After Marrying the Officer

Uncle Xia's voice was neither too high nor too low, just enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.

The place fell silent instantly. Gradually, soft discussions, like small bubbles rising in boiling water, became more and more frequent and louder.

"What does that mean? Xia Lan and He Qing?"

"She seemed like such a nice girl, who would've thought, tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Could it really be true?"

Grandpa Xia didn't expect Uncle Xia to disregard their reputation and speak out directly like this.

"Brother, you can't just say such things... A girl's reputation..." Grandpa Xia said through gritted teeth.

This reputation loss would affect the entire Xia Family. Xia Chuyi was still 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!" Uncle Xia put his hands on his hips, raised his head, and continued loudly, "Just like our Chuyi, as soon as she found out He Qing and Xia Lan were messing around, she immediately broke ties with He Qing."

"Folks!" Uncle Xia shouted at the people around, "Today, in front of everyone, I'm going to clear this matter up."

"With He Family's son doing such things, my Chuyi will absolutely not get back with him, so this engagement, today, I'm calling it off in front of everyone!"

"That's right, call it off!" Someone below echoed.

Uncle Xia smiled and continued, "Now, let's settle the accounts."

"When we got engaged, Xia Family received 88 bride price from He Family, which was accepted by the Xia Family."

"Later, when He Qing needed connections in the army, I gave He Family 300 yuan in advance as a dowry."

Uncle Xia listed each item methodically, with every word causing gasps from the audience.

88 bride price? That's too much!

Goodness, 300 dowries? That's way too, too much!

"I should also add that part of the bride price money from He Family was capital I provided, helping their family run goods, earning a nice sum." Uncle Xia continued.

Uncle Xia's capital, Uncle Xia managed it, eventually earned it, and gave it to He Family.

Isn't this like getting something for nothing?

Everyone looked disdainfully at Mr. He and Mrs. He.

"No, no, we also contributed money!" Mrs. He hurriedly explained, but nobody believed her.

"Fine, let's say your family did contribute some money, I won't quibble over that." Uncle Xia looked at Mr. He and Mrs. He with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and said, "Besides the watches and radios and all sorts of food and drink, I gave He Qing quite a bit..."

He waved his hand, "These things, I, Zhao Minglang, am generous enough not to argue about with your family."

"But those 300 yuan for the dowry, you must return!" Uncle Xia's words were powerful and resonant.

Hearing this, Mr. He and Mrs. He's faces looked incredibly uncomfortable, but the onlookers began to heckle.

"Return it, it must be returned!"

"A whole 300 yuan!"

"The other things are also worth a lot, Zhao Minglang is generous!"

"Yes, really generous!"

"This, this..." Mr. He and Mrs. He couldn't say a word.

"Heh heh." Suddenly, Uncle Xia spoke again, "Don't have it? Then not returning it is also fine, once your son He Qing marries Xia Lan, that 300 will be recorded as the gift money from our family Chuyi to them, just note it down in the gift ledger."

"What? Gift money?" Mr. He and Mrs. He were genuinely shocked.

Xia Lan was also surprised.

Uncle Xia wasn't trying to ruin her marriage? He was even solidifying this matter for her? Xia Lan's eyes showed excitement.