Chapter 164: It All Went Into His Own Pocket
"Double? So that’s 3 million." Zhang Zhe tsked. "Sis, is your family really that loaded?"
"My parents are in business, and our family’s net worth is around the A8.6 level."
"As I thought, not an ordinary family." Zhang Zhe had expected as much. He understood the moment he heard Wenzhou.
People from Wenzhou are truly incredible when it comes to business. Zhang Zhe had watched the entire TV series *Wenzhou Family*, and for the locals, entrepreneurship is practically a habit.
But just because her family was rich didn’t mean they weren’t interested in making money. With this custom of the dowry being double the bride price, it wasn’t necessarily the man’s side that got the better end of the deal.
Many viewers got it wrong, thinking the man’s side had made 1.5 million.
"The bride price is usually paid in cash. Is the dowry from your region also in cash?" Zhang Zhe asked, probing for details.
"Yes, it’s cash."
"Impressive, very impressive." Zhang Zhe nodded. "If I’m not mistaken, women from your region usually only marry local men, right?"
"If this custom really exists, then as long as both families are on equal financial footing, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
"What’s your dilemma?"
Zhang Zhe hadn’t even asked for the woman’s personal details. It wouldn’t have mattered if she were hideous. When it came to marriages within the same region, customs generally had to be observed, or it would be considered an insult.
For example, if a village’s custom is for the bride to be carried in on an eight-man sedan chair, but when it’s your turn, you insist that she walk, the entire village will know you’re deliberately humiliating her.
"My situation now is that I’m in Yanjing," the woman explained.
"My family’s business is also here in Yanjing."
"But it seems the locals in Yanjing don’t have a bride price custom. They’re the type that won’t give a single cent for it."
𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
"No bride price in Yanjing, either?" Zhang Zhe asked. He suddenly recalled connecting with a man from Ji Province on his stream, who had said the exact same thing.
[We Yanjing People really don’t do that ’selling our daughters’ thing.]
[Asking for a bride price is a sign of weakness. No one can afford to lose face like that.]
[Around here, giving a bride price is like insulting the woman’s family for being worthless, like you’re trying to buy their daughter.]
[That’s Master Jing for you.]
[She’s in Yanjing, so why should she follow Wenzhou customs?]
Zhang Zhe glanced at the bullet comments. He had to admit, Beijing’s way of thinking was very modern. This was especially true for families with daughters, who generally believed:
Raising and educating a daughter to adulthood is a parent’s responsibility and duty.
I didn’t raise her specifically for your family, so what’s this about you giving me money?
Many places explain that the bride price is meant to repay the bride’s parents for the grace of raising her, but this line of reasoning didn’t seem to hold up in Yanjing.
One guy summed it up especially well:
In the eyes of Yanjing People, accepting money proves you need it; giving money is what earns you face.
"It seems Yanjing really doesn’t have a bride price custom."
"Miss, why don’t you find someone from Wenzhou here in Yanjing?"
"My parents did recommend someone like that." The woman was probably of a certain age, having already been through these things. "His family is a bit less well-off than mine, and he’s about my age."
"But his family made it clear they would only provide a house for the marriage, with a bride price of 100,000 at most, just as a token gesture. As for the dowry, they said they didn’t care if there was one or not, since they weren’t short on money anyway."
"My parents couldn’t accept that."
"They said it had to be 1.5 million. A 100,000 bride price is for ordinary families."
"Hang on..." Zhang Zhe held up a hand. "Do people in your region actually give 100,000 for a bride price? What’s the typical amount then?"
"Usually it’s 180,000 or 280,000. One of my childhood friends got 380,000."
"Sir, the custom I mentioned before is about the dowry being double the bride price, not that the amount is always 1.5 million. My parents set that specific amount. They just want me to have a more comfortable life after I get married."
"Mm, from the perspective of wanting what’s best for you, your parents’ thinking is certainly not wrong."
"But this issue needs to be broken down and analyzed in two parts."
"First, there’s the issue of the amount." Zhang Zhe gave an example. "If being rich means you can just keep raising the bride price without limit, then to marry the daughter of President Lei or President Ren, would you have to pay a billion for the bride price?"
[This girl is being too conservative. I suggest she demand a percentage of the guy’s family’s total assets.]
[Her parents are something else. They aren’t short on money, so what’s the point of this demand other than to piss off the man’s family?]
[I don’t see a problem. The bride’s parents just want to see the man’s attitude.]
[Didn’t she say they’d give back 3 million? The man’s side isn’t losing anything.]
"The second issue is the ownership of the dowry."
"Unless it’s clearly stated in a prenuptial agreement, a dowry is typically considered the wife’s personal property by default. In other words, forget your family giving a 3 million dowry—even if it were 30 million, that money would be yours alone."
"If you wanted, the husband’s side wouldn’t be able to touch a single cent of it."
"And I have to call out some of these bullet comments. They actually think this is some kind of profitable venture for the man."
Zhang Zhe let out a sarcastic laugh.
"They marry their daughter to you *and* give you 3 million? You get to have your cake and eat it too. Do you take her parents for fools?"
"That’s not true," the woman protested. "The dowry I bring would be for our new little family to use."
"Listen to yourself. In theory, the tens of millions you’ll eventually inherit from your family are also ’for your new little family to use.’ But is that really how it works?"
"You two met through matchmaking. It’s not like you fell in love freely and have a deep, long-standing relationship. Expecting his family to just pull out 1.5 million for you is simply unrealistic."
"Sir, we women from Wenzhou are very family-oriented. The dowry would definitely be brought back for us to spend together," the woman was still trying to explain.
Little did she know, her entire line of thinking was flawed.
Her promise of ’spending it together’ was something that would take time to verify, and the cost of that verification was far too high.
Few people would be willing to take that risk.
"Then just draw up an agreement stating that the 3 million is a gift to both husband and wife. His family would certainly have no objections to that," Zhang Zhe said confidently.
If it’s gifted to both parties, it’s generally treated as joint marital property. So one way or another, the man’s money comes back to him.
They would absolutely accept that arrangement.
But the woman didn’t answer him directly. Instead, she said, "We don’t have a custom of signing agreements like that where I’m from."
[???]
[Now that’s a layered defense. Sis, you’re unbeatable.]
[Does her family really have A8-level wealth? How can she be so calculating?]
[People in Wenzhou are mostly in brick-and-mortar businesses. With 60 million in assets, they might not even be able to pull together 6 million in cash.]
"Sis, you can treat the man himself like an idiot, but don’t treat his family like idiots too."
"His 1.5 million, your family’s 3 million—a total of 4.5 million—all goes into your pocket. His family would have no idea when you use it or what you use it on, yet on paper, it would look like he was the one who benefited."
"Only a fool would agree to that kind of deal!"
"But that’s just the custom where I’m from," the woman insisted.
"The custom isn’t 1.5 million! For one or two hundred thousand, a wealthy family might not bother to argue over it. That’s perfectly normal, right?"
Zhang Zhe had to resist the urge to say, ’But didn’t his family already tell you? They can give 100,000.’
’In that case, is it possible that in their eyes, this is all she’s worth?’
But those words were too hurtful and smacked of objectifying her, so Zhang Zhe held his tongue.
After all, this woman’s family’s high bride price demand was different from the customs in Gan Province. It wasn’t about selling their daughter; it was purely about wanting to make a quick buck off the man’s side first.
The most ridiculous part was that after a maneuver like this, many people would still think the man’s side got the better deal. The woman’s family would not only pocket the money but also walk away with a good reputation!