Volume 1, Chapter 20: Restoring Both Honor and Substance

One thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight!

Good heavens!

What kind of figure is that? In the village, one could build two large, tiled-roof houses with three rooms each and still have money to spare. It is no exaggeration to say that, apart from Li Chengping, no one present had ever seen so much money in their lives. It is no wonder the crowd reacted this way; who wouldn't be envious? At that time, a bride price of eighty-eight yuan was already considered a mark of a wealthy family.

Initially, Chen Yang had intended to offer Huang Zhiyao a bride price of one hundred and eighty-eight yuan. However, having captured the dangerous criminal Zheng Wuyang today and receiving a reward of two thousand yuan, he figured, what use was there in hoarding so much cash? He decided to simply give Huang Zhiyao one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight. With this, the bride price was truly one of a kind in the entire country. It gave Huang Zhiyao both status and face, which was the most important thing.

Judging by the current situation, the effect was excellent, as evidenced by the crowd's reaction. Even Li Chengping, who was accustomed to seeing large sums of money, was stunned by Chen Yang’s display. He knew that if it were him, he wouldn't have the audacity to make such a gesture. As he looked at Chen Yang, his eyes shifted; this young man was clearly no ordinary person, and he needed to cultivate a good relationship with him.

"This... this..." Huang Zhiyao didn't know what to say. Her instinct was to refuse. Just having Chen Yang show up today was enough; she felt she couldn't accept such a massive bride price.

"I promised to make you the happiest woman in the world, and I will never go back on my word. Take the money. I will earn even more in the future. As the saying goes: I’ll earn the money to support the family, and you can just focus on being beautiful!"

*I’ll earn the money to support the family, and you can just focus on being beautiful!*

What a simple yet heartfelt declaration. The young women present wished they could trade places with Huang Zhiyao right then and there. It was incredibly blissful! Anyone who dared call Chen Yang a good-for-nothing would have them to deal with. If someone could hand them one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan, they wouldn't care what anyone else said.

"Zhiyao, I’m actually envious of you now," Song Qian said softly. An adult man only earned about three hundred yuan a year; Chen Yang’s gesture was equivalent to five or six years of someone else's wages. In this era, who could handle such a thing without feeling a pang of envy? Still, she was genuinely happy for her dear friend. To put it bluntly, getting involved with Chen Yang was definitely worth it.

"Oh, right, there are other betrothal gifts, too. I even bought that bicycle you liked. My father and the others are on their way with the horse-drawn cart, but I was in such a hurry that I hitched a ride in Chief Li’s car first," Chen Yang added, dropping another bombshell.

"Whoa!" Another wave of commotion erupted. Everyone was going crazy! A bicycle cost over a hundred yuan; altogether, the betrothal gifts were worth over two thousand. This was likely an unprecedented dowry. How could they not be stunned?

Huang Zhiyao, however, was becoming immune to the shock. She stared intently at the man before her, realizing she hadn't chosen the wrong person. Spending a lifetime with a man like this would surely be happy, wouldn't it? At this thought, a smile finally bloomed on her beautiful face. In that moment, Chen Yang was lost in her smile.

"Chen Yang, thank you!" Huang Zhiyao said sincerely. She knew she was the object of everyone’s envy now. All of this was provided by Chen Yang, and truth be told, he didn't have to do any of it. They had already been together; she would have married him regardless.

"There's no need for thanks between us; it makes us feel like strangers! From now on, you are my wife, and I will make you happy for the rest of your life."

"Whoa!" Someone started it, and soon everyone present spontaneously broke into applause.

Just then, the Chen family arrived with the horse-drawn cart. They began unloading the betrothal gifts one by one. Everything was high-demand merchandise, especially the red "Forever" brand bicycle, which made everyone green with envy.

"Lass, it’s our Chen Yang who let you down, but from now on, if he ever dares to bully you, you tell your uncle, and I’ll break that brat’s legs," Chen Zhilin said to Huang Zhiyao with great solemnity.

"Thank you, Uncle. I believe Chen Yang will treat me very well." Huang Zhiyao knew Chen Zhilin and his wife; they were truly good people. Marrying into their family, she certainly wouldn't be mistreated. What more could she ask for? At that moment, she finally felt surrounded by happiness.

"Third Uncle, Ninth Uncle, please act as our witnesses!" Chen Zhilin said with a smile to the two elders of the Chen family. Li Zhiquan naturally had to be present as well. With the addition of County Criminal Police Chief Li Chengping, and under the witness of such heavyweight figures, the proposal ceremony was completed perfectly. Having official figures present was a matter of great prestige.

In the eyes of the villagers, Chen Yang was now like a god. To put it simply, you couldn't find a second person in Wangchuankou with such influence. Many even regretted not betrothing their own daughters to Chen Yang; otherwise, they would have been the ones basking in the glory today.

The ceremony lasted until after nine in the evening.

"Brother Li, thank you so much for today!" Chen Yang said, gripping Li Chengping’s hand firmly.

"Brother Chen, you’re being too polite. Do you know what kind of reward we’ll get for catching Zheng Wuyang? At the very least, a collective second-class merit, and if I’m lucky, I might even get an individual second-class merit. If I’m going to thank anyone, I should be thanking you. If Zheng Wuyang had killed anyone else in the county, everyone, including Director Lin, would have been implicated. The entire bureau is grateful to you," Li Chengping said with a smile. He felt that what he had done for Chen Yang was trivial.

"My wife and I have a somewhat unique situation, but regardless, thank you. If there’s ever anything you need me for in the future, Brother Li, just say the word," Chen Yang replied.

"No problem, I won't stand on ceremony with you. I’ve been working overtime for days, so I need to head back and report to your sister-in-law. We’ll gather in the county another time. Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, I’m heading out. When you have time, have Yangzi bring you to the county, and I’ll treat you to a meal."

Li Chengping greeted the Chen couple and drove away from Wangchuankou.

"Uncle, Aunt, I can’t take this money. Please keep it safe for Chen Yang!" Huang Zhiyao said, holding out the one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan to Chen Zhilin and Liu Minghua. They were stunned to see such a thick stack of cash. What was going on? Didn't Chen Yang say the bride price was one hundred and eighty-eight?

Chen Zhilin was the first to recover, saying, "Child, what’s given to you is yours. We cannot take this money." Although he was a simple rural man, his character and perspective were far beyond the ordinary.