiali didn’t even dare to imagine what her life would become.