Chapter 68: Chapter 68 I am very generous
Uncle Xia’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.
The crowd suddenly fell silent. Gradually, quiet discussions, like bubbles in boiling water, started, growing more and more numerous and louder.
“What does that mean? Xia Lan and He Qing?”
“Normally such a demure girl, who would have known, tsk tsk tsk…”
Grandpa Xia hadn’t expected Uncle Xia to be so careless of his dignity, directly spilling the beans.
“Her uncle…you can’t just say such things…A girl’s reputation…” Grandpa Xia said through gritted teeth.
Wouldn’t this tarnish the reputation of the entire Xia Family, with Chuyi still being part of the Xia Family? Didn’t Uncle Xia care at all?
Uncle Xia chuckled softly.
“A girl’s reputation is earned through self-respect and self-love!” Uncle Xia put his hands on his hips and, tilting his head up, continued loudly, “Just like our Chuyi, when he found out He Qing and Xia Lan were unclean, he immediately drew a clear line with He Qing.”
“Folks!” Uncle Xia called out to the surroundings, “Today, in front of you all, I’ll make this matter clear.”
“He Family’s son committing such an act, my family’s Chuyi could never continue with him, so this engagement, today, right in front of everyone, I’m calling it off!”
“Good call, good call!” someone in the crowd agreed.
Uncle Xia smiled and continued, “Now, let’s settle the accounts.”
“At the engagement, the Xia Family received a total of 88 gifts from the He Family, and the Xia Family accepted this money.”
“Later, when He Qing needed to pull some strings in the army, I gave the He Family 300 dollars, considering it an advance on the dowry.”
Uncle Xia listed each item, and the people in the crowd gasped at each statement.
88 gifts? That’s way too much!
My goodness, 300 dollars for dowry? That’s way, way too much!
“It should be noted that some of the betrothal gifts from the He Family were financed by me, helping them with merchandise, which after earning a profit, I earned it out,” Uncle Xia continued.
Uncle Xia’s investment, Uncle Xia’s management, and finally, the profit went to the He Family.
Isn’t that getting something for nothing?
For a moment, everyone looked at Mr. He and Mrs. He with disdain.
“No, no, my family also contributed money!” Mrs. He hurriedly explained, but nobody believed her.
“Alright, even if your family did contribute a little, I won’t fuss about that part,” Uncle Xia said, staring at Mr. He and Mrs. He, pulling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “There’s also the wristwatch, radio, and all the other necessities I gave to He Qing…”
Waving his hand, “I, Zhao Minglang, won’t bother you about these.”
“But, that three hundred dollars of the dowry, you must return!” Uncle Xia stated emphatically.
Hearing this, the faces of Mr. He and Mrs. He grew extremely unattractive, but the onlookers began to jeer.
“Return it, it should be returned!”
“A whole 300 dollars!”
“All the other stuff is also worth quite a bit, Zhao Minglang is really generous!”
“Yes, truly generous!”
“This, this…” Mr. He and Mrs. He were at a loss for words.
“Hehe.” Suddenly, Uncle Xia spoke again, “No? Then no need to return it. When your son He Qing marries Xia Lan, these 300 dollars, consider it the gift money from my family’s Chuyi, just record it in the gift book.”
“What? Gift money?” Mr. He and Mrs. He were truly surprised.
Surprised was also Xia Lan.
Uncle Xia, far from wanting to ruin her marriage, was actually corroborating her story? A look of surprise flashed in Xia Lan’s eyes.