Chapter 184 - 182: Freeloading Like a Boss
"?" Zhang Zhe glanced sideways at the new guy. ’What’s his angle?’
If it were any other Matchmaker, they would have stepped in to smooth things over, telling the guy not to be so direct, to follow procedure, and to take things slow.
But Zhang Zhe was different. He stood silently to the side, wanting to see what this guy was really up to.
"The dowry depends on the bride price," the woman replied pleasantly. "My family decided long ago: the dowry will match the bride price."
"So you mean I don’t have to give a bride price?" the man asked, shocked. "If I don’t want a dowry, you won’t ask for a single penny for the bride price?"
[Zero-dollar deal, huh?]
[Hahaha, bro, you’re a little too gangster.]
[That’s fair. It’s not like you can be sure she’d really give that much for a dowry anyway. Better if no one has to spend any money.]
[You wish. How is she supposed to know you’re sincere if you don’t offer a bride price?]
"No, no." The woman shook her head repeatedly. "The minimum is 180,000. It’s not that I’m after your money, it’s mainly a test of your financial stability."
"If you can’t even come up with that much cash, I’m afraid my life after marriage won’t be secure."
Listening to the woman, Zhang Zhe really wanted to call her out:
’Is a mere 180,000 yuan really going to guarantee you a worry-free life? You can fool yourself, but is there any point in trying to fool the rest of us?’
But what Zhang Zhe didn’t expect was that the man’s way of thinking was even more "progressive" than his own.
After hearing Ms. Tong’s words, the man waved his hand dismissively, stopping her from continuing.
"You’ve got it wrong. If we get married, I have no intention of providing for your livelihood."
"How you live is your business. If you want a wealthy lifestyle, earn the money yourself. Don’t rely on me."
"I’m just an ordinary civil servant with no connections or background. Unless I save my boss’s life, I’m never getting a promotion. I can pretty much calculate how much money I’ll make over the next few decades."
"You’re perfectly able-bodied. A good life is something you should create for yourself. Why do you need to rely on a man? Are you inferior to men?"
The man’s final punch caught even Zhang Zhe by surprise, to say nothing of the woman herself.
Ms. Tong was stunned for a moment. After she processed what had happened, she went straight to Zhang Zhe.
"Matchmaker, this man isn’t serious about getting married at all! I think you should disqualify him from the event and take away his number."
"He doesn’t want to offer a bride price, he doesn’t even want to support a wife! He’s just here at this matchmaking event to cause trouble."
"Now, now, Ms. Tong, we have to respect everyone’s preferences in a partner," Zhang Zhe said, smiling soothingly. "We live in a very tolerant society. If we can tolerate a woman asking for a 180,000 bride price, we can certainly tolerate a man who doesn’t want to pay one at all."
"That being said, my friend, you’ve really come to the wrong place."
"Most of the women here are looking for a provider."
The man looked at Zhang Zhe and nodded vigorously. "I know. So am I."
"I’m also looking for a provider."
"Matchmaker, be honest. With my looks, wouldn’t you say I’m in the top tier of all the guys here? I’ve got the assets to find a woman to support me, right?"
[Oho? Is he here to be a kept man?]
[That could actually work. It’s not shameful for someone in the government system to be a kept man. His job is respectable and stable, so he definitely has what it takes.]
[This bro is probably talking about marrying into her family, right? If he just wanted to be a kept man, he wouldn’t need to get married.]
[Too bad only handsome guys can walk this path. I want to be a kept man, too.]
"It’s true, your looks rank in the top three among the men here. I was just thinking a guy who looks like you shouldn’t have trouble finding a girlfriend. So that’s what this is all about."
It suddenly dawned on Zhang Zhe.
This was a matchmaking event for civil servants. Most of the men here were in the system, and a key part of the public’s perception of them was that they were traditional men, willing to bear the responsibility of providing for their families.
Even Zhang Zhe had subconsciously assumed that all the men who came here were looking to find a wife.
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
But there is an exception to every rule. Male guest number 77 had blazed a new trail: he planned on being a kept man.
This situation wasn’t actually uncommon among civil servants. Many of their spouses earned more than they did; after all, it could be difficult to support a family on a government salary alone.
"Here, let me see your profile."
Zhang Zhe wanted to know what kind of family background the man had to make him give up on striving.
The man was very cooperative and handed his profile to Zhang Zhe. The information on it pretty much answered why he had such a partner-selection strategy.
He was a young man, born in the year 2000. He came from a single-parent family and was raised by his mother, but she had passed away four years ago.
He was now, theoretically, an orphan.
He had no assets. His mother had always rented a place for them, and his father had disappeared somewhere and hadn’t been seen for more than ten years.
With his situation, it would indeed be difficult to find a wife the conventional way. Not unless he threw himself into the career rat race and worked his way up to at least a junior leadership position, where he’d be well-off and able to afford his own apartment. Only then would his "orphan" status become a non-issue in the marriage market.
Some women would love to marry a man without having to serve in-laws and just enjoy a comfortable life. But the key was that the life had to be comfortable, not one of shared hardship.
The man obviously had no intention of going down the path of the career rat race. He wanted to take an easier road: marrying into his wife’s family.
"Ms. Tong, is your family looking for a son-in-law to marry into the family?" Zhang Zhe asked.
"My family..." The woman understood now. ’So this handsome guy wants to marry into my family?’
In that case, what she’d said before was irrelevant. If he was marrying in, of course he’d expect the woman to support herself. There was nothing wrong with that!
"Matchmaker, do you think my family’s circumstances would be suitable?"
"I think you could ask," Zhang Zhe said, analyzing the situation seriously. "Weren’t you looking for someone whose parents are both deceased? He’s basically in that situation."
"Other guys who meet that condition definitely won’t be as young as 25."
"Besides, with this man’s looks, I’ll be honest, if he marries into your family, he’ll definitely improve your descendants’ gene pool."
"Plus, with his stable government job, he can certainly support himself. I think a dowry from your family of an apartment and a car would be about right; no need to give him any cash."
"Don’t you have two apartments in your name? You can just spare one for him."
[Really? Now I kind of want to be a kept man too.]
[Isn’t that letting her off easy? She must provide a dowry of 880,000, not a penny less! Otherwise, the man’s future won’t be secure.]
[The fact that this woman is actually considering it proves how handsome the guy must be.]
"So... I should think about it?" The woman’s expression was hesitant. She wanted to get his contact info, but then she saw the other men still waiting in line behind him and hesitated again.
She wanted a handsome man, but she also wanted a rich one. She was torn.
"Would the apartment from the dowry be put in my name?" the man asked, looking at Zhang Zhe. "Or is it just for me to live in for the duration of the marriage?"
"Of course it would be put in your name," Zhang Zhe said, looking the man in the eye. "Since you’ve committed to being a kept man, you must be resolute. You absolutely cannot compromise, especially when it comes to material assets."
"You need to learn from the gold-digging women."