Defeating Magic with Magic

Seeing Honeysuckle admit her mistake, Zhang Xiufang's expression softened slightly. "This girl doesn't seem as headstrong as the rumors say. It's good that you know your mistake. Once you marry into that family, live well and don't bully your mother-in-law all the time."

The onlookers also nodded in agreement. "I think Erhua is just young and didn't know better. Now that she understands, she seems quite sensible."

"Exactly. I thought she wouldn't let go of the dowry issue. Now it's fine, and Dongfeng's mother doesn't have to cry all day anymore."

Xu Xiangfeng had not expected Honeysuckle to say such things. After a moment of surprise, her brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze toward Honeysuckle turned suspicious and calculating.

Honeysuckle pretended not to see the calculating look in Xu Xiangfeng's eyes and nodded repeatedly to the onlookers. "Uncles, aunts, you are all correct. It was all my fault; I thought about it the wrong way before. I thought that in my uncle's family, only my uncle earns a salary, yet he still had to raise such a large family and could still prepare the 'Three Rounds and One Sound' and clothes for all four seasons for me. Brother Dongfeng's family has Aunt Xu and Brother Dongfeng both earning salaries, so a hundred yuan dowry shouldn't be difficult, so... Sigh, it was all my fault. I shouldn't have made unrealistic demands without understanding Aunt Xu's family situation first. Uncles and aunts, please be my witnesses."

As soon as she finished speaking, the chatter around them fell silent. A moment later, like a pot of boiling oil exploding, the crowd erupted. "What? How much did she say? A hundred yuan? Did I hear wrong?"

"You didn't hear wrong, she said a hundred yuan. Oh my, seeing Xu Xiangfeng crying and complaining to everyone these past few days about how she couldn't afford the dowry, I thought Erhua wanted several thousand yuan!"

"Exactly! Whenever we asked how much she wanted, she would just wipe her tears. I thought Erhua wanted a fortune. Only a hundred yuan? The combined monthly salary of her and Dongfeng is nearly seventy yuan, right? After all these years, they can't even produce a hundred yuan? How can anyone believe that? Could they be trying to get a good girl for free?"

"Old Bai, when your daughter got married last year, how much did her husband's family give for the dowry?"

In the crowd, a bald uncle smiled with some pride. "Hehe, my daughter has a job, and her husband's family valued her, so they gave five hundred yuan. They also bought the 'Three Rounds and One Sound' and didn't ask our family for anything. Our family only had to make a set of clothes and some bedding for the couple."

"Oh? I recall your daughter was a temporary worker?"

"So what if she was a temporary worker? Isn't a temporary worker still a job? The salary isn't much lower than a permanent worker's, and if she catches the next transition wave in the factory, she'll become a permanent worker too."

Seeing Old Bai look unhappy, the other person quickly waved his hand. "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. I just feel that since your daughter was a temporary worker and still got five hundred yuan, Erhua is a permanent worker, so asking for a hundred yuan is not unreasonable at all, right? Besides, her uncle's family is even giving the 'Three Rounds and One Sound' as a dowry, along with money and coupons, totaling nearly a thousand yuan. What is Dongfeng's mother crying about all day? Could she feel that Erhua has no parents to care for her, so she wants to bully her?"

Once this question was raised, the sympathetic looks toward Xu Xiangfeng turned into looks of blame.

Someone sneered, "Who knows? Last year, I saw her buying a lot of things at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. That woolen coat alone must have cost no less than a hundred yuan, and the shoes on her feet and her wristwatch weren't cheap either. Could she have spent all the money on herself?"

"Don't say that. Looking at how she has dressed and made herself up over the years, I actually believe she can't produce a hundred yuan!"

Seeing Xu Xiangfeng about to argue, Honeysuckle quickly copied her method, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh, everyone, please don't say that. It's all my fault. Had I known Aunt Xu was so poor, I wouldn't have asked for this hundred yuan. Aunt Xu, I will give up on the dowry. It's just that Brother Dongfeng previously said he wanted to buy wood to make furniture and borrowed two hundred yuan from me. Please don't make it difficult for him. As long as Brother Dongfeng and I get married, and the furniture is for us to use, it's only right for me to spend some money. If Aunt Xu thinks my dowry demand was too much, then let's call off the wedding. Just return the two hundred yuan to me, and I won't even ask for interest."

This was like another clap of thunder, and the crowd, already shocked by the hundred-yuan dowry, could no longer remain calm.

"What? Dongfeng actually borrowed money from Erhua? Oh my, my temper is really flaring up now. Before, I thought Xu Xiangfeng had a hard time raising her son alone, crying all day as if she had suffered a great injustice. Who knew this was her tactic? She got a bargain and still acted like the victim! She didn't want to spend a single cent, yet she wanted a daughter-in-law who could earn money, and she wanted to keep a good reputation for herself. No wonder they say a crying child gets the milk. If an old woman knows how to cry, she can swindle an old man out of his underpants."

The speaker was another aunt in the residential area named Cheng Yuzhen. She had long disliked Xu Xiangfeng's behavior and had spoken up before, only to be met with Xu Xiangfeng's tearful displays, which made her look like she was bullying an honest person. Because of this, her son was over twenty and still couldn't find a girl willing to go on a match-making date with him.

Having caught Xu Xiangfeng's weakness today, Cheng Yuzhen naturally wouldn't let her off easily.

Although the words were harsh, they woke everyone up. Recalling everything that had happened before, everyone reached the same conclusion: whenever Xu Xiangfeng cried, someone's reputation was about to be ruined.

Xu Xiangfeng was so anxious that sweat broke out on her forehead. She had not expected Hoa Erhua, who was usually clumsy with words and could be silenced with just a few sentences, to suddenly seem like a different person. Not only could she speak, but she was also quick-witted, turning the situation around with just a few words.

If she let this dead girl continue talking, the good reputation she had built over half her life would be ruined in an instant.

Xu Xiangfeng stepped forward, grabbing Honeysuckle's hand. "Erhua, I must have misheard. I thought you said a thousand yuan. I misunderstood you and made you suffer. I apologize to you. Can you forgive me?"

Honeysuckle pulled her hand back, pouting as if she might cry at any moment, but her words made Xu Xiangfeng choke with rage.

"Aunt Xu, you've lived in this residential area for so many years, and we've never heard of you having hearing problems? Besides, on the day we discussed the marriage, you even said a hundred yuan was too little, fearing I would suffer. Could it be that Aunt Xu meant a thousand was too little back then? Then how much did you originally plan to give me? Rest assured, Aunt Xu, my aunt said they wouldn't keep a single cent of the dowry; they would give it all to me to bring over."

Xu Xiangfeng opened her mouth for a long time but did not dare to respond. If she said a thousand was too little, what if the Hoa family demanded more? She really didn't have it.

But the strange looks from the people around her made her feel as if something was stuck in her throat. In her anxiety, tears began to fall again. "I... I..."

She stammered for a long time but could not utter a complete sentence.