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墨書 Inktalez
The first eighteen years of my life were a long nightmare, and now, fourteen years later, that dream has seamlessly resumed!
No one asked me how I spent those fourteen years or what I went through. Not a single person, not even a word!
Perhaps because they saw that I was dressed well, my father didn’t scold me: “Is the car you drove worth a hundred thousand? If it is, let your brother and our in-laws talk about it; we won’t need to worry about buying a new one!”
“Is that bag you’re carrying from the Donkey brand? Your sister-in-law saw it at the department store in the provincial capital and couldn’t take her eyes off it. I heard it costs several thousand! And that necklace around your neck—can it really cut glass? Your sister-in-law likes it too…”
“The car is worth around one hundred eighty thousand, but it’s rented. This bag and this chain are all replicas; I haven’t saved much working on the assembly line all these years.”
The bright light in my brother’s eyes dimmed instantly as he packed up the pile of things I brought and left on his electric bike.
My parents exchanged glances, still unwilling to accept the situation. “We don’t care how you’ve been living these years; since you’re back, just settle down and find someone to marry in our hometown. We’re getting older, and your brother’s task is to carry on the Jiang family line; your task is to support us in our old age! Isn’t that a fair arrangement? No matter how much you’ve saved over the years, your brother will need it.”
Before I could speak, my mother continued, “Everything in this house belongs to your brother; we don’t have money to give you for a dowry!”
“Even though you’re older, you’ve taken good care of yourself and dress well; the bride price can’t be low!” my father added sharply.
I could clearly see the greed in their eyes; to them, I was just stacks of red bills.
Almost impatiently, my mother called matchmakers to arrange for wave after wave of suitors to come see me. “The girl is already pretty; having lived in a big city these years, even if she’s turned thirty like her brother, if you say she’s just over twenty, I’d believe you!” Aunt Hua, who specializes in matchmaking, spoke sweetly.
“Twenty thousand for the bride price sounds reasonable, right? Little sister, you don’t know—her brother is quite a catch!” My mother whispered with Aunt Hua.
In rural areas, eligible women are particularly sought after. Just like my brother, who married a woman six years older than him with a child from her previous marriage but still demanded a house, a car, cash, and gold without compromise.
There was no place for me to stay at home.
An old neighbor known as Third Aunt had passed away early; she had watched me grow up. When she saw me enter the door, she cried so hard she shook: “Girl, I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime!”
Third Aunt said my brother was like an incapable fool. After spending six months in detention, he still loitered around aimlessly. He didn’t want his parents worrying about him going south to work; he found construction jobs at home too tiring.
He set up a breakfast stall in town but couldn’t get up early enough or endure the hard work.
Finally, he sold the house in the county and returned to the village.
The days of idly consuming what little they had were now upon them. It was a stroke of luck that a woman, a widow with a child, was willing to marry him. Their family felt as if they had grasped a lifeline, eagerly agreeing to the woman's harsh conditions: a betrothal gift of sixty-six thousand, a bride price of one hundred eighty-eight thousand, and the "Three Golds" could not be lessened. The county house had to be fully paid for (no less than 100 square meters, well-decorated, with complete appliances and furniture), and there had to be a fully paid car as well.
Then came the ultimate condition: he would not be responsible for taking care of his parents in their old age, but he would have to manage all matters concerning his maternal grandparents' health and well-being.
This left his parents deeply worried.
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