Chapter 4 — No Dowry, No You

Gao Fan looked at me, his lips twitching as if he intended to say something more. Zhang Mian took a short step forward, effectively blocking his line of sight toward me. His voice was cold, tinged with a condescending air of superiority.

"If you cannot even make your own decisions regarding your salary, you have no business discussing marriage."

A two-second silence descended upon the room. The chopsticks in the elder father-in-law's hand clattered onto the floor. His face flickered between shades of green and white, his chest heaving with agitation. He opened his mouth to retort, but the words failed him. After all, the declaration that his daughter-in-law’s salary and deposit should be funneled into the Gao family coffers had been admitted by his own son before everyone present. Zhang Mian did not give him a chance to regain his composure, continuing in a calm, steady tone:

"Mr. Gao, the virtue of filial piety is not a shield for moral kidnapping."

He glanced at Gao Fan, who was staring at the floor, and added coldly, "You speak of being a family, but that is merely an excuse to bully Meng Jie. Furthermore, you intend to use her money to help Gao Fan’s younger brother save face and pay for his own betrothal gifts."

Zhang Mian chuckled softly. "That is not filial piety. That is extortion."

Finally, whispers began to ripple through the banquet hall, growing louder by the second. "My God, why would anyone marry into that? It sounds like a den of thieves."

The eldest aunt added, "No wonder they had the audacity to demand an Audi A8. They clearly thought Meng Jie was easy to push around."

The elder Gao’s face twitched. He slammed his hand against the table, attempting to assert his authority as an elder, but as he looked up, he was met with the steady, sharp gaze of Zhang Mian and the looks of contempt from the gathered relatives. He gasped, his voice straining as he choked out, "Do not try to sow discord here!"

Seeing the situation unraveling, the mother-in-law scrambled to stand, desperate to play the peacemaker. She forced a stiff, unnatural smile and tugged at her husband’s sleeve. "Oh, goodness, it is all just a misunderstanding. The young ones don’t know any better; they speak without thinking."

She looked toward me, her eyes still glimmering with a flicker of hope. "Meng Jie, look, all our friends and relatives are here. Making a scene like this is so unsightly. Let us talk about this later, shall we? Let us talk later."

I said nothing, simply leaning back to create more distance between myself and the three members of the Gao family. My father rose to his feet, his expression stern and his voice unyielding. "There is nothing left to discuss. Everything that needed to be said has been made clear. Waiter, show them the door."

The three members of the Gao family appeared utterly wretched under the collective gaze of the banquet hall. Before exiting, Gao Fan turned back to look at me, his eyes wide with disbelief, yet he did not dare utter another word as his father dragged him out by the arm.

The atmosphere for the remainder of the banquet actually grew lighter. Zhang Mian’s parents were clearly people who had navigated their fair share of storms. They maintained a polite composure while conversing with my parents, never once mentioning the sordid display by the Gao family. Instead, they engaged my relatives in pleasant, mundane topics. From time to time, Zhang’s mother would turn the fruit platter toward me or gently compliment the hotel’s soup. Both she and her husband handled themselves with such grace that they shielded my dignity, acting as if the previous scene had never occurred. Their tact significantly lessened the awkwardness I felt.

After the banquet, I walked Zhang Mian’s parents to the hotel entrance. Standing on the steps, I still felt a lingering sense of unease. I lowered my head, my voice tinged with embarrassment. "Auntie, Uncle, I am truly sorry. The marriage registration was so sudden, and I am sorry you had to witness such an unpleasant spectacle."

I feared they might think I lacked maturity or suspect I was merely using Zhang Mian. Zhang’s mother paused and reached out to take my hand. Her palms were warm. "Meng Jie, do you think I don’t know my own son? For the past few days, he hasn't been able to stop smiling. I know he genuinely cares for you."

She looked at me tenderly, her eyes filled with understanding. "You two are married now, and that is your own life to lead. The Zhang family does not have those messy, convoluted rules. We will not interfere in your lives. As long as you are happy, we are content."

I opened my mouth, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. I had thought that registering my marriage was merely a desperate leap from a pit of fire, but I had unexpectedly stumbled through a door leading to genuine warmth. After watching their car pull away, I sighed in relief and turned toward the parking garage. The lighting in the underground lot was dim. From a distance, I spotted the white car, but right beside the driver's side door, a figure emerged like a haunting specter. Gao Fan had not left. He leaned against the white car, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing me approach, he stood upright, his gaze fixed and stubborn.

"Yuan Meng Jie, tell me the truth."