In a residential complex in Gaoyang City.
"Dad, He Xiaozhu's mom said that if we want to get married, the wedding car has to be worth at least ten million. What am I supposed to do? Isn't she deliberately making things difficult for me?" Shen Yong said with a woeful face.
"Hmph, so you know her mother is deliberately making things difficult for you? There are fragrant flowers everywhere under heaven, yet you insist on hanging yourself from this one tree? Her mother already looks down on you and gives you a hard time now. Once you marry her, your bitter days will still be ahead of you."
"Dad, He Xiaozhu is a good girl. I won't marry anyone but her," Shen Yong said stubbornly.
"Then figure it out yourself. Your dad's only capable of so much. I even took out my coffin money for the three hundred thousand in bride price, and now they want a ten-million wedding car. Why doesn't the He family just demand all our lives?" The resentment his father had bottled up for so long erupted in an instant.
Seeing his father lose his temper, Shen Yong could only lower his head in silence. She also knew that his girlfriend's mother had truly gone too far this time. No wonder his father was angry.
Seeing her son standing there with his head lowered in silence, his mother let out a deep sigh. "He Xiaozhu really is a good girl, but a ten-million wedding car? Ask her mother where she expects us to find one."
His father continued, "How many cars worth over ten million are there in all of Gaoyang City? We can't even find anywhere to rent a luxury car that expensive. Are we supposed to buy one? Pay for it with our lives?"
"Sigh, Dad, don't be angry. I'll call Xiaozhu and ask her to talk her mom around."
He picked up his phone and was about to dial when it rang instead. Looking closely, he saw the contact name: Third Brother.
What made that guy Li Rui think to call me?
"Hello, Third Brother. We haven't been in touch for half a year. What made you think to call me?"
"Heh, of course it's because I missed you, Boss. Got any time? I wanted to have a meal with you."
Hearing that his university dormmate wanted to meet him for a meal, Shen Yong was delighted at first. Then he remembered that the troubles over his wedding were still unresolved, and he sighed.
"Third Brother, I'm afraid I don't have time. Your big brother's getting married soon. I probably can't spare the time to have a meal with you."
On the other end of the phone, Li Rui first heard Shen Yong sigh, then heard him say he was getting married. He was immediately puzzled. What are you sighing for if you're getting married?
"Come on, Boss, you're getting married. Isn't that a happy occasion? What are you sighing about? And why didn't you tell your brother when the wedding's so close? Do you look down on me? You don't have time for a meal, but am I not even worthy of drinking at your wedding feast?"
Naturally, Li Rui said this to get Shen Yong to tell him the truth. If he was still sighing when he was about to get married, he must have run into trouble. And now, ninety-nine percent of troubles were things Li Rui could solve with a mere lift of his hand.
"Third Brother, I know you're close by. I was planning to get everything sorted out today, then tell you I'm getting married in three days. But now I've run into serious trouble. There really might not be a wedding feast for you to attend," Shen Yong could only explain after hearing Li Rui say that.
"What happened? Tell me what the trouble is. Maybe I can solve it for you."
Shen Yong did not take Li Rui's words seriously. He knew exactly how much this university brother of his was capable of. They had spoken on the phone half a year ago, and Li Rui had said he was working in some kind of sales job, earning three or four thousand a month-not even as much as Shen Yong.
"Third Brother, this problem is so troublesome that, never mind you alone, even all six of us from the dorm put together couldn't solve it."
"You're looking down on me, aren't you? Your brother isn't who he used to be. Tell me. I'll definitely solve it for you," Li Rui said, brimming with confidence.
Ignoring Li Rui's boasting, Shen Yong let out another deep sigh. "Sigh, my girlfriend's mother says the wedding car has to be worth over ten million. Third Brother, tell me, isn't she making things difficult for us?"
"And here I thought it was something serious. Isn't it just a car worth over ten million? That's nothing. Leave it to your brother."
"Come on, Third Brother, how can you still be joking at a time like this? I'm worried sick right now."
"Boss, who's joking with you? I, Li Rui, keep my word. Just tell me your address. I'm already on my way to Gaoyang City."
"But... Third Brother, where are you going to get a car worth over ten million? Don't tell me you went home and inherited a fortune worth hundreds of millions?" Shen Yong said incredulously.
"Haha, don't worry about that. You can trust your brother to get things done."
Even after hanging up, Shen Yong still did not believe it. Yet he hoped it was true. He was now like a drowning man on the verge of going under, and Li Rui had become his last life-saving straw, even though there was a 99.99 percent chance that straw did not exist.
"Who called?" his father asked from beside him.
"Oh, Dad, it was my university dormmate, Li Rui," Shen Yong answered, coming back to his senses.
"Oh, what did your university classmate call for? Is he coming to the wedding?"
"Yes. He said he could help me sort out the wedding car," Shen Yong replied, his voice thick with doubt. He did not even believe those words himself.
"What? What does his family do? Is he some rich second generation? I never heard you mention any rich second generation among your dormmates," his father asked in shock.
"Dad, Li Rui's family is just an ordinary rural family."
"He's from a rural family, and he dares to make a boast like that? Your wedding is such a major event. Does he think you're playing house? Some university dormmate he is. I'd say he's nothing but a disreputable drinking buddy," his father said angrily.
Someone from a rural family casually claiming he could produce a luxury car worth over ten million would normally be no more than boasting. Young people did that; it was quite normal. But this concerned his son's wedding, and it made him feel that his son's university dormmate, Li Rui, was nothing but a boastful, disreputable friend.
"Dad, don't say things like that. Third Brother has always been a good guy. He wouldn't talk nonsense." Though he did not believe it himself, they had shared a dorm for four years at university, after all. He would not let his father slander his brother like that.
"Maybe Third Brother has some wealthy relative he can borrow one from," Shen Yong continued. From what he knew of Li Rui, he would not boast about something like this. He must have some way that Shen Yong had not thought of.
"Hmph, he'd better. I can't be bothered with your affairs anymore, and I couldn't do anything about them anyway. If you have what it takes, marry her. If you don't, then don't." His father rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned to return to his room.
His mother, who had been standing nearby, also shook her head with a sigh and followed his father into the room.
"Sigh..." Shen Yong let out a deep sigh. He could understand why his father was so angry. His father was only a low-level supervisor at a factory, while his mother was a full-time homemaker. Supporting the entire family alone and still coming up with three hundred thousand for his bride price, his father had already done everything he could. Yet his girlfriend's mother kept finding ways to make things difficult for him. No wonder his father was angry.
As Shen Yong sighed, his phone rang. It was his girlfriend, He Xiaozhu.
"Hello, Xiaozhu."
"Brother Yong, did my mom ask you to prepare a wedding car worth tens of millions? Just ignore her. One of my older female cousins had a wedding car worth over two million when she got married, so that's why Mom is making things so difficult for you. She's just vain. Don't bother with her," a soft, sweet voice came from the other end.
"Oh, even if I wanted to find one, I don't have that kind of ability. I'll probably have to disappoint your mom. A car worth over ten million isn't something I could rent even if I wanted to."
"All right, Brother Yong, I'm coming over now. I'll convince my mom."